She walked through the crowded streets, wondering how she would make the trip to Naladen. She could afford the gateway, of course—money wasn’t an issue—, but she would rather not have to deal with that annoying little man again.

Mrill walked into an inn and ordered some food. She needed to think, and eating always helped. Plus, she was hungry.

It was an old-fashioned place, with very little technology. You could not just use a holoscreen to pick your meal. But the Vron woman found these places often were more charming and offered better quality, so she did not mind.

She sat at a table in a corner of the small room and watched the TriVid news that flickered in the air while she waited for her order.

“—will be gathered tonight to hear the Emperor’s proclamation,” said a female’s voice. “It is a momentous event. The last time Nashadan Prime addressed all of the Imperium was five years ago, at the dusk of his spring, to announce how he had defeated and destroyed the Scourge of Abrax. This will surely...” The woman paused, her eyes blinking as she read a message on her retina. “I am told the Gnorlian Embassy on Rimzana is about to make an important announcement.”

Even as she spoke, her face disappeared, replaced by that of a man standing in front of a large official-looking building. Behind him, a big crowd had assembled around an empty stage.

The woman’s voice continued. “You are now seeing a live feed from Uthyn, the capital of Rimzana. Hello, Nared. Do we know what this is about?”

A waitress arrived with a tray, carrying three plates that she set in front of Mrill. She would have thanked the woman, but the latter was clearly paying more attention to the news than to what she was doing. She almost knocked over a pitcher of water, but Mrill caught it in time, without the other even noticing.

“No, Athissia,” replied the reporter. “We only have assumptions. The Embassy has been very quiet about the details. However, this is quite likely to be about the war. With all the recent events, it is expected that the Gnorlians will close the Embassy and leave the planet. Many have wondered why they have taken so long to make that call, and... Oh.”

Chatter erupted behind him and he turned around as Mrill began to eat. The camera caught a glimpse of a woman walking toward the stage.

“This is Thiari na’Gassi,” said the man, “the Gnorlian Ambassador herself. She was posted here four years ago and has since shown a remarkable proficiency in working with the local government for one so young.”

As the woman went up the steps, the camera zoomed in on her. She was small, with short black hair and a frown on her face—though she seemed more troubled than upset.

She stopped at the microphone and considered her audience for a moment, waiting for them to quiet down.

Once there was silence, she leaned to speak directly into the microphone.

“Hello. I am here to make an important announcement. After careful deliberations, we have decided to support the Qevahri’s claims. This world, Rimzana, is an important symbol for their people, and it would only be fair to give them back these lands that are sacred to them. We do not support war, and we urge both sides to refrain from further violence. For the sake of both parties, a peaceful solution needs to be found. We are willing to serve as mediators if it can help. We will not be taking questions at this time. That is all.”

She stepped away from the microphone as people started yelling questions at her, which she ignored. She turned and walked down the stage, then back toward and into the Embassy.

The reporter, Nared, turned back toward the camera with a stunned expression.

“Well, that was unexpected! One can only wonder how the Emperor will react.”

The woman, who looked just as shocked, nodded.

“I suspect we’ll find out tonight, when he makes his speech.”

By now, Mrill had finished her meal and had figured out what her next move should be. She watched the news a few minutes longer, but the rest was bland compared to that shattering announcement.

She paid her bill and asked for a hovercab before walking out. It had gotten darker outside, and the air was chilly now.

The cab arrived and she hopped in.

“Spaceport,” she said blandly.

The glider rose and darted away. There wasn’t much traffic up here, so it did not take long to reach her destination.

While she had eaten and listened to the news, she had used her vircell to display flight schedules on her retina. She disliked cruisers because they were so slow, but Naladen was not too far. She could be there in three hours.

A part of her kept screaming at her: why are you doing this? what will you do once you’re there? what is the point? But she ignored the voice.

She paid for her fare and got on the ship.

Three hours later, as they were nearing Naladen, the Emperor made his speech. Mrill listened to it along with trillions of people across the Imperium.

After the Emperor finished his proclamation, she wondered why he had said nothing about the Gnorlian announcement—surely, he must have heard of it.

Expressionless, she boarded the shuttle that would take her down to the surface of paradise.