Lord Oyster Cookie stood rigid before the tall mirror in his private chambers. Captain Abalone Cookie often called him the embodiment of a rising House noble. The polish was thin, and his eyes flickered with a desperate melancholy.

The same captain’s voice echoed in his memory, telling him he could sell something, anything to keep the honor of his house...

They immediately tried banishing the thought. That transaction was still only a possibility, a dark temptation he had vowed to resist. He was meeting her tonight.

They reached into their pocket and pulled out a single pearl, the most beautiful one they had ever seen. They smiled, their worry softening instantly.

“She deserves so much more than what this dreary Republic offers,” he murmured to his reflection. “She deserves the world.”