Eyes that will question and this is what I mean
I look back into your mirror
But still don't see me
-Apartment 26, "Backwards"

It truly wasn't the way that she wanted to relate things, but her hand had been forced. As much as she could rebel against it, there were far too many things in life that would have joined that list. If she should so ever choose to fight, to go against what was expected … then she would have with something that mattered the most to her. This was important yes, but in comparison, not so much.

No, instead like everything else, she would improvise, adapt, and overcome. Maybe it was egotistical to believe that the words coming from her mouth would be better accepted than if they came from Artemis'. Regardless, her eyes ignored the Mau, looking instead at the woman that was infiltrating her way into her life in ways that … did things to her.

"I don't know the nature of the vision that your mother had, only that the Queen spoke to her about it. Whatever its nature was, it caused great concern within the Queen. Outwardly it was not something so readily known about, much less seen. Even those closest to the Queen would be hard pressed to express any knowledge concerning the communication she had with your mother, other than it was at length. At intervals and frequencies however that could not be so easily deciphered to find a pattern, they spoke for at least five years, but I don't know for certain. Many of the records are locked even to me."

Which was quite true. While she was given a considerable clearance to a number of things, more so given her status and whom she protected, there were still locks to things. It was part of the reason she was happy to know that Ami was among the Princess' guards. Not that she would readily ask the Mercurian Princess to do something unethical … but even the genius that she was knew there was something going on that they were not aware of. It was one of the many things they talked about under the hum of technology and lights on the advanced planet.

Wisely though she moved on before the Mau could raise objection, catching from the corner of her eyes his alarmed expression. "Whether it was your mother's decision or that of the Queen's, she left Mars to travel to the Moon. The last visions she had were important enough, or perhaps … terrifying is the correct word … that she felt driven to speak face to face with the Queen. Her words could not be trusted by communication systems; this was something so critical that only the Queen be told of it directly."

She should have brought something to drink with her, swallowing a moment. Rei so far had not said a word, listening with rapt attention. "It's assumed she headed to the Lunar Kingdom, but I have no knowledge if she ever arrived. No one will tell me." A pointed glance given to Artemis who looked at her almost blankly, but not enough for her to believe him entirely innocent. "That was twenty-five years ago. Five years after, the Queen sent forth her Call."

"No one knows. No one knows if she arrived or anything." True to who she was, the Priestess did not phrase it as a question, but neither did it carry the scorn or anger that she could be described with.

A shake of her head started her answer. "No one knows. I've asked but no one has told me."

The eyes of the sky at dusk, their hue of violet, of amethyst, of mystery latched onto the teal gaze of the Mau who, for his part, met her gaze unflinching. "I don't know either, before you ask. There are many things even I am not privy to, contrary to popular belief." The way his gaze cut to her was the clear message that he didn't appreciate the accusations, but while she couldn't prove it, she felt that he knew something and just wasn't saying.

"How then do you know it was something she had to say directly, if neither of you know if she even arrived."

The logic was infallible, or maybe it was the speaker. It was something for her to thinly think about, picking up the trail the Priestess was taking to get her answers by the questions she asked. Even if they weren't phrased as such. Martians apparently spoke directly on the matter, and didn't hide it behind flowery speeches and laced contempt as her native tongue did. She felt her lips quirk to the side for a moment, watching as Rei's eyebrow rose in response, like she had been issued a challenge and now the Martian needed to rise to the occasion.

"Because while the Queen sat on this information, she eventually did act." Her voice was so confident, so matter-of-fact on the subject that she could see the instant alarm that followed. She wasn't believed, and that was fine, she would explain it. Her hand rose, gently cutting the other off before the Priestess could fire off with the ignition she was just given. "The Call. It went to every planet within the System, from Mercury all the way to the far flung Pluto, and everyone inbetween. To the heads of these planets, the Queen had a hand written letter addressed and delivered by the Royal Couriers, each sealed by her signet. Despite the wording, they all said the same thing; the first born daughter of each planet's ruling family was to be sent to the Moon."

"So why then are you a guard, if the letter said nothing about it. You didn't mention anything about joining an army."

