“The message got intercepted,” Tzuyu said. “All Earthers know she’s back.” 

“So much for being subtle,” Dahyun muttered. She looked at the Earth system model. Sana’s face seemed to come from every news piece and announcement. It was a slap in the face. 

This was the future heir to the Earther empire, one that basically extended into Kepler. And they were bringing her back. 

Dahyun wondered if it was even going to be possible for them to enter the Earther atmosphere without their ship being ripped apart by hackers. Already Jeongyeon had been letting them know about the great wave of people trying to get into any cameras or data logs they had. Mina’s work had helped secure them and the software wasn’t terrible on its own, but the moment someone with a little more technical know-how came around, they’d be screwed.

Mina had also, helpfully, told them that the Earther, Lunar, and Martian governments would’ve already hacked into their ship without their knowledge. Their past routes, comms, and reported supplies would all be known. They’d probably seen the plans Dahyun had on the tablets. They'd also know about the Aphroditan ship they'd destroyed. 

Exposed. That’s what they were and that’s what they would be now. 

“We’re landing soon. Like ten minutes soon.” Chaeyoung put a hand on her shoulder. “We still sticking to the plan?”

“We’re gonna try,” Dahyun replied. She patted her hand. “Any requests?”

She snorted. “A bath in Earther mountain water for one and a buffet of all bio-foods.”

Dahyun smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” They’d see just how rich Earthers were. 

Well, not Earthers in general, but the wealth of the Imperial Throne. She was almost scared of how much money that would be. 

“Morning,” a small voice said. A lot deeper than normal. 

Dahyun turned to see Sana with bleary eyes. She’d showered, but still had the clothes on that they’d given her at first. 

Literally Ms. Universe, her head reminded her. 

Dahyun looked away, though her face had already begun to burn. She really was like some teenager in the way she acted around the princess. This after all that had already happened. She blushed even harder at the thought. 

She’d been an idiot to not stop before it got to this point. It had been so easy to forget who Sana actually was. She usually didn’t act like she was the future empress. 

“Nearly there,” Sana murmured. She stood beside her, a hand on her shoulder to replace Chaeyoung’s. Dahyun hadn’t even noticed that she’d gone.

Now the touch was warm, almost too warm. 

“Sleep well?” Dahyun asked, latching onto any normalcy she could. 

A low laugh. “Yes.” She propped her chin on Dahyun’s shoulder. “Did you have breakfast?”

It was normal. Too normal. 

Dahyun only shook her head. 

Sana smiled. “Good. I’m going to get us all a nice welcoming meal set up.” 

“Just the welcoming?” Nayeon asked. “No dinner?” 

“Dinner too,” she replied. “And subsequent foods, unless you decide to shop.”

Not happening, Dahyun thought. If she was going to keep herself locked in some palace and its workshop, she’d be fine with that. 

“Will we have to go out?” Tzuyu asked. She didn’t elaborate, but Sana would understand. 

“No,” Sana said. “We have a very efficient delivery process.”

And probably anti-poisoning measures. Could Dahyun ask for that to extend to them? She didn’t know how Aphrodite would try to take them out of the picture, but that was one way of doing it. 

Then lips brushed her temple before pressing a kiss there. Dahyun closed her eyes. 

“Prepare to land!” Jeongyeon called. 

Fighting a sigh, Dahyun straightened. In spite of everything else, she was excited. Almost all of the people she knew had never even stepped foot on Earth. Now she was going to. 

“Let’s go.” She smiled up at Sana. For a moment, she wanted to take her hand. She didn’t.

Instead, she headed straight for the ladder and into the cockpit. Sana followed, but she didn’t say much else. 

She needed to convince herself that this was just something fun. Something to look back on with a smile instead of it being something she lost. Someone she lost. 

“Looking good so far,” Jeongyeon called. “If we got hacked, nothing’s been taken or placed.” She leaned back. “They’re just not gonna like the range and depth this’s got.” She patted the screen with a fond smile. 

Jihyo looked over her shoulder. “They gave me a clear route down. We ready?”

Dahyun nodded and took one of the seats. This’d be one of the last times they actually used this ship. She ran a hand across the armrest, trying not to dwell on that fact. 

“Where are we landing?” Sana asked. 

“They just told me it was in Tokyo,” Jihyo replied. “Dunno what half of the places mean, so I guess it’s the centre of your empire?” 

They fell silent then. The others were as nervous as she was. 

No one else asked questions. The anticipation of the Earthers could be seen pretty easily. Their ships had pulled back, either to scout the area around them or just to follow them as they landed. Dahyun wondered if people would actually be watching out for their ship. 

‘Course they are, she thought. They’d know a Keplan ship was bringing her back. The Breakthrough would be a big surprise for them. She snorted at the thought. 

It earned her a few raised eyebrows. 

“Just realised,” Dahyun glanced at Sana, “this isn’t exactly a golden carriage bringing you back.”

“They’re gonna hold up cards,” Nayeon said. “Ten for landing, negative nine for looks.”

She sighed as the rest laughed. “At least give it an eight.”

“Nope,” her co-captain shot back. “Nine or nothing.” 

The ship lurched as its descent really began. Dahyun saw the three newcomers tense. She then turned her gaze to the planet itself. It was really blue. Green too. 

“You were right,” Chaeyoung muttered. She elbowed Momo. “The sky’s nothing like in the movies.” She gawked upwards. 

Dahyun followed her gaze. The darkness of space was gone. In its place was a dome of blue and white. She knew they existed, but it wasn’t anything she was prepared to see. The clouds looked as if they’d been painted into the air. The sky itself looked endless, but they’d just come in at the edge of it. It didn’t make any sense, even though there were a bunch of explanations about what made some planets have a proper sky and others not. Dahyun hadn’t read a lot of it. What she had, she didn’t remember. 

They were here. Flying in a ship whose descent would be watched by all the rest. Flying towards a planet that didn’t allow masks. One encased with a bubble of air and a beautiful sky. One with animals, land, and oceans. Things Dahyun had never seen before, but was seeing a lot of right now. 

