Eleanor put her hand over her mouth."Nothing."
"Where is that ring your father gave you?"Bianca asked."Did you bring it?"
Eleanor shook her head."I forgot about it.And when we got on board, I remembered, but realized I didn't care.He never gave me gifts, I figured it had poison in it or something."
"I wouldn't be surprised," Caoimhe said."But I'm glad you didn't bring it.Who knows what he would have had imbedded in it."Her father would make sure he knew exactly what was going on, even if he wasn't there.It was one of her additional motivations for blowing up the ship in the first place--she had no idea what kind of tracking he'd put on it before they left.She didn't trust that he would have blown it up himself when it landed or some such thing.
"So I ask again.Why did you put a code key in the jewelry?Is that why you were so adamant that no one lost theirs?"Veta asked.
"I was adamant, because it takes all the pieces of jewelry snapped back into place to work.One cannot track or access something that's in pieces."
Veta nodded."She's not wrong."
Freya stared at her."Isn't that the truth.You going to tell them?"
Caoimhe nodded."I think it's time I tell everyone everything."
Veta grabbed a chair and spun it around, straddling it."I have a feeling this is going to be interesting."
"You have no idea," Freya said.
"Please, everyone.Get comfortable.There's a lot I have to tell you," Caoimhe said.
Bianca crossed her arms."Not being truthful to your closest attendants is not a good way to live your reign, Imperial Princess."
Caoimhe nodded."I know, but please, understand.Some things needed to be done in absolute secrecy, to protect you.If all of you knew what I did when I did it, it is very likely that it all could be leaked back to the Emperor.So I did what I had to, in order to protect you.All of you would have done the same."
She glanced at Bahran, and hoped he understood her perspective.
He didn't look like he was listening, instead, he turned away.
All of the Rhimodians in the room turned away, in unison.
Caoimhe glanced at Bahran."Is everything okay?"
He didn't look at her, instead, almost looking like he stared out into space."Master System wishes to be here."
"Master System is a program," Caoimhe said."Isn't that what you explained to me?"
"Master System is an artificial intelligence," Kian said.
Caoimhe nodded."Is Master System is what will be deciding the details of the peace treaty, then?"
"Yes," all of them answered, in unison.
"That was creepy," Eleanor said.Jedrick, who stood next to her, patted her arm."Don't be scared.It's only a hologram."
And there, in the middle of the room, a hologram appeared.
Of a woman.
Caoimhe blinked."Mom?"
Bianca gasped."Fallon?Empress Bron?"
She stared at the hologram, absolutely gobsmacked by the image.Life-sized, and as perfect and etherial as their mother always seemed, she stood before her, just like she had the last time Caoimhe had seen her.
"How do I look?"The Empress asked.
