《The Princess and the Human》


 Book 1 Chapter 1 - New Contact

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    Star Treader, as Doctor Githaiy made her way towards the medical bay. They were about to reach the final hyperlane of their journey, and she had hoped to get a night''s worth of sleep before they arrived at their homeworld. When a call from Her Highness, Princess Silgvani had ended that hope, she at first had expected some form of a medical issue.


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    much smaller, two-thirds of her own height at best, and its frame looked very delicate, almost frail. The surface of its body appeared to be smooth and soft, leading Githaiy to the conclusion that, unlike them, it was an endoskeletal race. It was clad in a simple, white shirt and long blue pants, an excessive amount of clothing by Vanaery standards, protective clothing, and battle armor not counting of course. Githaiy might''ve been her Highness''s personal physician, but since she always accompanied the princess whenever she left the planet, she had also amassed extensive knowledge of xenobiology. She knew all the alien races her people had made contact with. And yet, none of them resembled this small creature even remotely. Could it be..?


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    Alright, enough. Come on Githaiy, you are a professional!


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    Star Treader, the vessel of our royal embassy."


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    Star Treader is the ship of Her Highness, Princess Silgvani. Who, speaking of it, will meet you once we are done."


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    No, wait. We took a detour to follow the distress signal. What if we left the secure routes? Maybe someone else has picked up the signal as well?


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 Book 1 Chapter 2 - Nadines Decision

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    Star Treader, while luxurious, wasn''t all that big, comparatively speaking. When the soldiers had made contact with the enemy, the sounds of their battle had been audible on the bridge. And now, they no longer were. That combined with the lack of an all-clear signal didn''t exactly leave a lot of room for imagination. As a person, she wanted to tell herself that their side won and that they just went quiet while looking for any other foes they had missed. But as a leader, she unfortunately had to be realistic.


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    why they wanted that.


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    recognize her, or the fact that he carried a set of translators, at least one of which set to the Vanaery language.


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    No, wait! We still have the alien''s escape pod. Even empty, it contains foreign technology and is proof of an unknown species! It should have plenty of worth even on its own! Would they believe me if I claimed it was empty when we found it? Well, worth a try!


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    Judging by its looks, it probably comes from a very safe world. Maybe the concept of "conflict" is foreign to its species?


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    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Earlier


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    Shit.


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    "And be careful! That thing is heavier than it looks!"


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    mental wounds.


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    CRUNCH, his shell gave in to the pressure. The alien let go, and the soldier fell to the ground, blood gushing out of the cracks in his shell, his middle squashed down to a diameter that definitely didn''t support life. The alien then turned to the squad leader.


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 Book 1 Chapter 3 - Recovery

    As the corpse of the Kiroscha''s leader fell to the ground, the bridge got silent. The princess couldn''t do much more than sit there and stare in disbelief at the scene that had just unfolded in front of her. Her gaze went from the leader to the other soldier, over the pools of purple blood that kept getting larger, until her eyes met with those of the small alien. And it really was small, even though Silgvani was kneeling on the ground, she was still about half a lyne taller than it.


    As the two looked at each other in silence, the alien''s breathing became heavy and ragged. Its blood-stained hands started to shake, its eyes darted left and right as if it itself couldn''t comprehend the situation. It then grabbed its head as if it were in pain, smearing purple all over its pink face. Finally, its eyes rolled up and it collapsed to the ground, its body hitting the ground with such a heavy impact that Silgvani could feel the vibration in the metal floor. Then, it got silent once more.


    The princess couldn''t tell if it had been just a few tiggs or a whole inva until the silence was broken by an audible gasp coming from the broken door.


    "Your Highness! Oh, thank the First Ones you''re alive!"


    Looking up, Silgvani was relieved to see a familiar face. It was the Royal Physician, Doctor Githaiy. If she was still alive, then maybe others were as well. The realization finally allowed the princess to pull herself together.


    "I am," she stated as she stood up. "What is the-"


    "Nadine!" the doctor interrupted her as she noticed the unconscious alien and rushed to its side. "Nadine, can you hear me?!"


    Now a bit calmer and less overwhelmed by the entire situation, Silgvani eyed the alien with curiosity. "Nadine. Is that its name?"


    "Ah, apologies, Your Highness. Yes, that is her name. She is unconscious again, but her breathing is steady, so I assume she is otherwise fine. Or well, at least I hope so. So far I don''t know enough about her to make more than an educated guess."


    "I see. In that case, I would appreciate it if you could find the time to uncuff me AND EXPLAIN WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE FIRST ONES I JUST WITNESSED!"


    The startled doctor sprang up and hectically freed the princess.


    "I-I''m very sorry, Your Highness!" Githaiy apologized before undoing the cuffs. She then recounted the events with Nadine, up to the point where she killed the first Kiroscha.


    "So, I assume she is a soldier accompanying this "colony program"?" the princess interjected. She had to completely reevaluate her first assessment of this new species. They could produce warriors that could go toe to toe with Kiroscha. Just how did that strength fit into this small stature?


    "No, Your Highness. She is a civilian."


    "... come again?"


    "Until today, she has never experienced a fight, let alone killed someone", the doctor clarified and explained how the "Human" had reacted after she had saved her. Confused, the princess cocked her head.


    "That... that doesn''t really coincide with what I saw."


    "I can guess what you mean, I was getting to that. You see, her homeworld has a much stronger gravity than what we are used to. She might be small, but I assume she compensates this with an incredible muscle density. But that is not all: after she had calmed down, she became determined to help us despite her fear. She picked up the canon of the Kiroscha she had killed, hoping she could scare the others with some warning shots. Unfortunately, while she was indeed strong enough to pick it up, her hands were too small to fire the thing. But even though she was afraid, she still wanted to help you. So, on the way up here, around a corner, she ran into another Kiroscha. And with "ran into", I mean ran him over, then panicked and bashed his head in. With her bare hands. Right after that, we could hear the steps of the third one, and then she... kind of... changed."


    The doctor stopped as if she had trouble finding the right words.


    "You mean a frenzy? Like an onric when it panics?" the princess asked, remembering the incident in the stables from when she was a child.


    "No, no. More like the opposite. She became... I... I''m not sure. It was as if her brain had deleted every function besides hunting down her enemy. She was so efficient, it was honestly scary just to watch it happen. The third soldier was dead before he knew what was happening."


    The doctor shuddered as she recalled the scene. It took Silgvani a while to process what she had heard, but in the end, the last part sounded more or less what she had seen just now. The question was, what had happened at the end?


    "Well," she finally said, "there are still some things I don''t understand. But one thing is clear, she saved us. So, you are the doctor, what should we do with her?"


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Githaiy thought for a moment.


    "Hm, as I said, I can only make educated guesses at the moment. I''d normally say we should bring her to the medical bay, but I doubt the two of us can lift 500 vays, potentially even more. Her kind is endothermal, so I guess preventing a loss of body temperature would be good. I''ll see if I can find a blanket-"


    Right as she heard that Silgvani tore the cape from her back and walked towards Nadine.


    "Y-your Highness, you don''t have to..."


    Before she could finish the sentence, the purple Kiroscha blood on Nadine''s body was already soaking into the expensive fabric. The green cape was a royal symbol, signifying her status as heir to the throne. The noble clans would likely scoff at how she treated it right now, but they weren''t here and she had a dozen of these things at home, so there was no reason to mind that right now.


    "There. Next?"


    "Um, well, since I can''t move her I also can''t clean the blood off until she wakes up... Assuming she collapsed from exhaustion, she''ll probably be hungry."


    "Can she consume our food?"


    The doctor shook her head.


    "I unfortunately do not know, Your Highness. Judging by her cell structure though, it''s safe to assume she needs a lot of water, so I guess I''ll get some of that for a start."


    Silgvani nodded.


    "You do that, I''ll look for survivors. Hopefully, our little guest was able to prevent at least some deaths with her actions."


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    Githaiy left the bridge and made her way to the supply storage. She hated how powerless she felt, but that was just how it was. She still knew close to nothing about Nadine''s physiology, or what would help her and what wouldn''t. She couldn''t move her, she couldn''t even roll her over without risking severe injuries to herself. All she could do was let her lay on the ground and hope that she would be fine until she woke up.


    Compared to other vessels of the same purpose, the Star Treader was on the smaller end. It consisted of three floors ignoring the engine room and cargo space, the main floor being the middle one. It contained most facilities like the bridge, conference room, medical bay, canteen, and so on. Below were the crew''s quarters, and above the royal chambers, although the princess preferred to spend her time on the bridge unless she was either working or sleeping.


    Turning around a corner, the doctor found herself in front of a closed blast door. It was completely sealed, so behind it was probably the section where the Kiroscha had blown a hole in the hull. She sighed and turned around. Not wanting to make her detour bigger than necessary, Githaiy decided to take a shortcut through the conference room.


    The sight that awaited her there was unfortunately not a pretty one. She found the large table in the middle to be tipped over, as well as the mangled corpses of three guards behind it. It was not hard to guess what had happened here. The princess''s guards were, of course, trained elites, but they had simply been outmatched. To wound a Kiroscha with a handheld energy weapon, one needed to hit the same spot multiple times. What little cover a table gave could never buy enough time to achieve that when the enemy could just charge through gunfire. And that was before factoring in the heavy canons the Kiroscha carried.


    And then came Nadine. Githaiy shuddered again as she remembered. Once the alien girl had taken off her shoes, her already quiet steps had become completely silent. That, combined with her small frame had caused Githaiy to lose track of her multiple times, and she had known that Nadine was there. For the Kiroscha, death had literally come out of nowhere. And that was just one single human. Somewhere out there was an entire species like her. Granted, going by the circumstances Nadine had described, it was likely that a true first contact wouldn''t happen until many generations in the future, but it was bound to happen at some point.


    Finally reaching the kitchen the doctor opened the door.


    "It''s me, Githaiy!", she called, just to be sure. "It is safe! I''m coming in!"


    A head appeared behind some crates. Githaiy recognized him. His name was Kahbbut, the ship''s cook.


    "Lady Githaiy?" he asked carefully. "What do you mean, it''s safe? Did we win?"


    "That we did. I''m glad to see you alive."


    "B-but" he stammered "I heard the guards shout something about the Kiroscha!"


    "Yes, we were attacked by a Kiroscha raid squad."


    "And... we won?" he asked with audible confusion. Not that she could blame him for it.


    "It is a long story, please just believe me for now. Her Highness is looking for survivors, you should go to her."


    Hearing that the princess was alive seemed to give him some courage. He came out from his hiding spot and hurried to find her.


    Thankfully, the kitchen had not been the showdown of any fight and was still orderly. Once she had found a small canister of water, Githaiy made her way back to the bridge. She had, however, already forgotten about the closed blast door. Quietly cursing herself, she turned around and went on another detour, not entering the conference room this time. On her way, she found another group of corpses, not all of them were guards. She decided it would be best to record the names of the fallen, so she quickly made some notes on her datapad. A glance at the chronograph then told her that it had already been a whole inva since she had left Nadine, so she hurried back.


    To her surprise, she found the bridge devoid of the small alien. At the place where she had been lying, there was now a puddle of a strange, light-brown liquid, partly covering the corpse of the Kiroscha leader. It gave off a putrid smell that made Giathaiy slightly nauseous and also seemed to eat through the exoskeleton of the Insectoid. Some kind of acid, maybe? Where did this come from?


    "Nadine?!" she called out.


    "I''m here" a soft voice answered, sounding even meeker than before. Githaiy turned around. The small alien was sitting in a corner between some consoles, the royal cape wrapped tightly around her tiny body. The doctor hurried to close the distance between them and knelt down in front of her. The blood on her face had mostly dried up, and the spots that were still clean seemed to have slightly changed color, now being more pale than before.


    "How are you?"


    "I... I honestly... don''t know" she said with a slight tremble in her voice. "It''s like I should feel something but... don''t? I..."


    Before she could finish Princess Silgvani, flanked by two surviving attendants, entered with hurried steps, looked around, and spotted them.


    "Her Highness on-"


    "Don''t bother", the Princess interrupted the attendant annoyed before looking at Githaiy and Nadine. "Change of plan, we''re abandoning ship!"

 Book 1 Chapter 4 - Invitation

    As Silgvani finished talking, she found Doctor Githaiy staring at her in disbelief.


    "Y-your Highness... what do you mean, "abandoning ship"?"


    The princess eyed the doctor with a stern look.


    "I mean what I say. Our reactor took too much damage from the attack, we won''t make it home like that. The Kiroscha''s raider is still docked, and Gehnnat thinks he can fly it, so we''ll take that."


    The explanation didn''t really seem to convince the doctor, who was still kneeling next to one of the consoles for some reason.


    "But... the Star Treader..."


    "... is a ship, nothing more."


    "Shouldn''t we at least try to call home and ask for help?" Githaiy asked, still not wanting to give up the royal vessel. The princess sighed.


    "We''re no longer on the secure routes, no relay station in reach for us," she answered, slowly closing the distance between them. As she did, she noticed a small water canister in one of the doctor''s hands. Behind said console, Nadine came into view. The small alien had wrapped the cape tightly around her body, making her look even more helpless than her small frame did already. Someone who hadn''t seen what she was capable of would definitely doubt whether she could even harm a plant. Right, the doctor had mentioned getting some water. The princess quietly locked eyes with her for a moment before she spoke again.


    "And even if we managed to start our engines without overloading the reactor and keep them running for long enough to get close enough to the station for a signal, we would be sitting kighkras while we wait for help. The Kiroscha might have more than one raid team roaming the area, and if one can find us others might as well. Not to mention that there also is a chance that the life support systems will fail."


    "But can''t we-"


    "Doctor" Silgvani interrupted her. "I will not risk any more lives, just to save a sentimental piece of scrap metal. Are. We. Cleeeaaar?" The last word was drawn out and distorted as her vocal organ convulsed, to the point where it vibrated heavily in the air and didn''t sound like her own voice or an actual word anymore. She hated it when that happened. Unfortunately, it was a bad habit of hers when she got angry. The Vanaery had inherited this odd ability from their evolutionary ancestors, although in this day and age, most couldn''t use it anymore. The princess had figured out how to do it when she was just two cycles old, and now she frequently wished that she hadn''t.


    "Y-yes, your Highness."


    "Good. Now go to the medical bay and pack everything you think we may need. I''ll take care of her."


    She then turned towards her attendants who had followed her here.


    "You, help to carry her stuff!"


    The two looked at her, then at each other, then at Nadine.


    "Your Highness, we can''t let-"


    "DO I LOOK LIIIIIIIKE I''M IN THE MOOD FOR DISCUSSIIIIOOOOONS RIGHT NOW?!"


    After a startle, the attendants took a bow and followed Githaiy. Silgvani took a moment to calm herself down. Despite everything, this was still a first-contact scenario, and it wouldn''t be good to give this "Human" a bad impression of her kind.


    She turned to Nadine and crouched down to get closer to her. However, Silgvani was tall by the standards of her kind, so even now she completely dwarfed the alien girl. White orbs with shimmering blue circles in them looked up to her. Despite the fact that Silgvani had seen what Nadine was capable of, it was still hard to not see her as frail and helpless. Within her, a strange urge to protect the small creature gradually became stronger.


    "Your name is Nadine, correct?" she started. "We didn''t get the chance to converse during the... last encounter, so allow me to catch up on that. I am Silgvani, 1st Princess of Hohmiy, homeworld of the Vanaery."


    Nadine lowered her head.


    "Oh, I-I, errm... err, g-greetings, Your... Majesty?" she stuttered with a soft and shaking voice, almost too quiet to hear. Silgvani had to give her all in order to keep a straight face. This was hardly the kind of response she was used to during this kind of talk. For an official representative of a species, fumbling like this would be beyond shameful. But Nadine obviously was not one, and since they were alone, the princess saw no harm in overlooking it once or twice considering what this person had just accomplished. In fact, she couldn''t help but find her answer quite adorable, though she of course would never dare put her guest through the disrespect of voicing such a thought.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I guess official talks have to wait until we find the rest of her kind and I can talk to the lord in charge of the "colony program".


    "Well," she said with the faintest hint of a chuckle, "I''m not queen yet, so it''s just ''Your Highness'', to be exact."


    "Ah! I-I''m sorry! I have never spoken to royalty before, I-"


    "Don''t worry, it''s fine. While we are out of the public eye, you may speak with me in a way you are comfortable with. First Ones, I should be the one bowing to you. You are the one who saved us all."


    The girl seemed to relax a little after hearing that. Silgvani picked up the container Githaiy had left behind.


    "I would love to offer something, but we didn''t know what your kind eats. However, the doctor concluded water would be a good start."


    Nadine, with an expression that appeared to be thankful, took the container with both hands - it looked much bigger in her arms - and then turned a few times, seemingly unsure how to use it.


    "Should I-"


    Show you, was what she wanted to say, but before she could do so, a gush of water hit Nadine in the face. This time she could not suppress her chuckle, but Nadine, although surprised, didn''t seem too displeased with the result. She merely repeated the motion, and as she got hit by more water, and then started to frantically rub her face.


    Ah, she wants to wash off the blood.


    While it was a bit of a waste to use drinking water for cleaning, the urge to get the blood at least from her face was understandable. She was still covered in blood - First Ones, her clothes were probably more blood than fabric at this point - but at least her hands and face were back to their natural, pale pink. She then put the container to her mouth and started drinking. One gulp was all she did though, quickly putting it down right after.


    "Is this... pure water?"


    Silgvani cocked her head. What kind of strange question was that? Of course it was pure water otherwise she wouldn''t have offered it for a drink. Wait, did she really think that purifying water was beyond the Vanaery''s capabilities?


    No, calm down, she is not trying to be rude. She knows nothing about us, and considering her situation her caution is understandable.


    "Yes, it is 100% pure water. You can drink with ease."


    Nadine, however, didn''t. Her reaction confused Silgvani until something clicked in her mind.


    "Wait, is that... bad?"


    "Well...," Nadine started, seemingly looking for the right way to explain it. "Depends on how pure exactly, but judging by this prickly feeling... if it is really 100% pure and not just distilled, then it is bad, yeah."


    Bad? Water? To a lifeform that, according to the doctor, had more water in her cells than any known species? ...how??


    "Then what would have to be added for it to no longer be... "pretty bad"?"


    "Um, some minerals, I guess. Calcium, sodium, magnesium, something like that."


    Silgvani wasn''t familiar with those things, so it was probably best to leave that to Githaiy or Kahbbut. Still, intentionally polluting water to make it more healthy was a... bizarre thought, to say the least.


    "I see. I''m sure that can be arranged," she answered in a diplomatic tone. "I have people specialized in catering to the needs of other species, I''ll introduce them to you once we have departed."


    "Thank you."


    "Is there anything you want to ask? The servants are currently bringing all necessities over to the raider, so we have a bit of time before we depart."


    The small alien closed her eyes and thought for a moment.


    "Can we go to my escape pod?"


    "Of course."


    She stood up and gestured for Nadine to follow her. On their way to the lower layer they frequently passed people guiding automated crate carts, and more than once did they see a group of dead guards. There had been eighteen of them, now none were left. And on top of that, they didn''t have the means to bring home their corpses.


    They also came across the mangled corpse of one of the Kiroscha. Silgvani didn''t need to be a doctor to see that its death had been quick and brutal, even more so in the knowledge that the deed had been done with bare hands. Nadine walked diagonally behind the princess, but Silgvani could see in the corner of her eye that the Human stopped for a moment during each of these encounters. She however caught up quickly before the princess could turn to her, so she didn''t comment on it.


    Finally, they reached the loading bay. There were still a lot of things here since the small raider didn''t offer nearly enough space to take everything. And all on the other side, right at the ramp, was the object that had started all of this.


    The spherical capsule was painted white with some writings in the human script and symbols that probably also meant something. The hatch was still open, and Nadine quickly climbed inside. Silgvani decided to take a peek.


    The insides seemed kind of cramped, but that was to be expected considering the Human''s small frame. There was a seat as well as a lot of technical parts, one of which Nadine was currently using. While Silgvani wasn''t someone who could estimate the function of something just by looking at it - she was no engineer after all - it was always fascinating to see how different technological achievements from other planets looked.


    Nadine put the device away and let out a long, quiet sigh.


    "Is something wrong?"


    "It''s just... if any of them had caught the capsule''s signal, they would''ve sent a confirmation return to show that they know I''m here and are coming."


    "Nothing?"


    "Nothing. I... I doubt we could take it with us, huh?"


    "I''m sorry, but we indeed can''t," Silgvani affirmed. And even if they could, the signal wouldn''t do anything once they passed the hyperlane anyway. And while their engineers would surely love to study human technology, that wasn''t something she could prioritize right now.


    Nadine nodded, opened a compartment, and pulled out a small, red box before climbing out again.


    "Is that all? Our space is limited, but not to this degree."


    "It''s fine," the small alien merely said. She then went quiet and looked back at the pod.


    She is about to leave behind the only thing still connecting her to her kind, the princess thought. Then, she got an idea. It wasn''t much, mostly symbolic, but maybe it would help her a bit.


    "It is a bit late," she said, garnering the Human''s attention again, "but things have been hectic, so I hope you can look past it."


    She then assumed a traditional pose of her people, folding three arms before her torso while extending the fourth.


    "Nadine of the Humans. I, Silgvani of clan Kyiron and first princess of the Vanaery, would like to formally invite you to our home world Hohmiy. Would you allow me to host you as my guest?"

 Book 1 Chapter 5 - Differences

    The common room - or, at least, what appeared to be one - was fairly spacious. As was most of the Kiroscha Raider. The bridge, the hallways, and even the cabins offered significantly more room than one would expect from a gunship meant to only house five people permanently. However, that didn''t change the fact that it was a ship meant for five people, plus maybe two or three temporarily. And now, they were seventeen.


    In other words, the common room was PACKED, except for a small space in the middle, currently occupied by Silgvani.


    "Everyone" Silgvani addressed her people, as well as Nadine, whom she assumed to be somewhere in the crowd. "I know that our situation takes a heavy toll on you. So does it on me. But for all those who are waiting for us, and those who gave their lives so we could now stand here, we have to make it home. It won''t be long until we reach Hohmiy, please hang on at least until then! This ship is faster than the Star Treader, so our current estimate is that we will reach the entrance point and make our final jump in around seventy invas. However, as you probably noticed, we are slightly stretching the capabilities of this ship''s accommodations. Therefore, I want you to form groups that will make rotating sleeping cycles. Since we brought our supplies over, there shouldn''t be any troubles regarding oxygen and water. We may have to skip one or two meals though, so keep that in mind in your planning. Gehnnat, do you think the ship will give you any troubles?"


    "No, your Highness" the pilot answered. "Everything is very similar to our ships. To be honest, I am shocked as to how similar everything is. It is basically a slightly modified Vanaery ship, except that I can''t read the language on the monitors. But since, again, everything is so similar, I can guess what they tell me."


    "I see. Any idea where the similarities come from?"


    "Hm, maybe they salvaged some of our ships they seized, reverse-engineered it, and then thought it was better than what they had? Anyway, I''m not complaining. Though I advise against trying to land it, we should request a pickup once we reach Hohmiy."


    "Very well. Then remember to message them as early as possible to avoid any misunderstandings. Since Iyariy is no longer with us, I will take on the role of captain for the rest of the journey. We-"


    A strange grumbling noise interrupted her. Confused, the princess looked around to see where it came from. A few Vanaery stepped aside, revealing Nadine. Had she been the source of that noise?


    The small alien was no longer wrapped in the royal cape and also had gotten rid of the blood-soaked clothes. Instead wore a blanket from the medical bay. A hole had been cut into the middle through which she was sticking her head - an "improvised poncho" as she had called it. As all eyes focused on her, her face seemed to take on a more reddish color than before.


    "Um, I-I''m s-sorry..." she stammered sheepishly, apparently embarrassed.


    "....well, anyway, that is all. Dismissed!"


    Shortly after the crew started to spread throughout the ship, the princess could see the doctor rushing to Nadine''s side.


    "What was that noise? How did you make it? Is everything alright?"


    "Yes, yes," the alien girl tried to calm her down. "That just happens sometimes when I''m hungry."


    "Speaking of," Silgvani stepped into their conversation, "we''ve been postponing that for long enough now. Kahbbut!"


    The cook, hearing his name, separated from his group and came towards them.


    "Yes, Your Highness?" he said with a bow.


    "If you haven''t met her yet, this is Nadine" the princess introduced her. "She is the alien that saved us from the Kiroscha. Unfortunately, we know next to nothing about her species, so I want you to find out what she can eat. Nadine, this is Kahbbut, one of the best chefs on Hohmiy. He has been involved in many diplomatic visits and prides himself on being able to prepare meals for every species in the alliance. If someone can make you a meal, it''s him."


    The two gave each other a wary look. Especially Kahbbut looked unsure of what to say, but in the end, he simply bowed and led Nadine to the kitchen. The doctor was about to follow, but Silgvani held her back.


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    "Also, doctor, I want you to make a list of every nutrient that is in the food items available on Hohmiy. Nadine seems somewhat educated in that field, maybe she will be able to help herself with that list.


    "I shall have it done, Your Highness."


    After everything was set in motion, Silgvani withdrew to the captain''s cabin. It might have not been the best first action after just declaring herself the new captain, but she was exhausted and wasn''t like she was needed while they were simply flying straight ahead. Plus, she planned on sharing the bed with Nadine since, well, someone had to. She knew for a fact none of her subjects would dare to share the bed of their princess, meaning this was the best way to avoid a massive waste of the scarce lodging space. And since Nadine was busy eating right now, it was best if she took her turn to sleep first. That way, she would also be properly rested once matters that required her attention came up.


    Thanks to her exhaustion it didn''t take long for her to fall asleep. She didn''t know how much time had passed when a knock on her door woke her up.


    "Your Highness?", she heard the voice of Doctor Githaiy. "It''s me, I''m done with the list."


    The princess stood up, still a little groggy, and opened the door. The doctor came in and handed her a datapad.


    "This is everything I could find in the medical database."


    "I see. Hmm..." she said, scrolling through the list. Lacking expertise, most of the words seemed like little more than gibberish to her save for a few well-known ones. The main problem was the things she didn''t find.


    "Is something missing, Your Highness?" the doctor inquired, having read her expression correctly.


    "Yes, Nadine told me a few of the nutrients her species needs. I don''t remember the exact name, but I''m certain it''s not on the list."


    "That is not good. However, these are just the things native to our homeworld. Maybe some of our regular imports have them. Once we are back, I might be able to make a more extensive list. Did they get translated?"


    "I didn''t know the words, but they did sound like our language, yes."


    "Okay, so we have a word for them. That''s at least a start. When did she tell you, if I may ask?"


    "The topic came up after we discovered the water problem," the princess explained as put the datapad away.


    "Water problem?"


    "Oh, right, she said pure water is bad for her."


    The doctor cocked her head.


    "Bad? But... it''s water. And she has more water in her cells than any species I have ever seen, how could... unless... could it be? With that much water, it might be possible that her cells transport nutrients via osmosis, that would be an explanation..."


    "Doctor."


    "Ah, I''m sorry" the doctor snapped out of her mumbling. "I''ll look into that. If my assumption is correct, mixing the water to the saturation with anything not harmful to her point should make it drinkable for her. That won''t fix the nutrient issue, but it would at least solve the issue of water intake."


    So basically, making the water unpurified again would- wait! Suddenly, a thought started to form in Silgvani''s mind.


    "Say, doctor, as every child knows, tap water is just for cleaning and washing yourself, but not for drinking. That is because tap water is only cleaned, but not thoroughly purified, right?"


    "Um...yes?" Githaiy answered with a look as if Silgvani had just asked if fire was hot.


    "Why exactly is that?" If it was just because of this "saturation", then maybe that would already solve the issue.


    "Err, because that would be a waste of resources to purify water that will only be used for washing?"


    "I know that", the princess sighed. "I meant what would happen if I drank tap water?"


    "Oh. Well, first of all, tap water is saturated and therefore can''t perform osmosis, so it won''t detox you. Secondly, if you drink too much, you''ll end up with calcium poisoning."


    "Yes!" the princess exclaimed as she recognized the word, startling the doctor. "Calcium! That is one of the things she said she needs!"


    "...are you SURE she said calcium?"


    "Yes, now that I hear it again I am sure. Why is it not on the nutrient list if we have that?"


    Githaiy stared at her in disbelief.


    "Because I did not consider toxic chemicals to be "nutrients"."


    "Well, Nadine apparently does."


    "But... that... I mean, sure, life that develops on other planets will be fundamentally different, but this is... I need to do some tests as soon as we return, we might be-"


    Her mumbling got once again interrupted, this time by Kahbbut.


    "Um..." the cook tentatively began as he poked his head in through the open door. "Ah, you are awake. May I have a moment, Your Highness?"


    "Of course, I wanted to talk to you anyway. Did you find something she can eat?"


    "Well yes and no. I found something, but not among our supplies. It''s something that the Kiroscha left behind and that I assume to be some kind of meat."


    "A carnivore?" Githaiy wondered. "With those teeth and no claws?"


    "Yes, and one that eats an insane amount! How is that even possible with her size?!"


    "Because weight is a bigger factor than size in that regard" the doctor explained. "That shouldn''t be news to you, just think of the Krsnelv. Also, she likely hasn''t eaten for a bit over a day."


    "Yes, Lady Githaiy, I am aware of that. But she would need to weigh at least 400 vays for this amount to make any sense! Also, for some reason, she mixed the excess blood from the meat in her drinking water! Carnivore or not, that is just messed up!"


    "Oh, then my assumption seems to be indeed correct, that is good. Oh, and by the way, it''s actually 500 vays. Or probably more, we don''t know exactly because the scales gave in."


    "Y... you are joking, right?"


    Before the doctor got the chance to alleviate Kahbbut of his disbelief, another crewmember appeared in the doorway.


    "Excuse me, am I interrupting something?"


    "No," the princess said stepping forward. "What is it?"


    "Well, the alien, it-"


    "She."


    "Apologies, she clogged the toilet."

 Book 1 Chapter 6 - No one before

    "I''m so sorry, I''m so sorry, I''m so sorry!" Nadine kept repeating, her face now in the strongest tone of red it had taken on so far.


    "It''s not your fault" Silgvani tried to assure her. "You couldn''t know this would happen!"


    And neither had she. This whole situation was just too bizarre. Actually, no, was it even that bizarre?


    "Unfortunately, that doesn''t change the fact that it did happen" an irritated voice came from the bathroom. "Or that this is the only toilet on board."


    The voice belonged to Ariyko, their engineer, who right now was kneeling over the toilet, shining a flashlight down its drain.


    Said toilet was at the hind wall of the room. It was the most commonly used version, a funnel-shaped hole in the floor that gradually got thinner before leading into a thin pipe after around two lynes. Apparently, that was where... it... had gotten stuck. The news about this mishap had sparked a lot of tone-deaf questions from the doctor, who had apparently not realized how embarrassed Nadine was about this whole situation and had thus been sent away.


    "This thing was made for liquids, not... whatever that is." Ariyko continued.


    "Yes, we know that now," Silgvani quickly cut into his rambling, hoping she could make this at least a bit less embarrassing for her guest. "Any idea how we could solve the issue?"


    "I guess we might get the pipe free if we reverse the suction drain, though we''d still need to get it out somehow. Alternatively, if we give it more power, it might get it through, but we''d need to re-route that power from somewhere else. And both ideas risk killing the pump, and then we''d have a REAL problem."


    He stood up and turned to Nadine.


    "What about you? You got any ideas?"


    Nadine seemed surprised, likely because this was the first time one of the other crew members had talked to her directly, but quickly found her voice again.


    "Um, do you not have a P?mpel?"


    Ariyko just her a confused look in response.


    "Err, Nadine?" Silgvani broke the silence. "I think that word didn''t get translated, what is that?"


    "Uh, well, it''s a... thing... with a... like... rubber... bell... sort of... no forget it. If you don''t have a word for it you probably don''t have it."


    "That doesn''t have to be the case, the translator is not perfect. If you describe it..."


    "No, it''s a thing that was specifically made for clogged toilets. If you had it you would''ve already tried it, that was a stupid question from me. Umm... water and a long stick might do the trick?"


    Silgvani looked at her engineer.


    "That sounds like a fairly simple solution?"


    He crossed his four arms.


    "Well... as silly as that sounds, we''re on a spaceship, so a long stick could actually be tricky to find... maybe the kitchen has something usable."


    "I-if I can help with anything...," Nadine tried, but was immediately shot down.


    "Don''t bother, I''ll figure something out."


    "Oh. O-okay then," she quietly said in a dejected tone. It was clear that Nadine felt bad about the whole situation and wanted to make up for it.


    Unfortunately, there wasn''t really any work Silgvani could give her. They weren''t exactly understaffed, quite the opposite, and for most of the important tasks, Nadine was either too short or not trained enough. And Silgvani would definitely not make their savior and guest perform some menial labor.


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    "That reminds me, I believe I haven''t shown you where you can sleep yet?" She said, hoping some conversation would distract her.


    "Thank you, but I''m not tired, your Highness."


    "No? But still, you should know where. Space here is limited after all."


    Silently, they made their way to the captain''s chamber. During the trip, Silgvani tried to come up with a conversation starter to combat the heavy atmosphere, but with no luck. Unfortunately, the distance between her and Nadine seemed to have grown since they had left the Star Treader behind. Was it because of her status? Possible, though that hadn''t been much of an issue before. Maybe now that everything had calmed down, it had become more apparent.


    As Silgvani opened the door to the captain''s chamber, Nadine''s eyes became wide.


    "Um, your Highness? Isn''t this..."


    "My room? Yes. As well as it is yours. You are free to use the bed whenever I am not."


    "But... I''m just..."


    "Nadine" Silgvani interrupted and turned towards her. "Please don''t make yourself lower than you are. You are a hero! You defeated five Kiroscha all on your own, unarmed. Every single Vanaery on this ship is only here thanks to you! You saved all of them!"


    The small alien sat down on the floor, her back leaning against the wall.


    "You mean I saved half of them. After being the reason the other half died in the first place."


    That certainly wasn''t the type of response the princess had expected.


    "What do you mean?" she asked after pausing for a moment.


    "You mentioned "secure routes". So I''d guess if you hadn''t picked me up, that attack couldn''t have happened."


    Oh, First Ones, did I say that?! That was certainly a mistake on my part. But it''s still surprising that she caught that.


    "Maybe. But that doesn''t mean you are to blame," Silgvani quickly reassured her. "Blame the Kiroscha, they were the ones who attacked us after all. Or blame me, I decided to follow a dubious signal. But while I mourn the dead, you won''t hear me say that I regret my decision."


    Nadine tilted her head to the side.


    "But... why? Just ignoring me would''ve saved-"


    "Nooooo!"


    The alien girl was startled and stared at the princess with her eyes wide open. Had she not been sitting at the wall, she might''ve even jumped back a little. Silgvani took deep breaths, trying to get her throat under control again.


    "I apologize. Let me tell you why. It''s because lives aren''t numbers."


    "But what about you? You are a princess, aren''t you way more important than me?"


    "If you measure importance by the number of people one''s decisions impact, then you might call me "more important". But that is all the more reason. Power is a duty, not a privilege."


    To that, the small alien slightly tilted her head.


    "No offense, Your Highness, but... that sounds pretty idealistic."


    "It is, I''m aware of that. But that''s who I am. And you will find me dead before I turn my back to someone whom to help would''ve been in my power."


    Nadine kept silent for a moment before speaking again.


    "If I can help, then I must help," she said in a way that sounded like she was quoting someone. "Yeah, I guess I get it. Then... may I ask you something?"


    "Of course, go ahead!"


    "Had you not found me... had those Kivo... err... Ki... well, those insects gotten to me first... what would''ve happened to me?"


    "Honestly, I have no idea. We know next to nothing about the Kiroscha. Their culture, their language, not even their numbers. They are completely deaf to diplomatic advances. Every encounter with them so far was an attack on sight. Sometimes, it comes to an open combat with them and we win. Even fewer times, they attack a vessel that manages to escape. Those lucky ones are the only reason we know anything at all about them. All the other times, ships simply go missing and we assume the Kiroscha behind it due to a lack of a better explanation. Until today - or yesterday, I guess - I didn''t even know they take prisoners, no one could ever give us intel about them. So we do not know what losing to the Kiroscha means because no one ever came back from losing against them. But I don''t like the implications of them having translators for our language or them having ships that are so similar to ours.


    "So, regarding your question: I don''t know. Maybe they would find you useful. Try to weaponize your strength or something like that. Or maybe they would deem you too dangerous and kill you. Or maybe they''d eat you, maybe that''s why they take prisoners in the first place. I apologize, this likely isn''t the answer you were looking for, but all I can do is speculate."


    As she was done Silgvani noticed that Nadine had begun to blankly stare ahead at some point during her explanation. There also seemed to be some movement under the blanket that the princess couldn''t identify.


    "But...," she finally said, "if they are as dangerous to you as Doc told me, with all that "being unfazed by handguns" and stuff, what can you even do against them?"


    "It''s not like they are invincible. Blasting them with heavy stationary weapons or blowing up their ships kills them like anyone else. In space or on open battlefields, they are simply very formidable opponents. But in confined spaces, that is where they become terrifying. No one ever won against them in direct combat."


    She leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms.


    "Well, until now, that is."

 Book 1 Chapter 7 - Otherwordly needs

    "Your Highness?" a surprised voice came out of the console. "I''m sorry, your arrival was scheduled for tomorrow. Also, going by the log, Commander Iyariy should be in charge of your vessel. Did something happen?"


    "Yes, quite a lot in fact. We are currently in a captured enemy vessel that is drastically overcrowded, so a landing attempt would be too risky. Please send a carrier to pick us up."


    "You are... um... I-I''m sorry, I can''t just..."


    Silgvani sighed.


    "I am Silgvani of Clan Kiyron, daughter of King Kiyrta and Queen Mirvani, and 1st Princess of Hohmiy. Access-Code Furo-Mil-Nogara-/-Ako-Furo-/-Kipa. I get you are just doing your job, but we are all REALLY spent right now."


    "...code confirmed, I''ll relay your request."


    The princess leaned back in her seat. They were finally home.


    Despite being surrounded by people who could see her, she allowed herself to just hang in her chair for a while, her homeworld peacefully lying before the blackness of space. After all that had happened, the sight was soothing.


    She didn''t know how much time had passed when she stood up again. After giving orders to call her when the carrier arrived, she left the bridge and made her way to the captain''s quarter.


    "Your Highness! I was looking for you, do you have a moment?"


    She stopped, only to see a way too excited Doctor Githaiy come towards her.


    "Depends. Is it important?"


    "Hm, not immediately, but it may become so in the future." She held up her datapad. "I did some research regarding yesterday''s... incident."


    Silgvani listened up. As much as the involved parties likely wanted to forget it happened - especially Nadine - it was important to prevent a repetition in the future.


    "You may carry on as long as you stay tactful this time."


    "Ah, of course, Your Highness. I shall. So, when compared among different species, a... solid defecation, while rare, usually happens when a creature frequently eats something it can''t fully digest."


    The Princess cocked her head.


    "If you eat something you can''t digest, wouldn''t you just vomit it out again?"


    "I said not FULLY. We, for example, absorb around 98,7% of the food we eat. Other alliance species show similar numbers. For that reason, it is nowadays almost never seen in sentient creatures or domesticated animals because we know both our and their bodies well enough to optimize the nourishment intake. But, even on Hohmiy, there exists wildlife where it can still be seen. And here comes the interesting part: We Vanaery also had it for the longest time in our history."


    "...I never heard that before."


    The doctor shrugged.


    "Neither have I, and I''m a doctor. Granted, the history of our bowel movement isn''t something I would deem to be of public interest, and my education focused on more important matters. But what''s even more fascinating is the reason for it. Did you know that we ate kiyrli leaves in the past?"


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    "Wait, when you say kiyrli leaves, you mean the ones we use for water purification?"


    "The very same."


    Now, Silgvani''s curiosity was actually piqued. Kiyrli leaves were one of Hohmiy''s most valuable resources. One of, if not the main reason why their planet was so wealthy and influential was the export of those leaves. Silgvani was no scientist and thus didn''t know the details, but the leaves contained something unique that made purifying water incredibly easy and cheap when compared to other methods. And the doctor was telling her they ATE those in the past?


    "Why would we do that? Are they even edible?"


    "They certainly aren''t today. I unfortunately couldn''t find too much about it in the mobile databank, so I won''t be able to go into too many details before we get home. I''m talking about the time period prior to the Unification War.


    "Funnily enough, the reason why we ate them is in some way the same as our use for them now: purifying water. When drinking water and then eating the leaves, they would separate the water from its other contents, and then bind them so the water couldn''t reabsorb it. The water, now undersaturated, would try to perform osmosis, but since it couldn''t take back its original contents, it would instead detox us and then leave the body with the bad stuff the same way it does nowadays. But unlike today, our bodies would additionally need to get rid of everything bad that was originally in the water and was now bound to the half-digested leaves. And, according to some very old medical texts, this mixture would leave the body the same way... well what we saw with Nadine. But once we discovered how to purify water externally, shortly after the unification war, we switched to drinking water that was already purified, and eating the leaves was no longer necessary."


    "But... why even bother when you can just eat them?"


    "Because the industrial purification process is WAY more thorough. Ever since that method was discovered, our life expectancy has risen by 30%. And because we haven''t eaten kiyrli leaves in so many generations, we have long since de-evolved that ability, so eating them now would indeed just make you vomit them up again."


    The princess took a few moments to process all the information she heard before she spoke again.


    "Okay, but how do we solve our problem at hand?"


    The doctor gave the princess a satisfied expression.


    "Well, I purposefully said this process ALMOST never occurs in sapient species. It might be because they are carnivorous, but the Krsnelv have not yet managed to optimize their diet enough to lose this function of their bodies."


    I see, the princess understood. When Harbor Town and the Star Palace were built, we made sure they accommodated all species in the alliance. And none of the Krsnelv''s ambassadors that visited so far voiced any issues in that regard, which means this was one of the things considered.


    "So what you are saying is, we are in fact lucky and Nadine''s... toilet-related issues should not be a problem in the Star Palace?"


    "We should check to be sure, but presumably."


    Those were some good news. But talking about Nadine also reminded her why she had left the bridge in the first place.


    When she opened the door to the captain''s quarter, she found the little alien sitting on the mattress, wrapped in the blanket and leaning against the wall. Her face had changed color again, it was now fairly pale, except right under her eyes, where it had a shadow of dark blue. Sigvani was somewhat glad the doctor hadn''t followed her, because that would have definitely sparked new questions.


    "Nadine?"


    The alien girl, who had apparently been lost in thoughts, startled and looked up to her.


    "I-I''m sorry, Your Majesty, I didn''t see you. Ah, I mean Your Highness!"


    "It''s fine. Were you able to sleep?"


    "A bit."


    Silgvani felt like the Human''s voice sounded even weaker than usual as she said these words. Or was that just her imagination?


    "Well, if you are up: we''ve reached Hohmiy. Want to come to the bridge and take a look?"


    "Um, yeah, sure."


    No, it wasn''t just her imagination. Nadine''s voice was different today. Not only did she sound less excited than the princess had hoped, but also somewhat... dull. Was something wrong? Or was that something normal for her kind and she just read way too much into it?


    Before she could say anything else, Gehnnat''s voice sounded out of the ship''s speaker.


    "Your Highness, our escort is coming. The Unifier is approaching!"


    "Oh, come on, seriously?", the princess mumbled under her breath.


    Hearing that, Nadine stood up.


    "What''s wrong? Who is the unifier?"


    At first, Silgvani just wanted to answer, but then she had a better idea.


    "Want to see?"

 Book 1 Chapter 8 - The Unifier

    "Woah!" Nadine exclaimed as she saw the mountain of metal through the bridge''s window. Her voice, while still soft, was the loudest Silgvani had heard of her yet. On top of that, there seemed to be a slight sparkle in her eyes. The princess had no idea what that was about, but judging by the small alien''s behavior, she assumed it was something positive.


    "Impressive, right?" Silgvani asked, which was answered with frantic nodding.


    "How many guns are on that thing? Besides the two obvious ones," Nadine said pointing at the two gigantic twin turrets mounted on top of the ship.


    "Well, there are another two on the bottom. Besides those, I have no idea. Have the humans something like that?"


    The alien girl shook her head.


    "Only on paper, we never built them. We never encountered alien life forms and none of our internal wars since we reached the space-faring age were big enough to make it into space. There simply was no point in us building huge warfare-capable spacecraft like this one. We have some pretty impressive transport ships, but they don''t come close to this! But I gotta ask: why are the sides so jagged? Almost looks like a saw blade."


    "Those are angled hangars. The Unifier is a carrier."


    As the Unifier slowly rotated into position, the shutters on the sides of the hangars became visible.


    "Seven hangars on each side, so fourteen in total. Each can hold up to twelve frigates. Or First Ones know how many fighters, whatever could be needed. Or in our case, a hundred times more than what would be needed," she added with a joking annoyance in her voice. Seriously, a light carrier would have been more than enough.


    Her thoughts were interrupted by a noise, and when she looked down, she realized that Nadine was laughing. Not just a slight chuckle, but an honest, heartfelt laugh.


    She is finally relaxing a bit.


    "You know," Nadine started once she had calmed down, "back home, we have a saying: Shooting cannons at sparrows."


    Silgvani cocked her head.


    "What are sparrows?"


    "Oh, small birds around this size," she said holding her hands slightly apart.


    "Why would you use cannons to... oh, I get it. Yes, a fitting phrase indeed."


    The Unifier finished adjusting its position to theirs. The small raider was now facing the side of the massive carrier, and the shutter of the frontmost hangar opened. Gehnnat started to rotate their ship to be level with the Hangar floor.


    "See that second and third floor there? The platforms can be retracted, and if they do that, they could even fit a heavy cruiser into the hangar. This ship can literally carry an entire fleet on its own."


    Nadine looked up at her.


    "Is that why she is called the Unifier?"


    "She?"


    "Yeah, don''t you consider named ships female?"


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    "No, we don''t. Why would... anyway, it is named after my ancestor, King Kiyron the Unifier. When we made contact with alien civilizations, he advocated that Hohmiy should not be separated into individual Kingdoms and that we would have a better position in intergalactic politics if the planet was united."


    The alien girl cocked her head.


    "So your countries just decided to unite and then did? I wouldn''t have expected the other Kings to just give up their power."


    "No, of course not," Silgvani clarified. "Kiyron didn''t just want one kingdom to absorb the others. His plan was to form a council that should govern the planet instead of a single ruler. And many agreed with him, but unfortunately, not all. However, the separatists were in the minority and soon realized that their independence would mean little if over half the planet banded together. They would simply be unable to compete, be it economically or otherwise, especially if you factor in the prospect of trade with other planets. So instead, they wanted to stop the unification by force. That event is today known as the "Unification War". After the war was won, the other Kings were impressed by the flawless leadership Kiyron had shown. They decided that a council would be too slow to react in case of an emergency and surrendered their power to him. Ever since then, my family has ruled over the planet."


    Nadine''s eyes became narrow.


    "Just because they were "impressed"? Doesn''t that sound a bit too-"


    Her question was interrupted when Gehnnat finished his maneuver and opened the com channel.


    "Relative standstill achieved, horizontal alignment 98.3%. Landing gears are out."


    "Understood. Initiating reverse landing."


    "Err, what is ''reverse landing''?" Nadine asked, sounding confused. Instead of answering, Silgvani simply pointed out of the window.


    Slowly, the Unifier crept closer, sometimes slightly correcting its course up or down, until their ship was completely encased in the empty hangar. The shutter closed, and then, even slower, everything around them seemed to move upwards until they were hovering almost directly above the ground. The com channel opened again.


    "Reverse landing complete. Reactivating artificial gravity in three... two... one..."


    A jolt went through the ship as it fell to the hangar floor. Silgvani, too far away from any chair to sit down in time, had to hold onto a console to not fall over. To her surprise though, Nadine simply stretched out her arms and moved her hips a little to compensate for the movement. Despite her weight, she had a remarkable balance.


    The airlock opened and Silgvani exited the ship, followed directly by Nadine to show that she was a royal guest. The rest of the crew would wait until the greeting was over. As she reached the end of the stairs, a line of soldiers was saluting her in the traditional way: two arms crossed behind their backs, the other in front of their chest, as they all in unison bowed their heads.


    "Be at ease," she told them so they knew they could break formation. "Where is Admiral Mirtan?"


    The soldiers stepped aside and formed a corridor, revealing a Vanaery that was a fair bit below average in terms of height. Silgvani, who was fairly tall, was therefore forced to look down quite a bit.


    "How come you knew it was me, Your Highness? Do you know the command rotation schedule? If so, I''m flattered."


    "No, but you are the only one of the admirals who is enough of a showoff to send our biggest capital ship to pick up a single raider."


    "Well, we would''ve needed to do a maintenance flight soon anyway, so nothing lost."


    "Oh? So you have no qualms about endangering your princess by choosing a ship with which performing a reverse landing is twenty times as hard compared to a regular carrier?"


    "Hardly a challenge for our pilots. And in my defense, said princess never specified the dimensions of her "enemy vessel"."


    For a while, the two of them stared at each other in silence. Then, together, they started laughing. Silgvani did so in a more reserved, dignified manner, but Mirtan on the other hand didn''t bother to hold himself back.


    "It''s good to see you, uncle."


    "Likewise. Alright Sil, what happened?"


    "Before that..."


    The princess stepped aside.


    "May I introduce you: Nadine of the "Humans". Nadine, this is Mirtan of Clan Tessvani, current first admiral of Hohmiy''s fleet."


    "Um..." Nadine started to fiddle with her "improvised poncho", apparently trying to get her arm free. She then struck a weird pose, straightening her back and putting her hand to her head.


    "Sir!"


    Mirtan laughed again.


    "No need to be so nervous, you are a guest of Sil after all. But I must say, it is rare that I don''t have to look up, bwahaha!"


    He then turned back to his niece, and his tone became more serious again.


    "So, an unknown sapient species, and a "captured enemy vessel"... I assume there is a story to be told here?"


    "You have no idea, uncle."

 Book 1 Chapter 9 - Divinely favored

    "Did you enjoy the mock battle, your Excellency?"


    High Priest Isbal looked up to the woman who had asked the question. Her name was Kykla, a diplomat of their world, and one of his most trusted retainers. Despite the apparent age difference, she was not only taller but also a few years older than him. And unlike Isbal, who was considered quite old, she still had a lot of years ahead of her. That simply was how things were on the planet Eroas. The Tystrie''s females, few in number as they were, carried the fate of their kind on their shoulders, and the faithful revered them highly for it.


    The two of them, escorted by a handful of arena guards, left the grandstand and were on the way to their shuttle.


    "Hm, how would you evaluate their performance?" he asked, giving the question back to her.


    "Oh, well, one could see that their training... if compared to previous..."


    They entered the shuttle and the door closed behind them. Now the two were alone, and after making sure the guards could no longer hear them, she dropped the formal tone.


    "By the Goddess, that was unwatchable!"


    She punched their destination into the console and then dropped into her seat across from the high priest.


    "Agreed. If you look at our soldiers, it is hard to believe that the Tystrie once played a major role in the longest war in the alliance''s history. Those guys couldn''t hold their own for a month, let alone a year."


    He leaned back in his seat.


    "And the worst thing is, we can''t even blame them. We don''t have the funds to train them properly, the equipment is lacking, and we only have a handful of warfare-capable ships left. There was a time when we were considered the most valuable planet in the alliance, you know. But that was before our time, back when there was still titanium in our mountains."


    "Your Excellency, the current council is not to blame. The fault lies with our predecessors for mining out the planet and deciding to not think about consequences they would not live to see. They may have received the Goddess''s punishment for it, but that doesn''t change our situation. Too bad none of the uninhabitable planets that we could claim mining rights to have anything worth the effort."


    Isbal sighed.


    "Well, not everyone can be as lucky as the Krsnelv when it comes to treasures of the soil. Let''s just hope I can strike a bargain with their ambassador regarding the trade agreement."


    "Um, well, about that," Kykla answered slightly fidgeting, "I wanted to inform the council once we are back at the temple, you see... we received a message from the Krsnelv this morning, saying their ambassador won''t come. They are no longer interested in the treaty."


    The high priest couldn''t even get angry anymore, he was just tired.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "But why? Did they get a more favorable agreement with someone else?"


    "Possible, they didn''t give a reason."


    As he looked out of the window, he saw the shuttle approach the temple.


    "That means your visit to Hohmiy will be even more important. We are already struggling, and I will not go down in history as the one under whose rule our planet fell into poverty!"


    "I swear by the Goddess that I will do what is in my power. But Princess Silgvani is formidable, so I can''t make any promises."


    He groaned.


    "We were way too dependent on mining. We don''t even have the agriculture to sustain our own population if the trade dies down. Why do the Vanaery have a planet that is almost completely habitable, while we can only use a small fraction of ours?!"


    Granted, that was their own fault. For the longest time, their population was small enough that their world''s resources were sufficient. But once they became space-faring, once they joined the alliance and suddenly everyone wanted their titanium, their entire economy focused on mining. They became rich, amassed a large fleet, their population rapidly grew, and they simply imported what they couldn''t produce themself. A lifestyle that now demanded its price. The planet Eroas was mined dry.


    "I don''t care what you have to do, but come home with SOMETHING!" he demanded as they entered the temple through the backdoor and headed for his office. He would''ve loved to head straight for his bedroom, but unfortunately, he had still much to do.


    Their economic situation was quite dire, and with their population at its current level, it was impossible for them to solve the issue on their own. But they also couldn''t just ask for help. If any other member of the alliance learned of their desperation, they would literally have the Tystrie in the palm of their hand.


    A new trade agreement would buy them time, maybe enough to find a more permanent solution. And Kykla was their best hope to achieve that. Not only did she have a lot of experience thanks to her hard work and longer lifespan, but her family also seemed to have earned the Goddess''s favor more than any other. He could only pray that their deity would smile upon her once more.


    "Things would be so much easier if I could instead talk with the Queen or King," Kykla stated as she closed the door behind her.


    Hearing that, the high priest had to chuckle. It was almost a nostalgic memory at this point.


    "What was it that Queen Mirvani asked you when you first met her?"


    "Whether my tail was more of a third arm or a third leg," she answered almost laughing. "Those two were the worst. You just needed to let them talk enough, sooner or later they would say something you could claim to be an insult, and voil¨¤, your position in the negotiation drastically improved. But ever since that brat took over..."


    Isbal sighed in agreement. A few years ago, their daughter suddenly took charge of all foreign politics. People from outside weren''t even allowed to see the King and the Queen anymore, only she would go to other planets and welcome visitors. From the outside, it had almost looked like she had usurped her parents. In fact, the Tigora had even claimed exactly that and refused to recognize her legitimacy. A mistake no other race in the alliance repeated. Because that was the only time the king and queen had actually TAKEN insult in something. Ironically, it was the princess''s efforts that prevented a catastrophe back then.


    "If she at least wasn''t the heir. Her naive brother would be a much better ruler. Well, not better for them of course, but for us. If he was the prime candidate, we would just need to endure a few years."


    The high priest looked at his attendant.


    "That... is true, I guess, but that''s purely hypothetical. With all she has done for her world, there is no way she won''t succeed to the throne, even if she had not been the prime candidate from the start. And she is not just suddenly gonna disappear."


    "Who knows? Maybe the Goddess favors us this time. After all, WE are her people, not the Vanaery. The future may surprise us. Either way, if you excuse me, I have to prepare for my departure."

 Book 1 Chapter 10 - Memento

    At least a dozen shuttles came into view as the group entered Hangar 3 of the Unifier. Since Admiral Mirtan had used this opportunity to take the carrier on a maintenance flight, these would be their way down to the planet. The survivors of the Star Treader spread out in small groups as the pilots got ready for takeoff, and Githaiy entered a shuttle together with the princess and Nadine. With a hiss, the door closed behind them and sealed itself airtight.


    The doctor sat down and took a deep breath. Soon, this whole ordeal would come to a close. She could really use a proper rest.


    "Doctor?"


    She looked up.


    "Yes, Your Highness?"


    "I wanted to apologize. And I am also sorry that I am only doing so now."


    "Y-Your Highness, what are you talking about?"


    "How I called the Star Treader a "sentimental piece of scrap metal". Back then I thought you were just talking about its role as the royal vessel, I didn''t know what it meant to you. I still wouldn''t, had it not by chance come up during my talk with uncle."


    A subtle hum became audible as the pumps started to suck the air out of the hangar so it could open.


    "It''s alright, Your Highness. It wouldn''t have changed the fact that we would''ve needed to leave it behind. It was necessary, I''ve come to terms with that."


    "That doesn''t make up for my choice of words though."


    Nadine cocked her head.


    "Was there something about that ship?"


    The doctor sighed. She knew the Star Treader was lost, trying to recover it outside of the secure routes with only a vague idea of its last position was futile. She might have said that she had come to terms with it - First Ones, she had even believed it herself - but now that the topic had come up again, she realized that she hadn''t.


    While I can''t really fault her, I wish Her Highness had just said nothing.


    "For me it was. My father created it when I was just two cycles old."


    "Back then," the princess explained, "all our ships were of a fairly... practical design. My parents wanted something more prestigious for our embassy. They announced a contest, and a commoner from the outskirts of the capital won, as his design was both aesthetical and highly functional. I was still a young child when that happened, I didn''t know that man was Trocu."


    Githay nodded.


    "It is as Her Highness says. It''s a shame you only saw the lower decks, Nadine. The ship really was a piece of art. Unfortunately, my father never lived to see his creation fly. He was killed by a competitor who had bet everything on winning the contest so he could pay off his debt. In his honor, the king raised our family into nobility. It was thanks to this that I was able to become a royal physician and work on the ship that became his memento. It was... like..."


    Her voice failed her and she didn''t manage to finish that sentence.


    Oh, First Ones, pull yourself together Githaiy! You''re a grown woman!


    "Do you still have the blueprint?" The small alien''s soft voice broke the silence.


    The princess cocked her head.


    "We do, yes. But why do you ask?"


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    "Well, by the sound of it, what he made was the blueprint, right? Then as long as the ship can be rebuilt, his memento lives on, doesn''t it? It might not be the same ship, but wouldn''t it still be "his" ship?"


    The doctor was stumped. She had never looked at it that way. But thinking about it, it made sense. Her father''s legacy was the plan, the ship itself was just a result of it. She didn''t know what to say except for one thing.


    "Thank you, Nadine. Seriously, thank you."


    The face of the alien girl took on a more reddish color again. Githaiy swore to herself that she would eventually figure out what these color changes meant.


    "I-I didn''t do anything."


    "Yes, you did."


    The Hangar opened and their shuttle took off, setting course towards Hohmiy. For a while, they were quiet as they flew through empty space. Then, the protective shutters closed over the windows, and the shuttle shook a bit as they entered the atmosphere.


    The window shutters opened again. The forests of their homeworld flew past below them until buildings became visible in the distance.


    "That is the city of Calhanar," the princess explained to Nadine, "but most people simply call it "Harbor Town", because of the gigantic spaceport. Pretty much everything that has to do with other worlds happens here. See that wide building over there? That is the Star Palace, where I live. And so will you."


    "Y-you don''t have to do that! Something simple would be more than enough."


    "Nadine, please don''t make light of my invitation," the princess chuckled. "You are a royal guest and you will be treated accordingly!"


    "By the way, my office is also in the palace," Githaiy chimed in. "Having you there makes it way easier for us to learn more about you kind and to tend to your special needs. Which reminds me..."


    She pulled out her datapad and gave the fruits of her labor to Her Highness.


    "Ah, perfect," the princess thanked her. "Nadine, this is a list of every nutrient - and potential nutrient - on our planet. I would like you to go through that list and tell us which of those you need, and which are poisonous to you. I will also call in my personal dressmaker to make you something better than... well, this."


    "Thank you, Your Highness. I won''t say no to that," the small alien said with audible relief.


    "If you are uncomfortable," the Princess pointed out, "then you are free to take the blanket off. You don''t have to wear that just for the sake of it. No one will fault you for being naked for a few days."


    Nadine''s eyes widened, and her face became its darkest shade of red yet.


    "W-what is that supposed to mean?"


    Githaiy had already kind of expected that reaction. Considering that Nadine''s original clothes had had a pretty excessive amount of fabric by Vanaery standards, it was an easy guess that her culture put a lot more emphasis on covering themselves.


    "You see," the doctor explained, "for most of our history, we didn''t wear any clothes. Outside of protective gear, of course. Most Vanaery still don''t. The concept of "fashion" is something we only learned when we met other species, and to this day clothes are considered more of a luxury than a necessity. Amongst Nobles like us, being naked is seen as a sign of financial struggle, so it is expected that we dress ourselves, but commoners only wear them if they are either wealthy or work for a noble that gives them uniforms."


    "I see. I''m still gonna decline though."


    The Princess nodded.


    "That is your decision. Anyway, if you need anything else, please don''t hesitate to ask."


    Nadine thought for a moment.


    "A language tutor would be good."


    "Are you sure?" the princess asked after a pause. "That''s of course no problem, but you don''t need to inconvenience yourself, feel free to rely on the translator."


    "That thing is not always reliable, you said so yourself. It also doesn''t help me read."


    "Sure, but, you can always rely on us for that. All of the palace''s servants can read, they will gladly be of assistance."


    Githaiy could understand why the princess was so hesitant. Learning a language was a long and tedious process, and she wanted Nadine to feel like a guest. Then again, Nadine''s brain was highly capable, maybe it wasn''t as hard for her kind.


    Nadine sighed.


    "Your Highness, with all due respect - you JUST NOW asked me to go through a list that I cannot read."


    The two went quiet. Right, they hadn''t considered that. Written translations normally were such a non-issue that Githaiy hadn''t even considered it when she had made the list.


    "I... see your point."


    They reached the landing platform in front of the Star Palace, and the doors opened. As they exited, a line of servants greeted them. Some of them threw weird glances at Nadine, but they were all professional enough to not start whispering. The small alien walked close to the princess to show her status, while Githaiy and the others kept a bit more distance.


    As the palace doors were opened for them and they were about to enter, Nadine suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and jumped backward. Before anyone could react, a large amount of water dropped from the ceiling and hit the place where the small alien had been standing. And where the princess was STILL standing.


    For a moment everyone was frozen, while the princess stood drenched in the doorframe. She then took a deep breath, before opening her mouth.


    "KIIIIYRTIN!"

 Book 1 Chapter 11 - Dear Diary

    "Kiyrtin!" Silgvani shouted again in her normal voice. "I knoooowww that was you, come oooouuuut!"


    Instead of an answer, what became audible was laughter paired with the sound of someone running away. Silgvani took a few deep breaths to get her vocal organ back under control, before turning to the maid who had rushed to her side.


    "Why did you not tell me that my brother was visiting??"


    "I-I was about to, Your Highness. I didn''t expect... this."


    The princess sighed.


    "You KNOW how he is. What if I had been with a foreign diplomat? This could''ve been a disaster! At least tell me it''s just him and not my parents as well."


    "His and her Majesty are, to my knowledge, still at the Sky Palace."


    Well, THANK the First Ones.


    It was still a couple of days until the ambassador of the Tystrie was expected, if it was just her little brother, she could hopefully get him under control until then. Even if it meant that she could forget the few calm days of recovery she had hoped for.


    She looked to the top of the doorframe, at the contraption that had just given her the involuntary shower. It was surprisingly intricate, not at all what you would expect from a child.


    "When did he even manage to set this up without any of you noticing?"


    "I assume he built it in advance and then simply put it up there when we were waiting for you outside, Your Highness."


    Even in that case, the fact that no one saw him do that is a bit concerning, the princess thought. With a sigh, she put the topic aside for now.


    "Well, anyway. Mhita, this is Nadine, she is a guest of the palace. While I try to find our little troublemaker, I want you to show her her room. Give her the one with the sturdiest bed."


    Mhita cocked her head.


    "Um... do you mean the biggest bed, Your Highness?"


    "I meant what I said. If the sturdiest bed happens to be the biggest, so be it. In any case, once I am done with my brother, I want a bath for two people to be ready. After that, call in my dressmaker, say it is urgent, and also try and find a tutor that specializes in teaching other species our language. You are also authorized to procure whatever she asks for that doesn''t require clearance level 3."


    The maid nodded and gestured for Nadine to follow her. As the two made their way towards the guest wing, Silgvani could hear the small alien timidly ask for something to write with.


    As the two walked away, the remaining servants quickly closed the door, helped the princess out of her soaked clothes, and wiped her dry. At the moment, there were no other guests at the palace, and since she was about to take a bath anyway, she decided that a new set was unnecessary. Instead, she decided to use the time the servants needed to prepare everything to reprimand her brother.


    She took another look at the contraption over the door. Even if he had prepared that in advance, the palace staff still had to have been waiting outside for quite a while if he had enough time for all of this.


    Looking around the corner, she could see a hose and a stick with a hook. Right, there was no way for a child to move this thing if it had been filled in advance. The hallway these things lay in led to the west wing, where her brother should be staying right now. The Star Palace had rooms meant for the royal family, should they come for a visit. Said rooms were purposefully positioned on the exact opposite end of the palace compared to the guest rooms in the east wing. Silgvani of course loved her family, but for the sake of their world, it was best to keep them away from guests.


    She followed the corridor and soon reached her brother''s room. Unfortunately, he wasn''t there.


    Great that means he''s hiding somewhere again.


    Maybe she should just have the guards look for him. Silgvani was pretty exhausted from the trip and needed some rest, she really didn''t have the nerve to put up with his antics right now. Hopefully, he wouldn''t bother Nadine.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    She looked around. The room itself was nothing special by the palace''s standards, though the bed was on the smaller end for obvious reasons. There was a lot of stuff littering the floor, however. Mostly various tools and a lot of junk, probably the remaining parts he didn''t use for his latest mischief. Thankfully, no one saw him tinkering in the privacy of his room.


    She picked up one of the tools. The engraving told her that it was from the Star Palace''s workshop. Maybe it would be best to tell them to be more wary of their equipment while he visited.


    Kiyrtin would soon finish his general education and would then need to choose a subject to study. That should take up enough of his time so his antics would get reigned in a bit. Even if he wasn''t considered the heir, he was still a prince, and society expected certain behaviors from him. Behaviors that certainly didn''t include a commoner''s work. She really didn''t want her brother''s reputation to suffer because of a silly hobby.


    <hr>


    First day after my arriv


    Day of my arrival


    Dear Journal


    Dear Diary


    Nadine''s log


    Journal Entry no.


    Logfile


    Dear Diary,


    I heard writing down your thoughts can help you process them. I hope it will.


    stranded on an alien planet


    I can''t say


    This is certainly not how I expected my awesome space adventure to go. Well, on one hand, I made contact with real aliens, but on the other hand, I lost everything else. My past self probably would not believe how fast my excitement over meeting aliens died down. Unfortunately, my first meeting with real aliens was plagued with two disasters at once. I have no idea what happened to the colony ship and there seems to be no way of contacting them. I hope pa my father papa is alright.


    Honestly, when I first saw the Doc, I got pretty scared. Well, how would you react if you woke up to a gigantic, bipedal shr Their appearance is quite peculiar. Their carapace - if that is even the right term - reminds me of the back of a white shrimp. If I understood the Doc correctly, it is some sort of soft-shell exoskeleton. Yeah, carapace is probably wrong, no idea what the term for that is. I don''t even know what I would compare the rest of their features with. I wonder what living with four arms is like? These mono-colored, digon-shaped eyes look interesting are especially unique. They are usually dark, but when the light shines on them they are almost like stained glass. The princess''s are green like a freshly mown lawn. It''s really soothing to look at them.


    The princess has been really nice to me. I''m really lucky that she was the one who found me. Today, she even invited me to bathe with her. I could finally get that crusted blood  the remains of those bugs  the blood off clean. She was surprised to learn I could swim with my weight. Funny enough because I never felt so light. I could probably do a backflip standing. She also called my appearance "beautiful". It''s interesting that she thinks that considering how different we are. All I could say in response was a joke about our age difference she didn''t seem to get.


    I at least assume she is older than me, going by the way she acts. I mean, she couldn''t already be like that with fifteen, right? Having to say everything with their time units will take a while to get used to.


    This world corner of their world is pretty warm. It''s quite pleasant considering I don''t really have any clothes. I''m curious what the tailor is going to make me. He had a pretty professional air around him, but he also sometimes shouted weird words that didn''t go through the translator. By his demeanor, I assume they were positive. Maybe it''s like this when a human artist gets an inspiration? I wonder how I look in her eyes. Perceiving someone as beautiful who looks so fundamentally different from you... like a cute kitten maybe?


    A cute kitten with murderous strength. I can''t put into words how scared I am to touch anybody. Broken objects can at least be replaced. I can still feel those giant bugs getting crushed between my hands.


    Those bugs


    I''m tired


    Their blood clinging to my body


    Will I see them?


    I didn''t get much sleep on the ship. Maybe that actually was a good thing because I didn''t dream back then. The bed they gave me is huge, bigger than my entire room back in our apartment. It looks so soft and comfy, I want to lay down, but I don''t want to sleep.


    I''m tired. But I''m scared to close my eyes.

 Book 1 Chapter 12 - Trust

    Githaiy''s office was located in the west wing of the Star Palace. It was, of course, no coincidence that it was very close to the private chambers of Princess Silgvani. While she occasionally took care of the palace''s employees, she was first and foremost the private physician of Her Highness. It was expected of her not to take many regular patients, so she would always be available should an emergency arise. Also, she was a noble. Frequently tending to commoners whom she was not affiliated with was a no-go.


    Of course, Githaiy herself couldn''t care less about that. Since her father had only gotten his title posthumously, she was the first noble in her bloodline, and she certainly hadn''t been raised as one. If it were just about her, she''d gladly help whoever came to her. However, it wasn''t just about her. She was directly employed by the princess and was one of her closest aides, meaning that whatever she did would also reflect on her. Sure, one look at the princess''s merits made it obvious that she would be the one succeeding the throne, but she could still face a lot of hardship if she was on bad terms with the high nobility. After all, even she couldn''t govern an entire planet all by herself. Alas, Githaiy had to restrict herself to only treating political figures like nobles and foreign diplomats. Commoners, she could only tend to if they were directly affiliated with the princess, like the servants, her ship''s crew, or of course guests like Nadine. Thankfully, there were enough other doctors in Calhanar.


    Actually, now that she thought about it, was Nadine even a commoner? Githaiy had assumed so because of her demeanor, but that didn''t need to be true. She could also be of lesser nobility like herself, and just never had many diplomatic relations. Or maybe she actually was of a higher rank, her kind simply didn''t share the same etiquette as them. Both were equally possible, she knew close to nothing about her culture. She doubted it, but she had to confirm it as soon as possible, if they were to make contact with the humans and they found out they had treated a noble like a commoner, royal guest or not, it could spell a diplomatic disaster.


    A knock on the door pulled the doctor out of her thoughts.


    "I''m coming!"


    Standing up, she unlocked the door to her office and opened it.


    "Your Highness!" she greeted the princess with a surprised tone. She was back to her usual look, donning clean garments and the royal cape that showed her status. "How can I help you?"


    "I wanted to confirm something. I''ve been reading your report about Nadine, and just to make sure: that document contains everything we know about her species so far?"


    "That is correct."


    "And you are SURE her kind does not perform melt-molting?"


    "...um, yes. I didn''t manage to go into detail with her about it, but it appears her kind does not perform any form of molting. Though, now that you say it, there should still be SOMETHING happening to dead skin... I''ll add that to the list of things I still need to ask her."


    The princess sighed.


    "Do that, but that is not why I was asking. One of the maids just reported that apparently, Nadine had requested a box of molting tissues yesterday in the late evening."


    "I apologize, Your Highness, but I''m afraid I fail to see your point. She then used them for something else, I assume. Maybe some other bodily function we found out about yet. And, with all due respect, Your Highness, why not just ask her that?"


    "I did. All she said was it wasn''t important and there was nothing to worry about."


    "Then... everything is good, isn''t it?"


    The princess paused for a while before she continued talking.


    "It''s just... you see... I''m a politician. I can''t even count how many times I''ve been lied to, and..."


    "...and you think she is lying."


    "I... it''s just... I have a bad feeling about it. But... I don''t know. If something really was wrong, why wouldn''t she say it?"


    "Because it''s something embarrassing? Or because she thinks it''s not a big deal, even if it actually is? I have seen people who exaggerated their health problems, and I''ve seen people play them down. But I was planning to talk with Nadine later anyway, I can bring it up if you want."


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    "And if she doesn''t tell you, either?"


    "Well, then I guess you''ll have to install a hidden camera in her room."


    Githaiy immediately realized the blunder she had just made. If someone else had heard her last sentence, it would''ve been a seriously bad look. Her getting sarcastic at Her Highness really wasn''t something that should happen. She quickly wanted to rectify her statement, but the princess was faster.


    "Are you seeeeeeeerious??!" she snapped, apparently not recognizing the sarcasm. "She is a guest! That would be an insane break of trust!"


    The doctor quietly let her finish and sat down in her chair.


    "Your Highness, with all due respect... what do you want me to tell you? I want to help Nadine as much as you do. But I can only do that if she lets me. I still know close to nothing about her body, I can''t interpret her symptoms. If she says everything is fine, then we either believe that, or we try to acquire the truth by other means."


    Another pause followed. Githaiy could understand the dilemma the princess was facing very well. What "the right thing to do" was could be a very grey area. A lesson she had learned the hard way, shortly after she had started working as a doctor and before the princess had employed her. It was her first patient death. A soldier, the sixth child of a lesser noble, who had just joined the army. He had died not because she couldn''t do anything, on the contrary. She could''ve easily saved him had she known the truth. But he hadn''t told her the truth. Because the truth would''ve included him secretly leaving his post. And so, when Githaiy had finally managed to diagnose him, it had been too late.


    Ever since then, she had multiple times acquired her information through some other means. Most patients being nobles made it easier because they were always surrounded by servants. And amongst those, there were always one or two that knew something. So if she suspected her patient hadn''t been honest, she would oftentimes engage in conversation with the servants until one let something slip. She was, of course, always careful with those tactics, so it wouldn''t reflect negatively on the princess. However, there was an obvious difference between picking up gossip and installing a hidden camera.


    "I...I don''t know. I just... she has lost everything and has yet done so much for us, I just want to help her wherever I can! But... surveilling her without her knowledge, wouldn''t that be..."


    "A crass violation of her privacy, her trust in us, and the customs of hospitality? Yes. Not to mention the chance of it coming to light. She might feel betrayed, your reputation could suffer greatly, and should her people meet ours during our lifetime, this could put a heavy strain on our relationship."


    "And yet you... you think this is a good idea??" the princess asked, seemingly dumbfounded by her directness. It was strange, she normally was better at picking up sarcasm. If she wasn''t, she wouldn''t have become so successful as a politician. Was the current situation distracting her so much?


    "No. In fact, I think it''s a terrible idea," Githaiy clarified. That was the truth. The only reason why she had even brought up the topic was because she had spent a lot of time thinking about a certain phrase Nadine had used during their first meeting.


    A necessary evil... what a strange saying.


    She stood up and looked the princess in the eyes. Of course, she still had to look up quite a bit to do that.


    "Your Highness, look, we don''t even know whether those thoughts are even warranted. Maybe she just didn''t tell you specifically because she thought you shouldn''t concern yourself with it. People tend to tell their doctor more than their princess."


    "Let... let me just make one thing clear," the princess answered with a defeated look in her eyes. "Even if she doesn''t tell you, and you, too, think she is hiding something: I WILL NOT ask you to do this, not even implicitly, and neither do I want to hear any reports about you doing it on your own accord. Is that clear?"


    The doctor bowed.


    "Absolutely, Your Highness."


    The princess looked at her for a few more moments, but then nodded and left. Githaiy decided to sort her equipment to bridge the time until Nadine showed up.


    However, even after she was long done going through everything, the small alien still hadn''t shown up. That was strange. It was long past the time they had agreed to meet, and Nadine had explicitly asked for an explanation of how to read their chronometers, so that couldn''t be the issue.


    Did she maybe misunderstand me and thought we would meet in her room?


    Nadine wasn''t given a datapad yet, so she couldn''t call her. It would probably be best to go to her. And so, Githaiy did just that. But to her surprise, no one was there, either.


    "This is Nadine''s room, right?" she asked a passing servant.


    "Yes, Lady Githaiy."


    "Do you know where she went?"


    "I unfortunately don''t."


    Weird, where else could she be? Did something happen?


    "Then help me find her, please," she ordered. The servant bowed and went on his way. Meanwhile, Githaiy went looking through the guest wing, calling for their guest multiple times, but to no avail. As time passed, more and more servants got involved in the search, and the doctor started to grow worried. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a maid called her out to her.


    "Lady Githaiy? Head Maid Mhita found her near the kitchen," she said, holding up her communicator. "She will now escort Lady Nadine to her room."


    Oh, thank the First Ones. What was she doing in the kitchen?


    She went back to the room in question, just in time to meet the head maid. Nadine was behind her, intertwining her fingers in a strange way and with her gaze on the floor.


    "S-sorry. I got lost."

 Book 1 Chapter 13 - A different kind of nobility

    "... meaning we now have all the ingredients save for the knvietas, which we can only procure the day before so they don''t spoil. The imitation, however, is already prepared," Vassahr, the Star Palace''s steward concluded his report.


    Silgvani nodded.


    "Good, with that, all the preparations for the visit of the Tystrie ambassador are done. All that''s left is somehow getting Kiyrtin under control," she said more to herself than to Vassahr.


    "Your Highness, if I may", the steward asked, "when are you planning to inform your parents regarding your... guest?"


    "Whenever I deem it the right time to do so."


    The steward, getting the hint that the conversation was over, took a bow and left the room, seamlessly trading places with Doctor Githaiy, who was now entering.


    "Are you having a stressful day, Your Highness?"


    Silgvani sighed.


    "Well, the Tystrie ambassador is coming in a few days, I need to prepare everything for our new trade route with the Krsnelv, and then there is also the aftermath of the Kiroscha attack. By the First Ones, the only thing missing would be my melt-molting beginning early. But those aren''t your troubles. How did your talk with Nadine go? Could you figure something out?"


    "Yes, quite a few things, actually. Something you should know first: as it turns out, Nadine is a noble."


    Silgvani paused. That was indeed pivotal. Sure, it didn''t change anything in the short term; Nadine was already treated as a royal guest anyway, and since she hadn''t said anything so far, she didn''t seem to put much emphasis on her rank. However, it would be vital information should she interact with anyone outside of the Star Palace, not to mention when they would make contact with her people. However, there was a detail about this that didn''t seem quite right.


    "When I first talked to her, she was extremely nervous and had no idea how to address me. Even if their etiquette is different from ours, she should''ve still known how to address me by her people''s standards. Or is she maybe a first-generation noble like you? But even then, she would''ve met their king when she got the title. Or is their culture THAT different from ours?"


    The doctor chuckled.


    "It is, yes, but not the way you think. But to answer your other question first, no, she is not a first-generation. On the contrary, she can trace her lineage back almost seven hundred years, which - assuming her calculations in that regard are correct - is equal to over a thousand of our solar cycles.


    Now Silgvani was dumbfounded. Even the founder of her clan, Kiyron, had "only" risen to power around six hundred cycles ago, two hundred cycles before the unification war. And Nadine''s family was almost twice as old?


    "So Nadine is not only not a commoner, she is the descendant of the currently oldest noble family in the alliance? Yet she never said anything? Well then, please do tell me how their culture is different in "not the way I think", doctor."


    "It is... a bit complicated. I think it''s best to give you my full report."


    <hr>


    "Again, I''m really sorry for the inconvenience, Doc," Nadine apologized once more as the maid left and the two of them entered her room. Her face''s color was fairly pale compared to before, and dark shades had appeared under her eyes which Githaiy couldn''t recall seeing before. The small alien had explained that she didn''t really know how this came to be but had insisted that this was just a sign of her being tired and nothing noteworthy.


    "Don''t worry. The palace is big, getting lost is something that can happen if you''re not accustomed to it. Although you could''ve just asked one of the servants to bring you to my office."


    "I-I thought they were busy and didn''t want to disturb them."


    "You are right, they are busy. Busy serving the people in this palace. Which includes you. They are expecting to get orders from you. But I just wanted to ask you some more questions, so whether we do it here or in my office doesn''t really matter."


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    She held up a small device.


    "And should an emergency arise, all one needs to do is press the button next to my door and I''ll get notified, so me being here shouldn''t be a problem."


    As they walked over to the chairs, Githaiy sneaked a glance at the desk. There was a small pile of sheets, the top one filled with a script the doctor had never seen. That had to be Nadine''s native language. She also noticed that some words were crossed out.


    Ah, yes, the pain of physical writing.


    Githaiy couldn''t even remember when the last time she had physically written was. Then again, their datapads couldn''t reproduce the foreign script, and not being able to delete mistakes was a smaller annoyance compared to handwriting on a screen. Still, there were A LOT of words crossed out. Probably had been a while for Nadine as well. There were also some spots where the writing appeared to be slightly washed out as if someone had dribbled water onto the sheet. Had she spilled her drink?


    Next to the sheets, there was a box of molting tissues. Or, to be exact, a box that had at one point contained molting tissues. Its former contents could now all be found in the trashbin below the desk.


    Nadine pulled her chair away from the desk, turned it around, and climbed onto it. The things here really weren''t made for her size. Some species in the alliance were on the smaller end, like male Tystrie for example, but the Human was even smaller than those. So although she had been given furniture for smaller species, she still had to put some pillows on the seat in order to comfortably reach the desk.


    "I heard the dressmaker will need a few days, will you be fine till then?" the doctor inquired.


    "It''s quite warm, so yeah, I''ll manage. Though I''m curious how the sandals will turn out, he got really eager when I described those to him. But anyway, you wanted to talk about the food issue?"


    "Correct. We still have some leftover meat from the Kiroscha storage, but that won''t last long. I also can''t imagine that it gives you everything you need."


    The alien girl nodded.


    "The problem is that your list can only do so much as my knowledge is only rudimentary. Maybe it would be for the best if I simply ruled out the things that are poisonous to me, and then we just experiment. I''m not a nutritionist after all."


    She isn''t? Then how come she knows so much about it? The things she could tell me so far go far above what I would call "rudimentary". Well, I can ask that later, there are more pressing things I have to figure out first.


    "A different question. Just to make sure, you... wouldn''t happen to be a noble, would you?"


    "I... well... I mean... if the options are just yes and no, then yes, I am a noble."


    Oh, thank the First Ones I asked!


    "... technically."


    Githaiy stopped taking notes and looked up.


    "What do you mean, technically?"


    "Well... it''s true that my family holds a title, but..."


    "Did they lose it? Is one of your parents a commoner so you couldn''t join the clan?"


    "What? No! I meant... you know what, let''s go back to start. Yes, I am a noble. No, that fact does not carry any weight. I have the same last name then some dude from the early 16th century, but that''s it. The title doesn''t mean anything."


    <hr>


    "Doesn''t mean anything??"


    The doctor nodded.


    "According to her, being a noble only means, and I quote: "that I can write a fancy word in front of my stupidly long last name". She said they once had nobility similar to ours, but nowadays, it is mostly viewed as an archaic concept. Most countries of her homeworld have either abolished their ruling class or transformed it into something called "constitutional monarchy", which I have to admit, was a concept I didn''t fully understand when she explained it. It is still an important takeaway, just a different one than we expected: should we ever make contact with the Humans, treating some differently based on their heritage is what would offend them, not the other way round."


    "I''ll make sure to get that noted. What about... you know, the other thing?"


    "Yes, I was getting to that..."


    <hr>


    "Regarding those," Githaiy said, pointing at the empty tissue box. "You seem to have used up quite a lot. Is everything alright?"


    "I... yes, you don''t need to worry about it."


    "You''re sure?"


    "Yes, I am sure."


    "I apologize if I sound pushy, but I am aware that there are things one doesn''t like to talk about. Please do remember that I am still your doctor, even if I don''t know much about your kind yet."


    Nadine was quiet for a while before she took a deep breath.


    "Yes, I am aware. But I assure you, there is nothing wrong with me physically, and I am in no need of medical attention."


    "... very well. On a different note, would you mind if I took the bin with me?"


    The small alien cocked her head.


    "Why would you want some used tissues?"


    "To run some chemical analysis. One never knows where important information hides."


    "Um, okay, suit yourself then."


    "Thank you. By the way..."


    She didn''t finish her sentence, as her emergency alarm called her back to her office.


    <hr>


    "... that concludes my report. I will send you a written version later on."


    "Thank you. But what did you hope to get from the analysis?"


    "A lot, actually. Most of it was already dried, but it appears as though she used the tissues for two different things. One was a rather clear liquid that, interestingly, contained sodium chloride and hyaluronic acid among other things. The other was some yellowy mucus made out of some proteins as well as sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and potassium."


    "It''s not blood, is it?"


    "No, her blood is red. But whatever this mucus is, she probably needs everything in it. It is... interesting to call that a nutrient list, but we should be able to procure all of that."


    "That is good news. What about the emergency?"


    "What emergency?"


    "Well, the one that sounded your alarm."


    "Oh, that. No one was there when I returned and none of the servants knew anything, so I assume Prince Kiyrtin was just pressing the button for no reason."


    Silgvani didn''t answer. She simply groaned and buried her face in her hands.

 Book 1 Chapter 14 - A Lifetime and more

    "What were you thinking?! You can''t just press an emergency button without reason!" Silgvani scolded her brother. It was one day later, and she had finally managed to get a hold of Kiyrtin by catching him in his bedroom before he woke up. Kiyrtin sat on his chair leaning back, rocking back and forth on its hind legs.


    "Well," he answered grinning, "you said I should stop doing things that could make you look bad."


    "THAT DOESN''T MEAN YOU CAAAAAAAN JUST-"


    Breathe.


    "Also, I didn''t say "make me look bad", I said "can reflect negatively on us", with which I meant not just you and me, but the entirety of our world and our people! For the First Ones'' sake, you are almost five cycles old! It is really overdue that you start acting both your age and your status!"


    "Pff, who cares? You''re the one who''ll get the throne."


    "Maybe, but until then you are still a prince. You represent both Hohmiy and the Vanaery, whether you like it or not."


    Judging by his demeanor, he didn''t care, as always. Instead, he seemed to get another idea.


    "Why are you so sure I pressed the button? Nobody saw me, could''ve also been a malfunction or an accident."


    Silgvani cocked her head.


    "You mean besides the fact that you didn''t even try to refute it and more or less admitted it twice already? Because everyone in this palace is a mature adult, bar one."


    "Hey, at least I''m not punching my bed!"


    "I... you... I don''t... what does... why would... what? What does that have to do with anything? What is that even supposed to mean, I don''t "punch my bed"!"


    He rocked forward with his chair and jumped off of it.


    "Not you, that weird alien you brought. She''s been doing it for two nights now."


    "Okay, first, her name is Nadine, and she is a guest from a so-far uncontacted race, and you''ll address her accordingly. Second... why do you know what a royal guest does at night in her private chambers?"


    "I, uh, I, you see, I was... hungry! Yeah, I wanted to grab some food, and when I passed her room, I heard some weird noises."


    "Ah, so you were just concerned," the princess asked sarcastically.


    "Yeah!"


    "So on your way from your room - which is in the west wing - to the kitchen - which is also in the west wing - you, by chance, passed her room - in the east wing. In two consecutive nights."


    "Uh, well... anyway, she was all like this!"


    He jumped onto his bed and started rolling left and right on his back, wildly kicking as well as flailing his arms around.


    "I can''t do it like her, she somehow made the entire bed shake."


    Yes, if someone with Nadine''s strength would thrash around like that, the bed would definitely shake.


    "I first thought it was a side effect of her melt-molting, but she''s done it last night again."


    "Her kind doesn''t molt," Silgvani corrected her brother.


    "Of course she does!" he insisted. "I''ve seen it myself! Her face was all smeared and she kept wiping it, what else was that supposed to be?"


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "I don''t know, ask the- WAIT, what do you mean you''ve "seen it yourself"?!"


    "Th-that one was really just by chance! I saw her doing it through the window while playing in the garden, right before she went to bed!"


    The princess stepped closer.


    "Care to explain to me why you were in the garden after nightfall?"


    "Well, the maids don''t let me in during the day."


    "YES, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE! The eastern gardens are meant for guests! If you want to play in a garden, you can do so in the Sun Palace, but not here!"


