Chapter 14 – Skinnerbox Sado-pastinations

 

Ago

 

Dust motes danced in the sunbeams filtering through the palace's paper screens. Thatti, dressed in formal silk that felt scratchy against her skin, perched on the edge of Nathan's cushioned platform. He, in his borrowed white kimono and painted face, looked less like a pampered prince and more like a porcelain doll. "Becca is back at your school? Really? You sure that's alright?"

Thatti nodded. "She'll be fine, and you know how she gets with these visits. But between me and you." She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I think she kinda has a crush on you." He chuckled. "Well, if I ever get up to dating a magic wand, I'll let her know." He winked. "But doubt she'll want to do much at my stay here."

"It's ridiculous," Thatti huffed, fanning herself. "You, not being allowed to leave like some kind of hostage, living in luxury while they parade you around like a prized possession."

Nathan's painted smile didn't waver. "It keeps the peace, little sister. Remember, mother believes men exist to serve."

Thatti scoffed. "Serve? What about your gems? They're practically worshipping you!"

 

"They serve me as they've been instructed to." He pointed to the Maismas in the corner. "Though they've also been instructed not to let me out. Well what can do you do. You make the best of it."

Thatti snorted. "By watching tea ceremonies and endless poetry readings?" She flicked a fan open and caught the breeze.

"Why does it matter so much to you if I'm here?"

Thatti waved her hand dismissively. "It matters because I know mother's plotting something. Why did she schedule some 'unveiling' party to let her inner circle greet her son, here of all places? That seems pretty weird and suspicious!"

He shrugged. "I don't mind a get-together. Knowledge is power, even for a captive prince." Suddenly, a Petal clad in golden robes left a tray of soup for the two and then stood back and watched for further orders.

"Oh, well I'm sure mother has other plans for you." Thatti sighed, leaning back. "You know, you're here for a very long time, Nath. You need to remember that. You need to plan. Be subtle. Don't forget, these people will try to kill you."

Nathan's eyes twinkled. "Then escape with me." Thatti blinked. "What?"

"Just kidding." He dabbled his hands out at her, patting her head gently. "I mean it though. "The festival outside," Nathan explained, gesturing towards the vibrant sounds muffled by paper walls. "Wanna go live a little? Boys aren't allowed to attend but.." He winked at the nearby gem, who grumbled and brought a chest. Inside was numerous dresses, wigs, gloves and scarves. "...lucky me, I'm not too famous. If you wanna get out of here, we'll need to play dressup."

A thrill shot through Thatti. Sneaking out? Witnessing the forbidden festival? It was practically treasonous, and therefore irresistible.

"I'm in."

 

Nathan, usually clad in silky brocades and boasting a flamboyant, playful prince's expression, giggled nervously as Thatti dipped a brush into a pot of pale pink rouge. "Do you really think this is necessary?" he asked, his voice muffled by the layers of white powder dusting his face. Thatti, her own eyes rimmed with powdered kohl and lips stained a vibrant deep crimson,

winked. "Absolutely! We can't blend in as stuffy royals, now can we? Besides, imagine a high priestess's face if she sees you like this!"

Nathan winced, then surrendered to her ministrations. With surprising ease, Thatti traced his eyebrows into delicate arches, highlighting them with a touch of black. His cheeks received a dusting of pink, blending seamlessly with the white base, and his lips were tinted a soft coral that contrasted beautifully with the red on hers. The final touch came in, taking a forbidden pot of shimmering gold eyeshadow, Thatti outlined his eyes in a playful cat-eye flick. Nathan gasped, holding his breath. "I wouldn't dare wear this in public normally," he whispered, mesmerized by his own reflection. They turned to the gems. "We're leaving, you are to speak of this to no-one, understand?" She said to the gems. They looked at each other and nodded. Then he picked out a gilded priestess robe with a sash and vinyl white gloves, dressing in a corner, putting on sandles. He put on a fluffy tawny wig and let it flow atop his head.

Sweeping the doors shut, they crept around the corner. Down the marble steps to the lower level, they headed into the sauna room, a spring complete with marble pedestals and fountains. A tall open-space window uptop let light in, illuminating the many statues in the center, all of them in the likeness of mother. Nathan gave her a smile and she climbed on his shoulders, hopping atop a pedestal and then towards the window space. Soon they crawled out of the palace into the sunshine.