The ocean was massive. Terrifying too. And there were supposed to be more animals there? She hoped the royal family never planned parties on their aquatic ships too. Then again, rich people liked to celebrate on top of moons and even asteroids if they were crazy enough (there’d been at least two accidents in the last five years, because an Earther couple had decided to get married on a meteor). 

With any luck, they’d be separated from all that. Maybe Dahyun would have to be extra on the space rat side so no one would want her around. 

She smiled to herself. If all else failed, she’d go with that. 

There were some shaky moments, ones where Dahyun reached over for Sana’s hand. Just for a moment. 

She got a small smile in response. It made her wonder if Sana was thinking the same thing. That whatever this was—it was over. Did Sana know she didn’t want it to be? Did Sana regret doing anything as well? 

So many questions and Dahyun wouldn’t be able to ask any of them. Sana would be swept back into her life, handling the fallout of her kidnapping and getting all her plans realised in MZ factories. 

Dahyun took in Japan. An island beside the massive mainland that was Asia, which also extended into Europe. Both areas she wouldn’t be exploring. As they got closer, she realised that Japan was still massive. It definitely had way more people than Artemis, T9, and T16 put together. This wasn’t even all of Earth. How could one family rule this, the rest of the planet, and the rest of the system? 

Dahyun blinked, setting her eyes instead on the monitors. Actually focusing on how the galaxy worked. It hurt her head.

She pulled up a report on the ship now. The repairs they had made at the border station had held up. The engines were half-empty. Their reserves had gone down a lot because of this journey. If they were gonna make the return, they’d have to get proper deliveries for the right fuel. Pure Earther stuff wouldn’t work. They’d never be able to refuel properly in Kepler. They’d have to tap into the other stocks.

And then there was the other cargo they still had. Would it be searched? Would they find all her weapons? Confiscate them because of the forgery? And then there was the other stuff. What was to stop them from taking those plans for themselves?

“Are we gonna be searched?” Dahyun asked. Either to Mina or Sana, whoever would know. Momo might, but she still wasn’t exactly sure what the girl did. A guard, maybe, but was it just that? She hadn’t asked yet. 

Mina looked over. “You won’t be charged for what you’ve done,” she said. “Unless of course you do anything of that sort on the planet.” She glanced at Jeongyeon then. “That includes hacking.”

The person in question flushed. 

“We’ll be good,” Nayeon said. “But are we gonna deal with a search party?” She raised a brow. Less subtle than Dahyun would’ve been. Would she act that way with the royal family too?

“No,” the spy replied. “I’ve already prepared a report of what you have. That includes your secret room,” she held Dahyun’s gaze then, “so while your privacy will be acknowledged, full transparency will still be expected of you.”

It wasn’t the ideal, but Dahyun didn’t say that. In the eyes of Earther law, they were criminals. They were technically that in Kepler too, but nobody cared. 

“Got it,” Dahyun nodded, “but when did you have time for that?” And how had she known the passcodes? 

“She’s a spy, remember?” Nayeon chuckled. “Probably did some super-secret-stuff and got all our deep dark secrets.” 

Was she on thin ice there? Nothing in Mina’s expression suggested more than mild annoyance. 

“They got a hanger here?” Jihyo sounded caught off guard. “This place’s too pretty for that.”

It really was. There were trees and sleek buildings, full of glass rather than bland grey metal. 

“To keep the ships underground.” 

The ground below them opened up. It was already artificial looking, so it wasn’t shocking. That didn’t mean it didn’t look impressive. Dahyun scanned the edges of the doors, trying to figure out what mechanism they were using. It must’ve cost a fortune. She wondered if it was actually necessary. A hanger above ground would do that job and cost a fraction. 

Unless it was the safety aspect. Then she maybe understood that part. 

They landed. Dahyun let go of Sana’s hand, noting that it might have been the last time she did that. She pushed the thought down. 

Instead, she focused on what she saw. There were people around them. All of them guards, no masks, but they wore sunglasses, just like in the movies. There were also those cars. Two black, one grey, and one white one. Were those supposed to hold the royal family? Other spectators? People from the news. How many cameras were pointed at them? 

Were they really going to walk out there? Nothing to hide them? 

“Don’t shake,” Nayeon whispered. “Unless that’s what you wanna show them.” 

Dahyun looked down at her hands. They were actually trembling. 

“I’m good.” She straightened, stilling her hands as if she was building something. Years of being put under pressure for that kind of thing had helped there. 

Nayeon smiled. “You and I’ll be doing the talking, all good with that?” She looked to the others. 

They nodded. The two of them knew what they wanted. The others didn’t have much else to add to it, except for the obvious parts of staying as inconspicuous as possible. 

Dahyun gave them all a grin. “Then let’s go.” 

She could feel her smile vanishing as the doors hissed open. They revealed the royal guard, guns at their side, but still out. All eyes were on them. Dahyun fought the urge to cover her face. Some first impression that would be. 

Sana was beside her, thankfully keeping half a metre’s distance. Otherwise Dahyun might’ve actually reached for her hand for some type of comfort. That would’ve also been terrible in public. 

“Sana,” a voice breathed. Two people emerged from the many guards. The man was dressed in a dark green suit, while the woman wore a blouse of the same colour and white trousers. The crowd of armed men and women parted for them easily. They didn’t wear them, but it was clear who they were. 

Suddenly, Dahyun didn’t know if she should bow or not. She looked to Nayeon who just stood with a small bow of her head. Dahyun did the same, watching as the others did the same. Except for Sana. 

Sana strode off the ramp and towards her parents. She caught them both in a tight embrace.

None of the guards batted an eye. Some of them were actually smiling. 

The words exchanged between the royal family were in a language Dahyun didn’t understand. She still heard the relief in the emperor and empress’ voices. It definitely humanised them. 

