Solae could not help but laugh at Rene's declaration she'd make a great marine. He was clearly trying to improve her spirits and, fortunately, he had succeeded both with the rather absurd faith in her person and his peeled mango flower. "I think there might be more to being a female marine than being a morale booster for one specific brother in arms. Just a wild guess, though," she said with a roll of the eyes. Born a nobleman he had not exactly been groomed for the life that had been thrust on him, but he was still infinitely better suited than Solae would have been. Women on both side of the family were delicate waifs. The beauty that was so heavily genetically modified valued a slight frame over one with more muscle, flexibility over strength, and small shoulders rather than broad. With enough effort it was possible to become a marine- just not a [i]good[/i] one.

"You can use all the pretty words you want, Rene Quentain, but even if what I am doing, and what you are doing, is not just for me personally, I am still a person. And this person, regardless of the circumstances, is quite allowed to have feelings regarding the state of the people that protect her regardless of their motivations."

Since the bounty had been posted she had been aware that she was not merely Solae but a tool for the PEA that would determine the success or failure of the rebellion. No one would be so desperate to find her unless she was a pivotal piece they could not do without. The marquise could still vividly remember sitting in an overly grand meeting room as one of her superiors droned on about the changes in security procedures. A viscount immediately to her right had been so dismissive of any threat meriting this change in protocol that he had spent the entire hour and a half messaging his fiancee in the Vital Records Hall. Not one person in attendance considered the scenario that faced her now. As elites they arrogantly believed themselves invincible and immune to attacks. War was waged on peasants and fought by soldiers.

Solae was a key both damned and blessed. If she failed she lost herself, Rene, and the lives of countless others. If she succeeded she would be a hero while those that carried her to victory went unrecognized.

"If we make it out this alive, and I become the voice of New Concordia, I may have all the marriage proposals Mother wanted for me. The moment I make it known I intend to fight for the rights of Syshin... well, I dare say I will solve that dilemma," she remarked. And it would. Though she would be theoretically catapulted in status, prestige, and renown to sufficiently affect the plight of the subjugated race, it would not be well-received. People would be reluctant to give up those that worked harder than humans and for far less pay. Only a Syshin uprising- which was a distinct possibility in the future- would make stubborn minds and hearts reconsider. The current social climate made it more convenient to ignore the bigotry than object.

Because of Rene's insistence (and very effective method of persuasion with boyish charms) Solae ate all her food, albeit more slowly than was normal, and the earthenware was whisked away by their hosts almost the second they finished. A roughly teenage Syshin led them towards a less used section of the ship and to a set of mechanical doors that still functioned despite their disuse. One had Syshi scrawled on the surface indicating it was a secured storage room for the rare valuable kept at Amber Horizon. Syshin were more sentimental than monetary in what they considered worth such exceptional shielding; as such the door was more a symbol of the effort than meant as a deterrent itself.

"Yours," the Syshin explained and pointed to the other door which had been left unadorned. Rene stepped forward and pressed the small console that surprisingly had been left intact. The door groaned quietly as it slid open obediently and revealed the room that had been prepared for them as best as the Syshin could. A mattress had been placed on the floor with two blankets composed of discarded garments that had been cut into geometric shapes and sewn together. Two basins, one for each human, were in the corner for washing of hands and faces, and a jug of water for drinking stood beside them on the floor. It was tight quarters but more than sufficient for a single night of rest.

Solae let out a slow breath as the door closed behind them. Surprisingly it blocked out the sound of the jubilation still ongoing in the main hold. "Just like Lord Armon's manor, don't you think?" she asked as she flopped down in the middle of the makeshift bed.