Thatti let out a shriek. "Oh my god, Nath!" She squealed and then covered her mouth with her palms. "We're going to be in so much trouble!" She almost leaned into herself, covering her face. "Ah, it'll be alright! We'll be back within the hour, no one will know." He hugged her tightly and she felt the gold on her shoulders press into her skin. He patted her head twice.

He gave her a coy smile. "What can I say? I know what I'm doing." Thatti could've kissed him. "Alright, let's get out of here."

She lead him out of the palace, and they ducked around a corner and towards a large, gilded gate that led to a large, bustling market. Thatti kept her shoulders back, feeling the weight of her gown. "Remember, you're supposed to be a holy priestess." She gave him an encouraging squeeze.

Bright pink blossoms covered the pavement, falling off of white trees and lining the streets. Dazzling Booths and wares stretched out in all directions, with vendors, recruiting churches, lavish food tents, and commoners alike thronging, more people than Thatti had ever seen packed together. Thatti held Nathan's hand, keeping his pace slow.

They were free.

 

They were unseen, unheard. Thatti laughed, pulling Nathan towards a brightly-colored tent. "Come on, you're in for a treat!" She pulled him inside, and he winced as the sun reflected off a multitude of glittering trinkets and mirrors. "They're just crystals! You can't die from looking at them!" Thatti teased.

"I suppose not." He sighed. "Thatti, I live with gems every single day. It's not exactly exciting for me to see these sorts of things." She picked up a mirror, examining his feminine painted features and laughed. "Still, I love you and don't care how gaudy these are."

A girl, obsidian skin and eyes constantly shifting colors, dressed in a plain white suit and holding a black umbrella, clutched at her head and stared wide-eyed at Nathan. "Turn around." She said, before she kept walking. "What was that about?" Thatti asked.

"Don't know. Don't like it." He shrugged, pulling Thatti towards a crowd of people. "Look at this!" He placed her on his shoulders, holding her in place. Behind the oblivious crowd fireworks went out.

Thatti was entranced by the display of lights above. She loved people watching, and this time of year she found herself soothed by the bustling market, by the cacophonous noise, by the myriad

of smells, and she'd loved watching people as they celebrated in each other's company, and most of all watching it with her brother's company. That alone made it worth it.

Nathan gave her a nudge as she was being distracted by a booth that sold all sorts of trinkets. "Oh, hey! Check this out!" A tall, lanky girl was trying to get his attention, her face obscured by an ornate gas mask. "Hey!" The girl waved at Nathan. "Your Priestly Highness! Can you dig this?"

Nathan's shoulders jolted, his smile slipping. "Sorry, can't. I'm being chaperoned." He joked, backing away and holding Thatti. The girl glared at him, pulling her mask off and sighing. "And they said this gig would be a thrill."

The two saw a large crowd gathering, hundreds of men mobbing the area with what seemed to be speared patrols and woman in guard uniforms. They were lead by a figure the two recognized, her blond hair and bangs swept over her face.

“Orion!” Nathan said. “How are thou!” He shouted, trying to get her attention. She recognized his voice beyond the mask immediately. “Ah, there’s my favorite liege.” Orion leapt from a stand and went over to him, shoving several mud boys like they were stuffed animals past to finally wield a spear to cleave some space between the two kids and the mob. “Apologies, I had to leave the palace. There’s been quite a lot of protests lately, and they needed me to supervisor the Garrison. Never a moment’s break from the Domina’s top advisor, huh.” Orion sighed, putting her arms around and hugging Nathan sweetly.

Thatti blushed a little. “Aww, that’s so cute.” She giggled. “You’ve always loved boys so much Orion.” The group faced the crowd. “Shame about these ones though, what’s even going on?” The tired look on Orion face’s clued the two in. “They’re calling it a “protest.’ Something they learned from the Xians and has caught on here. Going on about ‘Boy’s liberation’ and men’s rights, truly the stuff of nonsense. These have become a lot more common over the last, I want to say Decade? Funny choice of word. But, anyway we’ve tried to outlaw them and public

gatherings but they’ve gotten more frisky. Men should just know how to stay in their place, right Nathan?” Nathan folded his arms. “Well, one would hope they can get their pristine freedom and fresh air now and again, shall we speak truth?”