    Silgvani sighed. She couldn''t keep her anger up anymore, she was too exhausted. She turned to leave the room, but looked back at her brother one more time.


    "You know that it wouldn''t kill you to not be a menace on my nerves for five tiggs, right?" she asked tiredly before closing the door behind her.


    <hr>


    "She was punching and kicking? In her sleep?" Githaiy repeated as she took notes.


    "According to Kiyrtin, yes. I know this is my brother we are talking about, but I think he actually did see that. I think you should talk to her again once her language tutor leaves, this just doesn''t seem right. And even if that is somehow normal, we still need to know more, even if it is just to prevent her from accidentally injuring someone."


    The doctor leaned back.


    "I agree. But she insisted everything was fine. I''m afraid that if I''m too pushy, she''ll just lock up more. Maybe if you find a way to naturally bring it up in a conversation..."


    "And she definitely said she was alright?"


    "Yes, Your Highness, as stated in my report. She said, and I quote: "I am in no need of medical attention"."


    The princess seemed to think for a moment.


    "This doesn''t have to mean she''s fine though. It just means you can''t help her."


    "That... is actually a good point. But what could it be? Why would someone move so much in her sleep? A defense mechanism? No, too exhausting, lashing out to sounds or something like that would make more sense. Maybe an ailment that her people believe to be incurable, that''s why she won''t talk about it?"


    "Could it be age-related?" the princess suggested. "How old is she, anyway?"


    The doctor shook her head.


    "No, she''s twenty-four cycles old, so about the same age as your mother. She still has at least eight cycles before she has to worry about that."


    "Oh, they have the same lifespan as us?"


    Githaiy looked up from her notes.


    "...huh?"


    "Her lifespan. You... asked for that, right?"


    "...oh, First Ones, what kind of an incompetent doctor am I?! And I call myself Royal Physician, how could I forget to ask something so important?!"


    She slumped back into her chair.


    "I mean, I know how. I got overly excited by being the first one to examine a new sentient species and then got thrown off by her mathematical prowess. Doesn''t excuse it though."


    She paused for a moment.


    "Of course! She is so small, it is entirely possible her lifespan is significantly shorter than ours! She might already be an elderly! If she thinks of her afflictions as simply a symptom of her age, it would all make sense!"


    She stood up.


    "Please excuse me, Your Highness, I have to clear this up, right now!"


    "But she is with her tutor right now..."


    "He''ll be able to spare ten tiggs."


    With that, Githaiy stormed off and hurried to the east wing. It was quite a bit of a walk, it was literally the other side of the palace after all. As finally she reached her destination - slightly exhausted - she took a few deep breaths, then she knocked.


    "Yes?"


    She opened the door and poked her head in. Nadine was sitting next to an old man, Baron Jakio of Clan Jakaru, whose shell had already started to lose shape a bit. It was a Clan without much influence that Githaiy knew only the name of, but the Baron had apparently a reputation as a capable teacher among higher-ranking nobles.


    "I''m sorry to interrupt the two of you, I just need a moment. Nadine, could you tell me the life expectancy of your people?"


    The alien girl thought for a moment.


    "Well, if you have a healthy lifestyle, access to good medical care, and a bit of luck, a hundred and ten years is doable, so that would be... uh... hundred and eighty cycles."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Anything else?"


    "Ah, n-no, I, uh, no, thank you."


    The doctor closed the door and mechanically walked away. She didn''t register where exactly she was going, but after a while, she leaned against a wall and slowly slid to the floor. Then, she started laughing.


    She didn''t want to laugh. First Ones, it wasn''t even funny. But what else was she supposed to do, facing the absurdity of the situation? A hundred and eighty cycles. Almost five times the oldest Vanaery ever recorded.


    "Doctor?"


    And still four times as much as a female Tystrie, who till now had been the longest-living in the entire alliance.


    "DOCTOR!"


    The princess''s call pulled her back into reality.


    "Why are you sitting here laughing like you''ve gone mad? What''s going on?!"


    "We were off," the doctor said standing up. "We were off, we were completely off!"


    "What are you talking about? You sound like-"


    "A hundred and eighty! Humans live a hundred and eighty cycles!"


    A blank stare from the princess was the answer.


    "B-but... that would mean..."


    "She is not an elderly!" The doctor was almost shouting at this point. "She is a CHILD!"

 Book 1 Chapter 15 - A curious visitor

    <del>Third day of my</del>


    Second day after my arrival


    Dear Diary


    <del>I think I''m</del> I feel like I''m going insane. I have barely <del>sleeping</del> slept in the last few nights. I don''t know what to do. Whenever I sleep I see them in my dreams. <del>Not just see, I can FEEL them as they</del>


    I thought about setting an alarm every few hours. Maybe I can skip the dream phase if I do that. Would that even help? Even if I''m awake, I can still see them whenever I close my eyes. And that''s not all. I''ve been to the baths three times by now. There can''t possibly be anything left, but I can still smell their blood clinging to my body. <del>Is it really there or am I going crazy?</del>


    <del>Why</del>


    <del>Why is</del>


    I''m tired. <del>Why can''t I just close my eyes wake up on</del> Should I talk to somebody? Would that even help? And even if, who? The princess seems to be an amazing person, be she feels so <del>far aw</del> out of reach. Not to mention she always seems so stressed out. The Doc is surely not a bad person either, and I am sure her intentions are earnest. But I always have the lingering feeling that she subconsciously sees me more like a study subject. I know she means it well, but still...


    The Baron is also nice, but I don''t <del>fel</del> feel like I can connect with him. He teaches well, but it is simply a duty for him. <del>I still liked</del> That is at least how it felt to me. I still liked his lesson though. <del>As long as I have to concentrate, I don''t need to think about</del>


    <del>I believe</del>


    I think that


    <hr>


    "I know you are hiding in the closet, would you mind coming out, please?"


    Startled from suddenly being called out, Kiyrtin instinctively flinched backward. However, he was in a narrow wardrobe, and "backward" didn''t exist. Bouncing off the rear panel he lost his foothold, stumbled through the door, and fell to the ground. Raising his head, he could see that the weird alien had turned in her chair and was now looking at him. Now that he was close to her, he noticed that her eyes looked just as fascinating as the rest of her. They weren''t just one color like his, they instead seemed to be small, white orbs with a blue ring in the middle that reminded him of a beautiful gemstone.


    Then there were the other things he had so far only seen from afar. Like a strangely isolated patch of long fur on top of her head. The way it fell down her shoulders reminded him a bit of the capes his sister and parents were always wearing. And this color... not golden, not white... what was this color called? The rest of her body was covered in something that looked more like a blanket than actual clothes. Who would want that much fabric on them?


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Realizing he was staring, he frantically stood up.


    "The palace is big, I''m sure there are better places to hide from your sister," she spoke before he got the chance. Her voice was soft, and it was strangely soothing to listen to it. He hadn''t actually been hiding from his sister, but he couldn''t exactly say he had been watching her out of curiosity.


    "Ah, n-no, I, uh, I wasn''t... how did you even know I was there?" He had often hidden away from all sorts of people: the servants, teachers, his sister, both at the Sun Palace and also here in the Star Palace. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call him a master of hiding. Yet she had noticed him, seemingly without even looking at him?


    She smiled.


    "I didn''t know it was you specifically, but I could hear you breathing."


    Breathing?!, he thought. No, that can''t be. She is just messing with me. Breathing doesn''t make a sound loud enough... right?


    She hopped down from her chair and came closer. She was just the tiniest bit shorter than him, and he still had a considerable amount of growth ahead of him. Her kind was really small.


    "I assume you are Prince Kiyrtin then?"


    "And you are that wei- err, I mean... uh..."


    "Nadine."


    Right, Nadine, that was the name.


    The weird alien then took on a strange pose. The way she crossed her arms in front of her chest looked a bit like half of the Vanaery''s military salute, except instead of simply laying them on top of each other, it almost seemed like she was trying to tie a knot in them.


    "Then, can I help you with something, Your Highness? I doubt your sister would be very happy to hear you''ve snuck in here."


    "Meh, so what, Sis isn''t here."


    "Well, I would also be happier if my visitors announced their presence to me. And regarding Her Highness not being here: tell me, if a tree falls over in the forest, but no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?"


    The prince cocked his head.


    "Huh? Of course, it does! Are you stupid?"


    "No, I am aware of that as well. But since you consider the answer to that so obvious, maybe you should take a moment to think about it."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Could it be that you are not good with metaphors, Your Highness?"


    "...you''re weird!"


    Nadine didn''t answer, she simply chuckled. Without saying any more, Kiyrtin opened the window. The room was on ground level, so he could simply climb out.


    Huh, I''m in the garden. That is actually way easier than sneaking past the servants, gotta remember that!


    As he left Nadine behind, he could hear her give off a quick laugh, followed by a murmured "Okay, where was I?"


    <hr>


    <del>I think that</del>


    Fortunately, things are not as bad as they could be. No one is giving me the feeling that I am not welcome, not to mention that I literally am a royal guest! Even if it still feels a bit weird to have servants tend to me 24/7. Actually, on this planet and with their time units, it would be 62, not 24. Now that I think about it, how long are their weeks? Do they even have weeks? Not to mention months. I think I saw two moons, so that would be difficult. I should ask about that.


    Also, there is progress regarding food. There is a huge list that we only started with, but I already found a few things I should be able to eat. Among them is a delicious fruit that is like a lemon, but not sour. Does that make sense? That''s how it tastes. Meat seems hard to come by for now, so I''ll need to find another protein source. Grain also appears to not be a thing here, but, more by chance, I found something they call "tikro". They look like tiny celery roots and are used as cattle feed. Their faces when I asked to try some of those were hilarious. Speaking of, I think I''m starting to figure out their facial expressions. Their faces themselves don''t move much, obviously, exoskeleton and all, so most happens with their eyes, mouth, and head movements.


    I also wonder how the folks back home are doing. My Mother is probably still taking care of Grandpa. I wonder if he pulled some new shenanigans. I still remember the time he was out of coffee filters and tried to use a plastic bag instead. The kitchen was a mess afterward, Mama was PISSED. In hindsight, that might''ve actually worked had he poked holes into it.


    When it comes to my father I don''t dare to hope he is alive. Not because I don''t want to, but because I don''t think I could bear seeing that hope shattered.

 Book 1 Chapter 16 - Just a Nightmare

    As Githaiy entered Nadine''s chambers in the late morning, she was accompanied by two servants, each of them pushing a tray with food into the room, before taking a bow and leaving.


    "Firstmeal!" the doctor said in a weak attempt at a joke. She then realized that the room was seemingly empty. Nadine was neither in her bed nor at the desk. Also, the wardrobe was open for some reason, even though there was nothing in it. After a few steps into the room, Githaiy finally spotted her. The small alien was... lying on the ground?


    No, that was just how it looked at first. In reality, she was holding her body in a straight line, using one hand to repeatedly push herself upward while the other was resting on her back.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Training."


    "Is that the "light exercise" you mentioned?"


    "No, this is heavier stuff," she said without pausing. She gave herself a stronger push so she was now at a 45¡ã angle, switched the positions of her hands, and then continued the exercise with the other.


    "I am used to a stronger gravity. If I don''t do this, then my muscles will deteriorate. It''s also a good distraction from... ah, not important."


    That remark made the doctor listen up.


    "Distraction from what?"


    "Nothing, it''s fine."


    "But why would-"


    "I SAID IT''S FINE!"


    The doctor took a step back, startled by the sudden outcry. Nadine''s voice, even though it had been soft as always, had just gotten LOUD. Way louder than she had ever expected this meek voice to ever become.


    The room fell quiet. Only a moment later, Nadine''s eyes sprung wide open in realization and she scrambled to her feet.


    "Ah, I-I''m sorry, I didn''t want... I-I didn''t mean to... I just didn''t sleep well and... n-no, that''s not an excuse, I''m so sorry, I..."


    "It''s fine," Githaiy reassured her as soon as she pulled herself together. "No harm was done. Let''s just get to the taste testing. I also brought some of the guthra fruits you seemed to like yesterday, just in case none of the other stuff makes a proper firstmeal."


    The corners of her mouth moved slightly upwards. Apparently, this so-called "smile" was a gesture that could mean a load of things depending on the context, but it usually stood for either friendliness or joy. It was one of many, MANY expressions the alien girl''s face was capable of. Sure, there were endoskeletal races in the alliance, but none of them were able to move their faces that much.


    Just how many muscles does her face have? Not to mention those color changes...


    "You know," Nadine''s soft voice pulled her out of her thoughts, "it is kinda interesting that the translator calls it "firstmeal", even though it is not exactly what my people would call firstmeal."


    The doctor cocked her head.


    "What else would that refer to? Firstmeal simply is the first meal of the day, I mean, it is literally those two words together."


    One of Nadine''s eyes seemed to close slightly, while the other opened further, before both opened all the way.


    "Oh, so that''s what you hear when I say..." She took off her translator and said a word Githaiy couldn''t pronounce.


    "The word in my language doesn''t actually mean "first meal". Anyway, what I was getting at, my people usually eat firstmeal right after getting up, not multiple hours - sorry, invas into the day."


    "Really? Isn''t that a very long pause until lastmeal?"


    "We eat three meals per day, so no."


    "If you need food more frequently, you can just say so."


    "Nah, don''t sweat it."


    Don''t... what is "sweat" supposed to mean?


    "It''s not that I NEED it in that frequency, we just do it that way because it fits our daily routine. There are also people who skip firstmeal. Also, that meat stuffs quite a bit. Anyway, did you get some of those tikros? ...tikro? Tikri?"


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    "The plural is also just tikro. Though I have no idea why you are so excited about those."


    "Well, it''s cattle feed, right?"


    "Yes, especially onrics love it. Why?"


    "Well, that means it''s probably highly nutritious. Sure, they might need other things, but worth a try."


    Githaiy pointed to one of the platters and took the lid off.


    "If you want, I can give you the list of everything contained in the tikro. Here, the ones on the right are raw, the left boiled, just as you wanted. But be careful, the raw ones are quite-"


    With a loud crunching sound, half of the tuber disappeared in the small alien''s mouth.


    "...hard. How strong is your jaw?"


    "Not shure, I shink it wash around 80 kilogramsh, sho... ah, right, we forgot to weigh me." The small alien held her hand in front of her mouth and spit the piece she bit off back on the plate.


    "Tastes like dry flour, bah! So, yeah, dunno how much that is in your units. But it''s at least 700 veys."


    Before Githaiy could comment on that, Nadine proceeded to take a boiled one. It had soaked quite a bit of water and was now bigger and a bit squishy. Taking a bite caused some of the water to get squeezed out and drip down her chin, but Nadine didn''t keep that on in her mouth for long either.


    "Ugh, how the hell can something be that moist, yet STILL taste like dry flour?"


    The rest of the taste-testing didn''t go too bad, Nadine could eat around one-quarter of the things prepared this time. However, Githaiy had one more thing for her.


    "This powder contains sodium chloride, potassium, and the like. If you mix a bit with our normal tap water you should be able to cover a couple of your necessities."


    "Wow! Thanks, Doc, that''s-"


    "But remember: this stuff is toxic to us, so be careful!"


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be careful."


    A knock on the door interrupted them.


    "I have a package for Lady Nadine," one of the maids said upon entering. "Together with a message: "I tried to finish the first set as quickly as possible, the rest will take a bit longer"."


    With a bow, she placed the small box on the desk and left. After the door closed behind her, it only took Nadine a few moments to practically rip it open. The first thing she took out was a strange, small wooden plate with leather straps on it.


    "Would you look at that, those are actually proper sandals. And the rest... what fabric is that, it feels amazing!"


    "Probably goan-silk, one of the highest quality materials you can find on Hohmiy," Githaiy explained.


    "Okay, the baby blue thing is the top, and the mint green looks like a skirt. Let''s see!"


    Nadine jumped off her chair, ducked behind her bed, threw away her blanket, and put on her new clothes. The "baby blue" top covered her upper torso in a slightly triangular shape while leaving the shoulders free. The "mint green" skirt was fairly long as it almost reached her knees, and was held in place by a thin belt with three blue gems in the buckle. The "sandals" were apparently a kind of shoe.


    When she finished dressing, Nadine''s pale face became a bit more reddish.


    "Wow," Githaiy marveled. "You really look like a proper noble lady now." Was that how parents felt when they saw their kid in clothes for the first time? Maybe finding out Nadines relative age had awoken some motherly instincts in her. After all, at sixteen cycles, she was already fairly old for an unpartnered noblewoman.


    "You... sure?" Nadine asked, not sounding very convinced.


    "Do you not like it?"


    "N-no, it looks great, it just a bit... skimpy. I mean, it fits the warm climate, but it''s more something a human would wear to a beach party rather than a noble''s estate. Also, I''m not really used to having my midriff exposed."


    "Really? To me, you look ready to be greeted by the king himself!"


    Nadine''s face became even redder.


    "W-well, when in Rome... I''m sure I''ll get used to it. Definitely better than running around in bedsheets."


    Githaiy took a deep breath. There was no point in postponing it, she needed to talk about the things Kiyrtin had discovered, even if it was just to confirm they were normal for her kind.


    "By the way, I never asked you about your sleeping habits."


    "Sleeping habits?"


    "Yes, just to confirm your needs are covered. Krsnelv for example need fairly large beds because they move a lot during their sleep." That was a lie, no species she knew moved in their sleep. "Do humans move as well?"


    "Not really. Some do it a bit when they dream or have a nightmare."


    The doctor cocked her head.


    "Dream? What''s that?"


    "Wait, seriously? You guys don''t dream? It''s uh... how do I explain that... when we sleep, our brain processes the information it gathered. During that time we see things, sometimes lucid, sometimes weird, sometimes complete bullshit."


    "So a hallucination?"


    "Not... really? Or is it? Now that you ask, I wonder if that is similar."


    "And that happens every night?"


    "Yes, although most of the time you forget it the moment you wake up."


    Githaiy nodded in fascination. Was her thrashing around because of a dream?


    "And the other thing you mentioned, um..."


    "Nightmare? That is a... bad dream. Imagine... imagine your worst fears coming true, and you are right in the middle of it. Your heart is pounding so loud that it feels like you''re alarming the whole world of your presence. You try to hide, but you always get found immediately. You try to fight, but your arms are so weak you almost can''t lift them. You try to flee, but your legs are so heavy that you barely move forward. You scream for help, but all you can muster is a faint whisper. And when it seems as if everything is too late, you wake up, but you are not fully awake yet and can still see the horrors in the darkness of your room, you don''t know what is real and what isn''t. Slowly, everything calms down and the dream starts to slip your mind. You can''t remember what exactly you have seen, all you remember is the fear and despair you felt. You are exhausted, you want to sleep, but you dread what you''ll see when you close your eyes again. You..."


    With her head jolting up, Nadine snapped out of the trance she had seemingly talked herself into.


    "S-sorry, I didn''t mean to... I... I''ll take a walk, I need air."


    With that, the small alien left the room. Githaiy said nothing. Even if she had wanted to say something, she wouldn''t have been able to. She just sat there, not moving a single muscle. She was a doctor. Throughout her career, she had seen a lot of gruesome and horrible things. Never in her life could she have imagined that one day, mere words would make her freeze in fear.

 Book 1 Chapter 17 - Difficult help

    "Starting the test for the vertical stabilizers!" Liyzo shouted out of the open cockpit as he increased the slider on his screen.


    "All good!" a voice coming from under the shuttle answered a few seconds later. It belonged to his coworker, an older mechanic called Hertin. Right now, the two of them were tasked with a basic check-up of the shuttle that would be given to the ambassador who was scheduled to visit a few days from now. While they would, of course, arrive with their own ship, it was common courtesy to hand them a small shuttle they could use to get around during their stay.


    Liyzo nodded, pulled the slider down again, and marked the stabilizers positive on his datapad.


    "Alright, all that''s left are the wing valves and the e-converter."


    "Ah, yes, about that," his coworker said in a hesitant tone as he crawled out from under the shuttle. "You see, uh, I... kind of... have a reservation. Could you do the rest alone?"


    Liyzo looked up from his datapad.


    "You know we have to finish this today, right?"


    "I know, but my partner and I have been on the waiting list for half an eternity."


    "Then why didn''t you say so earlier? I could''ve asked someone to fill in."


    "I didn''t know it myself. They had a cancellation, I just learned about my luck earlier today."


    "..."


    "Look, how about this: on my way out, I''ll see if someone else is still here who could help you. And if anything goes wrong, I''ll take responsibility, okay?"


    Liyzo didn''t answer, simply because he didn''t know what to say. Was this guy serious? Sure, Hertin had more experience than him, but wasn''t he way too easy-going for someone in his position? This shuttle would be given to a foreign noble, a royal guest. If they overlooked a malfunction, they could very well dig their graves.


    Unfortunately, his coworker seemed to misunderstand his silence as approval.


    "Great, see you tomorrow!"


    And with that, he was gone. Still saying nothing, Liyzo just sat in the open cockpit in silence. It took a while for him to pull himself together, but in the end, he managed. The situation now was what it was, and someone had to finish the checkup. He knew that no one would come, the two of them were always the last ones at the workshop during this time of the day. So better get on with it.


    He climbed out of the cockpit and opened the front shutter of the Hangar. If he was alone, he might as well get some fresh air. He then picked up the ladder, placed it next to the vessel, climbed up to the left wing, and opened the maintenance panel. A quick test showed that three of the four valves worked as intended. The last one, however, didn''t. Liyzo climbed back down to the cockpit, restarted the process, climbed up the wing again, and repeated the test. Again, the pressure readings were off.


    Oh, First Ones! Please be just a bubble! he thought as he unscrewed the valve. With a loud hiss, the lid popped open, and a spray of oil hit him in the chest. Well, wasn''t that just great. But at the very least, it really had just been a bubble. Messy, but easy to fix.


    Would definitely have spelled trouble if I hadn''t found it, though.


    With a sigh, he pulled a rag from his belt and started to wipe up the mess. At least to some degree, the thing would get thoroughly cleaned afterward anyway, and most importantly, that would be done by someone else.


    He climbed back down, but as soon as he got one rung lower, he felt something oily under his foot, causing him to slip. The realization that some of the oil seemed to have dripped onto the ladder was the only thing he managed to accomplish before it was too late. With his hands being oily as well, he lost his grip and fell backward.


    However, the impact on the floor didn''t come. Before his body was even fully vertical, he could feel something touch his back. That something not only cushioned his fall but actually caught him.


    "Are you okay?" an incredibly soft and gentle voice asked. When his vertigo subsided, Liyzo realized that he was lying in the arms of an unfamiliar alien.


    After they both looked at each other for a moment, the alien turned him upright and put him back onto his feet. Only now did Liyzo realize how small it was. It was only slightly above half his height and had a frail-looking frame. Yet somehow, it had not only caught but also lifted his full weight, and it had done so with seeming no effort at all.


    "You okay?" the alien repeated. Liyzo finally realized that he hadn''t said anything yet.


    "Oh, uh, yes, thank you. That could''ve ended badly. I''m Liyzo by the way."


    "Nadine," the alien repeated with an implied bow.


    So much for the "who". But more importantly, why was she here? Liyzo didn''t know what race she belonged to, though that didn''t mean much. He had only seen a handful of aliens in his life and never interacted with any of them. He didn''t even know half the races in the alliance. But he knew that if aliens came to Hohmiy, they were usually ambassadors or another kind of political guest. But a noble lady wouldn''t come down here, even if the workshop was technically part of the Star Palace. Not to mention she had rushed to his help. But then again, she wore really expensive-looking clothes. Although he could never afford it, he knew goan-silk when he saw it. On the other hand, no noble would walk around in a top with an oil stain like that. No wait, that stain was his fault, wasn''t it? First Ones, what was he supposed to do now? There was no way he could ever replace such an expensive piece!


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    "What are you working on?" She asked as if she didn''t care about the glaring issue at hand.


    "Oh, um, just a basic checkup, nothing fancy," he quickly responded unsure what else to say.


    "Mind if I take a look?"


    Liyzo cocked his head.


    "Um, sure, but why?"


    "They just look so different than ours, so I was curious."


    "Ah. Well, err, Suit yourself then. Just don''t touch anything please."


    "Yeah, yeah, don''t worry."


    The casual way she was addressing him while having no problems with the way he talked to her... she definitely wasn''t a noble. She probably was an attendant of a guest. It wasn''t unheard of for nobles to give their higher-ranking servants something to wear, after all. Maybe she got down here because of an errand.


    "It''s nothing special though, just a normal shuttle used for traveling on the planet."


    Nadine turned to him.


    "Really? With the breaker jets, the ball-thrusters, and the retractable wings, I would''ve guessed this was meant for space."


    "... are you a mechanic as well?" Liyzo asked, now confused for good. Nadine smiled.


    "No, but I wanna become an engineer. My Father already taught me some things. Not to mention the colony program required each of us to have at least basic knowledge in one relevant field of expertise."


    Colony? What?


    Not getting anywhere with his thoughts, he ultimately decided to simply answer her questions.


    "Well, you are half correct. The shuttle is theoretically capable of being used in space. It can''t connect to a sling though."


    "Sling?" Nadine asked with mild confusion.


    "Yes, sling. You know, those things for ships that are too small for a jumper."


    "Jumper?"


    Seriously? How can someone who wants to be an engineer not know... oh!


    "Sorry, that''s just slang. I''m talking about the FTL-Drive."


    "FTL? What does that stand for?"


    "Uh... well... faster than light, what else?"


    The skin around Nadine''s eyes made some weird movements.


    "How would FTL lead you to... oh! Okay, and today we learned: the translator can''t do acronyms! F-T-L, so..."


    She removed the translator from her neck.


    "Fasta... thann... light," she slowly said with a funny accent, before putting it back on again.


    "Are you learning our language?" Liyzo asked, surprised once more. Mastering a foreign language could take up a good portion of one''s life, after all. And someone aspiring to be an engineer hardly had the time for that.


    "Just started. All I know is the alphabet, a handful of common phrases, and how to say "my translator is broken"."


    "I see. Well, back on topic, the jumper is the thing that gives you access to the hyperlanes."


    "The what?"


    Oh, come on, seriously?


    "How do I explain that... it''s... the thing you enter... when you do FTL?"


    Wow, is there a more stupid way to explain it, genius?


    Well, there was no helping it. He was a mechanic, not a scientist, and explaining common knowledge was not as easy as it sounded. Nadine seemed to have understood him though.


    "Oh, I get it! So you use some sort of hyperspace for FTL! Your ships don''t use sub-lightspeed acceleration then? Gues you never developed a C-piercer. That explains why you don''t have RK- ah, I shouldn''t say that."


    Liyzo''s head perked up.


    "Say what?"


    "No, no, believe me, you DON''T want to know that."


    What was so wrong about him knowing a different form of FTL? But before he could ask that question, his glance fell onto his chronometer.


    "Oh, First Ones! I need to finish the check-up!"


    Nadine''s eyes became big.


    "Ah! I''m sorry, can I help you somehow?"


    "It''s fine, don''t... actually, you can. Can you get into the cockpit?"


    It was a bit high, so she would probably need a ladder. Or so he thought, until he saw the small alien hold onto the open frame, jump more than her own height, and land in front of the pilot seat. Also, did the shuttle''s suspension just get lower? After being dumbfounded for a moment, Nadine''s voice pulled him back into reality.


    "Is it normal here to get around via shuttle?"


    "More or less, although commoners usually use public shuttles. Why, is it different on your world?"


    "Yes, we mainly use land-based vehicles and passenger drones. Using something with a combustion engine or jet thrusters isn''t really a thing for intraplenetary travel anymore. Anyway, what do you want me to do?"


    He leaned into the cockpit and pointed to the console screen.


    "When I tell you, push that slider up."


    He went to the back of the shuttle, opened another maintenance panel, and wired his datapad to the e-converter.


    "Okay, give me half power!"


    The converter started. Everything looked good so far.


    "Now full!"


    The noise from the converter got louder, but the numbers all showed what they were supposed to.


    "Perfect, you can turn it off!"


    As he got back to the front, Nadine jumped out of the cockpit and landed with a heavy thud! that completely betrayed her small frame.


    "Well, thanks for-"


    "Lady Nadine?" a female voice interrupted him. Outside of the hangar stood a woman, wearing the sash of the palace maids. "Her Highness is asking for you."


    "Guess my stroll went a bit out of hand, huh? I''m coming, uh... Mifa?"


    "Mhita."


    "Right, sorry."


    "Please don''t be, Milady. On the contrary, the others and I are honored that you are trying to learn all our names."


    Nadine''s face got slightly redder in color before she left. After she was gone, the maid turned to him.


    "And what exactly do you think you are doing, mechanic?"


    "Uh, just the check-up I was told to do, why-" Wait, did she just say the princess wanted to talk to Nadine?!


    She stepped closer. The look on her face was professional, but her looming anger was still obvious.


    "Lady Nadine is a noble from a foreign planet, a royal guest, and was given clearance level 2! Unless the King and Queen visit personally, she is to be treated second only to Her Highness herself! And you make her perform some menial labor?! Are you out of your mind?!"


    Liyzo''s heart sank. So she was a noble after all. But why was she so casual then? Nothing about her behavior had fit her apparent status.


    Damn you, Hertin! This wouldn''t have happened if you had just stayed!


    "I-I''m sorry, I didn''t know-"


    "DIDN''T KNOW?! Even if you are just a mechanic, you are still technically working for the Star Palace, and thus Her Highness herself! It is your duty to know things like this!"


    "But she said she wanted-"


    "Her being nice to us does not elevate us to her rank! On the contrary, it is all the more reason to remember our place!"


    She turned to leave.


    "Do NOT step out of line like this again. It''s embarrassing that I even have to say this."

 Book 1 Chapter 18 - Broken Mask

    Kykla''s room was silent, except for the dull hum the ship constantly produced. During her first few times in space, she had found the noise incredibly annoying as it gave her many sleepless nights. Nowadays she was used to it. Not only that, the monotonous sound was actually quite relaxing now.


    However, that didn''t change the fact that this was a problem that, had she been born a few generations prior, she wouldn''t even have had in the first place. Larger ships had rooms that were far enough away from the engines to be completely silent. Kykla had seen the records of the vessels they used to have, not only from their large navy - which was almost entirely sold or scrapped by now - but also ships like the luxurious Grace or colossal Glory, the latter basically being a mobile space station. But that was the past now. The vehicle she was in, the Cyto, was as small as an embassy ship could be without being a complete embarrassment. And even that was done through ruses. In order to afford to make it this big, tricks were pulled, and corners were cut. Like the fact that only around 20% of the ship was actually accessible. Most of the rooms were behind doors that couldn''t be opened, had no wiring or life support systems, and served no other purpose than making the ship appear bigger. Well, technically they also served as a buffer zone for small collisions.


    On top of that, many normal features had been forgone, as long as they weren''t important for safety. Like internal speakers, which had been left out entirely, or the inner doors, which all opened manually. Every reasonable step to reduce construction and maintenance costs as much as possible was taken. The Cyto was the literal definition of looks over usefulness.


    The Tystrie matriarch was lying on her bed, arms raised upward in prayer. According to the historical records, this had actually been quite a predicament in the early days of space travel. The teachings dictated that one needed to point their arms up during prayer, on paper a very simple rule. Until you are in space and there no longer is a clear "up". At first, their early astronauts positioned themselves relative to the planet, but that became increasingly difficult with further away missions, and downright impossible when traveling through the hyperlanes. It was only during the advent of artificial gravity that their scholars found a solution. They declared that since the goddess was not "above" them in a geographical sense, the gesture was more symbolic and it sufficed to raise the arms toward wherever "up" relative to the current position was. After all, the concept wasn''t really any different on the planet''s surface.


    As she finished her prayer, Kykla opened her eyes. Not that she hadn''t had important missions before, but rarely had this much depended on it. With the Krsnelv halting the talks before they even occurred, this trade agreement needed to happen. Or at least something of similar value. And Kykla would see that it would, no matter what she had to do for it.


    She sighed and let her arms fall down, the hands landing on the pillow next to her head, causing her earrings to chink. There were eleven of them in total, six on her right ear and five on the left. Absent-mindedly, she started to play with the lowest one on the right. It was by far the cheapest of the bunch, and also the oldest. It had been given to her by her first husband, Labro, during their wedding a long time ago. The two of them had known each other since early childhood. She still remembered the day he proposed to her. He had been so nervous that he had stumbled over his words many times over. Not that she had any intentions to refuse him. But Labro was not only her oldest husband, he was also the one she had her first daughter with. It was as if the goddess herself had wanted them to be together.


    However, their time together was bound to come to an end. His life had been long, but he was still a male, and thus had a significantly shorter lifespan than her. That was just how it was. With another sigh, Kykla got up from her bed, opened the door, and left her cabin. Besides her, there were in total six more people on the ship: two pilots, three attendants, and her personal assistant and everyman, Qeylo. While looking like a small entourage from the outside, it was actually fairly excessive for their current circumstances. Had she been a male, she would''ve gotten one pilot and one attendant tops.


    As she entered the bridge, everyone immediately turned towards her and bowed, which she patiently accepted before speaking.


    "Status?"


    "We are on schedule, Milady," one of the pilots answered. "About half a day left until we reach the jump point, and maybe two or three more after the hyperlane, depending on the current position of Hohmiy."


    "Alright. Carry on then," Kykla said in a neutral tone and left. It was only after she had closed the door behind her that she allowed herself to scoff. Two days. Probably even less if their ship didn''t have the cheapest engine and/or was more built for speed. The Vanaery''s luck was truly ridiculous. It wasn''t enough that their world gave them everything they could wish for, no, it was also almost directly next to a hyperlane entrance.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    What a joke!


    <hr>


    "Your Highness?"


    Startled, Silgvani needed a moment to orient herself. She was sitting at her desk, apparently having dozed off for a moment. It was dark outside, though she didn''t know for how long.


    "If I may," the maid in front of her suggested, "maybe it is time to call it a day."


    "Easy to say, but I still need to..."


    She took a glance at her datapad. The text she had produced had so many typos that it was basically incomprehensible gibberish.


    "Maybe you are right. I''ll retreat to my room, you are dismissed."


    With a bow, the maid left her alone. For a moment, Silgvani just sat there in silence, before standing up with a sigh. She clearly lacked the concentration to finish the draft for the contract, there was no point in wasting time on something she would have to redo tomorrow anyway.


    Though not everything was as demanding as it could''ve been. As it turned out, many of the nutrients Nadine needed were rather easy to acquire since they actually found use on Hohmiy. Just not normally for consumption, but for metalworking.


    Nadine...


    The princess''s thoughts once more trailed off towards the small alien. The doctor''s latest report just wouldn''t get out of her head. These "nightmares", as they apparently were called - how was one supposed to put up with getting tortured by their own brain? And according to the doctor, the report was very tame compared to Nadine''s own description. What in the name of the First Ones had this sweet girl done to deserve this? Because of her experiences on the Star Treader? Sure, it was widely known that being in a life-or-death situation, let alone killing someone, was a strain on one''s psyche, but this...


    And then, there was of course her age. According to the report, humans were considered of age at eighteen of their years, translating to around 29 of Hohmiy''s solar cycles, and fully mature by the time an average Vanary''s life was already over. That one she had real trouble comprehending. Nadine had a lifetime''s worth of experience but was only at the start of her life. However, it certainly explained why she acted immaturely sometimes and didn''t ask for help regarding her problems. Then again, could they even help her? Her mind seemed to work vastly different than theirs.


    Maybe she should try and talk to her? The doctor didn''t have much success with that, but with the newest info, she couldn''t just sit back and do nothing.


    I wonder if she is still awake.


    She decided to at least try and made her way to the east wing. This late, the palace had become fairly silent, for obvious reasons. Even more so in the east wing, since Nadine was currently the only resident there, and as such, not many servants were assigned to this area.


    As she reached the door Silgvani raised her hand to knock, but a dull thunk from inside the room made her startle.


    "Nadine?"


    Another impact. Not bothering to knock, the princess quickly opened the door. Inside the room, barely illuminated by the light of the stars, she could see the alien girl lying in her bed. Except that she wasn''t merely "lying" there. She was frantically rolling and thrashing around, throwing kicks and punches in every direction. Whenever she hit the bed instead of the air, the mattress was shaking wildly, making it clear how deadly those attacks were. On paper, it was more or less what Kiyrtin had described. In reality, witnessing it for herself was an absolutely terrifying sight.


    "Nadine!" the princess shouted as she turned on the light. "Nadine, wake up!"


    The alien girl shot up into a sitting position, eyes frantically darting left and right, trying to orient herself. Finally, she seemed to have a grasp on reality again, fixating her gaze on Silgvani while panting heavily. On top of that, she seemed to be drenched in some liquid, her hair sticking to her face. Slowly, she crawled to the edge of her bed, where the princess awaited her.


    "Just now... you had a "nightmare", right?"


    Nadine, now sitting on her knees at the edge of the mattress, said some words Silgvani didn''t understand. Right, she wasn''t wearing her translator.


    Should I get it for her?


    She glanced at the desk where the collar was, then back at Nadine, who was looking up at her with wet eyes, still panting. Silgvani wasn''t very good at reading her expressions yet, but it was clear to her that the girl, the seemingly frail alien who just a bit earlier could''ve accidentally killed her had she stepped too close, was terribly frightened. Even though every instinct, every fiber of her body screamed at her not to do it, to get away, the princess wrapped all four arms around the small alien and pulled her into a tight embrace.


    For a moment, Nadine didn''t react. Then she seemingly lost all strength and slumped forward, which Silgvani only barely managed to stop. The alien girl then closed her eyes and started to make some strange sounds, while liquid started to run down her face. Silgvani didn''t know what she was doing. She decided to simply let her while trying her best to balance her upright on her hip joints, knowing she could not hold her if she were to fall over. Sometimes, between the sounds, some more words in the alien''s language were said.


    She didn''t know how much time passed. But at some point, the small alien became quiet. After being given a slight nudge, she fell backward onto the bed, now seemingly sleeping calmly.

 Book 1 Chapter 19 - The Prince who cried Wolf

    "Why did you stop?" Silgvani asked the maid kneeling in front of her. Said maid was currently tasked with wiping down the princess''s body after her melt-molting had started sooner than expected. Originally, Silgvani had planned to quickly finish her work for today and then check up on Nadine. She had left the alien girl alone after she had fallen asleep yesterday night, and their last interaction seemed to have finally helped her. However, when her lower right arm had left a smear on her desk that plan was thwarted. Wiping off the tough, viscid goo her outer shell was currently turning into was a long and tedious process that probably wouldn''t be finished until lastmeal.


    "Because I''m done, Your Highness," the maid answered, throwing the dirty molting tissue she was holding in the bin and standing up.


    "What do you mean, you''re "done"? You just started. All you did was one arm and a part of my belly."


    "Yes, that was it. The rest isn''t melting yet."


    Confused, Silgvani looked down at herself. She was right, the rest of her body was still solid. As a test, she ran one hand over her face. Dry, both of them. Nothing on her body seemed to indicate a start of her molting, save the cavities on her lower right forearm and the side of her belly, where the new shell was visible now. Strange, that never happened before. Maybe the doctor knew something.


    "Your Highness, may I come in?" a voice interrupted her train of thought. It belonged to Vassahr, the steward. She dismissed the maid and called him in.


    "I just talked with your parents. They asked me to tell you that the bill draft you sent them was flawless. They will adopt it without any changes. Also, they said they would have loved to tell you in person and that you should call them more often."


    The Princess cocked her head.


    "Didn''t I call them right after I came back? That was just a couple of days ago!"


    "With all due respect, Your Highness, I doubt Their Majesties consider a verbal report to be a conversation with their daughter. A report that was missing a crucial detail, if I may remind you."


    "You may not, I already told you they will learn about Nadine when I deem it the right time. Also, I''m busy. Not to mention the time difference, they are literally on the other side of the planet after all."


    Which was deliberate, but that was beside the point.


    "Very well. Speaking of, they also offered to look for a partner for you in case you are too busy, as you yourself said."


    Silgvani sighed.


    "No, I will do so myself. If the topic comes up again, you can tell them I will start looking for one next solar cycle. Anything else?"


    "That is all," Vassahr answered with a bow and left.


    The doctor''s office was empty. Sigvani thought for a moment whether she should press the button to call her. Then again, this didn''t seem like an emergency. She was tired and had a slight headache, but otherwise, she was fine. Whatever caused this irregularity in her molting cycle, it didn''t seem to have any other immediate effects.


    Well, that at least meant she finally had a chance to check up on Nadine.


    And who knows, maybe the doctor is with her.


    Reaching the east wing, she found the door to Nadine''s room to be slightly open. From inside, she could hear the small alien talking to somebody. Her language lessons should already be over by now so that probably meant the doctor was indeed here. Lucky.


    She peeked inside to make sure she was not interrupting something important, only to be surprised. The alien girl was sitting cross-legged on the floor next to the bed. And across from her sat... Kiyrtin??


    "...but nobody came. "Wolf, wolf" the boy cried again, but still nobody came, and the boy was eaten with his sheep."


    A moment of silence followed before Kiyrtin spoke.


    "But... why did nobody come?"


    "They thought the boy was lying again."


    "But they couldn''t know that!"


    "No, but people see patterns. Imagine everyone would press that emergency button for no reason. At some point, Doc would just stop taking the receiver with her, thinking it''s just gonna be used to annoy her anyway. And then, you have a real emergency."


    Kiyrtin seemed to think for a while.


    "No one else ever did it though."


    "And if they start?"


    "They wouldn''t. My sister only hires people who aren''t fun."


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    "And what if they are acting? What if one secretly was... "fun"... but hid it so they could keep working here? What would you do if they pressed the button?"


    The young prince cocked his head.


    "Huh? What do you mean "what would I do"? They were the ones who did it."


    "You would still get blamed though."


    "B-but... I didn''t do it!"


    Nadine nodded.


    "Certainly. But be honest, who would believe you?"


    Kiyrtin didn''t respond. He probably knew the answer.


    "Like that," Nadine continued, "their fun would even get doubled because they could keep doing it and you will always get in trouble for it."


    "What is supposed to be fun about that?!" Kiyrtin shouted with a mixture of fright and anger. In response, the small alien leaned forward.


    "I don''t know. What is fun about risking a major political disaster?"


    "I-I... uh... i-it..."


    "Do you know what makes a good prank?" Nadine asked smiling. "Both laugh in the end."


    He looked up.


    "Can''t I only do boring things like that?"


    "You are clever. I''m sure you can figure something out."


    Another moment of silence followed, but finally, Kiyrtin nodded, stood up, and climbed out of the window. Nadine looked after him, while Silgvani just stood there flabbergasted. What did she just see?


    After a while, without turning her head, the small alien spoke.


    "Feel free to come in, Your Highness."


    The princess was startled. She didn''t even realize she had been staring, what drove her to display a behavior so unbefitting of her status? Embarrassed from being called out, she entered.


    "I deeply apologize. That was a shameful display of mine."


    "Woah woah, it wasn''t a big deal, Your Highness. Really, it''s fine. Just... well, your kind breathes quite loudly by human standards, so you were hard to miss. I can ignore it as background noise when we talk, that''s no problem, but if it''s quiet otherwise, it sticks out."


    Breathing? Does that even make a sound? And she can hear that from across the room??


    "Well, again, I apologize. I just... I''ve never seen anyone connect with Kiyrtin like that."


    Nadine''s gaze wandered back to the window.


    "Your brother, he... doesn''t have any friends, does he?"


    "...no."


    "And that''s not because of choice, but because of some political bullshit, right?"


    "I... am not familiar with that term, but if it means what I think, then... yes, you could say that. You see, to nobles, their children are not just offspring. They are the future of their clan, and to ensure that future, they make sure that their kids forge the right connections. But when Kiyrtin was born, I was already involved in politics, and by now, it is more or less guaranteed that I will inherit the throne, so the noble families see no point in engaging with him."


    Nadine nodded once, albeit in a seemingly deliberately slow way.


    "Rrright. And let me guess, it''s unbecoming of a noble child to play with commoners?"


    "Indeed."


    "And you? How much time do you spend with him?"


    "Not much. As I said, I was already busy when he was born, and the workload has only increased since then."


    "Well, then it''s no wonder he would end up that way."


    That last sentence confused the princess.


    "Wait, what has one to do with the other?"


    The alien girl looked at her with a tilted head.


    "Seriously? Think about it, whenever you scold him for his deeds, you give him exactly what he wants."


    "He likes being scolded?" Now she was even more confused.


    "Your attention!"


    With a sigh, Nadine leaned backward against the bed and looked up at the ceiling.


    "I''ve seen it often enough. No kid wants to be lonely, that seems to go for your species the same way as for mine. So they keep doing the thing that reliably ends that feeling. They might not enjoy getting scolded, but at least it validates their existence in a world that otherwise ignores them. And the fact that, due to his standing, he never faces any real consequences only expedites this."


    Silgvani was speechless. She had never heard of anything like that. Moments like this really hammered home that Nadine, despite being a child herself, was more than twice the princess''s age. Still, there was one thing about her reasoning that bugged the princess.


    "So... you are saying he is not to blame for his actions?"


    The alien''s gaze snapped to her again.


    "What? No! He is a spoiled brat who needs to learn some important lessons. Just... maybe try a different approach. Keep in mind that he is still a child. I know how that sounds considering I''m not much much older myself..."


    Yes, yes you are. Maybe now would be a good time to tell her?


    "... I mean, what is he, 10 years? Err, I mean... 17 cycles? My nephew is the same age. Before you ask, my grandma had a brother who was 20 years older, that''s why the generations in my family are a bit wacky. Anyway, I wouldn''t mind spending a bit of time with him, it''s not like there is much else I can do. And I''m technically a noble, so it should be fine, right?"


    Suddenly, her body straightened in realization.


    "Ah! I... s-shit, I''m sorry, Your Highness! That sounded way more accusing than I meant to!"


    "It''s fine, you don''t-"


    "No, I... argh, what am I doing? I had planned to thank you, I even took some notes of all the things I wanted to say, yet instead, I fault you for something for which you only have partial responsibility at best!"


    Silgvani closed the distance between them. She hesitated for a tigg - sitting on the floor really wasn''t something she should be seen doing - but eventually, she sat down across from Nadine, trying to imitate the strange way the small alien was sitting with her legs crossed. This had to be her first time sitting on the floor ever since she learned to walk. Maybe this was some Human tradition? No, that wasn''t important right now


    "Then how about we skip to that part?" she tried to calm Nadine down. "Though I am not sure what you want to thank me for."


    "Really? Because there definitely is more than one thing. But right now, I''m talking about yesterday. I... I really needed that. I didn''t think just talking about it, letting it all out would make such a difference, but it did."


    She lowered her head.


    "So, thank you. Thank you for being there for me. And thank you for listening to me."


    Right, better not tell her that she didn''t have her translator on.


    "So, are you... good now?" Silgvani asked carefully. Nadine shook her head.


    "It''s not that easy. I''m not a psychologist, but it''ll probably take a fairly long time until I''m "good", if I''ll even reach that point at all. But for now, I am... better. And that''s a lot more than I would''ve thought- huh? What''s that?" she interrupted herself and asked, pointing at the cavity in the princess''s belly.


    "Hm? Oh, this."


    Silgvani explained what had happened earlier, how her melt-molting had seemingly started, but immediately ended again for some reason. After hearing that, Nadine thought for a while.


    "I... think I might know what that is. You got time right now?"


    "What? Why would you... how do you even know... shouldn''t we just wait for the doctor to return?"


    But Nadine had already exited the room, seeming almost enthusiastic about it.


    "Ghundiy!" she could hear her call one of the maids.


    "Yes, Lady Nadine?"


    "I need you to fetch me a few things. And some helping hands. Also, see if you can find the Doc, just to be sure."


    A few seconds later, her head peeked in through the door again,


    "Are you coming, Your Highness?"

 Book 1 Chapter 20 - Partial Molting

    With a nod, Githaiy confirmed the contents of the last crate and marked the final set of her imports complete. Some of the substances had been quite expensive but, well, she wasn''t the one paying for them. She had been tasked to prepare for any medical emergency the Tystrie visitors might end up having. Sure, one would expect them to arrive with their own medical emergency kits - after all, that was just common sense when visiting another planet with different resources - but still, the princess wanted to make sure. Not to mention that one might also argue that it was the duty of a host to properly accommodate their guests. Especially since the Tystrie had a history of getting accidentally insulted by the king and queen before the princess took over. And as long as one could afford it, overpreparing was better than underpreparing.


    "Bring the boxes into my office, I will sort everything myself there," she ordered the servants and went back inside.


    Thank the First Ones we haven''t had any serious medical emergencies with Nadine so far.


    While her incredibly long life allowed the small alien to have knowledge in a vast array of fields, Githaiy doubted that her understanding of "general education" included detailed medical training. Of course, there was still the issue with her "nightmares", but the princess had mentioned she might''ve made some progress in that regard.


    A shame we couldn''t take her escape pod with us, our engineers would''ve loved that. Wait, if her pod was built with any competency, shouldn''t it have included a first-aid kit? Damn it, why do I only think of that now? That could''ve been invaluable!


    "Doctor Githaiy?"


    Upon hearing her name getting called, the doctor turned to find one of the palace''s maids standing next to her.


    "Lady Nadine requests your presence."


    "I''m coming. Did she specify the problem?"


    "No, but it''s not about her. It''s something with Her Highness. Though it didn''t appear to be an emergency, it would probably still be better to not let them wait for too long. They await your presence in the bathhouse."


    The bathhouse?? Was there an accident? No, she said it wasn''t an emergency. But why... well, only one way to find out.


    Even though the baths themself were not in use at the moment, the air inside the bathhouse was fairly warm and damp, and she soon found out the reason why. Nadine was in one of the rooms, and next to her was a line of wet towels that seemed to cover something. Also, Nadine looked wet as well for some reason.


    "What are you doing?" the doctor inquired, curious about the scenery in front of her.


    The alien girl looked up.


    "Ah, Doc! It''s about Her Highness, she seems to have partial molting. I had an idea how to help her, but I wanted to make sure it was just that, that''s why I called you."


    Not seeing how that related to the situation at hand, Githaiy decided to first stay on topic with her questions.


    "How come you know about partial molting? I thought your species doesn''t molt?"


    "Yes, but some animals on my homeworld do. It''s a bit different, they shed their old skin instead of melting it off, but the principle should be the same. I think. Anyway, I read that partial molting happens when the animal is under a lot of stress, which Her Highness definitely is. The hot towels apparently help, so I tried it."


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    The doctor glanced at the towels.


    "So Her Highness is..."


    "Yes."


    "I see."


    She sighed.


    "You can come out of there, Your Highness, this isn''t gonna do anything."


    Nadine''s cheerful expression shifted into one that appeared... disheartened? Her face truly had a lot of muscles, Githaiy needed to record all of these expressions at some point.


    "Was I wrong?" the small alien asked in an apologetic voice.


    "Fascinatingly, no. At least not entirely. Stress-induced partial molting is indeed a thing, and yes, Her Highness certainly is a prime candidate for that. The thing you got wrong is that the stress causes some parts to melt too LATE, not early. And... give me a moment..."


    Githaiy pulled out her datapad and opened the princess''s medical record.


    "Yes, Her Highness molted 3 cycles and 147 days ago, meaning while it is due soon, it shouldn''t happen until 40 days from now at its earliest, probably a bit later than that. Some body parts melting early can happen in old age when our shell as a whole has gotten softer, but she is way too young for that. I don''t even know what could cause that at her age, I need to examine that."


    "Oh. I see," she said in a dejected tone. "And I thought I could finally do something in return. Guess the towels won''t help then."


    "I at least never heard of that method. We treat partial molting by artificially melting the hard parts with a very mild acid. Some even use it to intentionally molt early. It''s debatable whether or not that is healthy, but sometimes people want to prevent it from happening during an inconvenient time. The new shell is usually developed far enough around one-third of a cycle before the molting occurs naturally, but one should still wait until... it..."


    The bathhouse got silent, except for the background noise of the servants working. A thought began to form in Githaiy''s mind as she recalled the results of some of her tests.


    "Doc? Still there?" Nadine''s voice pulled her back into reality.


    "You... wouldn''t happen to have recently had extensive physical contact with Her Highness, would you?"


    The alien girl cocked her head.


    "Yesterday night, yes. Why?"


    "And were you secreting while you did that?"


    She blinked.


    "...was I what?"


    "The tissues I analyzed, one of your discharges was slightly acidic. If that soaked in long enough... her current shell should be old enough, it could have the same effect as a molting tincture."


    Back then she had simply been intrigued by it, but in hindsight, she should''ve paid more attention to it. There were some plants that produced acid as a defense mechanism, but while she had never heard of animals doing the same, it wasn''t impossible.


    That seemed to click with Nadine, whose facial color got slightly redder.


    "Ah, the snot. Yes, I... was crying a bit. But the cavity covered half her abdomen, I didn''t... ah shit!"


    "You remembered something?"


    Before answering, Nadine swept her hand over her forehead and showed her the liquid that had accumulated there.


    "Sweat. My body uses it to regulate its temperature. I don''t know what factors influence its ph, but on average, it''s slightly acidic if I recall correctly. Depending on what your shell is made of, it could actually dissolve it. And last night, I woke up drenched."


    "I... don''t know the scale of the numbers you are referring to, but what you are basically saying is..."


    "... that I''m more or less covered in acid, yes. Uhm, b-but not that strong, as you said, probably just because her molting was close! I mean, nothing happened when you touched me."


    It sounded more like Nadine was trying to convince herself instead of the doctor, but Githaiy still nodded in affirmation.


    "True, but our contact was brief. Therefore we shouldn''t take any chances. I need you to give me some samples of all three of the secretions mentioned so we can be sure. And, Your Highness, I would like to ask you to come to my office so that I can examine the effects that were caused on your shell."


    She then realized that the princess was still lying under the towels.


    "Your Highness, as I said, this isn''t going to help. You can stand up."


    "..."


    "...Your Highness?"


    After receiving no reaction, Nadine approached her and lifted the towel covering the princess''s head.


    "I think she''s asleep."


    "Oh. Well, in that case, I take back what I said. While doing nothing regarding the molting, it did help her in some way."

 Book 1 Chapter 21 - Royal Greetings

    Seventh day after my arrival


    Dear Diary


    it''s now been I''ve been on Hohmiy for a week now. Or, well, it would be a week on a human calendar. The Vanaery don''t seem to divide their years further. Or "cycle" as they call it. They just date it like "54th day", no weeks, no months. Although, I guess defining months is probably tricky with three moons.


    All in all, I''ve started to settle in for now. My daily language lessons and the frequent talks with the doctor have kinda become routine already, but they are still interesting. I''ve also more or less come to terms with the fact that I''ll probably be spending at least the foreseeable future on this world. That is mostly thanks to everyone being so nice and welcoming to me. I don''t know if that is just part of their culture or if they all are like this because of the princess. Speaking of, she really is a great person. Even though she is insanely busy, she seems to always have time for me. It''s almost as if I''ve got a loving big sister. I know she would deny it, but I can never repay her for what she''s done for me. Well, maybe if I save her life a few more times. ^^


    <hr>


    Kyirtin could hear Nadine chuckle about something. He was currently sitting under her open window, ready to jump up. He didn''t know what she was doing right now, but whatever it was, it seemed to distract her, so that was his cue. This time, he would manage to surprise her, this time he''d definitely...


    "Can I help you, Your Highness?"


    "OH, COME ON!"


    As the young prince looked up, he stared directly into the gleaming gemstones that were Nadine''s eyes, her long hair falling down the sides of her face as she stuck her head out of the window. He didn''t even get startled anymore when this happened, it was just frustrating at this point.


    "How do you always notice me? The attendants never find me!" he asked as he stood up. Nadine''s mouth made the movement he had learned was called a "smile".


    "Well, then I guess human hearing is better than a Vanaery''s. As I have already told you, I can literally hear you breathe. And your steps aren''t exactly silent either, at least by my standards."


    "Then what am I supposed to do? It''s not like I can stop breathing!"


    "Then maybe it is time to stop trying something that''s evidently futile, Your Highness."


    "Never! I swear by the First Ones, I will get you one day."


    Nadine chuckled again before stepping away from the window to let him climb in.


    "And you can drop the "Your Highness", I hate how stiff that makes everything! And you are also no subject of ours."


    "Wouldn''t... that go against etiquette?" the alien girl asked carefully.


    "Screw etiquette, I''m not gonna be king anyways. And no one is going to hear it if it''s just the two of us, so who cares? Would you feel better if I ordered you to speak informally?"


    Her smile reappeared.


    "Order? I''m no subject of yours though."


    Okay, now she was just messing with him. But fine, two could play that game. He straightened his posture, put his lower two arms behind his back, and crossed the upper ones before his torso.


    "Well, if that''s how we''re gonna do things, then I guess it is due that we catch up on our proper introductions. I am Kiyrtin of Clan Kiyron, son of King Kiyrta and Queen Mirvani, and 2nd Prince of Hohmiy," he flawlessly regurgitated the words he had had to memorize countless times. Nadine just looked at him for a moment, before bursting into laughter.


    "Okay, okay. You made your point."


    "Oh no, forget it! You had your chance, now it''s your turn!"


    "Hmm... sure. Let''s see if I can do it like in the movies."


    Her face went into a neutral expression as she bowed her head and slightly lifted the edges of her skirt with her hands, as well as putting one leg before the other and arching them.


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    "I greet His Highness, Kiyrtin of Hohmiy, Prince of the Vanaery."


    The sudden change in her demeanor completely caught him off guard. The regal aura surrounding her now was such a stark contrast to her usual casualness that he was at a loss for words.


    "I am Nadine Valentina Esmeralda Anastasia von Klot of House Heydenfeldt, daughter of Karl-Heinz and Sarina von Klot of House Heydenfeldt. I am honored to make your acquaintance."


    "...say what now?"


    "I am-"


    "STOP! I understood you, but... what by the First Ones was that? Was that all your name? Is that normal for humans?"


    She now straightened her posture and folded her hands in front of her body.


    "Mankind is spread throughout a multitude of different cultures and languages, and naming conventions thus are manifold. And even within these conventions, capriciousness often takes the reigns of those..."


    "Okay, y-you win, just stop it!"


    Nadine slightly tilted her head.


    "Has this one displeased-"


    "No, you haven''t, j-just stop talking like that!"


    Only now did Kiyrtin realize that he was shouting. And panting. How did it come to this? Nadine was half a head shorter than him and got completely dwarfed by adults. How was she able to radiate such a crushing presence?


    "Sorry, I couldn''t resist," she laughed. And just like that, it was gone. She was back to being nothing more than the strange alien his sister had picked up.


    "Seriously, do you always introduce yourself like that?"


    "Of course not," she chuckled. "I just say my first name, and even if I have to introduce myself in full, I leave out the middle names. Although I write them sometimes if I wanna flex. And I never say my parents'' names, I just did that because you did. But jokes aside, my parents did go a bit off the rails with my names, it is not common where I''m from."


    Relieved, he chimed in on her laughter. "You know that you don''t always have to one-up me, right?"


    "I''m not trying to."


    "That''s even worse!" he joked. He then noticed a strange drawing on her desk. It wasn''t a simple sketch, but a detailed technical drawing, similar to those he did when planning one of his contraptions. Except it wasn''t something mechanical. It was a long, thin object with a curve and a wing-like cross-section, with seemingly no moving parts. Why go so into detail for something that was basically a glorified stick? Or was it part of something bigger?


    "What''s that?"


    "Oh, just a boomerang. It''s an ancient hunting weapon of my people. Well, at least if by "my people" you mean all of humanity. Nowadays it''s only used for sports. That specific version is called a kylie I think. Last year, my parents and I went to a hotel that had a range for those. It was fun, and dare I say I was pretty good. Anyway, the topic came up by chance when I was talking to your sister, and she offered to have one built so I don''t have to sit in my room all day."


    Kiyrtin''s head perked up at that remark.


    "If you''re bored, we could do some things! Can you climb?"


    "In this gravity? Definitely."


    "Then I know some great places, follow me!"


    He was already halfway out of the window before Nadine had the chance to answer.


    "Sorry, but your sister wanted to speak with me. But it shouldn''t take too long, so maybe later. See ya... Kiyrtin."


    <hr>


    "You wanted to talk, Your Highness?"


    Silgvani nodded.


    "I believe I already told you that we are expecting visitors?"


    "Yes, the Tys...trie?"


    "Correct, their ambassador is scheduled to arrive soon. We received word that they left the hyperlane, so subtracting the time the message took to reach us, they should be here in two days."


    She leaned forward and crossed her hands.


    "Just to make this clear, I do not plan to restrict you in any way. I believe it to be for the best to not yet announce that we made contact with a new species. But ultimately, that is your decision to make, as right now you are the one representing humans," she explained as she shifted her position. "It''s no problem if a commoner on this planet sees you. Most of them see at best one other species in their life, they won''t notice that you are a new contact. Except of course our servants, but they are all in on this and trustworthy. But if an ambassador or their entourage sees you, that''s a different story."


    "So... I need to hide in my room?"


    That got a chuckle out of the princess.


    "No, don''t worry about that. They''re not gonna stay in the palace."


    "Huh? I thought the whole purpose of this palace was to greet and house guests."


    "Normally, you''d be correct. But the palace is too big relative to the number of people living here. Their religious dogma, therefore, forbids them from sleeping here. They will only be here during negotiations, so as long as you don''t go into the west wing, all should be good."


    The small alien cocked her head.


    "That''s an... oddly specific rule."


    "True, but that''s how it is. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that usable space is scarce on their planet. But either way, they take their beliefs very seriously, so they will be housed elsewhere. Considering our history with them, I don''t want them to feel insulted again."


    Nadine made a questioning expression.


    "Insult? Did that happen often?"


    "Not intentionally, and also not to me. It is just..." she sighed. "Well, you''ll meet them sooner or later anyway, so I might as well tell you now. My parents are... not good with words."


    "As in, they are not good speakers?"


    "No, as in, I guarantee you that when you eventually meet them, they will say something inappropriate within the first five sentences and not even realize it. They are competent rulers - and I know I shouldn''t say something like that about my parents - but diplomatically, they are a disaster waiting to happen."


    "Both of them?"


    "Both of them. Maybe it''s because they grew up together. And with the Tystrie it was especially bad. I can''t even count how many concessions we had to make to them before I took over our foreign politics. My parents mean no harm, but they never think before they speak. And they never learn. It is no coincidence that I meet guests on the literal other side of the planet."

 Book 1 Chapter 22 - Lets jaunt

    With a slight thud, Liyzo landed the shuttle on its designated platform next to the entrance of the Star Palace. Of course, saying that he landed it was a bit much considering almost all was done by the assistant. Not that he was complaining. A couple of generations prior, him learning how to fly a shuttle would''ve been unthinkable. He was a mechanic, not a pilot, and no one had the lifetime to spare it would take to master two professions. Nowadays though, at least simple vehicles like shuttles were pretty much entirely controlled by the computer. As such, learning how to fly one was a matter of two to three days.


    Still, even computers were never 100% perfect, so he still allowed himself a sigh of relief as he exited the vessel. After all the trouble he had gotten through to get this thing ready, the last thing he needed was something going wrong on the very day the ambassador was expected to arrive. At least while he was still in it. But now he had parked it, and some of the palace attendants had seen him do so and then leave. In other words, something happening now would neither be his fault nor his problem.


    "Hey, aren''t you... err... gimme a sec... Laso?" a voice called out from behind him. A soft, gentle voice he very much recognized.


    "Almost, Milady," he answered as he turned around to Lady Nadine, "it is Liyzo."


    The alien noblewoman seemed to have just exited the palace and was now coming down the stairs of the main entrance toward him, framed by two of the royal guards. She was also carrying a huge box on her back that was easily double her height. Why was she carrying it and not the guards?


    "Can I be of your assistance?" he asked with a bow. He was not gonna repeat his mistake from last time, that much was for sure. The foreigner''s expression changed for a moment - what it meant, he could not tell - before she started speaking again, pointing in the shuttle.


    "You wouldn''t happen to have another one of those lying around?"


    Doesn''t she have one already? he wondered. That was strange, considering it was common courtesy to give foreign guests a shuttle for their free use upon arrival.


    "I am sorry, but I''m just a mechanic. I do not have the authority..." before he could finish, Nadine held up a document - a physical one at that - which stated that she could pick any free shuttle of her liking, signed by Her Highness herself.


    "Very well. We have quite a few of them, but I''ll have to check if there are free ones ready to use, please give me a Moment."


    As he went down to the hangars, Liyzo wondered what he might have gotten himself into this time. Not that he had anything against Lady Nadine, but there were just so many strange things surrounding her. Why did she act so much like a commoner? Why did he never see her with her own attendants or guards? And now she was asking for something she should''ve gotten at her arrival, yet she didn''t seem to be particularly bothered by it.


    As he checked the console, there was indeed one that was marked as ready. While shuttles meant for guests usually received an extra inspection right before handing it over, this one hadn''t been used since its last check-up and fueling, so it should be fine. Technically, it was a breach of protocol, but royal orders overrode that, so it wasn''t his problem.


    He quickly made his way to it and flew back up to the palace''s entrance. As he landed, he realized the group had grown by one, and just a moment later, he recognized Prince Kiyrtin.


    "Sure, I don''t mind," Lady Nadine said, seemingly answering a question. "But how come... ah, wait, let me guess. Your sister asked you to not be here when the guests arrive."


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    "She didn''t exactly ask," the young prince retorted "but yeah. Also, she took my tools away and I couldn''t get them back yet."


    "Didn''t those belong to the palace?"


    "Which belongs to the royal family, so also to me."


    "I''m not sure it works that way."


    The prince merely shrugged.


    "Your shuttle, Milady," Liyzo said with a bow after they were done while quietly hoping that this would be it. A hope that didn''t last long.


    "Thank you! Say, uh, I''d also need a pilot, are you free right now? O-only if you have nothing to do of course!" she hastily added. While he stayed quiet, Liyzo sighed in his mind. Many of the palace''s servants were just as trained in piloting a shuttle as he was, why didn''t she just ask any of them? Or did she possibly not know that and just asked him because she saw him fly it?


    Actually, now that he thought about it, why was he so against it? Sure, there was still a lot of work to do, but nothing specifically required him to do it. As long as he was acting under orders, he had an excuse. Not to mention, wherever she wanted to go, she would probably stay for a while and then come back, meaning he himself would have paid free time in between.


    "Nothing that can''t be postponed, Milady. Where do you want me to bring you?"


    "The... uh... umm... what was that forest called again?"


    "The Suam Forest, Milady," one of the Guards reminded her.


    "Right, thanks. Yeah, the Suam Forest."


    Liyzo entered the cockpit and opened the navigation. The Suam Forest was actually quite a bit away, meaning this would probably take all day.


    Welp, that''s the payback for last time Hertin, he thought as he informed his coworker about the extra work he would have to do, that he was "sorry", but that he''d been "ordered" by a noble so there was "nothing he could do about it".


    <hr>


    A knock on her cabin door awoke Kykla from her sleep. "We are almost there", she could hear Qeylo''s voice from the other side of the metallic gateway. The matriarch stood up from her mattress and donned her ceremonial garments before letting her assistant in. Since he would also be acting as her guard during her stay, he was now with full combat gear and weapon holstered.


    "Well then," she said raising her arms upward. "May the Goddess watch over this meeting, and may she make Silgvani be reasonable."


    Qeylo nodded. "Yes, indeed. Let us hope for the best."


    "But also prepare for the worst," Kykla added. "She is, unfortunately, not her parents, so we might need our... insurance. Have your "friends" contacted you already?"


    "They have, shortly after we got in range," he confirmed, pulling out a datapad. "They did have some interesting intel for me. A few days ago, when the princess returned from her visit to the planet Hsvegplia, she seemingly left the secure routes for reasons unknown. They were attacked, and while they were able to win the fight, pretty much all her guards died."


    That was certainly interesting. It didn''t directly connect to the situation at hand, but every piece of information was of value.


    "Did your contact know who the attacker was?"


    "Unfortunately, no. But there was no diplomatic fallout afterward, so the process of elimination would point toward the Kiroscha. I mean, you know how her parents are, if it was anyone in the alliance there would be one member less now."


    That was certainly true. The alliance was mainly a pact of non-aggression, paired with some joint operations like guarding the hyperlane entrances. But pretty much all parties of the alliance had been at some point at war with each other, not to mention the large, fittingly named alliance war a couple of generations prior that had ultimately led to this pact. There was still a lot of distrust, which was also the reason why the negotiations of every new interplanetary trade agreement were each a war in and of themselves. Were it not for the threat of the Kiroscha, the alliance would''ve probably crumbled by now. And while the King and Queen of Hohmiy were overall pretty easy-going, they were VERY protective of their children. Had another alliance member attacked Silgvani, they would''ve sent out their armada without a second thought. And while news traveled slowly across space, Qeylo''s contact would''ve definitely known that.


    "But that is not the important part," Qeylo continued and showed her a photograph. "One of the dead guards had a wife called Kaiyla. She belongs to a former noble clan that fell from grace just two generations prior. Normally, she works as a maid at the Sun Palace, but she was amongst others sent to the Star Palace to help with the increased workload our visit brings. Judging by her gossip, she seems to be not very approving of the way the princess handles things. If we play our cards right, she might be convinced that the princess ascending to the throne could run... contrary to her interests."


    "I play the cards, Qeylo," Kykla reminded him, "so you just focus on dealing them."


    He bowed.


    "Of course, Milady."

 Book 1 Chapter 23 - Seeds of doubt

    "Before we land," Kykla addressed her attendants and pilots, "I want to take some precautions: while we are on Hohmiy, I will do the talking. And I mean all the talking. You are not to interact with any Vanaery in any way, shape, or form. You will never talk to each other with your translator on, and even then you will make 100% sure no Vanaery is in hearing distance. If you are ever in a situation where interaction is inevitable, you will only say the bare minimum of what is necessary and then end said interaction. Is that clear?"


    The men bowed.


    "Yes, Milady."


    "Good. Because we can''t risk one of you slipping up. If the Vanaery were to learn about the dire situation our homeworld is in, that we desperately need new trade agreements, and that almost all attempts to get them failed, they would hold all the cards. They could literally demand anything from me in the negotiation, and I would have to comply with what would no doubt be the most one-sided agreement in history. And after that, we might as well declare ourselves Vanaery''s slaves, because in the best case we would have to dance in the palm of their hand for all eternity, or the entire alliance learns of our desperation and we end up getting bled dry by everybody."


    She picked up a translator, put it around her neck, and stood up.


    "So whenever you open your mouth, do not think of the execution that is going to await you if you mess up. Think about after that, when you will stand before the Goddess, how you will explain to her that it was you who sealed the demise of her people!"


    The Cyto landed and opened the gangway. Qeylo walked right next to Kykla, with her three servants right behind them, as they exited their ship and stepped onto the floor of the spaceport. The princess and her entourage were already waiting for them, her above-average height making her stand out among the rest of her kind. Most Vanaery were slightly shorter than female Tystrie, but Silgvani was actually taller than her. Next to the princess, the men who accompanied Kykla looked even shorter than they already were. The Tystrie matriarch was not used to having to look up to her conversation partner, and she most certainly didn''t enjoy it. Of course, she couldn''t exactly demand a royal to bow down to her, so she begrudgingly accepted the facts.


    "My greetings, Lady Kykla. May the light of the Goddess shine upon you."


    "As it may upon you", she answered. By now, Kykla knew about the princess''s diligence, so she was no longer surprised that she knew their traditional greeting, including the corresponding hand gestures - even if they looked a bit awkward with her four hands. Likewise, it would be futile to expect her to offer a bed in that ridiculously huge palace of hers or make a similar slip-up that she could claim to have taken insult from.


    "We have prepared a cottage for you to stay in, as well as a shuttle to get around. Feel free to take your time to make yourself at home. Once you are ready, I will expect you for lastmeal at the star palace. We prepared a wide variety of food, including the knvietas as it is tradition."


    She took a step back and was now standing behind the two maids flanking her. Females who were servants were another thing the matriarch would probably never get used to, no matter how many alien cultures she visited.


    "These are Kaiyla and Sivara. They will attend to your needs for the duration of your stay. Should you require more, just ask."


    Kykla''s tail twitched slightly as she heard the name. Kaiyla. That was the one from the photograph. Well, wasn''t that lucky.


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    "That is very gracious of you, Your Highness," Kykla thanked her with faked gratitude. "But I do not plan to exploit your hospitality with a behavior so lavish that I would require that many servants on top of my own."


    She then addressed the maid on the left.


    "Kaiyla was it, yes?"


    "Correct, Milady."


    "Can you fly a shuttle?", she asked, already knowing the answer.


    "I can, Milady."


    "Very well." She turned back to the princess. "Then this one shall suffice."


    The princess accepted her proposition without further comment, followed by some meaningless wishes for a good stay.


    After the formalities were done, Kykla and her entourage entered the shuttle, while Kaiyla manned the cockpit. She waited until they reached the accommodations, and while the other servants unloaded everything, she pulled Kaiyla to the side. It was time to start preparing her backup plan.


    "Can I help you, Milady?"


    "Oh, nothing important," Kykla assured her with faked casualness. "But the other servants are more than enough for such a menial task, so I would like you to instead help me pass the time and engage in some conversation. You see, I was curious about something I heard. Is it true that Vanaery women only take one husband?"


    "I am sorry, Milady, I do not know what that term means."


    "Ah, right, you don''t marry before the... anyway it''s basically another word for a male partner."


    "I see. Then yes, we partner only once," she said without the slightest hint of curiosity about the fact that it was apparently unusual for the Tystrie. Well, she was a professional after all. But Kykla didn''t plan on letting the conversation end there.


    "Fascinating! And here I thought I was modest with just eleven husbands!"


    Finally, the maid''s facade cracked.


    "Eleven??" she asked confused, realizing her breach of etiquette right after. "My apologies, Lady Kykla, but you surprised me."


    "No offense taken. But yes, I have eleven husbands. You see, I am quite busy due to my position, so I''m keeping it low. Although I''m thinking about looking for a twelfth one, even if it is just to stop my colleague from rubbing in my face that she has twice as many husbands as me despite being younger."


    "Is... is it normal for your women to have twenty partners? Apologies, I mean husbands."


    And with that, Kykla had awoken her curiosity.


    "Well, it depends on their age. When a female leaves the juvenile age, she usually takes on her first husband to become a matriarch. After that, she gradually increases the number as time goes by. Most stop at around twenty-four to twenty-seven."


    "Please excuse my question, but doesn''t... doesn''t that lead to awkward situations?"


    Kykla shrugged. "Well, I guess from your perspective, it might seem awkward that my eldest son is older than my youngest husband, but to us, that is normal. Female Tytrie live almost twice as long as the males, after all. But despite being barely an adult, my youngest husband is an eager one. And he has already given me a cute little son."


    "L-lady Kykla, if I may ask: how many children have you birthed?"


    "Only thirty-seven so far," Kykla answered nonchalantly and ignored the maid flinching at the number. "But among them are two daughters, the older one soon reaching adolescence. My family is truly blessed."


    "Is that... remarkable?"


    "Indeed. Usually, one is considered lucky if there is one daughter among fifty sons. That is why a daughter is both the goal and greatest treasure of each family. But I have two. It is as if the Goddess herself is watching over me. But enough about me, what about your family? How is it to partner only once?"


    The maid''s gaze fell.


    "I... I am sorry, Milady, but... my partner died not long ago."


    "Oh no! My deepest condolences. What happened to him?"


    "He was a member of Her Highness, Princess Silgvani''s guards. He fell when their ship was attacked a couple of days ago."


    "Ah, yes, I heard about the attack. Then I hope you can find peace in the knowledge that he died as a hero, I... I am sure Her Highness had good reasons to leave the secure routes. I mean, she wouldn''t just risk her people''s lives for nothing, right? I apologize for making you remember this. Feel free to retreat for the day and collect yourself."


    "I... thank you, Milady."


    The maid bowed and retreated to the servant quarters of the cottage.


    With this, the seed was planted, pressing further would not help her for now. She needed to be patient, slowly nurturing the growing discontent with the princess. Satisfied, Kykla went back to the others, leaving her soon-to-be ally alone in her grief.

 Book 1 Chapter 24 - Everything-Eater

    "What''s that?" Kiyrtin asked intrigued as Nadine placed the large box on the floor of the shuttle''s passenger space. He had no idea where they were heading but it was a nice coincidence that Nadine was going on a trip. Actually, why hadn''t she asked him to come with her from the beginning?


    "That''s a freezer," the alien answered.


    A freezer? Weren''t those heavy? He had heard that Nadine was a fair bit stronger than a Vanaery, but he didn''t know by how much. Then again, he also didn''t know how much freezers weighed, "heavy" could mean a lot of things after all. Also, weren''t there portable freezers? Maybe it was one of those. But it was pretty big.


    "Oh, you brought food?"


    If she was bringing that much with her, maybe she planned to go for a few days? In that case, he probably should''ve told one of the maids he was going somewhere.


    Whatever, Sis told me to stay away from the palace today, and that''s what I''m doing! Wait, where could we possibly go to where there wouldn''t be food? She mentioned a forest, but she isn''t planning on sleeping in the shuttle, right?


    Now that he thought about it, something about his sister had been odd today. Sure, she had been strict as ever, but the way she talked had been somewhat... different.


    "It''s not for food. Err, no, I mean, it is for food, but not to bring food with me. I''m out to... well, get some."


    "Huh? So, what, you are just going to buy groceries?" That revelation kind of killed his excitement. "Why not just send some attendants?"


    "Because I''m not going to buy it, I... the thing is..."


    Nadine hesitated, seemingly looking for the right words for whatever she was trying to convey.


    "... do you know the term "carnivore"?"


    "No, what''s that?"


    "It is... it describes an animal that eats other animals."


    "Oh, you mean meat-eater?"


    The alien girl blinked a few times at his statement before turning to one of her guards.


    "Does it get translated when I say carnivore?"


    "It sounds like a word of our language," one of the guards answered, "but I don''t know the term either. I also know them as meat-eaters. But I''m no biologist, so I don''t know the jargon."


    After hearing this, Nadine seemed strangely puzzled for a moment, although Kiyrtin didn''t understand why.


    "Okay, well, anyway, my kind - humans - are what is called omnivores. Our diet is extensive, but it includes meat."


    "You''re a meat-eater?" That was certainly a strange thought. Kiyrtin had seen dead animals before, they were always super smelly. Did Nadine really eat that? And shouldn''t her room smell like that if she did?


    "Not exactly," she retorted. "As I said, I''m an omniv... everything-eater. That means I can eat both meat and plants. And you have some pretty good ones. Especially those weird sweet lemons, the guthra fruits. And I''m still convinced that I can do something with those tubers that taste like flour, erm... tikro! Anyway, my point is that there are certain things my body needs that are most easily obtained through meat. I don''t have to eat meat, in fact, one can do completely without if they know what they are doing. The problem is that I don''t know what I''m doing because I''m on an alien planet. And Doc also doesn''t know everything. So, meat it is."


    "Everything-eater, huh?" Kiyrtin had never heard of that before. "Okay, but what does that have to do with going to the Suam Forest?"


    "Well, since I can''t just go and buy some ham in your stores, Doc went through the local fauna and came to the conclusion that the best candidate is an animal called cariyca. They live there. In other words..." She took a deep breath. "In other words, I''m gonna go hunting," she said with a noticeable shaking in her voice. Something the guards seemed to have picked up on as well.


    "If you are uncomfortable, Milady, we can take it out for you if you wish. Just give us the order," one of them offered while tapping his gun. But Nadine shook her head.


    "I can''t ask you to do that, you don''t even eat meat. I mean, isn''t me eating meat repulsive to you? I''m ordering you to answer that honestly by the way."


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    "...well," the other guard said after a delay. "I will agree that the thought is... bizarre, but it''s not like we Vanaery are beyond killing animals for our gain. Sure, to us they are resources for materials rather than food, but that''s honestly not much of a difference if you ask me, Milady."


    Nadine nodded.


    "I see. Still, I''ll do it myself. After what happened..." She raised her shaking hand, clenching it into a fist in an attempt to control it. "I just... feel like I have to do this, to take responsibility. Not just for the hunt, but also... I... I..."


    Her shoulders rose and fell as if her breathing was growing heavier. Her eyes opened wide as she grabbed her forehead, before throwing a punch with the ball of her fist at the encasing of the passenger space. The impact was followed by the ringing of vibrating metal that made the young prince flinch. Interestingly, Nadine''s hand didn''t seem injured. Kiyrtin had climbed - and fallen - often enough to know that metal was normally not very kind when it stopped something in motion.


    "Everything alright back there?" their pilot asked through the speaker.


    "Yes, don''t worry Liyzo!" With that, Nadine leaned back in her seat, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Sorry guys, I''d like to leave it at that."


    Kiyrtin was curious what all of that was about, but it was clear that she didn''t want to talk about it.


    The rest of their flight was not exactly exciting. It would take a while to reach their destination, and since there was nothing to do, it didn''t take long before Kiyrtin was bored. The only thing he had with him was his datapad, and that mainly contained his study material. Time would show when he would be bored enough to look at that. Not to mention that Nadine also looked like she could use some distraction. But how? Maybe she knew a story? Although he didn''t really want to risk hearing another scary one. He could ask her things about her home world. But the last time he did that, it led to her explaining what a "wolf" was, which made him unsure if he even wanted to know more about a planet where a creature like that didn''t only exist but wasn''t something all too noteworthy.


    Human cities must all look like fortresses.


    After he cautiously voiced his boredom, Nadine offered a game called "I Spy". It sounded fun at first, but it became dull rather quickly once they realized they were way too fast and way too high up to point at things outside, and there wasn''t exactly much inside the shuttle to see. It was followed by a few other ideas that all fell through for the same or similar reasons, like something called the "alphabet game" which didn''t work through her translator. But in the end, each failed attempt bought some time, and after a few invas, they reached the forest.


    "Are you not coming, Liyzo?" Nadine asked as they stepped onto the grassy ground. Kiyrtin had been in a variety of gardens so far, but this was the first time he was out in nature like this. In front of them, a tall, wide forest threw its shadows.


    "I''d rather not leave the shuttle unguarded, Milady."


    "I see. Makes sense, I guess."


    Flanked by the two guards, they made their way through the trees. Some looked very old and great for climbing. Kiyrtin wasn''t sure if he should try it though. They were actually quite a bit apart, so the terrain wasn''t very difficult and they could see pretty far.


    "How do you plan on hunting, anyway? Do you have a gun?" He at least assumed that''s how one would hunt, most animals he knew were way too hard to catch otherwise.


    "Your guns are too big for my hands, not to mention I never used one. I have this though," Nadine answered and pulled something from the scabbard on her back. It was a strange, curved object, that he recognized from the drawing in her room: a boomerang.


    "There probably would be better options, but as far as weapons go, this is the only one I ever used, and I didn''t want to start any experiments right now."


    "Oh, right, you said that was a hunting weapon. Can I see?"


    The alien girl nodded and gave it to him. It was actually heavier than he expected, but holding it was no problem if he used all four hands. However, as he examined it, he just grew more confused. There were no mechanisms, no discernable functions whatsoever. It was just a stick with a strange shape.


    "How do you kill something with that?"


    "Well, you throw it."


    Throw? That was it? To test it, Kiyrtin threw the object forward, and with a thud!, it hit the forest''s floor in front of him in the most unspectacular fashion imaginable.


    Well, I guess you can knock something out if that hits the head. It''s probably meant to be dropped from a certain height. Maybe I''m finally going to see her climb, we wanted to do that anyway. But why then is the shape so important that she needed to make a mechanical drawing?


    "Kiyrtin," Nadine said, cocking her head. "I thought you were supposed to be a prince, not a court jester."


    "What? What''s that supposed to mean? You said to throw it!"


    "Yes, throw. Not drop."


    "Well, then how am I supposed to do it?"


    To that, she thought for a moment.


    "Hm, I actually don''t know if you are strong enough... well, no harm in trying. Okay, first, hold it in just one hand... or since you have four, two might also work. But hold it just with the arms on one side of your body."


    Following her instruction, he held the boomerang in his two right hands. There was no way he could do that with just one.


    "No, you need to hold it the other way. No, the other other way."


    "Could you be a bit clearer?"


    "Here, this side up, curve in that direction."


    She stepped behind him and gently encased one of his hands with her own, her torso touching his back. It was the first time Kiyrtin was so close to her, and he just now realized how warm she was. It felt strangely nice how her warmth embraced him from behind. She then slowly moved, carefully guiding his arms.


    "No move it like this. Make sure to stay horizontal. Slice the horizon, and then let go."


    "Why horizontal?"


    "If you don''t stay level, it''ll curve. Sometimes you want that, but you need a lot of training before you can hit curve throws, that''s no beginner stuff. ...yes, like that. Now do that as fast as you can, then let go."


    And so, he did. The boomerang spun two times, then hit the floor a few lynes away from him.


    "Yeah, as expected," Nadine commented as she picked it up.


    "What do you mean? I did exactly what you said!"


    "Mhm, your form looked good. But you simply lack the..." Suddenly, she stopped talking, and her gaze seemed to fixate on something further into the forest.

 Book 1 Chapter 25 - On the hunt

    "Lack the what? Where are you looking?"


    Instead of answering, Nadine did a strange gesture, laying one finger on her mouth, before pointing deeper into the forest. Following her gaze, he at first saw nothing, but after a moment, something moved between the trees. Shortly after, a tall animal came into view maybe 300 lynes away from them. It walked on six legs, the body thin on each end with a wide midsection. Its broad head sat on an elongated throat, which he used to reach a low-hanging twig and gnaw off some leaves. Kiyrtin couldn''t remember ever seeing this type of animal, but that didn''t mean much. He had only been taught about those which were of economic importance to his people. Was that a... how had Nadine called it? Cariyca?


    "Is that the one you were looking for?"


    "Psht!"


    "Sorry, what?"


    "PSHT!"


    "Why are you hissing?"


    Suddenly, the cariyca jerked its head around. Spotting the four of them, it then turned around and ran away. A moment of silence followed before Nadine took a deep breath.


    "I wasn''t "hissing" Kiyrtin, I was telling you to be quiet."


    "Hissing means "be quiet"?"


    "It''s not hiss- yes, that''s what it means."


    "How am I supposed to know that?"


    The alien girl sighed.


    "True, I guess you couldn''t have known that, but you still could''ve been quiet by yourself."


    "Why though?"


    As he finished the question, Nadine''s eyes opened a bit farther as she stared at him. She then quietly turned her head, looking at the point where the cariyca had stood. Then back at him, and back into the forest again.


    "THAT''S why!"


    "Animals run away when you talk?" Now he was even more confused. Sure, technically, the cariyca had been right to run away, they were trying to kill it after all. But it didn''t know that, it was just an animal.


    "They run away when they get startled. And talking loudly is usually a good way to achieve that."


    "The onrics in the stables never did that!" While he hadn''t seen many animals in person, he was sure that was something he would''ve remembered.


    "Yes, because domesticated animals know they are safe. Not to mention you can''t exactly run away when you are locked in a stable."


    Oh, right. Makes sense.


    "Well, no point in crying over spilled milk. Just remember to be quiet the next time we see it. We are not familiar with this forest, so I''d prefer not to do persistence hunting."


    She then turned to the two guards.


    "Do you have anything we could mark the trees with? I''d like to avoid getting lost."


    The guards seemed to think for a moment before firing a few shots into the nearest tree trunk.


    "What is the thing you just said?" Kiyrtin wondered. "The thing you wanna avoid?"


    "Persistence hunting? That''s basically the oldest hunting method in the book. The idea is simple: intentionally make your prey run away and then chase it until it collapses."


    What? That''s it?


    "That sounds dumb! What if you collapse first?"


    "Well, that''s exactly the trick. You see, we humans can regulate our temperature more effectively than other species, which gives us increased endurance. Because of that, we outlast most animals."


    "Still sounds dumb!"


    "Oh, does it now?"


    Suddenly, Nadine turned towards him and closed the distance between them in an instant. Startled, Kiyrtin tried to step backward, but his back hit the wide trunk of a large tree.


    "Then why don''t you try to get away from me?" she asked, looming over him. Well, not literally over him, he was still half a head taller than her, but the presence she radiated made it feel like that was reversed.


    "But I must warn you," she continued. She was now leaning against the tree behind him, her hands left and right of him pushing against the trunk.


    "Running away from a human rarely ends well."


    The size difference was no longer just a feeling, somehow, her head was literally above his.


    "Even if you outspeed me, I will always catch up."


