Dead Star Dockyards

"Hey, Kayes."

. . . 

"Kayes."

. . .

"Bishop Kayes? You there?"

"I can hear you, Captain Lebenstrum."

"Then why aren't you responding?"

"Because I am admiring the view, and I find that interactions with you tend to set a poor example for Cayzi."

"Yeah, well that wouldn't happen if you just left us alone."

. . .

"You know what, sorry. I apologize for acting poorly in front of the runt."

"His name is Cayzi."

"Fine. I apologize for setting a bad example for Cayzi. I shouldn't have tried to seduce a widow while he was watching."

Bishop Kayes turned his attention from the sight of the Great Csillacra, which they were rapidly approaching, towards the eldest of the Jakobi Brothers. Lebenstrum, still hanging from the ladder, was poking his head over the edge of the crow's nest. ". . . what is it you wish to discuss?"

"We'll be docking soon, and I want to know if you have any orders with regards to our, ahem, cargo."

"That is to be determined by the Terrans themselves. They should be at the dock alongside the Nekh princess, I trust you three have done at least the bare minimum in making yourselves presentable?"

". . ."

"This is why I don't like pirates."

"I think we are considered privateers right now."

"Privateers, pirates, it doesn't really matter to me. Both tend to be scum better suited to the blade of a broadsword than a life of riches."

". . . sorry."

"I'm sure you are."

- - - - -

Cayzi was huddled over a small table somewhere in the hull of the Jakobis' flagship, reading. Too small to be of assistance to those working aboard the ship, books were really his only form of entertainment. His current book, a novel of sorts, was a dramatized retelling of the events following the Holifanian Theocracy's introduction into the wider galaxy by the Great Csillacra. It was a fictional piece, true, however it was regarded as a somewhat accurate representation of the situation at the time, and was recommended to him by an Archbishop.

Well, it was recommended to Bishop Kayes as a good piece of literature to provide him context and an idea of what the Sanctum represented. Cayzi didn't for a second doubt that this book had been provided to him because he was going to the Sanctum, and there was a non-zero chance that Archbishop Envers did not entirely trust his mentor to adequately inform him of the customs and attitude he should adopt while there. From what Cayzi had overheard from Gawan's conversations with Kayes, there was a pretty good chance they would be here for a while, a few weeks minimum.

Someone knocked on the door before entering, Gawan.

"Miss Petunia, we are approaching the Sanctum now. Would you like to move to the bow so that you may see the Great Csillacra from afar?"

The downtrodden Nekh did not respond, her tail slightly swaying as she lay on her side. 

"Um, Missus Petunia? I think I want to go outside and see it. I've read that it's supposed to be a beautiful sight." Her silence continued. "C-could you please come with me?"

Cayzi, despite his youth, had adopted the role of Petunia's caretaker. By that, of course, he meant 'the one who got Petunia to take care of herself.' Perhaps it was because he was so young, but Petunia was generally unable to refuse his requests. The blood of a caretaker ran deep in her veins, and she slowly stumbled to her feet.

"Th-thank you." She nodded in response. "I think you will enjoy the view."

Cayzi took her hand, guiding her along the corridor that lead to the stairs to the deck. She was, despite being quite youthful herself, quite frail at the moment. Weeks of inactivity coupled with a life lived in a hostile environment left her weak, the only real exercise she got in a day was her trip to the bathroom. She needed Gawan's help to climb the final few stairs.

"I'm sorry. . ." Those were some of the only words she would ever say, expressions of thanks and apologies, that was it.

"Don't be sorry!" That was really all that Cayzi could respond with. He wasn't sure how to handle her beyond that, so he just shut up and pulled her along by the hand.

- - - - -

THUMP

Bishop Kayes finally left his spot in the crow's nest, freefalling to the deck where he landed on his feet. Those watching him, that being the crew preparing to dock, all expressed some form of impressment by way of cheering or clapping. Honestly, Kayes couldn't really bring himself to dislike them. Even though they were pirates, they didn't act like it. If anything, there was a case to be made that they were more like adventurers, spirits infected by the wanderlust of a vast galaxy. 

