11
"Ireally don't see why we need to stay here for so long.I get hiding after the initial attack wave.Still, I don't understand why we're not heading for the capital," Caoimhe said."You must have some network that binds you to the capital."
"Our neural nets are going to be disconnected for a few days," Bahran said.The eclipse coming up in the sky would make communications, even on this world, difficult because of how their current technology worked.When the eclipse was total, it would interfere with their connections.It was part of living in the Sol system.There was not much that could be done for them.A workaround had not been implemented.
"This isn't exactly the time to be disconnecting.There was an army of Terran ships in the stars, on your side of the shields.You saw that, correct?You got evidence of it?"
"You are very used to getting what you want, aren't you?"
"What does that have to do with this?"
"You are," he said.
"I'm the Imperial Princess, the next leader of the Terran Empire.I am supposed to get what I want," she said, her voice exasperated."Now, did you record what happened?We're going to need that."
He nodded."As you requested, I recorded all the data I could."
"Good.It has to be taken to the capital.I have to show the evidence of what--"
"What you allowed to happen?"Bahran asked.
She glared at him."I did not allow any of that."
"You blew up your own ship."
"It was the only way I could think of to reveal the forces that were sneaking in.What else was I supposed to do?"
"Not bring them?"
"Believe me, I did not want to bring them.I did not want to have anything to do with it."
"That will be difficult to understand when negotiating for peace between our two people."
She rubbed her head."Do you think I don't know that?"
"I question what you know when you do one thing and say another."Bahran's frustration was starting to seep out.Was this princess influencing him, or was it his own concerns about the situation?
Occasionally, he hated being an -An.Designed to allow for more humanoid-like emotional conclusions, it made the Rhimodians with that design more susceptible to rash decisions.
Or frustration.
"I know what I do.I know what I want."
"And what is that?"he asked as he sat down the little bag she'd wanted from the ship.She had said it had supplies in it.Supplies for what, he didn't know, but he assumed survival gear.
"Right now, I want to get to the capital city."She rubbed her head again.This time, she groaned when she did it.
"You must be protected," Bahran said as he scanned the princess again, looking for any new anomalies.No new injuries had been obtained, but she was not doing well.Her body was exhausted.Her mental stressors were on high alert, and her head was likely causing her great pain.Her body was going to shut down soon if she did not rest.
"You need to rest."He picked up a few of the storage bins in the room he'd led her to and started lining them up on the floor.
"I don't really have time to rest right now.We have to get to-- wait.What are you doing?"
"You need rest," he said again as he brought the last crate over.Pushed together, they made a place to sleep.He shoved them into the corner of the room so it resembled more of a bed like he'd seen in vids.It was not perfectly aligned, but it was enough that she could rest her eyes for a few hours.
She put her hands on her tiny hips and glared at him."I can be protected in the capital city, can I not?"
"I do not wish to argue about this with you."
