Syrenrei

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

"You are kind," Solae said, clearing her throat as the liquid medicine she had just swallowed stubbornly clung to the back of her throat. "But having the courage to run pales in comparison to the bravery of your people and..," she paused, eyes flitting to Rene briefly before returning to Enro, "my bonded. There is a story I read once about two sisters who walked the same path, seeking to unite their country in a time before the empire. One refused to fight, using her words to spread peace and unity, while the other was a warrior. The one who spoke brought many together but not all. One was enraged and wanted the power she had, so he threatened her. When she refused to help him, he cut down a man. Still she refused, imploring him to be compassionate. He cut down a woman. She continued to refuse, invoking his empathy. He cut down a child. She pleaded with him for mercy. As he moved to cut her down, the warrior cut him down. When she was asked why she intervened, when the one who spoke was spreading word how they ought not to fight, the warrior said she stained her hands so the one who spoke did not need to. I believe that is much like our world. The Inyorin and Rene have killed so that others could be saved and protected. I only ran."

Lasha and Enro listened to the tale quietly. While the moral was still at odds with Lasha's personal beliefs as a healer she understood what the noblewoman was trying to say. There was some truth in that it was easier for a virtuous soul to talk, to heal, to nurture than it was for them to harm another even if the cause was righteous.

Enro bobbed his head appreciatively. "You are different from the other humans we have met, Solae of the Empire," he declared. The tone of his statement was a clearly a compliment rather than an insult. End results of the would-be assault on Amber Horizon were better than any Syshin had anticipated and the two imperial citizens that had contributed heavily were humble. Their genuine disposition and willingness to sacrifice meant that their names would be as close to heroes as humans could be in their community.

"I am of my people, but I am not my people," Solae remarked wryly. It was a proverb that was uttered more frequently in diplomatic relations and the courts than rural reaches of the sector. The meaning, however, was not lost on the less sophisticated speakers of the common tongue. Solae was purposefully creating a distance between herself and other humans' actions while still acknowledging she was of the species.

"If you mean to ask her to translate for the captive, you should do it now. They should both rest," Lasha told Enro sternly. They conversed in common for Rene's sake so as not to be rude. Although Enro was her superior in their culture, as healer he deferred to her when the health of the wounded needed to be taken into consideration.

"He speaks too quickly for us to understand," Enro said to Solae in explanation as he shook his head. Most of the Syshin spoke with relative fluency but as with many languages the speed of the speaker could greatly affect comprehension of the listener.

"We have two rooms with the metal doors still," Lasha interrupted. "I will make one of them ready for you so you may have privacy more like your people." The two rooms in question had not been fully converted to Syshin living quarters as the population had not expanded in such a way it was necessary. Along with the 'pruning' of their population that was done incidentally or planned by Armistice their culture valued sharing of space between familial members that were not yet bonded or had lost a mate.

Lasha exited the room, moving past Enro briskly, and Solae took this as her endorsement to stand of her own accord. Rene moved to support her arm but she shrank back slightly as guilt played upon her features. With the fog of confusion lifted from her mind she was overwhelmed with how many things caused an aching guilt: that Rene put himself in danger for her, that he was injured because of her, that he killed because of her, that his future could be jeopardized by her, that she had worried him, and that she could not separate herself from him no matter how hard she tried. To keep touching him would invoke a longing for his continued comfort. Were she to close herself she would still clearly see the purple-faced monstrous Empress as her accusations echoed in her ears.

"You should lay down," she told Rene quietly. "Please do not push yourself for my sake," she added rather hypocritically.

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

Solae stood before the Empress on her gilded throne as ornate tapestries fluttered in the invisible wind. They were alone in the massive room yet all she could see the polished floor, the ruler of the Stellar Empire adorned in luxurious fabrics that had been draped with a delicate attention to detail, and the massive seat on which she presided over official affairs. Inky tendrils on the edges of the marquise's vision threatened to expose the dream as an act of fiction yet she dismissed their existence each time they crept forward.

"I request that Rene Quentain be kept in my company, your excellence," she heard herself say with the impeccable polish of the courts. As decorum dictated she swept herself down in a bow, for she was wearing a suit rather than gown, and waited pensively for the approval that she felt must be coming. The war was over. As a pivotal piece to the success the empire had in reclaiming New Concordia, Solae was confidant that a reward would be granted to her for the loyalty with which she acted. No longer was Solae just one of many with titles that afforded them prestige; she was a name that spread across several sectors and dripped off the lips of the most prominent courtiers. She was known.

