I am so sorry for the delay, I was hit with kcon plus serious procrastination when it came to writing this chapter (ironically bc I want to get to what comes next!) but thanks for hanging in there, gang. I hope this was worth the wait!

They had been able to attend the markets for all three farn of the festival, and everyone had gathered on the top of the ship as Qinyan's sun set on the final night in anticipation of the light shows from the floating lanterns and fireworks. Donghae was relaxing within Hyukjae's arms, their fingers tangled together as they waited for the sun to fully set below the horizon. He could already see several stars in the sky in unfamiliar patterns, some larger than anything he would ever see from Earth.

“This is incredible,” Deokbon said, her face tilted up to look at the sky. “I'm sitting on the top of an actual spaceship on an alien world and looking at stars that I've only ever seen through a telescope...”

Hyukjae grinned. “Just in case anyone ever wondered where I get it from...” he teased.

“Can we see our sun from here?” she asked.

“I don't see why we shouldn't be able to, since we can see out into space. Qinyan is only a few thousand light years away from Earth.” He shrugged. “It would probably just be a yellowish dot to our eyes without a decent-sized telescope.”

“I do wonder if that is why your world has been spared so far,” Zhou Mi said. “While there are many worlds in the Empire, most do orbit stars unlike yours.”

“Doesn't the Emperor employ like thousands of astronomers though?”

“Yes, but I do not know if they actually perform their job functions for the Emperor or not. They could be looking for stars similar to what they already have within the Empire, and not expanding their search, even though there are worlds within the Empire that orbit stars that would not normally considered to be habitable.”

Hyukjae sighed. “I'd love to get my hands on that data, I want to figure out what stars they are looking at and where they fit on the main sequence.”

“Nerd,” Sora teased.

“It takes one to know one,” he shot back.

“Ah, the lanterns are beginning to be released,” Song Qian said, looking more attentive.

Covered lanterns rose in the sky, each paper covering seemingly a different color, the bright lights within sending out a barrage of color in all directions. Once a lantern had reached a pre-programmed altitude, it would ignite the fireworks material and explode with bright bursts of color that enraptured everyone on top of the ship. The lanterns kept being released as the sky grew darker, until the large golden lantern rose above the village to hover above the ground and bells began to ring.

“What's the significance of this festival?” Alex asked, her fingers lightly playing on the hem of her pants. Hyukjae had thought that she had looked uncomfortable all day, wincing slightly when she was addressed, and he wondered if she had a headache from how tightly her hair was pinned against her head.

“In ancient times, before the Zhang, it marked the end of the planting season, and people would rest after their labors. After the Zhang, it became more a joyous festival, used to mark the passage of a solar cycle. Families gather to acknowledge those that have died, and gifts are exchanged between family members,” Song Qian explained.

“That sounds like a mix of Chuseok and New Year's,” Hyukjae's father commented.

“Does this happen on every world within the Empire?” Sora asked, the jewels from the pins in her elaborate hairstyle swaying slightly with movement.

“Not all at the same time, but there are many similar festivals throughout the Empire. The Night of Lanterns is just one of the most well-known, as it usually coincides closely with the holiday marking the Emperor's celebrated birth date,” Zhou Mi said, standing, then courteously helped Sora and Song Qian stand.

“We're going together tonight right?” Alex asked as she stood.

“Yes. I am bringing you into contact with a supplier for the hull tiles, since the person I am portraying would have no need for them. You and your guards are there as my guests to be connected with other business. While we will probably draw some attention due to the large size of the group, it should not be anything too much.”