Orion rubbed the boy’s hair. “For you, anytime. You’re a good boy Nate.” She pinched his cheek. “I’d reckon your mother doesn’t let you out much. Luckily for you, I’m nice and she doesn’t know you’re out much. And nice people don’t have loose lips.” The woman said authoritatively.

“Thou are a true friend, Orion. Your prince’s heart goes heavy out for the secrets you’ve kept for me over the years.” He stopped. “But, if you are indeed out here monitoring the mudfolk, pray tell. Whose on guard duty back at the Palace.”

Orion shrugged. “Oh, some Petals and sentries? Nothing spectacular will go on there, it’s just some gala tonight right? Those aren’t really my thing.” The group of men began to throw fruit

from the crowd. “You two better get going, shoo along. I’ve got a long night ahead keeping these streets safe or your mother will have my head. Do try your best not to get caught! As your mother’s advisor and still a caretaker Nathan, I must advise you to try to stay out of trouble.” She sighed.

“Ever our faithful maiden Orion, know I shall try my best.” Nathan bowed his head and the two

left the scene.

 

“Ah, she’s always really looking out for you huh.” Thatti said. In all the years she’d known Orion she’d been nothing but kind and charismatic, whether feeding Nathan, standing guard for him or using him as a pegging stand for her relief.

“Orion has been with mother before I could even walk, she’s been our family’s most trusted confident. Whence comest a son, comest her protection aswell. I’m no exception in that regard truly.” He shrugged.

As the prince carried Thatti around the festival, nearing the Gem Auction at the end, he received a phonecall. "Oh.." His heart froze. The symbol on the other end killed him inside. "Hello..

Mom." He sighed.

 

"Where are you now." There was no hesitation at all. It was not a real question, more of a threat.

 

He paused, looking down at the crowd below. "Mother, I'm at the festivals. This year, they..."

 

"Don't give me excuses.." Her voice, as kind and sweet as ever, boomed through the phone. "Are you trying to make a fool of me, leaving right as I invited everyone to introduce you? My own flesh and blood?" Mother I-" "You are to return to the palace. Now. I've sent gem patrols to come chase you, they are authorized to harm. And so Flora help me, if you don't get back in the next thirty minutes, I will fucking kill you. You. Are. Not. Leaving. My. Castle. Do not test me, Nathaniel."

He hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. "Thatti?"

 

The phone clicked off and Nathan turned to Thatti. "We're done here." He sighed, handing her back her robe. "They have people looking for me."

Thatti nodded. "Mom's going to be mad."

 

Nathan, in front of a crowd of people, held the phone to his ear. Thatti gave him a wide-eyed look and her shoulders slumped. She let out a breath. "Nathan.. What are we gonna do?"

The prince let out a breath. "Nothing we can do about it." He smiled. "Guess she'll have to lose her voice screaming about it." He laughed. "W-whaaah, we're not going back?" Thatti asked sympathetically.

"Why ruin a beautiful evening?" He pouted.

Thatti hesitated. "Nate, you don't have to-"

 

He turned. "I know I don't. But I've been thinking. After you graduate at that academy of yours, you're going to be pretty busy. Might as well take advantage of the free years we still have left." She looked up, a smile stretching across her lips. The music was pulsating, the air crackling with electricity.

They walked over to the slave gem auction, the seller bidding off a series of Topaz and burly Maisma gems for domestic usage. ""Alright! Today's auction features the best gems on the market. Starting us off, we have an Maisma with a natural bond to Topaz. This one only used for heavy hauling," He said, pulling out a plump gem by a chain, taking a metal rod and wacking them in the stomach. Thatti's stomach churned, leaning into her brother.

"When I'm Domina someday, treatment like this will never be allowed! It makes me sick to my stomach to see."

"Oh yeah?" Her sibling asked.

 

"Yeah! I'll make sure Gem and Boy markets are kind and civil. Regulated, none of this whip and cane cruelty. Have you seen some of the living conditions of conditioning centers? Look at those cages- Gems should be sold by kindly owners, not like this. I hope I can get this place right and make it so no one, and no property will be treated like this again. Ever."

He smiled. "Yeah." His voice cracked a little. "Maybe someday they won't be sold at all." "Huh?" Thatti looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing." Nathan said, staring at the gem. His expression softened. "Let's get a bite to eat, then go throw coins into the wishing Divinity House, they say its good luck."