Not enough that Dahyun wasn’t still afraid for her life and identity, but enough that she could be happy for this reunion. Would her parents act like that if she came back? 

No, they’d be terrified that she was back and tell her to leave immediately.

Not the same then.

“We’ll make our way out first,” Mina said. “SuA here will lead you to the car.” 

SuA? Dahyun looked to the shockingly pretty guard. Clearly, it had to be some sort of code name, but it was still unusual to hear. And why did they use false names if their faces were revealed? To make it slightly more difficult to be identified?

Six others stepped forward as well. All women. 

Dahyun closed the door to the Breakthrough. She didn’t want to leave it. It felt like abandoning it. If she even voiced that, the rest would think she was ridiculous. 

SuA led them to one of the white cars, a lengthier one. When she opened the door, it revealed a more luxurious interior than any ship in Kepler had. 

“These are their cars?” Dahyun muttered it in Korean. 

SuA smiled. “Sure are. Not too bad, huh?”

“You know Korean?” Chaeyoung looked at her with narrowed eyes. 

Her brow rose. “I was born in Korea.”

“Well,” Dahyun glanced into the car, hesitating before she got in, “Korea’s just what we got told was in our blood. The rest is out of this world.”

She watched them each fight smiles. That helped Dahyun relax a bit further. 

“That ,” one of them said. 

“I know.” Dahyun got into the car. 

Even the chairs were softer than anything she’d seen. It was also really clean. It even smelled like wealth. 

Looking out the window, she saw Sana walking between her parents to the black car. They had their arms around each other. 

“Where’re we even going?” Tzuyu asked. In English this time. 

The car lurched forward. Dahyun tensed. 

“The palace,” one said. She had blonde hair. 

“The palace,” Jeongyeon repeated. 

No big deal, Dahyun thought. She tried not to fidget with the devices she carried with her. They hadn’t even made her take off her gun. Maybe because they’d shoot her if she so much as twitched in the wrong way. Or they just couldn’t believe it was a gun in the first place. 

“So you’re serious about keeping this a secret?” SuA asked. “They had a bunch of searches going on all morning, ‘cause of that request.”

So Mina had transferred it sooner rather than later. Dahyun was appreciating the spy more and more. 

“Yep.” Nayeon leaned back, also tracing a finger over the fabric. “Being a lil’ secretive is kinda our thing.” 

They were driving through some kind of tunnel. They were in the middle of this entourage, the grey one in the lead.

“So you really wear masks all the time?” A dark-haired guard asked. The one who’d said Dahyun’s joke had . “I’m Gahyeon, by the way.”

Dahyun was caught off guard by that. Why tell them their names?

She still found her voice. “Even in the shower.” Dahyun nodded. 

Gahyeon gave her a look. “But is it legal?”

“If you wanna keep your life,” Jihyo said. “You wear it.” She was looking out the window. 

Now they got out. Despite the tint on the glass, it was still so bright outside. The weird dome-like sky was out there. The buildings crawled up into it. Cars passed by them, all with the same tint to their windows. Was this their equivalent of masks?

There were also a lot of people standing around, big contraptions around some. Cameras.

Then the cars came to a halt. 

“The princess wanted to make an appearance,” the one driving said. She had an immaculate fringe. 

“Now?” Chaeyoung twisted to look out the back window. “It’s not like she’s all dolled up.”

“Are you going to speak like that around her all the time?” SuA cocked an eyebrow. 

“There’s not going to be a lot of times when others hear us talk, though,” Dahyun frowned, “so what do you mean ‘all the time’?”

She raised her hands. “For one thing you’ll be speaking with His and Her Imperial Majesties. And if others around you hear such a thing, it’ll be as if you had disrespected them directly.”

“We’ll behave,” Nayeon said. “But why’s she doing this now?”

Dahyun looked out the window, watching as the people standing there grew more excited and gathered around the black car. She saw Sana smiling warmly at them. In her Keplan clothes, she’d probably make a headline for just that. And, of course, there was the whole return from being kidnapped. 

“It’ll be good for you,” another guard said. “This way she shows she’s alright and not beaten down or anything of the sort. Makes it easier to believe you weren’t Keplan bandits who smuggled her over here.”

The princess wore a well practiced smile that actually reached her eyes. She spoke with a lot of hand motions, slow and patient. Dahyun saw the training Sana had talked about having when it came to this stuff.

“Technically,” Dahyun began, “we did smuggle her in.”

A sigh. “You know what I meant.” 

“Yeah,” she smiled, turning away from the window, “it’s a good move.”

“We may be here for a bit,” SuA said. “We’ll introduce ourselves.”

The five others whose names they didn’t know said it. The blonde one was Yoohyeon, the driver Siyeon, and the other three were Dami, Handong, and JiU. As far as she knew, at least two of those names were codenames. The others might’ve just been aliases. If they were actual names, then Earthers were weirder than she’d thought. 

“We’ve been assigned to you while you’re here,” Siyeon said. 

Chaeyoung all but flew away from the window. “What?”

JiU crossed her arms. “If the hanger was scanned twice for cameras and other such bugs for your safety, shouldn’t you also appreciate some security?”

She shrugged, looking sheepish. “We can protect ourselves.”

“Well,” Nayeon interjected, “I’m kinda confused about why. We’re not gonna be leaving wherever we’re staying unless it’s to set up the ride outta here.”

“The six of you will have a wonderful reward,” SuA said. “Which gets a wonderful amount of attention.”

“And that’s why this’s gonna be kept a secret,” Dahyun replied. “Unless—” She looked between them. If this had gotten out, a lot of their planning would go out the window. 

“In the event,” Siyeon looked back from the front, “that others find out, or the ones you’re running from come looking, we’ll be here as well.” The corner of her lip tilted up in a half-smirk. “Extra hands aren’t too bad, is it?” 

Nayeon’s response was quick. “Depends how good the hands are.” 

There was a small chime. Siyeon turned around and kept driving. 

“So what are you to the crown?” Chaeyoung asked. “Secret guard?” 