"Morning Kayes." Gawan called down to him from the forward mast, grinning. "Did you enjoy your nap?"

"You could say that." Kayes adjusted his clothing, he was a Bishop and needed to be presentable for a wider audience. "How is she doing?"

"If I had to say, not the best. I don't think we'll have to worry about suicide, not this close to Titanyana."

"That's good." Finished straightening out his robes, he cracked his neck. "Do you think the Terrans will give us shit for her current state?"

"I can't say."

"You can't say?"

"Mhm. Sorry, I just haven't had that many chances to interact with them."

"Alright then, guess."

"Sorry?"

"Guess. I want to know what I should be expecting from them. It doesn't need to be accurate."

"Oh." Gawan clicked his tongue, not particularly happy about having the opportunity to make a mistake. "Well, I don't think Donovan is likely to give a damn either way, but Diana is a bit of a coin toss. On the one hand, I can see her being infinitely sympathetic towards her. On the other, I can see her berating us for letting Petunia's body attrit to such a degree. Chances are she will express both sides."

"You seem pretty confident for someone who claims they don't know enough to come to a conclusion."

"Eh. She might be a tad amateurish, but she is by no means a simple character. You remember the story about the party, right?"

"I remember. Donovan socked a guy to defend her, didn't he?"

Gawan cringed. "I wouldn't simplify what he did to a mere 'socking'. Like, I wasn't there, but I'm one hundred percent certain that the guy would have ended up dead if Diana didn't stop him."

"So he's a loose cannon?"

"Oh no." He laughed a bit. "Ohohoho no. That guy is anything but a loose cannon. I'd argue there isn't a cannon in the world more securely fastened than he is, even more so than Trebar. He just has a lot of reasons to pull the trigger, and he doesn't miss. You have to remember what Diana means to him."

"Yeah, that's true." Kayes' thoughts went to an extremely dark place for half a second. "I'll probably end up identifying with him on a pretty deep level then."

"Eeeeh~ I don't know about that. I think it'll be a bit more apparent once you actually meet him, but he's more than just a little bit scary."

"You? Scared?"

"Mhm. I'll spare you an explanation, but pay attention to his body when he's around Diana, you know. Watch his eyes, his legs, his hands, his shoulders, if his ears could move I'd tell you to watch them too."

"Hm." Kayes looked towards the bow, noting Cayzi standing on a box to see over the little wall. "I'll keep it in mind." Checking the deck for damage from his drop, he moved to join his student and charge by the front of the ship.

- - - - -

"Look! Look!" Kayes offered only mild resistance to Cayzi's tugging. "It's the Grand Embrace!!! I was just reading about them! They say over a million ships can lay anchor there with room to spare missus Petunia!"

"Hm."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Cayzi, but that is not the Grand Embrace. This is the branch of the Great Csillacra dedicated to the great powers and ships completing a contract." Cayzi turned back to his mentor, distraught with his mistake. "The Grand Embrace is larger, much larger, and far more extravagant. Would you like to go see it? When we have time?"

"Yes!!! Of course I do!" This was probably the first time Kayes had seen him this excited for something. "Who wouldn't want to see what the Arboreal Maiden designed!? Isn't it supposed to be the most magnificent scene in all the Sanctum? Here, here, here, 'Of all the delights and sights this new galaxy had to offer us, none so much as challenged the sight of the Grand Embrace! Be it from within or without, those who found themselves fortunate enough to witness it's glory would marvel at the gently sloping curves of the branches, the twinkling lights of the buildings that adorned them, and the vibrant sea of mainsail and mast that were the ships it welcomed or bade farewell.' Of course I have to see it!"

Cayzi was holding up a particular page of his novella open for Bishop Kayes to read, pointing to the passage he had just recited.

"Heh, I suppose you could say that. Personally, I believe there are a few locations that your book is missing. Um, uh, come here." Looking around to orient himself, Kayes crouched to Cayzi's level and pulled him close. Cheek to cheek, Cayzi would be able to make out what was being pointed out much easier. "You see that branch? Right there? The one that sticks out further than the others? Do you see it?"