After a couple of hours, the sun set and the sky was full of deep purples and goldens, with a few dark clouds overhead. The market had started to empty, and the last fireworks had died down. Nathan came out of the bathroom, his makeup updated a little bit. "Looks sparse. Ready to head home?"

Thatti nodded.

 

"Guess I really didn't need to repaint my face like this.." he lamented. "Looks so good, it'd be a shame to cover it."

"You wear makeup and dresses all the time in the house, just admit you love it." Thatti giggled, pulling Nathan by the hand. The two began to make their way back towards the Palace. The two walked along in silence for a while, the lively bustling and lights from before sinking into the quiet destitution of the nightworld.

The wind was cold as Thatti and Nathan walked back to the palace. As she held Nathan's hand and her shoulders shuddered, Thatti heard her brother whispering in her ear. "Sister, I doth love you. Sibling, you have no idea how much my heart appreciates you coming out with me tonight. Tonight shall never be forgotten. You in your noblest of spirits knows that, right?"

Thatti felt her cheeks blush, his finger dancing over hers. "Of course," she said, smiling. "That's why I came with you, dummy."

He laughed. "Hmph. Yeah, well.. thanks, little sister." His hand pulled her in close. The two of them began to walk up the palace stairs. The doors were left wide open.

"That's.. weird. Usually there's a gem posted here." He peaked inside. "No guards?"

 

"No lights either.." Thatti swallowed. "The caterers and staff were supposed to host the party here tonight, where are they? I don't hear anyone.."

He didn't get an answer, and Thatti's hand reached to clutch his. "I have a bad feeling." Mother must have given orders, we'll deal with it once we know."

They turned the corner, and the hall leading to the main chamber was empty, save for a red carpet that stretched down its center. The doors were wide open and beyond, wind whistling between the halls in an eerie manner. There were scorches marks on walls and statues were toppled over, they looked around cautiously.

Thatti peaked her head around the doorway, feeling a lump in her stomach. She saw what looked like blood streaks in the garden, where the event was to be held. And what looked like more blood beyond that. And finally.. bodies. Nathan covered the girl's eyes. "Hey, come on. Let's get out of here."

Suddenly there was a loud thud. The two stayed beyond a corner, a figure approaching. In the depths of evening despair, a girl stood defiant, white-suit drenched with red. Her rainbow eyes lit up the night, the brightest light. In her hand was a crowbar. Thatti's eyes grew wide, and she realized what had happened. "It was all mother's plan." She stared down at her brother's eyes, his painted brows raised as he stared into her eyes.

"Follow me." He took her hand and ran down a flight of stairs, into the bottom basement, which was desecrated into ruins like much the palace. Once they were beyond sight, he held Thatti's hand. "Whatever happens, stay here. I need you to be safe I'll come back soon, I promise." She watched him go. "No! Stay with me! Nate-" Nathan left her and stood before the door, taking a breath and then entering the dark room. Thatti bit her lip and held herself close to the door, waiting for the prince to return. She waited several minutes, then heard him screaming. "NATHIE!" She looked around and saw a spear hanging on a shelf from the armor. Picking it up, she began swinging rapidly until she could stab and break the door. Thatti ran upstairs back into the garden, overwhelmed when every sight in her vision sent her into a neverending nightmare.

In the garden she spotted her brother. She ran through a sea of bodies towards him, reaching him and pulling him to the ground. He was covered in blood and so were his clothes, and numerous blunt dents in his bleeding body, limbs smashed, chest caved in. "Nate-" she croaked. He reached out and cupped her face. "I'm sorry Thatti, I tried, but.. I knew.. she.. mother would."

"Nate! Nate.." she cried. "What's wrong!? Nath! Talk to me!" She tried to lift him but his eyes closed. "NATHIE-" But a force swung at her like a bat, tossing her into the debris and shattered columns. Even with blood dripping from her forehead, she saw a grinning obsidian figure with a crowbar ahead. They walked back to Nathaniel and continued to bring down the metal, as if striking an anvil while it was red hot. The girl could hear the sound of it clanking over her brother over and over, an evil rainbow glare glinting back at her. Jack began howling at the moon with laughter, a pitiless laugh that wormed and chilled its way into one's memory.

