“How so?” He asked. He picked up a utensil and mimicked her stirring up the bowl of raw green vegetables and other seasonings.
“I am Lady Bianca, but I was a Lady in Waiting to the Empress, Fallon Bron, who came here before.”
He nodded. “I remember.”
“Were you here when she died?”
“Yes. My unit at the time was one of the escorts that brought her party into the complex.”
“So, you saw her.”
“Briefly, yes.”
“Did you see what happened to her?” she asked, her voice fluctuating as she spoke.
“I have only seen the archival footage. I was too far away from the incident to see it in great detail.”
She shifted in her chair. “My friend died. It was more than an incident.”
“Your friend was not the only casualty. Several of my people who attempted to protect her and the rest of the party from harm died as well,” he said.
She blinked. “Pardon?”
“Have you never seen the footage?” Harbin asked.
“I saw the bulkheads falling and crushing her.”
“There were multiple viewpoints that captured the incident. However, we were unable to determine the explosion’s origin point. Our data was turned over to the Terran Empire.”
“All that was ever released was the footage I saw,” she said, though she said it so quietly, he wondered if it was more for herself than for him.
“There are always two sides to any moment,” he said.
“Very astute comment, Harbin,” she said as she took a sip of her water. “Perhaps I will go look for the original footage when I get home. Caoimhe had always dreamed of the silver men who saved her that day. At the time, I would tell her they were angels. I assumed it was how she was processing the grief and shock about what happened.”
“She dreamed about us,” Harbin said.
Her gaze ran over him. “Most likely. I assume you always have that silvery color to your skin?”
“Since we blend into our backgrounds, and where we are is whites and silvers, then yes, I would be more white and silver.” He smiled at her.
She smiled back. “If I threw my red cloak on you?”
“Then I would turn red.”
“Do you change colors any other time?”
“Strong emotions occasionally can make some have color radiate through them. A couple on my unit show their anger that way.”
“Are you not all exactly the same?”
He shook his head. “No more than any humanoids. We can look similar due to our gauntlets and clothing, but no, we have varying builds and bone structure, just like any race would.”
“I was not aware. There is so much about your people I don’t know.”
“Why do you feel you must know everything?”
“It is my job to make sure the Imperial Princesses are properly equipped with all the knowledge I can give them before the negotiations start. Any necessary customs or practices your people do to prepare them.” She sighed before taking another bite of her salad.
