Syrenrei

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

"What do you think you'll want to do after all this?" Solae asked Rene as he leaned against Vitger's container looking haggard.

"What?" he asked bewildered. The question and its timing was so unexpected that for a moment he forgot about the difficult situation they were in and the taxing conversation he just had. This was a tactic he had seen Solae use before. In her own way it was one of her ways of trying to cheer up someone who was immune to a more direct approach of fluffy compliments. A shrewd individual would typically spot flattery as a blatant attempt at manipulation, no matter how benevolent, and this could make them even more worn. Diversion to a new topic was a better way to move the mind on a pleasant track of thought.

"If we get to a PEA, we alert the Empress, we survive until her forces arrive, and we're shipped back to Cappela as heroes, you don't necessarily have to remain a marine- especially if I clear your name. It would be suspicious to reward only the marquise and not her dutiful bodyguard that contributed so heavily to the success of their mission. I'm not suggesting it will be a quick process but you should have a goal... besides marrying me of course," she said with a coy smile.

"Ship's ready!" Tychon called out as he poked his head into the warehouse.

"Saved by the interruption," Solae remarked with a wink though she didn't seriously expect an answer right then. Rene seemed to be only concerned with survival and nothing more. What she wanted to think of was something bigger, something to hope for, a dream he could seize that maybe he had forgotten. The coup and the brewing war was horrible, the attempts on their lives were traumatic, but that didn't mean they couldn't keep seeking ways to spin their negatives into victories.

Tychon had docked Vitger's ship; it already had three full containers of fuel from the efforts of the day prior. With only moonlight and what his vision allowed as it accustomed itself to darkness he had managed to lower the boat into the sea, tethered it to a small albeit practical structure that had survived the typhoon, and prepared it for the journey. He gestured both Rene and Solae over once they emerged from the building. Gentle rolling waves were lapping on the shore at his feet peacefully. None of them could hear the more subtle sounds of the ocean above the dull roar of the jumpers as they surveyed San Roayo.

"After you," Tychon offered.

"Rene can drive the ship, Tychon. It's better if you stay here," Solae diplomatically explained. The words hadn't even left her mouth before Tychon was shaking his head in protest.

"Lady Solae..." he began.

"Sir Tychon," she interjected.

Tychon blanched. Just like on any other planet sometimes the common folk would use polite honorifics with one another, but hearing a marquise as esteemed as Solae, whose position in the societal structure was so comparably lofty, call him 'sir' was rather horrifying. The noblewoman was already being more respectful than was necessary given her status. Tacking a lord's address before his name was yet another breach of protocol. "I'm no sir," he insisted.

"I'm rather tired of being Lady Solae, though, so if you persist in calling me Lady Solae I think it's only fair I be permitted to call you Sir Tychon," the blonde-haired beauty reasoned.

"I know these waters," Tychon stated with an obvious dodge of saying any name. "I'll be faster getting you to the caldera and you need to take off before the jumpers see you. I'll help you fuel and bring back the ship when I'm done. Shouldn't be spotted so long as I keep my lights off and I'm quick. No one will be looking for a fuel ship, they're all either looking at the damage to the city or their sensors will pick up you leaving, which will be a big distraction."

"I really don't want to put you in further danger, Tychon," Solae remarked with hesitation. Tychon's arguments were strong and, loathe as she was to admit it, she was quite persuaded.

"Everyone will be in a lot more danger if you get lost on your way back or go too slow, won't they?"

Solae looked to Rene but he shrugged. There was no perfect answer that would provide the fisherman's expertise and yet keep him safe at home with his family. She strongly suspected that her soldier fiancee had the same apprehensions she did but didn't have an alternative solution that was available- and they couldn't to afford to tarry longer. He was letting her take the proverbial reins on this decision and deferring to her judgment.

"We need to hurry," Solae sighed. She stepped up onto the short metallic dock and then down onto the ship. With their cargo it wouldn't be the most luxurious travel accommodations but there was sufficient room for all three of them. If the two men were too cramped she could sit on Rene's lap. It would look silly to a bystander but they would be veritably invisible in the night- not that Solae much cared about appearances after everything they had endured. Her image was the least of her worries with the exception of her highly identifying hair color.

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

"Are you upset with me?" Solae asked Damaris with a gentle smile. She motioned towards the table and pulled out a seat for the adolescent, waiting for her to take it before pulling out the adjacent chair and setting it directly in front of her. They sat there, knees to knees, and the marquise took her young friend's hands in her own. This was as close as she could get to being eye level with someone so many years her junior that did not benefit of genetic modification making her taller. Tychon was taller than Solae, but not quite so tall as Rene, and it was incredibly unlikely his daughter would reach ever reach their heights given Julia's contribution. Nobility argued that the stature made them more godly, more impressive, and emphasized supposed natural leadership skills. For diplomats this was a deterrent to peaceful and intimate negotiations.

"While I am gone I want you to do something that is very important," she told the girl. "When I come back we'll talk about what you've decided you most want to be when you're an adult.. and I will do everything in my power to help you. Your mom, your dad, Rene, even I didn't get to chose anything we wanted, but that's something I want to do for you."

"You couldn't chose anything you wanted?" Damaris asked skeptically. She still looked sullen but Solae's proposal was starting to inject her with hope and excitement. Nothing would completely eradicate her disappointment that the aristocrat was leaving but this future gift certainly softened the blow.

"Even a princess has things they are told they can or can't be," she admitted softly. "I enjoy doing what I do now, but there were other things I wanted to do or be that my mother and father forbid. Have you ever seen a princess getting dirty fixing a space ship? That's why I want you to pick anything. You can be a lady of the courts, but you'll have to study really hard everything that a lady must know like other languages, who the famous artists of the galaxy are, how to eat at an imperial banquet, modern politics, the history of the Stellar Empire's establishment, and business management. If you don't want that you could be a doctor, a farmer, a lawyer, a scientist, an engineer, or anything else in the universe. It is a tough decision so ask your mom and dad to take you to the library to research each profession that interests you, okay?"

Julia and Tychon did not have intimate knowledge of what it meant to grow up wealthy and privileged, but they knew what she was saying to be true. Every individual, regardless of status, had certain expectations and restrictions put on them from birth. As elite members of the upper class Rene, Solae, Lord Armon, and their peers dedicated most of their childhood to an intense education on all facets of life. When they approached maturity professional pursuits were explored but only within proper societal norms. Rene already knew that Solae had been denied several hobbies that had piqued her curiosity. She could not reverse time and change the minds of her parents, but she could give Damaris an opportunity she never had, including the ability to choose title or reject it for something simpler but still out of her reach.

"It sounds hard but... I could really be a princess if I wanted?" Damaris repeated, still rather unconvinced.

"Yes. I don't have any children, so if your mom and dad allowed me I would name you as my heir. That would mean that if I died, and I was married to Rene and he died too, you'd become the next Marquise Falia, which is pretty close to a princess. If the empress makes me a duchess, then you'd be Duchess Falia."

"What if you do have children though?" Damaris persisted.