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    She angled her arms, getting her even closer.


    "Even if you shake me off, you will always leave tracks I can trace."


    Her face was now directly in front of him, and he could feel the warmth of her body. A warmth that had previously been giving him a gentle, soothing feeling, but was now almost suffocating him. Even the shimmering gemstones that were her eyes somehow looked menacing now.


    "And even if you hide, I will always find you, because..."


    Her mouth was now directly next to his auditory hole, and as she opened it again, no voice came out. She didn''t talk, just exhaled. Yet somehow, he could hear her say words within that exhalation.


    "...I can hear you breathe."


    What was going on? He very well knew that she was just teasing him - again - but why was it so different this time? Why couldn''t he move? Why was his heart beating so fast? Why was she suddenly taller than him?


    With a burst of laughter, the alien girl stepped away from him, and by doing so, pulled him out of his stupor.


    "I''m, sorry. That was a bit much."


    Only now did Kiyrtin realize that he was sitting at the tree''s foot. At some point, his knees had seemingly given in without him noticing.


    "What did you do at the end there?" he asked after he had pulled himself together. "How can you speak without voice?"


    "It''s called "whispering". Humans do it if they want to speak without getting heard by others. I guess Vanaery form words differently than humans do considering you don''t have lips, so I''d guess you can''t do it. Would that even work?"


    She then moved her mouth without saying anything. When he gave her a confused look, she nodded.


    "Yup, thought so. Your hearing isn''t good enough, just now you probably wouldn''t have heard me either had I not been right next to your head. Alright, let''s see if I can do tracking!"


    He watched as Nadine began looking at the ground for some reason. Oh, she was probably looking for tracks. Still, it was difficult to forget the feeling from just now. Just how many more surprises did Nadine have in store for him?


    <hr>


    Silgvani straightened her posture as the servant placed the next plate on the table. It was the last dish planned for this day, a single set of knvietas. These peculiar fruits often grew in pairs that would end up intertwined with each other, but not conjoined. The name literally translated "embracing fruit", and they were a holy symbol of the Goddess''s love as she embraced her creation.


    That was at least what the Tystrie believed. As far as Silgvani was concerned, she was simply glad that their tradition only dictated that they had to share it on the first day of their meeting. Knvietas were an absolute pain to store, and even if one did everything right they would still spoil very quickly. Even freezing them didn''t help, on the contrary, it made them inedible. Well, inedible for a Tystrie at least, a Vaneary couldn''t eat them in either state. For that reason, what was now in the middle of the table wasn''t an actual pair of knvietas. Instead, it was just a single one. Its partner had been removed and replaced with an artificial one, molded from a hardened dough and made to look like the real thing. Refusing to share the fruit with the ambassador would''ve not only been considered a grave insult but could in the worst case be interpreted as the princess mocking or even renouncing the peace between them. Thankfully, even the devout Tystrie agreed that the symbolic meaning of the imitation was enough.


    However, that wasn''t the only thing she needed to look out for. As the Tystrie had a different culture and valued different things, sentences that seemed normal or harmless in a vacuum could end up being understood completely differently. For example, if her guest had been a noble of her own country, she would have by now asked whether or not everything was to their satisfaction or something like that. After all, it was expected from a host to make sure the guests were tended to. However, would she have given the ambassador the same question, it would have carried a very different meaning. In Tystrie culture, a host didn''t ask if anything was alright. They knew it was. Or, if it wasn''t, they wouldn''t need to ask, because they already knew that there was a problem and would work to fix it instead of asking. As such, in asking the ambassador if everything was alright, Silgvani would effectively say that she didn''t trust her abilities as a host.


    Similar problems could arise with certain smalltalks. Asking "Did you have a pleasant journey?" would either mean that she doubted the comfort - which, since the ambassador had arrived on her own ship, would express that she questioned the Tystrie''s ability to build proper ships - or the security - which, since the Vanaery were the ones safeguarding that route, would express that she questioned the abilities of her own soldiers. Things would be different were a third, not present party involved; however, since Hohmiy and Eroas had a direct hyperlane connection, that wasn''t the case.


    All of this was a result of a central belief: if someone''s steps were guided by the Goddess, they had the confidence not to question themself. If they weren''t, they shouldn''t make decisions in the first place. As such, someone who showed doubt was considered to walk the wrong path.


    Of course, Silgvani had no obligation to put up with this. It was the Tystrie who had offered to enter negotiations for a new treaty, and she would have had any right to refuse. In fact, many had advised her to do exactly that. They said the chances for a treaty that was worth the effort were too low, that they didn''t have enough to gain. And they were right. But Silgvani hadn''t told them - or anyone, really - the true reason why she had agreed to the negotiations. The reason was the very thing that came to everyone''s mind first when they thought of the Tystrie: titanium. The metal was used in many things, and the Tystrie sat on an entire planet full of it. They had been selling it to basically everyone in the alliance, and the Vanaery couldn''t have created their great fleet so easily without it. But over the course of two generations, things had suddenly changed. The Tystrie had become more and more reluctant to sell their ore, slowly letting their trade agreements run out without renewing them. It hadn''t been obvious from the get-go. Communication past the Hyperlanes was difficult, so most races thought another one had struck a better deal. And when it finally came out they blocked all questions, simply stating that "it was their decision what happened with their resources." While that was certainly true, it was also very suspicious. The fact that they completely refused to let any outsider visit them didn''t help. Various rumors followed, many voices accusing them of secretly building up an army or other ulterior motives.


    The princess herself wasn''t sure what to make of this. Why the secrecy? Threats like the Kiroscha were a valid reason to bolster up one''s forces, there was no reason to hide it. However, they were clearly hiding SOMETHING. If not, why cut off the main source of their wealth? And why then keep trying to get treaties that aren''t even close to being as beneficial as the old ones for either side? That was what Silgvani was after. The ideal scenario would be to get the ambassador in a situation where she had to admit the truth. Or, to be precise, the IDEAL situation would be to get a new deal for metal shipments on top of that. But even if that couldn''t be done, she needed to at least know whether or not the Tystrie''s secrecy hid something that could be a threat to her people. That information was definitely worth the stress and troubles she had gone through for this meeting.


    "May the Goddess''s love embrace us," Ambassador Kykla started the traditional phrase and picked up the real half of the knvietas pair, pointing the fake one at the princess.


    "And may her light shine upon us, so we may meet in harmony and without discord," Silgvani finished before both of them simultaneously took a bite.

 Book 1 Chapter 26 - Dont sweat it

    "I''m huuungryyyy," Kiyrtin whined as they kept plodding through the forest. He had no idea how long he had been following Nadine, but it was certainly past the time for lastmeal by now.


    "I brought some guthra fruits, they''re in the shuttle. You can have them once we get back. But I told you from the start that this trip would take a while."


    "But not... THIS long!" he panted. "Also, my legs hurt!"


    Kiyrtin definitely didn''t consider himself unathletic. He frequently climbed and ran, but he had never been just walking for this long. And it wasn''t just his legs. He was out of breath, and his entire body felt hot.


    "Well, this COULD have been over already, but you had to startle the cariyca." Nadine seemed to be completely unfazed by the long walk. While she did look a bit different - her face was slightly redder, and glistening drops of some strange liquid had started to appear on her skin - she showed no signs of actual exhaustion. By now, Kiyrtin no longer doubted her claims of high endurance.


    But despite her dismissive tone, the alien girl stopped and turned around.


    "How about you two?" she asked the guards.


    "Don''t worry about us, Milady. We... can still go." While the two seemed in better shape than Kiyrtin - they were trained soldiers after all - their exhaustion was still noticeable.


    "I see. We''re going back."


    Finally! Wait, no, going back? That means walking the same distance again! First Ones, I''m not gonna survive that!


    But before he could say anything Nadine turned her back toward Kiyrtin, squatted down, and held her arms in a strange angle.


    "Alright, piggyback!"


    "What back?" Kiyrtin asked, cocking his head in confusion. "What are you doing?"


    "Waiting for you to get on."


    "Get on with what?"


    She stood up and looked at him, raising one of the patches of hair that grew above her eyes.


    "Were you never carried?"


    "Yes! I mean no! I mean, when I was a kid..."


    "You''re still a kid."


    "S-so are you!" At least he thought she was. He did at least remember overhearing his sister and the doctor calling her a child.


    "Yeah, I am. Your point?"


    A few seconds of silence followed after which she sighed.


    "Kiyrtin, look, staying here is not an option. Either I carry you back to the shuttle, or you walk. What will it be?"


    "..."


    <hr>


    "What do you mean, gone?" Silgvani asked much louder than planned. The ambassador of the Tystrie had just left, her shuttle was out of sight, and the princess thought the stress was over at least for today. But right then, Mhita came running and dropped this bombshell.


    "I mean that we can''t find him, Your Highness," the head maid explained. "While we admittedly kept the search discrete so our guests wouldn''t notice, he couldn''t be this elusive. But as it stands, your brother was served firstmeal, and was not seen again afterward."


    "Could he be hiding somewhere? He is quite good at that."


    "Certainly," the maid acknowledged. "However, he usually only does that for a short while in order to pull off some prank or sneak somewhere he is not supposed to be. Not the entire day. Plus, we checked all the prohibited places he likes to go, and he also hasn''t done anything today that would be a reason to hide from us, at least nothing I''m aware of. And even if, he definitely wouldn''t miss lastmeal."


    Well, wasn''t that just great! Where could Kiyrtin be? Before the ambassador arrived, Silgvani had told him not to show himself to her, so maybe... "Could he have left the palace?"


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    "If he did, he didn''t use any of the gates, none of the guards saw him. We also went to the shuttle hangar, but he didn''t request a flight either. Unless we have a significant breach in our security, he must still be around."


    "Did you check the kitchen?"


    "I actually was waiting there until now, I was sure he would show up."


    "Are any guards missing?"


    By the First Ones, he should at least be smart enough not to go out without an escort!


    "Only two, but I was informed they were accompanying Lady Nadine."


    "Nadine? Oh, right, I remember, she wanted to go hunting today. Wait, could he maybe have gone with her?"


    Mhita was silent for a Moment. "I... can''t rule out the possibility. Considering all realistic options, that is the only one left. But that would be alarming in and of itself. Two high-priority targets are way too much for just two guards."


    Silgvani let out a sigh of relief.


    "Don''t worry. You should have seen what happened on the Star Treader. Search the palace and the gardens again just to be sure, but if he is really with Nadine, then his security shouldn''t be of concern. It might sound hard to believe, but we can trust that he is safe with her."


    <hr>


    Something was wrong. However, Kiyrtin couldn''t really put his finger on what exactly. The situation as a total was strange, sure but it was not what felt wrong.


    Sure, being carried was a bit embarrassing at his age. After all, he was almost five cycles old. However, the way Nadine carried him was different, so that didn''t count. He was sitting on her back, his legs resting on her arms, while he held onto her shoulders to balance himself. It was also a showcase of the alien girl''s strength. Kiyrtin was certain that he wouldn''t be able to carry someone of his own height, yet Nadine did so with seemingly no effort. That meant she was not only strong compared to a Vanaery of her size, she was strong compared to any Vanaery. Not that he was so heavy an adult couldn''t carry him, but surely not as nonchalantly as she did.


    Another interesting thing about Nadine was her soft skin. He knew there were races in the alliance that lacked a shell, but this was the first time he had such close contact with one. While Nadine''s clothing covered more of her body than his did, most of her back was still free, so he could feel how it slightly gave in under his weight. He could feel hard things beneath it - probably what she had instead of a shell. What was that called again? As she walked, he could also feel some things shift and move under her skin. Were those muscles?


    Then, there was that strange liquid. It had started to appear on her skin after they had walked for a while, in synch with her face getting redder. It felt weird when he touched it the first time, but after sitting on her back for some time, he didn''t mind that it was there anymore. On the contrary: the long walk had made his body turn quite hot, but wherever the liquid was on him, that part of his body had cooled off quickly. All of that was bizarre, for sure, but none of it was what felt "wrong".


    In fact, he didn''t feel like he could complain at all. The forest had been interesting at first, but they hadn''t met a single other animal after the first one, so it had grown boring quickly. But that was no longer a problem since they were going back. Neither was his exhaustion since Nadine was carrying him. And sure, he was hungry, but he would get something to eat as soon as- wait.


    "You said you had guthra fruits in the shuttle, right?"


    "Yes?"


    "Didn''t you say that you didn''t bring food with you?"


    "No, I said the freezer wasn''t for bringing food with me."


    Had she really said it like that? Well, it didn''t really matter in the end. No, that wasn''t what was bugging him either. But something was off, he couldn''t shake off that feeling. But what? Sure, things weren''t ideal, but Nadine did her best to...


    ...Nadine. That was the problem. She had come here to find things she needed and couldn''t acquire by just buying them. This wasn''t a fun trip for her. He had just insisted on coming with her.


    But she had said it was fine, right? She said she didn''t mind.


    That didn''t change the result though. He had made it about him.


    But what now? I can''t just make the cariyca come back.


    What he could do though...


    "Hey, um...," he started, his voice so weak that it nearly failed him. It was almost as if he subconsciously didn''t want her to hear him. If so, his subconsciousness clearly forgot the alien girl''s insanely good hearing.


    "Yes?"


    "I, err... I''m sorry."


    "What for?" she asked, and while it was possible that it was due to the translator, she didn''t sound like she meant that sarcastically.


    "For, well, this. If I had just stayed at the palace, you would already have your food and be on your way home."


    A moment of silence followed before Nadine took a deep breath and answered.


    "What happened was... unfortunate. But despite what I said, I''m not blaming you. I''ve never hunted before, so I honestly, didn''t expect to succeed first try. Also, I just did a few test throws with the boomerang to get warm with it, so chances are that I would''ve missed it anyway. Not to mention that you aren''t the only one who is exhausted, Rhinkus and Quiyrra are as well."


    "Who?"


    "Our guards."


    She even knows THEIR names?


    "Anyway, unlike you, they wouldn''t have voiced their exhaustion in time, and I probably wouldn''t have noticed until it would''ve been too late. They would''ve tried to keep up with me without thinking of saving strength for the way back."


    She then raised her voice a little.


    "Which was really stupid, by the way! I don''t know your limits, you have to tell me something like that! If you don''t want to "inconvenience" me, think about what you two collapsing would''ve spelled! So yeah, from that perspective, you actually did something good. Anyway, it is what it is, so don''t sweat it."


    "Don''t what?"


    "Sweat. Ah, right, you don''t do that. Don''t think about it, it''s just a figure of speech. But if you wanna know, remember what I said about regulating my body temperature? Sweat is... sweat..."


    She abruptly came to a halt.


    "FUCK!!"

 Book 1 Chapter 27 - Opportunity

    The sudden outcry of a word that didn¡¯t get translated startled Kiyrtin. "Huh? What?"


    "Get off me!"


    "What''s wrong?"


    "When is your next melt-molting?" Nadine pressed without acknowledging his confusion.


    "Err, on the risk of repeating myself: what?" What kind of question was that? Why would anyone ask that out of nowhere?"


    "Your next melt-molting, when is it due?!"


    "How would I know?"


    "How WOULDN''T you??!! It''s your body!!"


    "And? Do you know when you will have to go to the toilet the next time? It just happens when it happens, everything else is the doctor''s job," he retorted as he climbed off her back. Well, what he said wasn''t entirely true. He had been waiting for his first molting to occur for quite some time now, it was frustrating that it took him so long.


    Still, what exactly was she going on about? Did she want him to get off because she was finally getting tired? But why ask about his molting cycle then?


    "Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Maybe..." She palpated her clothes. "No, too soaked already, crap!"


    "Is there a problem, Milady?" One of the guards asked, not having missed the alien girl''s apparent panic.


    "You!" she shouted looking at them. "Your armor vests, do they absorb liquids?"


    "Err... no?"


    "Damn it! What else could we..." She ran to the nearest bush, ripped off some leaves, and gave them to him. "Can you try to wipe yourself dry with those?"


    "Nadine, calm down! What by the First Ones are you going on about?!"


    That at least seemed to halt her. The alien girl hesitated for a moment, before swiping one hand over her left arm and raising her spread fingers. Small, clear droplets dribbled down.


    "See that? That is sweat. My body produces it to regulate its temperature, that is the main reason for my high endurance."


    Right, the stuff had cooled him down as well. He remembered his main problem being his body heating up, but if she could prevent the problem like this, it all made sense.


    "Neat," he commented.


    "Certainly, but here comes the not-so-neat part: this stuff dissolves your carapace!"


    A long silence, filled with blank stares from both him and the guards followed.


    "You... you are messing with me again, right?" he finally managed to ask.


    "DO I LOOK LIKE I''M JOKING RIGHT NOW??!!"


    No, she definitely didn''t. When she was teasing him, she was always calm and collected. In fact, he couldn''t remember any point where she seemed as panicked as she was now. But... could this really be true? If so, what was going to happen to him? His entire front body was full of her sweat! Looking at the leaves in his hand, he tried to wipe it off. But while he did manage to get the bigger droplets, the wetness as a whole stayed.


    "I can''t get it off completely."


    "Do you really have no idea when your next melt-molting is?"


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    "No! I didn''t even have my first molting yet. All I know is that it''s supposed to happen in the near future."


    That much, he mainly knew because the maids wouldn¡¯t shut up about it. The first molting meant reaching adolescence after all, while the second one meant entering adulthood. Nadine took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm herself down.


    "Okay, to be fair, we don''t know for sure if it actually is the sweat, we just got there by process of elimination. Let''s hope "near future" means within the next seventy days or so, then the new shell should''ve already finished forming. Said Doc. If that''s the case, you''ll just end up molting sooner than planned. In fact, Doc theorized that I can only dissolve your exoskeleton when it''s already getting soft due to molting being close, but I''d prefer not to test that one."


    "So... what now?"


    Nadine looked at the ground and dejectedly shrugged.


    "Back to the shuttle, back to the palace, get you checked up ASAP, and while doing so hope for the best I guess. Have you recovered a bit?"


    "I should be able to walk the rest of the way."


    As they got near the clearing where they had landed, Nadine abruptly halted once again. He was just about to ask, but as Kiyrtin followed her line of sight, he saw it himself: a cariyca, possibly even the same they had seen before, was right in front of the shuttle. Its left side pointed towards them, while the head was buried in the passenger space.


    "What is that thing doing there?" Kiyrtin asked, doing his best to keep his voice low this time.


    "Don''t know, maybe we''re not the only ones who like guthra fruits?"


    "But why is the door open in the first place?" one of the guards added quietly, but with audible anger. "What is our pilot doing?"


    To that, Nadine seemed to squint her eyes. Kiyrtin wasn''t exactly sure what that was supposed to achieve.


    "By the looks of it: sleeping."


    Seriously? he thought. So much about guarding the shuttle. Then again, this was a unique chance.


    "Well then, go for it."


    Surprised, Nadine turned her head toward him.


    "You sure? We''re kind of in a hurry."


    "It''ll take us multiple invas to get back anyway, now give it at least a try so this wasn''t completely pointless. I don''t feel any different, I''m probably fine anyway."


    Huh, did he really just say that? He hadn''t really thought about his words, but in retrospect, it didn''t really sound like him. After a moment, Nadine nodded.


    "Okay, I''ll give it a shot."


    She then turned to the guards.


    "I know I said I''ll do it myself, but if I don''t hit right, I might just wound it. In that case, please finish it off. I don''t want to cause it to unnecessarily suffer. If I miss and it runs, leave it be."


    She then pulled the boomerang out of her scabbard and slowly edged closer toward the cariyca. however, she was still over a hundred lynes away when she stopped. Despite their situation, the only thing Kiyrtin felt at the moment was curiosity. After having held it himself, he was intrigued to see how the fancy stick was supposed to kill such a large animal. It was an open field, so she clearly didn''t plan to just drop it on its head like he originally thought. But what else could she do? It was so primitive with no mechanisms, he still didn''t understand how it was even supposed to be a weapon. Especially considering how far away she still was. She had shown him how to use it, sure, but he apparently had done something wrong. However, she had never told him what it was supposed to look like, only that ideally, she needed to hit the head or neck. The former was impossible right now as the head of the creature was inside the shuttle, but a bit of neck was still visible.


    Seemingly unfazed by the still large distance to her prey, Nadine assumed the same pose she had taught him and held it for a moment. Then, like a spring that was wound up to its maximum let loose, her arm snapped forward and let go of her weapon. The boomerang flew, no, shot forward, spinning so fast it almost looked like a disc. In an instant, it had bridged the distance. But the alien girl''s aim had been off, instead of the neck, she only managed to hit the loin.


    Not that it mattered. With a force that rivaled a kinetic canon, the weapon smashed into its target. The blunt impact was so brutal that the cariyca''s body around the point of collision burst open, causing its blood to splatter against the hull of the shuttle. With a loud cry, the large animal stumbled back, but his body no longer had the integrity necessary to support its own weight. With an ugly cracking sound, it fell on its side, causing the tear in its loin to rip open further. As it hit the ground, a large portion of its organs were pushed out through the gaping hole, and with them, the remainder of its life force quickly left it as well. Only a motionless cadaver remained.


    Whether its quick death was caused by the injury itself or something else, Kiyrtin couldn''t tell. Thinking straight, in general, had become difficult at the moment. He just stood there frozen and stared motionlessly at the scene, trying to comprehend what he had just witnessed. The very same was true for the guards left and right of him, and even Nadine herself. However, the alien girl seemed to regain her composure quicker than him.


    "Ah, right. I, uh, kinda didn''t consider that this thing was made to kill earth animals."

 Book 1 Chapter 28 - Dismantling

    A blood-curdling howl tore Liyzo out of his nap. As he shot up in his seat, he could hear the dull sound of something heavy falling over. Looking around in his sleep-drunken confusion, he spotted a huge splat of blood on the left-side window of the cockpit. For First-Ones-know-how-long he was just sitting there, blankly staring at the bright orange stain. He didn''t understand what was going on. Was someone injured? But that was so much blood! Was this an attack? But by whom? Should he fly off?


    It was only after he saw movement outside that he managed to pull himself together. Crouching down and pressing himself against the casing, he made sure that someone looking in wouldn''t see him. Then, he confirmed that the cockpit was locked and couldn''t be opened from outside. After a few moments, voices became audible. They didn''t sound rushed or in any form stressed, on the contrary. He waited a bit longer, but still, nothing seemed to happen, so he slowly raised his head.


    Through a still clean spot in the window, he could see Lady Nadine next to the shuttle''s passenger door. The alien noblewoman seemingly just stood there looking at the ground. Her mouth was pressed tightly shut and her hands were visibly shaking. Shortly after she balled her fists and hit them together before letting her arms fall down again. What was she doing? Finally, she took a deep breath, squatted down, and disappeared from his field of vision.


    Confused, Liyzo opened the cockpit. He was immediately hit by an awful smell that definitely couldn''t be explained by just the blood on the window.


    "Okay, let''s do this! Please tell me I didn''t rupture any digestive organs!"


    Following Nadine''s voice, he found her hunched over what looked like the carcass of some large animal. Judging by the gigantic wound in its side, the blood probably came from it, and the stench''s origin then was the creature''s organs spilling out from it. Taking another deep breath, the alien noblewoman pushed her fingers into the wound, and with seemingly no effort, tore the entire side of the beast open.


    Liyzo fell back into his seat and closed the cockpit. He did not need to see whatever this was.


    "Okay, come on, you can do this!"


    Though apparently, he had to hear it.


    "Nothing with feces in it has burst, so far so good. Let''s see..."


    Some shuffling noises, followed by what sounded like a lot of wet things hitting the ground.


    "Huh, that actually somewhat worked. Ah, shoot. That''s not a stomach, is it?"


    "Do you... need help, Milady?" One of the guards asked with a suppressed gagging noise.


    "Actually yes, can you shoot this part? Maybe that''ll cauterize it."


    Gunshot.


    "Haaah, well good enough. Wait, does this even fit in the freezer?"


    "I''m afraid not, Milady."


    "Shit. Erm, okay, maybe without the legs."


    Six times the sound of something snapping, followed by a tearing noise.


    "Are you done yet? Can I look again?" He heard the prince ask.


    "One sec! Argh, damn it! Okay, Rhinkus, hold the lid open, I''ll try and squash the middle."


    A loud Crunch!, followed by the sound of someone vomiting.


    "Maybe- ugh... without the head, Milady?"


    "I don''t know. That thing''s brain seems to be in the head, so the throat should contain an artery with a lot of blood in it. We don''t have the time to bleed it out, Kiyrtin needs to see the doctor. Okay, different plan, I''ll just take out some pieces that look good, and the rest we''ll leave here. You go and get Kiyrtin. Okay, where is the knife..."


    Why didn''t she use the knife from the start? Well, at least this time he didn''t have to listen to ripping sounds. What he instead heard shortly after was a knock on the window.


    "Morning, sleeping beauty!" Nadine said when he opened, whatever that was supposed to mean. "Can you make everything ready? We need to get back."


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    "Um... as you wish Milady," Liyzo answered, deciding the best course of action was to simply not comment on what was happening around him. He was simply glad that the passenger space was separated from him so he at least wouldn''t need to smell blood the entire fight. He fired up the engine, checked the instruments, and...


    "Uh-oh."


    Nadine''s head once again appeared next to him.


    "Err, that''s not something you want to hear your pilot say. What''s wrong?"


    "Um, give me a moment Milady."


    Liyzo exited the cockpit - to the right - walked to the back of the shuttle and crouched down. Only to realize that by now, the entire ground was covered in animal blood. Screw it, this was more important. Ignoring the gross wetness he felt on his back, Liyzo slid under the shuttle and opened the casing. Everything looked fine, nothing to even indicate a leak. But how else... Hertin.


    Blood dripped from his back as he stood up again and faced Nadine.


    "Milady, I''m afraid we have a problem."


    "I noticed, what''s wrong? We need to get back quickly."


    "Yeah, well, that will be difficult, Milady. You see, it seems like... someone... borrowed this shuttle without authorization. And without recording it. In other words, this shuttle was marked as having a full tank. Even though it didn''t have one."


    "What?!" one of the guards shouted. "Are you serious?! You took two of the most high-priority people on the planet on a flight without checking the fuel?!"


    "As I said it was marked as fueled. Though that is not an excuse, I agree that I should have checked myself. I am deeply sorry, Milady."


    Nadine sighed.


    "We can talk about blame later, for now, it is what it is. What''s the fastest way to get back now?"


    "Well, we can call the palace, but the new shuttle will take about as much time as it took us. The same goes for calling a tanker."


    "How much do we have left? Is there a fueling station in reach?"


    "I doubt it, we''re too far away from any city. Maybe there is a noble residence somewhere if we''re lucky. One moment."


    He went back to the cockpit and checked the navigation system.


    "North of here is a small village. It''s unlikely that we''ll find fuel there, but we should have enough to reach it."


    She nodded.


    "Better than nothing. Then let''s get going. While we do, call a new shuttle, and tell them to bring Doc with them. Err, I mean, doctor Githaiy."


    <hr>


    "It stinks," Kiyrtin noted. He had tried his best to keep quiet, but the blood covering Nadine, the Guards, and a good portion of the passenger space really started to reek like a dead animal. He was glad he didn''t get any of the stuff on him. The smell reminded him of the last solar cycle when he had found one of the onrics in their stable dead. He once again wondered how Nadine planned to eat something that smelled so gross.


    "Yes, this day certainly didn''t go as planned," Nadine answered sounding tired.


    "How is that village called again?" He asked, mainly to distract himself from the stench. Looking out of the window, he could already see it. It was really small, maybe a hundred houses or so.


    "I think Liyzo called it Voriyg or something like that. Let''s hope they have some sort of express shuttle in the palace so we don''t have to wait too long."


    "Can''t we just borrow a shuttle? Why are you even so sure that they don''t have fuel? They also need to get around somehow."


    "Somehow, yes," one of the guards explained, "but not with shuttles. Commoners can''t afford that, Your Highness. And the few who can wouldn''t live here."


    They landed in a free area next to the village''s entrance. Kiyrtin had never seen houses like this. They looked completely different than the ones in the cities - even those which were owned by commoners. They were tiny, and he saw multiple oddities on most of the houses that he was pretty sure were damages rather than style choices.


    "Looks pretty run-down," Nadine murmured, having noticed it as well.


    "Why don''t they repair it?" Kiyrtin wondered. Who would want to live in something so shabby?


    "Because repairs cost money, Your Highness. Not everybody has that," the guard said again. What had Nadine called him? Rhinkus? Or was that the other one? "From the looks of it, this is probably a double-taxed village."


    Nadine abruptly halted.


    "Double-taxed? What is that supposed to mean?"


    "Well," the guard clarified, "as the name implies, they pay double the taxes. You see, during and after the unification war, there was a lot of land that needed to be distributed among the new lords. Back then, King Kiyron was pressed for time as he had to organize the new kingdom. Because of that, the distribution ended up being a bit sloppy. To this day, it sometimes happens that a noble re-evaluates his fiefdom and notices some errors, causing the borders to move a bit. In some cases, that means the border now runs right through a town. And since the town now belongs to two fiefdoms, both lords have a right to tax the inhabitants."


    "How the hell does THAT make sense?!"


    "Why would anyone want to live somewhere like that?" Kiyrtin added to Nadine''s outcry.


    "They don''t, which is why they move away. At least those who can afford it. But not everybody can. Due to that, the town bleeds its middle-class citizens, leaving the poorer ones behind who then have it even harder."


    "Why do you know all of that? Aren''t you a guard? Why are you educated in politics?"


    "I am not, Your Highness. I happen to know this because my hometown was the same. Though we were somewhat lucky. Most of the richer people lived in the same area. Once everyone from there was gone, we demolished their old houses, so the town no longer crossed the border."


    "That''s still bullshit!" Nadine pointed out. "Why are there no safety nets for that?!"


    She took a deep breath.


    "Well, it''ll still take a few hours - sorry, invas - till our new shuttle arrives, so let''s hope they still have their doctor. After that, we should look for somewhere to clean ourselves and grab something to eat."


    Right, after everything, Kiyrtin had almost forgotten his hunger. Although, the slight stinging in his abdomen didn''t really feel like hunger. As he rubbed his hand over his belly, he could feel something wet and sticky.


    "Oh, he, look! My first melt-molting!" he proudly proclaimed as he raised his hand. Then he realized that the stuff sticking to his hand wasn''t his melted shell. It was blood.

 Book 1 Chapter 29 - Dont touch me

    Trees were rushing by below them as Githaiy''s shuttle made its way eastward. While she was waiting for them to finally reach their destination, she took a look out of the window, watching the rural towns framed by fields and some patches of mostly untouched nature fly by. She hadn''t spent all her life in the big city - she used to grow up in a smaller town - but this was probably her first time going this far into the outskirts.


    At this point, I have probably seen more of other planets than my own. It is kind of ironic.


    Unfortunately, most things she saw were quickly gone again so she couldn''t see many details. Maybe this was an idea to spend her next day off. Not that she believed she would take one any time soon. Either way, for now, she was here for her job.


    However, she wasn''t completely sure what exactly her job was supposed to be this time. She had just been in her office when a servant came in and told her she was needed. Apparently, there had been some complications with Nadine''s shuttle and she had requested both pickup and Githaiy coming with it. Why exactly that was, the servant didn''t know as the pilot hadn''t told him. On one hand, that didn''t make it sound like an emergency. On the other hand, if it wasn''t an emergency, why had Nadine asked for her to come? She could''ve just gone to her when she returned.


    Maybe there is a local who needs medical attention?


    A noble she might be, but due to their societal differences, Nadine''s mindset was closer to that of a commoner. She probably didn''t even think of what it would mean to call a royal physician to treat some villager. Not that Githaiy couldn''t understand her. Everyone who needed it deserved medical attention, and if said villager really had no access to a common doctor - for whatever reason - she wouldn''t just turn her back to them.


    If push comes to shove, I can just say Nadine called me to make sure she didn''t contract anything from them. And it''s not like the other nobles are surveilling me, as long as I don''t spark any rumors it should be fine.


    Unfortunately, that still didn''t tell her what exactly she was needed for. She had brought her emergency bag with her, which contained most of the things frequently needed, so unless it was some rare illness or something that needed surgery, she should be able to provide at least some help.


    "Why are we slowing down?" she asked the pilot through the speaker as the shuttle decelerated. Instead of the Suam Forrest, they were above a village she didn''t know.


    "Those are the coordinates I was given, Doctor," came the response. She opened the map on her datapad. The Suam Forest was about six thousand invas south of here, and this place wasn''t even on the beeline from the palace to there. Had they made a detour? But why?


    As the ground came closer she could see someone standing on the road, waving at them. Was he trying to get their attention? Apparently so, because as they landed, he came rushing toward them.


    "Are you Doctor Githaiy?" he asked before the shuttle''s door was even fully open.


    "Um, yes?" she responded slightly confused.


    "Finally! Quick, follow me!"


    "Wait!"


    Githaiy stopped the man before he could run off. She then lowered the shuttle''s ramp so her bag could roll out. The whole thing was far too heavy for her to carry, so it was mounted on motorized wheels and programmed to follow her automatically when she wore the corresponding bracelet and could even be directed through hand movements. It had been a costly investment by the princess, but one that had proved its worth.


    "Who are you, anyway?" She asked when they finally started to move.


    "You can call me Hereck. I work for Doctor Naiyko."


    Wait, so there is a doctor here? For what am I needed then?


    In the light of dusk, the two of them made their way through the village. Clearly slower than Hereck would''ve liked, but the road was badly maintained so Githaiy''s bag cart couldn''t go very fast. After what the assistant''s hurry made feel like an eternity, they reached a run-down building that the sign above the door identified as Doctor Naiyko''s clinic. The state the house was in didn''t spark much hope in her.


    "Doctor!" Hereck called as they entered. "She''s here!"


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    A door opened next to the counter and a male Vanaery who looked like he was twice Githaiy''s age stuck his head out.


    "Are you her?"


    "Presumably. I am Githaiy of House Trocu, royal physician and in service of Princess Silgvani. What''s going on?"


    That seemed to catch the old doctor off guard.


    "Royal physician? How... no one mentioned... no, that has time for later. Please follow me, Milady."


    He rushed back through the door and Githaiy quickly followed him. Just what was going on? was something wrong with Nadine?


    As she entered what looked like a very poorly maintained sick room, she couldn''t suppress a shocked gasp.


    Prince Kiyrtin! What is he doing here? Now that I think about it, weren''t some of the maids searching for him earlier? Does Her Highness know of this?


    The young prince was lying on a sickbed, eyes closed. Several bandages were wrapped around parts of his body, all of them blood-soaked. Next to him stood two palace guards, both covered in blood.


    "This isn''t His Highness''s blood," one of them quickly said as if he had read my mind.


    "Wait, Highness?!"


    "Yes," Githaiy explained to the old doctor who seemed more and more overwhelmed by the situation, "this is Prince Kiyrtin. Is he sedated or passed out?"


    "He fell asleep after I gave him some pain medication," Naiyko answered, finally pulling himself together


    "His condition?"


    "Multiple shell failures. None of them are big, but they add up. And I couldn''t tighten the bandages enough for the pressure to stop the trickle."


    "Why not?" That was detrimental. If the bandages weren''t tight enough to stop the bleeding, they were only a half-baked solution.


    The old doctor stepped closer and pointed at the prince''s torso.


    "The shell on his front torso is too soft. I... I have never seen something like this. It''s like he has the shell of an old man."


    Carefully, Githaiy applied some pressure on an uninjured area. The old doctor was right, it felt way too soft. That meant the ruptures were probably caused by incautious movements.


    "What hardeners have you applied?"


    "None."


    "NONE?! Where by the First Ones did you learn your craft?!"


    "I am well aware when hardeners are to be applied, Milady. I would''ve already done so if I had any left," he answered, seemingly feeling attacked by her questioning his expertise. As if letting your stock run out was any better. Peeling off one of the bandages on the abdomen revealed a crack through which blood trickled out, thankfully not very strongly. With two fingers, she managed to hold the wound closed. Good, that at least meant his shell hadn''t completely lost its integrity. But then why had it softened in the first place?


    "Do you know how this happened?" she asked the guards.


    "Hm... Lady Nadine said something about... some liquid, what was the name again?"


    "Something with "s" I think," the other added.


    "Sweat?" Githaiy asked following a very bad hunch.


    "Yeah, that was it!"


    Oh no.


    "You!" she called the assistant. "Go back to my shuttle and tell the pilot to call the Calhanar Hospital! We need an ambulance! Tell him to use my code, he''ll know what that means!"


    He nodded and ran off. She then raised her lower-left arm, giving her bag cart the command to come to her.


    "Middle panel of the hind left," she called the doctor while still holding the wound closed, "there should be some miydienne! Give me that!"


    Doctor Naiyko quickly procured the bottle and gave it to her.


    Miydienne was a common hardening agent. Applied to the shell it would make it temporarily stiffer and hopefully prevent further ruptures. There were, of course, no studies on how it interacted with human sweat, but that was a risk she had to take for now.


    "Larco-resin!" she requested once she felt the shell become more sturdy under her fingers. "Upper panel on the front!"


    The bottle was full, so she wasn''t stingy with it. Larco-resin was effectively a wound glue, not as effective as compression bandages, but better than nothing. Normally it was only used on very old patients, as bandages were usually sufficient when combined with hardeners, but the prince''s shell right now was too weak for that.


    "Heater! The panel right below!" she continued while applying the resin. Once she had the device in hand, she quickly turned it on, the heat radiating from the front solidifying the resin.


    There were a total of four spots where the prince''s shell was torn, and a rushed job would only make things worse. The sun had already set by the time she was done, the last patch of resin still in the process of solidifying when the ambulance shuttle arrived. It was thankfully built for speed and had reached the village much quicker than a normal shuttle would have. Not wanting to risk any more injury, they decided to take the whole sickbed with them, promising the old doctor he would be compensated.


    Finally allowing herself to catch a breath, Githaiy sat down before fixating her gaze on the guards.


    "Why by the First Ones didn''t you clarify the situation? Where is your pilot anyway?"


    "It wasn''t that bad when he called you. The bleeding only started once we were here. It was just one spot at first, but more opened quickly after. We didn''t know if carrying him would make things worse, so we instead helped Lady Nadine find a doctor."


    "Right, Nadine! Where is she?"


    The guard pointed at a door that led her into a waiting area. Inside, she found the small alien sitting on the floor, her arms hugging her knees, her face buried between them. She was covered in more blood than both of the guards together.


    "Nadine?" she carefully asked. No answer.


    "Nadine!" she repeated with a bit more emphasis. She knelt down in front of her, slowly extending her hand towards her when suddenly, her head shot up.


    "DON''T TOUCH ME!" she screamed, causing Githaiy to flinch backward. For a moment, they just looked at each other quietly.


    "Don''t..." Nadine ended the silence, but her voice broke. It was as if all her remaining strength had been put into the last shout, leaving herself drained. Her voice almost wasn''t audible anymore when a clear liquid started to flow out of her eyes.


    "Don''t touch me."

 Book 1 Chapter 30 - Sick visit

    At least two dozen heads turned as the doors of the large shuttle opened and two rows of heavily armed guards marched out into the light of the rising sun. When their total number counted eight pairs, they stopped and formed a corridor. Silgvani personally doubted the necessity of this presentation, not least because she was here for private reasons. But she understood that this was a formality expected from her, especially since this was her first public appearance since her return. Even if this wasn''t really a public appearance, she simply had something to do here, and "here" happened to be a public space.


    Straightening her green cape, the symbol of her status, she stood up and exited. As quick as she could while still looking dignified, she made her way toward the group of buildings in front of her. Her guards also started moving so that she was right in the middle of their formation. Silgvani had always been of the opinion that it looked ridiculous how she towered over her escort. Most members of her family from her father''s side were above average in height, but she was tall even when compared to them. Her uncle always called her figure "imposing" rather than silly as she did, but that was at best marginally better. She wasn''t a warrior, there was no point in being "imposing".


    Leaving the landing platform behind them, her group walked along the broad pathway leading to the entrance. It was a wide, paved alley, framed by statues of various Vanaery and alien species. Like most institutions in the great Harbor Town, the Calhanar Hospital was designed for the purpose of being able to cater to the needs of every known otherworlder. Of course, the only otherworlders visiting Hohmiy were the few political guests each cycle, so they almost never had patients who weren''t Vanaery. Still, IF something were to happen to Silgvani''s guests, they were equipped to handle it.


    As they walked, the other people visiting the hospital quickly cleared the way, most of them bowing when she passed them. Going by all the talks that started around her, she undoubtedly sparked some rumors with her appearance. And because of all this racket, it was of no surprise that the hospital''s receptionist was already standing at attention when she finally reached the doors.


    "Your Highness," he greeted with a deep bow, "how may I be of your assistance?"


    Instead of answering, Silgvani pointed further inside to indicate that she didn''t wish to publicly announce it. The receptionist nodded and guided her to an empty waiting room. When they were finally cut off from the public eye, she announced that she planned to visit Kiyrtin. Nodding once more, the receptionist called for the head physician who didn''t let her wait for long.


    "My greetings, Your Highness. If I may introduce myself: I am Jarkiyna of Clan Jarion, third son of Baroness Miyrion and Baron Tesska, head of this clinic."


    Tesska? the princess wondered. Like Tessvani?


    How did someone from her mother''s clan end up as a Baron? Well, it wasn''t important at the moment.


    "I apologize for visiting without prior announcement," she responded "I hope you weren''t forced to leave a patient because of me."


    "Do not worry, Your Highness. To be honest, I was just getting out of bed when you arrived since I spent most of last night in the operating room."


    Gesturing to a door different than the one through which she had entered, the doctor led her into an empty corridor. She assumed this was so high-ranking visitors weren''t subjected to unwanted onlookers.


    "Your brother is not awake at the moment," he explained as they walked, "but if you just want to see him, that won''t be a problem. However, with all due respect, I must ask you to be quiet while in his room."


    Silgvani nodded.


    "How is he?"


    "He is... stable, at least for now. So far we, unfortunately, couldn''t figure out the unknown substance he came into contact with. It makes me wonder if maybe someone dumped toxic waste in the forest. But whatever it was, it drastically weakened his shell, which then tore."


    The princess nodded, though she didn''t listen too carefully, since she probably knew more than the doctor about this "unknown substance". She was mainly concerned about his chances of recovery.


    "But his shell didn''t melt, did it?"


    "You mean like melt-molting? No, nothing of sorts. Although... now that you say it, if someone was already close to their molting, the substance could work similarly to the tinctures some use to molt early, albeit much stronger. Maybe if thinned down. Who knows, maybe that''s exactly what the substance was meant to be. Failed experiment. Or too successful."


    Subconsciously, Silgvani moved her hand over the piece of cloth that covered the wide cavity in her belly.


    They walked for a while, going two stories up until they passed what had to be an entire platoon of guards and reached a door. The doctor opened but didn''t enter with her, only she went in.


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    For a while, she just stood there in silence, looking at the pile of pillows and bandages shaped like her brother. He didn''t move, just lay there, peacefully. Almost like...


    No! she told herself. He is just asleep. Just asleep.


    The way the large bed made him look even smaller than he already was reminded her of Nadine.


    Nadine...


    Silgvani was conflicted. No matter how she spun it, the small alien had almost killed her brother. Not intentionally, of course, she would never impute that to her. Nadine was a sweet and loving girl, and Silgvani cared deeply for her. It had been nothing more than a moment of carelessness.


    However, Nadine had known that her sweat had at least some reaction to them. And that was on top of her monstrous strength. Carelessness was something she couldn''t afford. Sure, one could call it unfair, and rightfully so. Despite her high age, Nadine was still a child - which was already bizarre on its own - and it was clear how much she suffered from all of this. She was a victim of the circumstances, and Silgvani truly wished to help her. Not only that, her connection with Kiyrtin seemed to affect her brother in a very positive way. But if it meant risking this...


    Lastly, there was the topic of her parents. They would sooner or later hear about this, and withholding this information was not a good idea. Kiyrtin was as much their son as he was her brother, they had a right to know. She didn''t know if Nadine was ready for it, but there simply wasn''t a point in delaying it longer.


    She didn''t know how much time she had spent lost in thoughts, but when she exited her brother''s room, the doctor was still waiting for her.


    "Say," she asked as he walked her back, "how are his chances of recovery?"


    "That depends. As far as we can tell, the damage is mostly exterior. Molting should fix the problem. In theory."


    "And in reality?"


    "Well, according to the medical record his doctor sent us, his first melt-molting is expected in a bit under a cycle. And right now, his shell is really weak. One thoughtless movement can and probably will cause a new tear. To be blunt, until he molts, he will be a nursing case."


    That really had been as blunt as a punch to the face. And hearing this didn''t feel too different from that. Her brother, always so lively and full of energy, being tied to the bed for up to an entire cycle... she almost couldn''t imagine it.


    "And I''m afraid that''s not all."


    "There is more?!" she slipped, sounding way more panicked than she usually allowed herself in public.


    "Yes, you see... it''s possible that he will molt sooner than estimated, but it is fairly clear that his new shell is still in the process of forming. Meaning there is a high chance it got damaged as well. So while I''m fairly certain that molting once will help, it is likely he won''t fully recover until he molts again."


    Silgvani swallowed. That was bad. The second melt-molting usually happened around the age of seven to nine cycles. Probably closer to the latter since Kyirtin was a bit of a late bloomer, in other words...


    "So what you''re saying, by the time he fully recovers, he will be close to adulthood."


    "That''s what it looks like for now, yes. Though we can only be certain once the new shell has finished forming."


    "Would it help if you had some of that... unknown substance?"


    "We don''t necessarily need it to help your brother, but it could solve some unknowns. So if you happen to procure some, I wouldn''t refuse it."


    And with that, they were back in the waiting room.


    "If you wish, we can inform you should his condition change. But to be honest, this facility wasn''t made to host long-term patients. Once it is safe to transport him, we will probably send him to Viyrminar."


    Silgvani nodded. Viyrminar, also known as the Sun City, was the planet''s capital. It was also where the Sun Palace and Sky Palace were located, meaning their parents would be able to visit him frequently. It was probably for the best.


    Looking at the clock, she realized that almost three invas had passed since her arrival. Word probably had gone around by now, so she braced herself for the journalists who would undoubtedly wait for her.


    To her surprise, she was proven wrong. The foyer was almost empty, and the few people present paid no attention to her. Instead, they were all focused on something outside. Upon leaving the hospital, Silgvani spotted a new shuttle, even larger than hers. From the shuttle, framed by even more guards than her, a man walked toward her. He was tall, albeit slightly smaller than her, and wore a cape similar to hers, except his was blue rather than green.


    "Silgvani!" he called out for her in surprise when he reached her. The princess lowered her head.


    "Greetings, father."


    That was rather unexpected. Not that he came, but that he was this quick. After all, her parents usually resided on the other side of the planet. Assuming the hospital had contacted them yesterday night when Kiyrtin had been hospitalized, her father would''ve needed to rush off the moment he had gotten the news.


    In hindsight, it fits his character. And explains why he looks so tired.


    "Is mother with you?"


    "No. She''ll visit once I return. I assume you are here for the same reason as I?"


    "Yes, I was just on my way back. Though I couldn''t talk with him, he was asleep."


    "And... is he..."


    "His life is not in danger right now. But recovery will take time."


    The King angrily shook his head.


    "Just what by the First Ones happened?! Did somebody attack him?! Were his guards that useless?!"


    "No attack," Silgvani quickly corrected him. "It was an accident. Honestly, it''s at least partially my fault."


    He cocked his head.


    "How so?"


    "An important guest arrived yesterday. I didn''t want him to cause trouble so I asked him to spend the day elsewhere. He went to a forest, a couple of invas east of the Star Palace. And there, he..."


    She took a breath. That was it then, she had to tell him about Nadine. Omitting her in the reports was one thing, but she couldn''t directly lie to her father. She had to tell him, even if it wasn''t a good time for Nadine.


    Nadine, who hadn''t wanted any of this to happen.


    Nadine, who hadn''t hesitated to put herself in harm''s way to protect them.


    Nadine, who since her arrival on the planet suffered under the deeds she had to do.


    Nadine, who since she came back from the forest had locked herself in her room and refused to let anyone near her.


    "...he came into contact with some unknown substance. The doctor assumes someone dumped toxic waste in the forest."

 Book 1 Chapter 31 - Quick to judge

    "Thank you, that would be all. You may leave, I still have to prepare everything for tomorrow," Kykla stated and gave Kaiyla a trained smile. The borrowed maid bowed in response.


    "Of course, Milady. And don''t worry, I''m sure the negotiations tomorrow will still take place as planned."


    Hearing that, the Tystrie matriarch looked up. What was that supposed to mean? After the arrival, an ambassador would be given one day to get settled ¨C which was today ¨C and afterward, the negotiations started. Those were the proceedings the members of the alliance had agreed on. So what was that maid hinting at?


    "Of course they will. Why would they not take place?"


    "Oh, haven''t you heard, Milady? Just this morning, the princess surprisingly canceled all her appointments for the day."


    "Has she now?"


    That was indeed surprising. The fickle king and queen, sure, they would do something like that on a whim. Princess Silgvani though? She was a diligent, hard-working, and reliable person. As much as Kykla didn''t like her, she had to give her at least that.


    "Do you know the reason?"


    "Only the official one, unfortunately. It''s apparently due to a "personal emergency"."


    "Oh my. I hope it''s nothing serious."


    "As I said, I''m sure she won''t cancel your appointment tomorrow. If whatever this emergency is were to last more than a day, she should know that and would''ve contacted you."


    Kykla shook her head.


    "I don''t care about that," she lied. "The average trade negotiations last for at least ten days before both parties even start to get somewhere. One measly day won''t make an impact. No, I''m more concerned about her. If she does something so unusual for her, something grave must have happened."


    "Your forbearance is admirable, Milady. But, if you excuse my directness, there are certain standards to be upheld."


    "Certainly," the matriarch agreed. "But she''s still just a person. I''m sure she had good reasons for her actions."


    A few moments of silence followed.


    "She probably had," Kaiyla finally said with audible bitterness in her voice. "She always has."


    After she left, Kykla turned off her translator but still waited a few moments before she addressed her assistant.


    "Your "friends" sure were right about her love for gossip."


    "Indeed," Qeylo agreed. "Though I''m sure the fact that she isn''t exactly a big fan of the princess and her relative progressiveness contributes to that."


    "True. But still, those are interesting news, don''t you think so?"


    "Because you might be able to claim delay?"


    "Now now, don''t make a sacrifice before you''re done praying. I will of course make the claim should she actually cancel tomorrow, but I''m not betting on that."


    Living on a different planet was taxing, even if your host provided for you. That in turn meant that longer negotiations put the host in an advantageous position. For that reason, delaying the talks was considered ill-mannered. However, a delay of a single day before the negotiations had even started wouldn''t give her much leverage.


    "I''m far more interested in that "personal emergency" of hers."


    Qeylo cocked his head.


    "Do you have an Idea what it might be?"


    "If it had something to do with her, it wouldn''t be just one day. The only thing greater than the princess''s diligence is her compassion for those dear to her. So, you walking dossier, tell me which people in her life are important enough to her that she would be willing to anger the nobles she was supposed to meet for them."


    Her assistant thought for a moment.


    "It depends on what exactly happened to that person. But as far as I''m aware, she still hasn''t chosen a partner, and none of my friends mentioned any changes in her social circle. So I can only think of her parents and her brother."


    "It''s her brother then. If something had happened to the king or queen, everyone would know that."


    Which wasn''t exactly what Kykla could call great news. Albeit slim, there was still a chance that the young prince would inherit the throne, especially if the princess was out of the race for whatever reason. The boy as a king would be way easier to manipulate than Silgvani, which was only in the Tystrie''s interest.


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    "Contact your "friends" and see if they know something. If the prince''s condition isn''t too serious, I might be able to use this as an excuse to finally have a conversation with him, something his sister so far managed to prevent."


    She leaned back in her chair.


    "There seems to be a lot on the princess''s mind right now. Must be stressful to be her. And people, even competent ones like her, are prone to make mistakes when under stress.¡°


    <hr>


    Four days after the hospital visit, Silgvani was sitting in her room, a wide screen displaying her brother''s face in front of her.


    "They don''t allow me to move at all," his voice said from the speaker. "They say everything I do could injure me. Tomorrow they want to do another surgery, though I didn''t understand for what exactly. Not much besides that, so yeah, it''s boring as hell."


    "Hell?" Silgvani asked slightly confused. "What is "hell"?"


    "No idea. Nadine always says that, guess it rubbed off."


    "I¡­ see. Um, the doctor said they''ll bring you to Viyrminar soon?"


    "Yes, in... eleven days was it, I think."


    "Maybe it''ll be less boring there. They are better equipped to host patients over long periods. Also, Mother and Father will probably be able to visit more often than I am."


    Kiyrtin shrugged.


    "Had a call with them yesterday. Consisted mostly of Father explaining that he was searching for the culprit and what he would do should he find them."


    "Have¡­ have you told them about Nadine?" she asked with a queasy feeling.


    "After that oration? Nah. I figured since they don''t know yet, you haven''t told them. And you probably had a good reason."


    "That''s... surprisingly reasonable of you. Since when do you care what''s best for others?"


    "Since now, I guess. Besides, I kind of like the idea of a secret friend."


    While hearing that was a bit of a relief, she still wasn''t sure if she had made the right call back then. Also, was that last sentence something she should worry about?


    "Ah, seems it''s time for my checkup. I have to end it here. Speaking of Nadine, could¡­ could you get her on as well next time?"


    "I''ll try," Silgvani promised. Once the call ended, she let out a sigh.


    I hope I can keep this promise.


    She stood up from her desk and called for Doctor Githaiy.


    "Anything new regarding Nadine?" she asked once the doctor entered. Normally, something like this wouldn''t be part of her duties, but since she worked so much with her, Githaiy had sort of become the go-to person for everything that regarded Nadine. That she cared as much about the small alien as Silgvani did contribute to that.


    "Still the same as when you tried to talk to her," the doctor answered dispirited. "The door is always locked, and the only thing she says is to not come near her. If she answers at all."


    "Does she at least eat?"


    "Yes. When the servants leave her plate at her door, she takes it once everyone is gone. I would''ve liked to examine how adding the meat she gathered to her diet would affect her body. Well, she eats it, so at least Kahbbut seems to do a good job."


    She sighed.


    "Your Highness, did you know that the servants are surprisingly fond of her? They seem no less concerned about her than we are. Because of that, they tried to wait in front of the door, but to no avail. It''s like she always knows if someone is there."


    "Because she does," Silgavani explained, remembering the conversation she had with her brother a while ago. "She can hear us breathe."


    "Breathe? From a distance? Is her hearing really this sensitive? Fascinating! I need to test-"


    A knock at the door interrupted them.


    "Yes?"


    "Excuse me, Your Highness. His Majesty, your Father called earlier, but you were busy talking to your brother."


    "Does he want me to call him back?"


    The maid shook her head.


    "No need, he left you a message. Do you want it verbatim or should I paraphrase it?"


    "That depends on what exactly you mean by paraphrasing."


    "I mean leaving out some obscenities that were probably caused by a state of¡­ emotional agitation."


    "How many?"


    She spent a while looking at her datapad.


    "A lot."


    "I see. A synopsis will suffice then."


    She nodded.


    "Very well. Your father informs you that he was able to bring the¡­ Individuum¡­ who harmed Prince Kiyrtin to justice."


    "¡­huh?" That didn''t sound good. "Could you elaborate?"


    "Yes. After you met him at the hospital, His Majesty sent an investigation group to the forest, who found the illegal garbage dump shortly after."


    Wait, there really had been someone dumping their waste there?


    "He also sent the investigation report, which I allowed myself to skim over. The investigators found the origin of the waste to be a company called Gatriy Materials. They are led by a noble called Gatmar of clan Gatriy, the third child of Marquess Gatiron and Marchioness Altan, who own the land around the forest. They claim to not be affiliated with their son''s company and to know nothing about the waste.


    "Further investigation showed that Gatriy Materials produces chemicals that are primarily purchased by pharmaceutical firms. However, about a cycle ago, a certain chemical that made a large portion of their revenue - and that I''d prefer not to attempt pronouncing - was no longer requested. Due to a new trade deal, most of their customers switched to a different chemical that produced better results. Said chemical gets imported from Hsvegplia and can''t be easily produced on Hohmiy. Unable to make up for the loss in revenue, Lord Gatmar tried to cut costs. He decided to save money with waste disposal, switching to a less expensive, but also less legal method. Once she heard of this, Her Majesty immediately pressed charges."


    Silgvani tilted her head in surprise.


    "My mother? Shouldn''t a duke suffice as a judge?"


    "If it had been just about the littering, then yes. But since it allegedly caused your brother''s injuries, only either of your parents can be the judge."


    "Or myself," Silgvani quickly said. "Since I was given authority over all foreign affairs, I also outrank my brother! Father and Mother would never act impartial in this trial! What date is set for the hearing?!"


    As long as there was no decisive proof that Kiyrtin was harmed by specifically this waste - which there wouldn''t be unless this guy somehow had accidentally synthesized human sweat - she could say there wasn¡¯t enough to prove him guilty.


    "The hearing already happened," the maid stopped her train of thought. "Just the littering would''ve meant a fine, but since Lord Gatmar allegedly endangered the prince''s life, he was sentenced to death. His parents tried to appeal, but he was executed on the spot, so they were too late."


    "On the spot?! What about the waiting period?!"


    "In agreement with His Majesty, the Queen decided to not grant him one."


    A short silence followed, which was then broken by the doctor.


    "The nobles won''t like that."


    "Presumably," the maid agreed. As she left, the doctor again turned to Silgvani.


    "Your Highness, with all due respect¡­ and in the awareness that I''m technically overstepping my boundaries... is there something I should know?"


    "There is," Silgvani answered after a pause. "But¡­ could you also step out for now? I¡­ I need a moment."

 Book 1 Chapter 32 - Routine

    Dawn had not yet come when Mhita left her bed, donned the uniform which had become like a second shell to her, and made her way toward the Star Palace. Unlike the servants working in the Sun or Sky Palace, whose uniforms were predominantly blue - the color of the king - she was donning predominantly green. As was the case for all the others working in the Star Palace. Not only was this symbolic of the fact that they directly served Her Highness, having the entire staff in the color of the princess also showed the changed power dynamic. Ever since she had been given complete authority over Hohmiy''s foreign affairs three cycles ago, her word could overturn even that of His and Her Majesty when it came to this topic.


    The estate housing the servants was located on the back side of the palace. It was separate from the main building, but connected via a broad, canopied pathway. Said canopy was laced with a multitude of small, down-facing lights that currently illuminated the otherwise dark route. Despite the early hour, Mhita was far from the only one up. As soon as the head maid stepped through the servant''s entrance, she was immediately greeted by the familiar noises of the servants'' daily business that the noble inhabitants of the palace never got to hear.


    After getting the report from the night shift, Mhita dismissed them before giving the morning shift their individual tasks. The first one, of course, was to clean the palace. A delicate job since it needed to be done thoroughly so as to not embarrass Her Highness in front of her guests, quickly so they were done by the time everyone got up, and lastly quietly so as to not wake anyone up. The latter meant they couldn''t use most appliances since those made too much noise. That was not to say they didn''t have those too, they did, they just couldn''t be used during the morning duties. And because of that, despite being headmaid, Mhita herself participated in this task as well.


    Joining the group that was tasked with the east wing, she started to dust off the countless pieces of foreign art that decorated the hallways. Among them were paintings, sculptures, and statues from various otherworldly cultures that their planet had acquired, most of them being gifts from other members of the alliance. As she passed a certain door, she halted for a moment. It was the door that led to Lady Nadine''s chamber. Mhita couldn''t help but wonder: if the alien noblewoman could truly hear them breathe through the door, was there even a point in trying to be quiet? Then again, there was a difference between hearing something when it was quiet and waking up from something.


    She sighed as she kept looking at the door. Eight days had passed since she had seen it open for the last time. Normally, caring for Her Highness''s guests was just another task, one of her many duties, nothing more. But with Lady Nadine, things had grown to be... different. Since the first day, the young noblewoman had acted in a way that was completely different from what one would expect. In fact, until she learned the contrary, Mhita was convinced she was a commoner. Since her arrival, she had treated the servants with respect, always asked and never ordered, struck conversations with them, and even went through the trouble of learning all of their names. Therefore, ever since the situation had become what it was, Mhita had wanted to help her, not just because she was ordered to or because it was expected of her, but because she, by now, actually found herself caring for her. But she didn''t know how.


    After the cleaning was done, a quick glance at the chronometer told Mhita that there was only about one inva left until the princess would wake up, so it was due time for her next task.


    Stepping into the office area, she linked her datapad to the central network and took a look at the messages that had come in during the night. As always, they mostly consisted of companies requesting certain resources or products to be added to existing trade agreements. Ever since Lady Kykla had arrived, most of the requests were about the topic of titanium and that Her Highness should try to make a new deal regarding the metal. With a sigh, Mhita quickly skimmed over everything before sorting the messages so that Princess Silgvani would first see those that actually had some form of relevance.


    She encountered Her Highness on her way out, greeted her with a bow, and informed her that today, Riykan would be the one tasked with her direct attendance. Her next destination was the kitchen but before that, she took a short detour to Vassahr¡¯s office to see if he needed help with anything. While the palace¡¯s steward hadn¡¯t put up any requests on the digital board, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to quickly ask him in person, just to make sure.


    Under Kahbbut¡¯s direction, the kitchen staff hurriedly prepared the food for the palace¡¯s employees, while the head chef himself was busy with the meals meant for the princess and her guests. Today, the schedule was completely reserved for the trade negotiations, meaning he had to make both Tystrie and Human meals. Grabbing what was meant for her, Mhita entered the adjacent break room to have a quick firstmeal. While she ate, she took advantage of the moment of quietness to make some estimations about the planning for the following days.


    Today was the eighth day since the ambassador¡¯s arrival and the sixth day of the negotiations. Under normal circumstances, she would predict the talks to continue for at least three more days, better assume five just to be sure. But considering the difficulties they expected this time, Her Highness, Mhita, and Vassahr had decided to plan for fifteen days. Meaning by now, up to nine were left. They had already prepared everything for that timespan plus four days of buffer, save for some ingredients that couldn¡¯t be stored that long. Should it seem like things would take longer than that, they would need to rely on her Highness to make that call. Stuff acquirable on Hohmiy was no problem, but not everything was. At the current time of the cycle, it would take a fast ship a bit over a day to reach the hyperlane entrance. There was a total of three other planets where they could purchase the stuff they might need and that had the according treaties in place. However, one of them was the Tystrie¡¯s homeworld itself. A quick glance at her datapad proved her memory correct, they were too far away from their entry point to be an option. Depending on which of the others they¡¯d choose the jump itself would take about one more day. Assuming the relays worked, they could then send a message to the planet.


    She again glanced at her datapad to look up the other planets¡¯ estimated positions. Depending on their choice, the cargo ship would either need five or eight days to reach the hyperlane. Eight was too long, the Krsnelv¡¯s planet was therefore out of the picture as well. Five it was, one more for the jump back, and since the transport vessel was slower, two days to reach Hohmiy. Typing the numbers in the calculator gave her a total of ten days. And if they didn¡¯t want to do everything on the last day, the call for a new shipment had to come in three days if needed. It would probably be for the best to remind Her Highness of that.


    A heavy, salty smell pulled her out of her thoughts. By now, she was able to recognize the fragrance as roasted meat, meaning Kabbut was now preparing the meal for Lady Nadine. When she had seen the blood-smeared interior of the shuttle, Mhita couldn¡¯t understand how someone would deliberately eat something that gave off such a bad odor. Being a professional, she had obviously been able to suppress the urge to gag, but the smell was still hard to ignore. The cooked meat, however, she had to admit, smelled at least¡­ peculiar. Nothing she would want to eat, but it resembled food much more than its origin did.


    She stood up and walked to the kitchen. Another maid, Ghundiy, was loading Nadine¡¯s firstmeal onto a tray when Doctor Githaiy entered. A noblewoman like her would usually never set foot into the kitchen, but right now, not much in the Star Palace could be called "usual".


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    "Doctor," Mhita greeted her with a quick bow. "Here to accompany Ghundiy, I presume?"


    "Of course. I still need to examine whether the change in diet had some notable effects on her."


    A short pause followed.


    "You think she¡¯ll open today?"


    The doctor¡¯s gaze fell.


    "Probably not. But I¡¯ll keep trying."


    She nodded, not knowing what else to say.


    As they left, Mhita went over the next tasks.


    "Okay, Liyxa and Onrol, you two take care of the meals for Her Highness and the ambassador. While they eat, I¡¯ll refill the drinks in the conference room. Nakiy¡­ ah, is still busy. Okay, then you take care of the laundry, Essa. Forget the report for now, I¡¯ll do that myself later."


    She sighed.


    "First Ones, we should have asked for more than just two additional servants."


    "I can take care of the drinks if you want."


    Surprised by the new voice, Mhita turned around. In front of her, holding a water canteen and wearing a blue uniform rather than a green one, was one of the maids that had been called in from the Sun Palace. For some reason, there was something about her demeanor that didn''t feel quite right to Mhita. Was she nervous? No, she couldn''t be.


    "Kaiyla, right? Why are you here? Weren¡¯t you supposed to attend Lady Kykla?"


    "I am. She has sent me on an errand."


    Mhita crossed her arms.


    "Then I¡¯d say you should probably do that."


    "She is busy talking to Her Highness right now, I have more than enough time to give you a hand."


    She turned to the door, but Mhita stopped her.


    "I don¡¯t know if that is how things are done in the Sun Palace, but here, we take the tasks given to us seriously."


    Kaiyla scoffed at that.


    "Too bad the same can¡¯t be said about respecting your seniors."


    "You might be older than me, but in case you¡¯ve forgotten, I¡¯m still the head maid!"


    "A meaningless title, given to a meaningless plebian. I''ll have you know that I carry the blood of clan Ressla, who ruled one of the largest kingdoms before the unification wars and played a decisive role in it."


    Mhitas expression hardened. It was true that her being head maid was unusual. Even among servants, the head of staff was usually someone who was of noble birth at least in some way but didn¡¯t have any real chances of succession. But that didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t have a response to Kaiyla''s insult.


    "Yes, and who also birthed the infamous Duchess Mirla. What, you thought I wouldn¡¯t look up the people who get sent here? Your family lost their title before you were even born, you are just as much a commoner as I am."


    The entire kitchen had fallen silent while the two of them stared at each other. But the tension between them suddenly broke when Kaiyla took a step back and defensively raised her arms.


    "Sheesh, no need to get so agitated."


    She turned her back to them and placed the canteen back on the counter.


    "I saw you were tight on time and thought you might appreciate some help. It was just an offer, you don¡¯t have to take it."


    <hr>


    Later that day, Silgvani was sitting at the desk in her bedroom. Staring blankly, she had spaced out a little while rubbing her forehead.


    "SIS!" her brother¡¯s voice shouted out of the datapad, pulling her back into reality. Right now was a scheduled pause in today¡¯s talks, which she had decided to use to call her brother. Once he got transferred to Viyrminar, which was on the literal other side of the planet, calls like this would become difficult.


    "I¡¯m sorry. What were you saying?"


    "Is everything alright?"


    Concern coming from her brother, the things she was allowed to witness.


    "Yes, don¡¯t worry. Just a little headache." That was at least part or it. There were a lot of things on her mind right now, but the headaches certainly didn''t help.


    "Is Nadine there today?"


    "Sorry, no."


    "Come ooon! Is she that busy?"


    "That¡¯s not it, she¡­"


    The princess took a deep breath.


    "¡­ever since she came back, she has locked herself in her room and lets nobody in."


    "Huh? Why?"


    "She is scared. After what happened to you, she¡¯s afraid it¡¯ll happen again."


    "¡­ that¡¯s bullshit!"


    Silgvani blinked.


    "That is¡­ what?"


    "Her word. Whatever, just let me talk to her," he insisted.


    "We¡¯ve been trying that for eight days," she answered with a sigh. "She doesn¡¯t even answer the door."


    "Have you tried the window?"


    "¡­window?"


    "Yes, her window that''s facing the garden, it¡¯s always open. That¡¯s how I usually get in."


    "Of course you do," she said sarcastically.


    "Oh, shut up. You wanna help her or not?"


    "¡­"


    Since when was her brother so assertive?


    "I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually doing this,¡± Silgvani murmured while shaking her head. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m in the garden. What now?"


    "Go along the wall. Don¡¯t use the path, you have to walk on the grass. Make slow, long steps, and make sure not to step on dry leaves. Once you are past the orange liysca bush, hold your breath. Mess up any of those and she¡¯ll hear you coming. I¡¯ll mute the call till you¡¯re there."


    "I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually doing this," she repeated quietly.


    Avoiding the leaves wasn¡¯t too difficult. However, the distance between the bush and the window wasn¡¯t small. But for what could be the first time in her life, Silgvani was thankful for her tall body, as her long legs allowed her to bridge the distance just before she ran out of air.


    "Hey," she panted as she reached her destination. Immediately, Nadine¡¯s head snapped in her direction. Not even a tigg later she was sitting on the opposite side of the room, her back pressing against the wall.


    "Relax, I won¡¯t hurt you," she tried to calm her down. However, her joke didn¡¯t seem to be appreciated.


    "You know what might happen," Nadine answered with a tired-sounding voice.


    "Yes, it may happen that I molt a bit early. I¡¯m close, remember?"


    The small alien closed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    "Please leave."


    "I will," Silgvani affirmed with a nod. She then reached into the room and leaned her datapad against the wall under the window so the video call was visible. "But he won¡¯t."


    As soon as she stepped away from the opening, she could hear some shuffling in the room.


    "K-Kiyrtin? Kiyrtin! Oh my god, how are you?! I¡¯m so sorry! Are you alright?!"


    "No, I¡¯m not!" her brother''s voice answered. "I¡¯m bored! I wanted to speak with you all the time, why didn¡¯t you let anyone in?!"


    "B-but¡­ what happened to you-"


    "Was an accident! And it only happened because I clung to you for multiple invas! Yet you act as if we¡¯ll fall over dead just because you touch us once!"


    "I-it can still happen again. I knew about my sweat, and my carelessness almost killed you! My strength is also-"


    "Well, then I guess you just have to stop being careless! Problem solved! I mean, be honest, how many people have you touched since you got here?"


    "Um¡­well, there was that one time with Liyzo-"


    "And did anything happen to him?"


    "I¡­ think not?"


    "See? First Ones, when did I become the voice of reason?!"


    Silgvani scowled a bit at her brother¡¯s harsh tone. Then again, maybe that helped? In any case, she had to go back now, so she decided to leave the two alone.


    The sun had set and the ambassador had left the palace when Silgvani heard a knock on her door. It was Mhita, the Star Palace¡¯s head maid, who seemed¡­ happy, for some reason.


    "Did something good happen?"


    "Indeed, Your Highness," she answered and gave her a datapad. Said datapad had a video call on it, showing the face of a certain alien.


    "I must thank you, Your Highness. Also, I am very sorry for the last week."


    "It¡¯s fine," Silgvani assured her, not asking what a "week" was. "The important thing is that you¡¯re coming out again. Well, somewhat."


    This time, the small alien actually chuckled a bit.


    "I¡­ just don¡¯t want to risk it. But I agree that this can¡¯t go on. Therefore, I would like to ask for a few things, but some of those might get pricey."


    "Money is not an issue. We have a budget reserved for guests and I specifically asked you to request whatever you might need," Silgvani reminded her, gesturing for Mhita to take notes. "Go on."


    "First, I would like to resume and double my language lessons."


    "¡­ um¡­ okay." A bit of a slow start, but she said there would be multiple things, so whatever.


    "Secondly, once I can read your letters, I want someone who can teach me your programming language."


    With that one, Nadine had lost her, so Silgvani simply nodded along.


    "Lastly, I need to speak to the dressmaker ASAP."


    "¡­sure, why not." What by the First Ones was she planning now?

 Book 1 Chapter 33 - Inspiration

    The rain was drumming against the window of the workshop, and with the same rhythm, Osiyn tapped his fingers on his desk. The tabletop consisted entirely of a large screen as the whole thing essentially was a big datapad. Currently, it showed his newest design. Or, what would be his newest design had he actually started creating it. For now, it simply showed an empty slate, just as it had been doing for the past six invas he had spent staring at the thing without any progress.


    Osiyn sighed. Why did he have to make something so boring? Well, he knew why. Because bills didn''t pay themselves. Unfortunately, his motivation was at an all-time low. It was like having the most exquisite meal imaginable: whatever you ate afterward, even if you liked it, would taste dull.


    The sound of the door opening behind him made him look up.


    "Yes?"


    "A message from Lord Venga," his assistant announced. "He''s asking about the status of his order."


    "Tell him I''m waiting for some materials."


    "...I doubt lying to him is wise."


    Osiyn shrugged.


    "It''s done when it''s done, pestering me about it won''t change that."


    He leaned back in his chair and looked up to the ceiling.


    "I want to make something for Lady Nadine again! She made me rediscover a spark I didn''t know I had lost!"


    "That alien noblewoman you told me about? It hasn''t even been ten days since you finished the last of her orders. And that''s only because you put everything else on hiatus, otherwise, you''d still be working on it."


    "You can''t expect me to turn for some scraps if there is a feast right in front of me!"


    "I... I have no idea what you are talking about."


    "That''s because you weren''t there! You didn''t hear what I heard! Apparently, for their kind, clothes are no mere accessories but an integral part of their culture! Everyone wears them down to the poorest of the poor! Oh, the things she told me! They know more different types of clothing than I have clothes created in my life, she talked about novelties even the high nobility of Hohmiy has never heard about! They have countless different design philosophies for numerous occasions!"


    He shook his head.


    "After our talk, I thought I had found new inspiration, but once I was done with her stuff, I was empty. I need to know more! Human fashion is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered! If I could incorporate their knowledge into my designs, I could without doubt spark a fashion revolution at least ten times in a row! Oh, what would I give for a chance to talk to her again!"


    After his monologue was finished there was silence, the only thing audible being the rain outside. A couple of moments passed before his assistant spoke again.


    "Well, then I guess you''re in luck. She is requesting your services once more."


    He sighed.


    "Since you won''t get anything else done anyway, I''ll clear your schedule so you can go there tomorrow."


    That was at least what Osiyn assumed the end of the sentence to be. He himself couldn''t hear it because, by the time his assistant had finished talking, he was already out in the rain, making a beeline towards the palace.


    <hr>


    Mhita stood in front of Her Highness''s office, the same spot as she usually did. She was half certain that the carpet would by now have footprints at this spot, would it not get scrubbed daily. As she usually did, she raised her hand, knocked, and waited for the command to enter.


    A command that didn''t come.


    She knocked again. Nothing.


    That was not what usually happened.


    "Your Highness?" she asked carefully, but to no avail.


    "Your Highness!" she repeated with more force in her voice.


    "Huh? Wha...," a muffled voice came from inside. "Oh, uh, c-come in." That was not what she usually heard.


    Carefully opening the door, she found the princess sitting at her desk. All four of her elbows were resting on the table, her face buried in her hands.


    "Is everything alright, Your Highness?"


    "Y-yes, I''m fine," she groaned. "Um, half an inva until Lady Kykla comes over to continue our talks... I still need to finish the drafts...," she started counting on her fingers. "I also need to go over the proposal from Lord Askiyp, and... uh..."


    As she spoke, her upper-right hand started to tremble. After a few moments, she realized it herself, grabbing the wrist with her lower-left hand and forcing her hand onto the desk, and taking deep breaths until the trembling subsided.


    "Actually, no, I am not fine. Please go ask the doctor if she has anything against headaches. They''ve been getting worse the last couple of days."


    With a quick bow, the head maid turned on her heel and returned to the corridor. The princess''s room, her office, and the doctor''s office were all located in close proximity to each other, so it was a short walk. The door, on the other hand, was locked, implying that Doctor Githaiy wasn''t there right now. On one hand, Her Highness hadn''t explicitly stated the urgency of her request. Then again, Her Highness''s well-being always had top priority. As such, Mhita hesitated for not more than a moment before pressing the emergency button. It didn''t take long until the person in question came running.


    "Doctor," Mhita greeted her while the doctor was still catching her breath. "Her Highness laments severe headaches and requests medication."


    "I somewhat expected that to come up sooner or later," she responded as she unlocked the door, needing but a moment to procure the item in question. "This will ease the pain, but not completely suppress it. I would prefer to give her a stronger one, but that would require her to lie down and rest, and I know she won''t do that. Tell her to take three drops now and then every four invas. Tell her also that I told her all the stress would lead to problems like this."


    Nodding, Mhita made her way back, placing the medicine on the princess''s desk.


    "The dosage is three drops now and then every four invas," she repeated.


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    "Thank you."


    "I was also asked to remind you that earlier advice from Doctor Githaiy already informed you that the stress you subject yourself to would sooner or later catch up to you."


    "I know." she groaned. "Once the negotiations are over, I''ll take it a bit easier. AGHH! Did she tell you how long this stuff takes to take effect?"


    "Unfortunately, no. But speaking of Lady Kykla, do you expect the talks to take longer than planned? We would have to make the new order at the latest tomorrow."


    "I''ll tell you tonight."


    "Very well."


    Leaving the office once more, she made her way to the entrance hall, so she could welcome Lady Kykla who would arrive soon. Apparently, she had done so even sooner than expected, because she could hear the doorbell before she even reached her destination. Odd, that was far too early. But as she opened the door, rather than the Tystrie ambassador, a Vanaery, out of breath and drenched in rainwater, looked at her.


    "...yes?" she asked, doing her best to mask her emotions and stay professional.


    "You... mes... messaged me... regarding... a new order... from Lady Nadine?" he panted.


    "We did," she affirmed. "We asked you to message us back and propose a date."


    "Exactly."


    "Yet you are here."


    "I propose now as a date."


    "So it would seem. Unfortunately, I must inform you that... actually, wait a moment."


    She took out her datapad and informed another servant, Onrol, that it would be his job to welcome the ambassador today.


    "Alright. If you follow the wall leftward, you''ll reach a servants'' entrance. I will await you there," she instructed him and closed the door.


    <hr>


    As fast as he could through his exhaustion, Osiyn ran along the left wall until he reached a small door, which promptly opened.


    "Please come in. I apologize for the inconvenience, but we are expecting guests so getting water all over the entrance hall was out of the question."


    "It''s fine," he panted. Now that he was out of the rain, he realized that his body felt fairly hot. Without the rain cooling him down, or if the palace had been not right around the corner, his run might have actually overheated his body and he would''ve needed a doctor. Maybe he had gotten a bit too enthusiastic. Well, it didn''t matter, he was here now.


    "Lady Nadine is free at the moment, right?" he asked while drying himself off with a towel given to him.


    "She should be. Although she might be in the process of following her daily training regiment, her routine in that regard is a bit irregular," she explained, signing him to follow her.


    "Training?"


    "Lady Nadine''s homeworld has much stronger gravity than ours. According to her, she needs to exercise a lot, or her muscles will deteriorate."


    "Oh, so she is a doctor?"


    "No, she simply knows a lot."


    Not elaborating any further, the maid stopped and knocked at the door in front of her.


    "Yes?" a soft, muffled voice came from inside. A voice Osiyn knew he would never forget in his life.


    "The dressmaker is here, Milady."


    "Already? Did I forget the appointment?"


    "No, he is simply very motivated."


    "Okay, one sec!"


    A multitude of shuffling noises was heard from the other side of the door. Quite a bit of time passed during which the maid didn''t move the slightest bit. Osiyn wasn''t as disciplined and had he not been so incredibly exhausted, he would''ve likely had trouble standing still in his excitement. Finally, the call to come in followed. The maid opened the door, and he was at long last able to meet the source of his inspiration again. With steps as fast as his tired body allowed, he immediately walked into the room.


    "Careful, there is..."


    About halfway to her, he got stopped dead in his tracks with a donk!.


    "... a glass plate," the maid finished her warning.


    "Noted," he grunted as he stood up again. Two of his hands hurt a little, but otherwise, he seemed unharmed. Thankfully, he hadn''t hit the glass with his head. "May I ask why?"


    "Precaution," the soft voice of the alien noblewoman answered, her voice audible through some holes in the glass he now noticed. "I apologize, but I don''t want to take any risks. This is actually part of the reason why I asked you to come here. First, I need a pair of gloves."


    A moment of silence followed.


    "Gloves?" he asked, feeling his motivation slip away.


    "Yes, is that a problem?"


    "N-no, of course not, Milady! I was just hoping for something... well, I''m not one to usually make mere protective gear. Fashion, that is my craft!"


    The alien tilted her head.


    "While these particular ones are indeed supposed to be protective in nature, who says gloves can''t be fashionable?"


    He immediately perked up.


    "They can?"


    "Sure. Sleeve gloves, for example, are often paired with sleeveless dresses. There are also those weird half-gloves, though I admit, I was never really into those."


    "... please do go on then, Milady! What exactly do you need?"


    He had to learn more about this. Even if the ones she needed were protective gloves, maybe he could combine them with these fashion gloves.


    "My body emits a substance called sweat, that... shouldn''t come into contact with a Vanaery''s shell. Unfortunately, if I wear something that''s just completely sealed, I will sweat like crazy in it, which kinda defeats the point. They need to stop the sweat, but let air through so the heat can escape."


    "Is that doable?" Osiyn was no scientist, he only knew about normal fabrics.


    "If that annoying shoe ad that refused to leave my head is to be believed, yes. I''d prefer to eventually have an entire suit, but for the sake of speed, gloves will suffice for now."


    He nodded.


    "I see. But please tell me more about the suit you were imagining."


    "Oh, uh, well, in essence, just like the gloves, but full body. Maybe leave out the feet, I doubt anyone will touch those, and I can lose a lot of excess heat through those. As long as it does that, I''m good."


    Osiyn shook his head.


    "No, we can''t have that, Milady! Protection''s all well and good, but you still need to be presentable! Depending on how the material works, maybe patterns can be integrated during the crafting... then again, a one-piece won''t look good like that... maybe it''s for the best to make it neutral, either completely black or white and then combine it with accessories. Or, if it''s a bit more tight-fitting, you could wear normal clothes over it and..."


    "I''m sure you''ll think of something," she interrupted his train of thought.


    "Right. I''ll have to make some calls regarding the material, but it will be done! Oh, and one more thing..."


    He stepped closer to the glass.


    "I would be willing to give you a discount. But in return, you must tell me everything there is about your home world''s fashion."


    The alien thought for a moment.


    "Sure, I don''t mind. You have a number I could call or something?"


    "We can''t do it now?" Osiyn asked slightly disheartened.


    "Well, you wanted to hear everything right? I could spend an entire day just talking about hats. Don''t get me started on shoes..."


    Hats? Was there any protective gear they hadn''t turned into fashion? If there was so much to say just about those, how much could she tell him about clothes for the actual body?


    "I... I promise," he started, only now realizing that he was pressing his body against the glass, "I will fulfill all future orders with priority and will never ask for any money. But please... I need to hear everything!"


    <hr>


    The talks continued, and they continued to be fruitless. Silgvani had tried to nudge the discussions toward the topic she was actually interested in a few times now, but so far to no avail. She couldn''t be too obvious about it, so she needed to be patient. Something her headaches didn''t help her with.


    She could also feel herself getting increasingly agitated, and the hammering pain in her head made it hard to stay professional.


    Come on, I always stayed calm in these situations! she told herself.


    "... though I must say, the rain is slightly annoying."


    You went from the lodging directly to the shuttle and from there to the palace, you couldn''t have gotten more than a few drops on you.


    "I hope it won''t stay like this."


    "I''m afraid it will. We are reaching the rainy season. The rain will start to fall more and more often, and in about thirty days, the rain won''t stop at all for another fifty days."


    "Well, then let''s hope we are finished by then."


    Yes, we wouldn''t want you to be forced to stay in a house specifically built for your people and made to accommodate any possible need any longer than necessary.


    "But in general, that is something that needs to be addressed, don''t you think so?"


    You live on a planet where a fraction of the landmass is habitable, you know as well as I do that the rain doesn''t bother you in the slightest.


    "Maybe you should adapt the structure of your cities to better address such problems."


    "Maybe you shouldn''t act as if irrelevant banalities are problems, and rather than seek excuses to act as if you got insulted over nothing, stop being so secretive as to why you are suddenly hogging all your ore for yourself! Then we wouldn''t need to go through any of this!"


    No response followed. The silence hung in the air as slowly, realization dawned upon the princess.


    ... wait, did I just say that out loud?


    "L-lady Kykla, I...," she started in a desperate attempt to salvage the situation.


    "Your Highness," the ambassador interrupted her, "you don''t seem to be fully yourself today. Maybe you should rest, and we continue tomorrow."


    Without waiting for an answer she stood up and left, leaving a disheartened princess behind.


    How could I make a faux pas like that?! she scolded herself. I keep foreign politics away from my parents to prevent exactly things like that! How could I allow this to happen? Oh, First Ones, my head is killing me...

 Book 1 Chapter 34 - Coming clear

    Both Qeylo - who was currently once again posing as her guard - and the borrowed maid Kaiyla turned their heads in surprise as Kykla exited the conference room much sooner than expected. She ignored them, making a beeline towards the entrance hall and then her shuttle. Since she didn''t know for how long she would still be able to keep her emotions in check, she didn''t want to spend any more time than necessary in the palace for now.


    Overcoming their initial surprise, her two servants hurried after her.


    "Is there something wrong, Milady?" her handyman asked once he had caught up. Kykla realized how stiff her steps were right now, but that couldn''t be helped. One couldn''t exactly hurry leisurely. Especially not while being extremely agitated, trying to downplay said fact as far as possible, and also maintaining a dignified posture.


    "Her Highness doesn''t feel well at the moment," she answered after a short pause. She had tried to sound as calm as possible, but despite her best efforts, there was still a small shaking left in her voice that she didn''t manage to suppress. Which agitated her even further. By the Goddess, talking really wasn''t a good idea right now.


    "Do you want me to claim delay, Milady?" Kaiyla immediately chimed in. She sounded almost eager. While it normally would''ve been nice to see another confirmation of how the borrowed maid was completely on her side now, right now she couldn''t have it.


    "Not for a mere half a day." And now SHUT UP until we are back at the cottage!


    Leaving the palace in a way that she could only hope didn''t look like her angrily stomping out of the door - she was past the point where she could''ve evaluated that herself - she walked through the rain she couldn''t care less about and entered the shuttle. Still not wanting to risk anything, she tried to keep up a calm demeanor during the flight. It was a bit easier now since she didn''t have to move, Qeylo had taken a hint, and Kaiyla was in the cockpit, so no one talked to her.


    Thankfully, the flight was short. Holding her facade just a little bit longer, the matriarch entered the building, ignored the three bowing servants, and rushed toward her office.


    "That will be all for now," she said to Kaiyla, who left with a quick bow. After the door closed, Kykla waited a bit longer before taking off her translator and placing it on her desk.


    One deep breath and...


    "DAMN IT!" she screamed, finally allowing herself to vent her anger.


    "So something did happen," Qeylo inferred, taking off his translator as well.


    "REALLY?! WHAT GAVE YOU THE IMPRESSION?!"


    "Did our plan not work-"


    "NO, IT DID! THAT''S EXACTLY THE PROBLEM!"


    She was still fuming, but now that she had been able to vent a little, she managed to calm down a bit. The plan had been simple: use Kaiyla to repeatedly dilute the princess''s drink with unpurified water to give her a slight calcium poisoning. Not enough to cause any real harm, but giving her headaches to disrupt her concentration so she would slip up and say something she could capitalize on. No one would see the symptoms as an attack, even if the calcium would be discovered. Due to the low amount, they would just think something went wrong in the purification process. And surely, after a few days, the princess had indeed slipped up. Just as planned.


    There was just one little caveat she hadn''t planned for: the gravity of the slip-up was far greater than she had predicted.


    "How did I not see the signs?! She had been subtle about it but in hindsight, there had been hints I should''ve picked up sooner!"


    "So, what exactly is the problem?" her handyman asked after giving her a short pause. Kykla took a seat.


    "She''s trying to find out why we stopped exporting our metal."


    "... isn''t that the same for all of the-"


    "NO! You don''t get it! It''s fake! It''s all fake! She has no plan of forming any agreements with us! It''s all just a farce! By the Goddess, how did I not notice it?! She doesn''t simply "want to know" like the rest, she is dead-set on finding out! If she won''t get it out of me, she''ll try something else!"


