Interstellar Age

The relative balance of power that had existed for eons was suddenly thrown into disarray over night. The Germanic Star-Empire had suddenly revealed itself to be a Galactic Power, while the Alfheim Dominion announced a long-term military and economic alliance with the GSE, one which was sealed with matrimony between the Alfheim Empress, and the Supreme Leader of the Germanic Star-Empire.

To everyone outside of Lunaria, Erich, and Celestia, this was considered a wild and unexpected chain of events. But Erich had been doing everything he could to charm Lunaria since he first restarted the timeline. And after years of effort, it finally paid off.

As for Celestia, as in the previous timeline, she too grew attracted to Erich as she watched her mother and him develop into a close and romantic relationship. However, unlike in that timeline, she did not have the nerve to try to steal the man away for herself.

Thus, she was forced to sit on the sidelines, and think about what could have been if only she had found Erich first.

As for those rival galactic powers, and their leaders. They were forced to reassess the current situation. The exact strength of the Germanic Star-Empire, and its armed forces, was unknown. Not to mention, the GSA now occupied, and was beginning to colonize a much vaster territory of space than they previously held.

Inside this territory were its own vassals in the Great Oni Empire and the Dvrakian Consortium, as well as a few other smaller civilizations that bordered the GSE. If the other galactic powers were to combine their strength against the Alfheim Dominion by itself, they could achieve a victory, albeit a pyrrhic one.

But... With the unknown factor of the Germanic Military by their side, a military which, mind you, defeated a Naraku Splinter Fleet with relative ease. It was impossible to know what the results of such a campaign would be.

Because of this, the other galactic leaders, including Bixel Goldentooth, were forced to take a step back, and cease their demands. Believing they needed to buy themselves time for a military buildup. A new arms race had begun, and unfortunately for the rest of the Galaxy, the GSE's efficiency in this exact regard was out of this world thanks to their reliance on advanced AI.

As for Lunaria, she left these matters of foreign policy to Erich and his capable hands. Instead, she was more concerned about preparing for her wedding to Erich. She wanted it to be the most grand and exquisite event in Galactic History, and she would spare no expense to make this the case.

However, as their wedding rapidly approached, Lunaria received a message from Erich which she found to be cryptic.

"Come to Germania. I have a present for you that I know you will enjoy..."

Though Lunaria had no idea what kind of present Erich had gotten her. She was eager to take any chance she had to meet up with the man in person. Thus, she quickly did as the man asked, and flew out to Germania, where she met her fiancee at the citadel.

Erich kissed Lunaria in an open display of interspecies affection the moment she stepped foot in his office. And she shamelessly did the same. Yet Erich's guards did not seem to care, after all, marrying the Alfheim Empress, while taboo and disgusting, was a significant boon for the Empire and its citizens, and because of that people had come to tolerate this marriage, even if it went against everything their civilization stood for.

Lunaria seemed eager, a little too eager to see Erich. And was quick to express this sentiment.

"Erich my love... You know how busy I am making the preparations for our wedding. But... I just can't say no to you when you wish to meet up like this. So what's the surprise?"

Erich smirked when he heard this. He grabbed hold of Lunaria's hand and led her into his private elevator, where he was quick to answer her question.

"This present... It's a little too... distasteful for a wedding ceremony. So much so that I wouldn't dare publically gift it to you, but I know this is something that you have wanted to get your hands on for far longer than my species even existed. So... I thought I would gift it to you privately as a sort of early wedding present."

Lunaria, of course, had no idea what Erich was talking about... There was nothing in this galaxy she could not get her hands on if she wanted it. No, that wasn't right... There was only one thing she had never been able to obtain...

And that thing went missing quite some time ago... When it dawned on Lunaria just what Erich was talking about, her expression turned grim, as she stared at the man with a curious look in her golden eyes.

"Erich... Don't tell me..."

But before she could finish this statement, the doors to the elevator opened to reveal Erich's presentation to Lunaria. And it was just as she had come to expect at the very last moment prior to its revelation. Sitting in a cell, bound, gagged, and blindfolded, was none other than Lunaria's little sister, Daelia Asterion. The living being that Lunaria despised the most in this world. The woman who Lunaria blamed for the destruction of their family's empire all those millions of years ago, and the death of their parents.

Complete and utter silence existed within this hidden dungeon, and it lasted for what seemed like a lifetime. Erich knew this would indeed be a stunning feat, even to Lunaria, and thus he waited patiently for the woman to respond.

And when she finally did, he did not hear the words of appreciation that he thought he would. Instead, he heard a scolding tone in Lunaria's voice, almost as if she was a mother who was about to punish her errant child for misbehaving.

"Oh Erich... What have you done?"