They all reentered the ship to finish preparing for the market before loading up into the cargo vessel and flying to the market area. Song Qian and Zoe were the first off the ship, both of them effortlessly blending into the crowds for the markets. Hyukjae knew that Song Qian had already garnered a large amount of money and favors, most of which she would keep for herself, to be used when she felt as if it were needed. Zoe had asked him after the first night if he resented Song Qian for keeping most of her profits instead of using them to better their lives while out in space. He'd only shook his head, explaining that it was her time, knowledge, and body that people paid for and that it was her earned right to keep things. Song Qian had already slipped him and Zhou Mi a good amount of money to be used in bartering, and he was more than content with it. They wouldn't starve, they'd gotten almost everything on their shopping list, and they'd barely had to use anything that Song Qian had given them.

Two of Qinyan's moons were already visible in the sky by the time that they had finally gotten into the upper market, and Hyukjae tried to look as imposing as he could, given that he was next to Samuel, who was at least a good half a meter taller and wider than Hyukjae could ever hope to be.

Instead of heading directly for the vendor, they browsed about, taking a circuitous path, which allowed all of them to spot Zhang officials and soldiers. They were noticed as a large group, but as they made their way around and it became more obvious at the way Alex was obviously a guest who had her own protection, attention drifted away from them. Hyukjae watched his sister cautiously browse, her eyes darting over jewelry mostly, the hair pins and jeweled headpieces not so different than what she had back on Earth. They took a small break for food, all of their stomachs beginning to protest the lack of food.

They sat in a group, Zhou Mi, Sora, and Alex protected as they faced towards each other while everyone who posed as protection faced outwards, constantly on the alert for any threats to the others. Hyukjae and Donghae took the most care while eating, slinging their masks around their chins to quickly eat before settling the masks back on their faces properly.

“You okay noona?” he quietly asked Sora.

“Yeah, kinda,” she replied back just as quietly as he'd asked, and he could hear the fabric of her light green dress rustle. “Just feeling a little weird at playing someone rich.”

Hyukjae smiled behind his mask and swung his eyes around the food vendor area.

“You did not grow up in wealth?” Zhou Mi asked, and Hyukjae caught his look between he and his sister.

Sora laughed a little and shook her head. “If anything, we were desperately poor. We always had food to eat and shelter, but a lot of other things were luxuries. Our visit to Ulsan was one of the few times we all got to enjoy a family vacation. I guess that's why I reacted yesterday to the slave auction. If it wasn't illegal, that could have been us,” she finished, her voice quiet and choked.

Hyukjae sighed, biting his lip. “Try and put it out of your mind, noona. There's nothing we can really do.”

“Why not?” she asked, her voice sharper.

Hyukjae looked around, not having an answer – at least anything that wasn't an excuse. They were always running, barely had enough food to survive no matter how he tried to present it otherwise, and would it really be so much a life if they were captured and tortured?

“I'm guessing that they don't have the money to either purchase and or feed every slave that they came across,” Alex supplied. “It's detestable, I agree, but I also understand why they've had to numb themselves to it, especially since they've been on the run.”

Sora sighed. “I guess I can understand that.”

“Perhaps, now that we have now dealt with the probe and we can hide ourselves more effectively, we could potentially help others once more,” Donghae said.

Hyukjae smiled, reminded that their lives for the past Earth year or so would hopefully be behind them. “Maybe,” he agreed.

“That is now a possibility,” Zhou Mi said. “Let us focus on this task, and we could make further plans when time permits.”

Hyukjae turned his head to look at Sora when he heard his name being called softly. Out of line of sight and covered by their bodies, Sora had her pinky finger stuck out. Smiling, he slipped his arm behind him to hook his pinky with hers. “I promise noona, we'll make plans and help out where we can,” he said.

“We will survive first, but we will try to help,” Zhou Mi said.

“That's all I can really ask for,” Sora replied, letting go of Hyukjae's finger. “Should we go get the tiles now? There's a guy over there giving me a really creepy look.”

“Yeah, I saw him,” Seungchul replied.

Hyukjae was getting angry because there was no way he could turn all the way around to find who was creeping his sister out, and Donghae softly touched his arm. He took a deep breath and forced the anger back down. He had to trust others to do their jobs in keeping Sora protected.

