Solae pressed the release on her helmet, waited for the safety locks to disengage, and eagerly pulled it off to tuck under her arm. Her long hair was tangled and half-plastered to her head, not on account of the temperature, as the suit had maintained a comfortable climate per manufacturing requirements, but because of how incredibly anxious she had been during Rene's plan. She did not think she'd ever be as calm and collected as her paramour in evading soldiers. Their very presence made her incredibly uneasy because it drew to her attention her own mortality. It was true she could operate a firearm with reliable efficiency, but her adversaries were highly trained individuals with much less hesitation when it came to killing, and that could be the difference between life and death.

"Thank you, Mia. Mia, I'd like you to meet our guests. The young lady with us is Rosaria and the two gentleman with us are Dasin and Yarue. I trust when we transferred you to the Bonaventure your language files remained intact?" she inquired as she set down her helmet and began to unzip the airsuit. The dress underneath was much less modest but it gave her a better range of movement. Once she had stepped out of the space garment she pulled her hem down from where it had been hiked above her waist. The duchess suspected that her unusually sensual attire was what gave the AI such a significant pause.

"Yes, of course Lady Solae," she purred. "It is a pleasure you meet you, Rosaria, Dasin, and Yarue. Please do not hesitate to let me know if I can be of any assistance," she greeted breathlessly as if their arrival had her excited in all the most scandalous ways. It was hard to tell which of the trio was more confused or disconcerted by Mia's tone. Rosaria's eyebrows were knitted together in an attempt to determine if a program could really exhibit such emotion, while Dasin and Yarue looked around for the speakers and discreetly fidgeted at the implied illicit affection. They were used to being exploited, not served, and certainly not by anyone who spoke as if they were objects of intense desire.

"We need to head to a jump point before Bhast scrambles her men for a response," Solae announced, more a vocalization of her thoughts to Rene than anything else. "I've no doubt she has the resources to hire a ship to give chase. I'll plot a course and get us off Zatis," she informed her lover, "if you can help the others prepare for take off. We're not going gentle and slow this time; I'll burn the thrusters as hot as is pragmatically possible to break us free of the planet's gravitational pull. It will be exponentially easier to avoid Tan's minions once we're back among the stars."

"You're the pilot?" Rosaria asked with unrestrained surprise. It was not a skill that a noble would ordinarily possess, much less a marquise or a duchess.

"I am," she admitted. "There were only two of us so one us needed to adapt and accept the responsibility." As she spoke she began to make her way to the cockpit. This was a discussion that she was willing to have, as an explanation might prove helpful in gaining their trust in her abilities, but they did have the luxury of time. She shed her shoes as she strode forward and twisted her hair at the nape of her neck to keep it from drifting in her peripheral vision.

"Mia, please ignite all thrusters at 10% until we are clear of the dome. We aren't going to divert all our power to propulsion until we are certain that we won't damage the biosphere. Can you also spin us 180 degrees to give me a better visual?" she requested as she slid into the chair attached to the command console. "Monitor our guests and let me know when they are all safely situated. We don't want anyone getting injured when we break through the stratosphere, do we?"

"Understood, Lady Solae. May I say it is lovely to have you back," the synthetic being told her with overflowing adulation.

For a moment the duchess forgot she was conversing with a computer instead of a family member or a consort. It was nevertheless flattering. She blushed despite her typical composure and cleared her throat to regain it. With a wave of her hand she had pulled up a variety of stellar charts as well as a control panel for the launch functions needed to finalize their departure. Kaldorei territory was a large black splotch on the edges of systems. If she had more time she might appreciate the gravity of having such a detailed, precise map of the heavens, but a vast void where an alien race had successfully prevented them from evening knowing the number of worlds they had colonized.

"We are clear of the bio-dome, Lady Solae. Should I prepare a trajectory for our destination?" Mia posed, though she hadn't been told where that was.

"Run some calculations and determine the route that will get us to a Kaldorei border with the least amount of jumps," Solae said as she rubbed her temple. She wished she could be more specific but she was flying blind so to speak- because so few penetrated beyond their boundaries it was impossible to gauge where their outposts were, their capital, their embassies, anything that would be beneficial. In the absence of any information all she could do was try to make the journey as expedient as possible. The Kaldorei had the technology to obliterate them regardless of the angle of their approach; one could assume they could also provide aid regardless of where they entered as well.

"Per the treatise mutually agreed upon by the Stellar Empire and the Kaldorei people, we are not permitted..." Mia tried to warn in a strangely serious tone.

"I know, Mia, but they are our best hope. I intend them to great them as a peaceful diplomat representing the interests of the empress. Run the calculations and let me worry about the rest," the duchess commanded as she clicked on her seat restraints and began the lift off sequence. It was much more challenging to propel them into space from a layer of a world's atmosphere, but Zatis's bio-domes afforded the people protection from any damage caused by exhaust, chemical discharge, and thermal radiation, providing a unique opportunity to disregard standard regulation without fear of casualties.

"I am intercepting transmissions that indicate they are preparing another vessel to target the Bonaventure," Mia advised with her signature sultry tone.

"We can't wait any longer. It's time to go, Mia," she announced before she took hold of the manual navigation grip with her right hand. With a flourish she increased the propulsion on all their thrusters, forcing the ship to lift vertically, though gravity in the living quarters mitigated the physical sensation for its passengers. It vibrated as it blasted through the sky, cutting through the air like a hot knife, and piercing the invisible shielding that the gasses of Zatis provided its residents. There was a more distinctive jerk as the Bonvanenture broke free of the pull of the planet... but it was miles more smooth of a ride than when they had hastily ran from New Concordia.

"This is planet number three," Solae mused aloud as she reduced the power slightly to conserve fuel. Gliding through space required less effort than either launching or landing. Ten had been generous in making certain they had the resources to take them as far as they needed to go and then some, but she was loathe to squander their boon unless necessary. "In the last few weeks this is the third planet that were were effectively chased off of. It feels as if it may never end, though logically I know it must."

"You were able to contact the empress on Zatis," Mia cooed encouragingly to her mistress.

"I know," the noblewoman conceded, "but even the most exuberant adventurer sometimes yearns for a place they can grow roots. Are you familiar with that expression? Perhaps the Kaldorei can give us the enlightenment we so desperately need. I'd settle for a safe haven that can't be assaulted by coup insurgents," she added thoughtfully as she leaned back against the headrest and stared out at the flickering distant diamonds that every captain used to determine their location, both the past masters of the sea, and the present sailors of the cosmos.