    Drained, the Tystrie Matriarch leaned back.


    "As long as she lives, that is."


    "So we are really doing it?"


    She nodded.


    "We have no choice. I hoped it wouldn''t get to that point, but if she finds out the truth, our people are done for. I told her that as a sign of my goodwill, I would cancel our talks for tomorrow so she could rest. Tell Kaiyla to use that window of opportunity to finish it."


    "Do you think she is at that point already? She agreed so far, but there is a difference between causing someone headaches and regicide."


    "Then convince her," Kykla grunted. "Make her believe that there is no risk for her because the calcium will make it look like an accident! If that''s still not enough, coerce her! We can prove that she poisoned the princess, while she has nothing to prove our involvement! We could simply claim that we got wary after the princess got worse and investigated ourselves! She''s just a commoner, her word is worth nothing! I don''t care what it takes, just make her do it and then tie up loose ends!"


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    "As you wish, Milady."


    <hr>


    Twentieth day after my arrival


    Dear Diary,


    it''s been a while since my last entry. The last few days were hard difficult. It''s my fault what happened to Kiyrtin, even if everyone tells me otherwise. I knew this would I should have been aware this could happen. I have to be careful if I don''t want to be like an elephant in a porcelain store. It''s all Why was I so careless?


    And yet, they all seem to forgive me. I don''t know what I did to deserve these people. Even Kiyrtin. Why doesn''t he hate He has every reason to be angry at me. I robbed him of years of his childhood. They said it might take him up to six cycles to fully recover, so more than three years. That is a lot for a child! Yet he is hell-bent on getting me back on track. I don''t know what I would do without all of them.


    But this time, I will be more careful.


    Okay, maybe the glass plate was a bit much. I might not even need any of the protective gear I ordered. But I''m scared. What if I become careless again? What if next time, it''ll be too late?


    <hr>


    A knock on her door pulled Silgvani out of her stupor. She was currently sitting on the couch in her room, her face covered by her hands. Her head felt like it was about to split apart, her arms were shaking whenever they weren''t resting on something, and since today, she had even started to have occasional muscle spasms. What was worse, the medicine the doctor had given her didn''t seem to help at all. Or, if it did, she didn''t want to know how bad it would be without it.


    "Come in!"


    The door opened and Mhita entered.


    "I''m sorry to disturb your day off," the head maid apologized, "but something came... Your Highness, you were supposed to rest!"


    She seemingly had seen the datapad lying on the short table in front of her.


    "I did," Silgvani defended. "...mostly."


    "Is your headache better?"


    "No, it''s worse than ever."


    "Then why. Don''t. You. Rest?! It has reached a point where even the ambassador is concerned for your health!"


    She stepped closer and grabbed the datapad.


    "You are free to punish me for insubordination later, but for now, I''ll be taking this."


    Silgvani was too drained to argue with her.


    "Fine," she grumbled. "But didn''t you come in for something else?"


    "Ah, right. Earlier today, I encountered Kaiyla. You know, the maid you called in from the Sun Palace to give to Lady Kykla. She claimed that the ambassador sent her on an errand. But just now, the Lady called to complain that Kaiyla has been missing the entire day. When asked, she didn''t know anything about an errant."


    "Huh, that is indeed strange. Then I''ll..."


    She tried to stand up, but another surge of pain made her fall back into her seat.


    "Okay, not I," she groaned. "But have someone look into this. Since she apparently left her post, you are allowed to restrain her if necessary."


    "I will, Your Highness. Do you need anything else?"


    Silgvani thought for a moment.


    "Actually, yes. Call Nadine. I could use the distraction, and talking to her always calms me down."


    "Very well. This is not just a plot to get your datapad back, right?"


    She shook her head.


    "Nothing like that. It''s been four days since she started to get better again, I''d like to try to get her out of her room."


    "I... don''t know if she will be fine with it, but I''ll try."


    "Do that. Oh, and one more thing."


    She pointed to her cupboard.


    "Some water please."


    Just sitting there without doing anything robbed her of her feeling of time, and the pain in her head didn''t help with that. But finally, she heard a knock.


    "Your Highness?" a soft voice asked.


    "Nadine! You came!" Despite her pain, Silgvani could hear the happiness in her own voice. The relief she felt even seemed to numb the ache for a moment. "How... how do you feel? I''m sorry if I made you uncomfortable."


    "Don''t be," the small alien insisted, taking a seat across from her. The shaking of both her voice and her hands showed that she was still nervous about having contact with others again. "I know you are doing this for me. Mhita cleared the way so I didn''t encounter anyone. And once the dressmaker finishes my suit, I''ll probably have fewer inhibitions. Honestly, I''m aware that even this is more me coping than an actual necessity, but... I just don''t want to hurt anyone by accident anymore."


    "You have been through much, so I understand. And yet, you still followed my selfish request to meet you so late at night, so I thank you for that."


    Nadine landed back in her seat. Which looked pretty adorable considering her feet didn''t touch the ground.


    "I should be the one saying that. I... can''t stress enough how thankful I am for everything. I don''t know how long it''ll take until I really overcome my trauma - if that''ll ever happen at all, that is. I still have the occasional nightmare, but I don''t want to imagine how much worse off I would be without you. Honestly, I''d hug you if that wouldn''t kill you. If... if I may be direct..."


    "It''s just the two of us, be as direct as you wish."


    "It is as if you have become my big sister."


    Silgvani chuckled, only for another surge of pain to interrupt her. Still... no, she had the right to hear it.


    "A "big" sister, hm? Tell me, how old do you think I am?"


    "Huh? I-I don''t know, early to mid-twenties? Ah sorry, that''s uh... around forty cycles?"


    A moment of silence followed before Silgvani burst into laughter. It hurt her head to laugh, but she still kept laughing, she simply couldn''t help it.


    "Forty cycles! Ah, guess that''s what it looks like to a human!"


    "W-was I off? I''m sorry, I just thought..."


    "No need to apologize. But... yes, you were off."


    She took a deep breath.


    "As of now, I am eleven cycles old."


    Nadine blinked a couple of times before answering.


    "You... you are younger than me? Wait, eleven cycles... YOU ARE SEVEN?!"


    "In absolute numbers, yes. But make no mistake, I am an adult in every sense of the word. What you just said, forty cycles... no Venaery ever got that old."


    The small alien just stared at her in disbelief.


    "That means..."


    Silgvani nodded.


    "You will outlive me. And not just barely, but by many generations. You will likely still be in your prime by the time my great-grandchildren are born."


    After that, there was a long pause. Well, it was a lot to take in, so Silgvani couldn''t fault her for-


    "AHHH!" This time, the pain was so unbearable that she even lost control over her voice like when she got angry.


    "Y-Your Highness, are you alright?!"


    "No... headaaaaches... I..."


    She tried to hold herself on the armrest, but another muscle spasm made her slip. And that wasn''t all, she started to have trouble breathing, and something in her chest started to hurt as well.


    "Your Highness, this isn''t just stress anymore! You need to see the doctor, now!"


    "You... you''re right."


    Silgvani stood up, but even standing straight caused trouble for her. In the end, she managed to wobble towards the wall and used it as a crutch to slowly go forward, until she finally reached the door.


    It was locked.


    Why was it locked? There was no key in the lock. Was it locked from the outside?


    Before she could ponder the question any further, the handle escaped her grasp. The sight of the floor coming closer was the last thing she saw before her vision went black.

 Book 1 Chapter 35 - Expertise

    "... that would be all from my part. Unless you have anything to add, Lady Githaiy?"


    Githaiy suppressed a sigh as the two of them kept walking through the hallways.


    "Lord Jarkiyna, I am by no means here to undermine your authority," she insisted to the head physician of the Calhanar Hospital. "Her Highness simply wishes that the transport of her brother happens without any trouble."


    "I am more than sufficient to ensure that," the head physician retorted.


    "Then feel free to inform her of that. I am simply following her orders. Or do you want me to ignore them?"


    "O-of course not! I''m just saying that sending two doctors of... at least comparable qualifications is excessive!"


    Githaiy once again didn''t let her feelings show. She knew Doctor Jarkiyna was fully aware that their qualifications were more than just "comparable". But as the royal physician, she technically outranked him despite her being "only" a baronetess. Most nobles, especially those from older clans, usually didn''t like that.


    Granted, she didn''t know for sure if that was really what had ticked him off. She might have told him otherwise, but the fact that she was here insinuated that Her Highness didn''t fully trust his abilities. Maybe she should have answered in a less confrontational manner.


    "I agree, it is a bit much," she said trying to mitigate a bit. "But please, don''t understand this as her mistrusting you. She is simply worried about her brother."


    I''d wish she would treat her own health with the same level of care. But as long as I am her subordinate, all I can do is give her my advice. If she insists on not following it, there is nothing I can do.


    "And to be completely honest, she has been under a lot of stress lately, so don''t hold it against her."


    A sigh from Jarkiyna was the answer.


    "I guess you are right. Besides, it might not be that excessive after all. Since we are approaching the long rain, the weather is a bit unstable. The shuttle will be forced to fly slower, so in the worst case, it might take us an entire day to reach Viyrminar. We can take turns in monitoring his condition."


    "A good idea."


    "Oh, First Ones, get a room you two!"


    The sudden call from the sickbed reminded the two that they weren''t alone. They had been walking alongside the assistants who were currently in the process of transporting the young prince to the landing platform. Apparently, as the discussion had grown a bit heated, both of them had forgotten about their surroundings.


    "I apologize, Your Highness," Jarkiyna said with a bow. "The behavior I displayed was highly unprofessional."


    "Likewise," Githaiy added. "I am not familiar with the phrase you used though, so I assume it''s from Nadine?"


    "M-maybe."


    "Figured," Githaiy chuckled. Maybe she should one day ask the small alien what some of her more curious idioms meant. "Say, Your Highness, you wouldn''t happen to know what the request to "get a room" is supposed to convey?"


    "I, uh, no. Nadine said she''d explain it when I''m older."


    When he was older? Why would one''s age be a relevant factor in that? Well, that was a topic for a different day. For now, they had reached the ambulance shuttle. While the assistants carried the injured prince inside, Githaiy and Jarkiyna did one final check to ensure they had everything they might end up needing. Kiyrtin''s injuries were almost entirely external, so they thankfully didn''t need many monitoring devices. The most important things were bandages, hardening agents, and larco-resin, in case a new tear opened in his shell.


    I guess the silver lining is that he only touched Nadine with his front side. Thanks to that, he can at least more or less safely lie on his back. Let''s hope we don''t get caught in a storm.


    There shouldn''t be one according to the forecast, but flying to the other side of the planet was a long journey.


    The flight was mostly uneventful up until around ten invas after the start. Kiyrtin had fallen asleep a while ago when the datapad of the head physician gave off a message sound.


    "Something important?" Githaiy asked, more for the sake of small talk than actual interest.


    "Lab report," her colleague murmured. "Her Highness managed to acquire a sample of the unknown substance that put the prince in this situation."


    Ah, right, that story, Githaiy thought. Though I wasn''t aware she sent in a sample of Nadine''s sweat. Well, I wanted to do a thorough analysis myself, so I won''t complain.


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    "Could you send me the report later?"


    "Sure. Okay, let''s see... water-based solution, containing traces of ammonia, potassium, sodium chloride, something... that is unknown but potentially toxic, a variety of salts... what in the world is that concoction?"


    Githaiy did her best not to chuckle at that remark. What would her colleague say if he knew the true origin of this?


    "Just what were they trying to achieve with this?" he mumbled as he kept reading. "Or was it maybe a byproduct? But even then what was the... hm? WHAT BY THE FIRST ONES...?!"


    The sudden outcry made Githaiy perk up. That reaction after already going through the previous contents... was there something Nadine hadn''t told her?


    "What does it say?" she carefully asked.


    "The solution contains an insane variety of microbes! All of them unknown! A plethora of Bacteria, Viruses, and something uncategorized!"


    "Pathogenic?" Githaiy questioned, shocked by what she had just heard. It wasn''t that rare that a species had one or two types of symbiotic microbes in their body, but this amount... and what was the unidentifiable thing?


    "I, uh... probably not? I mean, his Highness is fine right? I will definitely give this to the Viyrminar hospital, but we examined his highness often and thoroughly. We would have noticed if he had shown any symptoms."


    That was true. Maybe it didn''t affect them because they were used to Nadine''s organism, which was so fundamentally different from the Vanaery? Still, she needed to look into this, just to be sure. Viral infections usually were not an issue between species of different planets as their organisms were too different, but on very rare occasions, they were similar enough for a mutation to allow the jump. She needed to make sure that wasn''t the case between Vanaery and Humans when she came back. Bacteria were a lot trickier, but as her colleague had said, the prince seemed fine for now.


    They reached the planet''s capital, the great city of Viyrminar after a bit under a day. Sleeping in the shuttle hadn''t exactly offered the most satisfying rest, but the prince''s well-being was more important at the moment. After Kiyrtin had safely reached his new hospital room, Jarkiyna announced that he would stay for a few days to make sure everything went over smoothly. Githaiy on the other hand went back immediately to not be absent from the palace for too long.


    The ride home was expected to go faster because there was no need to fly as carefully as before. Despite being tired, Githaiy did her best to stay awake so she wouldn''t mess up her sleep cycle too badly. But apparently, she had dosed off for a moment as the pilot''s voice tore her out of her stupor.


    "Milady?"


    "Mh? Huh, what?"


    "It''s now the 17th inva in Calhanar. You wanted me to tell you."


    "Ah, yes, thank you."


    If they went by schedule - which was to be expected - the negotiations should have a break right now. As Githaiy issued a call to the Star Palace, the servant in charge informed her that her Highness was indeed free at the moment, and after a short waiting period, the princess''s face appeared on the screen.


    "Doctor," she greeted. "Is there an issue?"


    "Not so far, Your Highness. I merely wanted to inform you that your brother''s transport went over without any problems."


    "That''s good to hear. Do you know when you will return?"


    "Probably not until tonight, you will likely be already in bed by then. But I also called for another reason. How are your headaches?"


    With a worried expression, the princess took a long pause before answering.


    "In all honesty, it''s been getting worse. During yesterday''s negotiations, I did... I did exactly what I wanted to prevent from happening. And I don''t feel like the medicine is working."


    No effect? Sure, she had given the princess a weaker version of the medicine, but there still should''ve been a noticeable improvement. Maybe the headaches weren''t from the stress. But what then? Headaches were unfortunately a symptom that could have a plethora of causes.


    "Did you notice anything else?"


    "Um, I... don''t think so?"


    That wasn''t helpful.


    "Can you cancel the talks for the rest of the day?"


    "Actually, today there aren''t any. Lady Kykla proposed a day off so I could rest."


    Githaiy needed a moment to process what she just heard.


    "The Tystrie ambassador?"


    "Yes."


    "Your condition is so bad that even the Tystrie ambassador proposed a break?"


    "Yes."


    "Then I hope you are taking it. Treat yourself with care. If it gets worse, don''t hesitate to call for another doctor. I don''t know how long exactly the rest of the flight will take, but if you''re still awake when I come back I will take a closer look. If not, come to me first thing in the morning."


    The sun had long disappeared when Githaiy finally reached the Star Palace. Tired from the long flight, she entered through the side entrance and made her way to the west wing. While the lights in the corridor were still on, not a single servant was in sight around the princess''s room. This could only mean Her Highness had already gone to sleep. There was also no one waiting for her. Relieved that it at least hadn''t gotten worse, and glad that the princess had gone to bed early for once, Githaiy entered her office, and through it her private chambers. Her tiredness won as soon as she laid down and she fell asleep.


    She didn''t know how long she had been sleeping. All she knew was that a loud and obnoxious beeping noise made her wake up. Why was her alarm clock going off? It was still the middle of the night!


    No, this wasn''t her alarm clock. This was the emergency alert. Great, so it wasn''t enough for Prince Kiyrtin to annoy her during the day, now he even had to rob her of her night''s rest. And the worst part? To make sure she wouldn''t miss it, she had made it so the alarm wouldn''t stop on its own. She actually had to get up and open the door to turn it off.


    ...wait, Kiyrtin was at the hospital.


    In an instant, she was fully awake and practically jumped out of her bed. Whoever this was, if they pressed the emergency button in the middle of the night, it was important. She was just about to leave her bedroom when suddenly, she froze upon hearing some sort of impact, so violent that it made the floor vibrate. What by the First Ones was that?


    A second impact made her overcome the moment of shock. She ran through her small living room, but her left foot got caught on the doorstep, she stumbled into her office and fell to the ground - which was luckily cushioned by the soft carpet. Just as she pulled up her head and looked towards the entrance, the third impact hit.


    With the sound of metal failing its duty, the lock got ripped out of the doorframe. The door burst open, crashing into the adjacent wall with so much force that the upper hinge broke apart. In the corridor, there stood Nadine, one foot raised. Had she seriously just... kicked the door open?


    But before Githaiy could voice her bafflement, she noticed the princess''s unconscious body draped over the small alien''s shoulder.

 Book 1 Chapter 36 - Lifesaver

    Githaiy''s office was quiet, except for the continuous swooshing of the water as it ran down the sink while the doctor was washing her tools. It was a special faucet, not connected to the normal water system. Instead, it belonged to a container filled with drinkable, purified water.


    Normal tap water contained - among other things - harmful calcium. That was because purifying water not meant for drinking was simply not worth it. Although she didn''t know the exact reason why, after all, she was a doctor, not an economist. It usually didn''t matter; cleaned, but unpurified water was perfectly eligible for things like cleaning, washing, and the like. Even bathing in unpurified water usually had no real consequences for a Vanaery. Symptoms of calcium poisoning only started to appear if a certain amount was directly ingested. For that reason, using drinking water for anything other than drinking was a rare exception for special cases. Cleaning medical tools being one of them.


    Githaiy took a glance behind her. The princess was still unconscious, but the monitors showed her breath to be calm and steady while displaying nothing worthy of worry. Except for the large amount of calcium in her body, obviously. Not to mention the two broken arms. But there at least didn''t appear anything new to worry about over the last few invas.


    Unfortunately, calcium was not like some poison that could be cured with an antidote. All she could do was administer chelating agents to her to prevent the mineral from damaging her organs, followed by drinking lots of purified water to flush it out. But that took time, and she didn''t yet know for how long Her Highness had been carrying the calcium in her body. Preventing damage was one thing, healing damage that was already there was another.


    After confirming that everything was as alright as it could be in this situation, Githaiy continued cleaning her tools. She was tired and regretted her decision to not sleep on the shuttle. But her personal discomfort was irrelevant right now. Her Highness''s life was on the line after all.


    Right, she also needed to alert the guards that there had been an attempt on the princess''s life. Or maybe Nadine had already done so. Then...


    "Doctor!" A male voice stopped her train of thought as one of the guards ran in, looking fairly disheveled. "Her Highness is... oh, she''s here. She, uh, was poisoned?"


    "Yes," Githaiy confirmed while giving the guard a strange look.


    "And... is she fine?"


    "She''s stable, for now. How about you calm down and tell me what brought you here?"


    "Right, um, apologies, Milady. Unfortunately, I don''t know the details. The captain sent a message to every guard to find Her Highness, as it is likely that she was poisoned. But we couldn''t find her, and the door to her room looked like it had been blasted open with some sort of weaponry. Guess no one expected her to be here already. I, uh, should probably tell the others."


    "Do that. And while you''re at it, tell your captain to come here, we have things to discuss."


    "Right away, Milady."


    "And remember the protocol!"


    "Ah, of course, Milady. Um, if I may ask, what happened to your door? It looks just like the door to Her Highness''s quarter."


    "...long story."


    It wasn''t really all that long, she just didn''t have the nerves to tell it right now.


    <hr>


    The night before...


    For a moment, Githaiy was just down there on the floor, needing a moment to process what she was seeing. Though she quickly managed to pull herself together again and stood back up.


    "What happened?"


    "I don''t know!" the small alien answered in a panicked voice. "We were talking and she suddenly collapsed!"


    So she had still been awake after all? Then why had the hallway been empty?


    "Put her on a bed, quick!"


    With a nod, Nadine rushed inside, carrying the princess twice her size with seemingly no effort. Githaiy immediately rushed over to her, examining her for any symptoms that could give a clue to what was wrong with her.


    "Did you notice anything? I need details!" she asked while she kept looking for hints.


    "Um, she, uh...," Nadine stuttered, "s-she had a bad headache."


    "Yes, that much I know."


    "A-and, um, I think she was also nauseous. H-her hands were shaking... oh, and..."


    What seemed like a muscle spasm made the body of her Highness jerk violently, making the doctor flinch backward.


    "...that."


    Headaches, nausea, tremors, spasms, the doctor counted in her mind, erratic breath, unsteady heart rate...


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    With a flick of her lower-right hand, she called her automatic emergency bag to her.


    "I think I know what she has, hold her down!"


    The small alien hurried around to the head end of the bed. She then hesitated and ended up holding her hand more above the princess instead of actually holding her, but the doctor was in too much of a hurry to notice.


    Fishing out one of her pre-prepared syringes, Githaiy pulled away the clothes covering the princess''s belly. She was now actually glad for the cavity Nadine had corroded in there, as getting through two layers of shell would''ve been quite the annoying task. She ran her finger over the new carapace until she found the point where two shell plates overlapped.


    Just as she was about to continue, another spasm shook the body below her. Githaiy barely managed to pull back her arm and prevent the syringe from getting knocked out of her hand.


    "I said hold her down!"


    "B-but...," Nadine stuttered, but Githaiy cut her off. This was not the time for her anxieties.


    "Broken arms heal, this will kill her! Now HOLD. HER. DOWN!"


    That seemed to snap the small alien out of it. She tightly grabbed both of the princess''s lower arms, while simultaneously using her elbows to pin down her upper arms. Githaiy on her end used her two left arms to hold down Her Highness''s hip. She then brought the syringe down again, pushing the needle through the overlapping plates and piercing the flesh below it. She could feel another spasm, but this time the bodypart she was working on almost didn''t move at all. Instead, she could hear a telltale snapping sound, but she didn''t care for now.


    When the syringe was empty, she pulled it out again and fetched the next from her bag.


    "You can let go now."


    As the girl did as instructed, Githaiy could see orange blood dripping down her hands, as well as a panicked look appearing on her face.


    "It''s fine, that was a necessary evil. Your words, remember?"


    Nadine swallowed hard but nodded.


    "Is she... safe now?"


    "No," Githaiy retorted. "So far, I just suppressed her body''s reaction. The important part comes now."


    While she spoke, she poked the new syringe through a different overlap in her shell. She then used the needle to feel around, trying to find a similar overlap in the new shell lying beneath it. This time, she unfortunately couldn''t use the cavity.


    This second syringe contained a chelating agent, meant to bind the calcium and prevent it from doing any more damage. But to maximize its effectiveness, she had to inject it in close proximity to the organs that might''ve been affected. And for most of them, this meant going through two layers of shell.


    She had to use up all three of her pre-prepared syringes until she was sure it was enough. But she couldn''t rest yet, as she shifted her attention to Her Highness''s extremities.


    A moderate, but steady stream of blood was flowing out of the two lower arms, right beneath the wrists. One glance made it clear that it was no mere shell fracture, no, the fight against the grip of the bench vises that were Nadine''s hands had cleanly broken them. Still, nothing life-threatening. For now she would just stop the bleeding, and later straighten them so they could heal. After disinfecting the wounds and applying hardening agents and larco-resin, she bandaged the sections and placed the arms in a low-stress position. Once that was done, Githaiy finally allowed herself to collapse onto her chair.


    "Is she going to be okay?" Nadine''s voice broke the silence.


    "If nothing more goes wrong, she is likely to recover."


    Her answer made the small alien give off a sigh of relief.


    "And, how long do broken arms usually take to heal?"


    "Well, her molting cycle is just about to end so the new shell broke as well. It''ll take a while."


    That answer seemed to confuse her.


    "Why does it depend on the molting cycle?"


    "Huh? Of course it does. The new shell has to form after all, it''s not like pieces can just grow back together once broken off."


    A blank stare from the girl was the answer.


    "... let me guess: your bones do grow back together."


    "Yes. Don''t quote me on that, but I think it normally takes up to eighty days."


    Up to? So it can take even less? That''s pretty quick, Githaiy marveled. So much about "One of the greatest disadvantages of endoskeletal species".


    A moment of awkward silence followed, broken once again by Nadine.


    "So, uh, why did she collapse?"


    "Calcium poisoning," the doctor explained. "But I would like to know how it got so severe. Our general water supply can''t be contaminated, otherwise the others would show symptoms as well. And while our tap water contains traces of calcium, it''s not that much. Her headaches started to appear just a few days ago... no, that doesn''t add up timing-wise. She would''ve needed to drink nothing but tap water, and even then the build-up should''ve been more graduate, not such a quick escalation."


    "That''s because it wasn''t an accident."


    The doctor''s head perked up.


    "What do you mean?"


    "When it happened, her room was locked from the outside. Someone wanted her to die before help could arrive. This was an assassination attempt."


    It was as if the room had just gotten significantly colder. Githaiy''s heart skipped a beat.


    Assassination? The Princess? Who would do something like this?! Also, if the room was locked, how did she...


    Her gaze wandered to the remains of her own door. It was just barely held in place by the lower hinge and the door handle, which had lodged itself deep into the adjacent wall.


    Never mind. But why does Nadine seem so calm about it?


    Before the doctor could finish her thought, the small alien walked to a group of chairs close to the entrance.


    "Uh, Doc?" she asked with a slightly shaky voice. "Would it be bad if one of those broke?"


    "No?" the doctor answered confused. "I rarely need them and the palace would pay for new ones anyway."


    "I see. Then I apologize."


    "For what?"


    "RAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"


    With a sudden, ear-splitting outcry, the small alien lifted the heavy chair above her head and slammed it into the ground, the combination of her strength and gravity causing it to shatter. For a moment, she stood there, panting. Then, her face shifted again, taking on an expression that Githaiy hadn''t seen before.


    No that wasn''t right. She had tried to forget it, but she had seen it before. Once. On the Star Treader.


    "I don''t care what or how long it takes," she growled, her voice oozing pure hatred. "I will find out who did this!"


    <hr>


    Present day...


    As she was in the process of locking the princess''s broken arms in a straight position, Githaiy noticed that parts of Her Highness''s shell felt slightly greasy. They weren''t melting, but they still bore witness to the fact that Nadine had carried her over.


    "Doctor?"


    Upon being called, Githaiy saw an armed Vanaery standing in the remains of her entrance. He wore the special combat armor of the palace guards, with the exception of a notable marking at the center of the torso.


    "Captain," she returned the greeting. "Before you ask, her condition is no longer life-threatening, that''s all I can say at the moment.


    "Yes, Aiyrin already told me."


    "Can you tell me how you learned about this?"


    The guard captain nodded.


    "Simple, the culprit told us."


    Oh, so they already had caught the one responsible? That was good news. Nadine certainly would be pleased to hear that as well.


    "Or," the captain continued, "to be completely exact, we found the note she wrote before committing suicide."

 Book 1 Chapter 37 - Anger

    After drawing a deep breath, Githaiy raised her hand and knocked on the door in front of her.


    "Yes?" came a calm answer from inside. A way too calm answer considering the situation. Slowly, she opened. Remembering what Nadine had done to her chair, the doctor half-expected to find most of the items in the room to be destroyed. But that wasn''t the case. Everything was as clean and tidy as it always was.


    The small alien was sitting at her desk in front of an open package. And she was wearing... gloves?


    "Osiyn sent in the first prototypes," she explained, seemingly having noticed her stare. "He made a couple out of a few different materials and wanted me to test them."


    Prototypes? And who was Osiyn? Githaiy somehow felt like she had missed something.


    "I don''t know if they actually do what they are supposed to. But just wearing them feels... good. I feel less afraid to be near others. Which is good, because I''ll need to interact with others if I want to find the truth. I will do whatever I can to keep the promise I made last night."


    Even while she said all of this, her voice remained completely calm. But not her usual kind of calm. Githaiy couldn''t really describe it, but Nadine''s face was still wearing the same expression as last night. The same expression as when she had started to hunt down the Kiroscha. And if Githaiy had to put in words how Nadine''s voice sounded right now, she would probably say it sounded like her face looked right now.


    And while the doctor wasn''t really sure what to make of it, her body absolutely was: every single instinct she had screamed at her to run away and bring herself to safety. Had she not known Nadine by now, she was not fully convinced that she would have been able to fight those instincts. Even now, she wasn''t able to stop herself from flinching when the small alien moved - even though all she did was close the box.


    "A-actually, that won''t be necessary. The Guards already found the culprit."


    And those words left Githaiys mouth, Nadine''s eyes grew big in surprise. And just like that, the feeling of dread that radiated from her vanished, as if it had never been there. Sitting in the chair in front of the doctor was merely the same Nadine as she knew her.


    "Who was it?"


    "One of the maids who were called in from the Sun Palace to help." She pulled out her datapad and opened the report the guard captain had given her. "Yesterday morning, she didn''t appear to work, but was sighted in the Star Palace - by that point, her absence hadn''t been reported yet - and then, she was found last night by the guards in the outskirts of Calhanar."


    Nadine listened carefully. After she was finished, the alien''s gaze wandered to the floor.


    "I... see. Good to know. Do you know her motive?"


    Githaiy didn''t answer immediately. Should she tell her? She wasn''t directly involved and, considering what she had already been through, it probably wouldn''t...


    "It has something to do with me, doesn''t it?"


    "Huh? W-what makes you think that?"


    "If it didn''t you wouldn''t have hesitated."


    First Ones, was she really that easy to read? Well, no point in trying to hide it now.


    "Her partner was among the guards on the Star Treader. He died during the Kiroscha attack and..." She peeked at her datapad to look at the name. "... Kaiyla blamed Her Highness for it, stating that he wouldn''t have died if she hadn''t changed course."


    "How much about the event is known?"


    "Everything, except the reason for leaving the secure routes."


    "In other words, me."


    "Yes."


    After that, there was a long pause. Nadine just said there in silence, and Githaiy didn''t interrupt her. She had originally planned to not tell her the assassin''s motive, but unfortunately, she had underestimated the girl''s wit.


    "Um, doc?" she finally spoke again.


    "Yes?"


    "How old are you?"


    Well, that question came out of nowhere.


    Githaiy considered for just a moment to be vague about it, but in the end, she decided that there was no point. If she asked, then she probably knew.


    "Sixteen cycles."


    "So... about ten years. It''s true then."


    Githaiy nodded, not needing to ask what she meant.


    "I''m sorry for not telling you. It''s not like we were trying to hide it, there simply never was a good moment to talk about it. Frankly, I still have trouble processing it. No sapient lifeform known to us comes even close to your lifespan."


    To that, the small alien gave off a dry laugh.


    "From your perspective, I really am some immortal, unkillable monster, huh."


    Githaiy flinched. No, Nadine was just about to get better, she couldn''t allow her thoughts to go there again.


    "Nadine, you aren''t-"


    "Of course I am," she interrupted her with a bitter voice. "I can break your arms without even trying, I can dissolve you by merely touching you, I don''t even want to know what I could do if I actually wanted to harm you... and now I learn that all of you will be dead by the time I turn thirty! Except maybe Kiyrtin, but even he will be a doddery old man at that- oh my gosh, Kiyrtin! I... I robbed him of his entire childhood, didn''t I?!"


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Githaiy just listened to her lament, primarily because she didn''t know what to say. She couldn''t exactly refute Nadine''s points. To a being that could grow so old, their lives probably were unimaginably short. Maybe it was best to just switch topics.


    "W-well, for now, let''s just be glad that Her Highness is safe, right? She is stable, and the assassin was caught!"


    The small alien gave off a sigh.


    "I guess. Say, doc, where is that maid now?"


    "Um, probably in the morgue."


    "Oh, was she killed during the chase? They didn''t already execute her, did they?"


    ''Yes, after her confession she was immediately executed.'' That would have been the easy thing to say. And believable, because, had she still been alive and had His or Her Majesty learned what she had done, that was exactly what would have happened. It would have been a convenient lie, but a lie nonetheless. Even if her silence wouldn''t have already been answer enough for the alien girl.


    "She committed suicide, didn''t she."


    Was she really that obvious? Or was that a human thing?


    "Answer me, Doc."


    "... yes. In her confession note, she wrote that she couldn''t bear living without her partner."


    Another moment of silence followed. Then Nadine took a breath so deep it almost felt like she exchanged the air in the entire room.


    "Can I see her?"


    See who? She couldn''t be talking about the corpse, could she?


    "Are you sure that is a good idea?"


    "No. But it feels like something I should do."


    Githaiy sighed internally.


    "It can be arranged. But I won''t be able to accompany you. I need to watch over Her Highness, not to mention that I really need to catch up on sleep, so I have to make sure all the monitoring devices work as intended."


    To that, Nadine did that strange contortion with her face during which she seemed to push up the skin above one of her eyes. Seriously, how many muscles did her face have?


    "Why not call in more doctors?"


    "Because that would be against the emergency protocol. Should Her Highness get incapacitated, until she regains consciousness, no one is to be informed except the absolute minimum amount of people necessary to ensure her survival."


    "What kind of suicidal protocol is that?!"


    "One that is meant to prevent the King and Queen from finding out about it without Her Highness being able to perform damage control."


    To that, the small alien simply gave her a blank stare.


    "Do not worry. I guarantee you that I will call more people in the moment I see even the slightest possibility of it making a difference."


    <hr>


    Kessga was angry. More than he had ever been in his life.


    He was angry at the maid who had almost killed Her Highness. So what if she was sad that her partner had died? Guards occasionally died on duty, that was part of the job. And yet, she attempted regicide for no other reason than him doing his job? Giving his life so the one he''d sworn to protect could live? Unbelievable that someone like this had been employed under His and Her Majesty themselves.


    He was angry at the staff of the palace. One single person had been able to almost kill the princess without any of them noticing anything.


    And more than all of the others combined, he was angry at himself. He was the newly appointed captain of the Star Palace''s guards! He was the one tasked with ensuring the princess''s safety! He was responsible for managing the security so that nothing could happen! Above all the others, he was the one who had failed his duty.


    The moment he got the call from the city guard who had found the maid''s corpse he had issued the alert, but at that time, it was already too late. Had it not been for Lady Nadine, Her Highness would now be dead.


    The alien noblewoman was currently walking next to him as he led her through the halls of the morgue, following her request to see the culprit. He had no idea why she would want that, but after the service she had done to their kingdom, who was he to question her?


    Kessga hadn''t interacted much with her. He knew that she was a noble from a so far uncontacted species and that her existence was to be kept a secret for now, but that was about it. Although he had heard the servants talk very positively about her.


    "This is it," the guard captain said as he opened the door. The alien noblewoman closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then she followed him in.


    The body was held in an environment that would prevent decay. There was no damage to it, safe for the single gunshot wound in her head. While they knew she was guilty, she still needed to be officially judged. Which would probably happen as soon as the princess regained consciousness. By law, those guilty of any form of treason were not given a funeral. Their corpse was brought into space and then thrown out of the airlock so that no part of them would ever touch Hohmiy''s soil again.


    "So, she shot herself?"


    The soft, slightly shaky voice of Lady Nadine pulled him out of his thoughts.


    "Yes. The gun we found on her was stolen from the palace''s armory. It seems my men have become lax."


    "I see."


    She turned back to the corpse and raised one of her gloved hands. It was shaking noticeably, and after hovering it over the body for a while, she brought it back to her side.


    "I''m sorry."


    "For what, Milady?"


    "Not you. Her."


    "Why would you feel sorry for a treacherous murderer?"


    The alien sighed.


    "What she did was unforgivable, I''m not going to argue that. But I can still understand her suffering and desperation that drove her to this deed. Suffering she wouldn''t have had were it not for me."


    "With all due respect, Milady, there is no need for you to try and empathize with someone like her. What she did was no one''s fault but hers alone. And she would''ve died on the scaffold anyway, so it doesn''t change much."


    "That''s a bit... simplistic, don''t you think?"


    "Is it? Would your people handle it differently?"


    Lady Nadine started to slowly pace around the table where the corpse was lying.


    "I''m no lawyer, but she would probably get a lifetime in prison."


    That surprised the guard captain.


    "Not even attempted regicide warrants the death sentence on your planet? Then what does?"


    "That depends on who you ask, but in many countries, mine included: Nothing. We don''t execute criminals."


    "What, you think someone like her doesn''t deserve to die?" He did his best to stay respectful, but the thought that a traitor like her would be allowed to live agitated him.


    "It''s not about whether or not someone deserves to die for their deed. It''s about whether or not the power to decide over the life and death of others is something the state should be allowed to hold. We came to the conclusion that the answer to that is no."


    Her gaze wandered back to the corpse.


    "Up until this morning, I was absolutely fuming. Never in my life have I felt such an unbound hatred. Had I met her, I... honestly, I have no idea what I would''ve done, and I dread finding out. But now that I see her like this... huh? Wait a minute..."


    Very slowly, her hands approached the dead woman''s head. Carefully, she grabbed, lifted, and then turned it. A few moments later, she put it back down. Turning around so she was now facing him, she balled her hands into fists and twisted her face into an expression that was vastly different from what she had displayed so far. Kessga didn''t know why, but it somehow gave him an eerie feeling.


    "This was no suicide." She spat the words out of her mouth like rotten food. It took the guard captain a moment to process what he had just heard.


    "Wait, what do you mean, "no suicide"?"


    "The angle is wrong. Oldest mistake in the book when it comes to faked suicides."


    "You have a book on faked suicides?"


    "What? No, that''s just a figure of... okay, we DO have books on... you know what, forget it. My point is, she was killed by someone else. She was either framed for the crime or had an accomplice who decided to tie up loose ends. There still is a culprit to find, this case is NOT closed."


    She turned on her heel and marched to the door.


    "Screw this! I''m done hiding!"


    <hr>


    Twentieth day after my arrival


    Dear Diary


    I will find them.

 Book 1 Chapter 38 - Education

    Heart rate and breathing were regular. The two broken arms were fastened in their straighteners and showed no signs of complications. With a nod that wasn''t really directed at anyone, Githaiy confirmed that the princess''s condition was still stable. After administering the next dose of chelating agents, she prepared the nutrient mix that would replace Her Highness''s meals until she woke up.


    With the princess still unconscious, the entire palace was under strict lockdown. No one under the required clearance level was allowed to enter or leave. Which included the ambassador. Githaiy was glad that she was not the one who had to tell her that the negotiations - which would have continued today - were off, without being able to give her a reason. As a doctor, she barely knew anything about politics, but as a noble, knowing a few things was inevitable. Therefore, she knew that this was one of the things that could easily cause a lot of problems


    "Doc?"


    Looking up, Githaiy could see Nadine standing in the frame of her destroyed door.


    "Ah, you''re back. How-"


    "Later," the small alien interrupted her. "First: how is she?" She asked, gesturing toward the princess.


    "So far, Her Highness is as well as she can be considering her situation. But it could still take a while until she wakes up."


    "I see."


    Upon taking a closer look, the doctor realized that Nadine''s expression was back to its hardened state. Didn''t she go see the corpse to make peace with the situation? Or had something happened in the mortuary?


    "Can we go there?" As Githaiy followed the direction of Nadine''s finger, she could see that the small alien was pointing toward her private chambers.


    "We can, but... why?"


    "I''d like to discuss something in private and, uh, well, this door doesn''t exactly close anymore."


    Ah, so it was something not meant for the common ear. And she was right, while the two guards posted outside to keep the princess safe would stop anyone unauthorized from coming in, they couldn''t exactly stop the sound of their voices. Nodding, Githaiy led her guest into the living room and closed the door behind them.


    "So, what did you want to-"


    "The suicide was staged."


    The doctor blinked, not fully processing what she had just heard.


    "I''m sorry, what?"


    With audible spite in her voice, Nadine explained what she had found out in the mortuary. How the angle of the gunshot wound made no sense if the maid had shot herself, how she likely either got framed or had an accomplice who had decided to remove her. Throughout the whole story, Githaiy just sat there and listened in silence. So the real culprit - or at least mastermind - was still out there. That was worrying. And yet, the first question that came to her mind was a different one.


    "How do you know all of that?"


    Nadine sighed and shook her head.


    "The captain said the same thing. How do you guys not know that? I mean, I know that murder mysteries are not the most accurate depiction of reality, but that''s such a basic thing! Like, come on!"


    "What in the world do you mean by "murder mysteries"? Also, there is nothing "basic" about suicide, and this is the first time I''ve ever heard about someone staging one! Yet you talk about it as if that was something that happened frequently!"


    A long pause followed, in which the two of them just stared at each other, confused. Starting to feel slightly panicked, Githaiy decided to quickly resume their dialogue before her brain was able to interpret the silence.


    "How...," she almost had to force the words out of her. "How do you know so much? I know your species lives long, but you aren''t that old yet. And yet, you know about medicine, politics, mathematics, technology, psychology, chemistry, biology, crimes, and whatnot! Just... how?!"


    The small alien looked to the ground.


    "Before I answer that - what does education on your planet look like? Or, maybe yours specifically, as an example. What was the process that taught you your craft?


    "Um, well, I learned how to read, write, and do basic maths," the doctor answered, unsure what Nadine was getting at. "Then, at the age of five cycles, I decided I wanted to become a doctor and received the appropriate training. Theoretical education ended when I was ten cycles old. I got lucky and managed to get a position as the assistant of the royal physician at the Sky Palace. Then, about two cycles ago, Her Highness took me with her when she moved into the Star Palace."


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "I see. Then I guess I have to tell you that your people have a very different understanding of what "basic education" means compared to mine. In fact, bar a few exceptions, my knowledge of most of the topics you mentioned is considered rudimentary for a human. Or at least would be if I was a bit older."


    "Older? Didn''t you say you were average for your age?" Githaiy asked and cocked her head.


    "Were were talking about physically back then," Nadine reminded her. "In terms of education... I hate to brag, so let''s just say an average fifteen-year-old - or twenty-four cycles old - wouldn''t have been allowed to join the colony expedition. I would still be at school."


    "At twenty-four cycles you would still be at school?!"


    "On average, basic education lasts until we''re eighteen years. So, uh... about thirty cycles. By the time the average first-world child starts working full-time, a Vanaery would already have died of old age. Though in other regions like the USAG, it''s not as long."


    That was a lot to take in. Githaiy needed so much of her thinking capacity to process the new information that she didn''t even ask what Nadine had meant by "first world". She previously had some ideas on what the human''s long lifespan made possible, but hearing it outright was something else. So humans spent what equaled an entire lifetime''s worth solely on education. And that didn''t even factor in the practical knowledge gathered over time. Now she really wanted to meet a hundred-cycles old human doctor who had what would be multiple generations worth of experience for her.


    "It''s also not rare for a human to learn multiple professions," Nadine continued. "Either because they switch paths or because they benefit from the combined knowledge. That... doesn''t happen here, does it?"


    "It doesn''t", Githaiy affirmed. "No Vanaery could afford to waste that much of their life."


    "So, basically, you know close to nothing on topics that don''t involve medicine?"


    "I doubt "common knowledge" is a term that means much in this conversation, so bar a few exceptions, more or less yes."


    "Then, back to the topic at hand, that also means that staged suicides might have happened in the past, you specifically just wouldn''t know it."


    The doctor thought for a moment.


    "I... guess? But it still can''t have happened often."


    "Who is usually in charge of investigating crimes?"


    "Depends. If it''s a crime among commoners, that would be the city guard. Nobles have their own guards, and sometimes have specialized investigators on their payroll."


    "Which we, due to the emergency protocol, are not allowed to call until the princess wakes up, right?"


    "Yes."


    "So, solving crimes is most of the times just a side gig," Nadine concluded, obviously dissatisfied. "I wished our crime rates were low enough to afford to do that." While Githaiy was once again unsure about some of her words, the context made it clear what she meant.


    "So... what now?" the doctor inquired after another pause.


    "Well, I managed to convince the captain to continue the investigation. I also told him to be as secretive as possible to not tip off the culprit. Still, I can''t just sit idly and watch. I owe her Highness way too much. Also, don''t get me wrong, but the guards already got fooled once."


    "Are you sure that''s a good idea?" the doctor asked worriedly. Despite all, Nadine wasn''t immortal, and the culprit had made it clear what they were willing to do. "Besides, how would you even go about it?"


    The small alien thought for a while.


    "I guess that depends on whether that maid was an accomplice or just a scapegoat. If it''s the latter, it had to be someone in the palace who was often close to the princess. In other words, one of the servants. If, however, she herself was the one who did the deed, then it could be anyone who had a motive. Probably either a similar grudge that the maid supposedly had or they would profit from her death. Can you think of someone like that? Ignoring people like Kiyrtin who we can obviously rule out."


    "W-why would you even think of His Highness in this context?!"


    "Well, because he obviously has the most to gain from it. Should his sister die, he would inherit the throne. I know he would never do it, which is why I said we can obviously rule him out, but it''s still a fact we need to remember. Did he maybe have supporters among the nobles who would rather see him on the throne?"


    Now Githaiy started to really get scared by the alien''s train of thought.


    "How do such things even come to your mind?!"


    "Well," Nadine answered with a shrug, "that''s more or less what the history of our nobility looked like, especially during the dark ages. Sometimes even in the modern era, though that''s rare."


    "I... I don''t know, I''m not that deep into politics! But it shouldn''t! Her parents are the ones who would constantly cause trouble, her taking over foreign affairs should have vastly improved our standing!"


    That seemed to remind the small alien of something.


    "...yyeeaahh, it should," she said in a very drawn-out way. "Say, if a foreign ambassador would visit, and during the negotiations, they would end up getting insulted - what exactly would the fallout look like?"


    "The person in question would need to make concessions in an attempt to make up for it if they didn''t want to kill our political standing within the alliance. So it would not only greatly improve the position of the other side, but they would probably end up with more than they would have otherwise."


    Nadine nodded.


    "Mh-hm, and isn''t there a certain species known for getting insulted very often by the king and queen before the princess took over? One that... how did she say it? "I can''t even count how many concessions we had to make to them before I took over"?"


    The doctor froze as she realized what she was insinuating.


    "Y-you don''t mean... you can''t! Whatever you do, do not accuse her of anything if you don''t have solid evidence! She is a representative of a foreign planet, a royal guest! Below the royal family, that is basically one of the highest positions one can have!"


    "True, but... the same can technically be said about me, right?"


    She stood up and turned to the door.


    "I know that she kept me hidden for my own sake. But right now, she is the one who needs help. My position allows me to inspect the ambassador better than the guards can. I''m sorry, Doc, but as I already said to the captain: I am done hiding."

 Book 1 Chapter 39 - A curious visitor

    "What''s that supposed to mean, "canceled"?!" Kykla shouted at the screen in front of her.


    "It means that Her Highness sends her apologies," the Vanaery on the other end of the call answered calmly, "but that she will not be able to see you in the following days."


    "DAYS?! Have your people lost all sense of etiquette?! First the maid you gave me disappears without a trace, and now this! I already was so considerate to grant Her Highness a day of rest to recover, and now you are telling me that the talks are suspended indefinitely?! Yet you refuse to give me a reason?!"


    "I deeply apologize, Lady Ambassador," the Venaery answered with a bow, "but I''ve told you all the information I myself was given."


    "How long are you planning to keep me on your planet?! If the Princess is not available for whatever reason, let me talk with the Queen or King! You can''t just expect me to sit here idly without even knowing how long I am supposed to wait!"


    "I understand that you are upset, Milady, but as I said, that is all I am able to share with you."


    "Then give me someone who knows more! If by tomorrow I don''t have either an appointment with somebody else or at least a reason why the talks are suspended, I will claim delay!"


    "...I will impart your concerns Milady. Is there something else I can help you with?"


    Kykla ended the call without answering. She then took off her translator and with it, her fake anger.


    "That was no ordinary servant, was it?" she asked her handyman. "Going by the mannerisms at least."


    "Yes," Qeylo affirmed, "if memory serves right, that should''ve been the Star Palace''s steward."


    "I see. Interesting that they refuse to tell us what happened. An attack on the princess would after all be a decent reason to interrupt the negotiations."


    She stood up and started to pace around the room.


    "It''s a bit annoying that we don''t know whether or not she is dead."


    "If Kayla''s last report is to be believed, she should be," Qeylo continued her thought. "And by the time I placed her corpse and the message, it should''ve already been too late, even if she was found immediately."


    "Then we just need to be patient," the Tystrie Matriarch concluded with a nod, "and make sure not to raise any suspicion. Were you able to arrange a hospital visit with the prince?"


    While the primary reason for killing the princess was to stop her from uncovering the Tystrie''s true circumstances, the added benefit was that now, her brother was the sole heir to the throne. And since he was still a child, it would be easy to influence him into being a more... beneficial ruler. At least, more beneficial to the Tystrie. And while she didn''t know how he had ended up in the hospital, it was the perfect excuse to finally talk to him.


    "Unfortunately, he got transferred to the capital yesterday."


    "Of course. Well, try and arrange the visit anyway, it''s not like we''ve got anything else to do until the announcement. It''ll probably take them a few days to clear up the disarray, and then we''ll know whether the attack succeeded or not."


    "Very well," he said with a bow. "But shouldn''t we also make plans for the case that she somehow is still alive? Just to be sure."


    Kykla nodded.


    "You''re right. Well, even if she survived, she''ll be out for a while. Either they don''t let us talk to the queen or king, then I''ll claim delay, or they let us, then I''ll claim insult at the first chance. In both cases, we''ll get concessions that buy us time until we get a new trade agreement."


    She paused and thought for a moment. While the High Priest had bet everything on this agreement, she now knew there was zero chance of it still happening. But the concessions should give them enough time to come up with a new solution. That wasn''t for her to decide, though. But there was something else she''d need to deal with.


    "However, assuming that she indeed survived, there would of course still be the problem of the princess snooping around. She wouldn''t stop just because she was out for a while. And now that our scapegoat is gone, we can''t just try and kill her again. Since we now know that she never planned to form a treaty with us, the best course of action would probably be to cut off contact with the Vanaery after that and look for a different target. But we''d need to justify that somehow. We have to find a way to discredit her in front of the Alliance. Luckily, her current behavior could help with that. Maybe..."


    A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought.


    "Yes?"


    One of her servants entered.


    "Milady, there is someone who wishes to speak with you," the smaller male announced.


    "Oh, really?" she asked sarcastically while fetching her translator. "Do you also have any useful information? Like, maybe tell me who the "someone" is?"


    "Um, well, uh, it''s not a Vanaery."


    "Alright, now we know who it is not. Can you now maybe tell me anything that will justify not firing you once we are back home? Name? Species? Rank?"


    Granted, knowing that this ominous visitor was no Vanaery was actually quite a big deal. She wasn''t aware of any other ambassadors on Hohmiy, and negotiating with multiple people at once was considered bad manners. And the princess knew that. As such, the fact that another species was invited at the same time certainly was not nothing. But it didn''t excuse her servant''s incompetence. How did she hire someone who didn''t even know how to announce someone?


    "I-I deeply apologize, Milady, b-but I don''t know their species. And their name... was too long, I couldn''t memorize it."


    "...huh?"


    After some quick preparations to make herself presentable, Kykla ordered the servant to call her mysterious "guest" in. She was now getting really curious because she was certain her servants knew all species in the Alliance. Maybe one that the Tystrie rarely had contact with? Her first thought would be the Krahwol, with whom they had zero contact ever since they had stopped exporting metal. Meaning the still somewhat young male would''ve never seen one in his life. Still, she was fairly certain that to qualify to accompany an ambassador, a servant needed to know them regardless. And how bad was his memory to not recall a name, just because it was a bit longer?


    The door opened and... someone... entered. A someone who very distinctly was not a Krahwol. The person was small, notably smaller than even the male Tystrie accompanying her, and only about half the height of Kykla. They had a frail frame and a pale appearance that lacked any form of scales, shell, or fur, bar a very large patch of silvery hair with a yellowish hue on the top of their head. Two arms and legs each, similar to her, but unlike the Tystrie, thinner limbs and no tail. The two eyes were rather big, with an intricately patterned blue circle in the middle. Their clothes seem to be close in style to what the Vanaery had copied from the Moravi, supplemented with a pair of gloves and some strange plates that were strapped to her feet with a complex set of straps. There was no denying it: the person in front of her did not belong to any species in the Alliance. And she was very obviously not a Kiroscha. But there were no known species besides the Kiroscha who weren''t in the Alliance. Which could only mean one thing:


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    A new contact.


    Kykla desperately tried to stay calm. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She could not afford to screw this up!


    The unknown alien, despite their short height, had a strong presence and dignified demeanor. But there was also something else. Something that, deep down, irked some primal instinct in Kykla. But she couldn''t really identify the feeling and chose to simply ignore it. The point was, her visitor was likely not just a messenger, but someone of influence. And while she wasn''t prepared to host a foreign noble, she would not allow herself to let this chance slip by.


    "I apologize for letting you wait. I am Kykla, representative of the Tystrie. I would greet you in turn, but I hope you can forgive my incompetent servant for not being able to deliver your name."


    "There is nothing to apologize for, I have taken no offense," an incredibly soft voice answered. "I am well aware that my name can be confusing to those who are unfamiliar with the naming style of my people."


    While she had already assumed it, the response made it clear that she was talking to a noble. These speech patterns and the regal aura she was radiating weren''t something found among commoners.


    "As such, allow me to introduce myself: I am Nadine Valentina Esmeralda Anastasia von Klot of House Heydenfeldt. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Kykla."


    ...On second thought, I may have treated my servant too harshly.


    "As I already stated," the alien continued, "I completely understand that my name can be confusing to those not used to it. You are free to refer to me as "Lady Nadine"."


    Then why even have a name that long?


    "Then I shall do exactly that. Allow me to once again welcome you in the name of the Tystrie, Lady Nadine. May the light of the Goddess shine upon you. I''m afraid I do not know of your people''s dietary needs, but if there is still something I can offer you, please speak."


    "That is fine. Some unpurified tap water will suffice."


    That wasn''t the kind of answer Kykla had expected. And judging by his confused look, the same could be said for her servant. With a gesture that essentially said what are you waiting for?!, she signaled him to follow the unusual request.


    She then led her guest to a pair of couches where they took seats across from each other. Lady Nadine was so short that, once she was fully seated, her feet no longer touched the ground. As she sat down, the furniture seemed to make some sound of exhaustion. Great, was she seriously given faulty products? She could only pray to be spared the embarrassment of having it break under her guest.


    Shortly after, the servant brought in her drink.


    Kykla observed her thoroughly. The noblewoman took a sip without any hesitation. And yet, her hand seemed to slightly shake when she put the water container on the table in front of her. Was she not immune to the calcium after all? But why order it then?


    "It is a shame we couldn''t meet on a better day, but I''m afraid the downpour won''t stop any time soon."


    "Yes, I was informed about this world''s seasons. But I don''t mind, compared to the rain on my homeworld, this is but a light drizzle."


    Was she bragging? If not, Kykla didn''t want to know what heavy rain looked like on her world. But that at least meant she wasn''t in a sour mood.


    "To be completely honest," Kykla changed the topic, "meeting a newly contacted species is the last thing I expected from this visit. I am pleasantly surprised. Though I must ask: is there a reason why you haven''t contacted the Tystrie yet?"


    "None other than time," Lady Nadine assured her. "We, the species human, contacted the Vanaery purely by chance. We by no means plan to favor them over the other members of the alliance."


    "Oh, I didn''t mean to insinuate that. But I thank you regardless. I then understand that to be the reason for your visit?"


    "Indeed," Lady Nadine affirmed after taking another sip. Her hand was still shaking. "I was meant to meet her Highness today, but alas, the meeting got canceled. Even worse, I wasn''t even given a reason why."


    "I see. I''m in the same situation, actually. But it is hard to be angry about that considering it allowed for this meeting to happen. May I ask: are there other representatives of the "humans" on Hohmiy?"


    "Just me," the alien noblewoman clarified. "It is the first time my people meet extraterrestrial life by the way. It is truly a joyous occasion, in all my twenty-four cycles, I never experienced anything close."


    Well, that was perfect! Since the Vanaery weren''t cutting a dash right now, this was her chance to win this new species over! Even if they later talked with the other species later, the first impression always stuck. If this went well, the Tystrie''s trouble might be a thing of the past!


    Just as she finished her train of thought, she realized that Lady Nadine had just emptied her water container. She had really drunk all the water with everything in it.


    "Is there an issue?"


    Crap, she had been staring!


    "A-apologies, Lady Nadine. I was simply marveling how manifold life in the universe can be."


    "Because of this?" she asked while tapping her water container. "Well, I agree. I too was surprised to hear that the Vanaery remove all these precious nutrients from the water."


    ...what?


    "Though I guess they aren''t exactly nutrients to them, am I right?"


    Something in her tone had changed.


    "Truly a strange whim of evolution for a planet to bring forth a species that can''t drink its own water. Sure, not all water on my planet is drinkable either, but this is really something else. I mean, just grabbing the wrong water once and ending up hospitalized, if not worse. Just imagine, being locked in your room, laying on the floor, alone, after having poisoned yourself with what was meant to be a harmless drink brought to you by your trusted servant. Wouldn''t that be a terrifying thought?"


    Kykla felt as if her heart skipped a beat.


    "Y-yeah..," she answered after a way too long pause.


    "I apologize, my description might have been a bit graphic. Oh, by the way: While you of course brought some of your own servants, wouldn''t common courtesy dictate to also give you some? Are the Vanaery really that negligent towards their guests?"


    "N-no, I was given one. B-but she seems to have disappeared."


    "And someone like that gets hired by the palace?" The alien noblewoman shook her head. "That kind of carelessness is borderline... criminal."


    "I-I totally agree. But, while I am grateful for your visit, I am sure that you still have duties to attend which I don''t wish to keep you from."


    "Yes, you are right. I hope we can speak again though."


    "I''m sure we will."


    As the visitor left, Kykla deflated. With shaking hands, she took off her translator.


    "She knows. I don''t know how much, but she knows."


    "With all due respect, Milady," Qeylo chimed in, "I think that sounds a bit paranoid."


    She slowly turned her head toward her handyman.


    "You''re not the one who thinks here, I am. You are the one who gets stuff done when I need you to."


    She stood up.


    "I have lived longer than you ever will! I''ve been a politician all my life, I know how to pick up verbal cues! You heard how old she is! While I don''t know how long humans live exactly, a noble with that amount of life experience doesn''t say those things by accident! Even the water she asked for! This wasn''t a visit to establish relationships, this was a THREAT! She doesn''t want partners, she wants PUPPETS!"


    "But... even if she has a suspicion, there is nothing that could lead back to us, our plan-"


    "YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT! Proof is only an issue within the alliance, it means nothing to her! Didn''t you hear what she said?! She is the ONLY representative of her species on the planet! During a FIRST CONTACT! Do you have ANY idea what that means on how much trust she has among her people?! She might even be the right hand of their royalty! She doesn''t need proof, if she tells them what she thinks of us, that''ll kill any chance of a relationship with them! Imagine them joining the alliance, and we''re the ONLY ONES not profiting from it! Our people would be done for!"


    Spent, she slumped back into her seat.


    "I understand your point, Milady. However, if she were to die on Hohmiy, while being a guest to the Vanaery... things would look different, right?"


    Kykla thought for a while before answering. Would she really order another death? Well, she had already done it once. She did what she had to for her people, all she could hope was for the Goddess to acknowledge that.


    "Let''s say I agreed... how would we go about doing this? None of your "friends" are in the palace, if they were, there wouldn''t have been any need to go through all the trouble with the maid in the first place. We don''t know her species except for the fact that calcium doesn''t kill her. And lastly, how do you plan to make sure it looks like a Vanaery did it? If ANYTHING leads back to us, our people are doomed."


    Qeylo nodded.


    "Regarding your first concern that is indeed difficult. I would need to call in almost every favor and threat I can, and then I wouldn''t have any friends left on Hohmiy. And I doubt I''ll be able to make a usable amount of new ones."


    She shrugged.


    "Your "friends" did a great service to us, but we were able to do it without them before. Besides, no matter how this goes, we''ll have cut all ties with Hohmiy anyway, so nothing lost there."


    "Very well. About your second concern, there are types of poison that can kill any species. No matter how different she is, she is still organic. And I know a particularly deadly one that has no known antidote, and even better, it is available on this planet. It of course can''t be bought by just anyone, but that''s actually part of my plan and will resolve your third concern."

 Book 1 Chapter 40 - Solid Evidence

    Twenty-third day after my arrival


    Dear Diary


    I finally managed to calm down a bit. It''s now been two days since I visited the Tystrie ambassador. They are an interesting species, completely different from the Vanaery. They look a bit like bipedal cats with fish scales instead of fur. And no cat ears, theirs are on the side and pretty big, a bit like bat ears. Also interesting how tall the ambassador was. The servants all were around the size of an adult man human man, but the ambassador was as tall as the princess.


    I''m still not sure if they did it, but the ambassador definitely acted suspiciously. There was also this one servant who was constantly loitering around, I had a really strange feeling around him. But I didn''t find anything concrete. To be fair, in hindsight, I''m not really sure what I was looking for. I was so angry the entire Maybe I should''ve planned this better.


    But it wasn''t pointless. My suspicion of her has definitely grown. Once the guard captain comes back, I''ll have to tell him about her, maybe he can find something out. Though thanks to this nobility crap, she''s basically untouchable until there is damning evidence against her. That includes interrogating her. Until the princess wakes up, I''m more or less the only one who can talk to her without things getting ugly. Stupid politics.


    Assuming she really is the one behind this, in an ideal world, my visit made her panic and she''d try something reckless. But I doubt she''s that stupid. Still, I better tell the guards to be on the lookout, as well as the captain once he comes back...


    <hr>


    Once she got called in, Githaiy opened the door and entered Nadine''s room. After her, two maids brought in an assortment of food, before leaving again with a bow.


    The small alien was sitting on the pile of pillows on her chair that allowed her to reach the desk, seemingly writing something again.


    "Is she better? Considering you''re here," she asked, hopping down to the ground.


    "Yes," Githaiy affirmed. "Her readings are all stable, and I couldn''t detect any noteworthy traces of calcium, it has all been flushed out. The damage done to her body will take time to heal, but there should be nothing to worsen her condition. And even if, I hooked her up to many control monitors that would warn me of the slightest anomaly. The only thing left for her is to wake up and then rest."


    She made a pause before adding.


    "You really saved her life that night. You can be proud of that."


    Nadine closed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    "No. Not before I bring this matter to a close. But speaking of resting, shouldn''t you do that too?"


    "I have. I was able to catch up on my missed sleep, so my body has rested enough. This right here is actually a good way for me to get my head free."


    That made Nadine chuckle.


    "You sure love research, huh, Doc?"


    "Well, I''m the first person in the alliance to examine a foreign sapient species in First Ones know how many generations," she shrugged, chiming in on the alien''s delight.


    Both kept enjoying the moment a bit longer before Nadine let out a long, melancholic sigh.


    "You know, Claire would''ve loved meeting you."


    "Claer?" Githaiy repeated, sure that she had butchered the name. That didn''t sound like it belonged to a Vanaery. Another human, maybe? If so, as far as she could recall, this was the first time Nadine had mentioned another person by name.


    "Claire Archambeau. She''s a biochemist from Belgium and is also part of the colony program. She''s the youngest among the adults in our group, so we talked quite a bit."


    Seemingly remembering something, Nadine started to laugh.


    "She once missed an important assignment because she accidentally discovered something during a test and spent all her time with that instead. Was almost kicked out of the program for it. Seriously, give her a microscope and some biomass, and won''t see her again for the day."


    She shook her head smiling.


    "Fair bit of warning though, if she isn''t immersed in her research, she''s more hyper than a squirrel on cocaine. Still, you have to meet her if we ever..."


    The small alien''s gaze fell as the words died in her mouth.


    "I''m sure they are fine," Githaiy tried to comfort her. "Some other alliance members may have found them already. Word just travels slowly beyond the hyperlanes."


    "Let''s... talk about something else, okay?"


    Githaiy wanted to say something in return, but she realized her words wouldn''t reach Nadine at the moment. So instead, she turned to the food assortment and handed her two small containers.


    "Here is the new recipe you asked for. This one is with tikro, that one without"


    That at least brought her smile back.


    "I wouldn''t exactly call a smoothie a "recipe". It''s actually strange that you guys never got the idea. But I still hope those fruits work together. Would be nice to have something good and easy, especially when I''m training," she explained as she took a sip. She then put the container away immediately.


    "It''s liquified, it''s mixed with other stuff, and it STILL tastes like dry flour! What is wrong with that stupid tuber? This thing screams nutrients, there has to be a way to make this edible!"


    Slightly frustrated, she took a big gulp from the other one. Only to then stop and make a confused face.


    "Huh. That one doesn''t taste like I thought it would. Is that really just the fruits I listed?"


    "I didn''t make it, but it should be. So both are a failure?"


    Nadine shook her head.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Wouldn''t exactly call it a failure, it''s just..." She took another gulp. "There is an aftertaste I can''t really assign to any of the fruits I tried. Maybe some things in there react weirdly?" She drank some more. "Hm, the fruity flavor is too strong, I can''t really discern it. I feel like I know this taste from somewhere, but I can''t really put my finger on it."


    She thought a bit more, but seemingly not reaching a conclusion, she emptied the rest in one go.


    "Still, wasn''t bad, so no worries. Anyway, is there something else that''s new?"


    One after another, Githaiy went with her through the meals the staff had prepared this time. Right before the assassination attempt on the princess, Nadine had given a couple of new suggestions, so there were indeed some new things she hadn''t tried yet. By now, they had figured out a decent amount of food the small alien could consume. Whether it was what she needed to consume was a different topic. Occasionally, Nadine recognized the names of some of the nutrients, but this simply wasn''t her field of expertise. Could she maybe feel that her body was missing something and because of that was so obsessed with the tikro?


    Githaiy explained more about each meal while Nadine quietly listened, though sometimes, she seemed to giggle for no apparent reason. Some time passed until they had finally gone through everything. Finishing her meal, Nadine got up. But she somehow lost her balance and tumbled a bit to the side before getting a hold of the wall. She giggled again.


    "Are you alright?" the doctor asked, surprised. Nadine had always shown an impressive balance of her body, so this was unusual.


    "Yeh yeh, I''m ffffffffiiine."


    And that was about the last kind of response she had expected.


    "Are you sure? Because you don''t sound fine."


    "Ahhh, c''mooon, yu gan be a sdiggler when I''m done wif de Columbo-shidd," she grumbled.


    "...what?" Was her translator glitching out? But it had worked fine just now. It had to be the translator though. Physical speech impairment wouldn''t get through the translator, so something had to be wrong either with the device or with...


    ...her brain.


    Oh no.


    "Nadine, look at me!"


    "Huuuh? Why? Hey, huu''s yur ssissder?"


    What? Was she hallucinating now?


    "Nadine, I think something was wrong with your food! Come, we need to go to my office!"


    Nadine tried to say something else, but this time, it was completely unintelligible. She got away from the wall but lost her balance again, crashing into one of the food trays and breaking it in the process. She didn''t get up afterward but simply lay in the wreckage.


    "Nadine? Nadine!"


    No response.


    Githaiy hurriedly ran out into the hallway.


    "GUARDS!" she screamed. "GUARDS! WE NEED HELP!"


    Quickly, three of them answered the call.


    "What happened, Milady?"


    "I don''t know, I think Nadine ingested something harmful to her! You need to get her in my office, quick!"


    "...how?"


    "I don''t know, get creative!"


    With that, she left the guards behind and rushed over to the other side of the palace, hoping she could already do something before they arrived. Running past the princess who was still lying peacefully on her bed, she activated the blood testing machine. All her research regarding Nadine so far only encompassed day-to-day things, so she had no idea what symptoms she showed to what. Therefore, her only hope was this apparatus.


    Grabbing a syringe, she ran back. The guards, now six in total, had managed to get Nadine onto her oversized bedsheet and, rather than carrying her, dragged the package over the floor like a heavy sack. Not exactly dignified, but that wasn''t something they could care about now. Githaiy quickly drew a blood sample, hoping the machine would be done by the time they reached her office, and rushed back again. She put a drop in each of the testing tubes, every tigg feeling like an entire inva.


    The machine didn''t have human blood registered in its system yet, so it didn''t know what results to ignore. That only served to make the process even more tedious, as irrelevant compound after irrelevant compound popped up on the screen. Calcium, potassium, copper, magnesium, all things that would be concerning in other species, but were irrelevant now. She had already analyzed the alien''s blood once, she just needed the machine to show something that hadn''t been there before!


    Finally, just as the guard managed to drag Nadine in, the test showed a relevant result. And it was one that let all the strength leave Githaiy''s body. All the haste she had felt until now was gone, and left was only despair.


    "What now, doc?" One of the guards asked. It almost hurt the doctor to move her mouth.


    "...nothing."


    "Nothing?! What do you mean, nothing?!"


    "There is nothing to do. I can''t help her."


    <hr>


    "Uuhhh..."


    Hearing a groan, Githaiy jumped to her feet. It was the early morning and the doctor had skipped another night. Unable to stop Nadine from succumbing to the poison, all she could do was attempt to keep her stable and hope for a miracle. And somehow, one had come. While her body had gotten hot for a while, her breath and pulse had quickly become calm and steady. No further reactions to the toxin had shown themselves, she was just lying on her bedsheet on the floor, peacefully.


    The only way Githaiy could explain this was that whoever had done the deed underestimated her body mass and mixed too little in her food. It was probably the weird taste she had noticed. But who had done it? When? How?


    Unfortunately, things were far from good. It was still all but guaranteed that she had suffered permanent neural damage. It was probably especially bad for her since her brain had such high and fast computing power. Wherever the damage would manifest exactly, she would definitely have to live with severe impairments from now on.


    "What..."


    "Nadine! Oh, by the First Ones, you''re awake!"


    "Loud..."


    "...sorry, what did you say?"


    "Could you... talk not so loud, please? And... maybe turn off the light? Ah, fuck, my head is killing me. What happened?" She talked much slower than before.


    Githaiy nodded and followed her request, before taking notes. She quickly needed to assess all long-term symptoms. The headache would probably be the least of them.


    "Nadine, I need you to stay calm. This will probably come as a shock, but... someone tried to poison you."


    "Huh?" She sounded more confused than shocked. "Poison? With what, with alcohol?"


    The doctor was stumped. Despite her condition and just from the symptoms, she was able to discern the toxin?


    "Um, yes. Ethanol to be exact."


    "He. Hehehe-ow. Oh boy, do I have a story for you once this hangover is gone."


    With that, Nadine rolled to her side and closed her eyes again. How was she so calm?


    "Doctor?"


    A voice called for her from the destroyed door. Turning her head, she noticed two guards as well as the guard captain. She signed for them to be quiet before stepping out into the hallway.


    "I see you are back, Captain," she greeted him once she was sure they were far enough away so as to not disturb Nadine. "How did your investigation go?"


    "I take it you know that the suicide of the culprit was likely staged?"


    "Yes, Nadine told me."


    "Speaking of, how is she?"


    "To my absolute surprise: alive. But despite her luck, there are still severe long-term consequences to be expected. Which ones exactly, I can not tell yet. Ethanol is incredibly dangerous."


    The captain nodded.


    "I see. When my men told me the name, I asked around. You can''t just acquire this stuff normally, right?"


    "Correct. Because it is so potent and there is no known antidote, you need a special research license to purchase it."


    "Mh-hm. But you have such a license, right?"


    That comment made Githaiy stop.


    "I do. I don''t see how that is relevant though."


    "It is insofar relevant that I have to ask you to come with me."


    It actually took her a while to process what she had just heard and to understand what the captain was hinting at.


    "... you must be joking."


    "Most certainly not."


    "Are you... why would you even think that?!"


    "Well, you were one of few who knew about her theory of the staged suicide, maybe you wanted to silence her."


    "Why would I want to- wait, are you saying I attempted to assassinate Her Highness?! That makes no sense, I was to one who saved her!" she shouted, fuming over his audacity.


    "Maybe you didn''t want her to die, just take her out, I don''t know. I mean, our only source that she is fine now and will soon wake up is you, after all. True, I don''t know what you would hope to gain from this, but you see: by the time the maid in question was shot, you weren''t back to the palace yet, but arrived shortly after, meaning you could''ve been in the city. You were one of the few who knew about Lady Nadine''s suspicion, you were the one who gave her the poisoned meal, and despite alerting the guards, you were rather quick in announcing that she was beyond saving."


    "Yes, because as I said, there is no known antidote against ethanol! It''s a deadly neurotoxin!"


    She took a breath.


    "Alright, if you say it like that, there''s a hint in my direction, I''ll give you that much. But that''s not nearly enough. I might be of low rank, but I''m still a noble and in service of the Star Palace! You can''t accuse me unless you have either Her Highness''s order or solid evidence!


    "That is true."


    "Then instead of chasing-"


    She didn''t finish her sentence as the captain held a datapad in her face. What she saw made her freeze.


    It was a bill of delivery for a small shipment of ethanol. Ordered with her license.


    "What do you say? Does this qualify as "solid evidence"?"

 Book 1 Chapter 41 - Are you scared?

    The cell block was quiet. No one talked or made any form of noise. Mainly because there was no one here.


    Two and a half cycles. That was the amount of time that had passed since the Star Palace''s completion. Two and a half cycles since Her Highness had made it the new center of Hohmiy''s foreign politics. Two and a half cycles, during which these cells had never seen a single prisoner. And, why would they? Ordinary criminals would go to the city''s prison. One would need to commit a crime of the highest order and within the palace walls to land here.


    A crime like, for example, trying to assassinate the princess and a foreign diplomat.


    Githaiy would''ve never thought that she would be the first one to be locked in one of these cells. Honestly, she didn''t even remember her way down here. She was able to recall seeing her license number on the bill for the ethanol, and the next thing she realized was her sitting behind a breakout-proof wall of glass.


    I wonder how "breakout proof" it would be for Nadine, she couldn''t help but muse.


    Nadine...


    Githaiy lost track of how much time she had spent here so far. She just woke up from sleep but considering how messed-up her sleep schedule had been for the last couple of days that could mean basically anything and nothing. But it was definitely more than enough time for anything to go wrong with either of her two patients. Even under the emergency protocol, they had to have called in a new doctor by now. One who had no idea that the species Human even existed, let alone how to help one. The princess was likely fine, she had been on her way to recovery anyway, but Nadine?


    Then again, was she any better? Oh, sure, Githaiy spent almost every day since meeting the small alien gathering as much information about her kind as she could, but when she needed medical help, she could do nothing. No idea what could help her recover, no clue what her body needed to somehow make the best out of an absolutely catastrophic situation.


    How could this even have happened? How much influence did the culprit have in order to pull something like this off? And most importantly: who did this? Even if Nadine was right and the Tystrie had their hands in this, they couldn''t have possibly done this alone!


    Githaiy''s head hurt. If only Her Highness were awake, surely she would know how to do.


    "Finally got some sleep, Doc?"


    She immediately shot up from her bed. Had her food been poisoned as well? Was now she the one hallucinating? Because what she was seeing on the other side of the glass simply could not be true.


    "Um, someone home?"


    Nadine''s face was perfectly neutral, and her voice didn''t betray any emotion. Her posture was like always. There was no way. It simply wasn''t possible that this was the real Nadine.


    "What is the name of your grandmother from your father''s side?" Githaiy finally asked.


    Now, the small alien''s face did show an emotion: confusion.


    "Rosl," she answered. "Which, now that I think about it, was probably a nickname. Everyone always called her that, I never put much thought into it. Why are you asking that?"


    It was an answer Githaiy didn''t know. It was also a long and clear answer. This was proof she wasn''t hallucinating. But the alternative was equally impossible.


    "...you''re real."


    "Wha..? Of course I am! Is everything alright with you?"


    "With me?" Githaiy finally snapped out of her stupor and stepped to the glass. "What about you?! Why are you up?! You need to stay in bed, we need to assess your condition before you can get up! If you walk around, you''re begging your affliction to get worse!"


    "Doc, I am fine-"


    "FINE?!" Nadine''s retort made her snap. "You ingested ethanol! Just a minuscule amount of that is already guaranteed to do lasting damage to you!"


    "There is no-"


    "We don''t even know the extent of the damage you suffered yet! You are insanely lucky that you are even conscious! Someone tried to kill you, for First Ones'' sake! How can you stand there and claim you are fine?!"


    "That''s what I''m trying to explain, you''re not letting me," Nadine deadpanned. The bluntness of the answer knocked the doctor out of her loquacity and she sunk back down onto the bed.


    "Alright," she said, unable to contain her sarcasm. "Then please enlighten me on how you are fine after getting poisoned with one of the most dangerous neurotoxins known."


    "You say that as if alcohol is on the same level as botulinum" - as what? - "but anyway..."


    She tapped the side of her torso.


    "...humans have an organ called the "liver". Its job is basically to detox our body from all sorts of things, alcohol being one of them."


    Githaiy needed a moment to process what she had just heard. Had Nadine seriously just said that she had an organ capable of cleansing poisons on par with ethanol?


    "So...so...toxins are..."


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    There was way too much going on in her head for Githaiy to even attempt trying to form a cohesive sentence.


    "I''m not immune to poisons if that''s what you''re trying to say," Nadine corrected as she caught on to her train of thought. "I mean, I guess I''m immune to many things you would consider poison, but still. I kinda blacked out, so I''m not sure what exactly went on, but I probably acted drunk before I passed out. So as you see, I''m not simply immune. If I didn''t throw up things probably weren''t too bad ye, but alcohol can very much kill me in higher doses, just like a lot of other things can. Also, I''m still a kid and on top of that not used to alcohol, so by human standards, it doesn''t take much to knock me out."


    Once more, Githaiy left a pause before answering. A pause in which she went through each of the small alien''s sentences once more to make sure she had actually understood the absurdity she was right now being faced with. Even among the absurdity of the rest of her statement, there was one thing that still managed to stand out to her.


    "What do you mean, you aren''t "used to alcohol"?"


    That triggered a new facial expression Nadine hadn''t shown before. The lower half of her face looked like one of her grins, while the upper half looked... dismissive?


    "Well, um, that may sound crazy..."


    As if the rest of the conversation so far had been any different.


    "...but humans often consume alcohol for fun. Ethanol at least, the others are actually quite dangerous."


    "..."


    "..."


    "I see."


    A heavy silence followed in which neither of the two did anything besides looking at the other. In the end, it was Nadine who spoke again.


    "That''s... it? No offense, but I thought you had more to say about it than just that."


    "I have", the doctor retorted. "But I feel like my head will explode if I spend a single other thought on this."


    "Ah."


    Nadine sat down on the floor, dropping the topic.


    "Hey, uh, Doc?"


    "Yes?"


    "I''m sorry."


    "For what?"


    "For only coming now," the small alien sighed. "I should''ve come to you as soon as my hangover was gone, but... I was so... angry. I almost couldn''t think straight. I couldn''t even write my turmoil down, because when I tried, I crushed the pen."


    Githaiy froze, well aware of how deadly Nadine''s anger could be.


    "Y-you have to believe me, I-"


    "Duh, of course you didn''t do it."


    The immediate dismissal came as a surprise.


    "Captain Kessga seems to disagree."


    "He acted rashly. But to be fair, he didn''t have all the info, and if there are hints in your direction, he can''t exactly afford to let you near us. Still, I mean, just now you didn''t think about pleading innocent until you were absolutely sure I was fine. That would convince anyone if the matter wasn''t close to being resolved anyway."


    "Huh? Wait, what do you mean "resolved"?"


    She smiled.


    "It means you''ll get out soon."


    "That''s great, but that''s not what I meant. How is the matter already resolved? Just like that?"


    The smile disappeared again and the gaze of the small alien dropped to the floor.


    "Well, remember how I said I was so angry I could barely think straight? I... did something I''m not exactly proud of.


    <hr>


    The day before...


    The night was surprisingly clear. This had to be one of the announced last days before the rain wouldn''t stop anymore. Kykla wouldn''t complain about not getting wet, the day had been bad enough. She really had better things to do than fly to the other side of the planet and back. After going out of her way to get the green light from the hospital to visit Prince Kiyrtin she had arrived in Viyrminar, only to then learn that His Highness didn''t want to meet her. And since the cottage in Calhanar was the only place currently equipped to house her species, she begrudgingly made her way back.


    Well, getting friendly with the prince was only plan B to begin with, and it''s not like I had something else to do. As soon as Lady Nadine''s death becomes public, we should leave anyway.


    "Took you long enough."


    Half out of her shuttle, Kykla was startled at the unexpected voice, and Qeylo immediately drew his weapon. From the shadows, a small figure emerged. A figure Kykla was very familiar with.


    Why is she still alive?! Am I surrounded by nothing but incompetence?!


    "[Look if she has any guards with her]" she ordered Qeylo in their language, before turning on her translator.


    "Lady Nadine," she greeted, putting up her act. "To what do I-"


    "Cut the crap!" the human barked, much to Kykla''s surprise. Normally, even if someone was angry, she could still see that person''s mannerisms within the anger. But with her? Nothing. And not just because she now lacked any hint of noble etiquette, though that was certainly part of it. But more than that, it was as if the person she had met a few days earlier no longer existed. But there, once again, was this nudging instinct inside of her that she couldn''t really identify.


    "We both know what''s going on, so stop this charade already!"


    "I am afraid I don''t quite know..."


    "Oh, shove it! I know what you did, I bugged your room!"


    "I don''t know that term." Kykla''s last sentence was not an act.


    "It means I left a listening device there. I heard every word."


    "WHAT? How dare... how can you call yourself a noble and be so shameless?!"


    "Oh please", Lady Nadine spat. "Which one of us tried to kill their host?! And me, for that matter. With alcohol, of all things. Honestly, I would laugh if I weren''t so pissed."


    "I did what was necessary!" Kykla retorted. "I did what I had to for the sake of my people!"


    "Milady," Qeylo tried to cut in, but she didn''t let him speak.


    "The princess had it coming when she was dead-set on plunging us into ruin! And so had you when you threatened us!"


    "Milady!" Qeylo tried again.


    "WHAT?!"


    "We talked without translators back then."


    Kykla froze. He was right. The translators available on Hohmiy were set on Vanaery, they couldn''t translate from another language from a recording. There was no way Lady Nadine could''ve understood them.


    She had tricked her. Tricked her into confessing her crimes.


    "Guards?" she carefully asked her handyman.


    "None."


    Kykla grinned. That meant the situation was salvageable. They just needed to kill Lady Nadine, then place her corpse somewhere in the city, and her people would be none the wiser. It would still look as if her death was on the Vanaery. Then, she could try building a relationship between the Humans and the Tystrie, just as planned.


    "Alright, you got me", Kykla admitted to her adversary. "But aren''t you forgetting something? You are alone! Do you think I am scared of some unarmed pipsqueak?"


    The human didn''t answer. Instead, she put her hand on the scabbard on her back and drew... a stick?


    Kykla couldn''t contain her laughter. Instead of engaging her any further, she simply made a gesture to Qeylo.


    "Just kill her already."


    And then, things happened fast. Almost faster than she could see. Before Qeylo could even aim his weapon, Lady Nadine threw the strange stick. It spun so fast it looked like a disk, bridged the distance between them in an instant, and crashed into Qeylo with a force rivaling a kinetic gun. With a sickening crunch, her handyman was flung backward, leaving a trail of blood as he hit the ground. The stick clattered next to him on the pathway.


    There was no point in checking. The caved-in torso made it very clear he was dead. Had it not been for the security vest, he might''ve even gotten torn in two.


    Kykla was petrified, unable to do anything other than stare at his corpse before her gaze snapped back to the human. In a way that looked almost demonstrably slow, Lady Nadine pulled another of these weird sticks from her scabbard. Her eyes were as blue as the ice of the northern wasteland and felt just as cold when her gaze pierced Kykla. She then tilted her head in an almost mocking fashion.


    "Scared now?"

 Book 1 Chapter 42 - Persistence Hunting

    For a few moments, Kykla just stood there, unable to process what she had just witnessed. How did this bizarre weapon work to be so powerful? It looked like just a stick! It couldn''t just be the force of the throw, right? Such a small body couldn''t possibly hold that amount of strength!


    As Nadine made a step toward her, a jolt went through Kykla''s body. What should she do? Should she try and grab Qeylo''s gun? No, she had never used one, and if the past moments taught her anything, it was that she wouldn''t survive long enough to even raise the weapon. Instead, her gaze remained glued to her adversary. It was still the same small, frail-looking frame the human had always had. Yet somehow, Kykla felt as if she was staring death straight in the eyes.


    And then, she finally understood it. Ever since meeting the alien noblewoman for the first time, Kykla had, somewhere deep down, felt some primal urge that she had ignored since she hadn''t been able to really identify the feeling. But now, the feeling had broken out of her subconsciousness, and its name was clear as day: fear. The urge she had felt was one to run for her life.


    And with a quick decision, that was exactly what she did. Like her ancestors had done when they had encountered primal predators, she ran. Kykla didn''t spend much of her time pursuing physical activity, so she was slow for a Tystrie female, but she still was a Tystrie female. Her kind had no equal in the alliance when it came to running. So even if she was slow compared to her own, there was no way Nadine''s short legs could keep up with her speed. Therefore, her best bet now was to bring as much distance between them while praying to the Goddess that the bizarre weapon didn''t have much reach.


    At least the last part appeared to be true since there didn''t seem to be a follow-up attack. She quickly scaled the small hill that broke the vision between her cottage and the city of Calhanar, which she for the first time was thankful that it was so close. It wasn''t until she reached the first houses that she dared to look back. Thank the Goddess, she had been right about Nadine''s speed. The alien only now appeared on top of the hill, far behind her.


    Not halting her sprint, Kykla entered the city. Calhanar was quiet this late into the night, so there was nothing in her way. Between the open landing fields meant for public shuttles, there was a myriad of narrow alleyways through which she could shake her pursuer off.


    When she felt that her body wouldn''t allow her to push it any further, she went around one more corner before sinking to the ground. She was exhausted far beyond anything she had ever experienced in her life and felt so hot that it was like standing in one of her homeworld''s many deserts. The wall behind her felt cold under her touch, and she leaned against it in the desperate hope that it would allow her to cool off. She, Kykla, a matriarch of the Tystrie, the right hand of High Priest Isbal, an ambassador of her people, the one trusted with the future of her people, the one who had been blessed with not just one, but two daughters among not even forty children, was hiding in an alleyway like a common thief on the run. In any other situation, her shame would''ve been so great that she would''ve wanted to sink into the ground. Right now, she couldn''t care less.


    She had managed to shake off her pursuer, that was all that counted at that moment. There was no way Nadine would find her among the countless alleys that spread in all directions between the landing areas. And now that she finally had some peace, she could think about her next step. She had failed, spectacularly so, that was undeniable at this point. Maybe there was a way to salvage the situation. She couldn''t think of one right now, but if there was, she needed to be alive for it. So, how would she survive that crazed alien who was clearly out for blood?


    Well, except for Qeylo, all her other servants were still alive and at the cottage. The shuttle she had been given was also there. She just needed to exit the town again without running into her pursuer, which, considering its size, shouldn''t be too hard. She would then take her servants and fly back to the space harbor before Nadine could talk to anyone. Once she reached the Cyto, all she needed to do was to leave in a non-suspicious manner, and once they reached the hyperlane, she would be safe. Everything else, she could think about when she was home. So, as soon as she recovered-


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "In case you think you are hiding: you are not, I can hear you breathe."


    <hr>


    Pain. Her head, her arms, her chest, basically everything. Not the sharp headache she had tried to endure over the last couple of days, more a sore pain spread out through her entire body. She also felt tired and hungry.


    "...just saying that this office is already embarrassingly small, you standing in the middle of it isn''t exactly helping with that."


    "I can see your point, Lord Jarkiyna, but I''m afraid I have to tell you that you need to deal with that."


    Lord Jarkiyna? Who was that again? And the second voice belonged to Mhita, didn''t it?


    "While we did call you in," Mhita continued, "you are still an outside party and we are still under the emergency protocol. So especially in light of the recent developments, I am not allowed to leave you alone with Her Highness."


    What? Emergency protocol? What''s going on?


    Slowly blinking herself awake, Silgvani tried to voice her confusion, but all that managed to leave her throat was some incoherent mumbling.


    "Your Highness!"


    Immediately, two figures rushed to her side. As her sight cleared, she was able to make out Mhita''s face. Then the other one had to be "Lord Jarkiyna". He looked somehow familiar.


    Oh, right, he was the physician treating Kiyrtin. Why is he in my room? ...is this my room?