Zhou Mi made a disgusted noise. “I believe he is attempting to work out if you are betrothed or if you are a favored concubine. Either way, I know his type. The only question will be if he attempts to approach you himself or if he sends a messenger.”

Sora sighed. “I guess some things are truly universal. I thought dodging pushy coworkers was bad enough.”

“Do you want me to kill them?” Hyukjae immediately asked, waiting for anyone to stand so they could get moving and so he could actually look around.

“That's a little disturbing because you actually would kill them now.”

Seungchul snorted loud enough for Hyukjae to hear. “I'll be happy to put the fear of God into them without deadly force for you when we get back, considering that your brother is technically dead and cannot be seen.”

“Small issue,” Hyukjae muttered.

“I might take you up on that. As much as I love you Hyukjae, you'd take any excuse to hurt someone over me,” Sora explained in a rush. “Or do I need to remind you of the time you almost got kicked out of school?”

“He was cheating on you,” he said hotly. Having an argument with his sister was a lot less exciting when he couldn't turn around and face her.

He saw Donghae's eyes turn up and his shoulders shake once.

“And I could have handled it, just like I can handle my coworkers and this guy. Let's go get the tiles.”

Hearing the shuffling that indicated getting up, he rose as well, irritated but not really able to pinpoint why other than Sora getting the best of him in an argument. Donghae was smiling at him from behind the mask and he smiled back, feeling his irritation bank. They'd traverse the upper market again, then arrive at the vendor for the hull tiles, Alex would bargain and they'd get the tiles and back to the ship.

At least that was what he hoped would happen.

They'd made it halfway through the market, where Zhou Mi had stopped them. He bartered quickly for several pieces of jewelry that Song Qian could use, including hair pins, portraying his part perfectly by holding them up for Sora's inspection and approval. She nodded quickly at the blue and purple ones but was a little more hesitant about things that looked green or yellow or the sickening combination of both, and Hyukjae wondered if it appeared differently to others who came from redder star systems. Several of the hairpins that had what looked like black jewels hanging off them Zhou Mi had also added without checking with Sora, and Hyukjae knew that those were of colors that they couldn't see. But the more immediate concern was the soldiers he'd spotted in the tent behind the vendor.

“Donghae?” he asked quietly.

“Hm?” Donghae shot him a quick look before scanning the crowd again.

“Soldiers in the tent. They look like they're playing one of the gambling games.”

“Yes, I saw them enter earlier.”

“There's another group roaming around, possibly drunk,” Samuel said, having overheard his and Donghae's quiet conversation.

“Great, drunk soldiers on shore leave,” Hyukjae muttered.

“I was really hoping you wouldn't say that,” Seungchul grumbled. He was facing towards the vendor just as Hyukjae was while Samuel and Donghae watched the crowds. “How much leeway do they have with the law?”

“More than what we do,” Hyukjae answered since he was the closest and had the least chance of being over heard by the vendor, who was locked in a heated bartering session with Zhou Mi over all the hairpins and several more pieces of jewelry.

“You are asking far too much for such little items,” Zhou Mi said, and Hyukjae's attention sharpened. “Especially for things that could be obtained anywhere.”

“Ah but you stopped here,” the vendor pointed out, a tad too smug for Hyukjae's liking.

“We can easily leave,” Zhou Mi returned, his entire manner bored. “Though other vendors look of slightly less quality, they would not be wanting so much for so little, and I have other matters to be attending,” he said with a gesture towards Alex. “I have also noticed that aside from those drunken zougou in your tent, you have not had many other patrons.”

Hyukjae saw the vendor flinch slightly, and he let his hand rest easily on his weapon. The vendor glanced between him, Seungchul, and Zhou Mi before casting a glance behind him. Hyukjae noted that the vendor's eyes were narrowed a little, only one cheek lifted slightly, and it didn't take much to deduce that the vendor was disgusted at the soldiers behind him. “There are few options when hospitality is demanded,” th