"Keep him by your side?" the Empress asked derisively as her cold gaze pierced Solae's lifted eyes. Her face turned a dark shade of purple as it elongated and bulged monstrously. "You poor dear, you know that keeping him here with you will kill him. You will kill him, Solae Falia."

Solae stumbled back in abject horror as the Empress contorted and metamorphosed into bubbling mounds of gelatinous ooze that grew. A hollow, echoing peel of laughter resounded as numerous arms extended from the creature and pointed to her feet. The body of a man lay inches from her feet that had not been there before. Her breaths became labored as she intuitively recognized the back splattered in blood. Rene rolled over and turned his head in her direction. Two milky white orbs that had been clouded with death stared at her as a crackled, rotting mouth wrenched itself open.

"How many more people have to die before it is your turn, Solae? How many must suffer? You did this! For you to live see what has been lost!" it spat with accusation. From the void above her head fell every employee of the Imperial Embassy, her parents, the few friends she had in the nobility in Armistice, and Lord Armon. With each sickening smack of bone and flesh impacting the floor she backpedaled. Each was horrifically scarred in ways only a brutal imagination could create. Their lifeless shells mimicked Marlene as she had succumbed to the embrace of death with pain etched on her features.

"No, no, no..." she chanted to herself before she turned and sprinted.

As instantly as it had appeared the throne room vanished, her psyche melting her into a dense jungle not unlike the one she had been in when she had been waiting for Rene to return from the assault. Amber Horizon was not in sight and the trees, vines, and underbrush stretched into a endless cage of landscape. Her legs burned from the exertion that lasted veritable hours in easily doctored timeline of the subconscious. Solae stopped to catch her breath, her lungs screaming for air, when she spotted shadows leering at her. She stood and spun around but they were in every direction; there was no escape.

"What a fine prize," one amorphous shade purred at her malevolently.

"We'll bend her over so many times she'll never be upright again!" one boasted as it cackled to itself. "Even the dogs will have her before we collect our bounty!"

Reality grabbed her firmly, shaking her out of the nightmare, and jolted her back to consciousness without even a flickering sensation of warning. Her eyes opened but she was not aware first the first precious few seconds. Each sense had to be roused from its chemically-induced slumber which led to her awareness being stifled as stimulus trickled in. Before all else she was aware of a lumpy mattress on which she had been laid. Scent came next, foreign odors filling her nostrils, and then with painstaking delay were the vision and hearing that Solae relied upon so heavily.

"No, no, no," she choked with such despair that Enro stepped back respectively and Lasha had to stop herself from springing into action. With the marquise's last memory being capture, and the threats upon her involving non-consensual acts presumably on a mattress, it was exceedingly clear that the safety of the room was lost on her. In a blind panic Solae reached down, her fingers closing over the fresh bandaging on her thigh, the unspoken threat being that she would rip into the wound in hopes medical distress would stay the captors she believed were upon her.

"Solae, I'm here," Rene reassured as she took the offending hand into his own calmly but with concern.

Initially she started to wrench away but, at the sight of him injured yet quite alive, tears filled her eyes. His talking corpse was still fresh in her mind with its allegations she heralded the grim reaper itself. Rationally she knew that it was an illusion manifesting from her deepest fears- but there had been shreds of truth buried within the hellish visions. "Rene," she confirmed as she relaxed and sank back into the mattress.

"How do you feel?" Lasha asked delicately in the common tongue.

"I... I just had a bad dream," Solae said with minimization that every soul in the cramped quarters knew her to be trying to avoid any further explanation. "I'm fine now," she then convinced herself as she pushed herself to sitting upright and moved to slide off the edge of the bed.

[MxF] (Mature; 18+) Looking for Long Term Partner

<3 Penny <3

[MxF] (Mature; 18+) Looking for Long Term Partner

Because I for some reason think maybe, just maybe, I can take on one more partner...

I am looking for someone willing to do one of the three above plots or something like it, with a strong preference for "Font" because of magical system shenanigans.

If I am already in a RP with you, I AM by NO MEANS AM DROPPING YOU, so please do not panic! You are lovely, wonderful people. <3

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

Enro carried Solae back to Amber Horizon with little difficulty; while he was no longer in his physical prime he still stronger than Rene. The soldier had initially protested. He was exhausted but his protective zeal had kicked into overdrive when he saw the marquise captured and unconscious. The Syshin leader delicately asserted his authority, pointed out Rene's wounds mitigated his ability to safely spirit her back the encampment, and then picked her up without waiting for consent. There was a subtle respect in his actions that had not been so profound before. When he had spoken in his broken common he had made eye contact with Rene but reduced his height slightly so as not to be so far risen about the man. Rather than slinging Solae over a large shoulder, which would have been the easiest method, he cradled her in his arms as gently as he could as if she were a slumbering princess.