To say she wasn't expecting that would be to lie; she was. She had been waiting for that, for the other to buck the responsibility even though she agreed to come along. For the entire reason that she had an unfavourable relation with her father, for the entire reason her mother was missing, for the entire reason that she was thrust in a situation she didn't ask for, likely did not want, and very well likely did not believe in. "Because letters can be intercepted. Despite couriers being told to deliver them to just the hands of the heads of state, not every single planet recognizes the sovereignty of the Lunar crown. Even if every letter was delivered without fail, without interruption, spies exist everywhere. The very presence of a courier, more so one so finely dressed, representing who they do, requesting an audience; a private one at that, with whom they did … it tells anyone who desires to know that something is happening. Politically, the Planetary Alliance is still quite new; it's been only three decades since it was finally agreed upon within the System. Would you tell an ally, no matter how much they agreed to terms, through a letter that your heir and daughter, the future leader of said alliance, was in potential danger? That the Alliance was? Or would you wait to see who would answer, how they would answer, and inform them then?"

She watched as the fire drained from the Priestess' eyes, the fight leaving as she processed what she had been told. For a handful of moments she didn't say anything, and when she did it was with a gesture to the encompassing space around them. "What about here then."

It was Artemis who spoke up instead, "They are as trusted as someone can be, given their jobs. There's still though a lot more to it that we can't express here. The crew is trustworthy, but the wrong information can still be pulled from a simple phrase." He stopped, looking up at one of the approaching crew that entered the room. With a bow the man looked between the Mau and herself, addressing them in turn. "Lord Artemis, Commander. We've received a distress signal from a Lunar craft."

Her gaze cut to Artemis before he rose, following after the crew member towards the front of the ship. Part of her felt like she should go after him, to find out what it was, but part of her didn't want to either. Doing so meant that she was willing to once more be in charge, to put on that Commander face and adopt the persona. Letting her eyes close for a moment she drew in a breath, mind awhirl with thoughts of what it could be. A distress signal here could be anything. A resort ship that ran afoul of something. A returning emissary. Someone stupid out vacationing. Fuck it could be anything and that's why she didn't like it.

The desire to stay was strong but the choice wasn't hers to make. Opening her eyes anew she found Rei staring at her, almost appalled, or maybe aghast would have been the better word. "Aren't you going to go see what it is about?"

Try as she might, she couldn't keep the frown from her features; she knew that by the way that the Priestess reacted. Without even a shake of her head she rose from the seat, following the direction of where Artemis had went. No, I don't want to know what it's about … I'll find out soon enough. Sadly, you'll find that out soon enough too. She thought, stepping into the piloting area where Artemis was being debriefed. Without even saying anything he turned to her, listing the report.

"It's a Lunar cruiser, with a crew of one carrying a small family, so four total. Their ship was struck by an errant meteor or something on their way back from Earth."

"And they can't make it back to the Moon." She asked what wasn't included. She took from his sympathetic look that she was right, releasing a breath before she looked at the pilot of their own shuttle. "Can you pick them up?"

"Yes Commander, quarters will be tight but we will be able to make it back safely."

"Contact them, let them know we will get them and bring them with us." The pilot nodding, immediately beginning to contact the stranded ship. Meeting Artemis' gaze she muttered under her breath, just enough for him to hear. "I'm going to go change…" before she turned and left the cabin. She knew he would understand... she was toeing the line being so dressed down amid the crew, but with civilians it wouldn't be allowed.

Along the way she passed by the Priestess, stopping long enough to relate the matter. "You'll be having company, sorry. It appears there's a group of four with ship trouble." Before she continued on her way to the quarters she had been in. Reaching it first she wasn't surprised to have Rei on her heels half a minute later, hearing the door close once more behind her as she stepped from her skirt.

"What do you mean, you're sorry. Why are you changing?" The last was issued as a question she noted, but didn't give her pause to pulling on her pants instead. Settling her boots on she turned, facing the Priestess as her fingers undid the row of buttons of her shirt nimbly.

