[center][h1][color=orange]A woman in a changing world[/color][/h1][/center] [center][h3]Akrópoli, former capital of Narzenen[/h3][/center] [hr] Theodora slept, her hair brown and fair skin, marked by scars and sweated by her tormented mind as her eyes were closed, shaking as nightmares haunted her. She soon snapped herself awake breathing heavily looking around, scared, afraid and fearful. Before realizing she was in her quite claustrophobic room. Panting fast as her breaths were hard her face returned to a blank monotone expression lacking emotions as a way to hide her pain as her respiration calmed down. Looking at a clock beside her it was 4 am in Akrópoli, her homeworld, the world she once was destined to be one of its rulers before having to hide. Falling into the pillow she looked at the metal roof she now hid like a rat in her own homeworld for being one of the ex-rulers of her world and republic. At Least that's what they called her but a 5 year old child, an ex-ruler of an entire empire, she never understood why she was a target either way her eyes went to sleep again. The sun was high in the morning as she walked down the streets she could see flags of the Congress flying high trying to emphasize a sense of shared patriotism of nations. She didn’t care looking around she was worried if people cared but by how people still carried on without change. It seemed like less of a worry by the day compared to when she had to hide in the countryside, walking through the city, after leaving the small apartment she used to hide she still needed a job but for the moment she needed some sleep pills again. Checking her pockets, her cash was going low, she chuckled to herself thinking how for a revolution that aims for a classless society, they still used money entering the pharmacy, she looked around the cleanliness of the stores always felt odd for her or it was the smell of medicine that felt odd. It was something from childhood grabbing pills and putting in a counter she sighed looking at the counter girl who said. “Slept bad?” “Ye a bit…” Theodora replied nervously after checking some cash, the woman said. “Oh no need ah medicine is free.” “It is?” Theodora asked. “well yes… if people who seem to suffer from the revolutionary wars gain for free you seem to have lived through it.” The cashier said. “That was 20 years ago. Any kid by then is grown up…” Theodora replied “and you lived through it didn’t you?” The woman replied with a smile, Theodra was nervous, maybe it was a test to know if she was a survivor or something. She pushed back some of the paranoia. “ye… just tried living when the planet was besieged and well...” She sighed at the response the woman gave a nod saying. “It needs a register to grab for free but feel free…” The cashier said pushing the package front Theodora just gave a gentle nod with a light smile saying. “thank you…” Walking back home she mentally took note of the situation where she had to go after having buyed the tickets for outer worlds transportation. It was no longer safer to be in her homeworld thinking things would die down was a stupid mistake. Walking back home she stopped seeing guards entering her apartment block she stared emotionless before turning back thinking. “Fuck… Fuck… Fuck… Fuck…” She walked grabbing through her things she had some money and stuff thinking. “Great plan B… seems like the cover has been blown, time to go to the space dock earlier than i hoped.” She searched through a small bag seeing her ticket for off world made she and her guardian worked to get this one even as they were being hunted but she kept it for it to be used recently. “Excuse me lady” She heard not turning around she opened a small mirror to check behind while pretending to not notice. Looking at it the guard seemed to be walking towards her, a man in his 40’s with dark hair and his clothes were of the red guard. Closing the mirror she continued walking forward with the guard saying. “Miss… Miss!” She heard before turning around with a pepper spray pressing spraying his eyes. As he screamed in agony she soon took flight seeing other guards behind him. Running through the streets warning whistles were blown to confused people she knew she probably called attention to other folks and with it the police. “Cover blown time to dip.” She thought running through the streets before taking a walk into an alleyway as she rushed towards it making sharp turns she looked back seeing they still were after her but having difficulty. “I studied this place… I know the passages.” She thought of continuing the run after a moment she found herself in the escape area opening a sewer hole. She quickly held herself at the entrance closing it so she wasn’t followed and once closed she jumped down landing on sewage. She groaned and sighed walking through the sewage saying. “Once in a new world I wanna be at peace.” A long time of traveling through the city, she arrived at the space docks with the sound of rain walking through it without an umbrella , she sighed. “Should have grabbed an umbrella” She said, soon searching through her small bag seeing the passage. It was a metal ticket with a glass inner hologram pressing it. She saw the words “Section 13 passage used for any ship available.” Walking through the station she entered the passenger port she saw the guards and immediately sighed in worry. heading to a bathroom entering it was empty she looked herself in the mirror looking worried she took deep breaths one of the few things her guardian teached her on how to calm down once relaxed she looked better except for the wet hair and clothes. She shook her head pressing the dry hands air to use but also grabbing some paper towels. After drying the best she could she walked through the section looking at the guards by the corner of her eye with worry. The word might have already gotten here she wondered but she had to hurry arriving close to section 13 she could see a ship in standby people already docking she sighed in relief. Looking back she soon froze in place seeing members of the red guard turning back forward. She took deep breaths calming down and after a moment she was relaxed walking towards the docking bay. Standing in line for her turn she tried to look calm while looking to the side seeing the members of the guard seemed busy checking other stations. As her time approached a man checked tickets saying. “hello… Do you have your passage?” Theodora looked at her pockets before pulling up and giving to him looking a bit nervous he gave a nod grabbing check he then said. “For any time to enter… quite odd you chose a flight to the outer parts of the republic.” Theodora thought for a moment before saying. “Going to visit someone wanted to make sure I had flexibility in time.” The man looked confused for a moment and then said. “Bags or anything besides what is in your pockets?” She looked to the side for a moment. The guard was far but the situation seemed suspicious a bit she soon said. “I have an uncle near the end of the journey in the ticket.” taking a look again she worried the words were for Nova Prospero, a planet in the outer system population was low but existed as he looked he gave a nod to her putting the glass ticket into a receptacle. She gave a nod walking forward looking back she could see the red guard was still far worried about the departure if it was never gonna happen. Walking inside the ship the low hum of steam from pipes at the entrance was a bit nervous as she took a seat for departure. She was nervous moving her leg lightly nervously hearing around she could hear someone say. “The elections are coming soon aren’t they?” “yes and they say it's a bit competitive. The Vanguardists are trying to win at all costs. Same for the SMP, both are fighting for a majority or a triarch…” “I honestly don’t care if elections are always boring.” Theodora looked nervous but soon relaxed as the ship began to take off leaning back on her chair she relaxed thinking. “Thank the gods… a free republic they claim… Well this is the freedom they wanted… where I have to run…” her eyes closed and she viewed again the day the bloody harvest the deaths of thousands of nobles. Her mother and father and family all in a single day on that cursed day when she was young and even then they didn’t let her be. Opening her eyes she sighed thinking she wouldn’t sleep well on the voyage. What is a democracy where certain beliefs are restricted nothing more than a shame she thought.