Silesia
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
12 January, 3053




     Faith awoke to the sound of a message alert pinging from her comm unit. After several seconds of ignoring it, she finally rolled over and grabbed the unit, bringing up the message that called for her attention. It was marked urgent. After quickly reading it, she jumped out of bed and scrambled to collect her clothes and dress as quickly as she could.

     "What is it?" Sapphire sat up and rubbed the remnants of sleep from her eyes.

     "A text message. It came from a friend of mine's comm unit. She was looking into who's behind this frame job," she replied as she hurriedly pulled on her shirt.

     "A lead then? That's good news, right?" Sapphire inquired.

     "Maybe, maybe not. It came from her comm, but she didn't send it. She must have stumbled onto something. The people that grabbed her want a meeting." Faith tried to keep the worry from her voice. She knew where the message came from, and while it promised a resolution, she was still worried. It could easily be a trap. Either way, she had to go and find out what had happened to Paige.

     "Where are you heading, then?"

     "Cathay."

     Sapphire blinked away her surprise. "Are you nuts? I thought you were persona non grata down there right now?"

     Faith nodded as she laced up her boots. "I am. But some powerful people want a meeting, and they obviously have my friend, so I have to see what's up."

     Sapphire rolled out of bed herself and began collecting her garments. "Give me a couple minutes and I'll join you."

     Faith shook her head. "Not a good idea. Granted it's not as bad as bringing a DavRat into Cathay, but you're not going to be the most welcome."

     Sapphire shrugged. "Oh well. I'll live. And besides, you'll need backup. Who is it you're going to meet?"

     Faith sighed. "Someone with enough power to either fix things for me, or ruin them."



Li Estate, Chancellor's Quarter
Cathay
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
12 January, 3053



     Faith and Sapphire had easily made their way through the upscale Chancellor's Quarter. Liao security forces were virtually everywhere, but none made even a cursory attempt to stop them. Smooth sailing, either into a solution, or into a trap.

     Upon arriving at the gates of the estate of Mai Li, they had been welcomed by the door guard. Handing over their weapons, they had been led into the opulent estate, through corridors and halls meant to showcase the obvious wealth of it's owner, all in supremely Chinese style and filled with imagery of the Confederation.

     "So who is this person, anyway?" Sapphire inquired.

     They stopped at a set of large, intricately carved doors. "Her name is Mai Li. She's at the top of the pyramid for the Triads here on Solaris. She's also a mouthpiece for the Confederation. Much more powerful than any of the figurehead ambassadors, she's a member of the unofficial Capellan leadership here on Solaris. When she says something, it might as well come directly from the Celestial Palace back on Sian. Smart money has her as a member of the Maskirovka."

     "Gee, sounds like just the kind of person I want to meet," Sapphire quipped sarcastically.

     "Whatever you do, be respectful. She's in charge here, and has the Confederation backing her up. And she knows it."

     The doors opened from within, and the guards ushered the pair inside. The room was dimly lit, and exquisitely decorated in Chinese style. Most of the materials were imported, and rivaled what one would find on a noble's estate on Sian. Seated on what could only be described as a throne, Mai Li was flanked by two bodyguards in precisely tailored suits of the latest Capellan style.

     In spite of her relaxed pose, Mai Li radiated power and authority. She wore an emerald green silk robe, embroidered with gold, the colors of the Confederation, in an open statement about the power she wielded here on Solaris. She wore her black hair pulled back, and made no attempt to conceal the few streaks of grey that adorned her head. She gestured to a large, plush ruby red sofa that sat in front of her chair, and Faith and Sapphire both took seats, Faith bowing her head slightly.

     "So, this is the girl who has caused me such trouble recently." She paused for a moment, before turning her gaze toward Sapphire. "And you have brought with you an outsider. Why? This business is our own."

     Faith met Mai's gaze. "Forgive me, but she and I are...in business together. It seemed prudent to bring her along as I try to resolve this unpleasantness."

     "Curious, that you surround yourself with FedRats these days. This one, and the rat you sent trying to ferret out details of recent events."

     Faith did not flinch. "I find friends where I can. Recent events have made that painfully difficult within Capellan society. How is Paige?"

     "Miss Townsend is unharmed, only through the good graces of his Celestial Wisdom Chancellor Sun-Tzu. Were we still guided by his mother, I fear your mole would have been put down for poking her nose where it does not belong. But Sun-Tzu, in his infinite wisdom and genius, has seen fit to grant leniency in things surrounding you."

     Faith bowed her head ever so slightly. "I have no doubt the people of the Confederation will enjoy many years of prosperity under his wise leadership. We should all be happy for this."

     Mai Li stood slowly. "You speak as though you are still a Capellan. Do you still consider yourself a loyal servant of House Liao?"

     Faith straightened her posture. "I am, and have always been so. The incident with the Gatekeepers was motivated only out of survival. And their subsequent treachery should bear that out. I have never turned my back on the Chancellor or my citizenship."

     Mai paced slowly, her graceful steps giving the impression that she almost was gliding across the marble floor. "Under Romano Liao, you were dictated to be treated as a traitor and outcast. This led to some elements within our society here targeting you. With Romano's passing, most were content not to revisit that policy, and so certain elements have seen fit to seek you out for vengeance. With this latest eruption of unpleasantness, however, the matter gained the attention of the royal court. It has become possible for certain policies to be reversed, and you to be welcomed back into the good graces of the Chancellor. If you were to demonstrate that you are contrite, I am authorized to ensure that this latest mess is cleaned up sufficiently for all parties."

     Faith thought for a moment before responding. "So you'll call off the hounds, and make it clear I was not responsible for the murder of that SGB agent?"

     Mai nodded gently. "The elements that targeted you mistakenly sought alliances within the Black Hills, given your residency there. Clearly, working with those Davionist elements corrupted their sense of duty and led to unfortunate choices. That will be made clear."

     "As long as I am contrite. What exactly does that mean?"

     "It means accepting your own mistakes in this affair. Fleeing the Confederation, taking up with Davionists, these are mistakes which cannot simply be ignored. Accept punishment for these things, and the slate will be wiped clean."