"I'm not certain yet if that will be possible," Solae responded carefully. Her perfect composure faltered for the briefest of moments and all the adults in the room could see the pain etched into her features. There was no reason to dive into the details of the surgery that prevented unwanted pregnancy for those who could not and would not subject themselves to the scandals of peasants. It was not a topic that Solae felt quite ready to approach so early in her relationship with her soldier lover. Damaris had not been wrong to pursue her line of thinking, especially since it was relevant to the discussion at hand, but someone more mature would have known it was a sensitive subject regardless of the audience. The truth was that the golden-haired scion dreamed of a family some day, one filled with laughter and joy, with compassion and warmth, and her interactions with Damaris were proof of the maternal instincts she held.

"Before we go I also have something for you," Solae told Julia. She rose from her seat and produced a folded piece of paper out of her pocket. "If you decide to leave Panopontus for any reason, I've listed all of the Falia holdings closest to here. They are still rather far away, but if you produce this they will be able to confirm that I wrote it with forensics, and they will host you until we're able to get back into contact. Think of it as an emergency back-up plan."

"Yes, well, perhaps we'll take a vacation after this is over," Julia said, trying not to become flustered or emotional.

"Would you mind if I kept your scarf for now? I can ship it back once..."

"Nonsense," Julia stated indignantly. "You gave us enough credit I could buy a new scarf for myself every day for the rest of my life if I wanted, so you'll take this one scarf of mine and keep it. I won't take it back, Lady Solae, not now or ten years from now. Use that to remember us and everything that happened here."

"Maybe not the Vitger part," Tychon interjected sourly with a dry sense of humor.

"We should get going before it gets closer to dawn," Solae said to Rene quietly. "It will be easier to take off from the caldera and avoid being followed if they can't spot us in the darkness. Between Mia and myself we should be able to minimize most of the external lights. By no means am I saying it will be an easy or smooth ride, but we'll avoid detection until we break through the second layer of the atmosphere at least."

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

"I've been thinking," Solae began conversationally to no one in particular, though Rene would clearly gain the most benefit from the discussion she was about to instigate, "I don't believe that Duke Tan necessarily has quite as large as an advantage as we initially speculated. While he will likely still descend on Panopontus, and other planets in relative close proximity to New Concordia, the impact it will have on the three of you will be minor comparatively so long as he doesn't realize we were housed by your family."

"What do you mean?" Julia inquired curiously. Tychon was a simple man who didn't much care about the political landscape but now that they had been thrown into it his wife was much more intrigued. This was a rare glimpse into the world of the wealthy, the privileged, and the powerful, something she may never again have such insight into. There was something to be said about understanding the people that made so many decisions that had a direct impact on their lives.

"We can all agree he must have been planning and preparing for this coup for some time," the marquise stated assertively. "Before he launched his initial assault he would have consolidated his resources and moved as many of his assets to his home on New Concordia to make them accessible. The people loyal to him almost certainly did the same with his forewarning- but I doubt that any of the nobility he assassinated did."

"Does that matter?" Julia asked though she knew it did or else Solae would not be bringing it up now.

"Families like mine, the Falias, do not have just one residence on one planet nor in one city. We have holdings on several worlds and in more than one sector. As a security measure, and for the sake of convenience, our funds are spread across more than one account so that traveling or managing day to day operations for a businesss venture on opposite sides of the universe- figuratively speaking- won't be impeded. It creates incredibly complex accounting for some noblemen and noblewomen, but it means if I take a ship to Cappela I do not have to physically carry credit with me nor do I have to worry about how long it will take for Cappela's banks to acknowledge what New Concordia shows to be in my account. Does that make some sense?"

"So he isn't as rich as everyone he killed put together," Tychon remarked with a rueful barking laugh.

"Not at all. With the time he's had he's probably forced his way into the New Concordia treasury and stolen everything there, but he won't be able to get any further regardless of how talented his saboteurs are, and his position as a Duke won't let him levy on any bank accounts outside his control. If any person of title could use their identity to get into another person of title's finances there would be a war even the empress would be unable to stop," Solae joked lamely.

"What this all means is the resources he has are limited. Trade in and out of New Concordia can't continue as it was because then news of the rebellion would spread. Duke Tan can't forge new agreements either as that would require revealing what has transpired and what position of authority he has assumed. Other planets will refuse to trade once they understand, if not because of loyalty to the empress, but because it's economically safer to stay in good relations with an expansive empire than a fledgling one, and because any noble associated with trading with Duke Tan will forfeit his comfortable status within the empire, including all the attached luxuries."

"And people are gonna get suspicious after a while of not hearing from your embassy?" Julia asked quietly.

Solae nodded. "They will. Duke Tan has to act quickly and claim as much as he can before the imperial fleet arrives. He'll prioritize planets with the most useful resources that don't have to be shipped off-world for processing, and planets with the least amount of military presence to minimize his losses, and depending on how arrogant he is he'll try to also select worlds with less nobility that he has to convince to bow the knee or not undermine his power."

"After the devastating typhoon here on Panopontus, and so much of your coral being exported before it is turned into goods of value, he'll set his sights on others first," Rene added more quietly as he slowly ate his dinner.

"Progress is going to be slow for Duke Tan," Solae confirmed with a nod, "and in another week or two even if we can't reach a PEA there will be small groups sent to investigate why diplomatic cables and decrees are receiving no response."

"How long after that until they know?" Julia inquired softly with a lowered voice.

"I don't know. Rene is a marine so he might have a better idea but... that might take some time," she admitted. "Do you think Damaris would fancy being a marquise herself?"

Tychon choked on his drink and very nearly spit it all out on the table. Rene, who was seated next to him, patted him on the back several times to help him clear both his throat and lungs. For her part Julia was just staring at Solae in stunned silence. After everything they had already been through Solae was glad she could elicit such a shocked reaction from her new 'family.' Before they could vocalize a protest she cleared her throat.

"Should I make it safely to Cappela I think I will be given quite a bit of social latitude," she declared. It was the understatement of the century. Given her proven fealty to the empress she would almost certainly be rewarded handsomely. Marquise was not the ceiling on titles granted by the throne and it was all but guaranteed that with the current trajectory that Solae would be crowned with a higher status than what she currently held. Even if she did not, it was the favorites of the reigning ruler that set standards for the rest, and public critique of someone so recognized would be shunned at a minimum. Without children Solae could declare anyone heir to the Falia line she wished. Her cousins could argue and litigate the matter but they would find counsel reluctant to represent anyone against an intergalactic hero.

"Miss Solae!" Tychon finally stammered.

"One of the few boons of my parents being deceased is that I am technically the matriarch of the Falia family as the most direct living descendant," Solae continued on undeterred. Rene could see that she was highly amused and enjoying herself. She evidently found it very satisfying to praise and impart gifts onto those that were deserving but so unprepared for her generosity. "That means only the empress and Rene can try to tell me what to do," she said with a wink at her soldier fiancee.

"That really isn't necessary," Julia tried to argue furtively.

"Julia," Solae said with dramatically feigned scorn, "are you also going to refuse the credit we brought to pay for the fuel that Vitger so kindly donated? I should be getting to bed." She stood, kissed Rene on the cheek, and made her way to bed as Julia tried desperately to move her lips in coherent words. Though she was unable to form an argument it didn't truly matter- Solae was so obstinate that they all knew the minute she had decreed that she and Rene would be turning over the credit in their pockets for the recovery of San Roayo that absolutely nothing would convince her otherwise. There was a far better chance of success arguing with the reinforced walls of the communication center downtown.

