Solae did not regret setting the manor on fire but she had vastly underestimated the inherent dangers of her plan. By the time she had broken through the edge of the sugar cane field she was wheezing, her chest heaving as she tried to inhale clean air, and she admitted mentally that Rene had been right to worry. The marquise had set so many ignition points on her route out of the home that the flames had both grown in size and spread with surprising speed. Well-bred and intelligent noblewoman she was but arsonist she was not. Toxic clouds of smoke had been breathed in before her legs had been able to carry her a safe distance away while heat from the conflagration had made the back of her arms and neck burn to an unhealthy shade of pink.

"Solae of the..." Kalrio started but stopped a few inches in front of her. She had staggered as she felt her limbs turn to jelly in protest of both overexertion and exhaustion. With the Syshin equivalent of a frown the older male stepped forward and braced her under the shoulder with a forearm. Realizing the conflagration behind her was the source of physical distress he guided her closer to the ship where the blistering air was less oppressive.

"[i]What's wrong Kalrio?[/i]" Solae asked in Syshi. Her tongue slurred the syllables slightly and she coughed out particles of ash that had gotten lodged in her sinuses. One of the female Syshin took an empty decoy box and quickly moved it next to the woman's side before knitting her brows in concern and gesturing for her to sit. "[i]We don't really have time to...[/i]" the diplomat protested.

"[i]Sit,[/i]" the elder requested sternly. He waited until she had reluctantly complied before he continued. "[i]Rene, bonded of Solae, has told us to leave before we have finished loading the supplies. He speaks of an army and a need for our people to evacuate. You can not possibly finish this task by yourself.[/i]"

The linguist sighed, sputtering briefly as she did so, and her pallid features took on a gray hue that sent whispers among the congregation of aliens. None of them were experts on the human condition but they had enough exposure to the race to know that this ambassador of the empire was incredibly unwell. Kalrio turned towards them and, with a single gaze of reprimand, silenced their panicked musings. Unofficially he was their leader in the absence of an an encampment with a more formal social structure. Because communities were presided over by a pair of twins, and old age often left a single Syshin of a pair alive, the eldest was typically ineligible for the position. What tilted them into cultural obedience was that all the foreign beings were so young they would have been exempted by age alone- which left him in charge by default. 

"[i]He's right, you do need to leave. In fact, you should have been gone by now,[/i]" she finally managed. Realizing they were wasting precious time she bowed her head and decided to take the path of least resistance. "[i]None of you are maids anymore. Everyone will move the crates inside the ship. I need to get to get the ship calibrated for take off. The instant that we are ready for take off I want you to run into the grove. The drones will escort you to Amber Horizon and be under your control except for the one I am keeping. Understood?[/i]"

They all nodded. Kalrio was obviously still troubled, and one of the former house staff was uneasy about the heavy lifting involved in the compromise, but they leapt into action. With the authority bestowed onto him Kalrio lifted each crate, judging its weight, and gave it to a pair of appropriate strength to haul into the vessel so as to maximize their efficiency. Solae hadn't been able to translate for Rene precisely what deal had been brokered but he caught on quickly enough when he saw the soldier-like dedication that was being poured into the loading process. Overhead nine drones hovered in a swarm as they waited patiently. A single machine, however, flew over all the assembled heads as it coasted into the Bonaventure and nimbly landed on a small shelf that would not obstruct movement in any meaningful way.

"I need to help Mia," Solae said simply as she pushed herself up off the empty container on which she had been perched.

"I think Mia can use all the help she can get, but..." Rene began with a displeasure written on his visage.

"I'll be better off inside the ship, right?" she said with a wry smile.

Unsolicited Rene wrapped an arm around her waist, not allowing her a chance to protest, and escorted her up the ramp. None of the Syshin dared to get in their way as they ascended up the plank and made their way to the cockpit. The instability of Solae's gait, the way she leaned so heavily without intention, and her shortness of breath made Rene wholly unwilling to leave her alone even after she had been deposited in the upholstered central command seat that provided ample support. Rank as the air in the ship was it was devoid of the smog outside that had wrecked havoc on her respiratory system. The marquise forced herself to take several long, deep inhalations before addressing the artificial intelligence system that had been shoved into the mainframe of the Bonaventure so roughly.

"Mia, you were uploaded to this ship by Argon, the AI of the plantation. His core is underground so he should be intact. I want you to contact him and acquire all the necessary data you need for this vessel, the Bonaventure. We're not sure which model this is so download anything that might have the correct schematics."

"Understood. Are you unwell, Mistress Falia?" was the crackling response over the intercom.

"I will be fine," Solae reassured with uncertainty as Rene frowned at her. There was little Kalrio and Rene had in common but their solemn disposition towards her at present had an uncanny resemblance despite the species difference. "Fuck," she hissed as there were little blips that appeared on the edge of the radar Rene had called up earlier. They had at most twenty minutes before they would be ambushed by rebellion forces but it was much more likely that they would be overwhelmed in ten.

"[i]Kalrio, go! They're here! If you stay any longer you will stain all our names. Please![/i]"

With a grunt Kalrio lugged two crates up the steps, dumped them unceremoniously on the floor, and scowled. "We go," he acknowledged with discontent but obedience. There were many things he was willing to risk to assist the heroes that had freed his people and earned the praise of Amber Horizon, but the sanctuary of the settlement itself was not one. What she said had been true. Were they to be killed by the Gids readying their assault then today's victory would have been meaningless. If no one survived to tell the tale of their liberation by two humans then it would be no better than if it never occurred.