A/N: Alright, SO! Since this was posted I've done a LOT of work on it and plan to do a lot more, though most of what's been added (and most of what will be added) is going to reside somewhere in the middle and I really didn't want to move the story so what I've come up with is replacing the first chapter with the first section and adding each additional section as a proper chapter, this way I can upload the edited sections mostly in their order. The story in it's entirety does still exist, however! It's new home is my LJ, http://jenivi7 .livejournal .com/75576 .html (clickable link will be posted in my profile) and that will reflect all the updates and changes as well. I know, kinda an ordeal but it seemed the best way to preserve this spot as the story's permanent home and keep the faves and lovely reviews the story has gotten so far *hearts!*

For this section specifically, there's been a bit more added to the end, dialogue and the beginning of an important contrast between Atem and Set that didn't get included in the contest original for lack of time to really develop it properly XD

On the port planet of Cyest, along the very outer rim of the Liisen system, in a bar that catered to the lowest element, the crews of cargo and slave vessels - cargo headed in and out from other systems and slaves, due to regulation, shuttled strictly between planets - sat two men arguing unnoticed among the rowdier patrons. Just the situation that made The Dancing Star the ideal place for under the table dealings.

The two quieted quickly as an under dressed girl with a slave collar dropped two drinks on the table before disappearing back into the crowd. The shorter of the men in flight leathers with hair spiked to perfection and a decade out of date watched her, or rather, the symbol of her slavery with distaste. As soon as she was out of sight, the taller man, rail thin with a royal grace and ill fitting clothing selected to be nondescript and failing horribly, took up his case again.

"I assure you, my party will be no trouble."

"I'm sure you think so."

"And of course, you will be more than adequately compensated."

"'Adequately compensated' won't even begin to cover the headache. Ra, a diplomat. And a priest besides." The last was muttered to himself. "My ship is small with basic accommodations. I'm sure that with as much money as you're offering me, you can find something far more suited to your needs."

"What I need is discretion. All we're asking is passage and the Amenti system is hardly asking you to take us to the Edge." The man stopped himself and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, I just need a ride that's fast and off the record. My sister and I-"

"The woman you were with earlier? She wasn't your sister," the man in flight leathers challenged.

Actually, he hadn't gotten a good look at the girl at all when he'd first met the man outside of town. (His first mate had picked up their distress signal and it had seemed genuine enough, and safe enough when they had made initial contact for Atemu to go out alone.) The challenge was just a test, of course, a way of drawing out more information from a potential client, the expected answer being immediate denial and some lame explanation of how each sibling took after a different parent or something of the like. It was the way the person answered that was important. It gave hints as to how well they had practiced their story, how trustworthy they might be, and just how much they were trying to hide from him.

What he didn't expect was the silence that met his accusation. The man across from him just glared, face as closed off and carefully schooled to expressionlessness as it had been from the moment he approached the sky captain, Atemu, as he had introduced himself. And Atemu was currently taking the lack of denial as an indication that he had guessed correctly.

"Oh holy f- She's really not your sister! Son of a- Ra on a stick! So let's review, shall we? THE high priest of Memphis, (don't think I don't recognize you from the feeds, you aren't hiding that well), is looking for an off the logs 'ride' back to his home planet with a mysterious female companion that he's trying to pass off as his sister. Absolutely not! I don't-"

"Who is also willing to pay more than you make in three years of shuttling about your regular type passengers," the man who had introduced himself as Seth cut him off, leaning forward over the table. "Don't think that I don't recognize you either. You may be hero to half the known galaxy but I doubt the Guardians would object if I turned you in right now. In fact, I'm sure there would be a handsome reward involved."

Atemu regarded the priest quietly as the man sat back in his seat, picking up the drink in front of him and sniffing at it before putting it back on the table untouched.

"Something makes me think they wouldn't take kindly too you right now either, sneaking around with a woman who's probably an escaped slave." He tapped fingers against his lips in thought. There was, of course, a few other possibilities he could think of, one or two of which might even be worth the trouble of what was going to obviously be a human smuggling mission. "Tell me who the girl is and I'll consider it."

"Accept us as passengers and I'll tell you who she is," Seth shot back immediately.

"No! I-" Atemu cut himself off, drawing a breath that shook with frustration. "Alright, I'll level with you. I am who you think I am and I do what you think I do but I like to know what I'm getting myself and my crew into before I take on a 'passenger.' I need to know that I'm not bringing down so much trouble on my head that I won't be able to help anyone else in the future."

Seth was quiet for a moment before speaking. "She saved my life and I am returning the favor." Atemu waited for him to continue. When he didn't, the captain put both hands on the table and rose to his feet.

"No deal."

"Wait! She's a priestess." Seth's hand shot out as he spoke, his fingers closing around one of Atemu's wrists to keep him from leaving. "She's a Drakonic priestess, one of the most talented they have and must you know how they treat those with abilities here. They keep them drugged and sickly, in a semi-conscious, ranting state until they're needed rather than giving them the training and respect deserved by someone who can hear the gods."

The impassioned speech was, by far, the most emotion the stoic man had shown all evening and after another long moment of consideration, a small smirk formed at the corner of Atemu's mouth and he eased himself back into the chair.

"Spoken like a true priest of Memphis."

"Strange that a man from Amenti himself would scoff at his own heritage."

"How did you-?"

"Few outside the system know our gods and you've cursed them several times already."

Atemu spread his hands in surrender. "In my experience, that's all they're good for." The scowl he received would have made a lesser man flinch but Atemu's smirk only widened. "Well then, I suppose the next order of business is figuring out how to get the two of you off planet."

The disapproval immediately dissolved from the other man's face as he realized his offer had been accepted and he seemed at a loss as Atemu picked up the drink in front of him, gave it the same sniff test that the priest had earlier, put it to his lips and drained the glass.

"Well you certainly can't just walk on board; I have to declare all passengers and cargo and the docking stations are monitored. We'll obviously need to leave as soon as possible, the girl will be missed if she's not already, which means we won't have time to make official enough documents and we wouldn't be able to disguise either of you well enough to get past security anyways..."

"I'm sure with hair dye and a few holographics-"

"Don't you think they know to check for those? There are millions of people in this system that would love nothing more than to leave it. Most of the fancy security around here is geared toward making sure the wrong people don't get out." He tapped his empty glass on the table a few times then slammed it down, eyes lighting with excitement. "Hey! Didn't you say you stole a planet hopper to get out of [Central]?"

Seth nodded.

Atemu grinned.

"Have you ever heard of Reynolds' Maneuver?"