Solae had been prepared for the tragedy that was verbally unraveled for her benefit by Rene. What she had not expected, however, was how jealous she found herself to be of the deceased Amellia. Petty as her feelings were, and as well as she kept them suppressed throughout his tale, she could not deny their existence.

Even by the strictest standards of the Stellar Empire Solae was one of the upper echelons of the aristocracy. What she had, however, paled in comparison to what late Amellia enjoyed before her untimely death. The marquise was no cousin to the empress, had not been appointed to the illustrious station of handmaiden, and had not resided within the walls of the palace proper. Both of her parents had been transferred to New Concordia out of want of distance from the primary planets; they were tired of being one of numerous noble families and instead sought to be big fish in the comparatively tiny pond of a smaller sector. Quietly they also knew that a remote location would also allow them more latitude in exploring certain hobbies and proclivities that would be noticed immediately in the courts where everyone was allegedly always watching. Regardless of their rationale, the Falia name carried a certain prestige that was undeniable, yet it had not afforded them the high honors held once by Amellia Siennaferara.

And more than being envious of handmaiden's accomplishments, she was envious of the love story that had been sung before she had been known to the soldier before her now. Solae did not expect, want, nor need to be Rene's first relationship, but to hear in aching detail of how enraptured the couple had been with each other stung. Much like a spouse of a widow might have insecurities about the husband that came before so she was having anxiety brewing in her heart. The two traveling in the Bonaventure had but a week and yet Amellia had been courted by Rene for an entire year. A year of dates, of romantic overtures, of moonlit strolls, of blissful days filled with the deepest of joys in finding a mate for one's soul. Rationally she knew she ought not to compare but it was impossible not to draw parallels. Suddenly Solae felt as if she were an intruder on a enchanting fantasy, complete with a heroine perfectly suited to the hero, to which she could never measure. She withdraw physically, pulling the sheet around her nude form for comfort as she tried not to be the interloper coveting the things of the dead.

"I wasn't asking for permission," she asserted with a sharper undertone than she meant. Rene was hurting; this was his past, not hers, and so she took a deep breath to stifle her bruised ego. The diplomat leapt to her feet, still utilizing the chartreuse silk as a makeshift garment, as she paced to expend the excess energy she now possessed from warring emotions. It was Rene that had lost perhaps the only [i]true[/i] love. It was Rene that was accused of murder. It was Rene that had been forced into the Marines after he lost everything of value in his life.

"Lady Solae, I do not recommend walking so close to the jump horizon. It is my duty to remind you that, given your physical condition and Argon's records, you should rest to more efficiently recover. Would you like me to-" Mia chastised lightly.

"Thank you for your concern, Mia," the linguist interrupted, "but I am fine." Her assessment was subjective at best given the fading bruises, healing welts caused by proximity to heat, sutured forehead, and thigh wound that had re-opened no less than twice, but she was not in any imminent danger. Reflection on how atrocious her injuries must appear to a man that had once successfully wooed a handmaiden made her retreat to an opposite wall against which she leaned lightly.

"I don't dispute if I started my investigation on Capella I would be in imminent danger, but how far away we are from official imperial outposts can be our boon for accessing your records without notice, just as they are a hindrance to our reporting of the rebellion. [i]If[/i] the murderer takes note of me they will have quite the distance to traverse before reaching us- and we are already in hiding. This is the best situation imaginable to look into this, Rene. Consider all the obstacles the true killer must overcome: conjuring an excuse for an unexpected lengthy journey, not having ample time for planning, locating us while we are actively evading rebels, coming close to New Concordia which they would have an obligation to report the revolt on, and then dealing with the military rushing in to crush the coup. There will much scrutiny after this is all over, Rene. The empress will demand answers as to who was on the planet, or near it, when the first assault was made, and each faithful servant thereafter. It will be hard to bury the truth." That anyone could commit homicide at the foot of the Spire suggested they could do so anywhere without notice. To her own ears her theory was not as encouraging as she hoped, but safety was not a guarantee for a scion that slaughtered a handmaiden and eluded every form of surveillance.

"There is someone out there, Rene, who got away with it, for reasons we don't know. It's possible that they were emboldened by framing you successfully. What is to stop them from continuing down that dark path? Could you live with knowing we had a chance to find them, to stop them, and elected not take it? What if the answers are there and we remain ignorant by choice- does that not make us complicit in whatever blood is spilled until the true criminal is imprisoned or longer among the living?" Solae shook her head slowly. "I can open doors I doubt you can before. I have a moral obligation to do this, Rene, one that I can not pretend does not exist. It may be too little too late but I believe in justice. If there is even the smallest chance I can keep someone else from suffering from the same fate as you and Amellia, or that I can salvage your name so that you could find happiness if I don't make it to safe space, or that I can expose the empress to the dangers that must be close to her, I have to seize it."

"I'll start by combing through the news in the months afterwards," she began, hoping that if he saw her approach he would see the merit and be less panicked over the inherent danger. "If we assume there was premeditation and motive then there was a desired outcome that is hidden in the changes of the imperial court. Once I can establish a timeline I will be able sort out any peculiarities and also pinpoint how you and Amellia would have affected the various outcomes if at all. The officers that interrogated you did not have luxury of waiting to see how the ebb and flow of society rippled in the wake of the loss. From there I will move from the outside inwards. My first few searches will be broad, and then I will narrow my focus, so that I will be as minimally detectable as possible."