"My people are in your debt," he said as they approached the front door to the spaceship that housed the alien community. "They will..." Enro paused as he searched for the words that were as inoffensive as possible, "take care of the dead and machines. I must watch. Lasha, daughter of Nari, will help you and your bonded."

Syshin swarmed out of Amber Horizon's front door which had been left open out of practical need. With the assault over the foreign race had summoned their males, females, and children that were roughly equivalent to a human teenager to assist with recovery efforts. A large clump of female Syshin squeezed past carrying various digging implements as they solemnly conversed about the tasks ahead of them. Two older adolescent males trailed after with arms laden with rope, jugs of clean water, cloth, and jars of thick tar. Many had been dispatched to where Rene had led the rescue of the Penshae captives but they spread in all directions as a precaution. Evidence of the slavers, even the tracks of their vehicles, had to be eradicated to the best of the Syshin's ability.

"Lasha!" Enro boomed. He was not angry but the chatter and sounds of so many bodies moving in confined spaces made it hard for any to hear.

No more than two minutes passed before a female Syshin arrived at the door. She was young, yet clearly an adult, and beautiful even by the standards of humanoids of different species. Lasha's plumage was a silken spun gold, darker than Solae's hair color but no less luminous, that blended into a vibrant emerald green. Enro spoke a few words to her in Syshi before nodding to Rene and going back from whence they came- there were two corpses left next to the burning sugar cane fields that could not be ignored.

"Come, come quickly," Lasha urged. She had taken Solae from Enro but strained more with the dead weight than he said. "Kadal is in the infirmary," she said with nearly perfect common. Unlike most of the encampment she worked closely with the Stellar Empire's other citizens and was more polished in the imperial tongue. "He is between two paths," Lasha added quietly, "so we will use my room."

The hall was crowded but once the Syshin saw Lasha carrying Solae and Rene trailing behind they could not move out of the way quickly enough. Wide eyes watched them pass with rapt attention and bated breath. No longer were they mere curious strangers- they were heroes in their own right. To stand in couple's way as they sought healing would have stained the honor of whomever was so unlucky as to be frozen in awe. Lasha turned to the right before they reached the hold, leading Rene into a room where a male Syshin (her bonded and mate) waited for them.

It was more spacious than what had been given to Rene and Solae before the assault on the slavers. A bed large enough to accommodate the larger frames of two Syshin was elevated on a sturdy wood frame and pressed against the outer wall. It had been dressed with linens that were rough to human touch but so well insulated that in the winter the Syshin would not be uncomfortably cold with the drop in temperature (to which they were sensitive more than heat). Two basins were against one of the other walls, one made of earthen materials and smaller in size, one constructed of wood that had been covered in multiple layers of lacquer and meant for washing. Roots, bulbs of exotic vegetables, dried flowers and fruit, sticks of incense, and fresh herbs hung from the ceiling and were suspended at various lengths. There was a sweet, soothing aroma that was wholly intentional.

Lasha's mate yanked the cloth off the bed so Lasha could lay Solae on the bare mattress. Once this had been done he stepped out of the way as she pulled a hidden drawer from the bed's frame and looked for the supplies required to mend her patients. "I do not know when she will wake, so we will do what we can before she does. I must have these removed," she said, pointing to the pants that were stained with blood. "As her bonded, this you must do," she instructed. Clucking her tongue at her mate, Lasha shooed him successfully out of the room.

Turning her back to give Rene privacy she washed her hands in the smaller basin and pulled a mortar and pestle from a shelf to her left. The healer Syshin plucked several components from dangling strings that were placed in the bowl with two small vials she had extracted from her drawer storage. When ground together they formed a thick brown paste speckled with purple whose scent was remarkably pungent. Lasha sprinkled a fine dust in after a moment to reduce the smell; she did not want Solae to wake before they had stanched the bleeding of her thigh.

"Are you in pain? I can give you a medicine while you wait," she offered off-handedly as the continued to work. "You will stay here so that when she wakes she is not scared, and so we can make her drink a treatment for the bruises." The skin on Solae's exposed left arm was blossoming an angry magenta from where she had fallen onto it when she struck the ground at a high velocity. It was by no means a threat to her life but it would make a great deal of ordinary tasks painful until it healed.