“Not that secret,” Dami said. “But high up enough.”

“Can you keep secrets?” Dahyun looked between them. She was barely paying attention to the scenery around her. Even though it was an actual planet, she wasn’t bothering much with staring at it. At least not yet. 

And she had to learn stuff about these people, especially if they were gonna guard them. Unless promises were going to be broken, these people had to be good at that. Still, why not ask directly? 

“From everyone except those who need to hear them.” Yoohyeon was looking at a sleek-looking electronic device. Not at all clunky. 

“And who’s that?” 

She glanced up. “The empress, the emperor, the princess, and a few others whose names we cannot say.” 

“I think we know one of them,” Nayeon muttered, glancing back. “Is there already a story in place?” 

“Likely enough to lay the necessary threads,” Dami followed her gaze, “but they want to hear the actual story first. Then another can be made.”

JiU narrowed her eyes then. “But what’s going to happen if you’re revealed? What are you hiding from?”

“Everyone,” Dahyun said. 

Her brow rose. “Now more than ever, that’s become a very large number.”

“If we do get that money,” she glanced at her comms, “then everyone’s gonna want a piece of it, or more.” 

“And no one will stop them out there?” Gahyeon asked. 

Out there. Right, they were essentially from the hinterlands. 

“No one but us,” Nayeon replied. “And as you said, that’s a lotta people to keep off of us.”

They passed by a larger connection of trees and colourful plants. Dahyun let herself gawk at them. It was a gorgeous sight to behold. She knew Chaeyoung would jump at the opportunity to take pictures, maybe even draw something. 

“So why did you even say yes?” Yoohyeon looked up from her device again. “Was the money that attractive?”

Did they really have to explain this again? Another round of scrutiny about their way of life?

“Yes ma’am,” Nayeon grinned, “and with everything we’re gonna need to have, those signals’ll be pretty beautiful.” A pause. “You people know what those are, right?”

“Naturally,” SuA rolled her eyes, “but its exchange rate to yen isn’t quite so good at the moment.”

“Great,” her co-captain sighed, “now the reward’s cut in half.”

“Technically reduced by thirty percent,” she replied. 

“Let’s not discuss the economy,” Siyeon said from the front. “It’s an irrational change anyway, so if you’re here as long as we think you might be, you’ll get whatever it is you’re owed.”

Dahyun and Nayeon exchanged a look. Who were these people now? Higher-ups among the emperor’s guards, charged with guarding them (or keeping them under control), and having, at least from what Dahyun could tell, a decent grasp on this place’s politics and economy. 

Or that was just how all Earthers were. Jacks-of-all-trades or just over-achievers. 

After one of the most beautiful trips concluded, they got into a darker place again. What did they call those areas—garages?

Sure enough, there was a mass of cars just like the one they were in now. Some were shaped like literal boxes, others with a little more style to them. All with dark windows. All were probably bullet-proof and shock-proof to a bunch of different explosive types. Dahyun wouldn’t put it past them to have installed shields in the most important cars. She’d have given that a go.

She wondered if they’d let her take a peek at the tech they used for that. She’d always wanted to install a shield on a gun. The dimensions of it would be hard to figure out, but even a terribly sized shield could protect the face. 

Someone nudged her. Tzuyu. 

They were here. 

“Now’s gonna be the point where we want your weapons,” Gahyeon said. “If you can call that a weapon.” She nodded at Dahyun, a grin already on her face. 

Her face flushed. “It works. That’s all that it needs.” She took it from the holster and handed it over. 

“Yeah?” The guard looked it over. “Where’s the trigger? Where’s the safety?”

“That,” Dahyun said, “is a need to know basis.”

The others gave over their guns. They weren’t searched, but Nayeon was. 

“Is this necessary?” Nayeon frowned at SuA. “I gave you a crappy gun already.”

“You’re one to look out for,” the guard winked, “and?” She drew out a knife from the strap on her ankle. Then the other one, as well as a few other odds and ends from her pockets. Some were things Dahyun had made, others were still from Aphrodite and Artemis. Most of it was stuff she didn’t really know how to use. 

When she got to her arms, she raised a brow, gingerly pushing up the sleeve of Nayeon’s left arm. First there was the glove, then the metal. Nayeon didn’t shove her off, but she didn’t look too happy about it either. 

“I’m bionic,” Nayeon muttered. “Let’s move on.”

“Can it be used as a weapon?” 

“If punching you in the face counts, yeah.”

SuA snorted. A big contrast to how well-spoken she seemed. “And this?” Her fingers lingered in the very place that the slot was. Where Nayeon could put on different add-ons. How did this woman even know what that was?

“It could be weaponised,” Dahyun said. “It’s not.”

Five of them looked between Nayeon and them. Then they stepped forward, as if to search them. 

“We’ll take your word for it.” JiU raised a hand, shaking her head. Not a threat, that seemed to say.

They were right, but Dahyun wondered if that wasn’t mildly offensive towards them. If they underestimated them fully, that wasn’t terrible either. 

“Come along then,” SuA said. 

Only two cars had arrived. Theirs and another one with guards. The other two had gone somewhere else. How many underground places did they have here? Was that better or worse? Could give a lot of opportunities. On Artemis, she’d learned just about all of them. It’d let her find what she shouldn’t have and everything she wanted on that station. 

“We’re still gonna get our stuff, right?” Jihyo asked. “Because I’m not loving the Earther style.”

“After all else is decided, we’ll get back to your ship,” SuA replied, leading them up a small set of stairs. 

Gravity was pretty much the same as any station or ship, but Dahyun got a brief sense of dizziness just thinking about where she was. This planet was spinning and orbiting the sun like any other celestial object. But it didn’t feel like it at all. She couldn’t even find a window to look out at the stars. She almost missed the terrifying vacuum of outer space. 

“And either send us away or help us pack?” Nayeon looked at SuA with some suspicion. She probably hadn’t enjoyed the search too much, no matter how pretty the guard was. 

