Disclaimer: Blah blah. Pioneer. Blah blah blah.

C&C welcomed.

        Trakal took a deep breath and knocked on the door to the hotel room
 where Tanaka was staying. The others were already on their way to the Fudo
 Temples and Trakal had been assigned the task of delivering one of the
 generator parts to the Black Eye Temple. He had decided that since he was
 heading to a temple anyhow, he might as well marry Tanaka at the same time.
 He loved her and he didn't want to wait if he didn't have to.

    But would she still love him when she saw what he really was? He'd been
 a special operative for the Galaxy Police for nearly a decade. In truth,
 he was a full ten years her elder, but he had figured if he wasn't going to
 let something like a difference in species bother him, then something as
 relatively trivial as age difference could get stuffed.
    Tanaka picked up the scoop for the ice and began to fill the bucket for
 her room. She reached down. This time a hand settled down over her own. It
 was artificial. A grey metal hand which was somehow warm, not cold as one
 might expect.
    "Tanaka," a familiar voice told her, "Don't turn around yet. Listen to
 me first. I love you, Tanaka. I always will no matter what happens. Now,
 what you are about to say will probably frighten you, and you might even
 be angry with me, but I want you to know that I didn't hide this from you
 to be cruel, but because I had to. Tanaka, I'm a member of an organization
 known as the Galaxy Police and we have a non-interference mandate. I'm not
 even supposed to be here. Truth is, I should have killed myself as soon as
 I arrived. But I couldn't. There's someone here. Someone evil. That someone
 killed the rest of the Galaxy Police except for two other officers who are
 also here. I have been given a chance to help destroy that evil being and
 I have every intention of taking it. If you decide you still love me after
 you've seen who I really am, I am going to the Black Eye Fudo Temple and
 I'd like to marry you there. It won't be an official ceremony, we'll have
 that one later, but..." he couldn't say anything else. Surely she'd reject
 him once she saw him. Still, best to get it over with. "Look at me, Tanaka."
 He half-sobbed.
    Tanaka turned and her eyes went wide.
    Trakal swallowed a sob and waited for the inevitable shriek of horror or
 look of disgust. Perhaps even a slap across his muzzle and a lot of yelling
 about how cruel he was to lead her on.
    "Wow!" Tanaka breathed, sounding more impressed than anything.
    Trakal blinked.
    Tanaka calmed herself. "So you're from the Galaxy Police?"
    "I was, but they're gone now."
    Tanaka smiled, amiably, at Trakal. "Well, at least you won't be running
 off on some crazy adventure while I'm sitting at home worrying myself to
 tears over you."
    "You... you'll marry me?"
    "I already told you 'yes', Naoki."
    "Trakal." he corrected her.
    "Trakal." She repeated, savoring the name. She stepped forward and 
 planted a gentle kiss on his muzzle, telling him in this single action 
 everything he needed to hear from her.
    "I love you." He told her, gently, as he held her to himself.
    "I love you, Trakal." She replied. She gazed into his exotic eyes as
 they walked down the corridor together. "So I guess a fur coat would be
 out of the question?" she teased him.
    "Definitely." He agreed.