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

"It's not your fault there is a bounty on my head last time I checked," Solae impishly reassured. There was little more she could say that she thought might bring him any comfort. It was minimally his fault they had landed through the hurricane in the spot they had, and perhaps that he had exposed himself in a way that led to his capture, but he could hardly be blamed for the limited planetary systems accessible in one jump from New Concordia, the state of the vessel they had stolen, or the myriad of other issues they faced. Truly it was the marquise herself that posed the most danger to the couple. Rene was much more easily disguised and more of a challenge to recognize, whereas the smallest toddler could identify the noblewoman from her hair alone, and it was her genetic sequence that the rebellion was desperately seeking. Had she not been discovered in his company Rene could be living a much quieter and safer life already.

"Come on, let's go before Tychon gets suspicious that we're doing something other than talking," she joked with a bemused smile as she patted his arm. Turning towards Vitger's console she finished her meddling, wiped the screen clean of any identifying fingerprints to be cautious, and set it to a sleep mode as it wouldn't be seeing any more immediate use. Somehow she doubted any forensic experts would be deeply investigating the premises- and even if they did it would be impossible to discern anything other than Solae, Rene, and Vitger had all been there, which fed into the fabrication of them all working together.

"Ready to get some dinner?" she asked Tychon as they emerged from the dingy seaport office. "I'm guessing there is no where to park all this fuel in your back yard so we'll leave it here and come back in the morning?"

Tychon grunted in acknowledgment and wiped his brow. "Should be fine for a night. Can't imagine anyone is gonna come looking for Vitger and even if they do they won't hear him in that container. I can let him out tomorrow after you two are free and clear," he suggested. On the surface this was a practical suggestion, but it was clear that the man also wanted his neighbor to be punished for his greed and betrayal. Rene and Solae both had their lives threatened multiple times over the last week; this was the only time for Tychon and it was personal. Vitger was no stranger or soldier acting in his best interest. That he knew Tychon well, that they had been friendly, and that he was willing to murder him in cold blood for wealth and a pretty face would not be anything forgiven much less forgotten any time soon.

"I can't apologize enough for putting you in this situation, Tychon," she said with an incline of her head.

"Rene already explained it to me. I understand... Solae," he replied uncomfortably. Solae wasn't really a princess but she was close enough that he didn't feel quite right not using any sort of honorable address or letting her bow her head in deference. He was a peasant and yet she was treating him with more respect than most of his own social station.

It took another ten minutes or so for Rene and Tychon to put away everything that needed to be secured with their departure. Solae watched the sun lowering itself towards the horizon and was grateful that it was growing closer to dusk. During the night time they were in far less danger; their symmetrical features were less visible, the golden hue of her hair was nearly indiscernible, and their statures drew far less attention without the ability to distinguish detail. Thankful as she was for the scarf she was already dreaming of being free of its confines. Her scalp ached from having a tightly wound arrangement at the base of her skull.

"Let's go," Rene said softly and gestured for her to follow Tychon, who was already eagerly taking long strides towards a gravel and crushed seashell road that led back towards the city and his residence.

"I sent out some messages to friendly contacts I have in the area," she whispered to Rene as they walked alongside each other. Perhaps it was childish and juvenile, but she had reached for his hand, intertwined their fingers, and held it as they kept a more leisurely pace behind their host. All three were glad to be rid of the visual reminders of Vitger and his depravity but sprinting down the street would be too bizarre for nearby residents not to notice. "Only the ones I was certain were loyal to the empress, of course. It will take some time before they are received but we might find someone that can help us. Sending out an alert on the PEA won't guarantee our safety. Duke Tan will probably still want me so he can try to garner support via the PEA, perhaps someone that can intercept the empress's forces, and once he doesn't have a use for us he'll certainly want us dead. We'll need to find a place to hide from the coup's soldiers and from anyone that might still hold a grudge against you for the past. I'm most optimistic about a woman I know named Eira and a fellow linguist by the name of Kovit."

"Solae..." Rene started.

"I've had title since I was born but never did anything with it," she pointed out in anticipation of him expressing some sort of doubts about their plans, "If we can warn the empress there will be recognition and reward, including a chance to have a blessing on our marriage, and a chance to do something for the people that have helped us like Tychon and Julia and the Syshin. If we give up now then we'll forfeit being able to tell the courts of the wonderful people that Duke Tan's treachery didn't reach. Can you imagine what a voice for this planet, its working citizens, and the Syshin could do? I can't abandon that hope just yet."

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

Solae was relieved to find the store front vacant and unlocked. Despite being in close proximity to the sea, and a building rather than a vessel, it was rather reminiscent of the state of the Bonaventure before they stole it from the slavers. There was a palpable layer of grime over every surface that spoke to how Vitger knew appearances would not affect his sales. Similarly, the smugglers had been confidant their filth would not harm their bottom line so they had been quite content to let a thick muck build on equipment in disuse. Salt, chemical residue, dirt, sand, and grease were caked in crevices of the door and the natural indentations of furniture. When she had left the warehouse Solae had been certain she had given Rene and Tychon the worse of the two jobs. Suddenly her faith in that assertion was waning.

The marquise firmly closed the door behind her and turned the lock. Should either of her companions need to gain entry they could knock or communicate through Rene's device. With purpose she then turned to the windows and shuttered them closed as well with little difficulty. This might have been a more unusual sight had the typhoon not just passed. With storms of such magnitude it was not strange for merchants to take just as much time to recover as their customers. Even if there was no outward damage to the structures Vitger used for his trade, people might not know the status of his personal residence, or they might wrongly conclude that he was aiding his neighbors rather than hoping to earn a profit.

Because it was so integral to his business transactions Vitger had evidently kept his console in better condition than possibly every other one of his possessions. The screen had smudges, and it could have used a scrub around the edges, but was more than she had dared to hope for. She perched on the edge of the chair in front of it and pulled off her scarf. Keeping her hair bound and wrapped so tightly had begun to ache. With the freedom the locked door and shutters provided she could rest assured no one would stumble into the spectacle of the noblewoman with lustrous aureate hair. The loops she had wound her mane into created pleasantly soft curls from her chin past her shoulders. Silently Solae mused that all the best styles required pain before or during their execution; when she was a child she made accusations to her mother that beauticians were sadists when they tried to coax her into fancy dresses and fashionable up-dos.

"Right then," she sighed.

Vitger's hardware was less sophisticated than the communications center. Despite its simplicity, Solae navigated to wrong subsections of the programs he used for sales more than once. In truth she was stumbling blindly; as adept as she was with this avenue of technology nearly everything on this console was foreign to her. There was no Mia to guide her as she jumped around digitally looking for what she needed. The uncomfortably sultry artificial intelligence was sorely missed, not just because of the guidance she offered, but the companionship. Her love for Rene had not faltered- but she was a social individual that was most satisfied when networking.

The planetary network.