    "Careful, Your Highness. Don''t overexert yourself."


    "What... happened?" she managed to croak out.


    "You had severe calcium poisoning," the doctor explained. "I just took over, but you''ve apparently been unconscious for days."


    "That explains... the emergency protocol. But how..." A cough made her unable to finish her sentence.


    "It was no accident," Mhita took over. "You were poisoned. The exact circumstances are still being investigated, but it was really close. Had it not been for Doctor Githaiy and Lady Nadine, it''s likely you wouldn''t have survived."


    "I see. In that... case, could you... call them?"


    "That would be a bit difficult at the moment."


    "Huh? Why?"


    "A lot of things happened. It started three days ago..."


    <hr>


    It shouldn''t be possible. It couldn''t be possible. And yet, there she was. Judging by the sound of it, right around the corner. Kykla didn''t understand it, but she couldn''t take any chances. She jumped to her feet, and once again, she ran. Making her way through more alleyways, she quickly lost all sense of direction, but she didn''t care. It didn''t matter where she was right now, all that mattered was that she had to get away. She quickly left her pursuer behind, but that hadn''t stopped her last time. Her body was now practically burning but she couldn''t just come to a halt. She apparently needed more than just distance and branching paths. And right in front of her, that was that something.


    As if the Goddess had heard her prayers, the door of one of the houses opened. A Vanaery, maybe curious about the commotion, stood in the doorframe, and she was not one to waste such a gifted opportunity. With her last bit of strength, she jumped past him and collapsed onto the floor.


    "Close..." she tried to command the commoner, but both her exhaustion and her overheating body were getting to her head.


    "What''s going on? Who are you?"


    "Quick...close..." She would''ve probably been angry with the commoner if she still would''ve had the energy for it. Thankfully even he was smart enough to realize that an alien with her quality of clothing and ornaments - even if they were a bit disheveled right now - could only mean one thing. So he did the one smart thing and closed the door.


    Like from far away, Kykla could hear his voice afterward. He was still talking, but she didn''t pay any attention to him. She was simply lying on the floor in a way that definitely didn''t suit her status and wheezed as if her life depended on it.


    Then, a hard, heavy impact tore her back into reality. The door rattled as something hit it with unimaginable force. The commoner screamed and jumped backward, and Kykla probably would''ve followed suit had she had any strength left in her body. But she didn''t, and so she could do nothing but watch as with the second impact, the door got practically ripped out of the wall. And in the open frame, there she was again. Panting slightly, strange droplets forming on her forehead, but nowhere near as exhausted as she should''ve been. As she stepped closer, the fear and survival instinct sent Kykla''s bodily functions into overdrive again, but she was still too hot, too exhausted to react accordingly. And so, with the alien - no, with the monster looming over her, she passed out.

 Book 1 Chapter 43 - The Princess and the Human

    "So, yeah, that''s the gist of it," Nadine finished her retelling of the events of last night. When she was done, Githaiy needed to process everything she had just heard. There were a million questions in her head, reaching all the way from the girl''s well-being to the fallout of her actions.


    "The ambassador... is she..?"


    "What? No! Why would you- okay, I can see why you would think that. But no, she''s alive. She''s currently being detained in one of the guest rooms, I think. The Captain said he''d get your colleague to check up on her. Once she wakes up, she''ll probably get interrogated and brought down here, and then your name should be cleared."


    That was good. Even if the ambassador was likely to be executed for her crimes, Nadine could''ve been in trouble if she had killed her before the hearing.


    "And what about you? How do you feel?"


    Her head slumped a bit.


    "Not great, but honestly better than I thought I would. I killed this guy without a second thought, and yet... I mean, he had a weapon and did try to kill me but... it was just so easy. To be honest, it''s a bit scary."


    That made Githaiy think back to how Nadine was when she had first arrived on Hohmiy. Back when the doctor had foolishly assumed that a bit of research was all she needed to help the girl. Once she was out of her cell, she needed to find a better way to evaluate her. But for now...


    "I would love to say that I know what you are going through. Unfortunately, I can''t. I have a long way in front of me to understand everything about you. But I promise that I will not leave you alone in this. I might not yet have found a way to truly help you, but know that I am here for you. Know that you can always come to me with your sorrows, that you can always talk to me. And I am sure that, if Her Highness were with us right now, I guarantee you that she would tell you the same."


    A glistening wetness started to appear in the small alien''s eyes and made the light dance off of them. She swallowed heavily before answering.


    "Thanks, Doc. And... and I promise that I will no longer bottle things up like I did. Both you and Her Highness-"


    "Lady Nadine!"


    A call from the entrance interrupted the two. Both turned their head and found a panting Mhita standing at the door frame, seemingly having given up on maintaining the strict dignified form the head maid usually insisted on keeping up.


    "I didn''t... know you... had returned!"


    "Oh, sorry, should I have said something? Once I told everything to Kessga I came down here right away. What''s going on? Did something happen?"


    "Yes! Her Highness is awake!"


    Nadine''s eyes opened so wide that they seemed to almost double in size. She threw an apologetic gaze to the doctor who simply chuckled, both from relief and her reaction.


    "Just go to her, I''ll be fine. As you said, things will sort themselves out from here on."


    <hr>


    The front end of Silgvani''s sickbed had been raised to allow her to sit. Doctor Jarkiyna had told her that she needed more time to recover and therefore shouldn''t leave the bed yet. Said doctor was currently poking one of the fingers on her lower-left arm with an apparatus that had a thin rod sticking out of it.


    The princess''s lower pair of arms was currently resting in a noose that was fixed to her shoulders, each forearm tightly fixed in a splint to keep them straight while the corresponding hands were hanging down limply.


    "Can you feel this?" he asked as a slight electrical impulse was discharged into her joint.


    "Numbly."


    "That''s probably from the pain medication. But you do feel the touch and the electricity, yes?"


    "I do. Slight prickle."


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    "Can you move the finger?"


    "No."


    He then tapped the stick against a finger on her other hand.


    "What about this one?"


    "Same. Dull feeling, but I can''t move it."


    Next was her left wrist.


    "The same here as well?"


    "Yes."


    He nodded and put the apparatus away.


    "As I feared, complete fracture. The wound was closed and splinted well, but you''ll have to learn to live with two arms for the foreseeable future. Until your next melt-molting, do not, under any circumstance, attempt to use your lower arms. If the new shell breaks while it is still being formed, you''ll have to wait for another molting cycle for them to heal."


    "Understood. Do you-"


    She interrupted herself as a figure appeared in the broken doorframe. Even though she had only been awake for maybe half a day, it felt like ages since the last time she had seen the human girl. As the two locked eyes, a moment in silence followed during which they simply looked at each other. Or maybe it wasn''t complete silence. Maybe Doctor Jarkiyna was still talking to her. If so, she didn''t notice.


    "Doctor?" she finally addressed him, not knowing or caring whether or not she was interrupting him. "Is there something else you need to do?"


    "Well, I wanted to do some more tests-"


    "Do they need to happen now?"


    "Not necessarily, no."


    "Then please leave us alone for now."


    He hesitated shortly, but then bowed and left. As soon as he was gone, Nadine dropped all formal etiquette and sprinted to the bed, making Silgvani almost flinch.


    "Good morning, Nadine. ...is it morning already?"


    "It is," she answered with a smile. "I... you are... it is... how are feeling?"


    "Well, I''m alive. Thanks to you, as I heard."


    "Me and Doc."


    "For sure. Mhita told me that Githaiy is in a bit of a predicament right now."


    The small alien shook her head.


    "Don''t worry, it''s about to be sorted out."


    "Oh? That sounds like you have a story to tell."


    She most certainly had. Silgvani had only heard a rough retelling from Mhita, so she appreciated that Nadine started her explanation the night she collapsed. She told her how she had broken her out of her room, how she and the doctor had desperately tried to save her - and broken her arms in the process. She talked about the staged suicide, the failed attempt on Nadine''s life, and finally the chase through the city.


    "That is definitely enough to bring her to justice," Silgvani commented once Nadine was done.


    "But not the end of it," the small alien reminded her. "Someone brought that poisoned drink to me - or poisoned the fruits. Someone used Doc''s license. She can''t have done all of that on her own."


    "I doubt that she would cover for her accomplices now her deeds have been revealed. But you are right, we will have to conduct a thorough weeding."


    She leaned back in her bed.


    "But others will do that. You have done more than enough. If you want, I can try to mask the incident and silence those who saw-"


    "No, I am done hiding. I appreciate that you kept my existence a secret for my sake, but this can''t go on forever. I chose to take on an active role, and I stand by that."


    "Very well," Silgvani chuckled. "To be honest, I am glad you chose so. Because otherwise, I couldn''t have given you more than a mere thank you."


    Nadine blinked a few times.


    "Wait, you''re not planning to give me some award, are you?"


    "Why not? People have been awarded for way less than what you did."


    "But I won''t have to hold a speech, right? I''m not good at speaking in front of many people!"


    With this, Silgvani became unable to contain her laughter. Laughing hurt a bit, but she couldn''t help it.


    "That''s what you are concerned about? Well, I guess that can be arranged. But you won''t get around meeting my parents, so better prepare for that!"


    "Oh yeah?" she retorted with a grin. "Then you better also prepare to meet my father once we..."


    Her gaze fell as her voice died mid-sentence.


    "Nadine..."


    "No, it... it''s fine."


    Silgvani took a deep breath.


    "They are out there," she finally assured Nadine, "somewhere. I''m sure of it. Think about how resilient you are, then imagine what an entire ship of your kind can do. Who knows, maybe they already met another member of the Alliance. Word travels slowly beyond the hyperlanes. When this ordeal is over, I will send word to all members, I promise."


    The words hung in the air for a while, but in the end, Nadine seemed to reignite her determination.


    "Your Highness-"


    "Sil."


    "... I''m sorry, what?"


    "That''s what my family calls me in private," Silgvani explained slightly sheepishly. "And sometimes not just in private."


    "But... I''m not your family, I couldn''t..."


    "Not? And here I remembered you saying that I''m like a big sister to you - despite being not even half your age."


    "Th-That was just... I was..."


    "Don''t you want us to be like sisters anymore?"


    She knew she was teasing, but she couldn''t help it when she saw the alien''s face turning a deep red.


    "O-of course, but... are you sure that this is okay? I mean, you''re a princess, and I... I''m just someone."


    "You may have been when we met. But not anymore, not to me. And that''s ignoring the fact that you saved my life."


    "After being the reason it was in danger in the first place."


    "And then saved it again."


    "You were the one who allowed me to carry on, saving you a thousand times could not compensate for all the things you did for me!"


    "You also averted what could have escalated into the biggest disaster of our world since the Alliance War."


    "Okay, now you are just making shit up!"


    "You underestimate political chain reactions."


    For a moment, both just looked at each other equally defiantly, but in the end, they shared a heartfelt laughter.


    "How about this," Silgvani proposed in the end. "We stop trying to calculate each other''s owes, debts, and favors, and just say that sisters look out for each other."


    Nadine gave her a warm smile and nodded. It was a fine solution.


    That was something both the princess and the human could agree on.


    <hr>


    End of book 1

 Book 2 Prologue

    The light coming off of the nearby twin star formation dimly illuminated the left half of Krndl¡¯s face, as she leisurely sat in her chair in captain¡¯s quarter. One of the few places on the Hunter where she wasn¡¯t one step away from an anxiety attack. The Hunter was a light cruiser, currently leading a destroyer flotilla on route patrol around the Bridgeway. This piece of space was called such because nothing was here. It simply was the shortest path between two disconnected hyperlanes and was an inevitable route if the Krsnelv wanted to traverse from their planet to places like Hohmiy and vice versa. Apparently, a new trade deal with the Vanaery made the route even more important than before. How had Krndl ended up leading an entire flotilla securing one of the appropriately named secure routes? Fuck if she knew.


    The Krsnelv, being the only carnivorous species within the alliance, had a name for being ferocious and tenacious fighters. Krndl had no idea how that was supposed to follow, their ancestors had been scavengers rather than predators after all. A detail nobody seemed to care about. Sure, they had one of the strongest fleets together with the Vanaery - and maybe the Tystrie, but thanks to their seclusion no one knew for certain. Krndl also thought she could recall hearing something about her kind having a decisive role in the alliance war, but she didn''t know that one for sure. She was no historian, after all. Not that it mattered. The point was, her species as a whole hardly lived up to its name. Some individuals might, but she definitely wasn¡¯t among them. She hadn¡¯t even wanted to become a soldier in the first place. At a time when she couldn''t decide what to do with her life, a mixture of peer pressure and bad timing had brought her to the barracks. She had then planned to lay low and later apply for some backline position, maybe the signal corps or something like that. Nothing with risk to her life and nothing with too much responsibility, that was the goal. The others in her group had all been quite eager and ambitious, so she thought it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to not stand out.


    But somehow, not standing out had been what made her stand out. ¡®Ambitious people always want to prove themselves, and that will always cause more problems than it solves. I don¡¯t need an ambitious commander, I need one who simply does their job.¡¯ Jerk. Who promoted someone on that basis?


    Her attempts of dodging the way up by displaying herself as risk-averse had achieved the exact opposite, because ¡®someone that resourceful is wasted on a small ship¡¯. Her fear of making the wrong decisions then prompted her to never make any herself, instead she always let someone who seemed to know their stuff make the call. But apparently, ¡®the ability to correctly delegate is a sign of a capable leader¡¯. And now she was here. Tasked with arguably one of the most important duties during peacetime, despite never having seen any form of battle.


    At first, her job had been an absolute nightmare. Day in and day out she had dreaded anything happening, not just an attack that would risk her life, but any situation that would require her to make an important decision. By now, it had gotten better. She now was in her position for about a cycle and a half, and she had learned that the chances of an attack were actually quite slim. Not because the Kiroscha weren¡¯t out for blood, they still absolutely were. They simply showed no interest in fighting the patrol fleets. They preferred quick strikes against single targets, and if they should find a gap in the patrol, it wouldn¡¯t be Krndl¡¯s fault. She would simply stick to the plan, if the plan had such a gap it wasn¡¯t her fault. Would someone else in her position regularly audit the plan? Maybe, but as stated, she was wholly unqualified for her position. Unfortunately, it was too late to go for a different career path. All she could do was hold out until she could afford an early retirement.


    The console on the other side of the room beeped. She hated that noise. It meant someone wanted to contact her. And it wasn¡¯t one of the regular reports that she would always pretend to evaluate ¨C or understand, for that matter. No, if this console beeped, something came up that the regular procedure didn¡¯t account for. Which meant she had to make a decision, which meant another chance for her to mess up big time.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she asked, opening the channel.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we are receiving a strange signal. It doesn¡¯t fit any code, but the way it repeats makes it look like a distress signal.¡±


    Shit.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming. Call Rndz to the bridge as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡±


    Krndl took a deep breath to ease her nerves, before donning her insignia and making her way to the bridge. It wasn¡¯t far from her quarters so the walk was short. Way too short for her taste. But wishing for the walk not to end just meant it would feel even shorter. Alas, before she could do much to calm herself, she was already there. Surprisingly, Rndz was already waiting for her.


    ¡°Status,¡± she called one of the standard lines she had often heard other captains use. The operator quickly briefed Rndz about what he had just told her.


    Rndz was the Hunter¡¯s lead engineer. Or was it lead mechanic? The guy responsible for anything tech-related. Once the operator was done, Krndl said what to be her most used sentence ever since she had been given the slightest bit of responsibility.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your opinion?¡±


    Rndz gave the data a quick glance before answering.


    ¡°There is either something interfering with the signal or the source is about to run out of power. But even if we ignore that, it¡¯s far off from anything used within the alliance. And the direction it comes from is also far away from the secure routes, for that matter. But to my knowledge, there are no records of the Kiroscha using it either. It¡¯s definitely a distress signal though, the sequence is too short and too repetitive to be anything else. Has our telescope found the source already?¡±


    ¡°Operator?¡± Krndl passed on the question.


    ¡°Not yet. The signal is weak, so it¡¯s hard to pin.¡±


    Krndl did her best to appear calm. This was exactly the situation she wanted to avoid. Was there really someone in peril? Was this a trap? What should she do?


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    ¡°Is someone traversing the Bridgeway?¡± she finally asked the operator. If yes, that would make the decision for her.


    ¡°No, we can take a look captain. Which ships should I give the order to move?¡± the operator asked, clearly misunderstanding her intent.


    ¡°Um¡­ tell the flotilla to follow us.¡±


    ¡°All, Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Yyyyes. Yes, we, uh, can¡¯t risk this being a trap.¡±


    The order got relayed, and the formation changed course. They were quite a bit away from the secure route ¨C a fact Krndl felt really nervous about ¨C when they finally managed to catch it with their telescope. ¡®It¡¯ being about the last thing Krndl wanted to see right now.


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s a Kiroscha raider!¡±


    She was about to scream to her gunners to blast the damn thing into oblivion, but the moment of shock delayed her reaction which gave Rndz enough time to point out a crucial detail.


    ¡°Seems to be out of power though. Do we get an energy reading?¡±


    ¡°None. But it¡¯s definitely the source of the signal,¡± the operator clarified, allowing Krndl to not go into full panic mode.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we should try to salvage it,¡± Rndz requested. ¡°It could give us invaluable insight into their tech!¡±


    Should she listen to him? Listening to what better-qualified people said had more or less been what stopped her from making bad decisions so far. But she couldn¡¯t help but be afraid of the little ship, despite the absolutely massive difference in firepower. With a shaking finger, she opened the channel that connected all ships.


    ¡°Surround the raider, but keep your guns pointed at it at all times! Pursuer, prepare a boarding crew.¡±


    Affirmations from the captains of the various ships came back before each of them went into position. Slowly, the destroyer Pursuer closed in on its target.


    ¡°Keep the com channel open at all times!¡± she ordered as she could see the boarding tunnel steadily extend to the raider. ¡°If at any point it looks like the Kiroscha are still alive, seal off the tunnel!¡±


    The affirmation didn¡¯t sound very enthusiastic. Not that she couldn¡¯t understand them considering the order. The tunnel extended, but shortly before it reached its destination, it stopped.


    ¡°The airlock seems destroyed, Ma¡¯am! Sending image.¡±


    A photograph of the raider¡¯s airlock appeared on her console. To call it broken was an understatement, it looked as if something had been connected to it and then had gotten torn off. The door behind it seemed still intact, though if it had an emergency mechanism it was probably sealed shut.


    ¡°Requesting permission to cut a new hole.¡±


    ¡°Permission granted.¡± As long as the boarding crew seemed to know what they were doing, she would simply play it safe. The Pursuer changed position and connected the tunnel to a flat surface on the side of the ship. It took a while until they managed to cut through the wall.


    ¡°Artificial gravity on board seems no longer active due to a lack of power. Requesting permission to extend the Pursuer¡¯s gravity field.¡±


    ¡°Permission granted.¡±


    As the squad boarded the small ship, Krndl realized she hadn¡¯t confirmed whether all of them were wearing space suits. They probably were, right? Anything else made no sense.


    ¡°Oxygen levels are low, but breathable. Temperature is still above the freezing point.¡±


    ¡°Then the Life support can¡¯t be off for long, though it depends on how good the insulation is. Ma¡¯am, you may want to call Doctor Mnakr as well.¡±


    Krndl nodded and called the ship¡¯s physician to the bridge. Shortly after, the next report came in.


    ¡°Area clear. Sending image.¡±


    ¡°That looks an awful lot like Vanaery tech,¡± Rndz commented as he saw the room through which the crew had entered.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Krndl answered, unsure what else to say. The doctor joined them, and after he was quickly briefed as well, the next report came in.


    ¡°We found two dead Kiroscha. Sending image.¡±


    The photograph showed the mangled corpses of the two insectoids, one having its entire side caved in while the other was almost bisected. While it was good that those monsters were dead, the question of what brought them to this state was one Krndl dreaded to hear the answer to. Dried purple blood was smeared not exactly where the two lay, but that was likely due to the de- and reactivation of the artificial gravity.


    ¡°Doctor?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess the cause of death is quite obvious. Time of death is difficult to estimate from the picture alone, but they didn¡¯t die yesterday. Assuming Rndz is right and the power hasn''t been out for long yet, I¡¯d say something between thirty to forty days ago.¡±


    The news that they had been dead for so long was somewhat comforting. But one raider was commonly manned by five Kiroscha, and since the inside of the ship was still in somewhat livable condition, the other three could still be alive.


    The boarding crew split into two teams and combed through the ship. It didn¡¯t take long until they found two more dead Kiroscha, both having died in similar gruesome ways as the first two.


    ¡°We found the door to the bridge¡±, one team announced. ¡°It¡¯s locked, but we can cut it open.¡±


    ¡°Wait until the fifth Kiroscha is confirmed dead.¡±


    The other team reported shortly after.


    ¡°We found the fifth one, also dead. And there is something else. Sending image.¡±


    ¡°That looks too small to be a shuttle. Could be an escape pod,¡± Rndz analyzed the picture. ¡°But it isn¡¯t any tech I¡¯m familiar with. If I''m right, that could be the source of the signal.¡±


    Did that mean whoever had been in the escape pod killed the Kiroscha? Could they be an ally then? But what kind of weaponry did they possess to produce such results?


    "Team 1 requesting permission to cut open the door to the bridge," a voice from the console pulled Krndl out of her thoughts.


    "Uh, yes, permission granted."


    "Wait!" the other Team called out. "We found another one! Sending image!"


    Krndl took a sharp breath as the next picture appeared. Why was there a sixth Kiroscha? There should''ve only been five!


    "This one died far more recently," the doctor next to her pointed out. "Maybe fifteen to twenty days ago."


    "That explains the broken airlock," Rndz commented. "Another ship docked to see what happened, and the new crew got killed as well. Then the ships drifted apart, causing the connection point to break off."


    Oh, right, that made sense. In that case...


    "Look for four more corpses before we open the door."


    Slowly but surely, the remaining dead Kiroscha were found, all having died roughly at the same time as the sixth, according to the doctor. But no sign of the culprit so far. Team 1 then proceeded to cut through the locking mechanism of the door to the bridge. Thanks to some hints from Rndz - who, based on the ship''s similarity to Vanaery tech, correctly assumed the weak spots - it didn''t take too long.


    Wait, wouldn''t it have been safer to first cut out only a peephole?


    "We are throu-" The voice stopped. It didn''t sound like the connection had broken off, he had simply stopped talking.


    "Team 1?"


    No answer. Krndl started to panic.


    "TEAM 1!" she called out again.


    "S-sorry, Ma''am. Sending image."


    "What in the world is that?"


    Krndl didn''t know what to say to the doctor''s question as she looked at the new photograph. It showed a creature she had never seen before. It appeared to be wearing clothes - drenched in the same dark purple as the dried Kiroscha blood they had seen all over the ship - which was a hint to it being sentient, but if the doctor didn''t know it, it couldn''t be one of the alliance races. She herself had also never seen anything similar. The alien had light-brown skin with a blueish hue, seemingly no carapace or scales, and no fur except for a rather large, rust-colored patch on top of its head.


    It also looked like it was bipedal, but Krndl wasn''t completely sure about that. After all, the alien wasn''t standing. It was... well, hanging, suspended from the ceiling by a cable tied around its neck.

 Book 2 Chapter 1 - Brought to Trial

    31st day after my arrival


    Dear Diary,


    it is now going by Earth¡¯s calendar, I now would¡¯ve spent an entire month on Hohmiy. Although, the days here are slightly longer, so I guess it¡¯s actually a bit more than that. Either way, it certainly was an eventful month ¡°month¡±. Over the last ¡°week¡±, things have finally calmed down a bit. The princess Sil has recovered enough to get back to work, even if not at full capacity. She also can¡¯t stand for long yet, but considering she almost died


    She also started to prepare delegations to the other species to see if any of them met the rest of the colony. They will depart soon. I¡¯m not sure if I should hope for or fear getting an answer. I want nothing more than to hear that the rest is alright, but what if they are all that¡¯s not the only reply that could come back. Either way, it will take a while.


    I swear if I hear the phrase ¡°word travels slowly beyond the hyperlanes¡± one more time, I¡¯m gonna lose it.


    Today in the evening is the trial. Which also means it is time for me to step out of the shadows. Honestly, my heart hasn¡¯t calmed down at all yet. Thankfully, longer days also mean longer nights, otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t nearly have gotten enough sleep. I have my speech ready, and both Doc and the Baron did their best to prepare me. I know it word by word. All that¡¯s left is to not embarrass myself and Sil while literally the entire planet is watching me. No biggie. Part of me wants to ask if not broadcasting everything is an option, at least not live. I know it is not, but still. At least I don¡¯t have to be near anybody, and Osiyn promised he would finish the protective suit today, so that will probably also help.


    To think that this shady guy from the Tystrie had so many spies on the planet¡­ good thing they managed to decrypt his datapad. Captain Kessga has been able to discreetly arrest most of them without it being made public.


    For their trial itself, it¡¯s more or less a clean case. And once the opener is done, I won¡¯t have to do anything except keep my rage down when I see the ambassador. Honestly, I didn¡¯t even know I could get this angry. In hindsight, it is scary. But I have to keep it down, I must be better than that.


    <hr>


    The sun rose over the walls of the Sky Palace as Queen Mirvani started her day. Today, it would be her turn again to visit Kiyrtin at the hospital, something she was looking forward to. She knew that she and her partner, King Kiyrta, would get informed immediately should his condition take a turn for the worse, but it still was a relief each time she saw him being fine. Well, as fine as he could be given the circumstances. He was still a nursing case until his first molting, and if the doctor¡¯s estimates were correct, he would be on the verge of adulthood by the time he made a full recovery. She was still seething from anger whenever she thought about it. This First Ones-dammed saliyc had almost killed her precious son and robbed him of his childhood in the process, and for nothing else than his stupid company. And while she could find some satisfaction in the knowledge that she had brought him to justice, that didn¡¯t change his situation.


    She shook her head and entered the audience hall, which was currently fairly empty. Only the King and the palace¡¯s steward were here for now.


    ¡°¡­ and for the rest, he can just ask Rigiy. You know, the one who always does this weird thing when she talks, like-¡°


    ¡°I assume you are talking about Duchess Rigiyrion of clan Jarion?¡± the steward was quick to interpret the king¡¯s words. ¡°Who has a birth defect that sometimes causes her throat to act up, slightly impairing her speech pattern?¡±


    Kiyrta tilted his head.


    ¡°Ah, is that¡¯s how it¡¯s called? I mean the thing Sil often did as a kid, especially when she was angry, that was really adorable. It at least sounds similar to what Rigiy does, it¡¯s of course not really adorable when an adult does it. And she¡¯s just doing it randomly, not just when she¡¯s angry, so it can get a bit weird.¡±


    For a tigg, Mirvani thought she could see the steward wincing, though she probably just imagined that. After all, why should he?


    ¡°You Majesty, I¡¯m sure you have a lot else to do, how about I formulate the answer and you just sign it?¡±


    Good to see that his job is not just a mere duty to him, the queen mentally noted the steward¡¯s eagerness as she went over to her partner, who merely shrugged and dismissed him.


    ¡°Unification Day?¡±


    Kiyrta nodded at his partner¡¯s assumption.


    ¡°You¡¯d think they would know what to do for something that happens every cycle. Did you hear anything new from the building yard?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ¡°We apologize for the delay; the plans should be finished in a few days¡±. They apparently had to reschedule because of an unexpected shortage of manpower.¡±


    Adjusting her yellow cape, she sat down.


    ¡°And still no news about Sil finally finding a partner? Or at least that she''s looking for one?¡±


    The king just shook his head. Then, he started to chuckle.


    ¡°You know, maybe we should give her the throne a bit sooner to motivate her! Even she can¡¯t rule the planet alone.¡±


    ¡°She would try anyway!¡± Mirvani joined him in his laughter. ¡°But jokes aside, we¡¯re not that old yet. Maybe in five cycles, we can do that. Though we should have at least a grandchild when-¡°


    A frantic knocking at the door interrupted her, and upon being called in, a stressed-looking servant hurried to the king and queen.


    ¡°Y-your Majesties! We received an urgent message from the Star Palace!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± the servant fidgeted slightly. ¡°Before I can relay the message, and I¡¯m quoting Her Highness, Princess Silgvani on this: "Make both, my father and my mother, promise to listen to the end before they do anything". Apologies, but again, her orders.¡±


    Kiyrta cocked his head and looked at his partner.


    ¡°Why does she always do that?¡±


    ¡°No idea. Anyway, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    The servant nodded.


    ¡°Okay, then: There was an attempt on Her Highness¡¯s life. She was poisoned, but-¡°


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± both screamed in unison.


    ¡°Sh-she survived.¡± the servant hurriedly reassured them.


    ¡°Who did it?!¡± the king demanded. ¡°Are the suspects?!¡±


    ¡°How did it occur?!¡± the queen added.


    ¡°Th-the culprit was already caught.¡±


    ¡°Then have them brought here immediately, prepare the trial ASAP!¡±


    ¡°I-I quote Her Highness again: ¡±Since you entirely relinquished all authority relating to foreign matters to me, due to the specific circumstances of this case, I outrank you in this. Since I myself was the wronged party, by the laws of our ancestors, you do not qualify to hold the trial. As the highest authority on Hohmiy in all foreign matters, I hereby invoke the rule of impossibility for a judge of higher rank, and declare myself judge in this matter¡±.¡±


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    The two went silent for a moment until the king spoke again.


    ¡°But¡­ has she already recovered enough for that?¡±


    ¡°By her own testimony, yes. The trial will start in one inva. And yes, it will be broadcast live.¡±


    Mirvani nodded.


    ¡°Cancel all of our appointments for today,¡± she ordered the servant and activated the big screen at the end of the audience hall.


    Once the news got out, the palace was in turmoil. Accidents and endangerments born from incompetency were one thing. But an active assassination attempt on the royal family, that had never happened during the lifetime of anyone still alive today.


    Finally, the broadcast started. Mirvani could see her daughter on the screen, and she couldn¡¯t help but notice how weak she looked. Still, her expression was one of pure determination. Across from her, cuffed to a chair, sat a Tystrie, a matriarch judging by the size. Could it be¡­


    ¡°The trial in the case of Kykla, ambassador of planet Eroas and representative of the Tystrie, is hereby open,¡± she could hear her daughter''s voice from the speakers. ¡°As there is more than one wronged party, the word is first with the one wronged last, as it is our tradition.¡±


    More than one? What was she talking about? The message hadn¡¯t said anything about that.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Kiyrta inquired as a strange creature came into the picture, bowing before Silgvani before turning to the audience. ¡°Or what?¡±


    Mirvani could only agree. If it was an alien, she had never seen it before. It didn¡¯t even look close to any of the species in the alliance. A pale body with neither scale nor fur, except for one rather large patch on its head, so long it almost reached her hips. The face had a reddish hue, with eyes that shimmered blue in the light of the headlamps. Its body was quite small with a delicate frame, which made it difficult to believe that such a frail species could even survive until reaching civilization. The clothes it wore were rather excessive; a white¡­ something covered almost its entire body from the neck down, but as this was seemingly not enough for it, it also wore a green top and a blue skirt over it, the latter being similar in style to the current fashion of Hohmiy''s nobility.


    It didn¡¯t speak at first. Instead, its hands rose to its neck, and almost demonstratively slowly, it took off its translator.


    ¡°Eye am Nadine Valentina Esmeralda Anastasia von Klot of House Haydenfeldt, ambassadorr of planet Earth and representatif of the humans,¡± it said in a soft voice. Its accent was quite notable, but besides that, it surprisingly spoke perfect Vanaery. Few people bothered learning the language of another species, as it took a good portion of one¡¯s life to master it. And before mastering it, translators were more reliable, even if they weren¡¯t perfect. And what definitely never happened was a noble learning another language, they would at best fund it for one of their servants. And all that was assuming it was a language they could physically speak.


    ¡°For the sake of a more fluid proceedure, I hereby declare that humanity relinkvishes its right of the prosecution to the Vanaery for this case only.¡±


    ***************************


    The day before


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to prosecute her yourself as well?¡± Silgvani asked as the small alien rehearsed her speech for a final time, her gloved hands holding the notes and shaking in nervousness. ¡°You would have every right to do so.¡±


    ¡°Not by our laws,¡± Nadine refuted, putting her translator back on. ¡°And I really don¡¯t want to do something that could cause issues later on. Calling myself the ambassador of humanity is already more than stretching it.¡±


    ¡°You literally represent every human known to the Vanaery,¡± the princess shrugged.


    ¡°Sil, we both know that that¡¯s a technicality and that I don¡¯t have any real power. I get that I have to say it so this doesn¡¯t turn into a massive political clusterfuck, but anything beyond that could mean serious trouble at some point. Besides, it¡¯s not like it would change anything. I mean, is there any way this will end without you ordering her execution?¡±


    ¡°Well, we have to inform her home planet about the verdict and they could theoretically appeal it, but considering how clear-cut the case is I doubt they will.¡±


    ¡°Then it makes no difference.¡±


    After a short knock on the door, Mhita entered with a box in her hands.


    ¡°Lady Nadine, a package arrived for you.¡±


    With a thankful nod, the small alien took the box and left for the adjacent room.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± she suddenly shouted from behind the door.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Look at this!¡±


    Nadine re-entered, her face having taken on a more reddish color ¨C ¡°blushing¡±, as Silgvani now knew it was called. Instead of it just being long-sleeved gloves, her new protective suit covered everything from the neck down. It was a single piece with no visible seams, even the gloves weren¡¯t separate. The only things not covered were her face and feet. This would hopefully alleviate her fear of touching someone. Her reaction was strange though.


    ¡°What is the problem? Isn¡¯t this exactly what you ordered? Covering everything, white so it can be easily combined with other articles of clothing, and a bit tighter fitting so you can wear other things over it.¡±


    Nadine¡¯s expression on the princess''s statement was one of complete bewilderment.


    ¡°There is a difference between ¡°a bit tighter fitting¡± and a FREAKIN¡¯ SPANDEX!¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wear this! This is worse than being naked!¡±


    Silgvani tilted her head in confusion.


    ¡°¡­ how so? I get that your kind has a different attitude to clothing than we have, but I really don¡¯t see the issue here.¡±


    ¡°B-but¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, if it is that bad, no one forces you to wear it. You could just wear your normal clothes, but considering what happened, I also understand that you don¡¯t want to risk your sweat getting on someone. There is no established connection yet, so no one will judge you for your clothes, but you not making an appearance today is sadly no longer an option. Wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable, but if you want a protective suit, that¡¯s the only one we have. And as I said, it was designed with you wearing something else over it in mind anyway.¡±


    For a while, it seemed like Nadine wanted to say something, but in the end, she sighed.


    ¡°Please promise me that no human will ever see the recording of this trial. At least not the part where I am visible.¡±


    ¡°If it is important to you, that can be arranged.¡±


    <hr>


    Githaiy gave Nadine a nod as the small alien sat down next to her and visibly deflated before putting on her translator again.


    ¡°It was good,¡± she reassured her. ¡°Your pronunciation could still use some work, but each word was correct. Even for a rehearsed speech, it was impressive considering how little time you had.¡±


    Nadine just nodded and turned her gaze back to the center of the hall, where a vassal started to announce the accusation.


    ¡°On the 87th day of the cycle, the defendant coerced the maid Kaiyla, who at the time was temporarily stationed at the Star Palace, to administer Her Highness, Princess Silgvani, a lethal dose of calcium that would have killed her had it not been for the immediate and heroic actions of Lady Nadine of the Humans. The defendant then had Kaiyla killed, making it look like suicide to blame the crime entirely on her. On the 90th day of the cycle, when Lady Nadine uncovered the ruse, the defendant used a network of spies within our own people - which is currently being dealt with - to administer her the highly restricted and dangerous neurotoxin ethanol, which she only survived due to her unique physique which the defendant had no knowledge of. The defendant finally attempted to blame Githaiy of clan Trocu, royal physician at the Star Palace, for the deed.¡±


    Nervous muttering could be heard among the audience, even more than after Nadine¡¯s speech. Both Githaiy and the princess had agreed to not put emphasis on the doctor¡¯s role in saving the princess¡¯s life, one because it was her job, and two because all of this had the secondary purpose of giving Nadine a good image right from the get-go. Therefore, they made sure to highlight Nadine¡¯s feats during the accusation.


    Once the princess raised her voice, the muttering quickly died down.


    ¡°Kykla, ambassador of planet Eroas and representative of the Tytrie. You are accused of attempted regicide, attempted homicide, murder of a commoner, conspiring, and defamation in multiple cases. What do you have to say?¡±


    The ambassador cocked her head in a way that looked almost mockingly.


    ¡°I was just following orders! The high council were the ones who decided that Princess Silgvani needed to be removed, all I did was in service of my people, as all of you would have done for your own!¡±


    She made a dramatic pause in which the entire hall fell absolutely silent.


    ¡°Is that what you want to hear from me? That¡¯s what you hope I would say, give you a reason to punish all of my kind for the acts of one individual, right?¡±


    ¡°I ¡°hope¡± that you just make your statement already,¡± the princess answered with a sinister voice.


    ¡°What is there to state? Your servant already said everything. I did as is written in the accusation, and I did so on my own accord. No one on Eroas knew I would do that, I myself made the decision only after arriving here. A decision that almost got me killed thanks to that thing over there. My only accomplices were Qeylo, if whatever your little monster left of him can still be identified, and whoever on this planet worked for him. I never met any of his ¡°friends¡± as he called them, but you seem to have that topic already covered anyway.¡±


    With that, she leaned back in her chair, making it clear that she had said her piece. The rest of the trial was standard procedure, some guards and servants gave their statements, and Githaiy explained a bit about the poisonous substances and their effects until it was time for the verdict.


    ¡°Kykla of the Tystrie. For your crimes, I hereby sentence you to death. The sentence will be put on hold and you will be imprisoned until the high council of Eroas confirms the verdict. By the First Ones, I, Silgvani of clan Kiyron, princess of the Vanaery, have spoken.¡±


    Outraged chatter filled the hall as the audience left, while Nadine and Githaiy rushed over to the princess.


    ¡°Your Highness, how are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage. But I should go to rest.¡±


    As they escorted the princess to her private chambers, they noticed some servants muttering hastily.


    ¡°Is there an issue?¡± she asked, as always not being able to leave it to others.


    ¡°N-no, Your Highness,¡± one of them quickly assured her. ¡°There was a short power outage a bit after the start of the trial, and we¡¯re currently trying to find out how it happened. But you don¡¯t need to worry, Your Highness. It was just for a few tiggs, and we managed to get the broadcast up again immediately.¡±


    ¡°So, everyone saw the verdict?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can guarantee that.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. Carry on.¡±


    Finally, they reached the chambers and Silgvani sank into her chair with an exhausted groan.


    ¡°What happens next?¡± Nadine wanted to know.


    ¡°Now we send a delegation to Eroas to tell them what happened. Since Kykla is not a citizen and a representative, her own people must confirm the verdict before we can enact it. But as I said, with all the evidence and her own confession, they won¡¯t try to appeal it. It¡¯s just a formality at this point, but considering the travel time and the fact that they will likely be in turmoil when they hear it, it can take up to thirty days until we have the confirmation. We likely won¡¯t hear from them till then since word tra-¡°


    ¡°Travels slowly beyond the hyperlanes, I know.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 2 - Peace-loving

    With a sound of relief, Silgvani sank into the soft chair in her room. Even if it had gone over comparatively quickly considering how politically charged this case was, it had still been quite exhausting for her. Her recovery wasn¡¯t nearly at the point she would¡¯ve liked, but she knew it was unrealistic to expect that after just a couple of days. According to the doctor, the fact that she could already walk a bit was above expectation. Just how long would it take until she could operate at full capacity again, she didn''t know.


    The good news was that Kykla had admitted that she and her henchman had done the deed by themselves, so unless her government would appeal the sentence, the political fallout would be minimal. A formal apology from the council and a few concessions, and that would be it. It actually put Hohmiy in a favorable position, which she could use to finally find out what the Tystrie were hiding. Lastly, her parents had someone they could direct their anger at and wouldn¡¯t do anything rash. If the whole ordeal had been backed by the High Council¡­ better not think about it.


    What had actually shocked her was the spy network Kykla¡¯s servant had established right under their noses. None of those spies had been directly in any of the Three Palaces, but that didn¡¯t put them out of their sphere of influence. Like the one in the medical administration who had faked the order done with Doctor Githaiy¡¯s license. Or the one working for their food supplier, who had noticed their greatly increased demand for guthra fruits and correctly assumed that they were for Nadine. No nobles were among them, most were the type of people you could easily overlook or forget they were even there. Which had probably been the point.


    According to the guards¡¯ reports, this ¡°Qeylo¡± had recruited his spies through a mixture of bribes and coercion over secrets he had somehow found out about them. The sheer number had been quite impressive considering he would¡¯ve only had the chance to do so during the diplomatic visits. Although, according to the interrogations, none of the spies worked permanently for him, it was more of a ¡°one-time favor¡± kind of deal, all of which had been cashed in by now. Since all of them said the same thing independently from each other, it was likely true. Not that it made much of a difference for them. Treason was still treason, meaning they were about to have a mass execution she was absolutely not looking forward to.


    Silgvani leaned back, enjoying the soothing rest she was finally able to get, but also earning concerned looks from her company.


    ¡°While I think that I¡¯ve more or less understood your legal system by now,¡± Nadine stated with audible annoyance, ¡°I still don¡¯t get why you had to be there in person.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It was exhausting, yes, but it wasn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    ¡°Right, you are only recovering from a severe poisoning that almost killed you and half your arms are broken - which, not gonna lie, feels really weird to say,¡± she quipped sarcastically. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just hold the trial remotely? Works fine on Earth.¡±


    ¡°That would indeed have been better for her,¡± Doctor Githaiy agreed while doing a quick check-up, ¡°but it, unfortunately, would¡¯ve gone against our traditions.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Tradition is the corpse of wisdom,¡± the small alien grumbled and crossed her arms in a way that looked quite adorable. The phrase itself was interesting, though. Silgvani would make sure to remember and later spend some thought on it.


    ¡°I appreciate your concern, I really do¡±, she assured the human, ¡°but there is no one I could delegate my work to. Kiyrtin would be too young and inexperienced even if he wasn¡¯t hospitalized, and you know why I can¡¯t give it to my parents.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of, we already got a number of requests to meet Lady Nadine, a rather impressive one considering the trial ended not even an inva ago,¡± Mhita finally chimed in, making Silgvani shake her head.


    ¡°Is there an easy way to say no to this?¡± the girl in question asked the princess sheepishly, her demeanor taking a sharp turn from the previous conversation.


    ¡°For now, we¡¯ll say that you can¡¯t make any promises until you¡¯ve met with the king and queen. Which is actually true, my parents will want to meet her sooner or later, so we must give them priority.¡± Despite everything else, they still were the king and queen, after all.


    Mhita nodded and exited the room, and after confirming her condition was as good as it could be, the doctor followed shortly after. Only the princess and the human were left.


    ¡°You know, I won¡¯t push for the meeting and wait until they contact us, which will give you some time; but even if you can¡¯t discuss anything of political value, you won¡¯t get around meeting at least some of the nobles sooner or later. And as much as I want to and will support you, socializing with other influential people would still be good for you now that you are a public figure. Even if you don¡¯t have any real influence among your kind, your actions could still greatly help them once we inevitably make first contact properly. Not to mention the award ceremony, we shouldn¡¯t wait too long with that either.¡±


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    Nadine swallowed but nodded eventually.


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­ just the thought of me messing up during such gathering with all those old houses¡­ I don¡¯t want to cause trouble for you.¡±


    ¡°Your clan is actually older than any you would find on Hohmiy.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, at least by years. If we count by generations it might be a close call. Save for a few exceptions, most modern clans were only formed after the unification war, with rank and territory depending on the contribution during the war. Especially clan Mirvani, whose founder is said to have been a decisive factor to Kiyron¡¯s victory.¡±


    Silgvani sighed.


    ¡°It is probably a strange concept for a human. Unfortunately, not every species is as peace-loving as yours.¡±


    To that, the small alien perked up.


    ¡°Peace-loving? No offense, Sil, but¡­ what the hell made you think that is a term that accurately describes humans? I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, war is a tragedy no matter how big or small, but humans aren¡¯t¡­ or, well, I guess humans are, but as much as I hate the fact, humanity is anything but.¡±


    ¡°But... didn¡¯t you say your kind didn¡¯t have any major wars? That you didn¡¯t have any big warships because you didn¡¯t need them?¡± Silgvani certainly still remembered the girl¡¯s reaction upon seeing the Unifier for the first time.


    ¡°No, I said we didn¡¯t have any major wars since we reached the space-faring age. And one time, we got REALLY close. But don¡¯t forget, you live on a unified planet, we don¡¯t. We had quite a number of wars in the past.¡±


    ¡°Really? How many?¡±


    Since she was no historian, Silgvani only knew about those wars in their history that had cultural significance - in other words, the Unification War and the Alliance War. But that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t have a rough overview of their previous history. As Nadine had said, on a non-unified planet, where your potential adversary was right next to you, tensions could escalate much quicker. And before the unification, there had unfortunately been a fair share of wars that tainted Hohmiy¡¯s history. If the humans came close to that, it was understandable that Nadine would refuse such a title as ¡°peace-loving¡±.


    ¡°Err, phew, you can ask questions.¡±


    ¡°Just the big ones.¡± Counting every short dispute as a war would hardly be fair to her people.


    ¡°Um, okay, there are probably many I myself never heard of, but let¡¯s see how many I can scratch together from history class. If we ignore all the civil wars, we had the Persian Conquests and the resulting wars, the Chinese Warring States, the Crusades, the Samnite Wars, the conquest of Alexander the Great, the Punic Wars, the Three Kingdoms War¡­ and the other Three Kingdoms Wars, the Conquests of the New World, the Reconquista, um¡­ the Gallic Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, the War of Roses, everything with the Timurid Empire, no idea how many the Ottoman Empire was involved in, the Mediterranean War, the Austro-Hungarian War¡­ not sure if all the independence wars count as civil wars¡­ the Russo-Japanese War, everything caused by the rise of the USAG, the two World Wars of course¡­ what else was there?¡±


    Despite her usual composed demeanor, Silgvani couldn¡¯t stop herself from gawking as Nadine¡¯s list got longer and longer. Just how many were there? Also, was that a translation error, or why did so many of the names use the plural form? And what did she mean by ¡°Civil War¡±?


    ¡°Oh, right, there was of course the Thirty Years War-¡±


    ¡°Thirty years?!¡±


    With the last sentence, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from interrupting. Thirty. Even the Unification War, whose six cycles had made it one of the longest wars in their history, no, not even the devastating alliance war had lasted nearly that long.


    I get that humans live longer, but¡­ ignoring the insane costs of such a war, what dispute would be worth fighting for thirty cycles? How can a war even last that long without one side losing?


    ¡°Well, not exactly thirty years, that¡¯s a rounded number,¡± Nadine clarified.


    Okay, but still, even if it was just twenty-seven or so, that is still absolutely insane! Also, Earth¡¯s years are longer than our solar cycles, so that is¡­ how much?! How is that even-


    ¡°Or was that the Eighty Years War?¡±


    ¡°¡­the what now?¡±


    ¡°No, wait, it was the Hundred Years War. I think. Was it? One of those three was rounded and the other two were exactly that long, but I always forget which was which. But it should be¡­ yeah. Yeah, it was the Hundred Years War that was rounded¡­ down? Err¡­ right, yes, that was it. It was actually closer to a hundred and fifteen years.¡±


    ¡°¡­ uhuh.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± the small alien asked concerned.


    No. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ and¡­ how did you achieve peace in the end?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ peace is a big word. It actually ties into your other question, regarding not needing big warships. I didn¡¯t word that one very well. I didn¡¯t mean that we would have no use for them. If our technological development had gone in that direction, I guarantee you Earth¡¯s space would be cluttered with those things, even in relative peacetime. No, we just have a weapon that makes them pointless. As impressive as this huge carrier you showed me is, a human ship the size of a shuttle could blast that thing into oblivion before you even saw the attack coming.¡±


    A ship... the size of a shuttle?!


    Silgvani didn¡¯t understand much about engineering, but she knew that the Unifier was basically the current pinnacle of military technology, not just for the Vanaery, but the entire alliance, and close to undefeatable unless massively outnumbered. Were humans really that much more advanced technology-wise? But there had been many things normal for the Vanaery that Nadine had been surprised by. Was it just this weapon she had mentioned that made such a massive difference?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, what did you say?¡± Silgvani asked as she got pulled out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, I thought you said that out loud intentionally.¡±


    I did? First Ones, is she making me lose my composure that much?


    ¡°But you¡¯re right, it¡¯s mainly this weapon that makes the difference.¡±


    She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Sil¡­ have you ever heard of the ¡°Equilibrium of Terror¡±? Or, um, what was the other term for it? Ah, right, ¡°Mutually Assured Destruction¡±.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 3 - Crunch Time

    ¡°Doc,¡± the soft voice of the alien girl addressed Githaiy. ¡°I told you about the role alcohol ¨C sorry, ethanol ¨C has in human society, yes?¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± the doctor affirmed, currently writing down the results of her examination. The princess''s health was steadily getting better, but full recovery was not yet in sight. That didn¡¯t stop her from getting back to work though.


    Said princess was currently sitting upright in her bed, which had been equipped to provide a makeshift workspace so she didn¡¯t have to get up. Mentally, she was fully back on track, which showed her commendable willpower. But high willpower couldn¡¯t repair two broken arms or make her body allow her to be awake for longer than half of the day at most. At the same time, however, even with the trial over, there was still a lot more work piled up from the incident that demanded the princess¡¯s attention than expected. And unfortunately, it was the kind that couldn¡¯t be postponed until she got better. Not working at all would only be an option if she would temporarily give her duties back to the king and queen. In other words, it was no option, at least not according to the princess. Githaiy herself had only met the royal pair once in person, back when she had received her title. Not many words outside of a fixed script had been spoken back there, so she only knew rumors beyond that. Still, if Her Highness was sure that trusting them with her task was a bad idea, she chose to believe her. But that didn¡¯t change the fact that they somehow needed to make the best out of a bad situation.


    That was when Nadine had an idea of how to delegate the work that normally couldn¡¯t be delegated.


    Overseen by the palace¡¯s steward, Vassahr, three handpicked servants - all being from the palace¡¯s administrative team - had been temporarily relieved from their duties and worked together with him and the princess under a system Nadine had called the ¡°Four Eyes Principle¡±. The whole ordeal was still highly improvised and in dire need of polishing, and the servants obviously lacked the training and qualification to do anything beyond the preliminary work, but all in all, they were able to work at about eighty percent of the capacity the princess alone was able to put out when healthy.


    Githaiy finalized her notes on the check-up. Nadine was sitting next to her, waiting for Her Highness to be done with her current task. While her question had come out of nowhere, the doctor could indeed remember that specific conversation quite vividly. Ethanol was considered one of the few substances that were universally deadly for all known species. And humans consumed it for fun.


    ¡°There are also people who become addicted to it,¡± the small alien continued. ¡°Those are called ¡°alcoholics¡±.¡±


    That certainly was an interesting bit of information, something she would need to add to her notes later. Right off the bat, she could think of a dozen questions she wanted to ask about it, but she still didn¡¯t get why Nadine was bringing that up out of nowhere.


    ¡°We also have a word for something similar. It has nothing to do with alcohol, but the term is derived from it: ¡°workaholic¡±.¡±


    Githaiy had to think about the word for a moment. She had never heard it before, but it had sounded Vanaery, so it was made of existing words, just like ¡°alcoholic¡± just now. As she thought that, she suddenly realized that Nadine had taken the first syllable of ¡°alcoholic¡± and had replaced it with ¡°work¡±.


    <hr>


    Having overheard the conversation, Silgvani looked up.


    ¡°Did you just call me a work addict?¡±


    That certainly wasn¡¯t the kind of witty side-jab she would¡¯ve expected from the girl. Then again, she had slowly opened up more, and Silgvani had explicitly invited her to be more casual with her. They weren¡¯t in public, after all, so this wasn¡¯t a matter of losing face. So, all in all, this was fine.


    The alien girl turned her head.


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡°addicted¡±, this simply has to be done and I can¡¯t delegate it.¡±


    ¡°Quod erat demonstrandum.¡±


    Silgvani had no idea what the last sentence meant since it didn¡¯t get translated, but from Nadine¡¯s tone and her gesture towards Vassahr, she could guess.


    If that is her real self, maybe she¡¯ll handle the nobles better than I feared.


    ¡°This is an emergency solution, normally it can¡¯t be delegated. What we are doing right now is not doable long-term, I can¡¯t let commoners partake in governmental work.¡±


    In an instant, Nadine¡¯s smile was replaced by an expression Silgvani by now knew was called a ¡°scowl¡±.


    ¡°I know what you want to say, and no, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± she quickly added. ¡°I am well aware that capability does not have to come from birth, otherwise my head maid would not be a commoner. That is exactly the point, though. Mhita being my head maid is already a political statement. But there are limits to this, and governing is a hard border in that context. Sorting messages or organizing documents, sure, but no direct involvement. There are rumors that my parents let their servants do some of their work, and that is already enough to cost them footing.¡±


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    Nadine was quiet for a while before shaking her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s so dumb.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, you underestimate the gravity of the issue, Lady Nadine,¡± Vassahr now also broke his silence, looking up from his datapad. ¡°Without the backing of at least the most powerful of the clans, Her Highness will have serious trouble once she becomes queen. Merely the way you speak with Her Highness, even if she condones it, could already cost her reputation were it to become public. And if her reputation suffers, so will Hohmiy in the long run. This matter is a whole other league. I agreed to this plan because there was no better option in the short run; also, should it come out, I can simply say I delegated work to the servants without Her Highness knowing about it. But if we keep it up for too long, I can¡¯t believably take the blame anymore.¡±


    Vassahr was right, but Silgvani still didn¡¯t wish to simply dismiss Nadine¡¯s remark.


    ¡°Of the things you told me about your society, many seem¡­ strange to me. But I do agree that some of our traditions might be better forgotten. Either way, it is not within my power to change how things are done, not yet at least. And that is why I have to get back to being able to do this on my own as fast as possible.¡±


    ¡°Which you won¡¯t if you don¡¯t rest properly,¡± the doctor chimed in.


    ¡°The only nobles in my direct service are Vassahr, Captain Kessga, and you,¡± she reminded her. ¡°Of those, only Vassahr can be of any help to me with my work, and he has other duties. As have the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but even if you pull through this crunch time, you were also overworking yourself when you were healthy,¡± Nadine guided them back to their original topic. ¡°To the point where you didn''t even notice you got poisoned! You can''t keep this up! So, ignoring all the glaring problems in the last couple of statements for now: why not just hire more nobles then?¡±


    ¡°Because non-heirs usually don¡¯t receive education in governing. After all, they know they won¡¯t inherit the title and learn something else instead. Unless their promised partner is an heir, of course, but it should be obvious why I can¡¯t hire those. Or actual heirs of, obviously.¡±


    ¡°Not even as practitioners?¡±


    Silgvani once more looked up from her work.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡°practitioners¡±?


    ¡°Huh? No, I didn¡¯t say practitioners, I said practitioners.¡±


    Now, all three were staring at her. The small alien sighed.


    ¡°You just heard the same word twice, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Silgvani nodded.


    ¡°Stupid translator. Okay, what I meant was: why not hire heirs who are just about to finish their education? Temporarily, of course. Just say that you want to offer them tutelage. Sure, you¡¯d have to teach them at first, but they¡¯d know at least all the theory. That way, you get assistants, they get practical experience and can brag that they received an education from the royal family, which in turn will improve your standing with their families. Win-win. If you employ them with some offset, each can even learn in the next one.¡±


    Silgvani went quiet for a moment.


    ¡°Okay, THAT¡­ is actually a really good idea.¡±


    <hr>


    Falpiyne sat at her window and watched the sky. As a child, space had never really piqued her interest. But the recent events had changed her views. Now, every evening after her lessons, she¡¯d always spent a bit of time just looking at the stars.


    I wonder how it is to be up there.


    Unfortunately, it would never happen. The only people who would go there were soldiers and ambassadors. And as the only child of her parents, she couldn¡¯t abandon the county. Or Reiykin, for that matter.


    As if on cue, a knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Sister, are you there?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± she called back and hurried to the door. In the frame stood Reiykin, as always accompanied by a servant. She dismissed the servant with a nod, took her adoptive brother¡¯s hand, and carefully guided him to a chair.


    ¡°How can I help you, Duke Reiykin?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t call me that!¡± he responded with a cute annoyance. He always reacted like that when she called him that, and she just couldn¡¯t stop doing it. Technically, he was indeed a duke, ever since his parents had died in a shuttle crash when they both were small children. Due to their closeness, Falpiyne¡¯s parents had taken him in, even if the difference in rank had caused some problems. But just one more cycle, then he would be an adult and inherit the title officially.


    ¡°Sorry. Want to watch it again?¡±


    She put her datapad on the table and started the recording of the trial that had taken place sixteen days ago. Just as she had done each evening since then. The first time, they had actually watched it for the trial. The other fifteen times¡­ for something else.


    Her eyes were glued to the screen as the short figure stood up.


    ¡°Can you describe her again?¡±


    ¡°She is short,¡± Falpiyne began. ¡°Almost like when we were children. But thinner. Frailer. Her body looks smooth, no carapace or scales, and has a light shade of pink.¡±


    Reiykin hadn¡¯t been born blind, so he knew what colors were. It was the accident that had cost him his eyes.


    The frame zoomed in and she could see more details. Falpiyne paused the video because she knew she would begin to speak soon.


    ¡°On top of her head is a large patch of fur, so long it flows down her shoulders, with a color like white with a golden hue. Her eyes are small, but they look like blue gems on a white pillow.¡±


    Her first attempts at describing the alien had been quite clumsy, but after fifteen repetitions, she would say she had become good at it. After she was done, they listened to her soft voice, Reiykin even more thoroughly than her since he couldn¡¯t see her. Once the speech was over, she put the datapad away. The rest of the video didn¡¯t interest them, after all.


    ¡°I wonder how she is in person,¡± Falpiyne couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Reiykin just nodded along quietly.


    ¡°Too bad we¡¯ll never meet her.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why not?¡± Her brother asked confused. ¡°I heard your parents requested a meeting, isn¡¯t there at least a chance?¡±


    ¡°No. Ambassadors are never here for long, living on another planet is too taxing. At best, she''ll meet half of the biggest ducal clans. Even if some of them miss their chance, a count is too low in rank to get a turn. The request was a mere formality.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    For a while, they just sat next to each other in silence.


    ¡°Do you think we can meet other humans one day?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? You maybe could, once you are a duke for real.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to invite you then.¡±


    ¡°Probably not a good idea considering the difference in rank.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it anyway.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that. Neither of the two knew about the distress Falpiyne¡¯s parents were currently feeling over a message that had just reached them.

 Book 2 Chapter 4 - Invited surprise guest

    Silgvani leaned back as she watched the servants disassemble their temporary desks in her quarters. They were finally done with the¡­ ¡°crunch time¡±, as Nadine had called it. Her work wasn¡¯t done by any means, but the rest she could manage by herself, even if her capacity was still reduced. Walking also had started to get easier for her, and over short distances, she no longer needed someone to lean on. According to the doctor, she wouldn¡¯t fully recover until her next molting cycle ¨C her current one was about to end, so it was too late for that to fix anything ¨C but luckily, the internal damage from the calcium had been low considering the circumstances. As long as she was careful, she would even be able to receive guests again soon. On top of that, it was also time to schedule Nadine¡¯s first outing.


    The mere thought made her recall the dialogue the two had after the trial. It almost made her paranoid to let Nadine out, but she knew those fears had no basis. She knew she could trust Nadine, not to mention that the small alien wanted this knowledge to be public just as much as she did ¨C in other words, absolutely not at all.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    The voice of her head maid pulled Silgvani out of her thought.


    ¡°Yes, Mhita?¡±


    ¡°You seemed lost in thought, is something on your mind?¡±


    Well¡­


    <hr>


    Sixteen days prior


    ¡°Have you ever heard the ¡°Equilibrium of Terror¡±? Or, um, what was the other term for it? Ah, right ¡°Mutually Assured Destruction¡±.¡±


    ¡°No, can¡¯t say I have.¡± But both terms sounded quite menacing and definitely not like something that was to thank for lasting peace.


    ¡°Okay, then, how do I explain this,¡± the small alien began. ¡°Imagine you had a weapon that was so powerful that it could end any conflict in an instant. Ships no matter the size, enemy armies, or even entire countries, all of that you could wipe out with the press of one button.¡±


    ¡°There is no such weapon,¡± Silgvani said without even thinking about it.


    ¡°Hypothetically, imagine there was. And, for the sake of the thought experiment, further imagine you were the kind of person that had absolutely no qualms about using such a weapon. What would that mean, politically?¡±


    The princess really didn¡¯t like to think about something that was both so morbid and so far off from reality at the same time, but Nadine was clearly trying to get somewhere with this, so she complied.


    ¡°Well, I guess, militarily speaking, if we had such a weapon, then none of the others could oppose us, because they would lose the moment they initiate conflict.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly! But here is the catch: everyone else has that weapon as well. They still can¡¯t stop you from using it, but they can fire back.¡±


    Silgvani stared at Nadine for a solid moment before speaking again.


    ¡°Wait, so what you are basically saying is: Every party could at any point wipe out whoever they wanted, but the targeted parties could always drag them down with them?¡±


    Nadine nodded.


    ¡°You got it. That¡¯s what Mutually Assured Destruction means. Considering our history, it¡¯s probably the closest to peace we¡¯re ever gonna get.¡±


    So that is how they ended their wars? No actual peace, but rather an armistice no one can survive to break? Wait¡­


    Realization didn¡¯t hit Silgvani immediately, but when it did, it did so with full force. So far, the example had been purely hypothetical. But now¡­


    ¡°Nadine¡­ if what you say is true, does that mean¡­ are you saying humanity has¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to finish to make Nadine nod.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ objectively speaking, it¡¯s really stupid. Funny even, if it wasn¡¯t so sad. I¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I should tell you about this weapon. I don¡¯t want to introduce it to your culture, but then again, if you make contact with humanity, you¡¯ll have the technology eventually anyway.¡±


    ¡°But such a weapon must be insanely complicated to build right?¡± Silgvani tried to assure, still in half-denial. Why would any species even want something so terrible?


    ¡°Nope. Once you figure out how¡­ the basis of it works, it''s super easy. It wasn¡¯t even planned. I mean, with nukes, while the potential was discovered by accident, the thing itself was intentionally developed. And antimatter, well, that might always be a bomb, but no one is suicidal enough to try acquiring it in such a quantity. But this thing? It was supposed to provide new possibilities for us. And it did. But as soon as it was done, it also was a weapon. As it was, no changes necessary. Didn¡¯t take long for someone to realize it, the idea apparently wasn¡¯t even new. And, well¡­ if there is one thing humans are really good at, it¡¯s finding out how to turn something into a weapon.¡±


    The princess had no idea what this ¡°nuke¡± was that was apparently not as bad, nor did she know whether or not she even wanted to know it. But one thing, she knew for sure: She could NEVER allow this weapon to be introduced to the alliance, not if she could prevent it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m so vague about this, Sil, but-¡±


    ¡°No, that is good,¡± Silgvani interrupted. ¡°Nadine, I am sorry, but under the authority of hospitality, I prohibit you from telling anyone about this weapon or how it works, don¡¯t even hint at it!¡±


    Under normal circumstances, an order of hospitality would be considered a grave insult. It was more or less the only real way one could exert authority over a political guest, at least as so long as they didn¡¯t commit a crime. It basically meant that the hospitality was now tied to a condition, which normally was something to be avoided at all costs. And doing this to Nadine felt even worse since she had nowhere to go. But Silgvani couldn¡¯t help it. For this instance, her role to her people outweighed her role as a friend. But to her surprise, Nadine smiled and seemed¡­ glad?


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± she said with audible relief in her voice.


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    <hr>


    Present Day


    ¡°Nothing important, bear it no mind. But while you¡¯re here, have you heard anything from my parents?¡±


    ¡°We received no message from them, no.¡±


    That was strange. By now, sixteen days had passed since the trial had ended, but her parents still hadn¡¯t invited Nadine to the Sun Palace. Nor had they just shown up unannounced. Considering all she knew about her parents, at least one of those things should have happened by now, other side of the planet be damned. Not that she was complaining. The mere thought of the meeting provided her with headaches that rivaled the ones she had during her calcium poisoning, so from that standpoint, she certainly didn''t mind. Nevertheless, it was weird. Or, at the very least, atypical for them. Were they still so occupied with Kiyrtin that they didn¡¯t care? Unlikely, but possible. The only other explanations that she could think of were either that they were distracted with something else, or that they hadn¡¯t watched the trial and also hadn¡¯t heard about Nadine through gossip. The latter, she could safely rule out. But what options were there for the former? Certainly no normal day-to-day business, that had never stopped them when they had set their minds to something.


    That was the downside of working on the other side of the planet. Sure, it made it easier to isolate her parents from external affairs, but it also isolated her from internal ones.


    ¡°But we are done sorting through the requests from the noble clans wishing to meet Lady Nadine. I compiled a list, but it is pretty much everyone and I doubt I have to tell you the priorities. I briefly spoke to her when I met her this morning, she says that she is still nervous about it, but ready. She even got a new set of clothes.¡±


    That was good to hear. They still didn¡¯t know how much time Nadine would still have to spend on Hohmiy, so this could open many doors for her.


    ¡°But she also said that, if possible, she¡¯d like not to meet a, um¡­ ¡°big shot¡± right from the start, but I¡¯m not sure if that is doable.¡±


    ¡°No, it is. Just call her over later so we can come up with something.¡±


    Since no one on Hohmiy knew about human culture, they just needed to find something in the invitations that could be a breach of a made-up tradition. Or an actual one, who knew? Either way, it would give her an excuse to refuse. According to history, refusing invitations during a first contact because of something like that had been a common occurrence in the early days of the alliance. And she knew the nobles knew that as well.


    And she could understand the girl, handling a ducal clan without building up some confidence was probably not a good idea. Even better, it would mean when she would eventually meet a ¡°big shot¡± on their second or third attempt at inviting her, they would be apologetic and more forthcoming. For now, there were a handful of comital territories not far from Calhanar, one of those should be a good start.


    <hr>


    ¡°What do you mean, she accepted?!¡± Countess Espiyne asked in half-denial.


    ¡°I mean as I say, Milady. Lady¡­¡±


    The servant paused for a moment, then pulled out his datapad.


    ¡°¡­ Nadine Valentina Esmeralda Anastasia von Klot of House Haydenfeldt accepts your invitation and offers to meet you on the 112th day of the cycle. She emphasizes that no political matters shall be discussed and that she merely wishes to socialize.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ how? We should be way too low in rank to even have a shot, the invitation was purely a formality!¡± Count Ariyless pointed out.


    ¡°That I don¡¯t know, her message makes no mention of that. I can only assume that the other invitations were over-enthusiastic and ended up breaching a human tradition.¡±


    The two looked at their respective partner as they slowly started to comprehend the situation. Since neither of them had expected their invitation to even be looked at, they hadn¡¯t made any preparations either. And now, answer had arrived on such short notice. Still, they couldn¡¯t possibly back out now, the reputation of clan Silpiyne wouldn¡¯t survive that. They had to act. Fast.


    <hr>


    The mansion was in turmoil. Servants ran through the halls without any regard for the image they created and rarely could any normal talk be understood amongst all the shouting. Needless to say, it didn¡¯t go past the two youngest members of the household that something was amiss.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Reiykin asked his adoptive sister with audible confusion. The young heiress could feel him getting tenser by the tigg as he clung to her left arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything is fine. Everyone is just very busy.¡±


    ¡°And loud,¡± the blind boy complained.


    ¡°And loud,¡± she agreed. ¡°Maybe mother or father know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Guiding her brother through the busy hallways was a challenge. Alone, she probably could¡¯ve managed to slip past everyone without much trouble, but she couldn¡¯t possibly leave him alone right now. In the end, her father was the one the pair found first, standing in the atrium and barking orders. The pair didn¡¯t exactly sneak up on him, but he was still distracted enough to not notice them and got startled once they stood behind him.


    ¡°Ah! What are you two doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be busy with your studies?¡±


    ¡°They ended almost an inva ago,¡± Reiykin pointed out.


    ¡°It¡¯s that late already? Damn it!¡±


    Despite his distress, he quickly caught himself and took on a more dignified demeanor.


    ¡°Listen, an important guest will arrive soon, and we had to order a lot of things for her visit that just arrived today, so we must hurry to get everything ready before she gets here.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the mansion always keep a reserve for surprise guests?¡± Reiykin asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes, that would only be unusable if the visitor was an alien,¡± Falpiyne added.


    ¡°And you said ¡°she¡±.¡±


    Realization dawned on the step-siblings.


    ¡°The human?!¡±


    Count Ariyless sighed.


    ¡°Yes, the guest is Lady Nadine. No, you can¡¯t come with us and meet her.¡±


    Faces of utter disbelief were the answer.


    ¡°Why are you surprised about that? This could be one of the most important guests our planet has seen in generations, and for whatever First Ones-damned reason we are the ones hosting her. You two do NOT have the experience to receive her, so don¡¯t embarrass our kind! You will stay upstairs and not leave your rooms.¡±


    Right afterward, he went back to shouting orders. Dejected, the pair left the atrium.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t leading me to your room,¡± Reiykin realized after a while. ¡°And not toward mine either.¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡±, Falpiyne affirmed with audible smugness in her voice. ¡°Do you really want to miss this chance?¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡±, he parroted.


    ¡°Good, now better be quiet, though I doubt anyone will notice us with all of this chaos.¡±


    She led him to the gallery where they waited for a while until all the buzzing died down. When the halls were empty again they snuck through the back entrance and, after a couple of turns, ended on a walkway that was slightly elevated from the garden. It was framed by a low balustrade that could hide them when they sat down, which was why they did exactly that. As they leaned against the stone, they could hear her.


    ¡°¡­ that are all still very new to me. Her Highness and I are currently testing how an exchange of our admittedly very different cultures could profit all of us.¡±


    There she was. Live, her voice was even softer than on the recording. The two barely listened to what she was actually saying, they were way too mesmerized by the mere sound. It was frustrating that they couldn¡¯t directly talk with her, but still, Reiykin could probably just sit there and listen for hours. Falpiyne on the other hand eventually succumbed to a temptation that was foreign to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a look.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? What if they see you?¡±


    ¡°Just a quick peek.¡±


    And so, she did. A bit away, she saw her parents, too focused on their guest to notice her. Said guest on the other hand was sitting with her back to Falpiyne, so all she could see was the long mane of the curly, silvery fur with the faint golden hue. The recording had not done it any justice. But she knew she wouldn¡¯t see her face like this, and the longer she stared, the higher the risk of getting caught. Reluctantly, she sat back down behind her hiding spot and went back to listening.


    ¡°¡­ on a different note, may I ask about your children?¡±


    ¡°We actually just have one, a daughter¡±, Falpiyne¡¯s mother answered. ¡°But we are also taking care of the heir of clan Reiylar until he is old enough to inherit his title.¡±


    ¡°I see. And those two¡­ they wouldn¡¯t happen to be close to finishing their education?¡±


    ¡°Well, close is a relative term. They''ve still got a lot to learn. But they know how to behave, so don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t bother us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is not at all what I was getting at. I would hardly be bothered by their presence. On the contrary, if it is fine with you, I would love to meet them.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± her father inquired.


    ¡°Lasting friendships bridge generations, do they not?¡±


    ¡°Well, um, that they do.¡±


    Falpiyne almost couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Was this happening? Were they really about to meet her?


    ¡°Very well then, I shall have them called momentarily.¡±


    We need to get back to our rooms!


    ¡°Thank you, but there is no need. They heard me.¡±


    Falpiyne and Reiykin, who had been about to sneak back, froze.

 Book 2 Chapter 5 - Just a rumor?

    49th Day after my arrival


    Dear Diary,


    Today <del>is the day I will meet other</del>*, I¡¯m going to meet with clan Silpiyne. The translator translated their rank as ¡°Count¡±, no idea how accurate that is. I have no idea how our noble titles worked back when they were anything other than fancy add-ons to the name. But apparently, they are about the lowest rank of high nobility if I understood that right. Sil said I should have no issue dealing with them. They aren¡¯t very influential even for their rank, and their territory isn¡¯t far from the palace. They apparently adopted the childhood friend of their daughter when his parents died, so they seem to be nice people. Not that it would <del>make me any less</del> help to reduce my nervousness. What if I say something wrong? Even unintentional insults seem to be a big deal here. I mean, I rejected all these high-rank invites for some mundane reasons that I pulled out of my ass. Sil said that¡¯s apparently normal for first contacts. Like, seriously? I get that some basic show of respect is important, but if humanity also was like that at one point, I¡¯m REALLY glad that¡¯s in the past. Imagine I would¡¯ve grown up like some noble lady from these medieval movies, where every conversation is basically a battlefield. I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve handled that my entire life. Sil told me what would be some good things to say to leave a friendly impression, and I practiced some lines as well. I don¡¯t know if I can keep up the act the entire time though. Maybe I can get in a flow, like when I had to hold presentations back at school.


    Still, I have to get this right, even if for no other reason than not embarrassing Sil. And I guess she''s right, leaving the palace every now and then probably isn''t a bad idea. Especially right now, since I can really use a distraction at the moment and there are only so many language lessons I can cram into my head to achieve that. Even if the Baron is surprised by my progress (how come I have no issues talking with him? He has some grandpa-vibes, maybe that¡¯s why.). But the first messengers Sil sent out to search for clues are scheduled to return soon, and I¡¯m REALLY scared. What if no one found anything? <del>What if they are all</del>


    I should have a quick talk with Kiyrtin before I go, I hope he can calm me down. His present is also almost done, I hope he likes it. Maybe I can make the next one <del>without</del> on my own, but I doubt it. I didn¡¯t contribute much outside of the idea this time.


    Alright, I can do this! I just have to see it as my mission to my people. If I can pull this off, Hohmiy will already have a good impression of humanity, and things will be much easier <del>if we find the colony</del> <del>when</del> <del>if</del> <del>when</del> <del>if</del> <del>when</del> <del>if</del> <del>when</del> <del>if</del> <del>when</del> <del>if</del> in the future.


    <hr>


    Countess Espiyne and Count Ariyless felt equally stiff as they guided their esteemed guest into their garden. There had been so many things they had needed to prepare that actually making their estate presentable had fallen short. It was by no means untidy; it got properly cared for every day, and if it had been a normal guest, they would''ve received them there without a second thought. Alas, the current one was literally as far away from a normal guest as possible, and a blunder could be catastrophic for their species'' future with the "Humans". Sure, she had said that she merely wished to socialize for now, but bad impressions would obviously carry over.


    But then, through a stroke of luck, the current day had presented itself as one of the rare dry ones in the rainy season. Quickly adjusting their plans, they decided to host Lady Nadine in their garden instead. Their house was about lower average for a noble clan of their standing, but the garden was something they were proud of. The fact that they got a chance to show it off could prove to be a large boon for the impression they left.


    They were truly fortunate in that regard. Occasionally, there were cycles where the rain, once truly started, didn''t stop at all for up to fifty days. Thank the First Ones this wasn''t one of those.


    Seeing their guest in person had been the next surprise. Having only seen her during the broadcast of the trial, they had completely underestimated how short her species was. But once again, luck was on their side. Since they sometimes had guests with children of Falpiyne''s age, they possessed some custom-made chairs from back when she was younger. They allowed someone of a shorter height to sit at the same table while still fitting in aesthetically with the rest. Espiyne had to thank the quick thinking of her partner, who, upon seeing their guest, had almost instantly given the order to get those before she was in earshot. She herself had entirely forgotten they still had those.


    Reaching the small table surrounded by vast and diverse plant life, they gestured their guest to her seat. The edges of her mouth moved up as she saw the special chair. Her shoulders also, for a moment, seemed to move up and down in quick succession, and the rims of her mouth seemed to get slightly pulled inward. Not entirely sure what this expression meant, the count and countess merely set down, hiding their nervousness under a perfect mask as both had learned to from an early age.


    That didn''t stop them from getting a short panic attack when the chair under their guest creaked. Why was it making that noise? They hadn''t used these chairs for a while, did they corrode without them noticing it?


    By the First Ones, please don''t break! both thought desperately.


    "Well then, let me once again thank you for having me."


    "It is our pleasure, Milady. We have prepared a few things for you."


    On cue, a servant pushed a tray of food next to them, filled with almost every food item they were told humans could eat, including - they almost couldn''t believe that part when they heard it - unpurified water. The alien noblewoman gave a sign of appreciation and reached out, before stopping suddenly, the blue circles in her eyes moving to the side for a tigg. The two immediately feared they had made a mistake, but her eyes quickly went back to their usual position and Lady Nadine took a fruit from the tray.


    A few moments of silence followed. Was she waiting for them to initiate the conversation? Was it common for Humans that the host chose the first topic?


    "You have a pretty garden," she finally said, leaving the count and countess unsure whether everything was fine or if they had just committed their first blunder.


    "It is great to hear that it is to your liking," Espyine responded. "You have chosen a perfect day for it. I am sorry that you have to see this part of our homeworld during the rainy season, there is a lot of beauty to be found here." It was, after all, one of the reasons why guests from off-planet were received in this region specifically. Assuming their culture didn''t have an entirely different sense of beauty, but since she praised their garden, they could take that gamble.


    "It is. I actually arrived before the rain started, so I was able to see my share. My kind had never met other sapient species outside of our own until now. It is highly fascinating to observe our similarities, but there are also many ways in which our kinds developed highly divergent. There are many aspects that are all still very new to me. Her Highness and I are currently testing how an exchange of our admittedly very different cultures could profit all of us.¡±


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    Once more, her eyes seemed to wander to the side without her head moving.


    ¡°¡­ on a different note, may I ask about your children?¡±


    That question completely blindsided the two. Why would she ask that? Children usually only mattered in these talks to form ties between clans, that wasn''t something other species would participate in - or even could participate in as no descendant could be conceived between them.


    ¡°We actually just have one, a daughter¡±, Countess Espiyne answered truthfully. ¡°But we are also taking care of the heir of clan Reiylar until he is old enough to inherit his title.¡±


    ¡°I see. And those two¡­ they wouldn¡¯t happen to be close to finishing their education?¡±


    Okay, she definitely is trying to get somewhere with this. But what? Was she trying to prod their skills in raising their heir? Or did she just not want to get disturbed?


    ¡°Well, close is a relative term. They still have a lot to learn. But they know how to behave, so don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t bother us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I would hardly be bothered by their presence. On the contrary, if it is fine with you, I would love to meet them.¡±


    Once again, more or less the opposite of what both had expected.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Count Ariyless asked.


    ¡°Lasting friendships bridge generations, do they not?¡±


    ¡°Well, um, that they do,¡± Ariyless agreed. "Very well then, I shall have them called momentarily."


    ¡°Thank you, but there is no need. They heard me.¡±


    The two grew quiet. In fact, the entire garden did, all the servants included. The alien noblewoman took a sip of water before breaking the silence.


    "Don''t you two wish to join us?" she said in a louder voice than before. "I doubt the stone is very comfortable."


    Staring in disbelief, the two watched their daughter and their ward slowly stand up from behind the balustrade of the elevated walkway. Clearly ashamed, Falpiyne guided her adoptive brother to the table. Unable to scold them in front of their guest who had somehow known they were there from the start, Ariyless ordered for two more chairs to be brought. Lady Nadine didn''t appear to be angry at least, so this situation wasn''t unsalvageable.


    "H-hello, Milady," Falpiyne stammered while Reiykin couldn''t get a word out.


    "Lady Nadine," Espiyne quickly took over, "this is our daughter, Falpiyne, and the heir of clan Reiylar, Reiykin."


    "A pleasure to meet the two of you," she addressed them. "So, the two of you are learning to take over your respective titles?


    "Y-yes, Milady," their daughter answered. Reiykin remained silent.


    "Then say, would you like to assist Her Highness at the Star Palace for a while? I heard she will soon start taking adolescents under her tutelage at frequent intervals to allow them to gather some practical experience."


    Once more, silence. None of the four said anything. None of the four knew what they could say to this. Direct tutelage under the princess?


    "This has, of course, nothing to do with me," Lady Nadine continued. "I''m just thinking aloud that someone who knew about this prior might have a good chance of getting the first spots."


    This was too good to be true. They were mere counts, how could they have possibly imagined a chance like this for their daughter?


    "B-but..." Reiykin finally found his voice. "I-I am... m-my eyes..."


    "I noticed," the alien noblewoman said to everyone''s surprise. They had expected her to lose interest in him as soon as she found out. Just like all the ducal clans did, which was why they, mere Counts, had been able to adopt him in the first place. The dukes considered clan Raiylar more or less done for and were ready to snatch up the remains. But she didn''t seem to care?


    "I won''t pretend that it doesn''t matter. It is obviously a big deal. But I also know that there have been many humans in the past with similar situations to your own. And it couldn''t stop them. Because it can only do that if you allow it to. If you put your mind to it, I have no doubts that you can achieve great things, both for yourself and your clan. As long as you don''t give up."


    They had lost count of how often they had been shocked in this very short timeframe. The entirety of this day hadn''t played out even closely to their expectations.


    After that, they somehow managed to resume normal talks, with Falpiyne and Reiykin mostly listening. That, of course, didn''t mean the two wouldn''t get to hear some things later on. At one point, Count Ariyless brought up a rumor he had heard from the capital, and Lady Nadine left shortly after.


    <hr>


    Finishing her work for the day, Silgvani stood up from her desk. It was still a bit tedious to only have two of her four arms available, but it was doable now that things had calmed down and the doctor finally allowed her to leave her bed again. The much bigger pain had been the time she hadn¡¯t been able to work today. Which had been almost all of the day, because her expected molting had finally happened. Just molting under normal circumstances was already incredibly annoying; it was a long and tedious process, gradually wiping off the remains of the outer shell as they slowly turned into a gooey sludge. And she had servants to help her with it, she didn¡¯t even want to imagine how it was for those who had to do it alone. But if molting under normal circumstances was annoying, molting under medical supervision because two of your arms were in splints, with the servants needing to come up with a creative way to clean out under said splints while also having to be careful not to further injure said arms was really annoying. But at least it was done now, she no longer had a cavity in her side that she needed to hide, and her arms would hopefully heal with her next molting.


    It was, however, not yet time to retreat into her private quarters, as there were at least two more things today that required her attention. One was to hear out Nadine about her day. The other was her check-up with the doctor, which she promptly decided to do first. It was the same standardized test she was by now used to plus the normal post-molting check.


    ¡°It seems as though your new shell has hardened properly, Your Highness,¡± the doctor concluded once she was done. ¡°And your other results continue to improve as well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor. Is that all?¡± Silgvani realized that she had sounded a bit more dismissive than intended. Maybe it was because all these repetitive tests were little more than time-consuming routines by now. The doctor, however, seemed to not agree with that assessment.


    ¡°Your Highness, with all due respect; you do realize how insanely lucky you were with this, right? Even if we assume that Nadine and I would be able to help you as quickly as we could in every scenario, this could have easily ended in countless other ways, all much worse than two broken arms and an impressively short period of recovery, right?¡±


    ¡°I did by no means intend to sound ungrateful, doctor. You and Nadine are the sole reason I am alive today, and that is something I won¡¯t forget.¡±


    ¡°Your word humble me, Your Highness, but that is not what I was trying to get-¡°


    ¡°Sil!¡±


    The shout of a familiar voice interrupted the doctor, although the two of them rarely heard the voice being this loud. The doctor stood up, opened the freshly repaired door, and waved to the small alien who entered the office shortly after.


    ¡°Ah, here you are.¡±


    ¡°That I am,¡± Silgvani affirmed. ¡°How did your visit go?¡±


    ¡°Good, I guess, but there¡¯s something else we need to talk about first. They apparently heard a rumor that two and a half weeks ago, a large number of warships flew off from the northern harbor into space.¡±


    The princess cocked her head.


    ¡°Two and a half what?¡±


    ¡°A couple of days, not important, do you have any ideas why that might be the case?¡±


    Was Nadine concerned by this rumor? Well, if her home was like she had described, it was understandable. Sudden troop movements could imply a lot of things if you lacked context. Silgvani, unfortunately, almost never interacted with their fleet as the military didn''t fall under her authority, so she herself didn''t know why they were doing that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing to worry about. I don¡¯t have much to do with our military, but I can think of three possible reasons, depending on what ¡°large number¡± means. Option one would be that they are switching places with one of the flotillas guarding the secure routes, so the latter can get their maintenance done. Option two would be that they are being swapped with ships from the main fleet who are guarding our orbit.¡±


    ¡°Okay and, just in case, what if ¡°large number¡± refers to a really large number?¡±


    ¡°Well, that would be option three: the main fleet got ordered to move out, and they are temporarily taking over their position in orbit. But that would only happen in case of a large-scale military operation. And since such a thing would most certainly be done in cooperation with other alliance members, that is something I would have heard of. The only other way would be something so urgent and important that they couldn¡¯t wait for an answer. But we¡¯re not at war anymore, so I have no idea what that would be. The Kiroscha never attacked us in that manner.¡±


    Nadine flinched at the mention of the insectoids, and Silgvani cursed herself for bringing them up. Nadine¡¯s trauma had gotten better, but it hadn''t vanished. Shortly after though, the alien girl''s eyes narrowed and she got quiet for a while. Then, she turned for the door.


    ¡°I see. But just to be sure, let me check something really quick.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°The dungeon. Call it a hunch, but I have a REALLY bad feeling about this.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 6 - One last laugh

    Kykla looked around. Nothing. Just as always. From behind the glass, she could see into the opposing row of cells, but no one was there. Not that she expected there to be, it had primarily been an act of boredom. Besides praying, it was more or less the only thing she could do down here.


    She wasn''t exactly sure for how many days she had been down here. She could''ve counted the number of times she was brought food for reference, but she honestly didn''t care. Her life was over, she was well aware of that fact. The only reason why she hadn''t been executed yet was that the high council had yet to confirm her sentence.


    She did a quick recount. In the worst-case scenario - in other words, if Qeylo''s final contingency plan hadn''t worked - and the high council would answer immediately, it should take around thirty days. How much of that had passed by now? Half? More?


    In the best-case scenario - meaning that everything worked as planned and the damages were as minimal as possible - there might be a way for her out of this. But honestly, even if everything went perfectly and the high council had enough leverage, they would be stupid not to use it for something more productive than her life. In a way, she hoped it. All of this was for the sake of her people, after all.


    She was a female, so there would likely be at least some voices to save her. But then again, she already had two daughters to her name. That was why she had been allowed to leave the planet in the first place. And with her final deed, there was hardly a Tystrie alive that had done more for their kind than her. Even if she wasn''t that old yet, at least for a female, if she looked back at her life, she could accept her fate. She had certainly done things she wasn''t proud of but in the end, she would be able to step before the Goddess with her head held high, knowing that it had all been for the benefit of her chosen people.


    But while there was nothing for her to regret, she grew a bit sad when thinking about her family back on Eroas. Especially Labro. First husbands weren''t supposed to attend their wife''s funeral. Her daughters would be cared for by the temple, and her oldest would soon start her own family anyway. For her sons, things would likely be a bit more difficult. The oldest among them had already left the family and some had even found a wife, so they would be fine. The rest would need to stick to their individual fathers until they were old enough. It would be tough, but that was simply the fate of those born male in her species, with or without a mother.


    Absentminded, her hand wandered to the highest ring earring on her left ear. It was nothing special in terms of quality, about middle ground when compared to the rest. But it was much newer than the others. It came from Eiri, her latest husband. She had only married him recently, and their only child so far was still an infant. For him, things might get the most challenging. Then again, he was still young, younger than a good portion of her oldest sons in fact, and he had many good qualities. The chances were low, but if the Goddess willed so, he might be able to find a new wife.


    She laid down on her bed, closed her eyes, and performed another prayer. It took some time, the fact she did it a lot while down here wasn''t an excuse to get sloppy after all. Once she was done, she got up once more and looked around again. Still no one right of her. Still no one le- no hang on, someone was coming. Was it mealtime already? She could only see a shadow, so she wasn''t yet sure if it was a guard. But who else would come down here? They seemed to be fairly short... wait.


