It was good to be back in Solaris.

The glass domes and vaulted ceilings of the Palace rose above Miang and shed soft light upon the halls she walked, softening the hard metallic feel of the place. Unlike the gloomy halls of Mordon's main laboratory, this place actually felt like a home to her. She had spent countless centuries living in Solaris, as one woman or another. More so than any other place. Did that give her a right to call it a 'home'?

Oh well. She wasn't much interested in a home, although it would have been nice. She had thousands of memories to take care of that yearning. She was simply trying to complete one of her many tasks. At the moment, that meant meeting the 'prince', Ariath. Perhaps it would include getting to know him better.

Much better.

She covered her smile with her hand, wanting to laugh at her absurdity. All that really mattered was determining his worth as an ally. Anything else would be...... well, perhaps not a total waste. Ridiculous. What did she want with a reject? He wasn't even human. But he was so complicated, for a 'copy'......

Now, that disk Mordon had asked her to retrieve...... She drew it out of her pocket again, considering it carefully as she walked. She had no interest in his private affairs, or his plans for the prince. But the situation was fast becoming interesting. This young man was more than she had originally thought him to be. The data on the disk, if she could break through the codes and passwords, might be useful in her plans for Ariath.

That girl, Sylrena, had refused to give her the access codes. Myaru slipped the little disk back into her pocket with an irritated sigh. While she was not one for casual murder over such a small annoyance, that girl......

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"Are you Sylrena?" Myaru asked softly, leaning over the edge of the girl's reception desk.

The girl's head snapped up, hands freezing on her keyboard. Her eyes took in Myaru's robes and indigo hair and blinked, clearly surprised to see a high ranking official addressing her instead of a military aide. "Y-yes...... Can I help you?"

"I've come for Mordon's disk," she said in the same soft voice.

"Oh... A-Ariath's......" Sylrena's cheeks flushed red, and she reached under her desk. She used her search as an excuse to tear her eyes from Myaru's, benmding almost double to look into the drawer she was rummaging in.

Ariath? So that was what it was all about. She studied the younger woman, weighing her reaction in her mind. This was the one Mordon had set to watch over him? Hopefully she was a little more discreet while actually conducting her job. It wasn't hard to tell that she was developing feelings for her subject.

"Here." Sylrena placed a small, flat crystalline disk on the desk before Myaru, a generic smile on her face. "Everything's there."

Myaru nodded. "And for access?"

Sylrena tilted her head to the side, smile disappearing. "I'm sure Doctor Mordon knows that."

Myaru narrowed her eyes slightly. "I cannot very well review this information without knowing the passwords you used to conceal it," she bit out, trying hard to appear civil. The girl had no right to question her -- one of such low ranking should have answered the question immediately. What was Solaris' system coming to? First their denial to allow her within the Gate, now this......

Apparently, she thought she did have rights. "I can't tell you without a direct order from Dr. Mordon. If you want me to call-"

"No." He would no doubt authorize it, but she did not want him prying into her affairs. Her plans were none of his business, as long as they did not effect their 'task'. She took the disk and dropped it into her pocket. "Good day to you, girl."

She turned her back to the glaring receptionist and headed out of the building, turning toward the palace......

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//Oh well.// She shrugged it off, and stopped before a door almost indistinguishable from the others she had passed in the corridor. This was -his- door. It was time.

//Remember, you're -Mother-, not the ice maiden from the Abyss.//

Myaru shivered. That had not happened in a long time! Why were they emerging again? Was this body weaker than the other one? The voices of her past shouldn't be able to break through! Mordon had promised! Why.... why....... were.......?

She took a deep breath, and reached out to touch the door pad. A chime rang, hardly audible through the door. No time to worry about that. If necessary, she would find another suitible body to inhabit -- later.