Deviating from her initial goal momentarily, Solae moved over to Vitger's messages. Afraid to so much as glimpse at whatever unsavory missives he had received, she instead began to compose. Broadcasts alerting him to her true identity meant the planetary network was functional and accessible from this console. The bounty on her head originated from New Concordia and it stood to reason that if correspondence was being delivered from other worlds and dispersed on the planetary network, it was also being transported elsewhere from Panopontus. Duke Tan would be controlling information but not blocking absolutely everything; to do so would raise red flags across the empire more quickly than he could mobilize his soldiers. Mundane letters from relatives, friends, and lovers to one another would be permitted if they lacked any hints about the coup underway.

It was an opportunity she couldn't let slip by. Seizing her chance she wrote three innocuous notes to people she knew in the sector that were trustworthy. Panopontus was wholly ignorant of the brewing war so she knew messages would not be scrutinized and monitored with the same fervor they would have on New Concordia. Solae was cautious, however, and utilized linguistic cryptography in each of the three. Not every linguist could decode puzzles from text, though most could, and these three in particular were highly educated, sharp, and astute peers. Perhaps it was a folly plan, or they'd be lost before arrival, or she'd be ignored, but taking the gamble was better than nothing. Each was signed with a pseudonym, contained no information on her location nor destination, but alluded with the cypher to the strife and peril she faced. If any of her acquaintances could offer help they could send 'Mia' a similarly encrypted post on one of several diplomatic interstellar forums.

Invigorated by her dalliance into espionage- minor though it was- the task of manipulating Vitger's records seemed easier. After a few minutes of exploring she started to revise his numbers and annotations. Solae was almost gleeful leaving the trail of crumbs. If Vitger had been an upstanding man of this city she would have never dreamed of concocting damning evidence he was a willing accomplice to two 'dangerous rebels.' Tychon and Julia had her loyalty for their virtuous compassion so she would do everything in her power to hide their interactions for the small family's safety. That Vitger had been greedy, unapologetic, crass, violent, and forced her to brandish a weapon made him the enemy. Striking Rene made him a nemesis she'd not easily forgive.

"Rene?" she called over on her transmitter. If he wasn't receiving this time she'd make a short journey to the warehouse to assault him in frustration herself. "How much are we offloading? How many tanks?"

"We're going to fill all three," he called back over.

"Is that as much as we can take?" she asked. Rene knew the struggles ahead of them; she was certain it was. "All right, I'll be done here shortly. When are we leaving?"

"Tychon says the tide would make it too difficult to make it back to the ship tonight. We'll have to leave tomorrow," he informed her, then added, "Julia and Damaris will want to say good bye."

"Once you're finished with the warehouse come over here to the office. I need someone to help me put my hair back in the scarf again," Solae sighed audibly with deep regret. Vitger was unsurprisingly not a fine gentleman with a quality mirror with which to gaze upon his reflection. She needed the men to absolutely confirm no errant strands were visible outside their cloth trappings.

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

"I appreciate the praise, but I hope I never have to do anything like this again," she said sincerely. Though she had ancestors that had military training and experience- certain members of her lineage were diplomats during times of war on more distant systems- it was truthfully not a skill set she wished to add to her repertoire. Solae greatly preferred to be able to converse and negotiate without strategically planning an imperial strike if her adversary did not make necessary concessions. More than one of the empress's predecessors, including her father, had been a vocal advocate for ambassadors carrying a treatise in one hand and a weapon in the other. Some of the marquise's contemporaries theorized this harsh methodology had done significant damage to political relationships. It was this strain, this agitation and fear, that may have been the catalyst for the likes of Duke Alexis Tan.

"I can alter his records," she suggested slowly as she mentally chewed over her plan as she spoke. "It would be relatively easy to show a sale of fuel to us, in our real names, that will paint him as complicit to the authorities. I don't know if he's reported your capture yet but if he has it will result him in getting his comeuppance, and if he hasn't reported it yet it will give him plenty of incentive to keep his mouth shut."

Tychon groaned as he started to regain consciousness. This had been a rough day for him even taking into account the typhoon that had landed only a few days earlier. He had spent the morning digging through the ruins of his neighbor's homes with Rene, albeit with great success considering, and then had been stunned by Vitger not once but twice. If she had been a doctor Solae would have prescribed him a week of bed's rest and pampering as his reward for enduring through the turmoil. Somehow the aristocrat doubted Tychon was the sort that would stay off his feet unless both legs and arms were broken. There was a streak of determination that ran through him a mile wide; it was no surprise that he got along with Rene so well.

"I'm sorry I didn't arrive earlier," Solae apologized.

"What the hell happened?" Tychon asked. He was confused not just because Vitger was no longer looming over him threateningly but also because Solae had appeared in what seemed like a blink of an eye. He was still staring at her after he had gotten to his feet. Undoubtedly he was trying to reconcile the fact that the 'princess' with the golden hair has somehow single-handedly become their savior from an individual twice her size.

"Rene can give you a play by play. We need to move quickly before anyone else that saw the original bounty and who thinks like Vitger finds us here. Rene, I need you and Tychon to figure out how much fuel we'll need to get to the nearest planet with a PEA. The more hops we make before we find somewhere with a PEA, the more worlds we put in danger, and the more traction Duke Tan's coup will build. I'll log a transaction in his system showing it... as a gift, I think, for saving his nephew was it? We'll take the credit we were going to give to Tychon, or reclaim it is in that container with him, and donate it to the citizens of San Roayo for their rebuilding efforts."

"Lady Solae," Tychon interrupted, feeling compelled to use the honorific because of the generosity she was showing. He had only glimpsed the currency but he knew what they had been willing to pay Vitger would go a long way in helping restore a community as poor as theirs. Like any other hero he did not see that he nor anyone else had done anything exceptional to deserve such a monetary reward. What he failed to take into account was that the marquise was bull-headed enough to force it upon him no matter how many objections he might raise.

"With all due respect Tychon, I won't let you refuse the offer. To make this work we'll need everyone to conveniently forget seeing us here. If one of the gentleman you and Rene worked with today lets it slip we were all around town and were not apprehended it will invite Duke Tan's wrath. I can promise you from what I have seen his crusade is ruthless. Do you think you could convince them?" she asked a little anxiously. It was not a small favor to request but she hoped it was possible. The noblewoman had faith in the Syshin and they had in turn been loyal, kind, and understanding with her.

"Yeah, sure," Tychon nodded. Clearly it was easier to agree with Solae's leadership than attempt to debate. Her proposal was sound and her voice intonation was rich with the authority of someone who was less open to suggestions than her words might imply.

"I'm going to his storefront, then, to log into his system. Contact me over the transmitter when you can tell me how much fuel we'll be moving, Rene," she declared, turned on her heal, and departed with a hurried pace.

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

Solae had nearly reached the building that Julia had told her functioned as a storefront for Vitger's sales. There was no one lingering around this section of town, efforts diverted elsewhere to rescue efforts and combing through rubble for what belongings and supplies could be salvaged, which made her even more uneasy than if it had been densely populated. When she was at the community center she had been fearful that her face would be recognized and a greedy mob would assault her. Now that she was in relative isolation she was paranoid of something far worse: that she would be attacked by a deviant and dragged off with no one the wiser. For reassurance she pulled out the pistol that had been tucked under her side and into the waistband of her pants. It felt impossibly heavy no matter how she gripped it, though she was absolutely certain it was the responsibility of carrying such a weapon that psychologically gave it the weight she imagined.

