Episode 04 - Roleplaying

A young woman placed a hand on Sai's forearm, pulling him away from the railcar. "It'll be a few minutes more," she said, her voice clipped. Hundreds of people filled the rail station, with more streaming from the train. Smiling, she leaned closer and raised her voice, "My name's Sora."

"Oh, I'm just -- just a courier," said Sai, stumbling over his words. He was struck by how beautiful Sora was, like a knife which lost none of its hardness for being a work of art. But he was more concerned with her clothing: dusky red, with sharp lines and a close fit that was unmistakably the uniform of an Imperial Agent.

Settlers and entrepreneurs were still pouring from the train, and a scuffle started in the press, jerking Sai's attention aside. Some soldiers who were just disembarking broke up the dispute. Sai eyed them warily; more were coming off, and they were establishing a perimeter around the square. Turning back at Sora, he saw her scanning the crowd, brown eyes hunting.

She brushed her hair behind an ear, its glossy blackness curling against her neck. She looked back at Sai, and he smiled. "Let me see your ID," she said, reaching out a hand. Sai's smile faltered. "You can scan it inside the train," she said in response, "but I can do it out here, if you'd like to save time."