A brindle tail not all too different from a cat's aside from length hung lifelessly off of the side of a terribly kept bed. The owner was not dead, at least not yet, but there was most certainly death in store for her if she returned without good news, and not just for her.

Titanyana Strapper was staring at the wall of the dorm-cum-inn she had the ill fortune to call home for the past few months. Her eyes were hazy, unfocused, and lacking in the sharp analyzing coldness they usually saw the world with. The hair on her ears, cat-like in shape but far thicker, was unruly and threatening to tangle with the rest of the hair on her head. She was usually proud of the silky smooth fibers that protected her extremely sensitive ears from weather and weapon alike, but now all she felt was shame at the thought of them.

The hair on her body did not follow a consistent pattern, all mottled shades of browns and tans, with the same strand of hair often having multiple different colors at multiple different locations. This pattern, or rather lack thereof, was proof among the Nekh of her status as a Strapper. Outside of her home world though, this was seen as nothing but an eyesore. It lacked the consistency and beauty of practically every other species besides the Skwiven, and it utterly failed to compliment the rest of her. Her dark green eyes stood in contrast to them the most, though she personally felt that they matched well.

Titanyana was stressed, tired, and depressed. Try though she might, she was unable to find an army willing to recruit her. Even worse, it wasn't because she was lacking in the skills necessary.

Titanyana had utterly screwed her chances of accomplishing her goals not because she failed to demonstrate her prowess, but because of her violent reaction.

After a sparring match between herself and a fellow student seeking recruitment, her lower back, the area just above her tail, was patted as a show of goodwill. For Nekh's, especially the females, this is something of a sensitive region. For a woman her age, just under 22, this was tantamount to sexual harassment.

Thanks to her harsh training and quick reflexes, the punishment wrought to the young man's face was severe. Unfortunately, no one would accept the explanation that she thought she had been touched inappropriately, especially when the victim of her sudden impulse was the son of a powerful emperor. Even if that man himself accepted her apology and apologized in turn, the stigma of attacking someone with a powerful background had already found its way onto her reputation.

Nobody wanted to carry along such volatile baggage.

The worst part is that she had nobody but herself to blame. The act was clearly well intentioned, and he had even apologized. She had thrown away the opportunity she spent the lion's share of her life striving towards, as well as what might have been her people's only shot at survival.

What would she do if she came back empty handed? If she couldn't secure the support of someone capable of helping her? How many of her fellow Nekh would be waiting for her to return home so that they might lynch her for wasting what little money they had left? How long would the torture last?

That last question was weighing heavy on her mind as she got a knock at the door.

"Time to pay lodging fees is it?" She practically fell out of bed as she groggily clothed herself. Even in her wallowing in the pits of despair, she had enough wherewithal to count out the required payment and make herself presentable. As low of a noble as she might be, she had an obligation to maintain an air of dignity. "I've got your money right here! Sorry to say this will probably be my last week here, thank you for everyth-"

She swung open the door to reveal a tall man wearing a set of clothing far more expensive than what an innkeeper had any right to own.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Lady Strapper but I am not the owner of this establishment."

Only slightly put-off by the betrayal of her expectations, her eyes immediately darted to his sword and assumed the worst.

'Is he here to arrest me? Did that guy hold a grudge after all? No, this would probably be someone else's doing, but who? I don't remember having any enemies here.' Her brain was going a mile a minute trying to work out what was going on.

"You are Titanyana Strapper correct? Only child of the Strapper noble family? It would be quite awkward if I came all this way only to have knocked on the wrong person's door."

"Nonononono, I'm her, I'm Titanyana. Might I ask who you are?"

"My apologies, you may call me the Captain." He bowed, a formal greeting towards a noblewoman.

"The Captain of what exactly? Are you with the Sanctum's security forces?" She was extremely suspicious of him given that he appeared now of all times, but the clear lack of hostility didn't give her a reason to arm herself.

"Ah, no. I am the Captain of the Oberlux. I know some refer to me as the Star Slayer, does that clarify? I functionally lie outside the direct authority of the Grand Elders, though I am here on the Marshall's request."

"Star Slayer? I can't say I've heard of someone with that title, though that might be because I hail from a backwater country. We don't exactly get many traders." Her ears flattened in shame. "You said Grand Elder Larson sent you, am I in trouble?"

"Did you do anything that would land you in trouble?" His expression wasn't accusing, but she felt guilty all the same. Her tail slackened even further.

"Maybe."

"Would you like to take a seat and talk about it? Aside from that there is something I wish to talk to you about."

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She gestured for him to enter, trying and failing to hide the mess that her bed was with her vastly smaller body. Fortunately, the Captain was not one to judge.

"If you feel comfortable with it, would you mind telling me what's bothering you?" Normally, some form of drink would be served to accompany their talk, but he could tell that no such commodity could be afforded owing to the state of the room. Judging by the lack of finery on the floor and the absence of any porcelain or silverware, he could tell that she was either too poor to afford it or did not value such things.

Normally he would consider that a mark against her if she was to become Donovan's squire, but they were lacking in people to choose from.