A short burst of clanging noises rang out from the warehouse she was passing. The noblewoman paused and held her breath so as to hear better. Not even a second latter she heard a demand from a foreign voice for someone- she could only assume it was Rene unless there were multiple bounties secretly in circulation- to come out with their hands in the air. She quickly and quietly skipped up to the door, eased it open silently, slipped inside, and then closed it just as carefully. Her shoulders ached from carrying the bag containing her soldier lover's personal armory but she dared not to leave it behind. Were her rescue to fail, or she killed, planting a parcel full of deadly weapons where Vitger could easily discover them was a recipe for disaster.

"ONE!" Vitger shouted from further inside.

Little did he know how he was guiding the armed marquise to his and Rene's location. Solae jogged around a white freight container that had obscured her from view on entry. Taking a deep breath she put both hands on the pistol and looped one digit in through the trigger. Her heart was pounding in her chest as her fingertip rested against a curved piece of metal that would have sent a lethal shot one firm squeeze. No matter how much Rene had coached her that she would have no difficulty in using such a simple pistol she felt he underestimated how hard it was in practice- because it granted the ability to take a life.

"TWO!" Vitger threatend.

The blonde came around the corner and aimed her pistol directly at Vitger's back. An open container was at the far side of the warehouse and Rene was not far from it, crouched still between two of identical design, obviously struggling with the decision he was about to make. Even at this distance she could see his eyes going wide as she stepped into his range of vision. It must have been a shock to spot her with her face disguised by dirt, a scarf wound around her head and neck, his bulky bag slung behind her, and holding a slaver's weapon with an air of determination. Had he not known her personally he may have had a great deal of difficultly recognizing her as the same woman that had been so traumatized by the destruction at the embassy on New Concordia.

"Three," Solae announced.

Vitger whirled around. If he was surprised at the interruption, he was even more surprised that it was Solae herself that had appeared, and what smug satisfaction he held that his prize was so close was mitigated by the fact she was pointing a pistol at his torso. Her features were hard and cold as steel. Neither he nor Rene could spot an ounce of hesitation, fear, or anxiety in her visage. The aristocrat was a deeply empathetic woman but, as had already been witnessed by her paramour, when backed into a proverbial corner or threatened she was as fierce as any other lady of her pedigree and station. The Falia lineage had not been granted title for being cowards.

"You!" Vitger barked, "Turn yourself over to me and I'll let both of them go," he commanded, almost drooling at the prospect. His eyes dragged down her figure hungrily. With Tychon and Julia she had temporarily forgotten what it had been like to be ogled by degenerates. Her blood curdled at the thought of being touched by someone so unapologetically base and vile.

"No," she replied simply. "In the last week I've lost my home, both of my parents, my best friend, all my co-workers, and even my ex-boyfriends. The only thing I have left is Rene. You must have lost people you know during the typhoon," she said as she strode closer, pistol still aimed at his chest. "Imagine if you lost them all and you had only one person left to protect. What would you do to anyone foolish enough to try to take them from you? To threaten them? No one has to die here but let me be clear: if anyone does, you'll be a rotting corpse for your neighbors to find." A month ago she would have been bluffing but today she was not. This was the most dangerous Rene had seen Solae. Because she had so little left to lose she was becoming more desperate to protect what was left and that was pushing her to a terrifying precipice. If Vitger did not surrender he could very well watch a murder in slow-motion.

"I bet you've never even shot that thing! Stay where you are or I'll fill Tychon with needles!" Vitger blustered. He was getting unhinged at how outwardly calm and composed Solae was. Regardless of what she felt internally she possessed the confidence and grace of an assassin seeking an excuse to pounce.

"I landed our ship through the storm. Are you asking to race me? How about we ask Tychon to best on whose reflexes he thinks are faster," she dared. "I'll ask you to drop it once, nicely, before we test all the enhancements I was given that Duke Tan didn't put on his notice."

Vitger hesitated. He had sincerely not anticipated the blonde beauty in questioning being so lethal. Capturing Solae had been predicated on the assumption he'd always have the upper hand physically. Now that he was literally staring down the barrel of someone who was willing and able to murder him he was faltering. He didn't want to forfeit his life, especially when he was sure that Solae would kill him before letting him take her, and she'd have the opportunity to do so given their circumstances.

"Rene, would you please come get your bag?" Solae asked sweetly as she closed the gap between herself and Vitger and whipped her pistol hard into his wrist, forcing him to drop his own stun gun reflexively. Vitger yelped in pain and screamed obscenities at her. He had started to lunge, intending to grapple over her much more efficient pistol with the unconscious Tychon still underfoot, but Solae drove her knee hard up into his crutch. Vitger let out a strangled cry and crumpled to the ground. Regaining her grip on her weapon the marquise stood over her captive with an aura of haughty victory. There was no compassion for the sad excuse of a man writing on the ground in agony. She strongly suspected he had a certain reaction to the sight of her that made her strike all that more potent.

"How long do we have until Tychon wakes up?" she demanded. Vitger was whimpering over the damage to his extremities and could not offer an answer. Sighing and rolling her eyes she tried to nudge the giant next to them with her foot. "Looks like you'll have to move everyone's favorite fuel retailer to one of those containers yourself, Rene."

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

"What's wrong?" Julia asked as she emerged from the communication center's rear emergency exit a few minutes after Solae had. Damaris skipped behind and let the thick alloy door close behind them. It hissed as it electronically sealed shut per standard protocol. The only way into governmental buildings were the disarmingly strong translucent doors, but they were required to have multiple exits for safety reasons, and thus any means of departing such a structure had mechanisms to ensure it was not misused. While they could see where the door that closed behind them was, there was no handle on the exterior, it possessed no visible lock, and it was manufactured to be airtight unless propped open.

"You're in danger," the marquise declared as she paced. The ground had been composed of broken seashells ground into a gravel-like texture, but most of it had been washed away by the typhoon, leaving a thick dense mud and scraggly bits of grass that had evaded the attention of landscaping. Very few people wandered around the back of the building and those that did probably cared little about appearances.

"In danger?" Julia asked with obvious confusion. "Please, tell me what is wrong. I'm sure there is something we can do to help-"

"No, no, you don't understand," Solae said shaking her head emphatically. Damaris, who was still behind her mother, was starting to look scared. The noblewoman inhaled sharpy, fought internally to gain some semblance of composure, and exhaled slowly. Frightening a young girl who ought not to be tangled up in the tragedy of a coup in the first place was paramount. "Let's go back to your home. I'll explain on the way," she promised diplomatically.

"Did you get what you needed then?" Julia asked. She was still concerned but, seeing as they were not somewhere private to discuss whatever sensitive matter troubled Solae, she recognized the need to relocate. Taking Damaris by the elbow she began to lead the way around the side of the communications center.

"Yes, thank you." More than anything Solae was glad something had gone to plan. They had been besieged by frustrating complications since New Concordia and this was a tangible victory. She'd need Mia's assistance and no small amount of time to analyze the data and look for clues and discernible patterns, but it was something she felt she could accomplish, something that played to her strengths rather than in spite of them. "Have you ever heard of Duke Alexis Tan?"

