"I will wait for him here," Bel'sian countered uneasily. That she hadn't bolted from Solae which was, in the diplomat's mind, the first success. Ordinary citizens of the Stellar Empire had a simplified and glorified notion of what it meant to be an ambassador. They dreamed of men and women donned in extravagant outfits, so perfectly poised, graceful, and articulate, that they instantly charmed everyone they met. The reality was that many endeavors were orchestrated in stages. It was more common than her peers would admit for there to be a fatal breach of etiquette, an approach made with ignorance of vital cultural tradition, an overabundance of pride coming across as too aggressive, or an excessively cautious introduction giving a weak first impression. These missteps were not common knowledge despite being plentiful. With someone as apprehensive as Bel'sian the goal was to ensure she didn't retreat in fear of the unknown.

"I can understand wanting to do so," the linguist said with a nod in a placating voice, "but he simply can't step away from the soldier. She's barely clinging to life and just before I left he was needed to help administer some much-needed medication to her. If you like, you can walk to your camp before us and we will pack up your things. Would that make you feel better about our intentions?" she suggested. After all the strong-willed individuals she had encountered on her journey throughout the sector, from Thorne and Ten, to Oanh Park and Min Ho Park, to Tychon and Julia, it was jarring to have someone so timid. Mentally she chastised herself for applying that label. Bel'sian had to be a quite brave and independent Kalderi to have left her home. Perhaps it was human bias to consider her trepidation in such a negative light.

"You're not going to make me do all the work, are you?" Rosaria whispered. The teenager had not taken into account that the Kalderi could have more exceptional hearing as a species. It was only after Bel'sian made a soft sound like sounded like mirth in her throat that she blushed, embarrassed she had been overheard.

"Is this your... offspring?" Bel'sian inquired, still firmly planted on her side of the building.

"No," Solae answered, careful not to be too quick or firm in her response, lest she offend her companion. "I do not have any children yet. We're not sure who her parents are, but I am happy to be responsible for her, and to help make certain she can create a future for herself. Not all humans have as strong a sense of community as the Kalderi," she tried to delicately explain. Bel'sian was confused and perplexed. The duchess wasn't sure if she aided or hindered her cause to win over the trust of the other female with her comment.

Just as the flaxen-haired aristocrat parted her lips to offer words of comfort and reassurance she heard a peculiar noise that Bel'sian had also no doubt noticed. The alien had gone rigid, glancing around, trying to determine the source of the sound and what it might to denote. Rosaria stared between the pair until she too heard a rumbling, the crack of distant trees, and the occasional clatter of rocks colliding before strangely falling silent. Of the three it was the noblewoman that first made the deduction. Part of her training as a diplomat involved courses on the various types of posts she might have, how to navigate foreign terrain, and the hazards of worlds that were unstable due to recent terraforming. "Fresh" planets were so popular that settlers would plant themselves on the surface years before they were deemed safe and the empire would have the duty to send negotiators to try to coax them to leave rather than undertake the risk of staying.

Grabbing Rosaria by the wrist Solae darted forward, pushing Bel'sian towards an opposite corner of the structure that did not have empty holes for windows or doors. The intact wall was sufficient to offer them a layer of protection if there was, in fact, earth or water rushing towards them as she predicted. Bel'sian cried out in protest at the manhandling, reflexively wanting to wrench away, but she was shoved into the niche with more strength than she could overcome. Rosaria was slightly less resistant but still tried to shake off the inexplicable steel grip indignantly.

Thick flows of mud burst around them as it veritably explored into the room, oozing through the open portals to the north, the stream several feet tall. Bel'sian gasped in shock- this was not a phenomena that the Kalderi were terribly familiar with, at least not in the area she hailed from- while Rosaria recoiled in disgust and horror. Boulders with a height greater than any of them were pressed into an adjacent ruined section of wall before the weight of the mud and debris behind it forced it through, ripping out a chunk of white rock that was lost in the dark sludge. As the mire encroached on their tiny sanctuary all pretenses of composure bled away. They moved to huddle together with Solae, who had prioritized getting the others to safety before herself, on the outer rim of this makeshift sanctum.

The derelict mansion groaned under the current of mire, sowing panic and creating a distraction, as the wave surged higher and edged inward. Solae released Rosaria as tumbling group of stones that had been swept into the torrent of muck collided with her. The initial impact itself was not deadly, but one leg became trapped underneath the invading filth, and she fell hard to the ground, her head thudding as it struck the stone. Rosaria screamed and tugged on her unconscious savior, crying for the first time she could remember, barely cognizant of the fact her mistress was alive. In that moment she was genuinely scared she'd lose the ounce of happiness she had. Paranoia gave way to despair and Bel'sian was powerless to do anything more than watch helplessly as the tragic scene unfolded. She waited no more than a minute, when she was confident the brown miasma had ebbed slightly, before she awkwardly walked forward and put a hand on the girl's shoulder.