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

Rene had departed with the Inyorin and Solae stood at the entrance to the Amber Horizon's spaceship listlessly. Her fingers were curled around the heavy pistol that hung at her side, the cool metal touching her hip, and she stared where he had disappeared through the trees. Gone was the enchanting warmth of the kiss he had planted on her lips.

Truth be told she was not a fan of the plan to rescue the Syshin. The marquise had more empathy for them than most, especially this community, but she also understood the great risk it posed to Rene. She feverishly wanted to believe he was invincible. If Solae convinced herself that the circumstances surrounding the 'Rat Trap' and his escape was an act of destiny rather than luck she could rest easy that she had not seen him alive for the last time. A shiver trailed down her spine as she shook her head and chased away morbid thoughts. This was something Rene could handle or else he would have asked for more Syshin to accompany him. That Rene was divinely blessed and protected was not something she could force herself to believe, but she had faith in him as a soldier and lover. He would return to her.

"You wait here?" Enro asked. His face was creased in an expression that Solae did not understand implicitly. Her strong suspicion was that he was either perplexed or concerned.

"I want to be the first to see them come back," she confessed a bit shamefully. Enro paused and then nodded in understanding. While humans and Syshin had their differences, the bonds that kept their societies intact were not dissimilar. The clear devotion that Rene and Solae had towards each other (and the vulnerability they possessed because of it) had done much to persuade the Syshin to trust them with their home.

"I must seal the door in case they fail," the older male Syshin told her. Solae dipped her head in acknowledgment and stepped outside onto the grass. The smooth metal slid into place and hissed shut as safeties of the spaceship were engaged. Most of these decommissioned vessels were gutted but hull integrity was typically not one of them. Rebels and degenerates of New Concordia would not be able to penetrate the thick outer shell without heavy machinery.

For several minutes she stood alone listening for the sounds of combat. Rene and the Inyorin were probably too far away for her to hear but she strained for any sound that might confirm where he was or give clues as to what was transpiring. Instead of gunfire Solae heard rustling and the sounds of boots on underbrush to the east. She crouched down instinctively as she glanced around wildly. Her heart thudded in her chest and temporarily drowned out even the calls of nighttime insects in the trees. Fortunately the three slavers were not even attempting to conceal themselves. Each had a large rifle slung over a shoulder and strode confidently towards the spaceship with malevolent purpose. The tallest of the trio was carrying a rectangular box stamped with military insignia either smuggled or taken from the massacre Rene had barely survived.

Solae had proposed leading the attackers away not even an hour ago. To not do so now would be making herself a liar and disappointing her hosts and beau alike. Steeling herself with what little courage she had she bolted away from Amber Horizon Encampment and back towards the train tracks if only because she was familiar enough with them to know where they led. Running in a direct line made it a direct contest of speed she could not hope to win. She strafed to one side and the other, breath ragged with rising panic and exertion, as she turned to look over her shoulder. All three were giving chase with wild eyes that invoked more terror than she had felt since watching the life drain out of Marlene's gaping wound.

The weight of the pistol made her realize she was still clinging to it tightly. Rene would expect her to at least attempt a shot to slow them down or scare them off. She did not judge him nor any other soldier for taking the lives of others, but she the knot in the pit of her stomach told her she could not do it herself- not yet. Taking a life would change her until the end of days. It was a line that she had to be absolutely certain she was ready to cross because the trauma was not insignificant. Men and women came back from service changed in ways words could not express. Some of them could never cope with what they had done even in the most impossible circumstances and they broke. The Stellar Empire tried to suppress the news but everyone from the highborn scions to the completely destitute knew suicide among the discharged was not uncommon.

Although she had been genetically engineered for various forms of superiority, she could not compete with the athleticism and natural strength of a man's physique. One of the slavers, a burly man at least ten years her senior and with a full thick beard, grabbed hold of her arm mid-stride. Her leg buckled as she was yanked backwards and the angle, as well as momentum, saw her slam into the ground on the side of her sutured hip. The pistol went flying out of her hand and clanged as it bounced away. Pain coursed through her as blood oozed from the injury. Solae screamed as she found herself captured and the agony of the impact made her gasp for breath.

"Well well, if it isn't Solae Falia, the most wanted woman on New Concordia," the larger man mocked as he licked his lips. He made a motion for his comrades to pin down her arms which they did so obligingly. All three eyed her like hungry wolves as they let their gazes slide over her torso. The bounty had been posted all over the planet but had failed to capture exactly how appealing the modified noblewoman looked.

"What was she doing near Amber Horizon?" the slightly smaller, stocky man asked.