"I see it. It's by that brighter orangey-red star, right?"

"Yeah. Do you know what that branch is?"

"Um . . . no, I don't." Kayes smiled, rubbing Cayzi's shoulder to show he wasn't dissappointed.

"That is the Oberlux, the branch that the Great Csillacra extended beyond the veil to introduce itself to it's children."

"That's the Oberlux?!?!" Kayes nodded enthusiastically. "It's huge!!!"

"I know, right?! Archbishop Envers says it's a little bit smaller than the average moon."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, and we helped improve it some hundreds of years after we arrived. The engines it uses to project Split in front of itself so it can go faster? They were produced in the foundries of Holifel. Every time it comes back from a voyage the Arboreal Maiden calls upon us to assess their condition and repair any damage."

"WOW!!!"

"Mmhm. Oh, and there, down there, do you see that big platform down there? That's where the Arboreal Maiden greets the leaders of the newcomers and hosts a festival for them. The great powers are usually invited so that they may offer their protection during their first years here."

"That's the way we formed our protectorates, right?"

"Most of them, yes."

"Cool."

"Cool indeed." He let Cayzi go so that he could marvel at some of the other sights, there was someone else he needed to check up on. "How about you, Petunia? Are you feeling well?"

Petunia did not respond to him verbally, instead making eye contact before bowing her head. Everything about her seemed limp, if that could serve as an apt description. Her tail, black with an amber patch at the base, hung lifelessly behind her. Her ears, the back having black rims and an amber base like her tail, did not respond to sound as they had only a week ago. Her shoulders slumped, her feet dragged, and she seemed to be in a perpetual state of exhaustion - the bags under her eyes had only ever grown.

"Look, I get that you are still feeling the pain of losing a loved one. Believe me, I know that feeling more than anyone else here, but-"

"I assure you, you do not." Weakly, she finally said something with conviction. "You would never be able to know."

"Oh? Really now? I too have lost the woman I love, to the hands of a man I hate no less. What makes me any different than you?"

Petunia did not immediately answer, electing to stare at him with tired eyes for a few minutes. They were full of fire for once, expressing something bordering on hatred and contempt.

"We do not love again. We recognize only a single partner in our lives, never more, and it is difficult to conceive a child with someone we do not recognize as our beloved." A tear started forming in her eye. "The connection, the partnership, is more than just 'love', as you called it. It is an inherent and vital aspect of our beings, our bodies, our souls. Losing that partner unfairly damages us on a very real level - those who cannot deal with pain will often join them, their bodies will simply cease to function."

Kayes wanted to speak here, but he decided against it. Now wasn't the time, and she looked like she was building up the strength to speak once more. In the intervening time, though, he tried to connect this information to what he had seen back on Nekh.

"Normally, the only thing that could possibly prevent such a death is a child, a piece of your partner left behind for you to nurture, for you to ensure the survival of. But children have become rarer in recent years, most of the limited number being conceived dying in the womb, and so . . . hope, has left."

"You will have plenty of children in the future though. Now that you have been granted the opportunity to live under a Verdant Globe, you should have no problem having a child."

"I won't. I will never have the chance to raise a child, the fruit of me and my beloved's union. I will never get the opportunity to bask in the warmth of an open fire with my child. I will never be able to nurse my child back to health after they get injured playing with friends. I will never get the opportunity to watch my child find his own partner, and make grandchildren for me to dote on." She sniffled, not even bothering to wipe the snot from her nose. "You won't understand that pain, it just isn't possible for you. I was prepared to handle that pain, if only for as long as it would take me to die. But now? Now I do not have a choice but to suffer."

". . . I'm sorry. I will . . . I will keep it in mind. For now though, I would ask you to take a seat on the deck. We should be docking soon, and I do not wish for you to fall should the ship suddenly shake."

Petunia obliged, though it was probably true she would have taken a seat at some point regardless. Back against the wooden paneling, she hugged her knees. Her tail didn't even curl around to her front.