Thatti felt herself wailing, her heart breaking.

 

She looked up at the moon and gasped. A shining guardian of the endless tremors of all that was naught reflected in her vision, Jack looking up and standing directly below him. A metallic groan ripped through the night, and the wheat parted like a curtain, revealing a sight that ripped the breath from her lungs. Malice aplomb the silvertine armor the lord carried, like a wraith of steel across his visage. The helm itself resembled a skeletal face, devoid of flesh, with glowing red eyes burning deep within the hollow sockets. Jagged plates, each etched with arcane symbols in writ, a language older than time, overlapped, creating a chillingly organic exoskeleton. Atop her vision, the black goat horns broke the sky, as if casting hell itself into the dreaded future from which they dwelled.

And on that night, a legend was born.

The last sight Thatti remembered was her brother. His broken body, the weight of his blood. And the crowbar carrying woman standing over him, the gem in her forehead 5-sides and shaped like an upside-down star. The heroine struggled to stay adrift in the sea of consciousness, before the blackness sunk her. Soon she awoke in a strange room, her head throbbing, her vision blurry. The darkness was absolute and she couldn't tell what she was looking at. It took a few moments before the blurriness faded.

In front of her, was Lyras Nezura. The Domina stood cold and indifferent, without even a single hint of sadness on her face. Thatti's eyes widened, seeing on various white-sheeted beds all the bodies of the guests, the nobles, priestesses, soldiers, and finally her brother. She saw him lying there, bruises, lacerations and bleak trauma etched across every inch of his body, his face a barely recognizable mangled mash before her. She touched his skin and felt his corpse.

She heard her own screams escape her, her stomach churning as she thought of her brother, lying in a pool of blood. "No. You. You killed my brother!" She screamed, pointing her finger at the girl. The Domina stepped closer.

"How can you speak such disrespect? You did nothing to be spoken to, you disobeyed me and were caught.”

Thatti cursed Lyra’s name and practically hissed, her words like venom. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!"

"I didn't do anything. Some brutish assassins made it into the palace before I arrived." Lyra’s eyes narrowed, before she rolled her eyes. "I don't feel sorry for it." She said, taking a step back.

"The palace of Domina Nezura and her family's scions never fall, not even when it has been infiltrated. I didn't do anything. I'm sorry it happened, but it's all in the past. This will make it so the city does not do business with me, but I don't care. That's irrelevant, Nathaniel is where he

belongs, just as he deserved." She looked away and then back at Thatti, who could not believe what she was hearing.

"You're insane! How can you just, say that!" She screamed, tears in her eyes. "Nathan is d-dead!" Her voice echoed with pain at every pronouncement, she could never be half as cruel as her mother.

"He's.. your son!" "Exactly." Lyras replied. Her teeth grit.

"You killed him!"

 

"I did no such thing." She pinched Thatti's ear. "Bite your sordid tongue child."

 

Thatti fell back, feeling her knees buckle. Her vision clouded with darkness, black as ink spreading across the pages of life itself, and she curled up into a fetal position. She could hear her own screams, and the Domina looked at her sympathetically.

"You can't get away with this, there will be an investiga-"

 

"The investigation is concluded. I dismissed all other looks into the matter. A petty political squabble. Assassinations are the way of Orchid, so what? High ranking political figures disappear, it happens, and the principle remains. Survival of the fittest.” She whispered. “The funeral will be tomorrow, held privately between me and you. No one else, this incident never gets out." She said coldly.

"FUCK YOU." She yelled.

 

"Now, Thatti, as you know the Domina is a very busy position. If I'm being honest, it was quite generous of me to see you wake up and treated to proper health. What's done is done. I needn't

waste further time mourning over... dead weight." She looked over Nathan's body. She looked away, turning to the guards. "Take me out. Make sure her head is wrapped with healing salves and sedatives and that she can't think anything about tonight." The gems quickly subdued her, wrapping her up.

Thatti struggled against the restraints, which seemed to wrap around her body like a latex sheath, watching Lyras Nezura leave the room, the girl shouting obscenities at her mother the entire time.

In this strange land of Orchid, she was no longer an innocent girl.

 

Present

 

Back in the chaos of fight's aftermath, Thatti fell to her knees and prayed for death, for a better world where this couldn't have been. Nathan was the only one who knew how bad things could get. And now she did too. Caleb shook hearing her story.