"Who cares? Let's do her now," the tallest one said as he dropped the rectangular box on the ground. It landed with a loud thud that indicated the machinery contained within was incredibly heavy. "Duke wants her alive, but didn't say we couldn't have fun first," he stated as he tried to convince the other two. The other that held her arm hooked his fingers into his waistband in anticipation of being allowed to have their way with her. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity regardless of the monetary award.

"No, we stick to the plan. Once we get back to the plantation we can fuck her," the largest man announced. Solae realized from the authority in his voice he was in charge of this operation. He had sat down on her legs and covered her mouth with one hand as he drew a syringe from his belt with the other. They had come to Amber Horizon Encampment because there was a window of opportunity their greed would not let them ignore. As one form of government crumbled and another poised to take its place there was a brief period of anarchy. No one would be watching or prepared to stop them- so they could take females (and occasionally males) from the surrounding areas to sell on an open market. Syshin were the easiest target but they had also managed to reap a few young adult children from lords and ladies that were slaughtered in the initial attack. Solae would be a prize that catapulted them to unknown riches but their avarice knew no bounds. They would take all they could while they could.

Solae thrashed as all the horrors she imagined had began to become reality. She was no match for the slavers, one of whom laughed at her futile efforts. The leader of the group took his syringe and plunged it into her exposed flesh as he pushed a translucent liquid into her bloodstream. He gestured to his companions who abruptly let her go, but she realized belatedly this was not an opportunity to escape. Her limbs felt like lead and creeping inky mist clouded her peripheral vision as a crushing weight spread throughout. She thought she heard cursing above her but the sound was muddled by the drug that spread like wildfire as it snuffed out every nerve with reckless abandon. It was quick-acting, something meant to render their victims unconscious for easier transport, and Solae could not fight the strong dose that had just been administered.

Sprawled on the edges of the abandoned railroad she succumbed to its effects. A dark stain was painting her battered side as her pants, albeit tight, were not able to stanch the flow entirely. Her golden hair had been half torn out of its ponytail when she had been writing in overwhelming panic and despair. The tangled strands stood testament, if nothing else, that even when she was faced with odds she could not win against she had not submitted.

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

"That would be quite the departure from our current goal of getting off the planet as quickly as possible," Solae remarked with an impish amusement and raised brow. To dwell too long on the consequences of staying on New Concordia invited despair and panic. She was trying to find levity where she could. Even now the notion of depraved members of the rebellion trying to kidnap Syshin for illicit purposes sent a shiver down her spine. The true cost of war was not physical but rather that it opened a box that could never be closed. Shattered were the illusions that the common man was always humane. Years from now she would recall the hungry look in the eyes of people she would have never thought capable of horrific atrocities.

"You do not have to leave me alone," she stated. Rene opened his mouth, surely to object, but she continued on regardless. "If you drive them off they'll come back later when we're not here, won't they? Perhaps I can try to draw them away from the encampment. Give them a bigger target to follow so it's easier to pick them off." The flat, displeased expression on the soldier told her what he thought of her plan.

Solae sighed.

"No matter what happens we should bury any dead. If not to hide them from discovery but because it is the right thing to do. I could not make peace without paying them the prosper respect even if they were despicable in their final hours." Their circumstances were desperate. Digging graves would take a toll on the body and the psyche- two resources the couple could not afford to drain. Leaving a corpse exposed to the wilderness felt like abandoning decency, however, and Solae was mindful of the fact that if she survived she would have a great number of feelings to cope with. Everything she could do to minimize guilt in the future should be considered.

There was a rapping at the door and an elderly Syshin with mottled scales and dark gold plumage stepped in. "The humans come," he advised. Male Syshin had deep, rumbling voices that were beyond what any man could hope for. It was this distinction that made even adolescent Syshin easy to sex. "Two of our inyorin wait for you." He turned and looked at Rene expectantly.

"Inyorin are the... guardians or protectors of an encampment. They aren't trained like a soldier but usually some of the strongest. Are you certain you don't want me to come with you?" Solae knew the answer of course. The Imperial Marine may be opposed to having comrades (given his inability to communicate with them) but she felt reassured that he would not be alone. Nari and Enro were being generous in not demanding a solitary military endeavor as a sign of intentions.

"If you are victorious, Enro tells me they know of a spaceship," the older male asserted. He looked at Rene's weapons with apprehension, both uncertain how far they could truly trust the pair of humans and how successful this 'ambush' might be.