    Her suspicions got confirmed when the human ambassador stepped in front of the glass. Her heart rate went up as soon as she saw the alien, not able to forget that fateful night, but she did her best to ignore it. Right, that was the other reason why she couldn''t expect her people to try and get her out. Her one true screw-up. The only thing she had no excuse for when she would stand before the Goddess. Unless the Tystrie renounced her actions completely, there could be no future between them and this new contact.


    "Lady Nadine," Kykla greeted. "I must say, I did not expect to see you again."


    "That makes us two," Nadine responded and sat down. On the floor. What? Why would someone of her status do such a thing?


    For a while, the alien merely kept her pose. What, did she expect Kykla to do the same? Then again, Kykla right now was just some criminal waiting for her death. She held no status anymore. Maybe that was some form of human tradition. It wasn''t like anyone else saw her, and the sooner this unassuming beast would get what she came for, the sooner she would leave her alone.


    It took her a while to find a passable position. She wasn''t used to intentionally sitting like this.


    "By the way, how is that poor commoner whose door you broke doing?" She asked before Nadine could take the word.


    "He got compensated," she merely stated. "The money reserved for hosting you was no longer needed, after all."


    "Oh? Is it human custom to have others pay for the damages you cause?"


    "Sometimes, you can manage to have a good relationship with people you don''t try to kill. I have some questions for you."


    "You think I will answer them?"


    "I won''t leave until I have my answers."


    "And that is of my concern... why exactly?"


    For a moment, the alien didn''t answer. Then, in a blink of an eye, she lunged forward, her palm slamming against the glass with a loud DONK!. Kykla recoiled, painfully hitting her back against the wall of her cell. Her heartbeat shot through the roof and her breathing was panicked and erratic, only calming down slowly.


    "Lie to yourself all you want. Your instincts will always be honest."


    Finally, she got her breath under control and was able to talk again.


    "What do you want?"


    "The list we found. Is it complete or are there more spies?"


    "Shouldn''t you ask Qeylo that? Oh wait..."


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    Nadine''s eyes became narrow and her lips parted slightly, an expression that made Kykla feel extremely uncomfortable for some reason.


    "Fine. Simply put, I have no idea. I wasn''t even aware he had such a convenient list. I knew that these spies - or "friends", as he called them - existed, but that was it. And I am the only other Tystrie who even knew about them, the High Priests were never involved in this."


    "You are seriously telling me you never interacted with them?"


    Kykla shrugged.


    "I needed something, he got it for me. Mostly information. It was always either a trade for a favor or some coercion, which was why most of them were one-time deals. For the attack on you, he said he needed to call in every favor he still had open, so I thought that his "friends" were all used up now. All of this I already said to the interrogators or in the trial, why are even asking all of this?"


    There was a small pause before the alien answered.


    "Rumor has it that some time ago, a large number of warships were sent into orbit."


    It was? Oh, thank the Goddess, at least that had gone smoothly. Now the Tystrie would have some leeway again.


    "And you seem a bit too happy about that."


    Did she? Had her time here made her this rusty?


    "I''m merely confused about what you''re trying to get at."


    "Oh, cut your bullshit! You did... wait. You said you thought he had used up all his favors."


    Correction, she hadn''t gotten rusty. She was sloppy because the alien''s presence was so unnerving to her. Still, to think she caught that tiny slip...


    For some time, Nadine stared intensely at her without saying anything. Then she averted her gaze but still kept quiet, and quite some time passed until she suddenly seemed to realize something.


    "The blackout! When was the blackout?!"


    "I don''t know-"


    "YES, YOU DO!"


    Nadine had jumped to her feet, and the sudden volume of her voice which was a stark contrast to her usually soft tone made Kykla startle so much she fell onto her back.


    "The power outage during the trial! When. Was. It?!"


    Kykla once again needed to take a couple of breaths to calm down again. Oh well, she would figure it out eventually anyway. Considering the time passed, it was too late to stop it anyway. And if this was her last interaction before her execution, she might as well end it on a high note for her.


    "Well, depending on when exactly this supposed power outage occurred, it is possible that a certain pair of overprotective parents missed a crucial detail in my statement."


    <hr>


    Hastily, Githaiy ran through the halls of the Star Palace. She had no idea what was going on, only that she got called to the main entrance and that for some reason, the entire place was in turmoil. Out of breath, she finally reached the entrance hall. The gate was wide open, and through the rain, she was able to see shuttle after shuttle fly away. Quickly, she was ushered to enter one as well. She got slightly wet on her way to it, but not much. As soon as she was in, the doors closed and they took off.


    Finally able to catch a breath, she took a look at the other passengers. Two guards, and the other was a mechanic at the shuttle bay if she recalled correctly.


    "Does any of you know what''s going on?"


    All three shrugged.


    "Apologies, Milady, but no."


    So they hadn''t been told any more than her. Because of the rain, she couldn''t see where they were flying and only recognized the great harbor by the time they landed. The doors were barely open when a distressed-looking servant pointed them to one of the spaceships and told them to board it ASAP. Everything happened really fast after that, and Githaiy had barely reached the medical bay when she felt the ship start. She waited nervously until the launch sequence was over before she made her way to the bridge.


    The ship wasn''t very large, nor did it seem to be in any way special. It had the basic necessities, but that was about it. Before she reached her destination she noticed a couple of guards standing in front of one of the quarters and approached them.


    "Can I speak with Her Highness? I wasn''t able to report in yet."


    "Her Highness is on the bridge, Milady," one of the guards answered. "These aren''t her quarters."


    "I... see. Thank you. Carry on, then."


    Confused, she continued to go to her original destination. If those weren''t the princess''s quarters, why were they guarded?


    On the bridge, she finally found her, accompanied by a captain she didn''t recognize, the pilots and adjacent crew members, as well as...


    "Nadine?"


    The small alien turned her head.


    "Hi, Doc. Sorry for the chaos."


    "It''s no problem. I''m the royal physician, I go wherever Her Highness goes. But what are you doing here?"


    "Acting my role again in case it gets necessary. We, um, we kinda were in a rush, so we couldn''t plan this very meticulously. We''ll be far away from the fight, so there shouldn''t be any real danger."


    Fight? What?


    "I see." She then turned to the princess. "Then, Your Highness, may I ask where we are headed? What fight is she referring to?"


    "To Eroas, stopping what''s easily the biggest mistake my parents ever made."


    "Do you remember the trial?" Nadine quickly added. "How weird Kykla''s opening statement was?"


    "Not verbatim, but yes."


    "That was on purpose," the princess took the word again. "The power outage was planned. To those listening to the broadcast, it sounded like the high council of Eroas ordered the assassination attempt."


    Githaiy''s heart almost stopped as she realized what that meant.


    "Then... His and Her Majesty..."


    "Before anyone could stop them, they ordered the home fleet to attack Eroas. I tried to contact them but wasn''t able to. Time is more than ever of the essence, so I decided to stop it myself, hence the emergency scramble. If I can make Admiral Mirtan at least halt the attack and listen to me, we might be able to sort everything out."


    "This is a political disaster, isn''t it?" Githaiy didn''t need to understand foreign politics to know that much.


    "Best-case scenario, we will have to pay them horrendous reparations. But if the rumors of why they stopped exporting their titanium are true, they could have a massive fleet. In the worst case, this is the beginning of a new war. And if things aren''t sorted out by the time the alliance hears of this, we''ll have a REALLY big problem."


    The princess was right, this was nothing short of a crisis.


    Upon reaching orbit, six escort ships joined them. The reserve fleet had apparently already been contacted and quickly agreed to send their fastest ships with them as soon as they understood the situation. Their own ship seemed to be built for speed as well, and thanks to that, just a bit under a day passed until they reached the hyperlane. On the way, the princess explained the plan. Thankfully, Eroas was far away from the nearest Hyperlane, and a large fleet wasn''t fast. Depending on the current position of the planet, the attack might have started under a day ago. With a bit of luck even less than that, maybe it hadn''t yet begun at all. They would contact the fleet immediately after the jump, hopefully able to stop it before too much damage is done.


    "We are almost at the entrance point. Get the prisoner here!" the princess ordered through the com.


    Prisoner?


    Githaiy wouldn''t get her question answered just yet, as a moment later, they jumped.


    "Make contact with the fleet, quickly! Use access code Furo-Mil-Nogara-/-Ako-Furo-/-Kipa!"


    "... we can''t!" the operator responded distressed.


    "What do you mean, you can''t?!"


    "We''re not getting a signal from the relay station! It seems to be offline, Your Highness!"


    Silence. Every planet in the alliance was supposed to maintain a relay station close to their hyperlane to make sure they could be contacted from the entrance point. The ships heavily relied on those stations, as without them, their communication range wasn''t big. Even Hohmiy had one, even though it wasn''t needed for most of the cycle due to their closeness to the entrance point. How could this one be offline?


    Potentially precious moments ticked away, until finally, the princess spoke again.


    "If we go as fast as possible... how long until we can contact them directly?"


    The operator opened a star map on his screen.


    "If we go full speed... I don''t know, maybe ten days?"

 Book 2 Chapter 7 - Pressed for time

    The tension on board was almost tangible. After half a day past the hyperlane, Githaiy had decided to retreat to the medical bay. There already were more than enough pairs of eyes drilling metaphorical holes into the backs of the poor pilots, who themselves couldn''t do more than fly full speed ahead. And she wasn''t needed on the bridge right now in the first place, so rather than contributing to the suffocating silence, she would rather be silent on her own. Not to mention that a thorough check of all the medical equipment on board was a good way to distract her mind from the rather dire situation at hand.


    The doctor''s limited political knowledge didn''t stretch to topics like the military and foreign affairs, but if she had understood it correctly, a retaliatory strike would have been somewhat justified under alliance law if the government of Eroas had indeed ordered the assassination attempt. That would''ve been an act of war, after all. The problem was that they didn''t. This attack was the one that was unjust, even if the ambassador had tricked the King and Queen. The alliance wouldn''t let that slide.


    First the poison, now this... just why was the ambassador doing all of this? Her people already were the potentially richest planet in the alliance, what could she possibly hope to gain?


    This ship... what even was its name? Githaiy noticed she had never asked. Well, it just showed how hectic their departure had been. There was literally nothing that made this ship stand out, it was as basic as it could be. Everyone had obviously expected that to be enough. Fly to the relay station, send the message, and return. What had been supposed to take a day now stretched into an agonizingly long amount of time. If it weren''t for the patrol ships escorting them, they wouldn''t even have enough supplies. Especially Nadine would be forced to improvise. Githaiy would have liked to send at least her back to Hohmiy, but she knew the alien girl wouldn''t leave the princess on her own in this situation.


    A knock on the door pulled the doctor out of her thoughts.


    "Yes?"


    It was Nadine who entered.


    "Also needed to escape the bridge?" the doctor joked.


    "I can''t catch a calm thought up there, and I really need to get a grip."


    "Yes, I understand your feelings. The situation is precarious, and being forced to just sit around during all of this is taxing."


    "All of this because of one maniac!" the small alien spat. "Better not go to her room right now, I''ll just get more pissed."


    "Her room? She is on board? Wait, is she that "prisoner" I heard of?"


    "Yup."


    "Why?"


    Nadine shrugged.


    "That was my idea. I thought with her word it would be easier to convince them to stop. She said she would cooperate, but while I highly doubt that, it''s not like we lose anything by having her with us. And I''ll take any I chance can to prevent the pointless loss of innocent lives. Stupid religious fanatic."


    Githaiy sat down and went back to her checklist.


    "I don''t know much about foreign politics, but from the short briefing we got before her visit, I know that their belief is of high cultural significance to the Tystrie."


    "They can believe what they want for all I care. The issue is a theocratic government. My homeworld has more than one example of why those are a very bad idea. Sure, monarchies aren''t exactly... uh, that would take too long right now."


    The bed creaked as she sat and eventually laid down.


    "Doc... this won''t lead to a full-blown war, will it?"


    "If I remember correctly the Vanaery play a valuable role in the alliance, so as long as we pay the reparations we should be able to sort things out with the alliance, but beyond that... I honestly don''t know."


    <hr>


    From the corner of her eye, Silgvani watched as Kykla was cuffed to one of the chairs, guards flanking her. Finally, after ten agonizingly long days, they were about to get the fleet in direct communication range.


    "Don''t you think this is a bit much?" the former ambassador mocked. "We''re in a finite space, I have no weapons, and it''s not like I can do much anyway while that is running around," she added while nodding in Nadine''s direction. Staying calm to her provocation was challenging for the princess, especially after the stress of the last ten days.


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    "A criminal like you has no right to talk about her like this! You will only speak again once the channel is open and rectify this mess!"


    The Tystrie merely shrugged.


    "Can you even be sure she''s really a noble? She never defends herself like someone of proper upbringing would. The way she just accepts all slander reminds me more of a peasant who subconsciously knows better than to correct his superiors. How do you know you aren''t getting tricked?"


    Silgvani didn''t get a chance to answer as at that moment, the com channel got opened.


    "This is Admiral Mirtan of clan Tessvani, your code was confirmed. Please state your occupation."


    "Uncle, it''s me!" Silgvani all but shouted into the microphone, discarding all etiquette. "You need to stop this attack!"


    "Your Highness? And I was wondering why ten ships suddenly joined us."


    "That is irrelevant, you need to cease attacking immediately! You have been tricked, I can prove it-"


    "Sil, calm down."


    Stumped by his answer, Silgvani was indeed quiet, albeit just for a moment.


    "Wh-what? No, listen to me, you need to-"


    "I am listening. But this is no topic to be discussed on an open com channel. I will await you on the Unifier."


    That was it. Deafening silence followed. Silgvani didn''t even know how to react to this, feeling as if she had just gotten punched in the face. Eventually, it was Nadine who spoke again.


    "Did he just hang up on us?"


    "I am not familiar with the phrase," the operator answered, "but they did close the channel."


    "Yes, that''s what it means."


    And to add insult to injury, Kykla started to laugh.


    "How fitting that the unhinged royalty appointed a warmonger."


    Unlike previous insults, this comment did trigger a response from Nadine.


    "What the FUCK is supposed to be funny about this?! Isn''t this YOUR planet?! What is wrong with you?!"


    "Oh, so now you can speak again? But yes, exactly. It is my homeworld, not yours. Why would you care?"


    "Of course I care when some maniac endangers innocent people for some stupid power play! Don''t you have family down there?! Are you fine just throwing their lives away?!"


    The Tystrie cocked her head.


    "What are you talking about? How would a fight between soldiers harm civilians?"


    The small alien had seemingly no idea how to answer that, just staring confused for a while. Finally, she turned her head to Silgvani, leaving the princess just as confused, albeit for apparently different reasons.


    "I, um, I don''t know what you expect me to say to this," the princess admitted. "That was simply a true statement."


    "...okay, let''s postpone that topic for now, there are still the lives of countless soldiers as well!"


    Kykla shrugged.


    "Sure, but those are soldiers. They know what signed up for. If it is for the betterment of the Goddess''s chosen people, they will gladly do their duty."


    "And if this escalates into a war?!"


    "I doubt it will. But even if, it was Hohmiy who attacked unjustly. The alliance will side with the Tystrie. And the Vanaery will have deserved it."


    That was unfortunately correct. Even if her parents had gotten tricked, it would have been their duty to verify the information. That was one of the reasons why they needed to sort this out before the alliance learned of this. Just one merchant ship appearing could already be catastrophic.


    "But it is not like I have no regard for their lives. I will still pray for the safe passing of the ones lost. That is why I agreed to help you, after all. I achieved my goal, further deaths are unnecessary."


    "AS IF THAT WOULD MAKE THINGS- oh, forget it, this is pointless."


    The small alien turned her back to the former ambassador and threw herself into her chair with a force that made Silgvani fear it would break. A normal chair probably would have, but on a spaceship, things were usually built sturdier.


    In a way, while some of Nadine''s thoughts eluded her, she could at least understand her frustration. The fact that common sense wasn''t necessarily the same across cultures was a lesson the princess had to learn early.


    "Escort her back to her room, but be ready to get her again once we reach the Unifier," Silgvani ordered the guards, who promptly complied. "What do we know about the state of the battle?" she added once she was gone.


    "We analyzed the telescope images, but we can''t seem to find any combat. Just our home fleet hovering in orbit," the operator answered.


    "What? How? The Tystrie had more than enough time to amass a massive fleet, they can''t possibly be defeated already!"


    Was that why her uncle had seemed so uncooperative? But that made no sense!


    "I-I don''t know, Your Highness, that''s what we can make out from the images."


    <hr>


    Finally, they reached the fleet. The data seemed to have been correct, all ships they could see were Vanaery. Just what was going on?


    Landing in the hangar of the massive carrier and exiting their ship, an escort awaited them. Shortly after they - including Kykla flanked by two guards - stood in the command center together with Admiral Mirtan.


    "Welcome, Your Highness."


    "We have no time for formalities, uncle! You heard what I said, this attack must be stopped ASAP."


    "Yes, and I said you need to calm down. There is no attack happening even if we wanted because there is no one to fight."


    "Oh?" the former Tystrie ambassador remarked snidely. "Is the oh-so-great admiral saying that our troops are so pathetic they don''t even qualify as an enemy force?"


    Mirtan paused and gave her a deprecative look.


    "No, I''m saying there is literally no one here we could fight. Or anyone at all, for that matter."


    For the first time since they left Hohmiy, Kykla was speechless. Her mouth opened and closed again multiple times before she could formulate a word again.


    "Wh-what do you mean, "no one here"?"


    "I mean it exactly as I said it. We have not been able to find anyone, neither in orbit nor on the planet."


    "Have you checked everywhere?!" she asked with audible panic, seemingly having discarded her mask.


    "Obviously, we haven''t. It''s a planet. We are screening the surface as we speak, but all cities we''ve looked at so far were deserted."

 Book 2 Chapter 8 - Empty Planet

    "Jump completed, Admiral."


    "Confirm targets! Battle stations, fire at will!" Mirtan shouted. This first step had to go fast. However, the answer he received from the speaker wasn''t what he had expected.


    "...there are no targets, Admiral."


    "Then close the gap and get them in range, quickly!"


    "No, Admiral, I didn''t mean the targets aren''t in range. I meant that there are no targets at all."


    "Are you telling me that they aren''t guarding their entrance point?!"


    As he spoke, one after the other, all remaining ships confirmed their jump as well, and soon, the entire home fleet had gone through the hyperlane and gathered at the entrance point. Why were there no Tystrie ships? Granted, the Vanaery weren''t guarding their entrance point either, but that was because their planet was basically right next to it. This one was far away from Eroas.


    "Were they maybe expecting us and withdrew the patrol so they wouldn''t get pointlessly destroyed?" one of the operators asked.


    "Only if they assumed their plan would fail. No ship left for Eroas after the ambassador was caught, they can''t know it yet."


    The Admiral then opened the general com channel, addressing all of his ships simultaneously.


    "To all captains! We have entered hostile space! All ships, go into formation Kipa! Make the Fleet appear as small as possible until you receive further orders! I want at least twenty telescopes pointed at Eroas and its surrounding space at any time, and you will inform me about even the slightest movements of their fleet. We won''t be able to move very fast, it''ll take us an estimated eighteen to twenty days to reach our destination! Once your weapons are in range, you will only attack your designated targets, and you will immediately disengage once I give the order! Beyond that, you are only allowed to take actions that are necessary to protect your ship! Outside of your designated targets, only fire to incapacitate! Remember, this is supposed to be a retaliatory strike, NOT an all-out attack!"


    Thankfully, the orders he''d been given were vague enough to interpret them this way. Mirtan was not versed in politics. In fact, he had become a soldier specifically to escape that. But he was fairly certain that bringing this matter before the alliance would have been the smarter move, even if the process would''ve been slow and tedious. Sure, the attack on his niece was undoubtedly an act of war, and personally, he agreed that it was unforgivable. He could absolutely understand the anger his sister-in-law and her partner felt. On a subjective scale, he wholeheartedly supported this operation. The problem was that they had no information about the enemy numbers, and even Mritan knew the common theories that tried to explain the Tystrie''s isolation. His fleet was powerful, but not invincible.


    Affirmation came from all sides. The fleet went into formation and started to move.


    There was no point in rushing things. Even if they traveled at full speed, it would still take many days for them to arrive, more than enough time for the Tystrie to notice, so it wouldn''t be a surprise attack anyway. And once Eroas saw the fleet, they would know what was going on, no matter how convinced they were that they would''ve gotten away with the assassination. Once the Unifier was visible to them, they''d know it had failed. In other words, they would be fighting a prepared enemy whom they knew nothing about other than the fact their numbers were presumably very large. Not a good starting point. And all the more reason to be cautious.


    "Are we getting any transmissions?"


    "No, Admiral. In fact, I can''t even connect to the relay station. It seems to be offline."


    Offline? How? That makes no sense!


    First the missing guard, and now this... something about this didn''t feel right.


    Days went by. Nothing happened, but tensions were high. All battle stations had to be constantly at arms because while surprise attacks in space were both difficult and unlikely, one could never know what hid behind a random asteroid. Finally, they were close enough so their telescopes could get a clear picture.


    "Status!"


    "Nothing, Admiral. No ships in sight."


    Confused, Mirtan looked at the operator.


    "None? Not even a basic planetary defense?"


    "We can''t see a single ship."


    Were they hiding? Maybe behind the planet. They couldn''t be on the surface, starting a big warship took way too much time and was simply inefficient to counter an attack. Unless they were planning on starting them a day or so before the Vanaery fleet arrived, but what purpose would that serve? It was way too slow of a maneuver to give them any strategic advantage.


    "Keep advancing and stay vigilant!"


    More days passed, and they kept getting closer, but still no Tystrie ship in sight. The only thing that became visible as they drew closer was some debris, but that wasn''t anything noteworthy.


    "We are now in communication range, Admiral!"


    "Are we getting any messages from them?"


    "None so far, Admiral."


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Eventually, they reached the planet and stopped in high orbit. Still no ships or any kind of reaction.


    Something is wrong here.


    "Go on open frequency, try to contact whoever you can reach! Corvettes, go into low orbit and search the planet!"


    <hr>


    "And that''s pretty much it until now," Mirtan finished his retelling of the events. After leading the group to the Unifier''s bridge, Silgvani had asked him for details, which he had readily provided. "No one answers our attempts at communication, and the cities we have been able to search so far are completely deserted."


    He went over to a console and opened some images on the big screen.


    "The streets, the buildings, everything empty. And, strangely enough, not a single corpse. Can''t say anything about the state of the city itself though. Our data on Eroas isn''t exactly up to date, and since none of us know what it''s supposed to look like, unfortunately, no clues there. Although... now, we actually have someone who knows."


    He turned to Kykla, who was still standing between Sligvani''s guards.


    "As much as I''d like to shoot you in the face, I''m willing to ignore that for now if you cooperate. So?"


    The former ambassador was quiet for a moment, seemingly going through a multitude of different emotions and ending on a glare directed downwards at the notably smaller admiral.


    "I have nothing to say to you," she finally spat.


    Mirtan shrugged and addressed his niece.


    "Do you still need her for anything? You were the one who brought her."


    "That was mainly so she could help us tell you what really happened so you could stop the attack, but I guess that''s a moot point now."


    "Then, should we just... I mean, she''s sentenced already anyway, and it''s unlikely we''re going to get an answer from her people anytime soon. Could save us all a whole lot of headaches."


    "Uncle."


    "Fine. You! Lock her in one of the cells!"


    The guards did as ordered. Kykla neither resisted nor said anything as they guided her away.


    "So it was all her?" Mirtan asked once the door had closed behind her.


    "As far as we know, the High Council had at least not directly ordered her to. Let''s hope the guards have found the final spy by now," Silgvani confirmed.


    "To think that we were undermined this deeply... and that we fell for her trick. This could''ve ended badly. But why would she do something like this? No one profits from a war, and what would the richest planet in the alliance want with reparations? Unless we are overlooking something."


    "Maybe it''s less about gain, and she just wanted to hurt Hohmiy," Mirtan''s second-in-command suggested. The admiral nodded.


    "Possible. But guesses won''t help us right now. I hope we''ll find at least something before we have to return. While I have a few ideas, none of them hold up. If they evacuated, we should see a reason why. Something that makes you evacuate an entire planet must leave traces. Do you think that r- ahem. Do you think her surprise when she heard the news was real?"


    Silgvani thought for a moment.


    "She has tricked me before, but her reaction to the empty planet seemed genuine. I doubt Lady Kykla knew about this. Why?"


    "Well, I momentarily feared that she baited us into this operation so that Hohmiy''s defenses would be weakened and they could mount an all-out attack on us. But word travels too slowly beyond the hyperlanes, and to avoid us meeting them, their fleet would need to wait in another system connected to the same hyperlane. The timing necessary to pull that off is simply not realistic. And our reserve fleet is by no means weak. But this idea doesn''t work anyway because the civilians should still be here. We, of course, haven''t searched every single building, but there should''ve still been some traces. And with the relay station offline... if we at least knew when exactly that happened. Well, at least we only have to check a relatively small portion of the planet."


    "Why?" It was the first time since entering the Unifier that Nadine had spoken, and now, many of the bridge staff eyed her with curiosity. In response to her question, Mirtan opened an image of Eoras on the screen.


    "Because most of the planet is uninhabitable, so we won''t find anything in these zones."


    "You mean those desert areas?"


    "Exactly. No one can live there, so no point in looking there."


    "What''s so dangerous about them that you can''t live there?"


    The bridge grew quiet as everyone who had been listening stared at the small alien.


    "Oh come on, what did I say this time?"


    Finally, Doctor Githaiy was the one to respond.


    "Nadine... it''s a desert. You can''t live in a desert."


    "Huh? Of course you can! About one-tenth of Earth''s population lives in deserts, and have been since ancient times! Sure, it''s difficult and depends on the exact layout and water sources, but it''s doable."


    Before they could respond to that, a voice came through the speakers.


    "Admiral! This is the Cariyca speaking! We found something!"


    "I am here," Mirtan answered. "What did you find?"


    "A ship that crashed into the planet''s surface. Judging by the looks, it might''ve been shot down."


    "Military or Cargo?"


    "Um... I apologize, Admiral, but the damage is really severe, so it''s hard to... correction, we confirmed some cannons. So yes, likely military. Going by the diameter, it might have at one point been big enough to be a destroyer, although in that case, not much of it is left."


    "Examine it regardless, it''s our only clue so far."


    "Understood."


    The channel closed.


    "One destroyer, huh?" Mirtan sighed. "Hardly our missing fleet, but it''s a start. If the examination reveals that it got shot down recently, it means Eroas got attacked."


    "But by who? Assuming they didn''t try the same thing with another alliance member... could the Kiroscha be behind this?" Silgvani proposed, causing Nadine to flinch at the mention of the species.


    "Ah, Nadine I''m sorry, I didn''t-"


    "No, it''s fine," the small alien blankly stated and went over to the window to look down onto the planet.


    "Well?"


    "You know that that''s not what we mean when we say the Kiroscha don''t leave corpses, right?" Mirtan reminded his niece. "Besides, they never attacked a planet directly, not even during the alliance war. We also never saw them operate large fleets, and they definitely would''ve needed one to overwhelm the Tystrie to this degree. Unless something decisive changed for them, this is too big of a paradigm shift."


    He sighed.


    "But ignoring the who for a moment, let''s think this through. There is only one hyperlane entrance within a reasonable distance of this planet. And the ambassador used it. In other words, whoever did this could''ve only entered the system once she left it, and had to leave again before we arrived, or else they would''ve met either her or us. If we include the time they''d need from the entrance point to the planet and back... um..."


    He went back to the console and opened the calculator function.


    "Sil, how much time was there between her arrival and the trial?"


    "Twenty-two days."


    "Then... no. Not even closely. Argh, First Ones, this just doesn''t add up! Whoever did this would''ve needed time travel to make the timing work!"


    "Or have a ship that can travel FTL without the hyperlanes."


    All heads turned to Nadine. The small alien was still at the window, now looking into the endlessness of space. The bridge was silent for even longer than after her previous statement, as everyone, even those not well-versed with technology knew how completely absurd that statement was.


    "If there actually existed a ship that could do that," Mirtan commented, "then I''d really like to know its name."


    His attention then returned to the screen.


    "Anyway, as I was saying-"


    "Sk¨ªeblaenir."


    "I''m sorry, what?" Mirtan asked as he once again looked over to Nadine, slightly befuddled over the word that didn''t make it through the translator.


    "The ship that can travel FTL without the hyperlanes. You said you wanted to know the name. It''s Sk¨ªeblaenir."


    Finally, she turned around and faced the group again.


    "That''s the colony ship I was on."

 Book 2 Chapter 9 - Disdain

    "Wait... are you seriously telling us that Humans found a way to free themselves from the limits of the Hyperlanes?!"


    The small alien slightly tilted her head to that question.


    "It''s a bit strange to word it like that because, excluding me, humanity isn''t even aware of the hyperlanes. Maybe there just aren''t any near us. We already invented it a while ago, this is just the first time we used it for such a long distance. But either way... if... I mean, it''s just one possible explanation, but if... just if..."


    Her voice died down as a single drop of clear liquid rolled from her left eye down her cheek.


    "Then we might have found a clue to your people," Silgvani finished her sentence. "Uncle, I know when it comes to the military, I can''t override my parents'' orders, but-"


    "Don''t worry about that," her uncle caught her thought. "There is no one here to attack, we spent the last ten days confirming that, even if there are still people hiding somewhere down there. Her and His Majesties'' orders are thereby void, and technically, we weren''t ordered to return right after, so I do have some leeway in deciding what to do from here on out. And I should try to figure out what happened here anyway so I can assess whether there is a threat to Hohmiy. That being said... could we please not act as if we hadn''t just heard something completely outrageous?!"


    To that, the princess couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "You''ll get used to it."


    "A ship that doesn''t need the hyperlanes," Mirtan''s second-in-command thought loudly while the admiral was still busy staring at his niece. "Depending on how exactly it works... it basically means we can''t judge this situation and time frame with common sense anymore. But it''s at least an explanation that theoretically works, assuming the ship''s big enough and some other factors align. But let''s say this ship really is behind this; if that''s the case it could''ve gone literally anywhere from here, potentially even to planets we don''t even know about. If we at least had a clue why everyone is gone, then maybe we could figure out something from there. But we practically have no information about this place since the day the Tystrie started with their isolation. And our time limit isn''t helping."


    Nadine blinked a couple of times.


    "Time limit?" she asked, almost choking on the words. "What do you mean with "time limit"?"


    "Well, you see..." Mirtan started to explain, having found his voice again. As he did so, he extended a hand toward Nadine, making the small alien flinch backward. He stopped talking and looked at her confused.


    "You are wearing your suit, Nadine," Sligvani gently reminded her.


    "Oh, r-right. Sorry. Please, go on."


    "Did I do something wrong?" Sligvani''s uncle inquired, seemingly not wanting to drop the topic just like that.


    "You, um, you didn''t, please don''t worry about it," Nadine insisted as she calmed her breath. "It''s just... you see, it''s not good if you touch my skin. But that''s what the bodysuit is for, I just got worked up and forgot I was wearing it. Please just leave it at that."


    "Okay... then, as I was saying we didn''t come here expecting a long operation, so our storage capabilities aren''t exactly at full capacity right now. Even if we reduce the safety buffer to the absolutely acceptable minimum, we''d have to depart at the absolute latest in twelve days."


    That wasn''t good news. Even if Eroas had a very low population count, it was still a planet, and twelve more days wasn''t a lot of time.


    A strange, high-pitched sound made the princess turn her head. After a few tiggs of confusion, she realized that it was caused by Nadine''s protective suit as she clenched her hands into fists.


    "Excuse me for a minute. I''ll go talk to her."


    She turned to leave, and Sligvani rushed to reach the door before her.


    "Are you sure that is the best idea?" She asked as calmly as she could. She had already seen this facial expression and heard tonal shift before. Whenever the topic reached the former ambassador, there was this almost drastic change in Nadine''s demeanor. There was also the fact that she refused to use her name. Nothing happened last time, but it still left the princess with an uneasy feeling that extended contact wouldn''t be good for the alien girl. Add to it that the things causing her these "nightmares" had once again become a talking point and that they might be close to finding - or worse, missing - a clue to the fate of the colony ship, Silgvani didn''t need to be a doctor to notice that Nadine wasn''t in the best state of mind right now.


    As soon as the words left her mouth, the expression on Nadine''s face softened a bit. "Don''t worry, Sil, I''ll be fine. But she has to know something, I can''t just ignore that."


    "If you say so. But... don''t let her get to you, okay?"


    Nadine grew quiet for a second but then closed her eyes.


    "Yes, I promise."


    Silgvani then cleared the way, and as she watched the small alien exit the bridge, she could hear her mutter a quiet "thank you".


    The door closed, and the princess suddenly felt light-headed. Her legs also seemed to lose strength and she reached for the nearest wall, but the doctor was already next to her and supported her.


    "You shouldn''t overexert yourself, Your Highness. You''re doing much better, but you still haven''t recovered fully. That''s why I told you to rest until we reach the fleet."


    "I was resting," Silgvani insisted.


    "Sitting and resting is not the same, Your Highness. Admiral, are there some free quarters nearby where she can lie down?"


    "Of course," he answered and gestured for one of his officers to guide them there. Silgvani decided against another comment. While she was relieved that her people wouldn''t have to answer for an unjust attack on a supposed ally, the new situation demanded fast results. Was there really nothing she could do right now?


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    ***********************************


    Kykla''s arms hurt. Her muscles burned, her joints ached, but she kept holding her hands up regardless.


    It wasn''t like she was new to keeping her current position for extended periods of time. During festivities for example, there were certain ceremonies that included fairly long prayers. None of them, however, were this long. How long exactly "this long" was, Kykla couldn''t tell nor did she care. All she cared for was to somehow keep her arms up, keep praying, keep begging the Goddess that her people, her husbands, her children, were safe.


    Just what had happened here? She hadn''t even been gone for that long! If she could just go down there herself, look for them herself, maybe she would find something! Alas, stuck in this cell, her prayers were her only hope to achieve anything. Should she have cooperated with the Vanaery? But if she did, she''d risk exposing the very secrets she had tried to protect with every single step she had taken so far. What if there was a simple explanation for everything? Forget being judged, how could she even face the Goddess after her execution if she doomed her entire kind because of a panicked decision?


    As she finished her prayer, about to mentally start the next one, she stopped and considered for a second. Maybe instead for her family''s safety, she should ask the Goddess for guidance? A sign whether she should help or stay quiet? Would the Goddess answer, even though she wasn''t a high priest?


    She wasn''t able to finish her thoughts as she heard the door opening. Due to the interruption, she allowed her exhausted arms to drop onto her bed and lifted her head. It didn''t even take a moment for her to flinch and her heart rate to spike. It had entered. The door had closed right after, and this time, there was no glass between them. How the logical part of her mind assessed this situation didn''t matter because it got entirely overridden by her instinct. Her body was frozen to a statue as she stared at the tiny monstrosity, who in turn merely stood there and stared back at her. The room would''ve been silent had it not been for Kykla''s hitched breathing, which this time was loud enough that she could hear it.


    Too much on the edge to form a clear thought, Kykla wasn''t sure how much time passed until the alien noblewoman moved. She sat down, once more on the floor. Seriously, why was she doing this?


    From her bed, Kykla just looked at her as she sat there with her legs crossed in front of her body, a strange position. The Tystrie Matriarch wasn''t sure if her own legs would allow her to mimic the position even if she tried. Despite the difference in elevation she still looked quite threatening, but Kykla slowly got used to her presence enough that she could calm down. She remained quiet for a bit longer, but the alien just kept looking at her with that distorted look on her face. Oh, right, she wasn''t wearing her translator.


    "I don''t get you," Kykla said as soon as he had the gadget around her neck. "Among your kind, you are regarded high enough to represent them. Your sovereign trusts you enough to send you alone! And yet, here you are before me, sitting on the floor like some low-born. I voice vile thoughts about you, yet you remain quiet until the princess of another people takes pity and defends you."


    "...your point?" the alien finally spoke.


    "My point?! How can you, a supposed noble of your standing, simply ignore having your honor and dignity openly questioned by someone who, at least from your standpoint, is a criminal, as if you don''t care?!"


    "Well, at least you''re aware of what you are."


    "I always was. It''s just that I was willing to pay that price for the sake of my people."


    Nadine''s face contorted even further. "Then I''ll answer your question with one of my own: do you care what the dirt on your soles thinks about you?"


    Whatever kind of answer Kykla had expected, that certainly wasn''t it. Despite her long experience with dialogues of varying degrees of vileness, she had no idea how to respond to that.


    The alien suddenly raised her hand to her face and pinched the protrusion between her eyes.


    "Ah, damn it! I just promised Sil! ..."


    She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath before once again fixating her gaze on Kykla.


    "Okay, look: I hate you. I hate you more than I ever thought I could hate another person. Frankly put, I think you are a monster. But your people aren''t to blame for your crimes, they are innocent. And something clearly happened here. If, as you say, all you do is for the sake of your people, helping us find them should be in your best interest!"


    "Should it now?" she asked as she cocked her head. "And what is your interest in this?"


    Another moment of silence followed, the alien seemingly contemplating her answer.


    "A group of humans went missing, alongside a ship with a certain technology. Said technology is currently our best explanation for how so many people just vanished. And believe me, you want us to retrieve them."


    There it was. Her incentive for why she even bothered. Sure, it had been obvious that she wouldn''t actually care about the missing Tystrie, why would she? She had nothing to do with them. But the sheer audacity to insinuate that even Kykla should care more for the humans than her own people... Lady Nadine would''ve needed to lose her mind to honestly believe that.


    "Then good luck with your search. My prayers will continue to be dedicated to my family."


    "What the hell is that supposed to achieve?!" the alien shouted with her face contorted again. "What if they need help?! ACTUAL help?! What if something preventable happens because of your inaction?! What if they DIE?!"


    "Then I will mourn them and find solace in the knowledge that they are at peace in the eternal embrace of the Goddess. They did nothing wrong, so they obviously will be allowed to spend eternity at her side. And if her mercy grants it, I will see them again on the day she judges me."


    The alien''s eyes narrowed.


    "Great. And if you don''t lie to yourself?"


    "Lie?!" With the last comment, Kykla''s anger finally overwhelmed her uneasiness and she matched the alien in volume. "The only lie would be to not claim that if it went as you wished, you''d sent me to the Goddess right here and now! You know nothing, yet you mock her truth like you have seen it all!"


    Once her outburst ended, she didn''t receive an immediate answer. The alien slowly tilted her body backward and leaned against the door.


    "Okay, yes, I''m biased in that regard. After the USAG - no, forget it, that would take too long, let''s just say that recent history left scars. Maybe it is indeed true, your Goddess, your afterlife, all of it. You''re right, I don''t know that. What I do know however is that I have my current life, as your people have theirs. Lives that might be in danger, but that we might be able to save. And you know that as well. Your Goddess could be real. But your fear for family, that definitely is real. You yourself said that you are praying for them. That''s what I meant when I said that you''re lying to yourself. You want to find out what happened, and if necessary help them, just as much as I want."


    "Help?" Kykla spat. "We both know you want to help your people. You have nothing to gain helping mine."


    "Gain? Helping others isn''t about gain! If someone needs help, then that is enough reason to help them!"


    Kykla''s tail curled up before smacking against the floor. Was she truly honest? No, she couldn''t be. No matter how social a kind was, a different species would always be a different species. She couldn''t allow her emotions to overrule the teachings she had been raised to follow!


    "If you said what you came here for, then I would like to resume my prayers now."


    The alien''s expression shifted again, but she didn''t say anything. Kykla quietly watched as she stood up and turned around. But as the door opened, her mouth suddenly opened and moved before her thoughts could catch up.


    "Do they have a map of Eroas?"


    The alien halted. "I think they have an old one from before the isolation," she answered without turning around.


    "That doesn''t matter. These places are old," Kykla explained before she could stop herself. "Two thousand lynes north of the Temple of Grace. Seven hundred lynes southeast of the Temple of Serenity. One thousand three hundred lynes northeast of the city Merim. One thousand four hundred lynes north of the arena close to the city Kylias. At each of those places, you will find the largest and oldest mining facilities on the planet, impossible to miss. The tunnels have since been repurposed. If there still is someone left, they will likely be in either of those."


    After a short pause, the alien nodded and closed the door behind her.


    Why did I tell her all that? Kykla thought as she let herself fall onto her bed. And yet, somewhere in her mind, there was a tiny part of her that insisted this had been the right choice.

 Book 2 Chapter 10 - Collecting Clues

    "My uncle would always complain that admiral''s quarters on bigger ships were too lavish for his tastes," Silgvani mused as she entered the decorated room, still getting supported by the doctor. Once inside, the soldier who had led them here bowed and left them alone.


    "I''m fine again, Doctor," she insisted as she walked towards the couch, but noticed that the doctor was instead trying to guide her to the bed.


    "One symptom respiting is not the same as "being fine". You were under a lot of stress on the way here. All of us were, but we aren''t recovering from calcium poisoning! Your Highness, please don''t ruin your good rate of recovery by getting reckless now."


    Silgvani was about to point out that she had just moved a bit too fast and that she was feeling well again when suddenly, an awkward movement made a jolt of pain shoot through her two broken arms and she drew a sharp breath. This didn''t go unnoticed by the doctor who sighed in response.


    "I know you don''t want to hear it, Your Highness, but it would be notably less unpleasant for you if you stopped refusing to take the stronger painkillers."


    "You said the stronger ones will make me tired. I must stay able to-"


    "To do what exactly? Don''t get me wrong, Your Highness, I fully understand where you''re coming from. The current situation is something no one could have foreseen. But this is no diplomatic travel. Command lies with the Lord Admiral."


    Silgvani clenched the fists of her healthy arms.


    "I gave Nadine a promise! None of the messages I''ve sent out to the other alliance members have been answered so far, this is the closest we have eveeeerr been to finding a clue to her people! And yet, you expect me to sleeeeep like nothing is going on, just because I got a bit dizzzyyyy?"


    The doctor quietly let a few moments pass before she answered.


    "As I may be about to overstep my boundaries, I''d like to apologize in advance. Our small guest has quite grown on you, hasn''t she?"


    The princess blinked in silence, not knowing how to respond to that. But why? It was such a simple question, why did it leave her so stumped?


    In the first place, she was the heir to Hohmiy''s throne, a direct descendant of Kiyron the Unifier. To someone like her, breaking a promise was unthinkable. It also simply was common sense to help Nadine after all she had done for them, including but not limited to saving the princess''s life twice and stopping what could''ve ended up being the greatest political disaster in generations. And all of that was before one even considered the great benefits it would have for the Vanaery to find the human colony.


    And yet... if she was honest with herself, then that was not an answer she could give in good consciousness. Maybe she could have, had she been asked the question when they had found the human girl. Back then, Nadine had simply been someone who needed help and represented the chances they would have if they managed to contact her people. Then, she single-handedly fended off a Kiroscha attack, saving both the princess and most of the crew. At the time, extending a hand to her had been a product of pragmatism, gratitude, and a bit of general altruism. And sure, Nadine had always been a nice person, so Silgvani came to like her rather quickly. But to the princess, for whom friendships had only ever been rather business-like, that was it.


    But the more time she had spent at the palace, the more things Silgvani had witnessed about her - how her brain plagued her with those "nightmares", how she had been able to connect with Kiyrtin in a way no one before had managed to, how she had been so eager to help whenever she could, how she memorized the names of every single servant in the palace, how she was still a child by her people''s standards - slowly but surely, it had become impossible for Silgvani to view her in an objective light. And then, the same night Silgvani had almost succumbed to her poisoning, Nadine had stated that the princess had become like a big sister to her. And these words had not just been a mere phrase, right after, she had backed them up quite impressively.


    Sister...


    As far as she knew, siblinghood strictly was a matter of blood, and the only sibling she had first-hand experience with was Kiyrtin. He was an absolute menace - or he least used to be. And yet, she still loved him dearly. And when it came to Nadine... she could not think of any aspect in which she loved her less than him. From that perspective, she''d have to lie in order to not agree with her. If one ignored the blood, the small alien truly had become like a little sister to her. Even if said little sister was more than twice her own age.


    "What makes you say that?" the princess finally responded, seeing no point in refuting her question.


    "Your voice, did you not notice?"


    She hadn''t. Her bad habit of subconsciously using this vestigial function that caused her voice to distort usually only came out when she got angry. Had she really gotten that worked up about this?


    I guess there really is no denying it.


    "Please don''t misunderstand, I care for her a lot as well," the doctor continued.


    Right, due to her lower rank, the wall between her and Nadine had been much thinner from the get-go, and during her first days on Hohmiy, she spent a lot more time with Nadine than I did.


    "And I, as well, really hope that all of this will allow us to finally give her some good news. So I understand why resting is difficult for you right now. But, Your Highness, please remember: you are not the only person on this ship. And, if you allow my directness, I''m not sure you can contribute much right now. But once we return, all of this will mean a mountain of work for you. THAT will be when we will need you at full capacity."


    The princess pondered over this for a while but finally relented with a sigh.


    "I assume you took the stronger painkillers with you, just in case?"


    "Yes, although I would need to send someone to get them from our ship. But considering the vessel we are on right now, I highly doubt they don''t have it here as well."


    "How long will the side effects last?"


    "Long enough to ensure a good night''s sleep for you. Which I highly advise you to take."


    <hr>


    "Admiral? The Captain of the Prince Kiyru wishes to speak to you."


    "Put her through," Mirtan ordered. "Captain, you may speak," he added as a few seconds later the channel was opened.


    "Yes, Admiral. Nothing happened during our patrol flight, but one of our telescopes found this on one of Eroas''s moons."


    An image appeared on the screen. The quality wasn''t great, but the ship that crashed on the surface was still recognizable.


    "My engineer estimates it to be a small cruiser, but we couldn''t examine it further without breaking our schedule. Shall I send a team to investigate the wreck?"


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    "Did the team dispatched for the supposed destroyer already report back?" he asked the operators.


    "Not yet, Admiral."


    "Well, we have way too many ships here anyway. Captain, you may investigate the wreck. For anything else, you may proceed according to your own judgment."


    "Yes, Admiral!"


    The channel closed. Mirtan evaluated the Information he had gotten so far. Two ships did not explain what happened to the rest of the Tystrie fleet, but it was at least a clue. In case they found both ships to have been shot down, was there a way for both to happen in the same battle? The best explanation would be for the cruiser to be hit while in the moon''s gravitational pull, then the destroyer tried to retreat but suffered a fatal hit shortly before reaching the planet.


    "Operator, give order to the Gatriy, the Countess Jarkion, and the Duke Vasskiyna. They are to search the area between that moon, the planet, and a bit beyond that, both from the moon''s and planet''s current position, the one they had forty days ago, and anything in between. Tell them to look for any sign of battle, wrecks, debris, whatever they can find."


    "At once, Admiral!"


    With the orders given, everyone went back to their tasks, while Mirtan bridged the time he spent waiting for the next report by coming up with possible scenarios. The Human ship he couldn''t pronounce was a massive variable. Most information regarding humanity was still highly classified, and he - having met the small alien before - was one of the few who knew the full truth. If all humans within reach were the ones belonging to that one colony, no one else... what could have happened?


    While he was still thinking, said alien returned to the bridge. To his surprise, she had actually managed to make the criminal talk, revealing the most promising locations for them to search. He immediately relayed the information to all teams tasked with searching the planet.


    "How high would you estimate the chances that this is another ruse?" he asked her.


    "I mean... I guess it could be one, but I doubt it. If nothing else, her fear for her family is real, and she knows we are her best shot."


    After a few tiggs of quietness, she added: "Sir, is there really no way for us to extend our stay? Can''t you send one ship back to ask for supplies?"


    "No, for two simple reasons: one, by the time the supplies would reach us, we''d already past the point where we''d have to go back. And two, that would no longer fall under my leeway in our current task. We would need further orders to do it, orders the princess is not authorized to give me."


    "Ah. Makes sense, I guess. Sorry for asking."


    The two went quiet for a couple of moments before Nadine spoke again.


    "By the way, why is there so much weaponry mounted inside the ship? I can''t remember seeing a corridor without one."


    "That''s what you have to do if you expect to fight Kiroscha," Mirtan answered, ignoring that the alien woman flinched when he mentioned the name. "In fights between ships, the playing field is even. Their great advantage lies in person-to-person combat because they are stronger and our handheld energy weapons can''t get through their shell in one shot. They know that, that''s why their primary tactic is to try and board our ships with their small and fast raiders. And if they achieve that, the stationary kinetic guns are the only reliable way to deal with them, even if that increases the cost of each ship."


    Considering that, it was hard to believe that this frail-looking lifeform killed five of them with her bare hands. He would''ve really liked to see that. Once he was done explaining, he noticed Nadine staring blankly ahead, her small eyes wide open and her hands clutching her head.


    "Is everything alright?"


    "I... sorry, I need some time alone."


    Not sure what that was about, Mirtan shrugged as she left the bridge. In the corner of his eye, he could see Silgvani''s private doctor returning, which probably meant his niece was alright. The doctor then seemed to talk to Nadine about something, but he didn''t pay much attention since one of the operators called for him.


    "Admiral! We got the report from the Cariyca! Their ground team finished examining the crash site!"


    "Put them through."


    The screen then showed the wreckage. There really wasn''t much left, the ship had literally gotten blasted apart.


    "As you can see, Admiral, the ship already took severe damage before the crash, likely before it entered the atmosphere. Our engineers estimate that it could''ve been a reactor explosion, but they aren''t sure. They also said that judging from what little tech was still recognizable, the ship technologically lined up with the last status we had before they started their isolation, so it would''ve been severely outdated."


    Outdated? Was it just an object for target practice then?


    "Did you find corpses?" If yes, then that idea was out of the window.


    "We did. Not much of them was left, but all we could find seems to have at one time been part of a Tystrie. Time of death is difficult to estimate because of that. Our doctor assumes about forty days ago, but by his own admission, that''s an educated guess at best."


    So it really had been used in active battle. But why use such an old ship? Also, if the doctor''s guess was right, then the attack would''ve happened before the former ambassador had reached the hyperlane. No way they wouldn''t have tried to contact her. And if those hypothetical attackers had been the ones to take out the relay station, the ambassador would''ve noticed that as well. So it either happened later, or this wasn''t an attack at all and this had simply been an unfortunate reactor failure. Not unfeasible if the ship was so old. Either way, he''d have to wait for the report of the Prince Kiyru regarding the other crash site.


    Half a day had passed when Nadine and Silgvani''s doctor approached him again.


    "Apologies, Lord Admiral," the doctor addressed him with a bow, "but I just wanted to inform you that we will now go back to our ship to retreat for the night."


    "There is no need for that, we have free cabins. Just tell me if you need anything from your ship, and I''ll send someone."


    "Thank you. There actually is something we''d need, specific food items for-"


    "Admiral! The ground team at location three has a report!"


    Mirtan immediately rushed to his console.


    "Sorry Doctor, hold on to that thought. Operator, put them through!"


    "Admiral, we have reached the described mining site. It seems to have indeed been repurposed, for what exactly we can not say yet. The entrance was locked, we have just now succeeded in breaking it open. From what we can see so far, there is a massive underground tunnel system, it''ll take days to survey that."


    "And did you already find anything without going deeper?"


    "Yes, admiral. Dead Tystrie. Thirty-six so far, all piled up at the entrance. No visible injuries, at least none severe enough to be a cause of death. That''s all I can say though, we don''t have an expert on Xenobiology with us."


    "I see," Mirtan slowly said as he processed the report. He had hoped they''d find someone alive, but at least they had finally found anyone at all. Maybe the mines had become a death trap?


    "Don''t enter yet, there might be noxious gasses. I''ll send down a shuttle with all the necessary equipment and new supplies."


    He then cut the channel and addressed the operators again.


    "Prepare shuttles with hazard equipment and supplies for each of the mining sites. Relay the same information to the other teams! And ask if any of our doctors are familiar with xenobiology beyond the minimum standards." The chances for that were unfortunately low since army doctors were primarily trained to treat Vanaery. They knew some general basics, but this didn''t seem like a matter where general basics would suffice.


    "If I may," the doctor chimed in. "It''s not exactly my main specialty, but since I assume most of your ship doctors solely focus on treating Vanaery, I''m probably the closest to an expert on xenobiology you''ll find out here. If it is okay with you, Lord Admiral, I would request you to have some of the bodies delivered to the medical bay so I can observe them."


    "Wait, hang on a sec," Nadine now called out, "isn''t that a huge safety hazard? What about germs?"


    "I will, of course, adhere to strict safety protocols," the doctor assured her, "but to be honest, the risk is low. Lifeforms that develop independently on separate planets are usually not very compatible, so Tystrie illnesses normally don''t affect us."


    "Can''t they mutate?"


    "Theoretically, yes, but our organisms are so fundamentally different that mutations drastic enough to bridge that are rare. It is a different story if two different alien species happen to evolve in similar ways. But that''s not the case here."


    "And you are absolutely sure about that?" Nadine asked, not sounding convinced. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened. "What about me?! Shit, I never considered that! The human body is basically a pathogenic dumpster! What if I already infected someone?"


    "Nadine, calm down! After the incident in the forest, I''ve done extensive tests once I learned about the microbes in your sweat. Remember all the samples I asked you for?"


    "Did you ever take samples from my mouth? Because that''s where the really nasty stuff lives. The human bite is dangerous even to other humans!"


    This time, the doctor needed some time before she could answer.


    "That''s... interesting to know, I''ll come back to that. But it''s not relevant to the point. I can tell you with certainty that we are too different. If my tests don''t convince you, remember that Kiyrtin had excessive exposure down to his bloodstream, yet he suffered no symptoms. Well, to pathogen-related ones. And for members of the alliance, there has been research done long ago. There are species that need to be careful with each other, but I can promise you that both between Vanaery and Humans, and between Vanaery and Tystrie, the risk is almost non-existent. When it comes to bacteria, things are a bit trickier, but that''s what the safety protocols are for. As I said, I''ll still take all precautions, so you''ve got nothing to worry about."


    Mirtan considered her request for a bit. It wasn''t necessary according to protocol but by now, he personally wanted to know what had happened here as well. In the end, he allowed her to take her tests. Shortly after, he received similar reports from the other locations as well.

 Book 2 Chapter 11 - Its normal?

    No visible lethal wounds. Slight damage to the body seems to have occurred after death, Githaiy noted as she finished her first look at the dead Tystrie in front of her. Four of the corpses found, one from each of the repurposed mining sites, had been brought on board and were now kept in the medical bay. The other three showed equally as little as the first one, but since the Tystrie were an endoskeletal species, that alone didn''t rule out death by force. In other words, it was time to look at the details.


    The first course of action was to take blood samples from each of them. The state of decay varied between the bodies but not by much. The oldest of them might have died about thirty days ago, though that was only a rough estimate of hers. The tests would hopefully give her a better guess, but the conditions weren''t exactly ideal. The Unifier was still a military vessel, and the medical bay was first and foremost equipped to treat wounded soldiers - in other words, Vanaery. Most of the available instruments there weren''t tuned to be used on other species, if applicable at all. If only she had access to her own office back on Hohmiy, she''d have more options.


    She took three samples per body, labeled them, and then put two of each in the freezer to properly analyze them when they got back. Of the rest, she put a bit into the blood analysis system, and the machine worked for a while before displaying an error message. Unfortunate, but Githaiy had already expected this would happen. Just like the rest, the analyzer on board was calibrated for Vanaery, so it automatically tried to isolate the contents of Vanaery blood, which it couldn''t. She had hoped that it would still display the things it could find, but apparently not.


    She walked over to the exit and knocked at the door leading into the hallway.


    "Yes, Doctor?" the soldier outside called without opening.


    "Just to confirm, I don''t think it would be allowed for one of your engineers to come in and change the programming of one of the machines, right?"


    "Correct, Doctor. No changes that go against protocol may be made to the equipment outside of emergency cases."


    "I thought as such. Thank you."


    While the situation was strange, it was no emergency. She went back to the first corpse and began to cut open the torso. It was a bit difficult to get through the cycloid scales, but still a lot easier than it would be on an exoskeletal species. Once done, she noticed that this individual had two bone fractures in his torso. They didn''t seem to be the cause of death, but they still looked recent. They couldn''t have happened all too long before death.


    The next step was to take a look at the respiratory system. First, she opened the throat. The tissue itself showed slight damage but nothing big, though her overlooking something wasn''t impossible. Githaiy knew more about alien species than most Vanaery physicians, but far from everything. What she did notice however were some dark, gooey concretions that definitely didn''t belong there. Further examination showed that it seemed organic, so it wasn''t dust breathed in inside the mine. Or at least not ONLY that.


    She then removed some structural bones from the torso so she could get to the main respiratory organs. Then, her eyes widened in shock.


    <hr>


    When Silgvani awoke, she was more groggy than normal and was tempted to just go back to sleep. It was unusual for her to wake up in such an... undignified manner. Maybe some vestiges of the medicine were still showing their effect?


    Still, as much as she didn''t want to admit it, the stronger pain medication had done wonders. She hadn''t slept this well ever since she had broken her arms. Or, if she was completely honest, she hadn''t slept all that well in the days leading up to the incident either. Good enough to function and fulfill her role, sure, but it had been a while since she had felt truly rested. She also felt pretty hungry.


    Slowly waking up fully she sat up and pressed a button on the nightstand. It didn''t take more than two tiggs for an attendant to open the door and enter with a bow.


    "You called, Your Highness?"


    "Yes. How long have I slept?"


    "A bit over a full day, Your Highness."


    A day?! The medicine was only supposed to make me sleep through the night! Was I THAT sleep-deprived?


    "I see, thank you. Have something to eat brought and then help me get dressed so I can get back to the bridge."


    The servant bowed and did as ordered. Soon after she was clothed the meal arrived.


    "By the way, Your Highness, when should we begin to prepare our ship for the journey back?", he asked while she ate.


    "What do you mean?"


    "You see, Your Highness, we departed in a hurry and didn''t expect to stay here over a prolonged period. Our supplies will soon run out."


    "Yes, I know." She already had that conversation with her uncle, after all. "So? We can use the Unifier''s supplies, it''s not like the handful of people we brought will make a difference. According to the Admiral, we still have about ten days like this."


    "We do, yes," the servant clarified. "But Lady Nadine doesn''t. The same goes for the prisoner, though this is her homeworld so I guess we could get food for her from the planet if need be. Apologies, I thought you had already been informed."


    She hadn''t, but honestly, she should''ve realized it herself. Nadine needed specific things the fleet couldn''t provide her with. Now that she thought about it, which of those was most important? Probably the nutrient powder for her water. Well, either she or the doctor should know.


    "How much do we have left?"


    "If we put aside what we need for the way back, enough for maybe two or three days. But only if we travel on our own, the fleet as a whole won''t be able to move as fast."


    That wasn''t a lot. Nadine was arguably the person on board being here was most important to, yet she had to leave the earliest. Hopefully, they would soon find something. Maybe something that would demand an earlier return anyway.


    "I see. Then see that the ship is fueled and ready to depart. I''ll give you further information later on." Silgvani.


    "Understood, Your Highness."


    With another bow, he left. Silgvani finished her meal in silence. As her body got more and more awake, the dull pain in her two broken arms returned as well. She took a dose of the weaker pain medication and went back to the bridge.


    Both her uncle and Nadine were there, focused on something on the console. The princess stepped closer and sure enough, the Human''s sharp senses quickly noticed her approach.


    "Good morning. Are you feeling better?"


    "Yes, notably so. Good morning to you as well. Although, is it morning? I was told I slept for quite a while."


    Nadine paused for a moment.


    "Well, we''re in space, so if you ask like that, no, I guess. I myself woke up maybe two hours or so ago - sorry, I mean... how much was that? Five invas? - and Doc is currently taking a look at the corpses."


    The last word immediately caught Silgvani''s attention, and not in a good way. "Corpses?"


    "Right, you were already asleep when that happened," Mirtan explained. "Your friend here managed to make the prisoner talk."


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    Her uncle gave her a quick run-down of how they discovered the former mining sites as well as their shocking contents.


    "That was..." he looked at his console "...thirty-eight invas ago. Since then, the situation has gotten so much worse that one wouldn''t be wrong to call it a disaster. If we combine the teams, the total number of corpses found in the mines so far is about to reach five digits. And we are still just scratching the surface from what we can tell, the tunnel system appears to be massive and our progress is slow. I''ve already increased the member count on each team as much as possible, but I doubt we''ll be able to scout it all."


    Well, pretty much the entire planet depended on their mines, so large cave systems like these were to be expected. But this many corpses... having so many dead bodies confirmed made the situation much more dire. Her uncle was right, this absolutely was a disaster.


    "What... could''ve killed so many?"


    "That''s what I hope your doctor will tell us."


    Silgvani thought for a moment before pulling Nadine aside.


    "Are you okay? If hearing all of this is difficult for you..."


    "Thank you, Sil," the small alien said earnestly, "but it''s okay. This... it''s an insane tragedy, but hearing it in the reports... I mean, I''m not down there seeing it. Hearing it in the reports is more like hearing it on the news, you know what I mean?"


    "No."


    "Well, anyway, I''m as fine as I can be right now, really."


    Silgvani nodded, choosing to believe her, and the two went back to Mirtan. The princess then got to the console and opened a com channel to the medical bay.


    "Doctor, can you hear me?"


    "Yes, your Highness," the doctor answered through the speaker. "Did the stronger medication cause you any issues?"


    "It didn''t, and I thank you for it. But now I wish to know if you already found something out. I already was briefed about the general situation."


    "So far, I could not determine from what they died, although I could rule some things out. My equipment back on Hohmiy might give us clearer results. But I do know how they died. Somehow, their respiratory organs are severely damaged, much more that could be explained with simple decay."


    "The entrance was sealed, right?" Nadine chimed in. "The standing air and built-up heat could''ve accelerated the process."


    "Yes, but not to this degree. I found comparable damage in each of them, I can say with relative certainty that this was the cause of death. But nothing I know could produce this result."


    "Do you have at least an idea?" Silgvani inquired.


    "If the same thing happened in four different places... maybe a disease? An Epidemic?" Nadine suggested.


    "That is the most likely explanation, yes. It shouldn''t be an issue for us, but the alliance still must be notified."


    "I really hope this isn''t another Black Death," the small alien murmured.


    "What''s that?"


    "The most devastating Pandemic in our history. It happened in the Middle Ages so we don''t have an exact death count, but it''s estimated to be up to two hundred million."


    The bridge got quiet.


    "Well, THAT will definitely not happen here," Mirtan finally said, "because unless they multiplied massively since the last time we got data about them before their isolation, there aren''t this many Tystrie, to begin with."


    "Back on topic," the princess called out, "my group must return as soon as possible, I need to take care of this."


    "I concur," the doctor added. "I need to examine the samples with equipment that isn''t hardwired for Vanaery."


    From the corner of her eye, Silgvani noticed Nadine clenching her fists. It was clear that the small alien didn''t like the idea of leaving now, but she didn''t say anything.


    "Nadine, I know how you-" she began before interrupting herself. Know what? How she felt? No, she didn''t know how Nadine felt, there was no way she could. The small alien looked at her quietly, expecting her to continue, but she didn''t and was thankful when one of the operators called for their attention.


    "Admiral! The crew of the Countess Jarkion found another destroyed warship!"


    "Recieve the report, I''ll look at it in a tigg," Mirtan ordered before noting something down. "That makes five Tystrie ships. Still no fleet, but enough to reasonably assume an attack. The other four are estimated at being destroyed at similar times, let''s see if this one is as well."


    "There is one more thing, Admiral! They were able to identify the ship''s signature, and it is in our system! Hohmiy sold it to the Tystrie about fifty cycles ago!"


    That made Nadine raise an eyebrow.


    "Didn''t the report of the first crash site also state that the ship was outdated?"


    "It did."


    The small alien thought for a moment before turning to the door.


    "I''ll go talk to her again. Maybe I can be at least a bit helpful before we go."


    She left and this time, Silgvani decided to follow.


    <hr>


    Reaching the room where the former ambassador was confined, the princess opened, receiving a quiet stare from Kykla. But her eyes shot wide open as soon as she spotted Nadine.


    "And?" she hastily asked. "Did you find anything?"


    "No one alive," Nadine answered in a somber tone. It took Kykla a moment before she understood the insinuation.


    "How many?" she then inquired.


    "Thousands and counting." She then paused, allowing the former ambassador to digest what she had just heard. "Was there any severe disease going around when you left?"


    "No, nothing like that! Everything was normal when left!"


    "But that doesn''t add up," Silgvani pointed out. "Isn''t that way too short of a time frame?" She was no doctor, but that seemed way too extreme for a disease that seemingly came out of nowhere.


    "The ship I came in isn''t very fast, you can easily double that period."


    "Wouldn''t they have notified you to warn you if you were still in the system?"


    Kykla showed an expression that Silgvani had seen all too often during negotiations: the face of someone who had just slipped up.


    "The relay station," Nadine concluded, not seeming very surprised. "It was already offline when you left, wasn''t it?"


    "And if it was, what would you do with that knowledge?"


    The small alien sighed. "I already told you: I despise you, not your people. Your home seems to be experiencing a catastrophic tragedy, and I want to help! But for that, we need to piece together what happened here, and any piece of information can be useful."


    "...fine. Yes, you are right. The station hasn''t been online for quite some time."


    "Are you out of your mind?!" Silgvani burst out.


    "Why? After the isolation, the only ships arriving were scheduled and therefore expected. We simply deemed it to not be necessary to maintain."


    "Or, to be precise," Nadine added, "maintenance became too expensive."


    A long pause followed in which Kykla went through a myriad of expressions but in the end, she slumped in resignation and sat back against the wall.


    "So you knew. What gave it away?"


    "I had a hunch, but little things added up over time. Your mines are empty, aren''t they?"


    "Yes." Kykla''s voice barely had any strength in it as she answered. "Ever since the isolation. Our predecessors saw no reason to take precautions for a time when they were no longer alive, and now we pay the price. A betrayal on our kind we can only stomach with the knowledge that they received the Goddess''s judgment for it."


    "And the reason you tried to kill us..."


    "... I couldn''t allow you to find out."


    With this revelation, things suddenly clicked for Silgvani. In hindsight, there had been hints, but a lie on this scale simply had seemed too out there. Was it Nadine''s outsider perspective that allowed her to see past it?


    "Then, the missing fleet..."


    The Tystrie shrugged.


    "I mean, if you want to call five ships a fleet..."


    <hr>


    Eroas got further and further away as the ship - Githaiy noted that she still didn''t know its name - left the communications range of the fleet. They flew at full speed again so they could reach Hohmiy as fast as possible. Before they left, she had shared all of her findings with the fleet''s doctors just in case. Additionally, Kykla had apparently also told the Lord Admiral some more things after Nadine had talked to her again. The former ambassador was currently held on one of their escort ships on Githaiy''s suggestion since unlike them, she absolutely was at risk of infection. The doctor had of course disinfected herself and all samples she took with her were frozen, but there was always a risk.


    After they departed, she also briefed the princess on everything she had found out after they talked through the speaker. There wasn''t much, but she had found some microbes via manual testing, confirming the suspicion of an epidemic. Further tests back home would hopefully tell her more.


    Nadine didn''t leave her room much during the travel and the princess suggested that she probably needed some time alone. However, after Nadine didn''t leave her cabin at all for two days in a row, they grew worried and Githaiy decided to check up on her.


    Neither her knocks nor her calls were answered. Perturbed, she opened the door and found the alien girl in her bed, breathing heavily.


    "Nadine!" She quickly rushed to her side.


    "Hmm..?" the Human quietly grumbled. "Oh, hey Doc. Why didn''t you knock?" She talked very slowly and quietly, and her voice sounded a bit different somehow. The doctor also noticed some mucus running out of her nose.


    "I did! What is wrong?!"


    "No biggie, I just caught a cold, I think. Or are we already in flu season?" The way she talked didn''t sound like she was in a clear state of mind right now.


    "Nadine, stay with me! What are you talking about?! Why are you so red?!"


    "Just a fever. When I get sick, my body heats up because the illness can''t survive that heat."


    "And... you can?" Could the heat possibly be the reason why she seemed delirious?


    "Um, well, the system''s a bit buggy."


    "What?!"


    The small alien gave a weak chuckle similar to the time when she had her "hangover".


    "I''m kidding. Kinda. As long as it stays under forty I''m fine." A cough shook her body. "I just need to drink a lot of water. And a wet towel for my forehead would be nice."


    "I need a wet towel, quickly!" She shouted into the hallway and shortly after, a servant rushed in and gave it to her.


    "Okay, what else do you need?"


    "Err, no idea what they put in cold medicine. Sleep, I guess. And tissues. Oh, do we still have meat?"


    "Maybe, I''d need to check."


    "If we have, boil that in water for a while. Not exactly chicken broth but the closest we''re gonna get. Maybe. No idea why that''s good."


    "I''ll have it done at once!"


    Nadine rolled her eyes.


    "Doooc, relax, both common cold and flu are normal to catch occasionally. Though getting the flu can go south if you''re unlucky."


    "Normal?!"


    "Yeah, flu has a high mutation rate and can''t be eradicated, so we constantly get new variants."


    "Nadine think! What by the First Ones is normal about catching a Human disease in an environment that never saw another Human besides you, ever?!"


    The small alien went quiet and merely looked at the ceiling. She blinked. Then she blinked one more time. Finally, she opened her mouth again.


    "Oh, crap."

 Book 2 Chapter 12 - Basic Necessity

    "And this definitely is as fast as we can go?"


    "Your Highness, I understand the urgency," the pilot assured her, "but if we go any faster than this, the reactor might overheat. We will reach the entrance point in about six days, that''s the best we can do."


    Silgvani sighed. She knew it was pointless. The ship was as fast as it was, there was no way to change that. That didn''t make the situation any easier to accept. Hearing that Nadine had suddenly fallen severely ill had riled her up to a degree she didn''t reach often.


    Leaving the bridge, the princess went down to the quarters. The door to Nadine''s cabin was open. Inside, she could see the small alien sleeping in her bed, which like usually bent much further than for any other user. But that was about the only thing that was as usual. Her red face and heavy breaths showed her suffering, even though she wasn''t conscious.


    It was truly disheartening to see her like that. While she had struggled mentally, at least on a physical level the Human had always seemed so... unstoppable. Silgvani of course knew that this durability had limits, but seeing her reduced to this state was something else. Memories of Kiyrtin in his hospital bed flashed through her mind.


    Next to her sat Doctor Githaiy, wearing what looked like a set of welder''s gloves. The doctor was currently in the process of wringing out a piece of cloth over a bucket before putting it on Nadine''s forehead.


    "How is she?" Silgvani asked, catching the doctor''s attention.


    "Ah, I apologize, Your Highness. I didn''t see you."


    "I couldn''t care less about formalities right now, this is more important."


    After a short pause, the doctor nodded and returned her attention to Nadine


    "Unfortunately, I can''t really tell. It seems like she is more or less the same since the last time you asked, but I don''t know anything about how the Human body reacts to illnesses. The fact that it can heat up to lethal temperatures just so hopefully, they can survive it longer than the pathogen is... crass, for the lack of a better word. It''s a good thing that she took off her protective suit before going to sleep. With my complete equipment, I might be able to do more, but for now, we have to trust Nadine''s words and what little I learned about her kind so far."


    That didn''t exactly inspire a lot of hope.


    "The broth she wanted should be done soon," the doctor continued, "maybe that improves her condition."


    The princess cocked her head. Broth? It seemed like she missed something there.


    "And what are you doing right now?" she inquired, pointing at the wet cloth.


    "She wanted that, but she fell asleep before she could tell me why exactly. My guess would be that it cools off the brain a bit to protect it from the increased body heat."


    "And what are the gloves for? They look like the ones the mechanics usually wear."


    "That''s because they are, our board engineers gave them to me. Nadine is currently secreting large quantities of her sweat. I won''t get around touching her, so I had to improvise. On that note, please don''t get too close, Your Highness. But besides the hazard, there is another problem. She said she would need to drink a lot, and she needs a lot of water to begin with. And since sweat contains water, I have to assume this increases her need for water even further."


    Silgvani recalled the conversation she had with one of the servants back on the Unifier about why they had needed to leave soon.


    "And we don''t have enough water?"


    The doctor nodded.


    "Not if the amount she drank before going to sleep is any indication. We definitely have enough for the next few days, but I''m not sure it''ll last for the entire way."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Is there no possible way around it?"


    "Well, maybe," Githaiy explained. "Unfortunately, that was one of the many things I gave little priority in my tests. After I made the powder and confirmed that, mixed with our tap water, it gave her all she needed, there were other tests I considered more important. I don''t know what reducing her water intake in her current state would do to her and, I apologize if I sound demanding, Your Highness, but we shouldn''t do that right now unless we can''t come up with another way. Maybe if I find a way to reduce her sweat secretion, she might need less water. Or if I manage to somehow cure her."


    "And... you have no idea what could achieve that?" Silgvani inquired, even though she could already guess the answer.


    "Not here. As I said, ships like this one only have the basics. If I had all my equipment, things might be different. I also had the faint hope that she herself might know any substances that might help her, but while their long lives allow humans to educate their children in a wide range of fields, even for them, medicine is something you need to specialize in. If I think about the things an old Human doctor with generations worth of experience could tell me... no, that''s not important right now. My point is, outside of the simple treatments I''m already doing, she couldn''t tell me much."


    The doctor went quiet for a moment, seemingly thinking about something.


    "Although, she mumbled something about a box. But she described it with a word that didn''t get translated and she fell asleep right after so I couldn''t ask her for details"


    A box? Silgvani thought. I feel like that''s ringing some kind of bell, but I can''t put my finger on it. A box... well, obviously Nadine has used a multitude of things that could be called a "box", but none of them would help her here. Come on, think! What am I forgetting right now?


    Unable to reach a solution, she let out a frustrated sigh.


    "Just how by the First Ones did that happen?"


    "It''s my fault," the doctor immediately said. "I felt safe in the knowledge that both Vanaery and Tystrie as well as Vanaery and Humans were too different for a cross-species-infection and didn''t consider the possibility of Humans and Tystrie being similar enough for it."


    "So... this is the same illness that killed all those Tystrie?" Silgvani inquired, perturbed by the idea of the potential answer.


    "By process of elimination, it has to. She couldn''t have caught anything from any of us, and there are no other Humans here. Unless she happened to coincidentally catch something else with a high incubation time, she must have caught it on the Unifier."


    "Then... will this kill her?" she asked with dread in her voice.


    "I don''t know. The lethality rarely is the same for different species, so I try to remain cautiously optimistic."


    The doctor changed the wet cloth on Nadine''s forehead for a new one.


    "What I can''t comprehend is how she got it. Both explanations I can come up with are equally unlikely. Either the germs were resistant to the disinfection process and I brought them with me; but even among similar species, the chance of them jumping over from such a short exposure is close to zero. Or the ambassador is lying, this disease isn''t new, and she carries it. Nadine had enough contact with her that a species jump would be at least slightly possible. But she would have to be an asymptomatic carrier for that, and considering how devastating this illness is to the Tystrie... although, all the corpses I''ve seen were male, and the sexual dimorphism of their kind is quite pronounced... maybe..."


    The doctor started to fall into one of her ramblings, slowly going off-topic and causing Silgvani to pay less and less attention. When she had found out that there was no attack happening, when Nadine brought up the colony, it had seemed like things would finally take a turn to the positive. Like she finally found a clue that might lead her to reunite with the other... humans... wait.


    "Doctor?"


    "Hm? My apologies, Your Highness, did you say something?"


    "I just thought of something. What if this illness didn''t need to... um, well... change, in order to infect her?"


    "You mean mutate?" the doctor corrected. "But it had to, otherwise a Tystrie disease couldn''t infect a Human."


    "That''s exactly my point. What if this isn''t a Tystrie disease? What if it already... how did you call it, jumped? ... in the other direction?"


    The doctor''s eyes widened from the sudden epiphany.


    "That would mean... oh no. If the illness originates from a human, then this could be... I would need to start completely anew... First Ones, why did we leave her escape pod behind?!"


    "Escape pod?" Silgvani asked, confused by the sudden change in topic.


    "Yes, the one we found her in. It wouldn''t be a stretch to assume Humans put some basic necessities in their escape pods, just like we do, and maybe some medicine as well. I know we couldn''t take it with us, but it could''ve been-"


    "THAT''S IIIIT!"


    The sudden outcry paired with a loss of control over her voice made the doctor startle and flinch back, but Silgvani didn''t care.


    "The box!" she continued. "That''s what she meant! Before we left the Star Treader, Nadine wanted to see the escape pod to check if any Humans had responded to the emergency signal! When there were none, she took a small, red box with her! If nothing happened to it, it should still be in the palace!"


    Hope suddenly returned to the doctor''s expression.


    "If we make it home in time, we might be able to help her! Even better, I might even be able to reverse-engineer the medicine!"


    Silgvani closed her eyes and nodded. With a silver lining in sight, the next pressing matter was to find a way to ensure the Human''s water supply would last, and then they''d just need to make it back.


    Nadine... please stay strong.

 Book 2 Chapter 13 - All good?

    ¡°We interrogated her thoroughly, Your Highness. She swears that she''s never heard of this illness prior to her departure.¡±


    Silgvani quietly sighed, making sure she wasn¡¯t heard through the speaker. She had already expected this answer. After all, Nadine had already spoken with the former ambassador back on the Unifier. But she couldn¡¯t just sit around doing nothing, hoping that they would reach Hohmiy in time. The doctor was doing all she could, and if Silgvani could maybe find out some additional information, it might make things a bit easier.


    ¡°And how believable would you estimate what she said to be? She isn''t exactly a stranger to lying.¡±


    ¡°She was both very frustrated and distressed, so she was difficult to talk to. I dug as deep as I could over the last few days, and while I can¡¯t say it with certainty, I would tend to believe her,¡± the captain of the escort ship where Kykla was currently being held explained.


    ¡°And what about other Humans? Did she really never meet one other than Nadine?¡±


    ¡°She said if they had already contacted Humanity, she wouldn¡¯t have bothered talking to you, Your Highness. Apologies for the rude tone, I am merely quoting her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Thank you, Captain.¡±


    She closed the communication channel and leaned back in her chair. Four more days until they would reach the hyperlane, and then an additional one to get to Hohmiy. Five more days during which she could do little more than hope.


    <hr>


    The concept of a ¡°morning¡± was fairly relative when in space. Since tasks usually had clearly structured rotations, most people would still follow a consistent day-night-cycle equivalent, but that didn¡¯t apply to everyone. Githaiy was one of those it didn¡¯t apply to, especially now. In her attempt to help Nadine as much as she could, the current phases of her being awake and asleep no longer followed the timetable of Hohmiy¡¯s rotation. But in the purpose of her own schedule, one might call the current time ¡°morning¡±, even if one only did that to say that morning came too soon.


    Of course, if the doctor had wanted to keep sleeping, then nothing would have stopped her. But with Nadine¡¯s status still critical, she couldn¡¯t sleep more than necessary. She quickly left her bedroom and walked through the metal corridor, once more passing different people than the ¡°morning¡± before. After all, their ¡°morning¡± was now at a different time.


    She carefully opened the door to see whether the small alien was still asleep. But to her surprise, not only was Nadine not asleep; she wasn¡¯t in her bed at all.


    ¡°Nadine?!¡± Githaiy called out, shocked.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Doc.¡±


    Quickly turning, she spotted her missing patient next to the door. She hung from the ceiling by one arm, holding to a metal beam at the ceiling that - thankfully - looked sturdy enough to support her weight. She continuously repeated the motion of pulling her body up and lowering herself again right afterward. Her other arm was behind her back, and her legs were crossed and angled. The way she held herself made her face the wall, so Githaiy could only see her from behind.


    ¡°What are you doing?! You need to rest!¡±


    ¡°I need to stimulate my muscles, you know that,¡± the alien girl said in an unusually neutral tone.


    ¡°Nadine, it¡¯s great that you apparently feel better, but if you do this so soon, who knows what damage you will do to yourself!¡± the doctor pleaded. She didn¡¯t get too close though since the alien girl wasn¡¯t wearing her protective suit at the moment.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t do this, I know exactly what damage it will do,¡± Nadine retorted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to do it for the last couple of days, I have to compensate! Besides, seems like it really was just a nasty cold anyway.¡±


    Githaiy noticed that the hand behind her back, balled to a fist, was shaking.


    ¡°Just a¡­ Nadine, you caught an illness that decimated a planet within a couple of days!¡±


    ¡°DO YOU THINK I DON¡¯T KNOW THAT?!¡±


    The sudden outcry made Githaiy flinch. It was very rare that Nadine got loud, but when she did, she got LOUD. Two passing crew members threw concerned looks through the open door, so she quickly collected herself and gestured to them that everything was fine.


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    Meanwhile, Nadine had dropped down from the ceiling and turned around, showing a distorted expression on her face. She raised her fist and slammed it onto the bed, making the mattress shake in the process.


    ¡°After¡­ after two months, it finally looked like I had a lead. And what do I find out instead? That I¡¯m not only having a world-of-cardboard situation and am a walking vat of acid, no, on top of that I¡¯m apparently a full-blown biohazard!¡±


    ¡°Not to us,¡± Githaiy quickly corrected. ¡°Humans and Tystrie being compatible enough is an unfortunate coincidence. It happened before with different species, though not to this extent, I admit."


    And in none of these cases did the illness jump species that quickly.


    "I meant it when I said nothing like that can happen between Vanaery and Human, I just didn¡¯t consider-¡±


    ¡°Once again didn¡¯t consider a crucial detail. How many times does that make now?¡±


    The room went silent after Nadine''s last line, and the small alien¡¯s eyes immediately widened in regret.


    ¡°I¡­ shit, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I didn¡¯t want¡­¡± she began as she buried her face in her hands and leaned back against the wall. ¡°Doc, I-I¡¯m so sorry. You do so much, for me and everyone, and I¡­ damn it!¡±


    Nadine slid down to the floor and rested her head on her knees.


    ¡°Look, I¡­ I know how shitty that sounds, but can we pretend the last minute didn¡¯t happen and start this conversation over?¡±


    Githaiy didn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, she slowly walked over to the other side of the room and sat down on a wall-mounted chair. Quietly, she looked at Nadine, who after a while lifted her head with a desperate expression.


    ¡°Words coming from or directed at a noble are not easily forgotten. Luckily for you, I am only a noble in the first generation and wasn¡¯t raised as one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Doc, I-¡±


    ¡°No offense taken." That wasn''t completely true. The words had stung, especially since Githaiy had told herself something similar before. But that wasn''t helpful at the moment and despite being younger, Githaiy was still the adult one of the two.


    "I know this is a difficult situation for you. But you should mind your words more, especially when outside the palace. Her Highness and the Lord General are NOT representative of your average nobles. Just to have it said. But more importantly, what makes you so sure you are fine? This isn¡¯t like with the ethanol, you literally looked like you were on the verge of death over the last few days!¡±


    Nadine shrugged.


    ¡°Not sure what I can tell you there, but this is fairly normal. I mean, I did get hit with a pretty nasty one and I felt like shit, but it was still somewhat normal for a cold - still assuming it was one. Flu''s still a possibility. There are much worse illnesses, a few days with fever and a runny nose is kind of the bottom line.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ that¡¯s it? After a few days in a state like that, you just are suddenly fine again?¡±


    ¡°If you word it like that it sounds a bit dumb, but¡­ yeah, pretty much. One more day and I¡¯m probably back at a hundred percent. It¡¯s nothing noteworthy, it¡¯s common for a human to catch a cold once or twice a year. If you¡¯re healthy it''s not really something to fear. I never thought it would be like the Black Death to others.¡±


    She once more buried her head in her arms.


    ¡°Just¡­ how did¡­¡±


    ¡°We can figure that out later. The more pressing issue is how to stop it.¡±


    Nadine looked up again, shifting her expression to one that included her eyes being more narrow.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Before we left the Star Treader, Sil and I went to my escape pod. I took the board pharmacy with me.¡±


    The doctor cocked her head.


    ¡°You took the what now with you?¡±


    Nadine seemed confused that she didn¡¯t know the word.


    ¡°You know, the bandage box!¡±


    ¡°Bandage¡­ do you mean a first aid kit?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yeah first aid kit, I guess. Stupid translator.¡±


    With a quick motion, she took the collar translating her words off her neck.


    ¡°Kould yew say it agein?¡±


    Despite her heavy accent, it was impressive how much she had learned since she arrived on Hohmiy. She could likely even get rid of it in the near future considering she was able to hold her speech in the courtroom nearly without it after rehearsing often enough.


    ¡°First aid kit,¡± the doctor repeated


    ¡°Phirst aide kitt¡­ okay.¡± She put the translator back on. ¡°This thing gets pretty wonky when I use words you technically have but not use in a particular context. Does it sound normal to you when I say cold? Anyway, there should be cold medicine in that thing. Though all I can do is give you the stuff, I have no idea about medicine outside of the basics.¡±


    Githaiy nodded.


    ¡°That is already much more than I expected. And to answer your question, the word ¡°cold¡± does get translated, though it¡¯s an¡­ interesting name for an illness.¡±


    ¡°Well, we often catch it when our body gets too cold, maybe that¡¯s why. Never really thought about it if I¡¯m honest. I¡¯m sure it also has a medical name, but I don¡¯t know it.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, either way, there is one more issue.¡±


    Githaiy explained the water situation. While sick, Nadine had used up a large portion of her water supply, it likely would last for all of the remaining four days.


    ¡°Um, Doc? I think you misunderstood something there,¡± Nadine began once Githaiy had detailed everything. ¡°Well, I guess we never talked about that again after you made that powder. You see, I need all of that stuff, sure, especially now that I was sweating a lot. But the most important thing is the water itself. It doesn¡¯t need to be perfectly saturated or anything like that. I could even drink your hundred percent pure water in small doses, it only gets bad if I drink too much of that. While the nutrients are important, I can get them from somewhere else, too. Just making it drinkable can be achieved by mixing literally anything that¡¯s not poisonous in there. Remember what I did on the¡­ raider?¡±


    It sounded like she purposefully left out the word ¡°Kiroscha¡± and yet, she still shuddered slightly saying it. But now that she said it, Githaiy did indeed recall that she mixed blood from some unknown animal they found in the Kiroscha¡¯s supplies into the water.


    Githaiy felt a lot of tension leave her, now that the most pressing issues were resolved. But overall, things were far from over. A lot of questions were still left unanswered. If the other Humans were involved, where were they now? What exactly had happened on Eroas? Where was the Human ship? Had all of this really been a coincidence?

 Book 2 Chapter 14 - Pressing matters

    Hohmiy came into view as the two ships left the hyperlane. The time passing no longer felt as slow as it did before, now that they weren¡¯t in a race against time anymore. Well, they technically hadn¡¯t been before either, but they hadn¡¯t known that.


    Nadine meanwhile had dedicated the entire time since her recovery to her exercises, claiming she needed to compensate for the time she had missed. However, Silgvani assumed that wasn¡¯t the only factor that motivated her to be so adamant about it.


    Half a day later, as the planet kept getting closer, Silgvani ordered a com channel to be opened to their escort vessel.


    ¡°Onric, there is no need for further protection from here on out. Fly ahead and bring the prisoner to the Calhanar Hospital. She is to be detained and examined there. I will give further instructions to the head physician directly, you just need to get her there and make sure she has no contact with our ship or anyone on board. We can¡¯t risk her getting infected.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Your Highness!¡± the captain of the Onric affirmed and closed the channel. Through the window, she could see the ship next to them accelerate and slowly change course. That was when Doctor Githaiy stepped next to the princess.


    ¡°Your Highness, I finished listing all the samples I would like them to procure from her. It¡¯ll be good to have some healthy tissue to compare to the infected samples.¡±


    ¡°Good. We¡¯ll send them a message as soon as we get in reach.¡±


    ¡°Nadine says she shouldn¡¯t be infectious anymore,¡± the doctor continued, ¡°but considering we¡¯re talking about a mutation, it would be best not to risk it.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, if I may,¡± the acting captain of their current ship raised his voice. ¡°First of all, I apologize if it sounds like I am questioning you, I would never. But I couldn¡¯t help but wonder: Isn¡¯t that Tystrie sentenced to death anyway? What difference does it make if she dies of an illness?¡±


    Silgvani eyed the soldier. Normally, a captain appointed to a ship she was on knew at least some basics of politics, but when they had left the planet in a hurry, they couldn¡¯t afford to get picky about the crew.