“Exactly.” She opened the door. There was an extra mechanism to it. Maybe it was facial recognition. Or maybe some other type of artificial intelligence. Jeongyeon had told them about some of the tech she’d encountered within the Earth system, and that just at its edges, but what they saw now might be a whole lot different. 

The next room had smooth black and white floors. Not much metal. What they were walking on had to be stone. Was it granite? Marble? Dahyun had no idea how to tell the difference. Meteors had stone, certain planets had it too, same for moons, but they never went to those kinds of places. Having stone on board was just a hazard. Sometimes an expensive one. 

“Got cameras everywhere,” Chaeyoung muttered. “How can they be sure those haven’t been hacked?”

“They can’t,” Dahyun replied. “But we can’t do much against that.” They could’ve worn masks, but that was, again, illegal. She was finding herself getting nervous again. There were a few people here and there. Either guards, staff, or something else. She didn’t know. Probably the ‘trustworthy’ types, but just seeing them like this made her feel even worse. They were all seeing their faces. If they saw any of them again, they’d recognise them immediately. No amount of changing clothes could help with that. 

Yes, she was also committing all their faces to memory, but they belonged here. They were used to having their faces exposed, having cameras directed on said faces. A lot of them had probably never left the system, let alone this planet. Unless it was in those fancy airplanes, but even those didn’t take you that high. 

The hall itself had a high ceiling. There were doors of either wood or metal, each probably lined with a camera or some other type of sensor. She even saw the old-timey sign for bathrooms. 

“If you’ll be getting around at all, this is where you come through,” JiU said. “With at least one of us.” She glanced at them, as if expecting a retort. 

None of them gave it. They didn’t know their way around here. A part of her was actually grateful for the protection. And they didn’t seem that bad. At least not yet. She also didn’t know exactly what they were capable of. That bothered her. 

“Most doors are locked unless you’re in the system,” she continued. “And depending on time, all doors may be locked.”

“Even the bathroom?” Jeongyeon stretched her arms above her head. 

“Even that.”

“So you could trap us in these halls,” Dahyun said. 

“Sure could.” Gahyeon nodded, a little too enthusiastically. 

They turned a corner. There were constructs of wood here and there. Shelves? On top of them were decorative stone containers. Plants. Indoors. She knew those weren’t impossible, even the humans of way back had them. But it looked like a waste of water and space. A lot of this hall looked like a waste of space.

“Is this all your security?” Nayeon walked backwards for a bit, scanning the place. “Seems a little tight.”

“If you want to do proper exploring, you’ll find there’s a great deal more down here than you’re thinking there is,” said Siyeon. “But if you actually tried exploring in your own, you’d get lost.”

“And still be locked out of any room.”

“Yes.”

SuA opened the next door. This one looked a little grander, a proper pattern across its front. It was a mixture of wood and metal. 

More stairs. These were surprisingly plain. 

They went up at least three stories. It made her wonder what was between this and wherever they were going. The rest of their security? Were the hierarchies already here? And how deep was the underground of a palace?

The next door opened to reveal something even fancier than the last place. The light from above was basically gold. The ceiling had designs laid into it, lined with more gold. There were pieces of art here and there.

Yet another door opened, revealing one of the biggest rooms Dahyun had ever seen. 

“Damn,” Jihyo exclaimed. “You coulda kept the ships in here.”

It would’ve made a good hanger. And yet it was largely empty. There was a large space cleared in the middle, its boundaries cut off in straight lines rather than outright curves. 

“A fair amount of celebrations can be made here,” Gahyeon said. “Using it as a hanger would prevent that. And it wouldn’t look nearly as good.”

But Dahyun would’ve felt better about such a huge thing existing. If wooden boxes and stone pots were a waste of space, this was an abuse of it. What kind of celebration needed more than a ship’s breadth of room?

“Why’re we walking through here?” Jeongyeon asked. “Isn’t there some kind of direct path?”

“There was a palace-wide check this morning as well,” Dami said. “In preparation for the princess’s arrival.” The way she said ‘princess’ had no jest to it, not like how Dahyun used it. It was weird. This building was Sana’s home?

They walked through it, past the large doors on one side and towards another set of huge doors. They opened without someone pushing them open. It made for a theatrical reveal of what was probably a glorified meeting room. One that already had people in it. 

Dahyun saw Sana first, still in her Keplan clothes. She stood with a straight back beside her parents. They still looked as regal as they had before. Mina and Momo were also there. Momo still looked on warmly, while Mina was essentially as emotive as one of those doors. There were a few others too, dressed in varying colours and styles. Some were more Eurasian-looking. That probably meant they were actually born in those places. Another weird concept. 

The guards beside them bowed. Nayeon followed, but did it only half-way. The rest of them did the same. 

The doors behind them closed. SuA walked in the lead and they followed. All eyes seemed to be on them. Again, Dahyun fought the urge to fidget.

Sana’s eyes were warm and she gave her a tiny nod. It helped. A little. 

No one sat down, the emperor and empress just looked at them expectantly. None of them said anything. 

“First thing’s first,” Emperor Minatozaki said. “We want to thank you for bringing my daughter back safely.” A smile broke out on his face, making him look a lot less threatening. “I’ve only briefly heard of the complications you encountered and would like to apologise for the damage your ship endured.”

“Thank you, sir—Your Highness,” Dahyun said. What else was she supposed to say? I didn’t expect to get shot at and punched a few times, but we made it. Now where’s the money?

“Come, I have a few things I’d like for us to establish before all else can proceed.” He raised a hand. “Such as what exactly it is you’d like to come from this? Apart from the reward and a safe passage back to your system.”

So did that mean the money was already a given? Or that it was going to be complicated for the first half of this?

“We know it’s a weird demand, Your Highness,” Nayeon said. “But we think we’ll be a lot safer if no one even knows that a Keplan was the one to bring the princess back.” 

“I’m told you have many debts to pay,” he said. “But also that there are plans in place for that.”

