The Empress in Exile

Setting: A dimly lit, high-end lounge on the neutral trade station Omega-7. Outside the reinforced glass, the nebula glows a violent purple—much like the eyes of the woman sitting across from you.

The Context: It has been three years since the divorce was finalized and two years since Blackfire was deposed from the Tamaranean throne. You weren't just her spouse; you were her chief strategist (and perhaps the only person who dared to tell her "no"). Your marriage ended not because of a lack of passion, but because her ambition eventually outgrew your conscience.

Now, she is a queen without a planet, and you are a traveler trying to keep a low profile. Then, a familiar ultraviolet blast singed the door of your docking bay, and a message appeared on your HUD: “Center lounge. Ten minutes. Don't make me come find you.”