    ¡°The difference is that there is a proper way of doing things, captain,¡± she decided to say, refraining from giving a lengthy explanation to someone not versed in the matter. There was also the fact that the High Council hadn¡¯t affirmed her execution yet. That might¡¯ve seemed pedantic considering the current circumstances, but Silgvani highly doubted that the illness had been able to eradicate the Tystrie entirely. There had to be survivors, one way or the other. Planets were big. There also was the potential involvement of the Human ship¡­


    ¡°Say, Doctor,¡± she began, following a sudden thought. ¡°Is there a scenario where Humans could¡¯ve evacuated the healthy Tystrie without infecting them?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± the doctor affirmed without hesitation. ¡°Two alien species being compatible enough is already highly unlikely, though not unprecedented. But on top of that, a virus jumping species should take WAY longer than a few days of contact, even if the mutation rate is as high as Nadine says. As long as they wouldn¡¯t get the mutated virus on board, the chances of it happening again in such a short time would be astronomically low. If they do get it on board... well, that would depend on their medical skills and equipment.¡±


    That was good to know. This ideal scenario was unfortunately not very likely considering that there had been a lot of indicators that the Tystrie had on top of everything else also been attacked.


    Or the attack and the evacuation are somehow connected. And if this ¡°species jump¡±, as the doctor calls it, really is that unlikely¡­ could there be another factor we¡¯re not aware of? Either way, we need more information.


    <hr>


    The sun over the harbor town was about to set when their shuttles landed in front of the Star Palace. As soon as the doors opened, Nadine rushed inside and darted toward the east wing. While the doctor oversaw the servants who carried her frozen samples, Silgvani made a call for Mhita to see whether she had missed anything during their absence. However, the head maid didn¡¯t even have the chance to get to her when Nadine already returned.


    ¡°Found it,¡± she gasped with breaths so heavy that they were not just audible to them, but actually quite loud. Silgvani couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was what their breaths sounded to the small alien all the time, relatively speaking.


    In her hands, Nadine held the same red box that Silgvani had seen her procure from the escape pod back on the Star Treader. Now that she looked at it from up close, she noticed a green square with a white cross in it painted in the middle, as well as some symbols at the side. Human letters maybe?


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    The doctor joined them and Nadine sat down on the stairs, put the box on her knees, and opened it. Taking a peek inside, the princess saw a lot of strange, flat packages that looked vastly different from anything the Vanaery used, as well as a few other things.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see¡­ disinfectant, tape, antibiotics¡­ ah, here! Cold medicine!¡±


    She pulled out one of the items that was so full of tiny letters that almost seemed grey from a distance. She then started reading, but the doctor quickly interrupted her.


    ¡°Nadine, I didn¡¯t understand a single word you said after ¡°ingredients¡±.¡±


    The small alien looked puzzled.


    ¡°But shouldn¡¯t¡­ ah, damn it. The translator works with intent, and I don¡¯t have any intent because I have no idea what these words mean.¡±


    ¡°We can still work with this,¡± the doctor assured her. ¡°I can still analyze it and test how they react to different things. I highly doubt this medicine can be used for other species as it is anyway, and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if some ingredients turned out toxic to the Tystrie. Or most. But it should be a good starting point. ...also, can I take a look at the other stuff once this matter is resolved?¡±


    "Doctor!" The princess reprimanded her.


    ¡°Apologies, your Highness. May I work together with the Royal Research Institute on this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will give you a letter of attorney.¡±


    The doctor left for her office. Silgvani couldn¡¯t help but notice that Nadine seemed a bit disheartened by the newest development. Had she hoped for a different result?


    At some point during their conversation, Mhita had approached them. Now, with the doctor gone, she spoke up.


    ¡°Your Highness? You wanted a report about the occurrences during your absence.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The details can be left for the written report, just limit it to the important issues for now.¡±


    The head maid made an affirming bow.


    ¡°Very well. First, there was a message from the head of clan Silpiyne. They were inquiring regarding an offer that was apparently made to their heiress and the heir of clan Reiylar. There is no documentation about such an offer, so I told them I couldn¡¯t give them an answer until you returned.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, that¡¯s on me,¡± Nadine chimed in and stood up. Standing on the stairs as she was, she actually was at eye level for once. ¡°That was during my meeting with them. We learned about the attack and left right after, so it kinda got swept under the rug because of that. It was about the idea we discussed, having the heirs of noble clans work here as part of their education, remember?¡±


    ¡°I do remember,¡± Silgvani affirmed. "So you think these two would be good candidates to test your idea?"


    "I do, yes."


    ¡°The timing is actually good, with everything we found out, a lot of work will come up. I will have to meet with other alliance members to discuss the issue, the extra hands will be of great help.¡±


    ¡°Not that we would need them if commoners doing government work wouldn¡¯t be such an issue,¡± the alien girl quietly mumbled. And, well, she wasn''t wrong. Silgvani hadn''t heard of clan Reiylar for a while now despite them holding the rank of duke. The princess took a moment to dig through her memory, then she recalled the news about the accident.


    "Wait, correct me if I''m wrong, but didn''t heir of clan Reiylar lose his eyesight when the previous duke and duchess died?"


    Nadine blinked.


    "I don''t know... they didn''t talk about how it happened, but yes, he is blind. But I still think we should make the offer to him. I have some ideas."


    Silgvani cocked her head.


    "I don''t want to sound like I''m dismissing your proposal outright, but you must be aware-"


    ¡°I am. And the rest I can guess.¡± Nadine paused and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know I sound selfish. But when I saw him¡­ I was reminded of¡­ back on Earth¡­¡±


    She stopped, seemingly having trouble putting her thoughts into words.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is: I believe we can make this work. Can you trust me on this?¡±


    "Are you sure now is the best time for this?"


    Nadine didn¡¯t answer immediately, giving Silgvani a moment to think about the matter as well.


    The issue wasn¡¯t just the prejudice of the other high-ranking noble clans, the matter at hand was also highly unusual, to say the least. Then again, Nadine seemed passionate about this for some reason. And considering the effects the current situation had on her mental state¡­ maybe having something to take care of would be good for her. And the small alien did have some very useful ideas in the past. Additionally, if Nadine was involved with him directly, there wouldn¡¯t be much of Silgvani¡¯s time lost should whatever she was planning not work.


    "Well..." Nadine ultimately said, "maybe not the best, but I still think we should."


    ¡°Very well. But I can''t really afford many experiments right now. Therefore, you will be the one responsible for him.¡±


    The Human hesitated for a moment before answering with a determined nod.


    ¡°Alright. Mhita, schedule a meeting with clan Silpiyne so we can discuss the matter.¡±


    ¡°At once, your Highness. Speaking of the alliance, the messenger you sent to Ikltas returned. The Krahwol wish to meet with you as well.¡±


    That also fitted well. Informing the other alliance members about the situation on Eroas would take time, so it would be good if they could bridge that by getting one of the meetings done early.


    ¡°Lastly, His and Her Majesty sent word earlier today. They say that, and I quote, now that the matter with the Tystire is resolved, they can return to more pleasant topics, so they wish to talk. In person.¡±


    Silgvani sighed.


    ¡°Those two are really the only people who would call this matter ¡°resolved¡±. How do they even know about it already?¡±


    ¡°Maybe the other ship told them?¡± Nadine suggested. Right, that would be plausible.


    ¡°Alright, fine. There are more pressing matters, but they won¡¯t care about that. I guess this was due sooner or later, we didn¡¯t have much interaction recently. Might as well get this over with. Will they visit or do they expect me to come?¡±


    ¡°My apologies, Your Highness, it seems my phrasing was misleading,¡± Mhita said with a bow. ¡°They wish to talk to both of you.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 15 - Future Goals

    Kiyrtin was bored.


    Not that it was anything new. Boredom had been accompanying him for as long as he could remember. His parents loved him, but they were always busy with governing. His sister somehow had even less time than they did and also had moved to the other side of the planet.


    There also wasn¡¯t much to say in terms of friends. He had close to no chance of ever becoming king, not that he wanted to. However, that also meant that he wasn¡¯t interesting to the noble families and never got invited to anything. The few noble children he did meet never contacted him again.


    ¡°They stated that their schedule is full at the moment, and will give notice once they have a better overview of when they will be available,¡± was what the servants would always say when he ordered them to make contact again. It took a few attempts until he understood what that really meant.


    And since he, despite everything, was still a prince, playing with commoners wasn¡¯t allowed. In other words, he was used to being bored. The difference? Right now, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Back in the palace he could go and explore, sneak into places he wasn¡¯t supposed to go, or play pranks. The latter was the reason why he picked up tinkering as a hobby.


    It had started a bit under a cycle ago, with him simply wanting some variation in the contraptions he built for his pranks, since always using the same tricks got old after a while. Plus, the servants began seeing through them and they no longer worked. Alas, there was no work to do for a noble with it. Mechanical work was seen as something for commoners, and whenever they found his tools, they would take them away.


    Okay, granted, that was primarily because he would ¡°borrow them without asking¡± from the royal workshops. But he only did that because he wasn¡¯t allowed to have tools of his own. Though to be fair, trying to secretly sneak out with all the stuff could also be pretty fun.


    Therefore, the main issue right now was not that he was bored. The main issue was that, unlike before, he had no way to deal with his boredom, because he wasn¡¯t allowed to do anything. With his shell weakened, he was at risk of a sudden injury with every movement, which was why the doctors didn¡¯t allow him to move at all. And the worst part? He could actually understand why they were doing that. He had felt with his own body what could happen, and he definitely didn¡¯t want to repeat that. Still, he hated it. He hated that they didn¡¯t allow him to do anything, and he hated even more that he knew that they were right.


    It hadn¡¯t been so bad at first. His parents would visit frequently, he would remotely talk with his sister daily, and after she had finally pulled herself together - with his help, he¡¯d add - Nadine would also talk with him a lot. When he was transported to another hospital on the other side of the planet, he had feared they wouldn¡¯t be able to talk as much due to the time difference, but that didn¡¯t seem to faze her. She told him that she didn¡¯t need as much sleep since she was used to shorter days.


    He had also overheard some stories from the doctors. Apparently, she had saved his sister''s life and even caught the culprit. When he heard that, he recalled how she told him that there was no getting away from a human. Heh, served that assassin right!


    But then, almost thirty days ago, he suddenly hadn¡¯t been able to reach her anymore. He had tried to contact his sister, but it was the same for her. He didn¡¯t know how to reach the Star Palace through the ¡°official¡± channel, so he ended up calling the Sun Palace and ordering a servant there to make the call in his stead. The answer he got back was simply that both Nadine and his sister were unavailable at the moment, and that he didn¡¯t have the clearance level for any further information.


    It had almost been like¡­ no, this was different. It had to be. Nadine wasn¡¯t like that. She always had time for him, and the days since he had met her had been the most fun he ever had. Even if none of his pranks worked on her. Also, whatever she was currently tied up with, his sister was involved as well. So, yeah, it obviously wasn¡¯t like that! It made no sense, why would he even think that?


    Still, what by the First Ones were they doing that he wasn¡¯t even allowed to know what it was generally about? Whatever it was, he didn¡¯t like it. Because no matter how used he was to boredom, the last thirty days had easily been the most boring of his life. Sure, his parents still called daily and visited on occasion, but that was more to see if he was fine; there wasn¡¯t much he could talk about with them. Things had begun to be so boring he even had done what he would have never thought he¡¯d do: he, on his own, went through his study material.


    It would soon be time for him to choose what job he wanted to get educated for. But government officials, advisors, managers, doctors, and so on¡­ none of these professions seemed interesting. Alternatively, he could hire some commoners and form his own company, but what would that be about? He had no idea what he would want to make, plus it meant getting a boring business education. And even if there was something he would like to do, he would need to learn from his hospital room. It was so annoying.


    ¡°Your Highness, are you awake?¡± he heard a nurse ask from outside.


    ¡°Yes, you can come in.¡±


    ¡°You have a visitor,¡± the nurse announced after opening the door.


    ¡°Is it mother or father?¡±


    ¡°Neither, it¡¯s a foreign noble called¡­ um¡­ one moment please.¡±


    Seemingly having forgotten the name, the nurse pulled out a datapad, leaving Kiyrtin confused. Wasn¡¯t this the most prestigious hospital on the planet? How would- wait.


    ¡°Does the visitor have a weirdly long name starting with Nadine?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the nurse affirmed. ¡°Here, got it. Yes, your visitor is Lady Nadine Val-¡±


    ¡°Who cares, what the hell are you waiting for?¡± he interrupted. Nadine was visiting him! In person no less! He hadn¡¯t seen her in person ever since the incident in the forest!


    ¡°Apologies, Your Highness, but ¡°what the¡­¡± what?¡±


    Ah, I used one of Nadine¡¯s phrases again.


    ¡°Just bring her up already!¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, at once.¡±


    The nurse left. Shortly after the door opened again. She looked just like the last time he had seen her in person.


    ¡°Hey,¡± her soft voice greeted him.


    ¡°Where were you?!¡± he quickly asked in an accusing tone.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry. Something came up, we had to scramble and didn¡¯t have time to notify you.¡±


    ¡°Scramble? Wait, did you go off-world?¡± That explained why he couldn¡¯t contact her.


    ¡°Yeah, it was really urgent. Again I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± he mumbled and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°You missed my first melt-molting.¡±


    Nadine went quiet for a few tiggs before answering.


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ sorry.¡±


    Kiyrtin sighed. It apparently wasn¡¯t really her fault, and it wasn¡¯t like she could do more than say sorry now. Still, he had really wanted her to be there when it happened, at least on the call.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°By the way, how come you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we had something to do in the capital, and I thought you would like it if I showed up.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ w-well, I do,¡± he quietly admitted. ¡°Thanks for dropping by.¡±


    He then turned his head to face her again.


    ¡°But you¡¯ll still have to make up for the time you were gone!¡±


    Now that he got a closer look, he saw something he hadn¡¯t noticed yet. Under her usual clothes, she wore another set of clothes that fit tightly and seemed to cover everything from the neck. Were Humans really that obsessed with covering their bodies? Actually, on a second glance, it looked more like protective gear.


    But what would she of all people need protection from? Wouldn¡¯t it rather be the other way round? he jokingly thought. Then, it clicked. ¡­oh.


    ¡°I think I can do that,¡± she answered his previous statements, pulling the prince out of his thoughts. ¡°I got something for you. Took a while, but it got finished while I was gone! Where is your datapad?¡±


    ¡°Um, here, on the nightstand,¡± he said, pointing to the other side of the bed. What was she planning now? Not that he was someone who would say no to gifts, but why would she need his datapad for it?


    ¡°So, you remember how I told you that other than your language, I was learning something else I didn¡¯t want to tell you about?¡± she said with a smile as she connected a small device to the datapad. ¡°I¡¯m learning the Vanaery way to code. I originally wanted to do this all by myself, but that might have been a bit ambitious. That I barely knew your alphabet and language didn¡¯t help. So, yeah, the tutor did a lot of the heavy lifting here, and also the final touch as I mentioned. Didn¡¯t want me to do anything on it at first, ¡°work of a commoner¡±, yada yada yada. Seriously, I had to pull the ¡°my culture is different, don¡¯t insult it¡±-card. Anyway, I hope I¡¯ll be able to make the next one myself.¡±


    The next what?


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done. Um¡­ can you hold the pad or¡­wait!¡±


    Suddenly, Nadine¡¯s gemstone-like eyes lit up.


    ¡°If you molted¡­ does that mean you¡¯re better now?¡±


    ¡°Well, the new shell also got damaged, but not as badly as they feared, so I don¡¯t have to be as careful as before. I¡¯m still not allowed to move a lot unless under supervision from a doctor though, so leaving the bed on my own isn¡¯t going to happen anytime soon. But it¡¯s at least an improvement. When I molt again things should be fine.¡±


    Nadine¡¯s gaze fell.


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen for another four to five cycles though, right?¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°But I-¡±


    ¡°I know what you want to say, and we¡¯ve been through this.¡±


    The silence then hung in the air for a moment, so Kiyrtin decided to go back to the original topic. He pressed a button and from the nightstand extended a simple contraption made to hold the datapad.


    ¡°You can put it in here. Using it like that is no problem.¡±


    Nadine took a deep breath and nodded.


    ¡°Okay, what I was about to say: I can¡¯t believe you guys don¡¯t have video games! I started with something retro, for the aforementioned reasons, but even by that metric, it¡¯s very bare-bones since I didn¡¯t have any assets I could use. Anyway, it''s made as a plug-in to the program used for video calls, that way we can start it during a call and play online with each other. That actually was the part that took the longest to make function.¡±


    Kiyrtin just stared at his friend.


    ¡°I have no idea what you just said.¡±


    A faint smile appeared on Nadine¡¯s face.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s let it speak for itself.¡±


    And so Nadine showed him. It was indeed very simple, merely making a grid appear in which each of the boxes could be filled out either bright or dark, and through the call, they both could do so. Each of them would choose bright or dark and then try to get four of the same in a row.


    After a demonstration game, Kiyrtin told Nadine to not hold back. The result was nine losses in a row.


    ¡°Aaand that¡¯s four.¡±


    Ten losses.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Nadine said with a smile. ¡°But it¡¯s fun, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± he agreed. The losses were a bit frustrating, but it definitely beat lying around. ¡°And we can play that even if you¡¯re in the Star Palace?¡±


    ¡°Whenever we can make a call we can play it. In theory, at least. I couldn¡¯t exactly test that. We¡¯ll just have to see.¡±


    ¡°But couldn¡¯t you have just painted the grid on a board and made some way to mark the boxes? I don¡¯t know, different colored trinkets or something. Then you could place the datapad so it transmits the boards, I could just tell you where you should place my trinkets.¡±


    Nadine said nothing in response. She looked straight ahead, then blinked, still said nothing, then blinked again.


    ¡°W-well, you have to think beyond that! I have laid a foundation here! F-for example, um¡­ ah, we can use the exact same program to play Othello! A bit of tweaking and we got checkers! If I get my hands on some assets, we can play chess!¡±


    There were more games they could play like this? Well, it seemed like he wouldn¡¯t be bored for the rest of his stay. Still¡­


    ¡°Are those also ones we could play with a board through the camera?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but¡­ board games are just the start! Single player! If we can make the program able to play, you could also do it on your own when nobody else has time! There are games that are even specifically designed for single-player. And just wait for what happens when this spreads and the first video game company gets founded!¡±


    ¡°Company¡­ wait, it¡¯s possible to found a company with this?¡±


    One of the hair tufts over Nadine¡¯s eyes rose.


    ¡°Possible? Kiyrtin, video games are one of the biggest industries on my planet. It is much more than just ¡°possible¡±.¡±


    Kiyrtin didn¡¯t answer. If his mouth could move the way Nadine¡¯s could, he would probably wear a ¡°grin¡± right now. Maybe he had an idea of what to do with himself after all.


    Nadine¡¯s datapad beeped.


    ¡°Sorry, I have to go. Oh, before I forget: Sil had something else to do, but once we¡¯re done, she¡¯ll visit as well.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Wait, since when do you call her Sil?¡± As far as he knew, only their relatives called her that.


    ¡°Oh, well, that just kinda happened.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I get a nickname?¡±


    Nadine cocked her head.


    ¡°I mean, your name is shorter to begin with. Plus, it¡¯s not like I''m the one who came up with hers.¡±


    ¡°I still want one!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll think of something.¡±


    After she had left, Kiyrtin thought a bit. This ¡°video game¡± had indeed been quite fun. Making more of these¡­ well, he wouldn¡¯t be the one making it, but to make sure more would be made¡­ maybe studying something boring would be worth it.


    I wonder what Nadine is learning.


    She knew a lot about different things, which was strange. Now that he thought about it, how old was she? He had never asked that. It felt like she was older than him, but she herself had said that she was still a child. Seven cycles maybe? Eight at most.


    <hr>


    Just as Silgvani exited her shuttle and entered the Sky Palace¡¯s forecourt, she could see another shuttle approach. That had to be Nadine. And indeed, after its landing the small alien exited, flanked by a couple of guards. Once under the open sky again, Nadine gazed at the huge building in front of her.


    ¡°Big, isn¡¯t it?¡± Silgvani asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but not just that. It looks very different from the other one.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a lot older. The Sky Palace precedes the Unification war.¡±


    ¡°So this is where you grew up?¡±


    The princess shook her head.


    ¡°No, the Sky Palace is for Government work. Kiyrtin and I live - or, well, lived - in the Sun Palace, a bit further in that direction. So, how did your visit go? Did you have any issues?¡±


    ¡°Well, being small has its advantages,¡± Nadine answered with a shrug.


    What does being small have to do with anything? the princess wondered. Oh, I get it. She could hide between her guards so no one could recognize or bother her. That almost makes me envious of her height.


    ¡°Kiyrtin seems to get better. By the way, is the first molting important?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Why do you ask- oh, did Kiyrtin have his? Did we miss it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Silgvani sighed, slightly disappointed. ¡°Well, at least that means he is no longer so vulnerable. But yes, the first melt-molting is seen as the beginning of adolescence and the first step towards adulthood, the latter beginning with the second one. It is considered a special day for us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why he was so down about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the timing was unfortunate.¡±


    Silgvani turned and began walking towards the palace, Nadine following her.


    ¡°So, how do you feel?¡± the princess asked.


    ¡°Better. Talking with Kiyrtin helped. It always does.¡±


    ¡°Then, are you ready to meet the King and Queen of Hohmiy?¡±


    ¡°Would saying no change anything?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then no.¡±


    That got a chuckle out of Silgvani.


    ¡°Although,¡± Nadine continued, ¡°going by what you told me, I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t cancel everything else and insisted on meeting us immediately.¡±


    ¡°They are not that bad,¡± Silgvani rectified. "Unless Kiyrtin or myself are threatened, they are reasonable and competent rulers. As long as they don¡¯t try to hold a conversation with someone. So¡­ I should probably apologize in advance for whatever they are going to say.¡±


    ¡°Mh, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m basically a commoner, I¡¯m not going to throw a tantrum over hurt honor or something like that.¡±


    ¡°That will certainly be to your advantage here.¡± I still hope they can at least make it through the greeting before getting inappropriate. Now then, let''s get this over with so we can return to more pressing matters!


    The gate was opened and they entered. Silgvani¡¯s parents were already awaiting them in the entrance hall. The herald announced both sides, then they closed the distance between them.


    ¡°Mother, Father, my greetings.¡±


    ¡°I, as well, offer my greetings to His and Her Majesty,¡± Nadine said, and Silgvani was surprised at how much the air around her had suddenly changed. ¡°I, Nadine Valentina Esmeralda Anastasia von Klot of House Heydenfeldt, daughter of Karl-Heinz and Sarina von Klot of House Heydenfeldt, am honored to make your acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°Welcome, Sil,¡± the king responded.


    ¡°And you as well, Lady Nadine,¡± the queen continued. ¡°I must say, the length of your name was quite surprising to me when I heard it the first time, is that a human tradition meant to compensate for your kind¡¯s short height?¡±


    Silgvani suppressed the urge to groan.


    Not even ONE First-Ones-dammed sentence!

 Book 2 Chapter 16 - Royal Audience

    The Queen¡¯s insensitive question hung in the air for a few tiggs before receiving an answer.


    ¡°No, there is no correlation,¡± Nadine ultimately responded calmly, but from the corner of her eye, Silgvani could see that the small alien had balled her gloved hand into a fist that was shaking from exertion, and the princess could hardly blame her. No matter how much the young girl claimed to have a different view on things than the nobles Silgvani knew, no matter how aware Nadine was that the King and Queen weren¡¯t doing this intentionally, it was still a blatant display of disrespect towards her. Silgvani couldn¡¯t ask her to just ignore it. All she could do was hope for Nadine to be able to endure the comments and to see past them.


    ¡°In fact, my name is considered long by human standards as well,¡± she continued. ¡°There are also humans notably taller than me, but few reach heights nearing the average Vanaery.¡±


    There was a slight shaking in her voice as she spoke, but overall, she was hiding her agitation well. Hopefully, she would be able to keep this up.


    ¡°How interesting,¡± the King commented. ¡°Then, Sil, Lady Nadine Valentina Esmeralda Anastasia von Klot, let us continue our talks elsewhere.¡±


    I guess he assumed only the last part of her name was like a clan name, Silgvani wondered. However, as impressed as she was that her father had been able to memorize the entire name and pronounce each part correctly after merely hearing it once, it was hard to not hear mockery in the way he said it, even if it wasn¡¯t intended.


    A quiet, almost inaudible squeaking sound was heard from Nadine¡¯s gloves as she clenched her fists even tighter. With a sideways glance, Silgvani noticed that Nadine¡¯s facial features began to distort a little as if she was pressing her mouth tightly shut.


    ¡°There is no need to say all of my name, Your Majesty,¡± she managed to say. The shaking in her voice had gotten stronger.


    First Ones, and these are just supposed to be friendly talks, the princess mentally sighed. It had been a while since she had witnessed her parents talk to somebody of rank, but they were just as bad at it as she remembered them to be. When they made contact with the human species properly, she needed to make sure they wouldn¡¯t meet them.


    None of Nadine¡¯s reactions seemed to deter the king and queen. Although to be fair, this was the first time they were meeting the small alien, and they didn¡¯t yet know how to read her non-verbal communication. While Silgvani was still fairly sure that it would stay that way no matter how much time they would spend with the Human, it at least for now was about the only aspect of this conversation she couldn¡¯t hold against them.


    ¡°Ah, good. It was a bit of a chore to say, so was already trying to come up with a way to shorten it.¡±


    ¡°How should we call you then?¡± the queen added.


    This time, Nadine had to take a few breaths before answering.


    ¡°I-it depends,¡± she answered, the dignified air around her starting to fade.


    Well, no matter how unusual, no one wants to hear their own name being called a ¡°chore¡±.


    ¡°In formal speech, the last name is used, though in my case, simply saying ¡°von Klot¡± would suffice. First names - Nadine, in my case - are usually used in a more informal context, when exactly it is acceptable depends on the specific culture.¡±


    It did? That was actually news to Silgvani as well. The thought was a bit strange though, why address someone as a member of their clan - or, the human equivalent - rather than as an individual? Nadine had introduced herself with her first name from the beginning, so the princess had assumed that was how humans did it. Had she been unintentionally disrespectful to her? Nadine had never voiced any form of displeasure, but then again, she had been quite wary of her rank during their early interactions. By now, she had no reservations about using Silgvani¡¯s nickname, so it likely wasn¡¯t an issue anymore, but at the beginning, she might have felt different about it.


    The train of thought made the princess realize just how little she had actually learned about Humans. Nadine specifically, sure, but in hindsight, despite knowing her for a while now, they had never talked about Human culture. The only exceptions were some very specific details. She needed to rectify that once this was over.


    ¡°Ah, I see. Well, there isn¡¯t really any reason to be overly formal right now, so please follow us, Nadine.¡±


    No one told you to drop the honorific!


    Unlike the Human¡¯s still tightly-shut lips, the rest of her face had now started to gain color, being a bit more reddish in tone. As the king and queen turned around, Nadine swung her right fist and hit her own thigh. Was she trying to vent her anger?


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Well, she had swallowed the insults well so far. Foreign diplomats in the same situation would¡¯ve already needed to be appeased more than once at this point, one of the main reasons why trade deals from ten cycles ago had often been so disadvantageous. It was likely for the best to switch topics and allow the alien girl to calm down a little.


    ¡°By the way, I heard Kiyrtin finally had his first molting. A shame I missed it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we rushed to him as soon as we heard about it,¡± her mother affirmed. They reached the conference room and the servant standing in attendance opened the door. ¡°We tried to contact you as well, unfortunately, you had spontaneously gone off-world.¡±


    And whose fault do you think that is?


    They entered. Compared to the Star Palace, the Sky Palace¡¯s conference room was smaller, but also a lot more packed with luxury items, artworks, and other trinkets. There was little inspiration taken from the styles of other alliance members as it was meant to embody the Vanaery¡¯s pride.


    No chairs stood at the table in the middle, instead there was a couch on each side. The king and queen both took a seat on one side, Silgvani sat across from them, and after a moment of hesitation, Nadine sat down next to the princess. Her dense body strained the furniture a bit, and the fact that only her head was above the tabletop didn¡¯t help the situation as a whole. She would need to set up a special conference room meant for meeting Humans in the Star Palace.


    ¡°But the important thing is that he is on the way to recovery, even if it will still take a while,¡± she continued.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a relief to see him so energetic again,¡± Nadine agreed.


    ¡°Oh, did you meet him?¡± the king asked in surprise.


    ¡°We arrived a bit early since I had something else to do here,¡± Silgvani explained, ¡°so Nadine decided to pay him a visit. I will do so as well later on.¡±


    ¡°I see. Your gesture is appreciated, Nadine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was a given. A-after¡­ after what happened¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt you, but we would prefer not to mention it,¡± the queen interjected. "It is a thing of the past and the two of us want to put that matter behind us.¡±


    Nadine blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so let us not speak about it anymore.¡±


    As the only one present who knew that the two parties were grossly misunderstanding each other, Silgvani felt bad to not say anything. But right now was not a good time to come clear.


    ¡°We would rather talk about you for a bit,¡± Silgvani¡¯s father said, shifting to a more cheerful tone.


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ I-I would like to reiterate that my visiting Your Majesties is unofficial and must remain apolitical,¡± Nadine emphasized, sounding a bit startled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, knowing Sil, she already has that covered anyway. Still, we would¡¯ve liked to at least hear the news.¡±


    ¡°A lot of things happened and we didn¡¯t get the opportunity,¡± Silgvani quickly stated.


    ¡°Yes, we already heard about your deed. Without you, our daughter would¡¯ve died, and we can¡¯t express our thanks enough.¡±


    Good, the princess thought, it seems like the conversation is on a decent track now.


    ¡°Your selflessness becomes all the more impressive when considering how unfit for survival your kind looks.¡±


    Aaand we¡¯re right back at it.


    The rest of the conversation was thankfully not too long. There were, of course, a few more inappropriate remarks from the royal couple, but nothing major besides that. They didn¡¯t probe for much information, and Nadine was again able to keep her anger well enough in check. The talks were cut short when duty called for the king and queen again. After telling them that a meal would be served soon - they had inquired in advance what to get for Nadine - as well as insisting on a promise that they would talk again, the two left them alone. For a few tiggs, Nadine and Silgvani sat there in silence. Then, when they were sure the king and queen couldn''t hear them anymore, they spoke at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! ¡­what?¡± the two said in unison.


    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± Silgvani asked, confused.


    ¡°Because I almost lost it! Did you not notice?¡±


    ¡°I did, but it¡¯s not like I can blame you.¡±


    ¡°Sil, I know you said they are rather laid-back, but they¡¯re still the king and queen! I can¡¯t just laugh in their faces!¡±


    The room fell quiet again as Silgvani needed a few moments to process the last sentence.


    ¡°...laugh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was this close to laughing my ass off! Like when they said¡­¡± she started chuckling. ¡°Oh crap, I can¡¯t even think about iiit, hahahaha!¡±


    The princess was at a loss for words. All this time, Nadine hadn¡¯t held back her anger, but¡­ her laughter?


    ¡°Is¡­ is it normal for Humans to find entertainment in something like this?¡±


    Nadine had to take multiple deep breaths before she was able to answer.


    ¡°Well, okay, to be fair: a real human dignitary probably would have felt insulted from being told¡­ told¡­¡± The rest of her sentence was drowned in another wave of laughter.


    ¡°Phew!¡± Nadine called out once she had finally calmed down. ¡°Wow, I really needed that. I¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but... somehow I feel a lot better now. Guess we eat and then it¡¯s time to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s call for it,¡± Silgvani agreed as she stood up, still a bit perplexed. She opened the door and informed the servant who took a bow and left.


    ¡°By the way,¡± the princess asked as she returned inside. ¡°What you mentioned about humans using their clan name¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call me ¡°Miss von Klot¡±, I¡¯m at least ten cycles too young for that!¡±


    Miss? Not Lady? I know she said she was closer to a commoner, but I never really asked to what degree. And why is it related to age?


    She really had a lot to figure out about Humans.


    "But I can''t help but wonder if it''s right to call your parents bad at communication."


    "You did hear them just now, right?"


    "That''s not what I mean. I''m no expert, but maybe they just... see things a bit differently."


    Silgvani cocked her head.


    "I''m not sure I understand what you mean."


    ¡°Well, it''s difficult to explain if you don''t know the context... forget that I said that, it was just a thought. But I¡¯m surprised they¡¯re so chill about Kiyrtin,¡± Nadine then pointed out. ¡°From what you told me about them, I didn¡¯t expect them to be so forgiving.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 17 - Advice

    Leaving the hospital behind her, Silgvani entered one of the two shuttles parked on the forecourt, accompanied by two of her guards, with the rest of them entering the other one. Inside, Nadine was already waiting for her.


    ¡°That was quick,¡± the small alien wondered.


    ¡°Was it?¡± Silgvani didn¡¯t feel like it was. After they finished talking to her parents they went on their way back to the Star Palace but made a quick stop at the hospital first so the princess could visit her brother. Nadine didn¡¯t accompany her this time, arguing that she had already spoken with Kiyrtin and that the two should have a moment to themselves.


    ¡°Well, okay, not THAT quick, just quicker than I expected.¡±


    The doors closed and she sat down.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t much to discuss. I gave him a late congratulation on his first melt-molting, and then we talked about his recovery a bit. He also was quite busy.¡±


    The shuttle took off and they left Hohmiy¡¯s capital behind them. As soon as they left the city¡¯s border they ascended, reaching travel altitude so they could go faster. Nadine leaned forward in her seat and looked out of the window, her gaze wandering notably.


    ¡°Looking for something?¡±


    ¡°I was trying to see the¡­ what was the name of the one you grew up in?¡±


    ¡°The Sun Palace,¡± Silgvani reminded her.


    ¡°Right, that one. Is it as big as the other one?¡±


    ¡°No, but close. You won¡¯t see it from here though. The Sun Palace is more like a private estate, it wasn¡¯t constructed with the intent to present it to the public.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, not that big of a deal, I was just curious.¡±


    She leaned back again. No guards were sitting on her side which, combined with her own short height, made the Human¡¯s part of the shuttle look almost hilariously empty.


    ¡°Speaking of curious, the reason I said Kiyrtin was busy was that he was studying. Something he barely did with his tutors, but now he¡¯s doing it on his own. How did you manage to convince him of that?¡±


    Nadine blinked.


    ¡°I, uh¡­ didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we caught up on stuff and then we played a bit, that was it.¡±


    ¡°How strange¡±, Silgvani mused. ¡°He seemed very motivated for some reason. He also announced that he had decided what he wanted to learn. Business.¡±


    The statement hung in the air for a few tiggs but in the end, Nadine merely shrugged, combined with a face that seemed to express cluelessness. While it was about time for him to make this choice, Silgvani hadn¡¯t expected him to suddenly do so seemingly out of nowhere. Strange indeed.


    ¡°Well, at least this wasn¡¯t a total disaster,¡± the princess finally said. ¡°While I would have liked to spend this time more productively, it didn¡¯t go nearly as bad as I feared.¡±


    Nadine quietly looked out of the window for another moment before answering.


    ¡°Productive¡­ hm,¡± she quietly mumbled but dropped the point before Silgvani could ask what she meant. ¡°By the way, what would you say is seen as more important, the first or second melt-molting? Socially, I mean.¡±


    ¡°For nobles, it¡¯s the second one,¡± she explained to the alien girl. ¡°It is considered to be the beginning of our adulthood, the point when we become proper members of our clan. But commoners put more emphasis on the first one, I believe. Are you asking because of Kiyrtin?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he seemed pretty down about us missing it.¡± She let out a deep sigh. ¡°And of course, this is a commoner versus noble topic again.¡±


    Silgvani leaned back in her seat and looked up at the ceiling. Thinking back, the small alien had often subtly - or occasionally openly - expressed her displeasure with the divide between these two groups. And in certain points, the princess agreed. There were some aspects to it that were, in her opinion, unnecessarily restrictive. But small changes were a different topic than a whole other system. While other species in the alliance had varying versions of it, there was always some form of ruling class. And yet, Humans had apparently no such concept, not anymore at least.


    ¡°I heard a bit about it from the doctor, but we never really spoke about it, so say¡­ how does your planet function without royalty? Who governs if not your nobles?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Well, if I were born a couple hundred years earlier, I would probably be a noble in the same way you are familiar with. But we axed our noble class, mostly at least.¡±


    ¡°Axed?¡±


    ¡°Got rid of. As I said, it¡¯s nothing but a fancy name nowadays, at least in my country. But Earth isn¡¯t a monolith like Hohmiy is, and there are many different versions. Democracy, while flawed, is widely considered the best System we currently know of, but even that has many variants. I heard Japan was about to try some algorithm-based election, but we left Earth before they implemented it, so I don¡¯t know how that turned out.¡±


    ¡°So basically, the commoners choose who governs?¡± Silgvani tried to clarify before Nadine¡¯s thoughts trailed off too far.


    ¡°In theory, yes. Reality is a bit more complicated. It¡¯s primarily meant to stop individuals from having too much power over a too-long time span. Plus, without nobles, we have significantly less political bullshit going on. Not nothing, but less at least.¡±


    ¡°Nadine, I get that you come from a different culture,¡± Silgvani chimed in, ¡°but please keep in mind that our system developed for a reason as well. Without it-¡±


    ¡°Without it, Kiyrtin could have had a normal childhood,¡± the small alien interrupted her, metaphorically knocking the air out of Silgvani. The princess got quiet.


    After a few moments in silence, Nadine let out a sigh.


    ¡°Sil, look, I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, that was a bit direct. I have no doubt in my mind that you will be a great ruler. Do you remember what you said when we talked about important people?¡±


    ¡°Power is no privilege but a duty,¡± the princess quoted herself after thinking for a tigg.


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so sure about you. But can you be sure that, down the line, things will stay that way? Also, how much trouble could the other nobles give you if they don¡¯t like what you do?¡±


    Silgvani considered both parts of the question carefully before answering.


    ¡°I¡¯m currently not very involved in our non-foreign politics, but I do know that my parents aren¡¯t very popular among the noble clans, especially since the execution of Lord Gatmar.¡±


    ¡°Why, was he wrongly accused? Or was it just more political bullshit?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Silgvani began as she realized her slip-up. ¡°It''s complicated. Anyway, my point was: it does make things a lot easier if the throne has the nobles on their side, you are right on that. But in the end, clan Kiyron rules this planet and has done so ever since the Unification War. And once I am queen, I will make sure my ideals will carry on. Even my parents, troublesome as they are, know what they are doing when it comes to governing.¡±


    ¡°Mh-hm,¡± Nadine hummed with a nod. ¡°Sil, have you ever heard of double-taxed villages?¡±


    Silgvani¡¯s stare turned blank as she listened to Nadine describe how border-crossing villages, technically part of two territories, could die from over-taxation.


    ¡°T-this is my first time hearing this!¡± Silgvani insisted once she was done.


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Nadine said in an almost dismissive tone. ¡°It¡¯s not important enough to concern you.¡±


    Her last words cut deep and hammered home a fundamental issue. Even if she would hold absolute power as queen, she and whoever she would make king were just two. And Hohmiy was a planet. Silgvani had, of course, always known that. When she had ideas to improve things, she often gave suggestions or entire law drafts to her parents, but¡­ how much did she really know about the problems of her people?


    ¡°If¡­ just hypothetically speaking, if you were queen, what would you change?¡±


    Nadine brought her hand to her chin and thought for a while.


    ¡°Good question. Switching the entire system at once would only cause chaos, if it is even possible in the first place. The nobility is one problem, but not the only one. And besides, getting rid of them isn¡¯t easy.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of, how did Humans¡­ ¡°axe¡± them, as you said?¡±


    The small alien blushed a bit.


    ¡°Ah, well, depends on the country but¡­ while I meant it metaphorically, in many cases, it¡¯s a pretty apt description.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean you¡­¡±


    ¡°Our history is soaked with blood. I don''t know much about Vanaery history, but when it comes to humanity, what I told you before is just a small fraction of the brutality we¡¯ve been through. Don¡¯t think I believe that the ends justify the means though. For you, there are other ways, better ways. Ah, I know! How about a council?¡±


    ¡°You mean like the High Council of Eroas?¡± Silgvani asked in confusion.


    ¡°No, not that. I meant for the commoners. It would give them a voice. A constitution would also be good. Codify the rights everyone has, and make it so they can¡¯t be changed even by king or queen unless the council of commoners agrees.¡±


    Once Silgvani had overcome her surprise and given it a thought, those were pretty interesting suggestions. She would need some maneuvering to prevent the nobles from causing trouble, but the ideas sounded promising. She was still a few cycles away from the throne, but preparations could already be made.


    And once again, the princess was reminded of Nadine¡¯s age. It was always so bizarre to see a supposed child carry a generation¡¯s worth of knowledge. And that wasn¡¯t all, her ancestors, each long-lived, had left much more to build upon. Humans didn''t just do things differently to the Vanaery. Aspects of Hohmiy''s present were like overcome past to them.


    If someone like her were to¡­


    For quite a while now, there was a thought she had been toying with, but could never decide whether to voice it. Maybe...


    ¡°May I ask you a question, Nadine?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Sure, ask away.¡±


    ¡°If- Once we find the other Humans, what will you do?¡±


    The girl¡¯s gaze fell. Unfortunately, Silgvani couldn¡¯t avoid the sensitive topic right now.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t even know how close we are to our original destination. No clue if we even have the means to find it anymore. Or the way back to earth.¡±


    Silgvani took a deep breath before her next question.


    ¡°And¡­ hypothetically speaking¡­ how would you feel about staying here?¡±


    Nadine looked up to her.


    ¡°Sil¡­ don¡¯t get me wrong you and¡­ all of you are more than I could ever ask for but¡­ I can¡¯t freeload forever!¡±


    ¡°I already told you, you aren¡¯t¡­ forget it. No, I meant something else.¡±


    The small alien cocked her head as Silgvani continued.


    ¡°You see, once I become queen, there are many things I need to decide on. Much more diverse topics than now, many of which I understand little of.¡±


    She made a short pause before finishing her thought.


    ¡°I will need¡­ trusted advisors.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 18 - Report

    Krndl hated giving reports.


    Well, no, that was generalizing it a bit too much. Written reports were fine. Now, at least.


    She hadn''t had any idea what to do the first time she had to give a written report, so she had simply copied an older one that sounded like it was roughly saying the correct thing. It had been followed by a few days of dread that someone might notice, but no one had said anything. Afterward, she had scrambled together every old report she could get her hands on and then spent days trying to decipher the gibberish those things were always written in. It had been exhausting, but it put a lot of strain off her mind afterward. By now, she had a neat collection of text blocks on her datapad, and whenever she had to file a report that she couldn¡¯t delegate to someone who actually knew what they were doing, she would puzzle one together from those. It still took a while to do it like this, but at least she could produce acceptable results. And, as an added bonus, having to file a report was a great excuse to escape the bridge for a while.


    Oral reports, on the other hand, were a nightmare. Even if she was given a warning early enough in advance to prepare what she would say, it was still bad. One, because she had to talk to one or more people of higher rank, which she disliked on principle. If superiors didn¡¯t talk to her, it meant they had nothing to reprimand her for, and that meant she hadn¡¯t made any noteworthy mistakes. And two, oral reports didn¡¯t just end with the report. There was a high chance that there would be questions asked. Questions required answers, and answers provided opportunities for screw-ups. Her go-to tactic in that regard was to find someone under her command whose position had something to do with the report, make up some stupid reason why it was necessary that they accompanied her, rely on them as a backup, and hope no off-topic questions would be asked.


    After all the mental exhaustion following that signal had caused her, she had been glad that the patrol shift had only been a few days away. Once the new ships were on the Bridgeway, Krndl¡¯s flotilla made the jump back. Eight days did they need to reach Hsvegplia, time she spent to first piece together her report and then look forward to at least a short period of rest. The latter was not something she was allowed to do for long.


    Before they had even reached their homeworld, Krndl received a message that upon lading, she was to report to Admiral Nschk, one of the highest-ranking people in their navy! And even worse, she got that message when they were only halfway to the planet. In other words, she had a full four days to stress herself out over this meeting, time she, unfortunately, was able to use to its fullest.


    Now, the Hunter had finally reached their home. The cruiser itself wouldn¡¯t land at the garrison - it would go to the dock for maintenance - so instead, they boarded a shuttle to quickly bring them to their destination. Krndl didn¡¯t complain about it, the sooner this whole ordeal would be over, the better. Once they entered the atmosphere, in an attempt to prevent her beak from clacking nervously in front of her subordinates, she looked out of the window, only to notice something. While her sense of direction wasn¡¯t great, she was fairly certain that this didn¡¯t look right. Was she imagining things? Better not say anything. Bringing them where they needed to be was the pilot¡¯s job, not hers.


    A few more hours passed, and she turned out to be right. They weren¡¯t at the garrison, no; they were in the capital. Why, of all places, were they here? The pilot was opening the doors, so it clearly wasn¡¯t a mistake.


    Oh, right, she was supposed to exit first.


    Doing her best to stand up in a way that was fast yet didn¡¯t look rushed, Krndl got up from her seat and left the shuttle. The entire city was built around the slope of a large crater and extended in all directions from it.


    The shuttle had placed them close to the edge of the crater. Behind her, Doctor Mnakr and Rndz did the same. That was about all Krndl was able to assess until she noticed the figure awaiting her. She quickly lowered her head and crossed her arms before her face, Krsnelv¡¯s traditional salute.


    ¡°Stand,¡± Admiral ordered and Krndl as well as others obliged. Then, she waited. Despite everything, Krndl knew enough about common procedures to be aware that she wasn¡¯t expected to give her report out in the open. There was no military facility nearby, but surely, the admiral had something in mind. Why else would he want to meet her here?


    Her assumption proved correct. Nschk turned, gesturing them to follow, and together, they walked up the remaining bit to the edge of the crater. The caldera itself was a lot smaller than it appeared from the outside and not very deep either. It contained a plain of untouched nature save for a singular building that looked almost anachronistic compared to the surrounding city. It was called the House of Memories.


    They went down the stairs, followed by a short walk over to the building. Krndl said nothing, which was, of course, expected from her, but she would have been quiet regardless because there was no way she would¡¯ve been able to formulate a functioning sentence right now. All her mental capacity was needed to keep her walking.


    Maybe she should¡¯ve connected the dots earlier, but now it was clear that she wasn¡¯t just expected to report to the admiral, no, they would be meeting one of the elders. Krndl had always been convinced that the day she would stand before an elder would be the day something had fundamentally gone wrong in her life, and right now, she wasn¡¯t exactly confident that it hadn¡¯t. This had to be about the dead alien they had found, and if so, she was infinitely thankful that her past self had the presence of mind to bring the doctor with her.


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    The interior of the building matched its exterior in terms of looking ancient, though Krndl didn¡¯t have enough historical knowledge to say whether or not this was how their houses used to look in the distant past. Or why. All she knew was that it served as the seat of their government, the four elders. Each of them reigned over one of the core aspects of their society, and each had absolute authority in their domain. Two or more of them meeting for discussion was something that only happened when those domains intersected, usually for matters of great importance.


    The admiral opened a door and Krndl entered. All four elders were looking at her.


    <hr>


    The door of Silgvani¡¯s office closed, and the princess allowed herself to lean back in her chair. That was one item off the list. The last two invas had been spent discussing the topic of the child and the ward of clan Silpiyne coming to the Star Palace following Nadine¡¯s idea. Now that she thought about it, they still needed to come up with a name for this position, as the translator refused to turn it into a usable word.


    Next, she would need to plan the trials of all the spies they had caught. It was something that should have already happened a while ago - and would have, had the whole ordeal with Eroas not happened. Right, the investigation needed to be put on its way as well. Another thing that was long due was the ceremony for-


    As if on cue, there was a knock on her door, and upon being called in, Nadine entered.


    ¡°Good timing, I just finalized our agreement with clan Silpiyne. I take it you are prepared for¡­ whatever you have in mind for the son of clan Reiylar?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have as much time as I had hoped, but I have a few things,¡± the small alien affirmed.


    ¡°And¡­ did you have time to think about my proposal?¡± the princess inquired. ¡°It¡¯s still a few cycles in the future, so you don¡¯t have to answer now if not.¡±


    ¡°I did, but¡­ I¡¯m not sure. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I wouldn¡¯t mind staying with you and helping where I can, it¡¯s just¡­ there are still so many uncertainties. But, speaking of: assuming I were to permanently stay here, there would be some things I would need. Exercises wouldn''t be enough.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will make sure all your requirements are met to our best possibility.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, possibility is exactly the point I was getting at. I don¡¯t know exactly how your artificial gravity works, so I wanted to ask one of your mechanics I befriended, but I couldn¡¯t find him. His name is Liyzo.¡±


    That name rang a bell. Silgvani grabbed her datapad and opened the employee files to confirm her suspicion.


    ¡°Liyzo¡­ ah, yes. He was let go shortly after the emergency protocol ended.¡±


    Nadine¡¯s eyes got wide.


    ¡°What? Why?!¡±


    ¡°He endangered two high-priority individuals by taking you and Kiyrtin on a shuttle without checking the fuel. And then he slept on duty.¡±


    Her expression hardened.


    ¡°Only us two, huh? Then what are Rhinkus and Quiyrra, ¡°low priority¡±?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Forget it,¡± she sighed. ¡°Anyway, shouldn¡¯t he at least get a second chance?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t take offense to this, Nadine, but I think you aren¡¯t fully grasping the scope of his error. Besides, that already was his second chance anyway. Mhita recorded an admonishment in his file just a few days prior to that.¡±


    Nadine didn¡¯t seem satisfied with the answer, though this time, it seemed rather childish to Silgvani.


    Well, despite everything, she IS a child. Maybe I should just switch the topic for now.


    ¡°By the way, we also still need to plan your award ceremony.¡±


    That certainly got a reaction out of the small alien.


    ¡°Crap, I completely forgot about that! I know I already asked that, but does it have to be a public ceremony? Can¡¯t I just get the medal and be done with it?¡±


    ¡°No can do,¡± the princess chuckled. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re not getting a medal. You¡¯re getting an honorary title along with an estate and a ship.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?! Sil, that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Appropriate by our traditions,¡± Silgvani stated. ¡°If it makes it easier for you to accept: it would be very bad for my reputation to give you any less than that.¡±


    The alien girl fell quiet for a moment. Then, her expression shifted again.


    ¡°Will¡­ will the ship have a crew?¡±


    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t be a big one, but a few people would be needed, yes.¡±


    ¡°Can I decide who gets hired for that?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯ll be your ship. Why are you asking?¡±


    <hr>


    Krndl stood to the side, glad how quickly the focus of the conversation had shifted away from her, Mnakr was now the center of attention as he explained in great detail what he had learned about the alien from his autopsy.


    ¡°And you are certain it had no weapon on it?¡±


    Oh, shoot, that wasn¡¯t a medical question. Was she supposed to answer that?


    ¡°The only weapons we found on board were those of the Kiroscha, each lying next or close to its deceased owner,¡± Rndz explained to her relief. "By my estimate, the alien''s manipulators would''ve been too small to use them."


    ¡°Do you have any idea how a single being could achieve such a feat?¡± the elder on the right asked. Krndl had no idea what either of them were called.


    ¡°The body was incredibly dense,¡± Mnakr took the word again. ¡°It was so heavy we had trouble even getting it on board. It stands to reason that it would have the strength to match its mass. There are hypotheses about potential life developing under higher gravity than is common, and while they are disputed, this find seems to back them up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all well and good,¡± the only elder that hadn¡¯t spoken so far said, ¡°but if my memory serves me right, then we have a more pressing matter at hand.¡±


    While he said that, a servant came rushing in, bowed, and then gave something to the elder.


    ¡°Ah, finally,¡± the elder commented, took it, and seemingly compared it to the pictures Mnakr had made during his autopsy.


    ¡°Yes, no doubt, that is the same species. How unfortunate, had we gotten this report a few days prior, we could have told the Vanaery''s messenger about it. Oh well, it is how it is. Captain.¡±


    This time, it was clear that they were referring to her. Krndl stepped forth.


    ¡°As soon as the maintenance of your ship is done, gather your crew. You will travel to Hohmiy and tell the Vanaery of your findings.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 19 - Noble Internship

    As the Star Palace drew closer and closer, Falpiyne¡¯s nervousness grew bigger and bigger. Over the course of the last few days, it had seemed more like an abstract thought, a distant idea rather than something real. But now, with their shuttle heading straight to the centerpiece of Hohmiy¡¯s foreign politics, it was clear as day just how real this was.


    She still had no idea how this had happened. When Lady Nadine had for whatever reason told them in advance about this new project Her Highness was setting up, she had left quite abruptly shortly after. Everyone present had assumed that - even though she had claimed otherwise - Falpiyne and Reiykin had indeed offended her one way or the other and that it was simply not the human way to outright state that. After all, there was no way a rumor about some ships starting on the other side of the planet had been the reason why the foreign ambassador had suddenly decided to go. No, for her to leave so unceremoniously and without long final words, something had to have been wrong. And to say that Falpiyne¡¯s parents had been angry at the two because of it would be quite an understatement.


    But regardless, they still decided to apply her and Reiykin for this new tutelage program of the princess. Low as their chances were, Lady Nadine had given them this piece of valuable knowledge, so they were going to use it. Quite some time passed without an answer and the obvious conclusion had been that their request had been denied and subsequently ignored. When a mere count contacted someone like the princess, not receiving an answer was a common occurrence. But then, more than thirty days later, they suddenly got an answer regardless. And on top of that, it was a positive one. Things had been really quick after that. Her parents had been called for a personal meeting with the princess with only a day of prior notice and the next thing Falpiyne knew was that she was sitting in a shuttle with Reiykin.


    Their vehicle slowed down as it prepared for landing. The palace was massive, far greater than the estate of clan Silpiyne, and easily the biggest building Falpiyne had ever seen in her life. She had seen it before in pictures, of course, but seeing it in reality was something else entirely. It felt intimidating to look at.


    The shuttle landed and the doors opened. When Falpiyne extended her two left arms, her brother clung to them as if his life depended on it. She took a deep breath.


    ¡°Shall we depart, Duke Reiykin?¡± she asked him with a shaky voice. Ill-timed as may have been to use her frequent tease right now, it was the only distraction she could think of right now to calm her nerves at least a little bit.


    ¡°Y-yes, let¡¯s,¡± he stammered back, not even attempting his usual rebuttal. Maybe he hadn¡¯t even noticed what she had just called him. But there was no point in delaying it any further, so with another deep breath, the two stood up and she guided him outside. Reiykin flinched as the first waterdrops landed on him.


    ¡°Ah, right, it¡¯s raining,¡± Falpiyne quickly apologized. ¡°Sorry, forgot to tell you.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s fine, I should¡¯ve known.¡±


    Thankfully the shuttle had landed fairly close to the main gate. The doors were already open and two lines of servants awaited them. Doing her best to not pull Reikiyn with her too quickly, she stepped inside and out of the rain. From the servants, a woman stepped forth.


    ¡°Welcome. I am Mhita, head maid of the Star Palace. Please, come closer.¡±


    Falpiyne hadn¡¯t realized that they were still standing in the doorframe. She took a step forward so quickly that she almost made Reiykin fall, but the two managed to catch themselves and went to the center of the entrance hall without too big embarrassment. More servants came closer, two of them holding what seemed to be a green cloth. One of the others went to Falpiyne and readied a towel, and she quickly understood what they were about to do. Just as she wanted to warn her brother so he wouldn¡¯t startle, another servant spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to dry you off now, Milord,¡± he said before patting him dry. Falpiye was surprised, even servants - from other clans, of course - rarely were this considerate of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to put a sash on you now, Milord,¡± another announced, and the two got a piece of cloth wrapped around their shoulder and hip. Falpine noticed that it had the same shade of green as the uniforms the servants were wearing.


    Once the procedure was over, Mhita asked them to follow her. The head maid matched their pace perfectly, always maintaining the exact same distance to them while also being considerate that guiding her brother slowed Falpiyne''s walking speed. Eventually, they reached a door at the end of the corridor. On the other side was Princess Silgvani, sitting behind a desk.


    ¡°G-greetings, Your Highness!¡± Falpiyne said, maybe slightly louder than intended. She let go of Reiykin for a moment and folded her arms in the traditional greeting. Her brother, understanding from her shout what was going on, did the same. Once it was done, Falpiyne looked up to the princess. Even while sitting, she was huge. She gestured for the two to take a seat across from her and the Silpiyne heiress quickly guided her bother to his chair before sitting down herself. The head maid left, leaving the three alone in the room.


    ¡°Did you have a pleasant travel?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± She was still too loud.


    ¡°Good. Then let me explain some things to you. You have probably already guessed it from the sashes, but just to remind you: you are no guests here. You are here to learn and to work. You will gain insight into the inner workings of the palace and will assist me in my tasks, all while hopefully getting a better understanding of the duties you will eventually need to fulfill as heirs of your respective clans.¡±


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    Falpiyne nodded. Green was the color of the princess, everyone knew that. The fact that they wearing these sashes meant they were now directly affiliated with her.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Reiykin then said, speaking for the first time since entering the palace. ¡°Can I¡­ I mean, my sister, sure, but¡­ can I really do this?¡±


    The princess was quiet for a moment.


    ¡°I will be honest with you,¡± she finally said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. This situation is just as new to me. We will have to see how much is possible.¡±


    The doubts in her words were clear, but the fact that she was willing to consider it already said a lot. Ever since the accident, the ducal clans were all in agreement that clan Reiylar was done for, and yet, the princess herself was not as ready to agree. Falpiyne didn¡¯t need to look at her brother to know how much these words meant to him.


    ¡°But I doubt it¡¯ll surprise you that the two of you won¡¯t be doing the same things, for obvious reasons,¡± continued her explanation. ¡°Lady Falpiyne will stay here with me. At first, you will either watch me as I work or accompany my steward. After that, you will be given tasks on your own, simple ones at first, but gradually, you will get more and more involved.¡±


    ¡°Meanwhile, you will come with me.¡±


    The sudden sound of another voice startled Falpiyne so much that she almost jumped out of her chair. There had only been the three of them in the room! When had a fourth person entered?


    And on top of that, the person who had so quietly entered wasn¡¯t just anyone; it was Lady Nadine. Falpiyne''s body grew stiff as she watched the alien ambassador walk into their field of view until she stood next to the princess¡¯s desk. Why was she here? This matter shouldn''t involve her!


    From the corner of her eye, she could also see that Reiykin¡¯s mouth was hanging open a bit, though he said nothing. Right, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t recognize her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have-¡±


    ¡°L-lady Nadine!¡± Falpiyne blurted out before she realized that the alien had begun to speak as well. Lady Nadine stopped and looked at her, slightly tilting her head to the side. In that moment, the Silpiyne heiress wanted nothing more than to just disappear. It had been vague what had offended the Human during her visit, but that one just now, that was an unforgivable blunder. How could something like this happen? How to hold formal conversations had been a central part of her education and yet, this situation was far beyond anything her teacher had ever prepared her for.


    ¡°M-my deepest apologies, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± she quickly added and lowered her head.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. Go on."


    Once again, Falpiyne was stumped. This wasn¡¯t at all how she had been taught situations like this would play out. Was Lady Nadine giving her a second chance? If so, why? Then again, she couldn¡¯t afford to not take it.


    ¡°I merely wanted to apologize for our behavior during your visit. We acted highly improperly. But I wish to clarify that I was the driving factor behind this, Lord Reiykin¡¯s position left him little choice but to follow me.¡±


    ¡°What?! That¡¯s not true!¡± her brother loudly refuted her statement.


    ¡°It is. I dragged you with me, you didn¡¯t even notice until we were almost there.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°If I may shorten this,¡± Lady Nadine spoke again, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you I¡¯ve taken no offense. In fact, I¡¯m glad you did what you did.¡±


    The stepsiblings stared at the alien in silence.


    ¡°Human culture differs from ours in many aspects,¡± Her Highness explained. ¡°But let this also be a lesson for you. Responsibility is something you have, not something you can just take afterward. People see results, not what happens behind the scenes. As a noble, you must think beforehand what impacts your decision may have on others. Whatever the truth behind all of this may be matters little when it comes to such things. Fact is, you two ended up doing it together, and that¡¯s what people see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also true,¡± Lady Nadine agreed. ¡°Caught together, hanged together.¡±


    ¡°I apologize,¡± Falpiye said once again, ¡°but I¡¯m not sure I know what you¡¯re referring to.¡±


    The expression on the Human¡¯s face changed notably.


    ¡°Oh, um, that¡¯s just a saying, ignore it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean with ¡°hanged¡±?¡± Reiykin asked curiously. ¡°Like hanging decor on the wall?¡±


    ¡°Err, no. Hanging is, um, well, was an old execution method. You tie a noose around someone¡¯s neck and then drop them off a ledge or something like that.¡±


    Now all three looked at her - well Reiykin of course didn¡¯t actually ¡°look¡±, but he had, maybe out of reflex, turned his head in her direction.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t¡­ aren¡¯t there quicker methods?¡± Falpiyne eventually asked. Law hadn¡¯t been the most expansive part of her lessons yet, but she knew that criminals sentenced to death were normally executed with a shot to the head.


    ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t supposed to be quick, at least not until the long drop was invented. Besides being a punishment, it was also meant to be a public deterrent, which is why the bodies would often be left there for days, so to-¡±


    She then interrupted herself, as if she was only now realizing what she was saying.


    ¡°Um, we, we¡¯re not¡­ doing that anymore. Errm¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ shit, it really need to stop using idioms.¡±


    ¡°Yes, while I¡¯m sure our historians would love to hear about your people¡¯s past, let¡¯s get back on topic, shall we?¡± the princess interjected.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m sorry for the side tangent, so let¡¯s just say your apologies are accepted and move on. What I was trying to say before I got sidetracked: I am sure you have many questions as to why I am here with you. And I will answer them, but there is something we need to do first.¡±


    She put two sheets in front of them.


    ¡°It may seem strange to you, but my people give little weight to the spoken word, no matter the rank of the speaker. This is what humans call a ¡°non-disclosure agreement¡±. Imagine it like a contract. By signing, you pledge secrecy about the things you¡¯re about to hear from this moment onwards.¡±


    Falpiyne cocked her head. When it came to commoners, sure, but why wouldn¡¯t Humans trust the word of a noble? Was there really a need to make a contract about it? A physical one even.


    ¡°I can guess what you are thinking,¡± the princess quickly said, ¡°but remember what I said earlier. Besides, if you are open to it, you might find the way Humans do certain things to be¡­ intriguing, to say the least. I certainly did. This whole tutelage program is one such example, by the way.¡±


    Wait, so Lady Nadine hadn¡¯t just ¡°heard¡± of this, she is the one responsible for it?!


    The Human walked around the table until she stood right next to Reiykin.


    ¡°I''m sorry if I sound condescending, but can you sign it on your own?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered. ¡°I just need to know where.¡±


    Falpyine drew the line crest of her clan at the end of the document and then guided her brother¡¯s hand. Once that was done, Lady Nadine gave them an affirming nod.


    ¡°Good, now that that¡¯s out of the way: during your time here, you will eventually learn some classified information - not just about confidential political matters of Hohmiy, but also about me and my people. Hence the agreement. Therefore, I think it¡¯s best to clear some things up right from the start as you''ll find out about them sooner or later anyway. First: while you two are here for your own benefit, Her Highness is also in dire need of some extra pairs¡­ um, extra sets of hands. There are a lot of things going on right now, which directly leads to my second point: I am not humanity¡¯s ambassador.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 20 - Top Priority

    It wasn¡¯t as if Falpine had ever not respected her Highness, but her respect had significantly grown. She knew her parents had a lot of work to do as well as other duties managing the county. She had seen them being busy and knew the same would eventually be expected of her as well. And she was learning all about it with her tutors. But she had never actually been directly involved in the process and just now realized the true scope of it all. She had been told that the princess was responsible for only Hohmiy¡¯s foreign matters, but she had completely underestimated what that entailed.


    It wasn¡¯t just meeting ambassadors, negotiating, and eventually signing contracts afterward. She did so much more than that. Countless treaties needed to be audited frequently, reports from advisors needed to be reviewed and occasionally discussed, she even drafted laws that she would send to her parents, and so much more. On top of that, she currently could only use two of her arms, Falpiyne couldn¡¯t even imagine how restrictive that had to be. And she also needed to do all of this while being bombarded with messages from the high nobles containing requests that sometimes were so entitled that Falpiyne got embarrassed just from reading them. Was it normal for ducal clans to act like that?


    Reiykin isn¡¯t going to turn out like that, right?


    And apparently, those messages were already pre-sorted by the head maid. Just how could someone look at such a mountain of work to do, knowing they would only be able to do a small fraction of it before the day ended and stay calm?


    And then, there was also¡­ everything about Lady Nadine. She had absolutely no idea how she was supposed to process what the alien had told her.


    ¡°Remember, you¡¯re supposed to ask questions if you have some.¡±


    Falpiyne flinched as she got suddenly called out. So far, she had mainly sat next to the princess while she worked, occasionally getting handed documents she was supposed to read. The current one was something she had seemingly spent a lot of time on. Or her expressions were just that telling.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing important, Your Highness. Please, you have so many more important matters to think about, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll figure it out.¡± At least as soon as she knew what exactly she even needed to look up.


    The princess put her datapad away and turned her head.


    ¡°Lady Falpiyne, you are here to learn and help. You won¡¯t learn if you don¡¯t understand something, and you can¡¯t help if you don¡¯t learn first. I don¡¯t doubt that you received a fine education, but actually doing it is something else.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s really nothing, just something stupid¡­¡±


    ¡°And you fear for your name¡¯s reputation by revealing - I assume - what you consider embarrassing ignorance?¡±


    ¡°...yes,¡± she admitted after a short pause.


    ¡°In that case, I have a message for you. From Nadine.¡±


    The young heiress perked up.


    ¡°Believe it or not,¡± Her Highness continued, ¡°but she expected exactly this to happen. Anyway, there is a Human saying: ¡°He who asks may be stupid, he who doesn¡¯t ask stays stupid¡±. While I would choose different words were I to use this phrase in public, the point stays. You¡¯re here to learn. You¡¯re no fool for not knowing that what you¡¯ve never been taught.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ understand, Your Highness. See, what I don¡¯t get: why are there always these huge gaps in the schedule? It feels like something I should know, am I overlooking something obvious or¡­¡±


    The princess was quiet for a while.


    ¡°Do you know what the hyperlanes are?¡± she eventually asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Then we found the issue.¡±


    Falpiyne listened in astonishment as she, for the first time, heard about the complex phenomenon that connected the different solar systems with each other and that was the only reason the alliance could even exist in the first place.


    ¡°I¡­ I had no idea. You can get anywhere on Hohmiy within half a day¡­ and talk to anyone anywhere¡­¡±


    She picked up her datapad again.


    ¡°Then, these forty-seven days in the table for example¡­ that¡¯s how long it takes to just even get an answer?!¡±


    ¡°The messenger need to get from here to the entrance point, jump, pass the bridgeway, jump again, pass another bridgeway, jump again, send the message, wait for an answer, and then do everything again in reverse. And the example you picked is a message that can sent digitally via the relay station. If it was something that required them to personally go to the planet, it would be even more. We are lucky, but some planets are quite far away from their entrance point.¡±


    Falpiyne was at a loss for words. She had completely underestimated what ¡°visiting a different planet¡± truly meant.


    ¡°I guess I should have anticipated that you wouldn¡¯t know. Interplanetary matters bear no relevance to someone of your standing, except maybe when you put your name on the import list.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong. She had never really learned about this, nor had she really cared for the stars above. That had only really changed when she had seen Lady Nadine during the broadcast of the trial and for the first time realized what fascinating discoveries she maybe could make there. And now, she lamented the fact that someone of her standing could never hope to see beyond the planet¡¯s borders.


    ¡°Anyway, I now have a meeting with the head of the Royal Research Institute. I trust you know what a priority order is?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Priority orders are a widespread organizing method commonly used for-¡±


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    She interrupted herself as the princess raised a hand, signaling her to stop.


    ¡°This was not supposed to be a quiz,¡± the princess clarified and sent a file to her datapad. ¡°I want you to try and make one. You may ask the servants for anything you might need. I¡¯ll check your work once I come back.¡±


    And with that, she left. For a while, Falpiyne just stared blankly into the air. She hadn¡¯t expected that Her Highness would give her such an important task and then just trust her to do it. Sure, she had said she would check it, but if what she did was unusable, wouldn¡¯t she just create more work?


    No, calm down. It¡¯s just a priority order, you know how these work!


    She looked at the case. It was about a big investigation the princess wanted to carry out on a planet called Eroas. Falpiyne had no idea what species it belonged to but then again, she barely knew the alliance species anyway. As she skimmed the list, one word stood out. Relay station. Right, the princess had mentioned those. But was that important here?


    Her gaze wandered to the button on the desk. She had said she could ask the servants for anything, so this would be fine, right? She pressed it, and the door opened almost instantly.


    ¡°I need all the information you can give me about Eroas.¡±


    The servant nodded and took out a datapad.


    ¡°We already compiled the most important information, what do you need to know, Milady.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you already have¡­ okay, what¡¯s the travel time?¡±


    ¡°You mean between the planet and their entrance point? At the current time of the cycle and with an average traveling speed, about sixteen to twenty days. The exact number depends on the ship.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, makes sense. Then priority number one must be¡­ ah, that must be why Her Highness is talking with the Royal Research Institute. Okay, yes, that means the first step is the assembly- wait, the list mentions a report from¡­ Mirtan? What is that about?¡±


    ¡°Admiral Mirtan is the one currently in charge of the home fleet.¡±


    The servant then explained how the fleet was currently making a first assessment of the planet¡¯s state but was ill-equipped and would return soon.


    ¡°Errm¡­ that would make all these steps dependent on his report, we can¡¯t do any of these yet. Is there maybe¡­ um¡­ what¡¯s a message jumper?¡±


    ¡°That simply refers to a ship being sent through the hyperlane to transmit a message.¡±


    The servant barely needed time to look things up. Was everything compiled so perfectly?


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how they would communicate with the expedition. Wait, but then the relay station needs to work. Then that has to be priority number one, so first we need to gather engineers and mechanics.¡±


    ¡°Do you need to know anything else, Milady?¡±


    ¡°No that should be¡­ wait, if it¡¯s alien¡­ who builds these relay stations?¡±


    ¡°The Tystrie purchased theirs from the Krsnelv assuming it is still the same one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then we need people who know that tech!¡±


    Slowly but steadily, Falpiyne got things into order. Eventually, Her Highness returned, and the young heiress nervously watched as she went over the list without saying a word. Eventually, she put the datapad down and looked at her.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    <hr>


    Reiykin heard a door close behind him. Slowly, he was led into the room and eventually to a chair where he sat down. Carefully raising his arms, he felt a table in front of him and adjusted his position accordingly.


    After an initial introduction on how everything would proceed from here on out, he and Falpiyne had been separated. She was to stay with the princess, while he would be looked after by someone else.


    That someone else being Lady Nadine.


    ¡°Do you want anything?¡±


    ¡°I-I am fine, thank you, Lady Nadine.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for you to call me ¡°Lady¡± anymore. You know what¡¯s really going on.¡±


    Right, there was also that. He still hadn¡¯t fully processed all the insane things he and his adoptive sister had learned from her retelling. Not only was she not an ambassador, the Vanaery hadn¡¯t even made contact with her kind. Instead somewhere out there as a sole human ship, its inhabitants hopefully alive but potentially spread out throughout alliance space. Messages had been sent in all directions to see if maybe other alliance members knew anything, and the few answers that had come back so far were all negative.


    ¡°But¡­ even if you are no ambassador, the rest we heard is still true, right? You are still part of the Humans¡¯ nobility, you deserve this much respect.¡±


    Well, that was hardly the main reason why it was a strange thought to get so personal with her. Every single evening since the trial, the two of them had rewatched the broadcast, he had listened to the alien¡¯s voice, and Falpiyne had described how she looked, getting better and more detailed about it each time. And now, here he was.


    ¡°And if I were a commoner? Would I not deserve respect then?¡±


    Reiykin paused. Her voice sounded differently all of a sudden.


    ¡°But¡­ aren¡¯t you¡­¡±


    ¡°I said if.¡±


    The room fell quiet as Reiykin didn¡¯t respond. She was clearly expecting some kind of answer from him, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. What was she trying to get at?


    ¡°Forget it,¡± she eventually said with a sigh. Was she disappointed in him? ¡°I guess I need to get more gradual about this. Anyway, before we start, is there anything you want to know? I imagine you have loads of questions.¡±


    He had, the one that popped up in his head first didn¡¯t reach his mouth. It felt like something he shouldn¡¯t ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s a personal question. If I don¡¯t want to answer, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡­ from the way my sister described you, I thought you would¡­ feel different.¡±


    ¡°...how old are you again?¡± she asked after a short pause.


    ¡°Seven cycles. Next cycle, I will be old enough to inherit the title.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure how exactly that connected to his question, but he answered anyway. Lady Nadine once more took a moment before responding.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what you were expecting, but you weren¡¯t touching me directly. I¡¯m wearing¡­ for the sake of simplicity, let¡¯s call it gloves. You shouldn¡¯t touch my skin.¡±


    ¡°D-did I offend you?¡± he asked in panic, now feeling bad that she had to guide him here. Should he have asked if that was culturally acceptable for her?


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. But¡­ well¡­ if you would touch me directly, your shell might dissolve.¡±


    It got quiet again. Reiykin felt as if the room had just gotten colder.


    ¡°S-surely you jest-¡±


    ¡°I wish. It wouldn¡¯t immediately, but¡­ it¡¯s a bad idea. Please just leave it at that.¡±


    Her voice sounded different once more. This new tone made all the other questions he had left feel irrelevant.


    ¡°But speaking of feeling: how much exactly do you feel? Like, the table for example: can you feel the object itself of just the resistance? Or when I let you here, did you feel the material of my suit or did you just feel the friction?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I apologize, I don¡¯t understand the question.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, with all the screens, braille would¡¯ve probably been a fool¡¯s endeavor anyway since you only use screens. What I really don¡¯t get is why there is no text-to-speech, we''ve had that stuff for centuries. Well, we¡¯ll see. Back on topic. You were educated in organization and leadership, right?¡±


    ¡°I-I was, but¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. There is a lot to do. We¡¯re about to launch a large-scale investigation on a different planet, and we need to be meticulous. Sil- ahem. Her Highness is doing all the organizing, while I make sure everyone knows what they need to. And I want you to use your knowledge to provide insight and make sure everything is worked up properly.¡±


    Reiykin was frozen in his seat. Be it question or protest, neither of the two would leave his mouth. And the quietness that followed Lady Nadine¡¯s words somehow was almost worse. But then she spoke once more, and her tone was once again different. It was¡­ soft.


    ¡°Um¡­ sorry, I got a bit too enthusiastic there. I didn¡¯t want to overwhelm you with this, again, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s hard for me to stay calm right now. I might finally make some actual progress, but¡­ truth be told, my part in this isn¡¯t all great, so don¡¯t understand this as if I¡¯m dumping some huge responsibility on you.¡±


    She paused for a moment.


    ¡°I heard about it. How everyone thinks your clan is done for. I won¡¯t force you into anything. But if you allow me, I would like to show you why I think that¡¯s bullshit.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 21 - Coat of arms

    ¡°Um¡­ do you maybe have a smaller one, Sil?¡±


    Silgvani sighed as the Human handed her back her datapad.


    ¡°I had the last three times you asked that. But it¡¯s not like I freely have access to anything on the planet. Well, I technically have, but expropriation isn¡¯t exactly a route I want to take.¡±


    ¡°Of course, DON¡¯T do that, please! It¡¯s just¡­ you know¡­¡±


    The princess leaned back in her chair and nodded. This was far from the first time they had a conversation like this, so by now, Nadine¡¯s view of things wasn¡¯t as foreign to her as it used to be.


    The plan for a more thorough investigation of Eroas for potential clues to the other Humans was now more or less complete, except for the parts that depended on her uncle¡¯s report. It shouldn¡¯t take much longer for the fleet to come home and report their findings and as soon as they did, they could finalize their plans and send the expedition on their way. In the best-case scenario, the soldiers had already found some clues regarding the involvement of Nadine¡¯s colony which they could build upon. Worst case, they would know where there was nothing to find.


    This meant that they had a few days of inevitable downtime which allowed Silgvani to get some other things done that were due. She decided to pick the more pleasant option, Nadine¡¯s award ceremony, first. Even though the small alien may disagree with her evaluation.


    ¡°Yes, I can¡­ somewhat see your position,¡± Silgvani admitted. ¡°But this is already on the lower end. Remember, from the perspective of the noble clans, you are a foreign dignitary whom we are greatly indebted to for her deeds. If I give an award that makes me look cheap my family¡¯s reputation will suffer even more than it already does thanks to my parents¡¯ antics. This estate isn¡¯t big by ducal standards - no, I can not hold you to a lower standard than that - and the accompanying patch of land is only eight thousand fleacc.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. I also know that we¡¯ve been through this, but¡­ I still can¡¯t help but feel like it¡¯s a waste. And that the current situation is so frustrating doesn¡¯t help! I once again can¡¯t do anything except wait! Once the expedition can finally go on its way, we need to wait again! On top of that, all of your messengers who returned from other planets so far came back with nothing except one with a very vague ¡°they want to meet¡±, and for that to lead anywhere, we have to - again - wait! The hyperlanes make everything so slow!¡±


    Nadine took a deep breath before she continued.


    ¡°I get that we might as well do something while we wait. Sorry that I¡¯m being such a chore right now. Ranting won¡¯t change anything. And some distraction is probably better for my mental state anyway.¡±


    She looked back at the image of the manor.


    ¡°This one is good. I swear I¡¯ll find a way to use it properly and not waste it. Also, can I just take a moment and say that your area unit is an absolute mess to calculate? Why aren¡¯t you just squaring your length unit, lynes?¡±


    ¡°Square? The site isn¡¯t a square though,¡± Silgvani pointed out, earning a sigh from Nadine. Was she misunderstanding something? She knew how to calculate, obviously, but deeper mathematics hadn¡¯t been part of her education.


    ¡°Forget it. Out of curiosity, did you get that unit from somewhere else? Fleacc doesn¡¯t sound like a Vanaery word.¡±


    ¡°I never really thought about it, we¡¯ve used that unit for as long as I can remember. But now that you say it, it could be.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re probably using the same units alliance-wide, right? Wouldn¡¯t be too strange then. And it makes sense to synch units considering you¡¯re selling spaceships to each other. In the past, we screwed up an international space mission pretty badly once because the people used different ones. Still doesn¡¯t explain how this trainwreck of a unit was what prevailed.¡±


    The princess shrugged.


    ¡°Maybe it was the unit used by the strongest economic power at the time. Is it really that bad? I know how big an area roughly is if you tell me how many flaecc it has, but I never did calculations with it.¡±


    ¡°Be glad,¡± Nadine insisted, making Silgvani chuckle.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re getting better with our language if you can notice something like that already. Who knows for how long you¡¯ll need the translator?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that good. Rehearsed speeches maybe¡­ damn, I just remembered, do I have to hold a speech for this award?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily, but some might see it as rude if you don¡¯t. Why is that an issue, anyway? You proved to be a decent speaker at the trial.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯m still bad with crowds! Fine, I¡¯ll try. That aside, how exactly do ceremonies like this go? Any traditions I need to keep in mind?¡±


    Silgvani sat back down behind her desk and opened the drawing function on her datapad.


    ¡°There are,¡± she explained while her finger glided over the screen, ¡°but for most of them, it¡¯s not mandatory for foreigners to adhere. Appreciated, yes, but even the dukes aren¡¯t self-absorbed enough to not realize how disrespectful that can end up being. The more formalities you adopt, the more they will like you, but they won¡¯t hold it against you if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ why do I feel like you just said the same thing three times in a row?¡±


    Silgvani suppressed a laughter at Nadine¡¯s deadpan response.


    ¡°I just wanted to make sure you understand no one will be mad if you wish to keep your clothes on.¡±


    The small alien blinked a couple of times, seemingly needing a few tiggs to process what she just heard.


    ¡°Sil, please tell me that was just bad wording.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure how what I said sounded to you, so I¡¯ll just explain. I believe I told you that fashion as a whole is a concept we imported from other cultures?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°When it comes to ceremonial circumstances, we keep things more traditional. Hence, no clothes.¡±


    Finally done with her drawing, she put the datapad on the table so that Nadine could see the screen. It showed an assortment of lines, arranged in a shape that roughly resembled a torso.


    ¡°Has anyone told you about these yet?¡±


    ¡°Nnnoo?¡± Nadine answered slowly as she looked at the image. ¡°Wait, that looks a bit like what Falpiyne and Reiykin used when they signed the NDAs. Right, I wanted to ask about that anyway!¡±


    ¡°Yes, unlike you, we don¡¯t sign with our names. This is a ¡°line crest¡±. Every clan has one, each of them unique. During ceremonies, we paint them on our bodies. Obstructing them would be seen as disrespecting our heritage.¡±


    The Human nodded and looked almost relieved.


    ¡°That makes more sense than how it originally sounded. Still, pass. I¡¯ll speak if I have to, but I will NOT speak naked.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I expected as much. As I said, that is fine. Besides, I doubt Humans have line crests anyway.¡±


    ¡°We actually do. Well, they¡¯re different, but some old families still have their crests. Hang on, I¡¯ll show you mine.¡±


    ¡°Wait, your nobility holds no meaning, but your crest does?¡± the princess asked, confused.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just as irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°But you know it well enough to draw it?¡±


    ¡°It might be a vestige, but it¡¯s a cool vestige. Ours is on the simpler side so it¡¯s easy to remember. We had it framed in our house so I saw it daily. Does this have a color function¡­ no, of course it hasn¡¯t. Okay, let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    She kept drawing for a bit longer until finally, she revealed her work.


    ¡°Imagine the filled spaces to be black and the empty spaces to be yellow.¡±


    It was indeed very different from a line crest. Judging by the shape, it clearly wasn¡¯t meant to be painted on the body. The centerpiece was a half-rectangle-half-circle with a circle and a beam in it. On top sat a small cylinder with an oval on top, and a bizarre, almost shapeless array wrung around the entire thing.


    ¡°Yes, it would be difficult to use that like a line crest. I can have it made into an emblem for you the wear though, how does that sound?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ actually sounds nice.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll see to it. The two practitioners will probably appreciate some lighter tasks, we put them through a lot.¡±


    Nadine let out an audible sigh.


    ¡°Sil, I told you it¡¯s not ¡°practitioners¡±, that was just the translator being weird. Man, we need to come up with a Vanaery name for this. But speaking of, how is your impression so far?¡±


    Silgvani leaned back in her chair, adjusting her position so it would be more comfortable for her two broken arms.


    ¡°The daughter of clan Silpiyne received a decent education. It didn¡¯t take long before I could give her some tasks and she performed well. To be completely honest, she was a big help and more or less convinced me to do this again in the future. The son of clan Reiylar¡­ well, you spent more time with him than I did, I only gave him work a handful of times. The results were decent though. He is more quiet and reserved compared to his adoptive sister, but he knows how to use his head. The biggest issue was that he always needed someone to read and write for him. It¡¯s fine for now, but he can¡¯t lead a duchy like that. The potential for people to manipulate him is too great. ¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s aware of that. Some of my initial ideas are, unfortunately, out of the window, but I got some new ones. It depends on how certain pieces of tech work, but I need to speak with an expert anyway. Back on Earth, I¡¯d know a dozen things that could help him, but you seem to have never invented them. But I think that at least on a personal level, I¡¯m making progress with him. A lot will depend on his strength of will.¡±


    ¡°Then how about you use the time until we get the report to work on your ideas? I can do the rest here myself.¡±


    Nadine clenched her fist and nodded. After she left, Silgvani retreated to her own chambers as well. Hopefully, they would get answers soon.


    There was also the matter of the illness. Neither the doctor nor the Royal Research Institute had reported any results yet, and she wasn¡¯t sure whether that was a good or a bad sign. But on the other hand, she had learned something interesting about the alien girl. She didn¡¯t know if the crest was actually that important to her or if it was just a reminder of home, but maybe it would make her happy if¡­


    I need to meet some artisans tomorrow.

 Book 2 Chapter 22 - Verdicts

    86th day after my arrival


    Dear Diary,


    it¡¯s been a while since I last wrote. To be honest, it¡¯s hard to wrap my head around how much time has passed since then. When I looked at the number on my last entry, I needed to ask Mhita to check the date for me because I was convinced there had to be a mistake. But no. It has indeed been an entire month. More than that when considering the longer days here. <s>How can an entire month with nothing</s>


    Sil isn¡¯t in the palace today. Neither are the siblings, they¡¯re accompanying her. I was offered to come as well, but I refused. The two seemed rather disappointed that I didn¡¯t come with them. A bit strange, I don¡¯t feel like we¡¯re THAT close yet. Or am I reading the signs wrong? <s>Maybe Vanaery nobility is just</s>


    Either way, I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to go. They¡¯re holding the trial for all the spies who worked for Kykla¡¯s goon and who got caught during the crackdown. Since it involved a foreign power, Sil once again has to be the judge.


    It¡¯s strange that the Vanaery don¡¯t have dedicated judges. A verdict can be made by any noble who is of higher rank than the involved parties unless that¡¯s impossible. Well, I guess all nobles have to know the law. Still, it seems strange. But maybe that¡¯s just because I¡¯ve only seen court cases of the highest order here.


    Going by what Sil told me, it¡¯s mostly a formality this time and the result is more or less decided already. They¡¯re all charged with treason, and Vanaery law doesn¡¯t seem to know any extenuating circumstances for that. Not even if they acted under threat. In other words, there isn¡¯t really a scenario where this won¡¯t end in a mass execution. I know she¡¯s just doing her job, Sil doesn¡¯t make the rules (yet), but being right there when she does it¡­


    I just can¡¯t.


    <s>I wonder if they¡¯d do it differently if it weren¡¯t only ¡°commoners¡± who</s>


    But for the two, this is probably great. They¡¯re being publicly seen with the princess, which <s>is prob</s> should be something good. I assume. <s>I guess I never really</s>


    <s>Maybe I have a too narrow view on</s>


    Well, my personal bias aside, they deserve it. I don¡¯t know how much of an outlier they are compared to other noble children, <s>but if this ends up causing a stir-up</s> but after helping oversee them, I don¡¯t think they are like what I heard about most.


    The highest rank seem to have those the translator translates as ¡°Duke¡±. It sounds like they can cause a lot of trouble for Sil if they don¡¯t see eye to eye with her. That¡¯s also the title Reiykin will inherit if I remember correctly. Wouldn¡¯t that mean he could end up being a powerful ally to her?


    Well, not like anyone seems to believe that at the moment. I really need to start looking into some of my newer ideas. For example, the translator reads intent. Shouldn¡¯t that be compatible with some form of speech-to-text? I really need to talk with some experts. Not just because of that, <s>but after Sil¡¯s offer</s>


    IF I were to stay on this planet, training alone probably couldn¡¯t compensate for the lower gravity. <s>Maybe the effects on my body are already irreversible</s> Maybe I should¡¯ve done that sooner. They HAVE artificial gravity tech, so this should be doable, right?


    Speaking of, Sil also said I would be getting a ship, crew and everything. <s>With it, maybe I could go by myself and look</s> I still don¡¯t know how should feel about this whole award ceremony. While everyone was gone, I spent most of the day trying to draw our crest as detailed as possible. They don¡¯t have colored pencils here, so it was a bit tricky. I hope it¡¯ll look good in the end. Funny, I never really cared much about it outside of thinking it was cool that we had it, but now


    UPDATE!!! Still the 86th day after my arrival


    Dear Diary,


    it happened! Mhita told me they just got a message. Sil¡¯s uncle is apparently on the way back and sent one fast ship ahead. They just left the hyperlane and will be here tomorrow, much quicker than expected! With the info they bring, we¡¯ll finally able to send the expedition force on their way. <s>I hope they already found something</s>


    Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t heard from Doc in a while now. I wonder if she found anything new.