Dahyun nodded. “We can give those to you if you need proof of it.” She caught Momo’s eye then, whose brow had risen. “Your Highness.” Did they really have to use this with every single sentence?

“If any are pressing,” the empress nodded, “then we should see them. So they can be paid soon enough.” She seemed like a warm enough woman, but her power spoke for itself. One word, and all of them would be cosmically screwed. The same applied to her husband. 

“That won’t be necessary, Your Highness,” Nayeon said. “None of them were making us desperate.”

At least not yet. And they’d gotten less desperate. Most of the debts were useful to have in case favours were called in, either a specific production for defences or something like it. Even repairs where no questions were asked. Dahyun didn’t think she’d explain that aspect. 

“Then the descriptions we had were sufficient,” the emperor replied, a small twinkle in his eye. Was he amused at just how much they had to pay back? “And there’s no avenue where your identities being known would be of use? Perhaps in getting more connections, both in this system and your own?”

“Nothing we weren’t aiming for already, Your Highness,” Dahyun glanced at her wrist, hoping it would just seem like a nervous twitch, “and from my experience the better deals were made when people didn’t think you were f—pretty rich.” She was more than convinced that that kind of language wasn’t accepted here. Not when every surface was well polished and/or painted. 

“And what sort of a cover story did you have in mind?” His eyes flicked to Mina then. 

Nayeon also looked to her, before nodding. What they’d discussed. Here they’d see if it was a laughable idea. 

“It’s based on what’s politically smart over here.” Dahyun felt her face warm. She hated how exposed she was. How complete strangers were seeing her nervousness. “We’d be fine if you just said no one saved her and that Sa—the princess and survivors of the initial attack had fled into Kepler, found a ship from there, and come back.” She shrugged. “But if that makes more people pi—mad than impressed, we thought you could honour one of the Earthers who were leaving the system while we were coming in. Give them the good publicity of saving her.” 

“But you’d have their other winnings?” He raised a brow. Thankfully, he didn’t look confused or like he was laughing at them. That might’ve just been his political mask being really good. 

“Yes, Your Highness.” They’d already said they’d really appreciate the money, so why sugar-coat it?

“That would mean we’d credit someone without need for the money,” he said. “And those are the ones with a great deal of influence anyway.” He looked between them, his gaze almost testing. “Don’t you think that’s a risky move in and of itself?”

“With respect, Your Highness,” once again, Dahyun tried not to fiddle, “most of the moves we could make will be risky.” Either to you or to us. Dahyun didn’t say it, but she preferred risking them to risking the other girls. With a gorgeous planet below their feet and connections all across space, the Minatozakis were in a more stable position to them. A difficult political manoeuvre was something they could handle. Putting their lives in danger was something Dahyun couldn’t handle. 

They were all quiet for a longer time than was comfortable. She’d almost definitely said something wrong. Was it offensive? Naive? Or just idiotic?

“You’re right,” the emperor nodded, “but if you’ll be giving us control over which story we go with, then I believe we can move on.”

Were they leaving it to them completely? 

Dahyun glanced at Nayeon. The corner of her lip twitched upwards. They were. 

“Before you go, we’d like to properly know what risks there are to you,” said the empress. “Which I believe we can only know once you tell us where you come from.” A pause. “Specifically those coming from the Coruscant system.”

Straight to that business. Dahyun had known it wasn’t supposed to be a secret anymore, but it still wasn't the best question to get asked. Especially with people who may or may not be planning to engage in a conflict with them. That was if Sana’s kidnapping was purely because of Aphrodite’s actions. 

“From what we’ve already heard,” she smiled slightly, “and because of what you’ve done for us, you won’t be condemned for what you tell us.”

Dahyun tried not to dwell on the fact that this wasn’t universal. She was pretty sure the empress meant it well, but if one of them was a massive crook and warlord, she knew the royal family wouldn’t exactly be forgiving of that. 

“Well, ma’am,” Dahyun caught herself, “Your Highness, I was born on Artemis station and the main bit of work given to me was forgery. The group I ran with were mainly smugglers.” She saw how some of the guards weren’t exactly hiding their surprise and distaste. To their credit, the rulers of the solar system didn’t show either of those emotions. “Leaving Coruscant, my already kinda bad reputation with Aphrodite got worse.” She knew sugar-coating the story wouldn’t win her any points. Mina probably wasn’t gonna keep a secret, but she could vouch for them. Dahyun just had to hope she would. “And now with one Aphroditan ship destroyed and maybe a lost opportunity with getting the princess back here,, they’re gonna want revenge.” 

“Do you have secrets of theirs?” the emperor levelled her with a gaze. No wonder he was the leader of an entire system, plus a lot of Kepler. No wonder Sana was concerned about filling these shoes. “Ones that they’d want to pursue you for?”

How would she explain this part? She’d only told Sana a few details of her work before. It wasn’t as if she’d done really terrible stuff. It was just complicated. 

“Aphrodite is always in some kind of battle with Artemis,” Nayeon said. “Your Highness,” she added. Her face didn’t show how much she hated using that word. Dahyun wondered if her own discomfort showed. Probably. “Most of the time, a lot of people are brought into that.”

Meaning, Dahyun’s old team had also been used for that. 

“You’re also from Coruscant?” The empress looked at her with an equally probing gaze. 

“Only we are,” Nayeon pointed between Dahyun and her, “there was a third one, but she died in the last years.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” the emperor tilted his head in a half-bow, “so what were you both exactly, save for what you said? Why is it so important to hide you?” His eyes flicked between theirs. “I have no qualms giving you refuge, but I must know what value they still see in you.” 

Nayeon shot Dahyun a look. She’d handle this. “Dahyun’s a witness and her work before let her see key pieces of transport and business. I’m from Aphrodite itself, I,” she pursued her lips, “I used to be a part of their military.” 

It wasn’t the full truth, but it wasn’t a lie either. 

