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The scent of perfumes was the first thing to hit Aster’s senses when she walked into the Navigator’s quarters. She closed her eyes and took a breath, trying to stop the fragrances from overwhelming her. On Cassia, the scent was subtle yet pleasant. Something Aster had found herself looking forward to every time they interacted. And a distraction whenever the fragrance hung around when the Navigator would leave.
Here though, it was almost overpowering. After a moment and as the door closing behind her pushed some of the perfume away from her, Aster opened her eyes.
Gothic light fixtures cast a warm, almost welcoming glow in the large room. It reminded Aster of dusk on her home planet. But outside was only darkness. The expanse of space. Aster turned her gaze from the large observation windows to a raised dais that was situated next to the Navigators Throne.
That was where Aster found Cassia, her attention focused entirely on her task, her purple robes swaying with each movement of her hand. A canvas was in front of her, already covered in various colors.
Aster stood there entranced. She could watched her navigator paint for hours. Cassia had even allowed her at times, the two of them enjoying the comfort of each other in silence while Aster poured over data slats. No time had been happier for Aster, but unfortunately they wouldn’t have that luxurytoday.
Aster walked forward, her footsteps barely making a noise. The closer she got, the more she could make out the colors on the painting, bright and beautiful. The hues of purple, pink, and blue reminding Aster of nebulas she has seen in her travels. But the more she looked, the more she thought looked, the more she thought she saw the outline of a… face?
“Lord Captain!”
Cassia had paused mid stroke upon hearing Aster approach and was now staring at her, her ruby red eyes wide with surprise.
“Please give me one moment.”
Aster halted and waited while Cassia began to clean off her brush. The ritual took some minutes, cleaning the brush in the water, covering her open paints, and setting the brush on the table. Once she had seemed content with where she left things, Cassia turned to give Aster her full attention.
Aster couldn’t help but smile as she watched the navigator smooth out her already smooth dress and robes.
“You look lovely as ever, Lady Cassia.” Aster said, giving her a bow. “And I am sorry to disturb you in your chambers, but I was unable to reach you over vox. I had hoped to request your presence in my retinue for my next mission.”
Cassia smiled. “I would be honored to accompany you, Lord Captain. But first may I show you my painting?”
“Well,” Aster began, looking between Cassia and the painting. They did need to head out, Abelard and the others were already making their way down to the shuttle. “Yes, we have a few minutes. What do we have here?”
Cassia giggled and stepped aside to make way for the Captain to approach. The two women stood in front of the canvas. The paints lined the bottom, easy access for Cassia when she is enraptured.
"What are you painting today?" Aster asked, eyes roaming over the painting. The closer she looked, the more she could make out brush lines from each stroke.
“It’s you.” Cassia said with glee, clasping her hands in front of her. “I was reading this book the other day and came across your name. But it wasn’t said as a name, it was described as a flower! I couldn’t believe it so I decided to search for myself. High Factotum Danroks was most helpful in locating research for me."
Cassia moved over to a small table that had a book propped open to a page that revealed beautiful drawn diagrams of flowers.
“These are aster flowers. Aren’t they beautiful?” Cassia was looking at them, a clawed hand delicately touching the drawing with reverence.
Aster moved closer to Cassia, getting a better view of the page. The flowers were drawn in the various colors they could be found in, as well as black and white, with small descriptions written in fine handwriting around each picture.
“They are. And they are my namesake.” Aster chuckled as she spoke. “My mother was staying at our country estate and right before she gave birth, the woods near our home seemed to come to life with color as she put it. The flowers were blossoming and the very next day I was born.”
“Oh Aster,” Cassia had turned to her now, a look of surprise and delight on her face. “I had no idea. That sounds like a beautiful image. Do you think I captured that here? These colors, there what I see every time I look at you.”
Aster started to respond but decided to wait, to truly gather her thoughts. This mattered to Cassia and deserved to be seen and understood. She stepped back and turned to face the canvas again, this time truly taking in the painting.