"I screamed and was so livid, I couldn't ever forgive her. She held his funeral privately and wouldn't let me attend- no press or announcement, nothing. It was deemed an 'environmental accident' on official records. She literally made him disappear, there's no way she would've let anyone know he was alive, let alone died." Thatti looked back at Caleb. "A month later, I was transferred out of Glitterkiss, and into your school."

She looked up at the sky, flashing patrols coming to examine the destruction. "I was so angry at mother. I hated everyone. I hated myself. When I came here to live at Echostar I needed to see a clean slate. I needed to see what a fresh start would do for me." She looked at Headhunter. "

"You wanted a better future."

"I wanted to find his killer. Whoever she hired.. I knew she wouldn't just leave it be. She, or whoever would come after me eventually." Thatti's words were cold and filled with bitterness. "She has no idea what she's done."

Thatti took in a breath. "But that night made me who I am today. I will never forget it. Ever." She pumped her fist up, wiping trickles of blood from her cheek. "She bludgeoned him to death, Jack." "Jack?"

"They were hired by my mother." She said. "I learned that much from my other mother. Her most trusted assassin. Her and 6 other gems from Xi. Gifts from Black Diamond." Thatti Nezura looked at Headhunter, realizing fate may finally have caught up to her. A figure appeared in the sky, in a white rubber catsuit riding a broom. "Petal looked up. "Oh goodness gracious, what’s she doing here? Now of all times."

White Nebula flew down, eyeing Thatti. "I took care of the Patrols. You're welcome." She folded her arms. "You still need to get outta here."

"Whatever." Thatti spat in her direction, still feeling quite rude. "Not here to be your babysitter." White replied. "But there's a small detail I can provide, I think you should know." She flew close. "When Jack was there that night, she wasn't alone. Her and the assassins had a leader among them." She said. Thatti's eyes narrowed.

"She doesn't act alone."

 

"Yeah, no shit." Headhunter grumbled.

 

"Becca, easy." Thatti tried to calm down however little she could, any information was valuable. "Who lead Jack's attack?"

"Astronomica, and her overlord. The Marquise." She pulled her visors slightly down. "In some parts, they go by the Shadow King."

Thatti's eyes went wide. "Shadow... king?"

 

The Space Witch nodded and scanned the girl with her visor's equipment. "Still. Why'd she get rid of him and not you?" She asked.

"Hm? Because I'm not a problem. He was. They didn't want to deal with anything that could be linked back to me, I'm the Domina's prized daughter." She pouted slightly, licking her wounds. "See that blood? It's royalty. Daughter of the Flora Pope. I'm untouchable, or mother must've told them such."

She shrugged. "Or maybe they wanted to save their ammunition. I don't care, I'll kill them all." She poked the girl. "Not for mom though, no way. She's dead to me."

"Want some help? You'll need it. The killing part." Nebula replied.

 

"No, this is personal. I want to do it for me." She gripped Headhunter and turned it into a tall, broad lance. "In the meantime, if we stay here they'll only come for us. And that's exactly what I want. You'll see." She looked into the distance, Diane and Lazuli flying overhead with flapping wings, the latter looking longingly and sadly below.

"In the meanwhile, do whatever shit you want." She said coldly, heading towards the tourship Petal had hijacked. When she reached inside, Petal threw her arms around her.

"W-what are you-?"

 

"Ssh." Petal said, hugging Thatti tightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. Nebula told me.. What you went through was terrible. You must’ve been hurting all this time."

"You're.." Thatti said.

 

"Yeah?" Petal asked, seeing her expression.

"No, it's nothing." Thatti leaned into the hug. 6 gems from Xi, she could die of laughter. Someone like this, couldn't be an assassin. The brief cannabalism aside. "You're not to blame. No one at that school is." She looked up. "They did it. My mother, some other gems, and that fucking crazy girl. My brother..." She wiped her tears away.

"Bitch killed him."

 

"Darling.. I'm so sorry. If you need anything.." Petal whispered into her ear. "I've got your back. Promise." She squeezed one last time and kissed the girl's forehead, Thatti nodding.

Thatti headed to the back of the tourship, hopping into the VIP couches and laid down.

 

She whispered to herself, the sky above slowly turning purple as the tourship's engines took off. "We have unfinished business..