"I might have heard the name in passing, but I'm not really familiar with any dukes," Julia shrugged. They were cutting a path between abandoned storefronts as they progressed into more residential areas of the city. Most peasants didn't familiarize themselves with the aristocracy; there wasn't much of a point when no titled imperial would stoop so low as to mingle with the lower class. The only exception was if a lord or lady had a direct influence over their profession, their town, or a a situation in which they'd make a personal impact.

"He's..." Solae started, trying to find the best way to sanitize the news for Damaris's ears. Sooner or later the rebellion would spread to Panopontus, and the imperial citizens would have tragedy strike for a second time as they watched the fleeting stability of governance torn apart, but so long as she was the messenger of poor news she wanted to soften the blow. "He's made a move to create his own empire."

"What does that mean?" Damaris asked curiously. They jumped over a small creek in someone's back yard that was overflowing on account of all the recent precipitation. Julia had paled and fallen silent as she let the gravity of the words sink in. Both fortunately and unfortunately Damaris was too innocent to understand they were talking for war- and what the implications of a war were.

"It means that on the planet Rene and I came here from, New Concordia, Duke Tan wants to be in charge rather than the empress," Solae replied delicately.

"But I like the empress!" Damaris proclaimed. The Stellar Empire had come a long way in gender equality, yet on rural planets the culture tended to do a backslide into more traditional, conservative, and archaic customs. She strongly suspected the support Damaris had for the empress was because of what a strong role model she was for youth on these more patriarchal outliers. It was hard not to idolize what appeared to be a beautiful, wealthy, shrewd, and confident leader that strove for justice.

"I do too," Solae said with a smile, "which is why I didn't want to help Duke Tan. We landed here on our way to go tell the empress what Duke Tan is trying to do. He knows he's in a lot of trouble if the empress finds out, so he's trying to stop Rene and I from finding a way to send her a message, and that's why I have to hide what I look like. Do you understand?"

"I think so," Damaris said with a sigh. "Do you think Duke Tan knows you are here?"

"Not yet, but he is trying to find us before we get to the empress," the marquise replied slowly. Damaris furrowed her brows in thought. It wasn't until they reached the small one-story home that was their destination that the silence was broken. Like any rambunctious adolescent, Damaris exclaimed with relief they were finally home dramatically, as if they had been gone the entire day, and scampered off to her room. Solae similarly retreated to the guest bedroom but with an entirely different purpose in mind. With mounting paranoia she grabbed her transponder and tried to call for Rene. There was no response. Five, six, seven calls went unanswered which meant either he had lost his device, he was intentionally ignoring her for reasons unknown, or there was interference blocking his reception.

"Are you okay?" Julia inquired softly from the doorway. Solae picked up Rene's duffel bag and hauled it up onto the bed. She had no idea how he carried it so casually without being bothered by its weight; it was another testament to his strength and endurance that had had not made any complaints while shouldering it from where they had landed on the beach to here.

"They attacked everywhere at once. Rene's entire base was wiped out. He only survived because they didn't see him among the corpses. Everyone at the embassy I worked at died in front of my eyes and I ran but... everyone I knew was gone. They dragged people from their homes or murdered them outright. They put a bounty on my head, Julia, and are offering a reward if I'm captured alive. When we were at the center there was broadcast where they had found out about Rene, that we escaped together, and were calling us dangerous rebels. I need to find him. I changed the pictures they were using but there is still a chance he was recognized before I was able to..." she drifted off and her turned, meeting Julia's gaze. "You're safer without me, Julia. I can promise you I haven't hurt or killed anyone, and Rene only has defending us from criminals and killers, but I don't want anything to happen to you because you were seen with me."

"Solae..." Julia was at a loss. She believed that her guests were as virtuous as they proclaimed if only because they had saved her daughter and risked themselves to deliver her back to them, but had expected nothing in return. "Tychon probably took Rene to Vitger's for fuel. I can give you directions, but are you sure you should go alone? I can go by myself and find him for you."

"No, you stay here with Damaris. I'll find Rene and Tychon. If they come here without me let them know where I've gone, all right?" Julia's lips parted to voice another objection as the noblewoman opened the bag and withdrew a pistol. Solae grimaced and tucked it under her arm where it was partially concealed by her blouse before slipping the sack's strap over her opposite shoulder. It might be overkill to bring their small armory with her in addition to the supplies she had prepared, but she'd rather be overly cautious rather than under-equipped, the latter of which would be catastrophic.

"Please be careful, Solae," Julia worried. Solae gave the aging mother a hug, patted her on the arm reassuringly, and left for Vitger's before her courage dissolved.

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

The trio proceeded through front doors composed of heavy translucent synthetic composite that was more durable than the building materials for either the framing or the exterior walls. When Solae had fled the embassy she briefly caught sight of one such door still intact despite the multiple missiles that had left the rest of the structure in ruins. A superior once had told her it was one of the empire's psychological tricks; people assumed a clear surface was more fragile than one that was opaque, especially if the latter had the appearance of stone or alloy. When the general public tested and realized the strength of one silly door that was so unremarkable visually, they would (mistakenly) assume that the rest of the building was indestructible. The marquise had never cared for mind games of the bureaucracy but she had to concede it was very pragmatic. Under normal circumstances official outposts could have a welcoming entry way that signified the 'openness' of the Stellar Empire without compromising security, while at the same time bypassing a need to fortify every wall ten times over and driving up costs.

The communications center was unlocked and unguarded, but it took little time to understand why. The austere three-story building had become an unofficial meeting place for the myriad of San Roayo residents whose homes were destroyed by the typhoon. In the wake of their personal losses they sought not only shelter but information as to the known deceased and missing. A front reception desk was unmanned though it was unclear if it was because the employees who ordinarily sat there were casualties of the hurricane themselves, deployed to other areas of the island, or if they had simply decided that their job's protocol was no longer necessary. One small group, perhaps a family or the remnants of one, had pulled together the abandoned chairs and were quietly dozing in the empty space. The cluster was positioned directly next to a console that Solae knew to connect with other offices on the upper floors.

"This way," Julia whispered. The diplomat had failed to divulge that she had been in a very similar center, as the layout was identical on most planets, and let the middle-aged woman lead the way. With Damaris trailing behind as she looked about with wide-eyed wonder, they passed under an archway on the left, through a hallway with elevators decorated with abstract art meant to be as inoffensive as possible, and into a large room that compromised at minimum half of the first floor.

"It's huge!" the young girl gasped in delight.

Strewn all around were the survivors of the storm. Blankets, sheets, and other linens had been laid upon the floor in makeshift beds for adults and children alike. Long tables with integrated built in consoles, bolted to the ground for stability and to prevent theft, were arranged in rows perpendicular to the entrances to the room. Each console functioned as an access point for members of the populace who might utilize this room for its library or the transmission of mundane messages unable to be sent from their domiciles. These communal stations were at present largely ignored in favor of the screens on the north, east, and western walls that were vividly displaying the only broadcast anyone cared to watch: updates from rescue efforts across the continent. Those not starting at the names presented in high definition were murmuring to one another in sombre conversation, busying themselves with a quiet game or task, or napping if trauma had not made them insomniacs.

