Approximately an hour and a half before they would need to make their descent onto the surface of Zatis Mia provided an alarm- a gentle beeping noise that rose in intensity every thirty seconds- to awake Solae as pleasantly as possible. The marquise was reluctant to leave the comfort of her bed and only did so begrudgingly, largely due to the nagging insistence of the artificial intelligence (who had the best of intentions). With time to spare before she was required in the cockpit she showered, changed her clothes, fetched a nutritional bar as a meal substitute, and made a mug of instant coffee in an effort to make herself more alert. Exhaustion had not only made her sleep deeply, it had also made her exceedingly groggy when she was ripped out of the world of dreamless repose, so she was hopeful the chemical stimulant of caffeine would assist. They had less than an hour, yet more than half an hour, when she finally made her way to the pilot's seat.

"Mia, how close are we to Zatis? No, let me rephrase. How much time left in the approach before we breach the upper atmosphere?" she inquired as she stifled a yawn. "I assume there is a shipyard where we can safely land and store the [i]Bonaventure[/i] since we don't have a shuttle."

The [i]Bonaventure[/i] was a perfectly functional spacecraft and spacious for only two occupants, but it was one of the smaller freighters; as such it was a popular choice for merchants transporting delicate precious goods and smugglers similar to the previous owners that needed to keep their vessel light, cheap, and fast. What lacked in the ability to ferry large amounts of heavy cargo it made up for in the boon of not needing to dock at a space station. Carriers typically had to put themselves in orbit or dock at a station because their size made it burdensome, if not impossible, to safely land on the surface. Even the most elite aristocrats had private yachts that toed the standards of what was allowed to pierce the sky. Depending on what sort of business they had, and nobility were notoriously paranoid about privacy unless they wanted it broadcasted, taking a shuttle could be anything from an inconvenient to an embarrassment or detriment to their plans.

"Fourty-three minutes, Lady Solae. Did you want to set safety protocols in place while we are en route? It is my understanding that you will not be disclosing your identities once on Zatis and that I should not allow anyone to board while you are away," she purred affectionately.

"I hadn't thought about that yet," the linguist replied honestly as she leaned forward and pulled one of the screens on a swinging arm closer to her to scrutinize. Mia obediently displayed an array of counter-measures in the event that someone was trying to break into the [i]Bonaventure[/i]. If Duke Tan's forces located them they would undoubtedly try to prevent the engaged pair from making it within a hundred meters of their getaway vehicle, but Zatis was not populated with honest folk, and it would be madness to park their traveling home without any precautions taken against theft or damage. It would only take one overly curious and morally bankrupt individual to stumble into their sanctuary and find the means to expose their true selves.

"Lady Solae, as you make your selections, may I be of any assistance in locating accommodations for your stay on Zatis?"

"I'm afraid that we'll probably be using aliases and using the sort of establishment that doesn't take reservations, Mia, but thank you for asking," Solae murmured as she rapped her fingers on the side of the console thoughtfully. There was something almost exciting about waltzing into a seedy hotel with Rene. It was dangerous to be certain, but it was one of many places that had been forbidden to someone of her stature growing up, and thus there was a childish thrill at 'breaking the rules' even if her parents would never again be able to enforce them. As her thought turned to her parents she wondered quietly if there were assets they possessed of which she was unaware. Preparations for empowering her to inherit their title had been cut short with their untimely deaths. Duke Tan had unintentionally crippled her from using all the resources at her disposal simply by eliminating the elder Falias.

"Are there any public logs of visitors to Zatis or public property records for the planet?" Solae asked suddenly.

"I do not believe so, Lady Solae. Is there something in particular you are seeking?" she asked with captive wonder in her sultry tone.

"Just wondering if there is something I am missing. I don't believe this is the sort of place my parents would be caught vacationing but they were... eccentric, so I can never be certain what they did or did not do in their private lives." It was refreshing to talk to a computer because, as machinery without an ounce of emotion, it could not and would not judge her for her confessions. Mia might react with a pre-programmed response to a topic or sentence for which she had a trigger, but she couldn't feel appalled, she couldn't roll her eyes and deem something 'crazy.' It was painful to speak of her mother and father but it kept their memory alive. There were few others in the universe she'd discuss them with as freely as the algorithm that was inappropriately seductive. "Once I turned thirty they planned to give me full disclosure of every holding they had, every account, every connection and its nature. I didn't really care about how much money we had but I hoped it'd give me more insight into what sort of people they were when they weren't reprimanding me, or dictating my behavior, or criticizing a count for poor etiquette. I don't know what they did when they were my age, or who they had affection for outside of their political marriage, or what hobbies they explored in their free time."

"I am sorry to hear that, Lady Solae. Would you like me to seek more information on the deceased Falias?" Mia cooed.

"If you can covertly access any information about them it'd be appreciated," Solae smiled. "Here I've been investigating Rene's family and Amellia's family, and now I may very well know more of them than my own."