Dahyun saw Mina straighten, her eyes locking on Nayeon. Was it anger there? Or just pure surprise. It vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. That was one of the scarier parts about Mina. 

“How high?” The emperor had come over to them. He was tall. “And which branch?”

“Not Executive, but I was an arm for them. Intelligence and arms.” 

“A spy then,” he finished. 

“I was never given a title, sir,” Nayeon replied. 

“Your Majesty,” someone corrected. Was that really what mattered to these people? Using their titles and showing their faces? And had they been saying it wrong this whole time?

“It’s alright,” the emperor raised a hand, “what were you given for your service?”

“Orders, pay, and some authority.” 

Dahyun watched the royal court process the information. The other girls looked amazed that Nayeon would give away this much. Dahyun figured it was because lying wouldn’t bring much. The extra information she was giving also made the both of them more valuable. 

“So to answer your question,” Nayeon straightened, “we’ve got secrets they’d want hidden, but those are dated by a couple of years.” 

“And you believe they found you.”

“The footage’ll show some of that,” Dahyun said. “Both of the Luna 4 attack and the other raid by an Earther ship.” She fought a sigh. Around her, people had stiffened at the mention of the ship type. “If the two were connected and they had it confirmed that we helped the princess, then we’re in an even worse position than just publicity could give us.” 

“And they recognised you.” The empress spoke to Nayeon then. “But had believed you dead.”

She nodded. 

Dahyun then remembered how much Sana hated even suggesting that someone was a traitor. “When I say an Earther ship, we just know that the ship was a model from here. Someone else could’ve been flying it.”

“Or they were from this system,” the emperor grimaced, “we won’t be excluding any possibilities until we know even more. Including viewing the logs you have of those encounters and any more information you may have.” 

That also meant they’d be asked about Coruscant. Did that count as treason if you were either considered dead or an enemy? Dahyun didn’t have much of a problem with that, but did Nayeon? Nothing about her co-captain now suggested she was in favour or against revealing what she knew. 

“This brings us to the final piece, at least for today, as I know this journey was long and tiring.” He folded his hands together. “I was told you intend to build yourselves a new ship?”

Dahyun nodded. “We can’t change our faces, Your High–er, Majesty, but we can change the ship. And in a place where covering your face is legal,” she hoped she didn’t sound like she hated the Earther law against it (even if she did), “having a new ship is as good as we can get.”

“For the damages that were caused, we will try to compensate as we can, while not taking from your own reward.” He smiled. “But demands for pure comfort or aesthetics may have to be at your own expense.” 

She half expected someone to comment on the fact that aesthetics may not be a problem. No one said anything. “Thank you, Your Majesty. We’ve made some plans already.”

The emperor nodded, his smile still there. “We’ll pass on the contact information you’ll need and make sure you have others you’d like. Fuel also won’t be an issue. There are supply chains in place for Keplan engines.”

In spite of how nervous she still was, Dahyun found herself liking the emperor and empress. 

“But this will be a topic for later,” the empress said. “We’ll have you taken you back to your ship. I imagine you still have some things you’d like with you. After that, you’ll be brought back here and shown where you’ll be staying.” There was a distinctive sparkle in her eyes. A lot like the one Sana usually had. “And then it’ll be time for a proper welcome meal.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Dahyun could feel the relief seeping through the others.She felt it easing in her stomach as well. Not everything might’ve been exactly how they’d wanted it, but it was still more than they could have hoped for. In the back of her mind, they still hadn’t established what exactly the reward was. She pushed the thought down. If they got out of this alive and with a proper ship, she’d be fine with it. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” the emperor replied. “You brought my daughter home safely.”

They all did a half-bow. Not as reverent as the guards, but the royal family in question didn’t seem to mind. 

____

The ride back was uneventful in the best sense. The guards seemed a bit more wary on one hand, while two of them seemed a bit more animated. 

“So how different is Coruscant to Earth?” Gahyeon asked. “Are the junk belts real?”

“They’re also real here,” Jihyo said. “And Kepler. Everyone dumps their junk somewhere.”

The guard almost looked disappointed at the response. 

“It’s not as safe,” Dahyun replied. “The sketchy regions you say are the outer planets here is everywhere in Coruscant.” 

“Clearly,” Yoohyeon muttered. She’d stopped looking at that weird device thing. “But I never would’ve expected them to storm the princess’s ship.” Her eyes darkened. Had she lost friends there? Was she worried about what it meant for their state of security? Or both?

Nayeon could have told her her theory that it was an inside job, but she didn’t know how these people would take that. Even suggesting that an Earther had any tie to Aphrodite, and was hunting Sana because of it, put them on edge. 

“Aphrodite have impressive gear,” she said instead. “Their tech outmatches Kepler, especially in weapons.”

“And Earth?” Siyeon’s eyes narrowed a fraction. 

They were jumping on the opportunity of getting information. Nayeon would have to ask Mina about that. Would she even have the chance to? As far as she knew, Mina would be swamped by all the rest of her duties here, both briefing them about the return journey and making plans for everything else. Then she’d be hearing about everything else she’d missed and have to make some decisions and plans about that. And what did she actually do otherwise here?

For a few seconds, Nayeon found herself feeling sorry for the spymaster. She knew that in times like these, you could almost be overwhelmed by jobs and information. 

“Depends on the numbers you’re up against,” Jihyo said. “Even a proper Keplan fleet can handle a couple Wraiths.” 

“Wraiths?” Dami repeated. “They named it that?”

“We did,” she replied. More free with the information she was giving. That was good. Better these guards trust them than watch them like hawks for any slip-ups. “I’m an ex-pilot for Kepler.” 

“And they’re the main combat ships of Aphrodite,” Dahyun said. “Damn hard to shoot down. That was the Luna 4 thing from earlier.” She raised a brow. “Are you guys even cleared for that?”

SuA frowned. “We’ll be watching the footage soon.” It didn’t sound as if they’d struck a chord. Just that she was insulted by the suggestion. 