"This will take a while," Solae warned Julia, "I understand if you'd like to -"

"We're not leaving you here by yourself," was the quick retort. The tone of Julia's voice made it clear her decision was not subject to further discussion. "There are many people that could use a sympathetic ear or a shoulder to cry on here, and I've told you we know nearly everyone. You get the information you need and take as long as you like. Damaris and will make ourselves sociable. It's better than holing ourselves up in our home by ourselves."

"If you're certain," Solae agreed reluctantly.

"Come on, Damaris, I think I see Mr. and Mrs. Vasho over there," Julia declared with a warm parting smile. She proceeded further into the room and, even at a distance, the marquise could both hear and see one of the groups near the western wall exchange greetings before they embraced one another. Damaris bounced on her feet and loudly declared she bet that school would be cancelled for weeks as a result of the devastation. An elderly gentleman nearby started to guffaw that the first thing that came to mind for the raven-haired adolescent was freedom from lessons and homework.

With a sigh Solae tugged on the scarf concealing her hair and made her way to the nearest table as casually as possible. Fortunately no consoles were presently occupied with the exception of a pair near the opposite side of the room. She sat herself at a station directly opposite the main entryway so that the privacy partition would obscure her face from new arrivals. While a few people glanced her way, none were visibly suspicious about her identity. A stranger might have attracted more attention in other circumstances, but grief mitigated idle curiosity, and those who wished to be left alone were being granted the space to mourn. Solae's strategic placement limited who might be able to wander by without her notice; there were no citizens in proximity as gravitated towards the outskirts where there was unobstructed space and the wall screens. Solae prayed this buffer would be sufficient to keep her machinations secret.

The backlit console was almost as old as the marquise. Even though it was outdated, the interface was more user friendly than the units at the embassy, which had been produced for communications professionals with the luxury of an entire department dedicated to assisting them in navigating connected networks. Solae had the expertise necessary for a more complicated system but she was relieved that it was not required. After all their poor luck it was nice to have anything small working in their favor and making a task easier rather than more challenging. She activated the touch pad and her fingers glided across the screen as she keyed in her credentials. The console was too rudimentary for multiple tiers of security authorization. Fortunately this meant she would not have to announce her full name and status for vocal validation as was the case with the slaver's estate. After providing an identification number and three passwords she was given clearance to every archive available at this center.

Solae quickly lost track of time. Undoubtedly Julia realized it would not take over an hour to locate information for Rene's father, yet she did not interrupt, wander over, or question what the 'princess' was really doing that was so consuming. The external storage stick that Solae had brought with her and plugged into the console was not large enough for everything she wanted. Arguably this was because she was casting such a wide net: she was seeking every record, every transaction, every memo, every news article, every statistic, every negligible digital bit of evidence even tangentially related to three noble families. She was forced to compress files before copying them to her portable device, which meant not only was she taking the time to locate all the information she believed merited further review, she had to wait for it to be shrunk in size and then transferred. More than once the diplomat begrudgingly admitted to herself this investigation was overly ambitious.

She had nearly finished and was combing through business contracts of Rene's distant cousins when there was the soft ping of a new transmission. For the past couple hours she had been planted at the console updates for the deceased and missing list had been operating in the background silently. This notification meant that there was an incoming broadcast. Her digits momentarily froze where they hovered half an inch above the smooth surface of the screen. Her worst fears were realized when she selected the alert and maximized it on her screen. It took all of her considerable composure and training not to devolve into a hysterical mess. She had no weapon, no means to defend herself, and she was surrounded by people who not only had no loyalty to her, but were desperate beyond measure for any monetary relief that might help them reclaim their lives.

It was too late to keep the bounty from being seen.

Her mind was racing so quickly she fumbled over executing the various commands she was rapidly inputting. While Solae could not undo what had already been done, she had the unique chance to lessen the impact. The first course of action was keeping the alert from been displayed on the walls that everyone else in the room were attentively watching. Once she had pulled it from circulation, she decided to throw a proverbial 'Hail Mary.' The linguist hurriedly added a clause that both Rene and herself had to be turned in together for any reward to be paid. This was not true, of course, but it would help protect either of them from being independently captured and traded to the coup's armies with expectation of compensation. Secondly, she changed both of the photos for anyone who had not already burned their faces into memory. For Rene she chose a photo of a marine of his approximate likeness but who had died two years ago. For herself she substituted in a picture of the Duke's niece when she had been going through a phase that culminated in dying her hair a soft silver.

Solae was banking on the fact no one was monitoring the bounty notices after they were distributed. There was no expectation that anyone would alter them, and even if they did anticipate her intervention, they would need to send someone to Panopontus before they could determine the extent of her creative editing. Her hands were shaking as she pressed a few buttons in succession, sending the revised notice back through the planetary network. Rene. She had to find Rene. She had to leave the communications center as soon as possible and find a way to flee to another world. They had tarried too long here and now it was just another deathtrap regardless of her efforts.

Yanking the storage stick out of the console she stood and, with a wave to Julia, started towards the exit.

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

Sunlight was beginning to peek through the sheets of fabric draped over the guest bedroom's singular window in makeshift curtains. As errant streams pierced through the gaps and dappled her eyelids Solae stirred restlessly. The night had been kind to her once she had been able to drift off to sleep. Though she could not remember any of her dreams, she had the faint recollection that they had been pleasant, and she was grateful that she awoke much more refreshed than if she had been plagued by nightmares of New Concordia. Rubbing the crust forming at the edges of her eyes she rolled over to feel if Rene had joined her. Unsurprisingly the other side of the bed was immaculate and untouched. Solae was mildly disappointed even if this had been expected; as a woman in love she wanted her fiance to crave her proximity and touch as much as she craved his. Perhaps he had been afraid to wake her or anxious about the tasks ahead of them.

Sitting up and throwing aside the covers she began to pull her discarded clothing closer to her. Julia had encouraged her to undress before climbing into bed so that everything would be dry by daybreak. Her blouse had obviously seen better days but had neither shrunk nor stretched as a result of the dip in the ocean. By contrast her pants felt a bit slimmer than she remembered but she had unintentionally been on a diet by failing to eat the lavish meals the aristocracy typically enjoyed. She was uncertain if her mother would be proud or disappointed with this knowledge. The marquise slid into both, idly brushed them free of salt and sand, and started to make her way out the door before she spotted a note on the nightstand.

Solae let out an exasperated sigh. For as much as Rene protested being labeled a hero he was, without question, a more stalwart defender of virtuous principals than most men alive. She could almost hear his objections to being compared to the paragons of humanity and fealty to the Stellar Empire that had given his lineage title. Somehow she doubted all of them would have leapt at the chance to selflessly help rescue impoverished citizens from their rubble homes without any chance of recognition or sizeable reward. The diplomat both admired his courage, conviction, and morality, and resented that it meant he neglected himself often. When he returned she would give him a kiss and then chastise him for pushing himself so relentlessly; after all, a Rene that was injured from overexertion couldn't render aid to anyone.