"I can't be seen like this, for one." Off her shirt went, ignoring the way that Rei's eyes widened in response, or how her eyebrows rose with almost alarm. She was far too busy to notice things like that, collecting instead a different shirt to pull on, equally ignoring the pull of her skin from where it was tightly bound with fresh bandages. Her jacket came next, moving with the lurch of the ship as it docked with the stranded one.

Rei, she noticed, wasn't expecting it, grasping the side of the bed to retain her balance. Collecting her breast and back plate, she drew in a breath before starting to don her armor, finishing the rest of her sentence. "The apology comes that you will have company on your voyage to the Moon, Priestess." Her sword belt followed, settling her falchion with far too much familiarity for her liking, before her cloak was pulled on last.

Bending down she laced her boots, righting with consideration. "You may want to keep Phobos and Deimos within here … there's probably a child in that group." With that she slipped out past her, stepping back into the corridor where she could already see the crew members welcoming exactly what she thought it would be; a man and his wife and their small child.

"Minako, wait!" Behind her she heard the Priestess call out, summoning every ounce of willpower she had not to outright groan, or put her hand against her face, when the Lunar citizens realized who she was and immediately began clamboring towards her with awe and admiration. This was going to be a long, very long flight now, and her chances of escaping being preened at had been slashed away to mere figments of her imagination.

She mustered a smile instead, meeting with her adoring public. This is why, she thought. This is precisely why Rei… For the rest of the day she listened to them, noting how Artemis remained hidden in the cabin with the pilot, and how even Rei stayed absent. She took her meal with them though she hardly tasted it, answering yet again to the child, a boy who was probably eight or nine, kept questioning if she had ever seen the Queen, or if she knew what the biggest fish was pulled from Mare Serenitatis, or if Mare Nubium really was so densely packed with clouds one could never see the sky.

The parents weren't much better, questioning her on the latest courtly gossip, if Lady Cylxis had ever agreed to be courted by Sir Nanix, if mink fur from Earth was still all the rage, or if it was true that the Jovian traders would be present again with their wares for the upcoming Celebration of the Eighth. It reminded her just how long it had been since she had left the Moon for Mars; that celebration had been still long enough away. Not that she'd be able to enjoy it, but the Princess would be beyond excited for any opportunity to see fireworks and shop.

Finally though they all relented to quarters that she could tell belonged to their own crew, turning in for the night after citing the excitement of it all. Left to herself at last, she leaned back in the chair, absently glancing at the palms of her hands. Scars looked back at her, uneven and jagged in their representation. Shaking her head she glanced out the window; she couldn't wait to land even if it meant being thrust back into the life she was silently glad to have escaped, no matter the price paid for it.

"Is it always like this?" The voice drew her from her silent reverie, looking up to see Rei lingering at a chair that previously, had been occupied by a far more fashionably conscious woman than she. She gave an inclination of her head to the silently posed question, letting her hands fall back to her lap, out of sight and out of mind. "The people I mean. Do they always swarm you?"

"That was mild. The wife doesn't care; she's far too used to the ladies of court that concern themselves with fur or whatever the fuck it is. Her husband though will probably try to incite her passion with his fantasies of it all, and their son is too busy figuring out how he can convince his father to take him to Oceanus Procellarum where they have to have the biggest fish ever heard of."

The look on Rei's face told her she didn't follow at all. "Oceanus … Procellarum?"

"Ocean of Storms … fish don't exist there; he would have had a better time on Earth or Neptune if he was concerned about catching them." Her fingers went to her hair, brushing it back tiredly. "Did you eat?" At the Priestess' nod she did the same, sighing before letting her hands drop once more. "You should probably get some rest; we should reach the Moon tomorrow morning. Things will only get busier from there."

She had already risen by the time Rei's voice captured her attention again. "Are you going to … come to bed?" The hesitation of the words stopped her, giving her reason to pause and look back at her. She didn't meet her gaze, looking instead at the table top, but she had a sense that there was remorse, or maybe sadness in her tone. It didn't stop the shake of her head though, or the wisp of a smile. "No, I need to prepare for my debriefing for when we arrive. I'm afraid my vacation, if you want to call it that, is over." Stepping to her she leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head before turning to head to the pilot's cabin. "Get some rest…"