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

"Wait here with your bonded and I will call to Enro," Nari told Solae. She made a gesture to two younger Syshin that lingered on the edges of the room watching and they scurried forward with tall stools carved out of tree stumps. Both proved to be a challenge for Solae to climb upon and so a female Syshin, whose plumage was a brilliant sapphire, lifted the marquise onto the furniture with ease. Rene watched this interaction pensively from his own seat. The Syshin were wary of their human visitors but treated them with respect. There was far more danger in acting with hostility than reserved polite distance.

As Nari moved away and the other Syshin retreated back to the exterior wall, the golden-haired noble turned to her savior soldier. "They don't have a word for... whatever we are to each other," she whispered. "If a Syshin is of proper age and are intimate, there is an expectation for procreation considering their more limited years for it. If you have not found a mate, you are single, just as human, but to be with someone is bonded," Solae further explained. "It is most comparable to marriage, but if I had said we were single and we had stayed, we would be expected to separate per their customs. I apologize I had to take liberties." She looked truly uncomfortable. To call any man she'd known for mere days more than a tryst was bucking Imperial societal norms and expectations. Though they had been tested exponentially more in the last thirty-six hours than many couple in a lifetime, relationships encompassed the past, present, and future. Rene and Solae had no past and no future as of yet.

Nari re-emerged from a room she had disappeared into moments before. With her was a Syshin that was over a foot taller than her and with a burgundy crest that fell from the apex of his height to just below his ribs. The gait with which he approached spoke of his authority in the community and, with Nari at his side, it was clear they were the twin leaders hat Solae had sought to speak with.

"My sister tells me you speak Syshi," he remarked. His voice was deep rumble that sent reverberations through the air both intimidating and soothing all at once. Enro and Nari sat side by side on a large carved wooden bench. Esoteric symbols flowed over the legs with such deft craftsmanship they evoked the imagery of water.

"Yes," Solae replied slowly. She bowed her head deeply, tresses of melted sunlight tumbling over her shoulder with the movement. Once again she humbled herself before her hosts. Syshin had begin to trickle into the hold to observe the proceedings and they gasped at the deference that was being paid. Commoners did not visit the encampment for they saw the alien race as so beneath them that even an appearance of interest would tarnish their reputation. That a marquise among the upper echelons of the empire's beloved spoke Syshi, requested to be taken inside, and now honored them with etiquette that implied her study of their culture was unfathomable. This moment would be transcribed and repeated throughout history. It was not just a first for New Concordia but all of Syshin.

"I have many questions for you, Solae. How did you come to know my tongue? Who is this you have brought with you? And why have you come to our home?" Although Enro spoke it was Nari that leaned forward with outward interest. The Syshin around had been quietly clicking at one another to communicate their surprise at the scenario before them. A few stared on in unabashed interest at the peculiar humans. Syshin did not regularly cross paths with Imperial Marines any more than an anointed lord or lady.

"I was a translator at the Imperial Embassy," she admitted as she raised her hand. Solae reached across the divide between the stools and took Rene's hand in her own. His stiff posture belied his anxiety at the foreign bodies crowded around them. This was not a situation they could or should escape and she hoped to impart reassurance through this innocent touch. "May I tell you my story?"

Enro moved an arm to indicate she should continue but Solae began to cough into the crook of her free arm. There was a scurry of activity and a child Syshin sprinted forward with two bowls, one for each guest, filled with water so clear it was almost invisible within the earthenware. "Thank you," the linguist smiled as she drank generously.

The next half hour Solae spoke freely with no interruptions from Nari nor Enro. More Syshin crept into the hold until they had arranged themselves into rows, some sitting upon the lush grass, youth behind the reclining citizens, and adults standing farthest back. Because he could not understand Syshi Rene could do little but watch. As still and strange as her audience was they were enraptured by her tale.

It was here that Solae shone brightest. She had not been trained to handle weaponry nor was she enhanced sufficiently to be the most brilliant scientist of the empire. Others had numerous competitive edges on her in those pursuits. Her truest excellence was in storytelling. Instructors had taught her during her formative years that mastery of language came not from crude translation but learning how to effective relate thought, feeling, and understanding beyond fact. Waves of emotion swept over the Syshin as they empathized with her fear when the embassy was destroyed, her despair when she had learned her parents were dead, her desperation to stop the forces that now oppressed them both. Oanh and Min Ho were omitted entirely from her recollection but it was not questioned- they did not affect the tale's totality.

The hold fell quiet.

"What would you have us do, Solae of the Empire?" Nari finally inquired.

"I ask for your protection and help getting off-world," Solae replied, "but I will accept whatever you will freely give."

"It is too dangerous!" a Syshin to their left hissed. "If they are found we will all be killed! Let us turn them in for the bounty.

