Pandina, Sienna, and Dean walked through the town, Dean was unnerved by the sheer amount of Falos Knights at various stages of conversion. What put him more on edge was the lack of Mannequins. There was always a batch of them kicking about and not knowing from where they would strike. Pandina sighed, clearly reading his mind. Sienna instead sympathized. “I don’t care for this many Falos soldiers on the planet either. Who knows when they could turn on us. The Phoenix Emperor insists that he has banned all Mannequin deployments to this planet. Claims he screened each knight deployed here himself. But I don’t trust the people holding his leash.”

Dean nodded, “I still don’t have a good read on him. But I really haven’t gotten a chance to speak with him.” He could sense something in the air. Something hostile. Scanning the faces of the people they seemed divided. Some feared his passing. Others glared at him, clearly disgusted with his cooperation with their ‘government’. Some aggressively ignored his passing, resigned to the life that had been thrust upon them. Still, in all of that, he could see them. The faint glimmers of hope in some. The children lighting up, as if seeing a hero for the first time. Those made him smile, an expression who caused that flame of hope to spread.

Sienna hid a smile, “You really are the same guy from my flickering memories.” She asked pointedly, “Do you know why my memories are incomplete but all scans don’t show any signs of anything lingering beyond them?”

Dean whispered, “Short version, the fearless leader of the Cosmic Patrol made a bad deal to undo some damage he had done. I’m working with some friends to undo it. Maybe getting the cosmos back on track.” She looked down putting her brain power into trying to figure out what she should do.

Pandina weighed in, “If your goal is to return the cosmos to peace, truly, then he and I are your Allies.” Dean refused to make eye contact. He needed to confirm the message before he could be certain. As she approached a small house, a few blocks away from the administration building, she pulled the other two into the door way and glanced around the frame. She muttered under her breath, “Corva”

Dean froze solid at the name. He asked, “Corva Sonata? What is she doing out here in the boonies?”

“I suspect she is here to keep things on schedule. Probably the only compromise that the two could come to. Either that or a really misguided attempt to mock him.”

Dean took a deep breath and rounded the corner, walking openly towards her, much to the terror on the face of those who were escorting him. Corva looked at him, her crimson eyes indifferent on the surface but he could feel her attempts to peel back the layers of what him being here meant. He spoke gently, “Greetings, Lady Sonata. Am I to assume you are here on orders from Emperor Visto?”

Her tone was cold and her face expressionless but she addressed him nonetheless, “I am, Special Detective Paddock, here to accompany Vizier Thoumali. He has brought his own specialist to observe a state secret. Has the cosmic patrol received reports concerning enough to risk our alliance?”

He laughed, “Oh, you misunderstand. You experiments are no concern to me. And they can stay that way if you simply help me in my investigation.” He locked eyes with her own and the two both smiled faintly. “You see, we have gotten reports that the installed governor has gone dark. Once I have confirmed his health with my own two eyes, I can file my report accordingly and we can all get out of each other’s hair.”

Corva nodded, “I will bring you to a secure waiting room. Vizier Thoumali will be informed of your arrival.”

He clarified, “I do appreciate it. And please inform him that I am expected to report back in regular intervals so if I seem distracted I’m just trying not to worry anyone.” Corva nodded and lead him away from those who were accompanying him.

He knew something was in the air. That he was handing himself into the furnace, but he needed to know. He needed to know what was going on, why he would have gone dark, and what the sentiments within the Falos were. Because if he could get even the slightest cooperation from memories of him alone, things were going to get messy when Doug came back.