"Where to start . . . hmmm." Titanyana was practically slumped over as she thought about how to begin her story. "After winning a spar meant to demonstrate my ability to the recruiters from a few of the armies, my opponent, um, touched me in a way that made me react poorly and I ended up punching him in the face."

"Might I ask you how he touched you?"

"He, um, he patted me on my back, just above my tail." She really didn't like talking about this.

"That hardly seems inappropriate. Were you injured?"

"No, I didn't even have a scratch on me. That area is, well, its something of an erogenous zone for a Nekh my age. So uh, you, you can imagine how I might of reacted in the moment."

"Ah, I see. My apologies if making you talk about that made you uncomfortable. Did you at least make up with him?"

Titanyana nodded. "We both apologized for our actions, but the damage was already done."

"Would I be correct in assuming his social status far outstripped yours? Is that the reason you were unable to make your way into an army?"

She nodded again, remaining silent.

"I see. Well as far as I can tell there are no issues with your character. Might I hear your motivations for attending the academy? This doesn't have anything to do with what I have come to discuss, I just wish to satiate my curiosity. My job doesn't exactly allow me to speak to many people."

"My motivations? Duty, I suppose."

"Duty? You don't wish to claim fame and glory?"

"No, I have something I absolutely need to accomplish for my people before I can worry about such paltry ambitions."

"A noble cause. If at all appropriate, would you be able to tell me what it is you need to do? I am sworn to neutrality, but I should be able to point you in the direction of someone capable of helping."

"You wouldn't know anyone with the resources and goodwill to evacuate close to a billion Nekh from their home planet while receiving almost nothing in return, would you?" She wanted to strangle herself immediately after revealing her people's plight.

"That is quite the ask isn't it?" The Captain sat back in the somewhat creaky chair. "I'm afraid nobody comes to mind, at least nobody that has that level of power at their immediate disposal."

The figurative final straw broke her back, causing her to slump over on the table and cry slightly. If someone who actually had an idea of the resources of the powers beyond her own home could not imagine anyone being able to help her, what hope did she have?

"Don't lose hope just yet. I only said I do not know of anyone that could do that immediately. Depending on how long you have, it might be a possibility."

"Five years." He could barely make out her words through the fabric her face was pushed into.

"That is quite short, but its not entirely out of the realm of possibility." The Captain scratched his head. He felt rather guilty saying this, seeing as it was practically a lie. Sure, there might be a few empires who were capable of that sort of feat, but nobody would want to tie up that many ships for that long. "In any case, how would you like to stay here as a student? You likely won't be admitted to an army for some time, but you will still be able to participate in squad and individual level competitions."

"Is that really a possibility?" Titanyana was intimately familiar with the rules of the Sanctum, the military academy in particular. They had been pounded into her head by her father in order to give her the best chances. He had stressed the importance of getting into an army more than anything else owing to the fact that she would have to leave if she didn't. More than that, she was relying on her skills to land some funding from one of her superiors so that she may stay enrolled.

"A rather unique situation has manifested itself, one which could not be ignored, so the Arboreal Maiden herself authorized an exception to be made to the rules. Have you heard news of a new species of humanity?"

"The ones that supposedly all died due to a mistake?" The Captain cringed at that comment, as though he had been lightly stabbed in the back of the hand.

"The very same, though that statement is not entirely factual. In truth, two of them, Terrans, survived the ordeal. As they have lost their home planet and have nowhere to go, they have chosen to attend the academy until something can be arranged for them. Obviously the male could not be admitted into an army as that would be unfair, however it was determined that he should still be permitted to participate in the lower level tournaments as well as learn from the instructors."

"So I'm to be a part of his squad? Will I still have the opportunity to look for someone capable of saving my people?"

"I cannot imagine he will forbid you from searching for salvation, but you are expected to be more than just someone in his squad. Truth be told, he is not very good with the sword and is somewhat unfamiliar with the cultural norms of this place. We expect you to serve as his squire so that he may grow."

"I'll be relegated to a squire?" Her ears started flicking and twitching. Titanyana was irritated. She was a top class warrior and a noblewoman, even the thought that she might be suppressed to the status of servant was infuriating. However this represented what might be the last chance for her to find help.

"Truthfully, you will really only be a squire in name. You will still have to do some duties that a squire would, but you will really be more of a combination of bodyguard and teacher. Additionally, the Sanctum is willing to return your entrance fees as well as reimburse you for the money you have spent in the time spent here. You might even be able to count on receiving some form of additional monetary compensation for your services as well.

This was a huge deal for her, and it was evident on her face. As is usually the case for the lower nobles, entrance fees alone were so burdensome they might only be able to send someone every other generation.

"You can guarantee that?"

"I can."

This might be it, this might be her lucky break. Honestly, her people recognized that moving all of them from one planet to another was going to be almost impossible, so they really only expected her to find someone capable of evacuating a hundredth of them. She might hate having to be subordinate to another, especially as a squire, but the opportunity to keep searching as well as the compensation it were enough to sway her into considering it.

"Before I decide, can I meet with him?"