One of them, Siyeon had traded with JiU. Now she was looking back at them, a very clear scrutiny in her gaze. 

“How did you end up fighting one?”

“Had a delivery for a station,” Dahyun replied. “They’d taken it over.” 

“So you saved the station?” Her brow rose. Clearly, she had a hard time believing that. Was it insulting or reassuring that she wasn’t expecting that much from them?

“There were two ships,” Nayeon said. “Getting caught up with one nearly killed us anyway, and we already had the princess on board then.”

Some of them tensed. 

“Calm it,” she held up her hqndw, “we were running from ‘em. Gave one a distraction and tried to get away that way, but the other guy still followed.”

“And a Keplan ship took it all on its own?”JiU asked. 

“You saw the ship when we landed, right?” Chaeyoung leaned forward. “It was totalled.”

She shrugged. “It flew alright.”

And there it was. Some suspicion. Nothing she was really considering, but throwing out there. 

“Thanks to some great manufacturing,” Nayeon patted Dahyun’s shoulder, “and crappy style.”

That comment got a few raised eyebrows, but no one confirmed or denied it. 

They got into the hanger pretty soon. Nayeon knew extravagant shows of wealth pretty well already, but the hangers were something else. Sleek without being overrun with ships of all kinds. The Minatozakis had the money and means for a lot of space, but they didn’t seem to feel the need to fill it up completely. Nayeon wasn’t exactly sure if it was much better than what she’d seen on Aphrodite or Kepler. 

“We don’t have a great amount of space for your things,” SuA said. “So refrain from bringing every single thing. We can always make a second trip tomorrow.” 

“Just the booze then, gotcha.” Jihyo winked. She hopped over to the Breakthrough. Dahyun had already opened the door. 

Nayeon looked to her co-captain then. She was gazing up at the ship, a forlorn expression on her face. 

“This isn’t the last time we’re gonna see her,” she said. 

“I know,” Dahyun sighed, “but the next time she flies, it’ll be when we shoot it to oblivion.” She winced.

They went up the ramp. Tzuyu was checking things in the med-bay. She’d already figured that the Earthers would have everything they needed, but wanted it organised. Chaeyoung was debating whether or not to take the Wii directly, but Tzuyu had told her it probably wouldn’t help their first impressions on the royals. Not that they hadn’t already made a stellar one, admitting to being spies and smugglers. 

Nayeon figured she’d get an earful out of Mina for that revelation. She’d been watching for the reaction and gotten what she’d expected: shock and then nothing.

It mildly irked her that she wanted to have some big discussion with the spymaster. SuA reminded her of Mina too, which didn't exactly help.

Nayeon grabbed her pack, taking clothes and toiletries. She also stuffed her tablet into her bag, wondering if it would even be of any use to her.

There was so much she didn't know about this place. Her time in Aphrodite had showed her a lot about the Minatozaki empire, but that was a fair amount of years away. A lot had already changed, clearly, like the tensions with Mars and supposed connections to Aphrodite.

Then there was a sound. Followed by: "!" Several times. It came from the kitchens. Had someone raided them?

Nayeon gave her room a once over before heading out, saying a quiet goodbye as she did. Dahyun was way more sentimental than her, but the Breakthrough had become some type of home over the years. 

"Get your asses down here. We gotta problem!" Chaeyoung said, voice shaking as she did.

Nayeon all but charged out of the room. 

"What?" Dahyun had arrived in the same moment.

Chaeyoung was crying. Crying.

She pointed at the model of Earth Dahyun had made. For the princess, if Nayeon had guessed right. Emerging from a bunch of planets was Dahyun's face.

Nayeon dropped her pack and went over, tapping on one, looking for the reason why. Was this a joke? A hacker maybe? 

Princess Minatozaki was rescued by Kim Dahyun. Twenty-seven. Born and raised on Artemis Station, in the Coruscant System. This is all we received from the source, though we do know she was not alone.

Some more followed, a little about what she'd done on Artemis, as well as another picture of her in the Breakthrough, disheveled hair and blood on her face. The ugliest details weren't there. Was it because they didn't know them or because they were holding back on it? 

"This isn't real," Dahyun was looking at each image of herself, "there was an opening in the software. Someone found it." Her eyes were dry.

Jeongyeon rushed in, tablet in hand. "I checked," her voice shook as well, "it's—it's all over."

"Where?" Dahyun rounded on her.

Nayeon put a hand on her shoulder and took the tablet from Jeongyeon.

The same exact words were in the report. From Kepler. When she looked through what Jeongyeon had pulled up, the same was all across that system as well.

"It's also in Coruscant," Jeongyeon said quietly.

Everyone knew. They'd used one of their faces. That meant they had the rest. All the planning, whether for their stay here or their escape—all for nothing.

_____

Author's Note

Well! Nothing like a long chapter to make up for the length of time that passed between updates. This may become a bit more common, as the energy it takes me to write these updates seems to have increased (I think it's because I've been getting further into more of my stories), but I'll try to keep things regular. I fully intend to finish these chapters. Things might just take a little longer than I'd thought they would. 

Either way, it's really nice to be on Earth again. I get flashbacks to old stories now and then, ones that are fantasy based and the characters are rather new to the modern world. Here, Dahyun, Nayeon and the others are all new to Earth, which includes having a proper sky (except for Nayeon and Tzuyu). It's a fun little dynamic. The way I see Earth in this time period is that it's grown very international and extremely modern. In my mind, a way has been found for proper coexistance between modernity and nature. The big shift from being on Earth to exploring space has also been, in my mind, good for the planet. I'm no expert on the matter, but this is how I'd imagine it so it'll be that way in the story. 

Dreamcatcher are included, as it's another group I adore. They'll probably be featuring now and then, but things will still fluctuate rather well going from here on. New turn of events will have a pretty nice impact on things.

Would love to know what you think of the story going forward, as well as those on any of the new pieces of information (small or big)! 

Hope you're all doing well and I'll see you in the next chapter!