"No human would ever pay a bounty to our kind," another Syshin said as he stepped forward. "You know it is true. They would find a reason to kill us and keep their money. They will not allow us to be more than this."

Solae pulled her backpack off her shoulder and opened it to reveal bottles that had been taken from Lord Armon's manor tucked safely inside. "I can not offer much, but we brought these with us." Casting a glance to Rene she made eye contact with Enro and then Nari as she continued to negotiate. "Help me now and I will pay what I can of the debt owed to your people. My home on this planet is no more, but should I survive I will build one anew and employ Syshin." This proposal set the entire room to talking over one another and Solae, for Rene's benefit only, repeated the sentences in common.

Syshin were employed by the Stellar Empire for labour only. Becoming a cook, a butler, or any other household servant was deemed above their capabilities as a non-human race. Had any noble taken on a Syshin gardener (proficient as they were with the care of vegetation) it would have been the talk of the sector if not the galaxy.

"That is kind of you," Enro said, "but we can discuss that another time. We will shelter you for this night. Nari and I will discuss with our people what they wish to do and we will bring you our decision in the morning."

"While you are here, we ask that you prove your intentions," Nari followed. Though they were two distinct individuals the twin siblings spoke almost as if they were one. "A few humans have come closer to the ship, looking for our bonded Syshin. Rene, bonded of Solae, will help us drive them away if they arrive before nightfall." Cross-breeding between the races was a physical impossibility, but deviance had never been limited to what pairings could reproduce. Humanity would claim they only laid with other humans but the truth was a more sordid past. Without the protection of a stable government, Amber Horizon was vulnerable to those who would want to toy with the 'underlings' if only to assert their dominance and power.

Solae paled but, with great reluctance, translated Nari's words to Rene. It was not her choice to make.

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

"The track should take us there," she breathed before coughing quietly into the crook of her arm. Solae pulled her bag over her shoulder long enough to withdraw a small, discreet metal box from the front pocket. Oanh had been concerned about the noblewoman's hip sutures and given her medication to help with pain, swelling, and any stiffness that might result from exertion. As her eyes scanned over the abandoned path below she popped a small white pill from her box, chewed, and redeposited the container from whence it came.

After taking a deep breath the marquise slid down the ridge. Barren dirt and rocks crunched underfoot as Solae landed on the bottom. The boots Oanh had gifted her were a size too large but a vast improvement over being barefoot. Had they not been able to secure the more appropriate attire the debris and rust that composed their path would have mangled Solae's feet even worse than they were escaping the Imperial Embassy.

"There's a couple important things you should know," she began as she walked. As she spoke her eyes constantly darted back and forth between subtle land markers that confirmed their location. Solae had not spoken of it, but her precision in recalling Min Ho's map suggested that her memory had been subject to certain genetic improvements she had not disclosed initially. "The Syshin have a smaller window of fertility, so as an evolutionary compensation they have multiple births more frequently than singles. Twins are the most common, so expect to see more identical faces than you are used to. Traditionally a pair of twins preside over each encampment and it's important to treat them with exactly equal respect as leaders."

The brittle, rusted railroad tracks started to descend slightly as they approached a hill. Sickly trees gave way to a grove of blossoming fruit trees that lacked the uniform placement of suburbia. Vegetation had been allowed to run wild and free. Thick tree roots protruded from the ground and over and through the tracks, contorting the metal where it had not submerged or destroyed it entirely. What was decoration for the upper echelons of society was a well-used food supplement for the destitute Syshin. Woven baskets constructed with swamp reeds were strewn around in preparation for the next day's harvest.

Solae led Rene through the lush growth to a large decommissioned spaceship that had been laid to rest. Had the windows and doors not been maintained it would have been perfectly camouflaged (albeit unintentionally). Decades had dulled the gleaming finish while vines had nearly covered ever inch that had not been intentionally cleared. Boughs of trees that had been allowed to grow close draped over the 'roof' leaving little exposed.

Shortly after the Syshin had been subjugated into the Stellar Empire, their transport to planets on which they were needed was hotly debated. At the time there was also a surplus of vessels being replaced due to a booming economy. What components retained value as technology improved were typically related to the engine, thrusters, or weaponry. The then Emperor and Empress sought to solve two problems with one solution: to gut these battered spaceships, leaving the living spaces largely intact, and salvage the more precious materials. Amber Horizon was no different. The spaceship that housed the community would never sail among the stars again, but it provided adequate housing for a people unable to afford manors and estates.