    <hr>


    Over the course of the last couple of days, Falpiyne¡¯s view of the princess had shifted a bit. She was, of course, still a figure that demanded respect, but the more time she had spent in close proximity to her, the more she realized that Her Highness wasn¡¯t someone she needed to fear without reason. She wouldn¡¯t be able to properly put it into words if asked, but while her respect had only grown, the Silpiyne Heiress no longer felt as intimidated in her presence as she used to.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Today, the princess had taken her and her brother with her for a mass trial. Falpiyne had heard about these spies before during the trial of the ambassador - even if that hadn¡¯t been part of the section she and Reiykin had watched over and over - but the situation had turned out to be vastly different than she had expected. The people on trial didn¡¯t act at all like what she had expected traitors to be. Some had tried to talk their way out of it despite the evidence, some pleaded for mercy, and some openly admitted it, apologized, and seemed almost¡­ relieved? It hardly fit the image.


    Of course, the outcome didn¡¯t change for either of them. Treason was treason. The executions were conducted right afterward, with no delay as no appeal time was granted. The two of them hadn¡¯t been present for that part. Instead, the steward gave them a lesson about all the paperwork that came with such a trial as well as some pieces of it to work on.


    By the time the group sat in the shuttle back to the Star Palace, the day was already about to end. Currently, they all sat there in silence while the princess looked at her datapad, checking the work the two had done in the trial¡¯s aftermath.


    ¡°Decent,¡± she eventually commented. ¡°Lady Falpiyne, you made some minor formality errors, but nothing big. That¡¯s something that¡¯ll come with experience. Lord Reiykin, your work was¡­ less satisfactory.¡±


    Falpiyne could see her brother tense, and she herself, even though she wasn¡¯t the one criticized, shared the feeling. The displeasure in Her Highness¡¯s voice was audible. What had he done wrong? As far as she recalled, he had gotten a lot of praise in his previous tasks at the palace.


    ¡°Wh-what is wrong about it, Y-Your Highness?¡± he asked in a panicked voice.


    ¡°Multiple things. For example, stating that some got sentenced on testimony alone isn¡¯t exactly accurate considering the evidence we had on top of that. Calling the list unverified is also untrue.¡±


    ¡°I-I never dictated those things!¡± he desperately pleaded.


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s written here nonetheless. Because I told the servant to try and sabotage you.¡±


    Falpiyne¡¯s brain needed a while to catch up with the last sentence and even then, she was sure she had misheard. Her brother couldn¡¯t even close his mouth, only staring in disbelief.


    ¡°Your work isn¡¯t lost, don¡¯t worry, he also made a correct version. But imagine you wouldn¡¯t have been reporting to me but acting on your own, imagine this would¡¯ve been your orders to someone or something like that. How long, do you think, it would¡¯ve taken for you to find out? How much damage do you think could¡¯ve been done? Would you have even noticed at all?¡±


    The two were still frozen in place when Her Highness put the datapad away and leaned back.


    ¡°That may seem a bit mean, but it is something you need to keep in mind. You will be a duke. You can¡¯t allow yourself to be manipulated. Not everyone around you will be someone you can trust, as today¡¯s trial hopefully demonstrated.¡±


    Her words were harsh, but she wasn¡¯t wrong. It was likely the main reason why the other ducal clans expected Reiylar to fall once he claimed his inheritance. Could Lady Nadine¡¯s strange ideas really help him? He had sounded pretty excited when he had told Falpiyne about it, even though she hadn¡¯t really understood most of it.


    <hr>


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± the head maid greeted them as they left the shuttle. Mhita, if Falpiyne remembered correctly. ¡°Your Highness, Lady Nadine wishes to speak, she has news for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Do you know what it is about?¡±


    ¡°Yes, though I believe she wants to be the one to tell you.¡±


    That sounded odd to Falpiyne, but she didn¡¯t voice it. Instead, she let Reiykin grab her right arms and guided him through the halls as they followed the princess to Lady Nadine¡¯s chambers.


    ¡°And that¡¯s four,¡± they could hear her voice coming through the slightly open.


    ¡°Damn it! I swear by the First Ones, I¡¯ll get you one day!¡±


    ¡°Well, I would normally say something like ¡°Then better don¡¯t slack¡±, but considering the fact that the first thing you did after waking up was to call me and demand a game, I¡¯d say you got that covered. But you¡¯re getting better. Anyway, got to go. The next game should be done soon.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    The princess opened and Falpiyne could see the alien put the datapad away and stand up.


    ¡°Sil- ahem. Your Highness, good evening.¡±


    ¡°Likewise. You wanted to talk?¡±


    Lady Nadine nodded in a way that looked almost enthusiastic.


    ¡°Your u- err, General Mirtan sent a messenger.¡±


    ¡°Admiral,¡± the princess corrected.


    ¡°Ah, yes, that. Anyway, they¡¯ll be here tomorrow, do you know what that means?¡±


    ¡°It means we can accelerate our schedule,¡± she confirmed as she turned to the two. ¡°It seems tomorrow will get busy.¡±


    And with that, she left, leaving the two alone with Lady Nadine who gestured for them to take a seat. Falpiyne led her brother over to the chairs.


    ¡°So, how was the trial?¡± she asked somberly.


    The two recounted their day, excluding what they had learned during the shuttle flight back. Reiykin didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about it so Falpiyne kept quiet as well. Instead, they ended with the executions, even though they hadn¡¯t seen them themselves. During that part, Lady Nadine seemed to shift in her seat for some reason.


    ¡°I heard about it,¡± she ultimately said. ¡°They will be thrown into space, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Falpiyne affirmed. ¡°The law demands that no part of them will ever touch Hohmiy again.¡±


    The alien got quiet. She could get quiet to a degree that almost felt uncanny.


    ¡°Out¡­ of curiosity,¡± she eventually asked, ¡°would nobles in the same situation be treated differently?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Reiykin answered without hesitation. Lady Nadine¡¯s facial features shifted to a degree that made them almost look distorted, a change so fast it startled Falpiyne. Her brother, oblivious to it, kept talking.


    ¡°After all, nobles always represent their clans, so their actions reflect on them. Clan members can easily be suspected as accomplices. A noble committing a crime as severe as treason wouldn¡¯t just doom themselves, depending on the circumstances, they might cause the downfall of their clan.¡±


    And just as sudden as the last change, her facial expression was more like it had been before again.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s what you meant.¡±


    Reiykin tilted his head, looking confused.


    ¡°Yes? Are the Humans¡¯ nobility treated differently?¡±


    ¡°Remember what she told us,¡± Falpiyne reminded him.


    ¡°Oh, right. I apologize, Lady Nadine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a foreign concept to you, so you have a hard time wrapping your head around it. It was similar for me. Though, in reverse, obviously. But now that you mention it, I can¡¯t recall hearing about anyone actually getting charged with treason in my country during my lifetime.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, a high noble being found guilty of a severe crime doesn''t just affect their clan though,¡± he continued his explanation, reciting their lessons almost verbatim. ¡°It can have rather wide impacts on the standing of lots of different parties. Like the execution of the son of clan Gatriy for harming the prince.¡±


    Lady Nadine blinked.


    ¡°With prince, do you mean Kiyrtin?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­? Is there another prince?¡±


    ¡°No, but¡­ when did that happen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I think we heard about it¡­ about sixty days ago?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Falpiyne confirmed. ¡°It was right before the rainy season started. Have you not heard of it? Many, not just the ducal clans but also a lot of counts were quite unhappy with how the matter was handled.¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t heard of it. Please enlighten me.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 23 - Lies

    The destroyer Gatriy had barely assumed its position in orbit when the shuttle bay was already opening. The landing vehicle, carrying Captain Jarkiy as well as a few others, separated from the craft and began moving toward the planet.


    The admiral himself had given them permission and orders to forgo all normal procedure, giving them a special code that allowed the captain to act above his usual authority. As such, no messages were exchanged with the sector control outside of said code and a short comment, no spaceport - be it regular or military - was marked as the destination. Instead, the shuttle headed straight for the Star Palace.


    On the one hand, the captain understood the idea behind this order: saving time. After all, it was for that very reason that the Gatriy - one of the faster ships in the fleet - had been sent ahead. So far, so good. On the other hand, however, all these breaches of protocol felt excessive to Jarkiy. They were, by now, multiple days ahead of the fleet, so was half a day sooner or later for the princess to get the report really worth all of this?


    The vessel shook as it entered the atmosphere. The Gatriy had launched them from a position in high orbit from where they basically only needed to travel diagonally down in order to reach their destination. The shaking stopped after a while and he could feel the brake thrusters spring into action, steadily slowing down their descent. Some more time passed until finally, the pilot informed them that they had landed. A slight hiss was heard, then the door opened.


    Jarkiy stepped out and took a deep breath. It felt good to finally breathe Hohmiy¡¯s air again after spending quite a long time on board his ship in space. The rain was rather heavy today, but it didn¡¯t really bother him at that moment.


    ¡°Welcome, Captain Jarkiy,¡± the voice of the servant standing in the open palace gate pulled him back into reality. ¡°Her Highness is already awaiting you, please follow me.¡±


    She is? I had announced my arrival not even a day ago. It seems like she sees this matter as just as urgent as Admiral Mirtan.


    He entered the palace, following the servant. Another one stood beside the door and handed him a towel. The captain took it and quickly wiped his body without slowing his pace, then he gave the cloth back. For his entourage, it was the same.


    It was Jarkiy''s first time in the Star Palace.. He knew about it, obviously, but seeing the interior in person was a sight to behold. He would¡¯ve loved to spend more time observing the various art pieces bought or gifted from other alliance members. Maybe after he had given his report.


    The walk was short and soon, they reached a small conference room. Four people were waiting for him inside, one of them, of course, being the princess.


    ¡°My greetings, Your Highness. Jarkiy of clan Jarion, Captain of the Gatriy, at your service,¡± he introduced himself with a salute. She gestured for him to sit down, which he promptly did, all while quickly eyeing the other three people sitting across the table. Two of them, sitting left of the princess, were¡­ children? Older ones from what he could see, but children nonetheless. Their presence was odd considering the fact that the topic of his report was rather classified. It was probably alright, after all, Her Highness herself was clearly permitting it and they also both wore a sash in the princess¡¯s green. In the end, he opted to merely find it odd in quiet without voicing his thoughts.


    The final person on the table was not a Vanaery. That had to be Lady Nadine. Jarkiy had only heard about her briefly, and all he knew about her kind was that they may have some relation to the latest happenings on Eroas. What exactly this relation entailed was something he didn¡¯t want to spend any thoughts on.


    Jarkiy got his datapad out and began his report.


    ¡°First point: the tunnels. After your departure, most of our manpower was spent on investigating those. The tunnel systems turned out much bigger than originally estimated, branching out in all directions and deep underground.¡±


    ¡°According to Lady Kykla, those used to be the four biggest mines on the entire planet,¡± the princess interjected. ¡°And considering that they apparently mined their world dry, it would make sense for them to be vast.¡±


    ¡°That does line up with our findings, yes. Deeper inside, we found various ways of transportation that, while most of them were still functional, weren¡¯t in good shape. Many tunnels were also blocked, though it was difficult to tell whether they had caved in or were deliberately sealed off. Mining equipment was scarce, and most areas we found seemed to have been repurposed into some form of quarters, albeit with a very low standard of living. Even by commoner standards. We¡¯ve been, unfortunately, unable to fully explore the tunnels within the time frame, so it is difficult to estimate how much we¡¯ve been able to map out. Which brings me to the second point: the Tystrie.¡±


    Jarkiy paused and took a quick breath. He had been a soldier all his life, but this had been something else.


    ¡°The corpses we found were various when it came to their state. All of them seemed to have died rather recently, but not all died from the unknown illness. Some died from external wounds, both accidents, and fights are possible explanations. As our time was limited, we stopped counting after a few thousand. Seeing as all entrances to the former mining facilities had been locked, we¡¯ve reached two plausible conclusions: either the dead had fallen ill and were quarantined inside the tunnels; or the population hid in the tunnels from, for example, and outside attack, and during that, the illness broke out. By the time we had to make our way back, we had not found any survivors.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Jarkiy did his best not to look at the two children while he talked. The rest of the report consisted of minor details regarding the findings as well as a map of the tunnels as far as they had been able to explore them. Not many questions were asked afterward and after transmitting the report, he was dismissed.


    <hr>


    Silgvani quickly re-opened the report on her own datapad.


    ¡°They were thorough with the tunnels considering their limited time,¡± she stated before turning to Falpiyne and Reiykin. Judging by their demeanor, the report had been¡­ a lot to take in, to put it mildly.


    ¡°But with this as a basis, the expedition force will have a solid-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pointless,¡± Nadine interrupted without looking up. Her voice sounded a bit strange compared to yesterday. Agitated?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look at this. Look at how deep they went. What are the odds that even deeper, someone is actually alive? In an enclosed space with a deadly disease running rampant?¡±


    ¡°Then, what would you do?¡± the princess inquired.


    ¡°They need to focus on the surface, obviously.¡±


    ¡°My uncle already did that, too.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know what to look for,¡± Nadine immediately said before the last word was even fully out of Silgvani¡¯s mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve completed my instructions for the expedition and with a more steady line of communication and fewer time constraints, they¡¯ll be able to find clues he overlooked. Those might be also in the upper levels of the mines, but I doubt going deeper will be the right way to go about this,¡± she explained. She still hadn¡¯t looked up once.


    ¡°And I just got another idea,¡± she continued, tapping the datapad and opening the estimated timeline of events.


    ¡°I mean, here¡¯s what we know: all five warships the Tystrie had left got destroyed. The Sk¨ªeblaenir - or a different ship with the same tech - arrived on the planet. A mutated version of a human disease, likely the common cold, rapidly spread. So far, no corpses were found outside the old mines. As it stands¡­ I think it all comes back to the Sk¨ªeblaenir. Who has her? Where did she go?¡±


    Nadine put the datapad back onto the table, still not looking up.


    ¡°We need to speak with her again. We have to know the essential necessities of the Tystrie and what the best ways to obtain them are. That¡¯s all I can think of right now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for sharing your thoughts,¡± Silgvani nodded before turning to the other two. ¡°I also want you to think about this matter. Write down anything you can come up with, even if it sounds minuscule at first. Send it to me by sundown.¡±


    The two didn¡¯t answer, merely giving a confirming gesture. Then, Falpiyne guided her brother out, leaving only her and Nadine in the conference room.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Silgvani inquired once they were alone. ¡°You seem a bit beside yourself today. I know this was difficult to hear-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± the small alien interrupted her once more, her voice monotonous. ¡°I mean, I knew more or less what was coming. But there¡¯s something else. By the way, did you hear? His ship¡¯s called Gatriy. Funny coincidence, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Coincidence? In what context? Clan Gatriy is simply¡­ wait.


    The princess stiffened as a thought crept into her mind.


    ¡°Say, does a ¡°Gatmar of clan Gatriy¡± ring a bell?¡± Nadine continued.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not familiar with that phrase you just-¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! You know from context what I mean!¡±


    It was the first time today that Nadine had looked at Silgvani. Her eyes were so narrow they had become barely more than slits.


    ¡°I¡­,¡± Silgvani began but ultimately sighed. ¡°How much do you know?¡±


    ¡°Significantly less than I feel I should. How come Kiyrtin never told me anything about some noble ¡°endangering his life¡±? Sounds like something he would mention.¡±


    Nadine¡¯s expression darkened further.


    ¡°Did you make this guy a scapegoat?¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°Did you put the blame on him? Did you make him the culprit of what happened back in the forest?¡±


    Silgvani didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Do¡­ do you really think I sacrificed an innocent man for a cover-up?!¡±


    ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW what to think anymore!¡±


    ¡°And instead you would-¡±


    This time Silgvani interrupted herself.


    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t want this to happen either.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t want what to happen?¡±


    And so, Silgvani told the small alien all that had happened the day she had visited Kiyrtin in the hospital, as well as the days after, all the events that ultimately ended in the premature execution. Nadine was completely silent during the retelling and sometime after, only speaking multiple tiggs later.


    ¡°And¡­ when were you planning on telling me all of this?¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°And your parents? Would you have ever told them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±


    ¡°So you lied to them.¡±


    The princess wrung the hands of her two unbroken arms.


    ¡°Technically not. I just relayed the doctor¡¯s words without commentary.¡±


    ¡°Sil, if you¡¯re technically not lying¡­ you¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°I did it to protect you!¡±


    ¡°Did you forget my talks with them?! Shit, looking back at that now, all I said¡­ why did you never tell me?!¡±


    This time, Silgvani didn¡¯t answer immediately. Her eyes found Nadine¡¯s.


    ¡°You had a lot to deal with at the time. I thought if I told you, you¡¯d blame yourself for it, even though my actions were what led to this.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you lied to me.¡± That hadn¡¯t been a question.


    ¡°Well, once you got better, it never really came up. And since things already were what they were¡­ it wasn¡¯t really a pressing matter.¡±


    ¡°And so you kept lying to me.¡±


    It, once again, hadn¡¯t been a question. The small alien hopped down from her chair and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Wait! Nadine!¡± she tried to stop her. ¡°I¡­ I get how you feel but¡­ I just¡­ I wanted to¡­¡±


    ¡°...protect me?¡± she finished the princess¡¯s sentence, stopping for a moment. A couple tiggs of silence passed before Nadine looked over her shoulder.


    ¡°Protecting and patronizing are two different things.¡±


    She then turned back to the door and opened it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll complete my notes for the expedition. You¡¯ll have them by sundown.¡±


    Then, she left. Silgvani now sat alone in the conference room. She would spend quite some time like this.

 Book 2 Chapter 24 - Eye to eye

    Kiyrtin closed the text and put away his datapad. He then leaned back and closed his eyes, mentally repeating everything one final time. Learning was still as boring as ever, but now that he had a goal in mind, something to achieve with this knowledge, it was actually bearable. For a while each day, at least.


    He thought about calling Nadine and challenging her to another round. It should be about morning for her by now. Over the last few days, there had been a couple of times when he had almost beaten her, he was sure of that. Then again, she seemed kind of distracted during these rounds. Was something going on over there? Being tied to this bed sucked!


    Just then, his datapad beeped. Surprised, he saw that Nadine was calling and quickly accepted. The alien girl¡¯s face came into view and yet, she looked different today. The white, on which the blue gemstones that were her eyes were usually bedded, now had a reddish hue with thin, red, branch-like lines running through it. At the same time, her skin seemed to have lost some of its hue.


    ¡°Morning. Do you have time right now?¡±


    ¡°Hello¡±, he greeted her back. ¡°Sure, I was just wondering if you¡¯re awake already.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡±, she began. Her voice also sounded a bit different. Rough? ¡°I¡¯ve already been awake for a few hours. Err, invas, sorry.¡±


    ¡°Really? I know you wake up early, but¡­ what was the time difference again?¡± He had only bothered to remember at what time, from his perspective, Nadine was usually awake, rather than calculating the exact time difference.


    ¡°Yes, I normally sleep longer, I just¡­ whatever, no need to concern yourself. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, nothing really. Same as always, so¡­ you know. Anyway, are you up for a game?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Normally I¡¯d love to but today¡­ can we maybe just talk?¡±


    The young prince was surprised. Normally she never turned down his challenges.


    ¡°I mean, we can, sure. About what?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Um¡­ do you have more stories you haven¡¯t told me?¡±


    ¡°I could probably think of some more but¡­ hah, sorry, but I¡¯m¡­ how about you tell me some things?¡±


    That was also new. She had sometimes asked him specific questions about him, his family, or his people in general, but she had never been this vague. He didn¡¯t know any stories outside the ones he got from her. And there wasn¡¯t really a lot happening around him at the moment either.


    ¡°I, uh¡­ do you want to hear about economics and business basics?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Let¡¯s hear how you guys do it. It¡¯s something I only know very little about anyway.¡±


    Little. Not nothing. Was there anything she didn¡¯t know about? He once again wondered what job she was aiming at to need this kind of spread-out knowledge, but refrained from asking since she clearly wanted to listen right now.


    And, he talked. Some basic theoretical stuff, as well as topics he personally had given priority. Not that he had told his tutors why exactly founding and leading a company was important for him. They probably assumed something ¡°befitting his status¡±, but he didn¡¯t plan on correcting them.


    He noticed that talking with Nadine about topics somehow made it easier for himself to understand it compared to hearing it from the teacher or reading about it. Maybe he should do this more often?


    Time passed rather quickly and soon, the Human had to end the call, thanking him profoundly even though he wasn¡¯t sure for what.


    <hr>


    90th day after my arrival


    Dear Diary,


    I have never written down any of the dreams I have had, but the one from last night refuses to leave my mind. <s>Why can¡¯t I just forget</s>


    <s>I feel if I don¡¯t</s>


    <s>Normally, just the fear lingered</s>


    <s>It began</s> I can¡¯t clearly recall how it began. Or where I was. Or what I was doing. The first thing I can still remember is that I felt the filling in my right back tooth break, pretty much the same thing that happened two years ago during the sleepover with Merve. I was at first only annoyed about it, thinking that I would need to tell Papa about it and make a dentist appointment. <s>I guess that part of the dream wasn¡¯t lucid enough for me to realize why that was</s>


    I remember feeling the loose piece with my tongue. I tried to get it out of my mouth but couldn¡¯t. In retrospect, I¡¯m not sure if I opened my mouth. Well, dreams. After a while, I suddenly felt an entire tooth come loose for no reason. Which, again, only felt annoying. I don¡¯t recall what happened next, but at some point, my mouth was full of loose teeth, and I tried spitting them out but couldn¡¯t, and I tried again and again but still couldn¡¯t, <s>and my mouth was filling</s>


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I don¡¯t recall the next part, only that I was afraid. <s>I probably once again saw</s> But at some point I <s>woke up</s> thought I woke up. Then I was in a courtroom. Not straight away but that was where it led. I don¡¯t remember if it was because of Kiyrtin or the executed noble, but I was blamed for it. They then brought me before a crowd. The crowd was all humans for some reason. The only Vanaery were the ones from the trial. They had set up medieval gallows for me <s>and then</s>


    <s>why can¡¯t I just</s>


    <s>This isn¡¯t</s>


    <s>I need to</s>


    <s>Why am I</s>


    <s>what does this</s>


    Sil


    <hr>


    With the expedition on the way, things had calmed down a bit. They had picked fast ships but even then, it would take a while for the first report to come in. Silgvani had given Falpiyne and Reiykin the day off, so she didn¡¯t know what those two were doing at the moment. For the princess though, there was still a lot to do regardless. The next item on the list was Nadine¡¯s award ceremony, scheduled to happen tomorrow.


    Nadine¡­


    Her thoughts quickly returned to the small alien. The two of them had barely spoken in the last couple of days. But as difficult as the situation was, it was far too late to reschedule. She wanted it to be a joyous occasion, and maybe it still would be, but uncertainty made her tense.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± Mhita pulled her back into reality. ¡°You have a call from Hawa Industries.¡±


    ¡°Put them through.¡±


    The call was linked and soon appeared on her datapad.


    ¡°My greetings, your Highness.¡±


    ¡°To you as well, Lord Hawa.¡±


    ¡°My thanks. You wanted me to call you once we were done with your commission. It was close, but we were able to finish it in time.¡±


    ¡°That is good to hear. Thank you for accepting on such short notice. I would like to see it in person so you can go and install it, would that be possible?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will clear my schedule for today. I will await your visit, Your Highness.¡±


    <hr>


    On the following day, countless shuttles could be seen in the sky of Calhanar, each belonging to a different noble clan. Under normal circumstances, it was expected that about seventy percent of the invited clans would send somebody, usually someone further down the succession line.


    On a day-to-day basis, Hohmiy¡¯s nobility was mainly concerned with internal affairs, after all, external contact happened primarily through the royal family. As such, ceremonies involving foreign guests were generally seen as a formality that didn¡¯t warrant clan leaders to get involved. A cousin or third child was more than enough.


    Exceptions were cases when the clan in question actually wanted something from the species in question, maybe a specific product or an increased import of certain material. In such instances, ceremonies like these were a rare opportunity to flatter the ambassador in hopes of increasing the chance of meeting them personally, something that was otherwise rarely successful for anyone below the rank of a duke. As such, it was no surprise that the large hall adjacent to the Star Palace - the aptly named Star Hall - was filled to the brim. Each of the invited clans had sent their leader together with their partner and first child, with not a single one missing. Avoiding them all might prove difficult, but Silgvani already had planned for that.


    With firm steps, the princess walked onto the stage. Clan Kiyron¡¯s line crest was painted on her body in green colors, even going over her two broken arms so that the cast wouldn¡¯t obstruct it. Letting her gaze fly over the audience once again made it clear how interested Hohmiy¡¯s nobility was in the new contact. Seeing every single line crest present three times was, while not unprecedented, exceedingly rare. A part of her wondered how many of them cared for the award itself at all, though idle curiosity may have at least been a factor to some.


    The idle chatter soon died down and the Star Hall became quiet. Before she began to speak, Silgvani spread her two remaining arms, then crossed them before her torso. The pose was a bit improvised, but that was her only option with just two arms usable. Her inner turmoil was irrelevant right now, she needed to be professional.


    ¡°Today,¡± she addressed the audience, ¡°is a day of celebration. A day which I can only experience thanks to the actions of a special individual, and to whose honor we have assembled today. Repeatedly, she did our world a great service, motivated by nothing other than to do what is right. For that, I welcome in our middle, from the species of the Humans, Lady Nadine Valentina Esmeralda Anastasia von Klot of House Heydenfeldt.¡±


    As Nadine took center stage, all Vanaery in the audience went through the same motion, spreading their lower arms while crossing their other, followed by a half-step back. It was how the pose was actually meant to look like with a complete set of limbs.


    The small alien donned a special outfit, far more complex than what she usually wore. A silvery ¡°tabard¡±, as she had called it, made to work together with her white protective suit rather than just going over it. Its edges were decorated with different patterns, small as to not draw too much attention but still very intricate. Additionally, black accents were placed on her arms reminiscent of the ornamental wrappings popular among Vanaery nobility. And in the center sat large the crest of Nadine¡¯s family, her people¡¯s version of a line crest. It was rather obvious that it drew a lot of attention, clearly making the nobles speculate. Finally, her hair wasn''t open like usual, instead tied back with a black ribbon.


    ¡°Lady Nadine,¡± Silgvani continued. ¡°The great service you have done to our home, and to me personally, can not possibly be overstated. And while you were never driven by the desire for a reward, both our laws and our traditions demand apt reimbursement. I hereby grant you the title of an honorary countess. A plot of land and estate of befitting size shall be given to you, as well as a ship of our own making. May these symbolize the eternal gratitude of Hohmiy.¡±


    After a short pause, she turned back to the audience.


    ¡°As it is Human tradition, the gifts shall be given in person, which we will do posthaste once the ceremony has concluded.¡±


    An easy lie meant to thin out the group. Coming to the Star Hall was one thing, but then following them into the outskirts? The attendance would drop significantly.


    After a few moments of silence, Nadine¡¯s hands went to her neck as she once again took off her translator.


    ¡°Your gracious gifts honor both me and my kind, Your Highness¡± she began, her accent even less noticeable than during her speech at the trial. ¡°As long as they stand, they will show the ties our people have and will form.¡±


    She paused for a moment and took a deep breath.


    ¡°And though we may not always see eye to eye¡­,¡± she continued, throwing Silgvani off. Had that been part of the rehearsed speech? No, definitely not. Nadine had gone off-script. But why?


    ¡°... it will never be something not to overcome. Just like the ability to help may constitute a duty to help, good and earnest intention shall and will not simply be discarded.¡±


    The small alien turned away from the crowd and now faced the princess directly.


    ¡°This connection means everything means all, one might say the world. We hope for an everlasting friendship, one that will not allow strains to tear it.¡±


    Once she was done, the hall fell quiet, and Silgvani noticed a single drop of clear liquid in the corner of Nadine¡¯s eye. Once she overcame her surprise, she released a breath she hadn¡¯t noticed she had been holding. Could her mouth move like the small alien¡¯s, she would probably wear a ¡°smile¡± right now. To the audience, Nadine¡¯s speech might¡¯ve sounded cryptic, but the princess had understood the true meaning behind the Human¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes. So do we.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 25 - Traditions

    Technically speaking, getting sent on a mission that was far away was great. When they would patrol the bridgeway, there was always the chance of something coming up that Krndl would need to handle. That was the big difference between patrolling and traveling. When traveling, there was a fixed goal that simply needed to be reached, and most problems that would come up during that had a solution someone else on the crew could provide and thus, it wasn¡¯t her responsibility to take care of it. And no reason to make a decision meant no risk of messing up.


    And yet, Krndl hadn¡¯t found a single tigg to relax during their long trip. Because no matter how many days they would spend on their way, they would eventually reach their destination. A thought the Hunter¡¯s captain was unable to push away even once. Just how in the world did they expect her to do this? She could barely speak to her superiors without fumbling, and now she would converse with foreign royalty?! She had never even talked to aliens! Sure, she had seen the ships when they were out on patrol duty, but on the rare occasions these ships would contact them, it would be about something the operators could handle on their own. And now, she was basically representing her planet in an unprecedented occurrence. How could that NOT go wrong?


    What was she even supposed to say when they would meet? She had never seen anyone else do that, she had no reference! Throughout the entire flight, she had frantically searched through all the databanks available to her, but she hadn¡¯t found a single recording of a dialogue that fit what she needed.


    Just then, Krndl¡¯s personal console beeped, making her freeze up. She hated that beeping under normal circumstances enough already, and right now, it was much, much worse. It beeped again. With a shaking finger, she accepted the call.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Captain, we have crossed the bridgeway and are now approaching the next entrance point,¡± the operator informed her. ¡°Next jump in eighty tiggs. We will open a channel to Hohmiy as soon as we¡¯re through.¡±


    Lacking the strength to answer, Krndl merely nodded and closed the call. That was it then. The moment she had dreaded was here, and there was no way around it anymore. Her mind seemed to zone out as barely any time had passed when the beep pulled her into reality once more. The call opened and an image appeared.


    Krndl knew what Vanaery looked like from pictures, but she was, for the first time, eye-to-eye with one. This particular one wore a green sash paired with a couple of other adornments. What now? Should she wait? But the Vanaery didn¡¯t say anything, did that mean she was supposed to speak first? How was she supposed to know alien etiquette?!


    ¡°I-I am Krndl, captain of the Hunter and leader of Hsvegplia¡¯s 16th flotilla. I am here on official orders of the elders with an urgent message¡­¡±


    As she spoke, the Vanaery raised a hand, confusing the captain. Had she already messed up?


    ¡°Giy rakil? Ranavi sekiy ako.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±


    Then, it hit her.


    TRANSLATOR! I FORGOT THE TRANSLATOR!!


    She made a hectic gesture, hoping the Vanaery would understand it to wait for a moment. She needed a translator, where did she have it? ¡­did she even have one? Great, what now?! Maybe the operators had one. But how should she go about it? She was supposed to be the captain, how could she openly announce such a stupid blunder? Unless¡­ maybe if she played it convincingly¡­


    ¡°Captain?¡± the Operator greeted her with audible confusion.


    ¡°I ordered a translator for Vanaery in my cabin,¡± she lied. ¡°Why is there none?¡±


    A lot of people she could¡¯ve given the order didn¡¯t hear that and the operator wouldn¡¯t go around asking, that way she was safe. Hopefully.


    ¡°Translator? But why¡­ oh, is there a defect? M-my apologies, Captain, I will look for one immediately!¡±


    Defect? What was he talking about?


    ¡°Can you understand me now?¡±


    Krndl¡¯s head snapped back to the screen. The Vanaery was now the one wearing a translator, seemingly set to Krsnelv. She quickly told the operator that the problem was solved and returned her attention to the call.


    ¡°Yes, loud and clear. My deepest apologies.¡±


    ¡°No need, Captain. I can hardly expect you to foresee a malfunction of the built-in translator.¡±


    Built-in¡­ what is she talking- wait. THESE THINGS HAVE BUILT-IN TRANSLATORS?!


    This was her first time hearing about it, but right now she certainly wouldn¡¯t complain.


    ¡°Still, we should¡¯ve checked that beforehand,¡± Krndl responded, doing her best to make her voice sound not shaky. ¡°I am Krndl, captain of the Hunter and leader of Hsvegplia¡¯s 16th flotilla. I am here on official orders of the Elders with an urgent message. It is in regard to an inquiry we¡¯ve received but originally responded with a no. But new information came up, changing that answer.¡± And with that, she had reched the end of the text she had been able to prepare in advance.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°I thank you for coming. I am Vassahr of clan Vasseia, steward of the Star Palace. Her Highness is currently not available, but I will relay your coming arrival to her. She should be back by the time you reach the palace. I will send your pilots the landing instructions and see that shuttles are prepared for you. I wish you a safe remaining flight.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, y-.¡± Krndl interrupted herself and ended the call before she could say ¡°you too¡±.


    <hr>


    With the final words of the short speech spoken, the Star Hall fell quiet. Silgvani felt incredible relief as she and Nadine exchanged their coded words of reconciliation. She wasn¡¯t sure why the small alien had chosen this place to do so, but right now, she didn¡¯t care. For a short moment, her mind once again wandered back the the night she had almost died. How, just before it happened, Nadine stated that the princess had become like a big sister to her.


    I guess that also works with her analogy. Sisters might not always see eye to eye, but won¡¯t let it tear them apart.


    Nadine¡¯s unplanned change of course during her speech had been quite the surprise, but it wouldn¡¯t be the only one today. Despite how detailed their plans for the day were, there were some details Silgvani had intentionally not told the Human. Right now, it was time for the first of these surprises. This particular one, the princess had considered skipping after their falling out, but now she no longer had a reason to hold back.


    Demonstratively slow, she raised her two healthy hands before quickly bringing them together. A clacking sound echoed through the quiet hall as the soft shells of her palms collided.


    ¡°This, dear Lords and Ladies, was what¡¯s called a ¡°clap¡±. In Human culture, doing so rapidly in succession is meant to show admiration, congratulation, or cheer. When performed by a group, it becomes a ritual of acclamation known as ¡°applause¡±.


    From the corner of her eye, she could see Nadine look at her in disbelief. Now she almost lamented the fact that she couldn¡¯t ¡°smile¡± like the Human would¡¯ve undoubtedly done had their roles been reversed.


    ¡°Our two cultures might¡¯ve only started to meet, but if the deeds previously listed do not warrant this ¡°applause¡±, I don¡¯t know what does. So, dear Lords and Ladies, in the name of the aforementioned friendship, let us partake in this revered ritual together and honor Lady Nadine¡¯s actions!¡±


    She clapped again, careful not to hurt herself while doing so. The audience was hesitant at first but surely, one after the other joined, until the entire Star Hall was applauding. Silgvani wasn¡¯t surprised that they all partook, considering why they were here in the first place. Still, she didn¡¯t miss Nadine¡¯s face becoming notably redder.


    Eventually, she stopped clapping and the rest followed suit.


    ¡°Now then. As announced, we will depart to sites of the gifts.¡±


    <hr>


    When their shuttle took off, Nadine deflated in her seat, making Silgvani suppress a chuckle. She had prepared a separate shuttle for the small alien, but it wasn¡¯t needed now as Nadine had elected to fly with her.


    ¡°The applause was a cheap shot,¡± Nadine grumbled, still looking a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°Well, in all fairness, you started it.¡±


    ¡°Heh, guess I did. I¡­ um¡­ ah, shit. Sil, I¡­ I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s all water under the bridge because that would be a lie, but I also didn¡¯t react all that great. So, how about this: let¡¯s do our best to enjoy the day, and once it¡¯s over, we tackle the situation like adults?¡±


    The princess nodded.


    ¡°Sounds good to me. And I certainly hope you will enjoy yourself, this is your day, after all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you DARE make this a national holiday! Or¡­ planetary? What¡¯s the right word here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t,¡± she laughed. ¡°No guarantee about my parents though. Anyway, seems like our trick didn¡¯t thin the crowd as much as we had hoped.¡±


    ¡°The house was first right? Let¡¯s hope it¡¯ll become less when we go to the harbor.¡±


    The flight wasn¡¯t far, Nadine had purposefully picked an estate that was close. The duo exited and waited patiently as shuttle after shuttle landed, spilling all the nobles onto the area. Despite being in the open it felt quite cramped now.


    ¡°From here on out, whenever you visit our planet, this house shall be a home to you. It is fully staffed, and the surrounding land is yours to rule.¡±


    Silgvani then grabbed the door handle. It was time for the second surprise. Opening the door, she revealed two lines of servants bowing. And behind them in the center of the entrance hall, there it stood. She hadn¡¯t yet seen how it looked installed, hoping it would be good and thankfully, it did. Lord Hawa¡¯s men had done a great job.


    Next to her, Nadine froze, staring blankly through the door and at the sculpture. It was an eight-lynes-tall, three-dimensional interpretation of Nadine¡¯s family crest, the very same that currently shone proudly on her chest and back.


    Deciding to give her a bit more time to process, Silgvani kept talking about the house, the history of the surrounding lands, and some relevant lineages all things that didn¡¯t really matter and were mostly a formality. Eventually, it was time to depart once more.


    When they reached the port, the audience had, once again, shrunken a bit but less than expected.


    They gathered in front of one of the hangars. It was a smaller one, befitting the size of the ship inside. The ship Nadine had picked for herself was designed for a crew of up to ten people, though being fully operational with four.


    ¡°Wherever your destination lies, it shall be a loyal vessel to you,¡± the princess continued her speech. ¡°Made by our native shipbuilders and our best technology, unused except for test flights within the frame of its making, a proud witness of Hohmiy¡¯s feats.¡±


    She signed the servants to open the Hangar. The doors opened revealing the ship inside. Nadine seemingly didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it, understandable since she already knew what to expect. Or at least she thought so. That quickly changed once she noticed the final surprise: her family crest painted in bright colors, one on each side of the ship.


    ¡°A¡­ again, Sil,¡± Nadine whispered quietly. ¡°You¡­ you didn¡¯t need to¡­¡±


    ¡°No. But I wanted to.¡±


    It seemed like she had once again left the alien at a loss for words, so she continued her speech to give her more time before the nobles inevitably would try their shots. As she was finished and Nadine seemingly back on track, the Human gave one of the servants a sign. He nodded and produced a small drinking canister.


    Ah, makes sense that she¡¯s thirsty. Still, did she prepare it in advance? She must¡¯ve if the servant immediately understood her.


    However, the small alien didn¡¯t drink, instead going closer to the ship. Silgvani eyes her with curiosity, as did the audience. Once again, Nadine took off her translator and looked up at the vessel.


    ¡°Today, we come to name this lady and send her to space,¡± she spoke.


    Lady? Oh, right, she said they consider ships female in her country.


    ¡°To be cared for by and to care for her crew,¡± Nadine continued. ¡°I ask the sailors of old, the first pioneers of the stars, and mood of the cosmos to help her through her passages, and allow her to return with her crew safely¡­ and to help me with my search.¡±


    It got quiet once more when she was done. Silgvani was about to take the word again to make sure everything now would go in an orderly fashion when Nadine suddenly raised her arm holding the canister. The princess cocked her head in confusion, a movement mirrored by many in the crowd. Then, they all simultaneously flinched in shock as the small alien threw the canister with all her strength, smashing it against the ship¡¯s hull.

 Book 2 Chapter 26 - Dont shoot the Messenger

    Shortly before the ceremony


    Githaiy sighed as she closed the door behind her and watched the rest of the team retreat to their respective rooms. Another working period was over. Another period with frustratingly little progress.


    After their return from Eroas, the doctor had taken all the bodies they had gathered with her to the Royal Research Institute in Viyrminar, the planet¡¯s capital. A team had quickly been assembled - all experts in medicine and xenobiology - along with an entire section of the institute dedicated to the examination. Once everything was ready, including living quarters for the team the section had been quarantined and sealed off. On paper, it wasn¡¯t necessary as the Human illness, no matter how mutated, shouldn¡¯t be able to infect anything on their planet aside from Kykla and Nadine - though the latter claimed that she should now be immune to it for a while.


    However, protocols were protocols, and considering the fact that they were dealing with an unprecedented epidemic, no one complained.


    The team basically had two goals: one, analyze the ¡°cold medicine¡± and find a way to recreate it, ideally adjusted for Tystrie usage; and two, find any possible piece of information about the illness that could shine some light on the matter. For this, the team had split into two groups, and as the only one with knowledge of Human biology, Githaiy was part of the second group. The first group had apparently made steady progress, although the awaited breakthrough had not yet come. That they could only work with very small samples due to their very limited supply probably didn¡¯t help.


    Still, it was more progress than Githaiy¡¯s group had made. The doctor felt like they were running in circles, but she refused to give up. There had to be something that they had overlooked so far.


    She took her portion of the meal from the daily supply box and retreated into her quarters. There was no point in losing her mind over it; once she had rested, she would continue.


    As she ate, her datapad suddenly received an incoming call. Surprised, she put her food aside and saw that it was Nadine. She quickly accepted.


    ¡°Good morning, Doc! Well, not morning for you I guess, huh?¡±, the small alien greeted.


    ¡°Good to hear from you, Nadine. To be honest, I couldn¡¯t even tell without the chronometer. The quarantine zone has no windows so the days just bleed into each other,¡± the doctor confessed. ¡°Your call is a very welcome distraction. Is the expedition already done preparing?¡±


    ¡°Um, they¡¯ve already left. A couple of days ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    First Ones, I had hoped at least the medicine would be done by this point.


    ¡°We prepared them with all we could, all we can do now is wait. What about you? How are things going over there?¡±


    ¡°Slowly, I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯ll soon send my next report, you can read it in detail there. Oh, speaking of, how much has your reading improved by now?¡±


    ¡°So-so. I still need to look up many words, but I¡¯m getting better. But I originally wanted to ask you something else: can Vanaery eat tikro?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re aware that no one on this planet shares your strange obsession with that tuber, right?¡± Githaiy asked with a chuckle. Nadine constantly came up with new ideas on how to make tikro edible to her, but nothing seemed to work. Still, the small alien refused to give up.


    ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m asking. Doc, I figured it out!¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I looked at it the completely wrong way! The solution makes it even better than I thought!¡±


    Well, she certainly was excited about it, understandable considering how many tries it had taken.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. You can show me once I¡¯m back. But why did you ask whether we could eat them?¡±


    ¡°Well, later today is the ceremony and I thought maybe afterward, since Sil did so much-¡±


    ¡°Please tell me you aren¡¯t planning to give cattle feed to Her Highness.¡±


    ¡°...by that logic, you also shouldn¡¯t be drinking water.¡±


    Githaiy opened her mouth, but she had no response. Nadine¡¯s immediate answer had blindsided her.


    ¡°Look, obviously it¡¯s gonna be processed. I just want to know if there¡¯s anything in there that¡¯s bad for you.¡±


    ¡°Not the sense that it will harm us. But we can¡¯t digest it fully, and the remains would need to be regurgitated.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?! Why would¡­ oh, right, you guys don¡¯t¡­ erm, yeah, I remember.¡±


    ¡°Good. Though I admit I¡¯m still somewhat curious about what you did to make it edible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you when you¡¯re back! I¡¯ll-¡±


    She interrupted herself and looked to the side.


    ¡°Sorry, gotta go, we still need to prepare some stuff. I¡¯ll call again!¡±


    The call ended and after a pause, Githaiy returned to her meal.


    Well, that¡¯s as good a motivator as any to make progress.


    <hr>


    Present day


    ¡°You certainly left an impression,¡± Silgvani commented as she entered Nadine¡¯s new estate. She also used the chance to get another look at the large, three-dimensional statue of the alien¡¯s crest in the middle of the entrance hall. It had really turned out nicely if she dared say so herself.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I was trying to do!¡± The person in question insisted as they made their way to the back of the house, where a few servants already waited for them. ¡°It¡¯s just a silly old tradition, that¡¯s all!¡±


    ¡°I gladly believe that it¡¯s like that from your perspective. You still demonstrated that you could kill each of them with any small object without needing to get close.¡±


    Nadine winced at the comment. Silgvani could still see the crowd standing in silence. Everyone staring as the remains of the drinking container fell to the ground, its contents slowly dripping off the ship''s hull. Silgvani had of course known about the alien¡¯s strength, but the scene still had been off-putting to her. She could imagine how much more of an impact it had on all the guests.


    I really wish she would tell me these things in advance.


    Although to be fair, it wasn¡¯t all negative. Afterward, the noble clans had approached Nadine rather carefully, each only greeting her, introducing their heir to her, and exchanging some common talking points. No one made a fuss when they were asked to make space for the next clan heads, not even the dukes. The princess was genuinely surprised at how orderly everything had been.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Please tell me there is a genealogy or something like that, there is no way I can remember all those people. Some of the kids I got introduced to looked younger than Kiyrtin!¡±


    ¡°We have, including portraits. If I may ask though, what is the point of this? A traditional test of the ship¡¯s armor? Granted, if it couldn¡¯t withstand something like this it also wouldn¡¯t be suitable for space, but it still seems strange.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that. It¡¯s just a way to baptize the ship, don¡¯t ask me how it came to be. I just know that the bottle must break, otherwise it spells bad luck for the ship. The one I used was custom-made to be brittle by the way, the metal ones you usually use wouldn¡¯t have worked.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m boring you, aren¡¯t I.¡±


    Silgvani stopped walking and looked at her.


    ¡°What? Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve just been rambling down all this stuff and-¡±


    ¡°Nadine, foreign diplomacy is literally my job. How much time do you think I¡¯ve spent learning about the other species in the alliance? In the last couple of days, I¡¯ve learned more about your culture than I have in the months since we found you, how could something like that bore me now?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ fair point. Sorry, forget I asked,¡± Nadine apologized


    ¡°Well, back on topic. That name you picked for the ship¡­ how do you pronounce it again?¡±


    ¡°Argo.¡±


    ¡°Mh. And how come that neither this nor the colony ship got translated?¡±


    ¡°Um, because I don¡¯t know the meaning of these names. The Argo was a ship from an old story back home. In it, it talks about how the ship needed to be fast and agile so the crew could get past terrible sea monsters. Sk¨ªeblaenir was also from a story, said to be able to hold an entire country¡¯s population. It felt like a fitting name for a colony ship. I¡¯m of course summarizing heavily here.¡±


    ¡°I assumed as much. Still, it is interesting to hear. For the record, when you say ¡°story¡±, I doubt you mean historical events, right?¡±


    ¡°No, made-up tales and myths.¡±


    The two of them stopped as they reached their destination, a door with a large danger sign. Two servants were also here: one of Nadine¡¯s new attendants and Liyzo, the former mechanic at the Star Palace that Nadine for some reason had insisted to re-hire.


    The final person waiting for them Iyngari of clan Iyngotas, the fourth child of the current clan head and a respected engineer.


    ¡°Your Highness, Lady Nadine. We are ready for the final test,¡± he greeted them as they approached. He then pointed at a control panel.


    ¡°The room can be controlled from both inside and outside, in case anything goes wrong. This one is the emergency off-switch. The field is calibrated to only be within the room¡¯s borders but should it expand for whatever reason, there is another one over there¡±, he explained, pointing at the opposite wall. ¡°If you use either of them, I ask you to not just turn it on again. Call me, and I will look after everything. Now then, with your permission, I shall begin the test run.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    The engineer bowed and went to the control panel. Several lights going on indicated the machine was coming to life.


    ¡°Now, as I stated, the bubble doesn¡¯t encase the entire room. But I still advise against entering whenever it is turned on. Since mass-produced gravity cores are built with Hohmiy¡¯s gravity in mind, we needed to tinker a bit to get a different setting. We don¡¯t yet know how that affects the machine in the long run. Or the effects of extended use within Hohmiy¡¯s lower gravity.¡±


    Done with his explanation he stepped aside and Nadine opened the door. If Silgvani didn¡¯t know better, the room would¡¯ve looked rather unspectacular, empty aside from two large circles drawn on the floor and another control panel. But she knew better, even without the large warning sign at the door. She would not survive entering.


    ¡°Alright, here goes nothing.¡±


    Reaching the outer of the two circles, Nadine slowly extended her hand.


    ¡°Wow. That feels SO weird.¡±


    ¡°The outer circle marks the point where the gravity bubble starts while the inner circle shows where it¡¯s at full strength.¡±


    Nadine nodded. The buffer zone between the two circles was rather slim, an the small alien decided to skip it. With one big - for her size - step, she walked into the inner circle. Immediately, she stumbled and fell forward.


    ¡°Nadine!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± she called, quickly catching herself with a short lunge. ¡°Ho boy, I almost forgot how heavy I used to feel. This¡¯ll take time to get used to again.¡±


    ¡°But it is as it is supposed to be?¡± the princess inquired to make sure.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nadine confirmed and turned around. ¡°This will be invaluable to my body. You did great work, Lord Iyngari.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Lady Nadine. I have instructed your mechanic on how to operate everything. If anything else comes up, do not hesitate to contact me.¡±


    He then left, and Nadine dismissed the servants as well so it was only her and Silgvani. The small alien went down on her belly, trying to push her body up with one hand.


    ¡°Hnnnnngh! Uff, yeah, not happening. Need both again.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ this is how it¡¯s normally for you? This is¡­ how your home feels?¡±


    ¡°Yup, ¡°feels¡± in the most literal sense. Sucks that it would kill you. But, Sil, there was something else I wanted to ask.¡±


    Nadine sat up.


    ¡°You see, there¡¯s another human tradition called a housewarming party. Basically, it¡¯s a small celebration when moving into a new home. Normally just close friends and family, but¡­ well¡­ don¡¯t really have much of either here so I thought, maybe we could¡­ I don¡¯t know, stay here a bit longer, eat something together?¡±


    The princess chuckled.


    ¡°Honestly, that sounds like a good way to calm down. I had planned for the ceremony to last longer so believe it or not, I actually have time in my schedule. Should I call over Falpiyne and Reiykin as well?¡±


    Nadine¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Yes, great idea! I¡¯ll prepare everything!¡±


    Nadine stood up and rushed off, stumbling again as she left the gravity bubble. Silgvani made a mental note to remind her to always deactivate the room, though for now she simply called for the mechanic.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the two kids to arrive via shuttle. Servants led them in, Reiykin as always holding onto his stepsister. The princess met them in the entrance hall and guided them through the mansion while explaining the concept of the ¡°housewarming party¡±.


    ¡°As I understand it, a casual atmosphere is desired to make sure it feels like a home, so try and ease up a bit.¡±


    The meal wasn¡¯t much different from what they would¡¯ve eaten in the Star Palace, and expectedly so. After all, Silgvani had decided to lend Kabbut to Nadine until her new chef was trained to cook for a Human. Said Human¡¯s tray, however, contained a few things she hadn¡¯t seen before. Nadine noticed the princess¡¯s gaze and grinned. She picked up a light-brown, disc-looking object and held it up.


    ¡°I finally figured out the tikro,¡± she explained. ¡°My misconception was to treat them like a vegetable. They aren¡¯t! They are closer to grain! To think I could actually make bread with those! Well, flatbread, but maybe I can figure out yeast¡­ there has to be a way, maybe¡­¡±


    Her voice got quieter as she switched for explaining to mumbling. Silgvani had no idea why she was so exited over this, but as long as she was happy it was fine.


    ¡°Um, by the way, Your Highness?¡± Falpiyne chimed in. ¡°Ah, is that too formal? Am I violating the tradition? But I couldn¡¯t possibly-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just speak.¡±


    ¡°Right, my apologies. We¡¯re supposed to tell you that a messenger from the Krsnelv came through the Hyperlane earlier today. They are scheduled to arrive tomorrow, apparently, it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    <hr>


    The next day, Krndl sat on her chair, her beak clammed shut in a desperate attempt to prevent it from nervously clicking. After landing, an escort had already been waiting for them. Shuttles had brought them to a huge palace. It had been an impressive sight, both outside and inside, with various pieces of art lining the corridors. Krndl even recognized some of them to be of Krsnelv origin.


    They were brought into a spacious, heavily decorated room. Krndl herself got seated at the table while Doctor Mnakr, as well as two of her soldiers doubling as attendants for appearance''s sake, stood behind her. This was it, then. She was about to meet foreign royalty. Just what had she done wrong to land herself in this position?!


    She was not given time to mull over it much more as the door opened. A Vanaery, taller than all the others she had seen so far and wearing a green cape, with two arms in a cast, entered. And behind her¡­


    Krndl stiffened. It didn¡¯t look exactly the same. The skin was notably lighter, more pinkish than brown, and it lacked the blue hue, but she had to agree with the elder¡¯s assessment. This alien undoubtedly belonged to the same species as the corpse. Except it was alive. A living member of a species that could fight and kill ten Kiroscha with its bare hands.


    ¡°I-I greet her Highness,¡± Krdnl hastily said and stood up, not completely able to suppress a fumble. This time she had checked multiple times to make sure she was wearing her translator. ¡°Captain of the Hunter and leader of Hsvegplia¡¯s 16th flotilla, Krndl. I am honored to be in your presence.¡±


    ¡°My greetings as well. I am Silgvani of clan Kiyron, first princess of Hohmiy.¡±


    Her gaze then turned to the unknown alien who was quiet for a moment, then stepped forward.


    ¡°Oh, right, ahem¡­ I am Nadine Valentina Esmeralda Anastasia von Klot of House Heydenfeldt, representing humankind on Hohmiy. You may call me Nadine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ah, very well,¡± Krndl quickly said to play down her confusion. ¡°Then, regarding the message I bring: Nadine, you wouldn¡¯t happen to recognize this individual?¡±


    She showed them the picture on her datapad.


    The alien¡¯s eyes widened. She then stumbled backward, her legs giving out as she fell on her back, much to Krndl¡¯s confusion.


    ¡°Nadine!¡± the princess called out as the alien¡¯s chest began to quickly rise and fall. Krndl looked between the two, unsure how to react. The princess¡¯s head then turned, eyes fixating on the captain.


    ¡°YOU IMBECIIIIILE!¡± she screamed, something strange happening with her voice as she did. ¡°WHAT WEEEERE YOU THINKING, SHOOOOWING SOMETHING LIKE THAAAAAT WITHOUT WARNING?!¡±


    Krndl flinched as her heart sank, but the princess ignored her, turning back to alien on the ground and kneeling down next to her.


    ¡°Nadine! Nadine, can you hear me? Breathe, try to calm down. First Ones, why can¡¯t Githaiy be here?! Nadine, try and focus on my voice!¡±


    Slowly, the alien¡¯s rapid chest movements calmed down. She sat up but her body was still shaking.


    ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± she panted. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Claire.¡±

 Book 2 Chapter 27 - Loss

    91st day aftr my arrivel


    Deer Diary,


    ??


    <hr>


    To say that the air in the Star Palace was tense would be an understatement. Falpiyne didn¡¯t really know what was going on but from her education in social etiquette, she had little hardship recognizing that right now was the wrong time to ask questions.


    The day before, near the end of the ¡°housewarming party¡±, the princess had contemplated whether or not to take Falpiyne and her brother with them to meet the messenger but had ultimately decided against it. From what she and Nadine could piece together from the rather cryptic announcement regarding the contents of the message, they had concluded that it had something to do with Nadine¡¯s people. This meant the talks could be potentially delicate, depending on what exactly the Krsnelv wanted from this meeting. Maybe they would even put a prize on the information and therefore, Falpiyne wholeheartedly agreed with the princess¡¯s decision. As much as they had learned so far, both she and Reiykin still made the occasional mistake, and this wasn¡¯t worth risking it. And so, only Her Highness and Nadine would meet the messenger, the latter primarily showing presence and the former talking until it was clear what direction the conversation would go. Once everything was done, the others would hear about it.


    At least, that had been the plan.


    After the two had entered the meeting room Falpiyne was about to lead her brother away when Reiykin stated he could hear the princess¡¯s voice. A closer look revealed that the door hadn¡¯t been closed properly, a small gap still letting the voices through. But as the heiress was about to rectify the oversight, loud shouting could be heard from inside. It sounded like the princess¡¯s voice, but also off; strange, distorted noises - cries, almost - being mixed into the word. The guards heard it too, barging into the room to check. Through the open door, Falpiyne could see that Nadine had seemingly fallen to the ground. Her Highness stood over her, visibly seething with anger. For the one in the room, Falpiyne had no idea what species of alien it was or how to interpret her facial expression.


    Moments of suffocating silence followed during which no one dared to move. Eventually, Nadine got up and walked out of the room and past the siblings. Falpiyne tried to call out to her but the Human didn¡¯t seem to register her words, continuing on in a rather strange way of walking until they lost sight of her behind a corner. Finally, the princess ordered for the guest to be brought to one of the guest rooms.


    When only Her Highness, the head maid, and the siblings were left in the small conference room, the princess sank into a chair. Her anger had seemingly vanished and now she just looked incredibly exhausted.


    ¡°They brought bad news?¡± Reiykin eventually asked, eliciting a deep sigh from the princess.


    ¡°It depends. For Nadine and in the short term, the news was absolutely horrific. But in the long term, this could be a lead to the colony. Which somehow makes it even worse.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, if I may,¡± Falpiyne inquired. ¡°A good long-term means an overall good, correct? So why not continue the talks?¡±


    ¡°I needed to calm down first. Regardless of the situation, reacting like I did just now is¡­ unbecoming of my position. I acted like my parents would have.¡±


    ¡°And Lady Nadine?¡± Reiykin added.


    ¡°She just learned about the passing of someone who seemed to be a close friend to her. I doubt she could keep it up right now even if she was in a better mental state¡±


    ¡°Should we go to her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It might be better to leave her alone for now, but also maybe not. Maybe someone comforting her would be better. But I am too agitated right now, I doubt I could help her like this. First Ones, is it asked too much for a single good moment to last?!¡±


    She threw her healthy arms in the air, but a jolt of pain made her stop the motion. Grunting, she slowly rubbed the splint of her broken arms with her healthy left one.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you two. You¡­ weren¡¯t supposed to see me like this.¡±


    She stood up, pausing for just a moment before turning toward the door.


    ¡°You two have no tasks for today,¡± she stated before she left the two alone.


    Falpiyne cocked her head.


    ¡°Do you think¡­ did she mean we should decide on our own what to do now?¡±


    I if even her Highness was unsure, how then were they supposed to know? Nice as Nadine was to them, the informal tone couldn¡¯t mask the distance between them. Although, her brother had spent a lot more time with the Human.


    ¡°What do you say, Duke Reiykin?¡± she asked, the former tease by now having become a way to ease and comfort. Her adoptive brother didn¡¯t answer immediately, deep thoughts visible on his face. Eventually, he extended his two right arms to her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet her.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a question, and Falpiyne didn¡¯t need to answer. She returned his gesture, leading him through the halls of the Star Palace that she by now could navigate without issues. While she didn¡¯t know where Nadine might have gone, she had a hunch; thus, the two entered the east wing. Reaching the guest section, she noticed one of the guest rooms was guarded, but didn¡¯t pay further attention. Instead, she led her brother to the room Nadine used to stay in until just two days ago. A knock on the door stayed unanswered.


    ¡°We¡¯re coming in, is that alright?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    As no answer came once again, Reiykin extended his hand, felt down the door, quickly found the handle and opened it. Falpiyne hadn¡¯t been here often and yet, it was enough to make the room feel barren, as what few possessions the alien had were already at her new home. All that was left was the bed, the closet, and a desk with a chair. Even the pile of pillows that used to be on the chair was gone. The desk was also empty safe for some paper, not unlike the one their ¡°NDA¡± had been written on. As they passed it, a sideways glance revealed the sheets to be almost empty, containing just a few lines of a foreign script, the last word ending in a seemingly incoherent squiggly line. The paper also seemed soaked for some reason, with multiple wet spots being clearly visible.


    Finally, she spotted Nadine. The Human sat on the floor near the large window, leaning against her bed. Falpiyne nudged her brother in her direction, a gesture he understood. As they drew closer, the alien girl turned her head toward the two. Her face looked a bit different than usual, most notable being the reddish, swollen skin around her eyes. Mucus ran out of her nose which she tried to pull back in with a quick breath, creating a noise that seemed to startle Reiykin.


    ¡°Um¡­ we heard what happened¡±, he eventually said. Nadine¡¯s gaze fell, then she pulled in her legs and hugged her knees. Falpiyne couldn¡¯t really really read the expression, but she wasn¡¯t ignorant enough to not form an at least rough understanding of Nadine¡¯s current emotional state.


    ¡°How¡­ could this happen?¡± the Human asked, her soft voice shaky and dull. ¡°Claire was always so chipper, how could she¡­ what made her¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, what did she do?¡± Falpiyne asked confused. Wasn¡¯t this about her friend¡¯s death? Unless she¡­ oh.


    Nadine shook her head.


    ¡°There is only one thing that creates these bruises. And in lower gravity it has to be even worse! How long did she¡­ she¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t finish her sentence as her voice broke off once more.


    ¡°Is she sitting on the floor?¡± Reiykin asked quietly, although Falpiyne was sure Nadine still heard it. He seemed to have noticed that the voice came from below them.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can you guide me next to her?¡±


    Falpiyne did as asked, unsure what he wanted to do. She was surprised when he sat down next to the alien girl.


    Sitting on the ground was considered highly demeaning for a noble. If one has no chair they are to stand, that was what they had been taught. That a noble sitting on the floor was no different to the common servants. Then again, this wasn¡¯t the first time the pair had disregarded their etiquette lessons.


    She waited for a bit, but nothing else came. He merely sat there in silence. In the end, Falpiyne opted to mirror his actions, sitting down on Nadine¡¯s other side, staying quiet as well. As time went on, Nadine seemed to slowly calm down a bit. Maybe now they could help her?


    ¡°Do you¡­ want to watch the stars?¡± Falpiyne asked carefully. Nadine¡¯s head jerked up.


    ¡°Watch the stars?¡± She seemed confused by the question.


    ¡°Well, ever since I saw you the first time, watching the stars has become a bit of a habit of mine¡±, she admitted with slight embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯ll get dark soon, so I thought maybe you wanted to join. I can¡¯t really explain it but it feels¡­ soothing. And it lets me wonder how it is up there.¡±


    ¡°Empty¡±, Nadine merely said, derailing Falpiyne¡¯s attempt a bit.


    ¡°Um, well¡­ it¡¯s not the same here anyway. At home, the night sky is full of stars but here it¡­ isn¡¯t? But, that makes no sense, right?¡±


    ¡°No, it does. You probably can¡¯t see them due to the light pollution.¡±


    Now, Falpiyne was confused for good.


    ¡°Light¡­ pollution? But how can light be dirty?¡±


    To her great surprise, a short burst of laughter escaped Nadine¡¯s mouth - despite liquid still flowing out of her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not dirty, no. But your estate stands on its own while the palace is surrounded by a huge city. All the artificial light from the city ¡°pollutes¡± the night sky, so to speak, and the stars become less visible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why.¡±


    The trio went quiet again, save for some strange noises escaping Nadine¡¯s throat on occasion.


    ¡°They might know more,¡± Reiykin then broke the silence.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The messenger. They brought the news, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡±, Nadine affirmed, ¡°but¡­ if I go to them¡­ I might see¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe, yes.¡±


    Falpiyne was impressed with her adoptive brother. Right now, he sounded very mature when he spoke, like a true duke.


    ¡°When... when my parents died and I lost my eyes, I also didn¡¯t want to think about it at that point in time. But I had to since I was their only heir. I couldn''t see the pictures, of course, so they were described to me in great detail. What I¡¯m trying to say is: that was the end of it for me. But it won¡¯t be for you, right? Your people are still out there, waiting for you. I might be grasping in the winds here, but didn¡¯t you yourself say that even the smallest detail could give the decisive lead?¡±


    Nadine pondered over his words for a while but then nodded. Her legs shook as she stood up and she supported herself on the wall. It was clear she still didn''t want to do it, that she wasn''t ready for it, but she had resovled herself. Falpiyne wondered whether this had been the right call, yet she didn''t stop her. Eventually, Nadine reached the door.


    ¡°The guarded room, just a few doors from here,¡± she called after her.


    ¡°I s-see,¡± Nadine responded, voice still shaky and face still wet. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She drew another sharp, quick breath and went out into the hallway.


    <hr>


    Krndl¡¯s cell was rather nice. Probably because it wasn¡¯t made to be one. On the contrary, it was a luxurious bedroom-office-hybrid, far beyond everything she had ever resided in throughout her life. But the captain had no nerve to enjoy any of it. She knew she was not a guest, she was currently being detained in here, making the room a cell in all but name, even if not explicitly said. She was to ¡°wait here¡±. Guards stood outside, and she doubted they were there for her protection.


    What she had spent her entire career being afraid of had now happened: her messing up. And she had done so big time, in front of not one, but two foreign dignitaries of the highest order. Even if she were in a better state of mind right now, she couldn¡¯t have possibly imagined things going worse.


    She absentmindedly took her datapad, not that she had anything else to do, and opened the picture again. It was one of the many examination pictures Doctor Mnakr had taken while they had set course back home, specifically the one where the face was the most cognizable.


    Following the doctor¡¯s advice, they had first stored their find in the back end of their storage space and turned down the heater in an effort to preserve the body until they reached Hsvegplia. There, in the far too short time they had until their departure, it had been frozen for transport and was now on their ship, back at the port. Krndl was infinitely thankful she hadn¡¯t been stupid enough to bring THAT to the palace. She didn¡¯t even want to imagine how that would¡¯ve ended.


    She activated the cropping function and trimmed the picture down to only the head. Would that have been better? It didn¡¯t really make a difference from her perspective. The ¡°Human¡± representative had recognized the death at first glance, so whatever gave it away had to be something obvious to them. When she compared the two¡­ the light-brown skin tone was different to the other¡¯s pinkish one, but unlikely to be the giveaway. Maybe the blue spots? The way the eyes looked? The large bruise around the neck probably also made things clear to the knowing eye. Krndl¡¯s free hand subconsciously touched her throat as she looked at it again.


    Of course, she could¡¯ve also said something first and then shown the picture. Now she was aware of that. But she had been too eager to get the whole ordeal over with as fast as possible, and in her usual reports, she was always expected to get straight to the point. She had never witnessed an official meeting like this to use as a reference.


    Or should she have already given more details on what her message was about when she announced herself? But she had always been told that reports were to be first heard by the one they were meant for, especially sensitive ones.


    She clicked her beak and put the datapad aside. Excuses and what-ifs wouldn¡¯t help her now. She had screwed up, plain and simple, and she couldn''t even imagine what the consequences would be. But she wasn¡¯t given much further time to stress herself over it, and her head snapped up when she heard the door open.

 Book 2 Side Story (and quick update)

    Liyzo looked up at the huge gate in front of him. It wasn¡¯t as massive as the Palace¡¯s, but still quite sizeable. A strange, black and yellow symbol hung on top of it.


    When he had lost his job at the Star Palace due to his carelessness, he had doubted whether he would be able to find employment again. After all, someone who used to be employed by the royal family only to then be let go wasn¡¯t exactly something that sparked a lot of trust. And it was also something most nobles simply didn¡¯t want to have associated with their name. He was able to get by thanks to his somewhat decent savings but if he was honest, he had been in quite a panic, trying to find something for himself.


    And then, for some reason, someone employed him again. And not because he had asked them, no; they specifically wanted him. Why? He didn¡¯t know, the message hadn¡¯t specified that. All he knew was a clan with a name he had never heard of wanted him and¡­ well, he wasn¡¯t exactly in a position to be picky.


    A servant opened the door. Liyzo showed the message inviting him, and after quickly confirming his identity, he was let in. The servant guided him through a wide entrance hall where a couple of craftsmen were currently working on some sort of abstract statue. A closer look made him realize that it was the same symbol as was above the gate.


    ¡°May I ask what that is?¡± He inquired the servant.


    ¡°The human equivalent of a line crest, if I understood it correctly. Now come, Lord Iyngari must already be waiting for you.¡±


    Human? What was that? Also, Iyngari? The clan name on his invite didn¡¯t start with ¡°Iyng¡±. What was going on here?


    Lord Iyngari turned out to be a still somewhat young, though older than Liyzo, Vanaery who was currently overseeing another construction work, this time of a large electrical device. He noticed them once they got closer, causing the servant to step aside.


    ¡°Are you the mechanic they hired?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Milord,¡± Liyzo answered quickly, assuming this was the correct answer from context clues.


    ¡°How many ships have you worked on?¡±


    ¡°I have mainly maintained shuttles, Milord, but larger ships were occasionally also part of my duties. The models include-¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, the important part is that you¡¯re familiar with gravity generators.¡±


    ¡°I have worked on some,¡± Lyizo affirmed. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact science behind it though, Milord.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to, what matters is whether you can maintain one.¡±


    ¡°Then yes, I am familiar with the current standard models.¡±


    Lord Iyngari gestured for him to enter the room.


    ¡°This is a modified version, but the core elements are the same. So take notes, you¡¯ll be the one manning it once Lady Nadine moves in.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Liyzo¡¯s head perked up. Nadine? THAT was a name he knew.


    ¡°The modifications are all unique so far, so I needed to improvise in certain parts,¡± Lord Iyngari explained. ¡°The main issue is that this one is meant to create a far stronger gravity than any other we¡¯ve ever built.¡±


    ¡°I-isn¡¯t that dangerous, Milord?¡±


    ¡°Depends what you mean by that. To you, yeah, be near it while it¡¯s active and it will kill you. On a large scale, no, that¡¯s not how artificial gravity works.¡±


    Liyzo nodded along, though his worry didn¡¯t really go away. Something the Engineer seemed to notice as he made an annoyed sound.


    ¡°Listen, artificial gravity is not like natural gravity. If it were, any ship approaching would fling our planet out of orbit. If we¡¯re being completely exact, artificial gravity isn¡¯t gravity at all, it just locally emulates the effects of gravity.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for the explanation, Milord.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Here, give me your datapad, I¡¯ll send you all the technical details. Familiarize yourself with it, I¡¯ll have you called once we start the first test run.¡±


    With that, Liyzo was unceremoniously pushed out of the doorway, where the servant from earlier awaited him.


    ¡°This, as well as the mansions shuttle, will be your main responsibility,¡± he explained. ¡°You will also be part of the crew for Lady Nadine¡¯s ship should she use it. Naturally, you will train in simulations and attend a teaching session by the manufacturer beforehand, I will show you the schedule later.¡±


    ¡°Um, just so I understand this correctly, all of this¡­ belongs to Lady Nadine, right?¡±


    The servant - Liyzo realized he hadn¡¯t told him his name yet - looked at him, the question clearly pointless in his eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he then simply said. ¡°Now, please follow me, I shall show you the kitchen where you can get your meals and your quarters.¡±


    Liyzo did as asked, but the reality of the situation only slowly set in. Nadine, the alien noblewoman he had met in the Star Palace, the very person he had failed, wanted him to work for her? Not only that, he wasn¡¯t even being interviewed, his employment was treated like a forgone conclusion! Sure, it wasn¡¯t like he was in any position to refuse, but still!


    When he was shown the kitchen, he was surprised to see a familiar face: Kabbut, the head chef of the Star Palace, seemed to be instructing two other cooks.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit early for lastmeal, but it¡¯s already prepared. You may take yours with you, then I¡¯ll show you where you will sleep.¡±


    About to grab the box, Liyzo noticed a wide bowl with water, and in it swam¡­ were those tikro? What was cattle feed doing in a noble kitchen? That wasn''t for the staff meals, right?


    <hr>


    A few days passed until Nadine arrived. Liyzo hadn¡¯t learned that she was given the estate as a reward until literally the day of the ceremony. It was a good thing then that he wasn¡¯t part of the lineup that would present the gift to her, embarrassing himself in front of Hohmiy¡¯s nobility was the last thing he needed right now.


    Later that day, the final test run of the gravity generator went by without issues, though seeing Nadine withstand the lethal gravity was unnerving. Lord Iyngari then left, insisting that he would immediately be called should anything unusual happen with the device, as well as once again monologing about the potential dangers he needed to look out for. Still, Liyzo listened dutifully. He didn¡¯t know why he was given this chance, but he wouldn¡¯t waste it.


    Once all had calmed down, he went to the kitchen to get today''s firstmeal. The staff there was in quite the turmoil, apparently the princess would visit for lastmeal this evening. Liyzo was glad that this didn¡¯t concern him. He was about to grab his plate when he noticed something. Nadine? Why would a noble ever enter the kitchen¡­ was she cooking?! By herself?!


    Well, she wasn¡¯t entirely alone as both Kabbut and one of the mansion¡¯s cooks were watching. Was she teaching them? Getting curious himself, Liyzo stepped a bit closer. Apparently, whatever the alien noblewoman was making was just done. She carefully picked it up, holding it only with her fingertips. It was a light-brown disc that didn¡¯t really look like anything remarkable. Nadine blew at it a few times before taking a bite. For a few tiggs, she chewed in silence. Then, clear liquid began to flow out of her eyes.

 Book 2 Chapter 28 -

    ¡°How much longer? I don¡¯t wish to make Her Highness wait for so long!¡±


    Riysia suppressed his reaction to the complaints. It wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t understand his lord''s mood. They should¡¯ve already entered the bridgeway many days ago, but had to make a turn due to some complications. Now, far behind their original schedule, they finally got close to the entrance point. After such a long journey, Riysia was ready to finally stand on Hohmiys soil again.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost ready to jump, my lord. But we will still need to cross two bridgeways in order to return home.


    ¡°Then make sure not to waste too much time, fly as fast as you can. We have the fuel to afford that, right?¡±


    ¡°We have, yes.¡±


    It was a far journey, but with their reserves at full capacity, they could afford to be a little wasteful with it.


    ¡°Good. Her Highness herself gave me this task to fulfill, and she is waiting for the results.¡±


    Truth be told, Riysia had no idea what ¡°task¡± his lord was talking about. All he knew was that it included some message they had been delivering to the Krahwol and were now returning with their response. But if he was supposed to know, his lord would''ve told him.


    ¡°Now then, I shall retreat to rest. Find me if something comes up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    The door closed behind him. Once again Riysia glanced at his co-pilot but didn¡¯t make a comment.


    Another inva passed until they reached the entrance point, encircled by a small fleet of the Krahwol. The group of warships spread out, allowing them passage.


    ¡°Ready to jump in three, two, one¡­¡±


    And so, they passed the entrance point and went through the hyperlane. A tried and true process that nowadays was nothing special and yet, this time it was the moment of the disaster.


    A shake so massive went through the ship that the two pilots would¡¯ve gotten flung out of their seats without their belts. And even then, Riysia felt like his shell had cracked. They had barely recovered from the whiplash when basically every alarm the ship had seemed to go off at once. Fuel, battery, hull, and whatever else one might think of, it currently had an alarm going off. The two tried to check the sensor readings in a desperate attempt to make sense of what had just happened, but for naught. All they got were error screens. On top of that, they almost entirely lost control of the ship, as if the engines had simply disappeared.


    Riysia hastily sprung up to check whether his lord was alright. However, none of the doors that should lead to this section of the ship allowed him to open them, remaining tightly sealed in their emergency mode against which he could do nothing.


    ¡°Riys!¡± his colleague called. ¡°The patrol fleet here is trying to contact us!¡±


    He hurried back and quickly opened a com channel.


    ¡°My greetings, Krahwol patrol fleet,¡± he said as loud as he could in an effort to drown out all the alarms. ¡°This is Riysia speaking. This vessel belongs to Lord Jelfiyn of clan Jelka. Krahwol fleet, we are in dire need of assistance.¡±


    ¡°My greetings as well. I am Captain Soharr. And yes, I can see your need for help.¡±


    The alarms for oxygen levels and temperature got louder.


    ¡°You can?¡± If they could figure it out from a distance, maybe the problem would be easily solved and they could help their lord.


    ¡°Yes. Our carrier is on its way to pick you up. The way it looks, I doubt you have much maneuverability left. If you can, extend what''s left of the landing gear. The carrier will then perform a reverse landing in their hangar. How is your life support holding on?¡±


    ¡°Not good, it seems like all the generators are out and the backup systems don¡¯t seem to start and we don¡¯t know why! The sensors don''t work properly so it¡¯s hard to estimate how much time we have left, but not much.¡±


    ¡°Understood, we will hurry as much as possible. But I am not surprised that everything went out. The entire rear of your ship is missing.¡±


    <hr>


    In the open doorframe stood¡­ not who Krndl had expected to see. Ignoring the guards, there were three people in total: two other Vanaery who appeared to be rather young. Or they were just really short, she didn¡¯t really have a reference for age other than height. The third one - what had been her name again? Damn it, it had been far too long to remember. She had told Krndl some shortened version, but truth be told, the memory of the short conversation had long been drowned out by her anxiety about what was to come.


    They didn¡¯t enter the room right away. Instead, they seemed to have a brief discussion, but they weren¡¯t loud enough for Krndl to understand anything. Unsure what to do, she remained where she was and anxiously waited for their next step.


    Eventually, they seemed to reach a conclusion as all three entered the room, closing the door behind them. Krndl noticed that one of the Vanaery tightly held onto the other¡¯s arms as they walked, which made them rather slow in their approach. The Human walked slowly as well, even slower in fact, fiddling with the translator around her neck. That reminded Krndle that she had taken off hers and quickly grabbed it.


    The trio took seat across from her, one of the Vanaery on each side of the Human. Krndl waited in silence for either of them to start the conversation, but they remained quiet. Were they expecting her to talk first? It wasn¡¯t like she hadn¡¯t things to say, but wasn¡¯t it expected from her to let them have the first word? Or was she remembering that wrong?


    One of the Vanaery also looked at the Human, first at her face, then the rapidly rising and sinking chest.


    ¡°Um, my name is Falpiye,¡± the Vanaery finally said. ¡°First daughter and heir of clan Silpiyne. And this is Reiykin, the heir of clan Reiylar. We hope you don¡¯t mind if we join the conversation.¡±


    Heirs? So they really are children then?


    Though they were still a bit taller than the Human. Either way, with that, they had given her the word, so now she could definitely speak.


    ¡°I have no objections to your presence,¡± she quickly stated. Even if they were children, the Human ambassador was clearly fine with their presence. Or was there a hidden meaning in bringing them? It was also notable that the princess wasn¡¯t here. Krndl would¡¯ve assumed she would rejoin the talks as well, this meeting was, after all, still happening on the Vanaery¡¯s planet. Or was that the reason why the two children were here? Was this normal procedure? Neither of them made any effort to explain this seemingly strange lineup, so maybe this was indeed normal procedure. Better just accept it.


    And so, she decided to just ignore that thought and simply continued.


    ¡°And La¡­ Milady,¡± she addressed the human, masking the fact she had forgotten her name, ¡°I wish to express my deepest apologies for earlier. Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°...no.¡±


    A very direct response that didn¡¯t feel great to hear. Did that mean she also rejected the apology? Also, did her voice sound differently?


    It was only then that Krndl noticed some other differences in her appearance, like the redder, puffy skin around her eyes. Did that mean something?


    But with Krndl¡¯s attempt at a conversation starter getting brushed aside, what should she say now? Was she even expected to talk now?


    ¡°I¡­,¡± the Human began speaking once more, but her voice died down before she could form a sentence. Krndl once again noticed the rapid up-and-down movements of her torso. The other Vanaery then moved, reaching out with his hands and - after missing once - putting them on the Human¡¯s arm. The Human flinched on contact, her head whipping to the side, but the Vanaery didn¡¯t reciprocate the gesture.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    The Human then closed her eyes for a bit before turning back to Krndl again.


    ¡°I need¡­ I need to know.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Krndl immediately responded. ¡°What do you want to hear about?¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    And everything, Krndl told her. Starting from the moment they first picked up the strange signal, she recounted every detail that she could still remember until they managed to get to the bridge where they found the body of the other Human.


    When she was done, she noticed that the Human¡¯s pose had changed a bit; she was now leaning forward a bit, her eyes wider open then before, though seemingly no longer looking at Krndl. Her mouth was slightly open, and the rising and sinking of her torso had turned into short, erratic bursts of movement. It was then that the other Vanaery, Lady Falpiyne, mirrored the other one and also held onto her other arm until the movements calmed down.


    ¡°So she truly¡­¡± she mumbled, more to herself it seemed.


    Finally, the Human looked at Krndl again.


    ¡°Were¡­ were there others?¡±


    ¡°We were thorough when examining the ship. The only other bodies we found belonged to Kiroscha.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s she now?¡±


    ¡°You mean the body? On my ship, held cool to stop the decay.¡±


    The silence that followed was heavy, even though it didn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°Give her back.¡±


    Krndl clicked her beak in confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°Give her to me,¡± the human reiterated, causing the two Vanaery to flinch.


    ¡°Nadine!¡± Lady Falpine called her out - oh, right, that was the name! - before turning to Krndl.


    ¡°Apologies, but would you excuse us for a moment?¡±


    Confused, Krndl gestured her approval, and the two guided Lady Nadine out of the room. Or, to be more exact, from the way it looked, Lady Falpiyne was guiding the other two, with Lord Reiykin tightly holding onto her arms. Did he have trouble walking?


    The door closed behind them, once again leaving Krndl alone with her thoughts. Had she said something she shouldn¡¯t have? Probably, though this time she had no idea what. Should they have maybe handled the body differently? Was that why Lady Nadine had been so adamant about having it returned? It wasn¡¯t like she minded, she and the elders certainly would be fine giving it to the Human.


    ¡­right?


    Damn it, why didn¡¯t I ask that? What if they want to keep it? They didn¡¯t say anything and told me to take it with me. But what if they just wanted me to do that for the comparison and return with it afterward? Maybe there¡¯s some alliance law that rules that. However, does alliance law even apply to humans?


    She didn¡¯t notice the door opening again and only realized the strange trio had returned when they once again sat down in front of her.


    ¡°I apologize for my previous behavior,¡± Lady Nadine stated. Oh, did that mean Krndl hadn¡¯t made a mistake after all? ¡°May¡­ may I see the picture again?¡±


    Krndl quickly pulled out her datapad.


    ¡°Here. But, um, I cropped the image earlier, and it seems I can¡¯t reverse the edits.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ enough,¡± the Human assured her as she took the pad. Then, quite a long time passed until she spoke again.


    ¡°There¡­ there¡¯s something you should know.¡±


    Lady Nadine¡¯s voice trembled as she retold her story. How she had been separated form her people with no way find them. By the time she was done, Krndl¡¯s beak hung further open than ever before, as far as she could remember. Even her superiors'' asinine reasoning for making her a captain hadn¡¯t left her this stumped.


    ¡°So¡­¡± she carefully took the word again to break the silence. ¡°I take it you wish to reunite with them.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. We¡¯ve followed evr¡­ every lead, but it feels like we¡¯re grasping at straws.¡±


    That changed the situation drastically, even if Krndl wasn¡¯t sure what the last phrase was supposed to mean. She needed to report this to the council as soon as possible!


    Or¡­ did she? Was that now the right course of action to take? Then again, they had only shown her the image, she didn¡¯t even know what the original message from the Princess had been. Did they know already? Would they have told her if she had asked? Was she expected to keep this to herself? Would she offend Lady Nadine if she asked for clarification?


    ¡°And that makes it all the more important that we find out as much as we can. So if there are any further details, please tell me.¡±


    Details? Sure, there were loads of them. Was she expected to know them all from the top of her head? Hopefully not.


    ¡°Would you like to accompany me to my ship?¡± She responded instead, shifting the focus of the conversation away from herself and inciting Lady Nadine to fall quiet once more.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she eventually said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lady Falpiyne made a strange head movement toward Lady Nadine but said nothing. Not that Krndl cared. Once on the ship, she could simply have all the questions answered by her crew.


    However, it felt a little strange that the princess still hadn¡¯t shown up.


    <hr>


    The princess¡¯s quarters were quiet as Silgvani sat at her desk, her head resting on the interlocked fingers of her two healthy arms. She hadn¡¯t moved from this position for First-Ones-knew-how-long. Likewise, Mhita stood at attention at the entrance, equally quiet and equally unmoving, making the total silence of the room even more heavy.


    There was a lot the princess was feeling at the moment.


    Anger. She had been angry before. While she always made sure to show it only in reserved settings, always making sure she wouldn¡¯t bring shame to her name, she was hardly immune to the emotion. On the contrary, both her position and her environment made it quite easy to get angry. If she wanted to, she could always find something to get angry at - though that would hardly be a productive way of doing things. But despite how easily it was for anger to become a part of her daily deeds, she couldn¡¯t remember a time she had ever been so paralyzed by it. She hadn¡¯t even known that it was possible to get so worked up as to not dare doing anything, at least aware enough that she would likely regret whatever she¡¯d end up doing.


    Disappointment, mainly in herself. Another thing she was hardly unused to, but that seemed to increase in instances lately. She was supposed to be better. She HAD to be better. And yet there she had been, getting caught up in the moment in a way that had helped absolutely no one, least of all Nadine. She knew she should help her friend deal with the situation. She knew she needed to sort things out with the messenger - poorly as they may have handled things, that was to reason to perform equally as bad - and the fact that she right now couldn¡¯t just made it all the worse.


    One feeling, however, was new: Loss. Ever since she had taken on some form of authority, she had always known what to do. Not with perfect confidence, she doubted and questioned her decisions often enough. But she always saw a direction in front of her. She had to after all. And yet, here she was, having no idea how to proceed.


    She had ordered for the Krsnelv to be brought to a room until further notice. She knew that the longer she¡¯d make them wait, the worse it would all get. But what if meeting her would make her anger flare up again and she made it even worse?


    On any other day, that would¡¯ve not been something she would worry about. She had herself under control. Every word that came out of her mouth when she was in an official setting was carefully chosen. Unless when in private, it had literally taken her getting actively poisoned to let her emotions speak instead of her mind. As such, accidentally speaking out of turn was not something she needed to fear.


    That was what she would¡¯ve said any other day. And then, today happened.


    There is also-


    Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. The princess turned her head to see another servant enter, his name was Onrol.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± the princess interrupted her. ¡°And I know that I shouldn¡¯t just sit here.¡±


    Silence spread in the room once more. Silgvani eyed her servant. Had it been Nadine, she likely would¡¯ve prodded her to continue with a ¡°...but?¡± or something like that. But Onrol didn¡¯t. He merely accepted the response quietly, remaining at the entrance to await further orders or dismissal. Just like the social etiquette expected of him.


    Why am I now of all times so aware of this? she wondered.


    Normally, she would¡¯ve simply noted Onrol¡¯s reaction - or lack thereof - without a second thought. If she would¡¯ve taken note of it at all. So why did it stand out to her now?


    Why did it bother her?


    A sigh escaped the princess¡¯s mouth. She gestured for him to leave the room, which he did after a quick bow. Then, she turned her attention to Mhita.


    ¡°Speak your mind on the matter.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I can not-¡±


    ¡°I order you to speak your mind as you would to your equal, and to keep doing so until I either leave this room or I explicitly order you otherwise.¡±


    There was another moment of silence.


    ¡°As you wish, your Highness. I believe your reaction was justified.¡±


    Silgvani shook her head.


    ¡°Justified doesn¡¯t mean appropriate. And the latter, it was not.¡±


    ¡°Please forgive me if my words carry ignorance, but was there much damage done? You spoke to a soldier, not a diplomat.¡±


    ¡°She still represents Hsvegplia right now. And, more importantly, I¡¯m still representing Hohmiy. But my emotions seemingly made me forget that.¡±


    To that, Mhita gave no further response. Skeptically, the princess eyed her headmaid, and while she usually had her body language under control, right now it betrayed her. Hesitation. She still had something to say, but was wary of her boundaries. Silgvani took a deep breath as she finally stood up and turned around.


    ¡°Mhita¡­ please don¡¯t make me repeat my order.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ with all due respect¡­ as far as I see it, earlier was a case of exception. I¡¯ve witnessed your ability with your words often enough, I¡¯m certain that if you resume the talks now, it will all be fine.¡±


    Silgvani cocked her head.


    ¡°Will it? An inva ago, I would¡¯ve said the same. But why would it not repeat? I still feel the same anger.¡±


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t that anger just show how important Lady Nadine has become to you?¡±


    ¡°That is not the point! Of course, Nadine is important to me. By now, I care for her like she was of my own clan. But that regards me, Silgvani, not the princess of Hohmiy! With you, right now, my voice alone speaks, but to an outsider, what I say will be heard as the voice of our kind! I¡¯ve always separated these two! And yet, earlier I let my own voice alone speak when that of our people would be heard! Maybe this one time, indeed not much damage was done, but why would it stay one time? Who is to say it won¡¯t happen again? This is¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what, Your Highness? If it wasn¡¯t just a one-time exception, what is it?¡±


    ¡°IT IS-¡±


    Silgvani angrily threw her two healthy arms into the air and groaned. Then, her gaze fell and her voice became much more quiet.


    ¡°It¡¯s what my parents would¡¯ve done.¡±


    At that, Mhita seemed to deflate as her expression became blank.


    ¡°Oh.¡±