"Good morning!" Julia called out as Solae entered the kitchen. Damaris was seated at the table, swinging her long legs, and humming an unfamiliar children's tune. The faint aroma of stir-fried vegetables and fish filled the room. At first blush this was an odd choice for a morning meal but upon reflection other staples of breakfast would be scarce. What livestock San Royao had were almost certainly killed, fruit trees were toppled, and most grains drowned by the fury of the typhoon. She predicted many months filled with more seafood in the resident's diet than even they were used to.

"Good morning Julia, Damaris," Solae greeted politely. "Julia, by any chance do you have a scarf I could borrow?"

This question caught the other woman off-guard. Glancing behind her at the noblewoman she quickly moved the skillet off the stove, pushed around the julienned vegetables and chunks of fish fillet with a flat spoon made of bamboo, and wrung her hands in a dish rag. Damaris sensed the concern in her mother's face and stopped her ditty to glance back and forth. Solae tried to give a reassuring smile but Julia was no fool- she had already deduced this request meant she had an intention to go outside even after she had declared it would be dangerous if she was spotted.

"I do, but... Miss Solae, could you please tell me why you need it?" she asked. Trying to appear casual she motioned for Damaris to come to the stove and fetched her a small, worn clay plate from the cupboard. The dinnerware was not a mass-produced design from a distant factory, but rather had the hallmarks of something made locally. Trade routes on Panopontus were not exclusively for off-world imports and exports.

"Rene went with Tychon to help look for survivors. I know the risks, but I can't bring myself to sit here and wait the hour, two hours, or more that it will take for them to return. What they are doing is important, but I think it would the best use of my time to go to the communications center and get the information we need," she explained smoothly and in an even tone that she knew to be persuasive.

"Are you sure that's wise? I wouldn't want you to..." Julia started as she fretted. Solae was not related to her in any way but she still considered the aristocratic lady part of her family. Years from now she, Damaris, and Tychon would remember the two strangers that had saved a life and patched them back together when the circumstances were the most grim. It was only natural she'd worry over this risky proposition to which there were vague allusions to negative consequences if not executed perfectly.

"Please, Julia. I won't ask you to go with me, but this is something I feel I must do. To be honest with you, I'd be of no real help to Rene right now doing what he is doing because I lack his strength, and he would not be able to truly help me research at the communications center. I have spent far more time in front of a console looking for data and documents than he has. Does it not make sense for us to each utilize our independent skills when we are apart? All I need is a scarf and some directions," she promised.

Julia still looked wary but she could also spot the stubborn streak in the linguist that was a figurative mile wide. Sighing in resignation (which sounded quite like the sigh of exasperation Solae had for Rene earlier) she instructed Damaris to eat before the food got cold and wandered down the hallway that joined the bedrooms to the rest of the residence. Several minutes passed with the dark-haired youth staring at Solae in wide-eyed wonder and admiration. To the adolescent it was terrifying and amazing she had won an 'argument' with her mother and was going to waltz into the city alone. Suddenly the marquise was wondering if this was a poor life lesson she was teaching the impressionable youth still convinced she was a princess.

"I know that face. Maybe I won't be able to change your mind, but I won't let you go alone either. Damaris, finish quickly and put on your shoes when you're done," Julia announced as she strode back into the kitchen with a linen scarf that was green, grey, and tinged with accents of a deep coral. Before a retort could form in Solae's mind both peasants were preparing themselves for the jaunt downtown. Damaris was shoveling food into her mouth more quickly than she could have possibly imagined and the matriarch of the household was cleaning the cooling pan so that nothing would spoil while they were away. Just as Solae had been ready to defy instructions to hide in the tiny dwelling's protection so too were they ready to defy her resistance to being joined by their company. In political circles the title of marquise would have empowered her to order without a chance of defiance yet she was impotent when among the commonfolk.

To complete her disguise Solae stepped outside and splashed some of the muddy storm water onto her face and hands. It would not completely conceal her unnatural beauty under intense scrutiny but it would help her blend into the populace as a whole. Her pallid and smooth complexion was darker, dirty, and at a distance appeared to have minor blemishes. Satisfied with the effects provided by nature's bounty she then wrapped the scarf around her head, tucking in every stray golden hair visible, and used the loose end to cover her nose and mouth. For Panopontus this was strange garb unless the individual in question was ill and trying to avoid spreading a contagious virus. This was precisely the ploy that the noblewoman hoped to achieve; people would not want to engage her if they thought there was a possibility they would be infected. Once Solae had met a duke and duchess who had bragged endlessly about the enhancements to their immune system only to later reveal their paranoia about the prevalence of the common cold. By the the time the couple was excited from the diginitary's dinner they were attending they were hysterical about a 'plague' that was relatively benign and they were exceedingly unlikely to fall victim to given their genetic history.

"Now, you stay beside me, you understand? I'll do all the talking," Julia commanded.

The trio used alleys, side roads, and walked through yards to avoid as many people as possible, not that it was necessary; San Royao was a barren wasteland. The farther they progressed downtown the more buildings that were standing, but it was clear that nearly everyone was devoted to efforts to aid their neighbors on the coastline. Of the eleven that she spotted in the half-hour of ducking behind stone walls and jumping over overflowing drainage pipes, seven were elderly, one was a nursing mother, two were pregnant, and one was a man with a pronounced limp that was trying to help his wife hang laundry on the remnants of a fence.

While there were town and city ordinances giving guidelines to builders and homeowners as to how they ought to construct their homes, the Stellar Empire was much more strict regarding official imperial outposts. After terraforming was completed, if necessary, only the most durable materials were imported to each planet and utilized to erect buildings such as the communication center they now sought. To use inferior stone or alloys would have been a sign of weakness and that was not an image the empress, or the emperor before her, could afford to portray. This identical design was seen as excessive in almost every situation but proved invaluable after a natural disaster of the hurricane's magnitude. The exterior had been worn down and exposed in some places but the typhoon had been more more ineffective against the core official imperial buildings than any other. There was absolutely no evidence that their integrity had been compromised, though this made Solae anticipate a challenge: security protocol would still be intact and invoking her authorization code in front of Julia and Damaris was a gamble.

"Julia, I have only deep gratitude for your help, but it's not necessary to proceed any further," she whispered as they rounded a corner that was directly adjacent to the street on which the communication center resided. Damaris inched forward to look for guards or law enforcement that might be posted at the entrance.

"All clear! I bet everyone is helping Papa," she beamed with a toothy grin of pride.

"Nonsense. We've come this far and we don't know if there is anyone inside yet," Julia chided Solae lightly. Clucking her tongue she adjusted the scarf, tucking lockets that had come loose back behind the fabric, and looked her 'guest' in the eyes with a warm expression. "It might have been used as a shelter during the storm. Lucky for you I know everyone in San Royao, and there's no one that will be shooing out the princess that saved my daughter. Come on, staying here won't get us what you need!"

Straightening up Julia stepped forward, Damaris trailing behind her on her heels, and Solae chewed on the inside of her cheek. Summoning some of the courage that had kept her alive thus far she tugged on her head covering and shuffled after them, praying to deities of every mythos that this little quest didn't end as poorly as the one launched on the slaver's plantation. She recalled all too well how she had narrowly escaped death several times over during that escapade and she had no desire for a repeat performance with two innocent, wonderful, caring bystanders that could be caught in the crossfire.