"It's beautiful," Solae murmured to herself though it hardly did the spectacle any justice. She sincerely doubted Rene could hear her voice above the sounds of the typhoon howling hundreds of meters above the ship nor the white noise created by the torrential downpour. When they had been further inside their vessel they had the benefit of the interior structure to help nullify exterior sound while naturally amplifying their own conversation. Even without the ability to communicate vocally they could still utilize body language to convey their thoughts. Rene could easily deduce from the star-struck expression on his lover's visage and the smile creeping upon her lips that she was just as enchanted and humbled by the vision of exotic beauty he was.

Despite her status as an aristocrat, the marquise was not as well-traveled as many of upper echelon of society, the sorts that had luxury cruisers and spacecraft with all the latest technology to expedite their journey with maximum efficiency. The late matriarch and patriarch of the Falia direct lineage had settled on New Concordia not long after she had been born and not been inclined to venture back toward the central systems often. By the most liberal measurements both Marquess Alyosha Falia and Marquise Selene Falia had been quite eccentric in their planetary anchoring. For this reason the backdrop of space, with its offerings of glittering stars and bursts of color from distant galaxies and stellar drifts, had been been fantastical for Rene's proposal. Solae did not expect to find alien flora or fauna that could begin to compare yet she was mistaken.

Feeling adventurous she squeezed her soldier's hand and tugged him down the ramp. She was not confident that, even with the caldera buffering the majority of the gale's force, that her core strength was sufficient to keep her upright if she wandered into the shallow pools. Rene had flattered her on her intellect and coordination but there was no sense in denying that physically she did not have the upper hand in any scenario not fixated on aesthetic appeal. Solae knew that she needed the support of her companion if she wanted to frolic in the glowing phosphorescent liquid.

It was more of a struggle than she had anticipated, due in part to the depth of the veritable pond that had formed around the [i]Bonaventure[/i] and her inadequate footwear, but Rene was more than capable of assisting her through when she stumbled. Solae was determined not to let this experience of Panopontus pass her by after she had been put through the duress of making a precise landing through the center of a natural disaster. She felt the universe owed her this tiny expedition. The diplomat was in sore need of reward Soon enough she'd be grounded to the captain's quarters while she her consort went on a mission to obtain them fuel. Getting wet, potentially ruining her clothes, and straining her muscles through the muddy ground was a small price to pay for this joyful immersion in peculiar glamor.

Of course she was reluctant to go too far. Solae knew her limitations and, more importantly, she respected the fury of the beast that assaulted the rocky protection of the caldera's formation. Far too many underestimated nature's ability to destroy. Nobility in particular felt invulnerable, empowered by scientific gains, and out of the reach of anything but courtly assassination plots. The coup would prove to them that they were not gods among men but so could this evening on Panopontus. Strangely she wished a duke or duchess were present to see how weak they were against the might of one 'lowly' storm.