"Here we go," Solae told herself. Striding forward she knocked firmly on the front entrance. Syshi symbols had been painted around the edges but they were chipped with age and wear. They shook with the reverberations of her thudding, minuscule flecks of golden yellow fluttering into the grass at their feet.

There was no answer.

After a few seconds Solae cleared her throat. Her hair was plastered to her face and neck and sweat was pouring down her brow. Not only had it been sweltering hot traveling in the truck, the weight of so many stacked stalks had done her no favors. She ached all over and thirsted for an entire river to drink from. "There are only two of us, and we are not with the rebellion. Please, I beg of you to help me," she called out in Syshi.

The door slid open to reveal a female Syshin flanked by two males. The two men did not have weapons but they did not need to; Syshin were larger than humans and in the few uprisings on record they had utilized brute force in skirmishes. Eyeing the pair warily they did not speak, instead deferring to their counterpart of the opposite sex.

"You speak Syshi," the female Syshin remarked in a mixture of open awe and gratitude. "What brings you here?" she inquired as she eyed Rene.

"I am Solae, and this is Rene," the marquise introduced slowly. The Syshin did not have all the same cultural equivalencies as humanity did, and so it would be difficult to explain the nature of hers and Rene's relationship. At a lost for a better term, she erred on the side that implied more rather than less. "He is my bonded. Please, may we come inside and speak with your leaders?" At that she bowed her head and motioned for Rene to the do the same. The soldier had tensed at the bodyguards in front of him but did as she asked.

The female Syshin smiled. Nobles did not incline their head to common people- to do so to a Syshin was unheard of. This was a great honor, one that she could not overlook nor would she forget easily. "I am Nari," she said as she gestured for her two companions to step aside so they could enter. "Does your bonded speak Syshi?" When Solae shook her head, Nari quickly switched to slightly stilted, broken common tongue. "I am Nari, Solae's bonded Rene. Come inside. I take you to my brother."

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

In her heart Solae was not convinced, her doubt reflecting on her features as she stared up at him. Despite her reservations Rene spoke with a calm confidence that assured he would not be swayed from his convictions any more easily than she would. The handsome soldier was resolute that his place was beside her so long as she was being hunted by the rebellion. While inwardly she was in turmoil, emotions swirling with both the need to protect him from himself and a desperate yearning for his companionship, his were unfaltering in their harmony. There was not even the slightest hint of conflict as he announced his intentions firmly.

Selfishly and irrationally she wished that his reasoning had reassurances one way or another about where they stood. At every opportunity Rene proved himself to be a honorable man that the Stellar Empire could be proud of was in their ranks. Should they be rescued Solae imagined commendations were in his future. But he had not spoken directly of what fledgling relationship they had as a motivation for his actions. He had not told her that breaching the divide between where he stood and nobility would not destroy his psyche nor that she was a prize worth risking such for. They had only been together for a couple sparse days. Solae was cognizant this was far too much to demand or expect from anyone in the same or similar situation.

Nothing would be the same after the attacks on New Concordia. It did not matter if she was taken captive and weaponized, tortured, and raped, or delivered safely to a planet nearer to the throne. Memories might fade but their impact would not be forgotten. Not even the Empress could bring her parents back to life. Solae's two cousins would not suddenly welcome her back with open arms and promises of familial love. She would be solitary in her remembrance of the events. Oanh and Min Ho did not show any desire or plans to leave anytime soon- and even then they were distanced from the trauma and violence of the coup to some degree. As far as she knew Rene and herself were the only two loyalists left on the planet that would depart it. Had they not been attracted to each other as fiercely as they were, she would still dream of tethering herself to him so that she could be understood, so that she would not be adrift.

"I don't want you to regret," she said as she let her gaze drop. As marquise it was undeniable that she would have power over him should they be liberated. There were limits to her power, of course, but it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility she could throw around her weight to keep him beside her with force. Solae was not certain that she was capable of doing so, but this war was changing her. She was frightened she would emerge from its ashes and not recognize herself. Not all scars were physical.

"But if this is really what you want to do, I suppose I can't stop you," she admitted. Just trying to imagine her trying to outrun Rene was comical. With the wound on her thigh her gait was slightly slower due to muscle stiffness- but were she in perfect health she would still be slower. Solae had an edge on flexibility but he was both stronger and faster.

"I'll finish packing up here if you want to see if Oanh and Hyun Tae have anything they can give us for the road." Solae slid around him and leaned down over the bed to finish what she had started, but now her fingers trembled slightly. Her courage was finally starting to waver. Even with Oanh and Min Ho's assistance it felt as if the world were against them.