The canvas wasn’t as large as others that had come through the Navigator Sanctum, but still large enough to make Aster crane her head back ever so slightly. What she had simply mistaken as one of the majestic bodies out in the starfield, was an almost abstract flower. The watercolors bleed together, creating an ethereal effect that Aster found herself drawn to. It was beautiful. One of the most beautiful things she had seen in all her travels through the Imperium.
Almost heretical in its beauty.
The thought made Aster chuckle.
“Is the art not to your liking?” Pain laced Cassia’s words.
Aster’s eyes went wide, and she quickly turned to Cassia, shaking her head and offering another bow. “My apologies for my callous reaction, Lady Cassia. I was taken back by a thought that your art could put the beauty of the Imperium to shame.”
“Why, that’s heresy Lord Captain!” Cassia sounded shocked, looked at it too for a moment, before she broke out into a smile and brought her hand up to stifle the giggle that was threatening to escape her pretty lips.
“Only for you, my lady,” Aster said, giving Cassia a crooked smile. “But to truly answer your question,” Aster turned back and waved towards the painting with a flourish, “It is beautiful, though I assume not finished?”
Cassia nodded and took a step forward.
“The use of colors to make the flowers while still blending together creates a feeling of surrealism that…” Aster had charged ahead, spurred on by Cassia’s excitement, and didn’t even realize what she was saying until the words were already out, “reminds me of home.”
Aster blinked rapidly, fighting back the blurriness that had become her vision. To her relief, Cassia had turned away, facing the canvas, and not seeing the emotions that were threatening to overtake her.
“I am honored Aster,” Cassia said, clapping her hands with glee. The Navigator’s words were like honey to Aster’s ears, and she clung to them like an anchor. “Your colors are beautiful, sometimes mesmerizing. When I heard we would be landing on Footfall again, I simply had to order more paints and paint, well, you.”
She looked at Aster, her face falling at what could only be described as a pained expression that Aster wore. Aster expected words, questions, but was taken aback when Cassia lifted a clawed hand and cupped Aster’s cheek.
“I only wish I could paint the true colors of you.” Cassia whispered, rubbing her thumb against Aster’s cheeks.
“You’re already doing a beautiful job here.” Aster motioned to the unfinished canvas but didn’t take her eyes away from Cassia’s. “Please let me know when you’ve finished. I’d like to enjoy the final painting.”
Cassia was about to respond when Asters vox went off. The shared moment evaporated with each call; Aster couldn’t decide if it would be worth throwing the vox over the balcony for interrupting the moment. Unfortunately, years of duty held her to a higher standard.
“Forgive me, Lady Cassia.” Aster gave her a nod and stepped away, unable to ignore the absence of Cassia’s touch on her cheek while she answered her vox.
The message was brief, Vox Master Vigdis requesting the Lord Captain’s presence on the bridge. Aster acknowledged the request but was hesitant to leave even after she said she would. There weren’t many chances given for her to spend with the Navigator. Cassia was something she had never imagined before, nor run into.
She was a lady worthy of love and attention, but all in due time.
Turning around, Aster gave Cassia a bow. Cassia, proper as ever, bowed back, though there was a smile that Aster was starting to learn meant she had something mischievous on her mind.
“A penny for your thoughts before I leave, my lady?” Aster’s curiosity got the better of her.
Cassia’s smile only grew, and she brought a delicate finger to her cheek and tapped it twice.
“After I finish this painting, maybe I will tell you.”
“Then we better get going.” Aster held out her arm to Cassia, who happily took it.
The two made their way onto the bridge, but even as Aster and the others made their way planet side for the next quest that had summoned them, her thoughts wandered back to the painting. Colors had never meant much in her life, even though her mother was determined to surround them with it. The world had shown its cruelty many times over, taking something vibrant and delicate and burning it to ash.
Yet for the first time in many years, Aster’s thoughts turned to purples and pinks and the delicate hands that brought them to life.