Landing 10, 6104

Dearest Elise:

I miss you terribly, my sister. It's horrid of you that you never write me back and miss holiday after holiday after holiday on these "missions" of yours. You're worse than Father ever was. I bet you do it all just because you know if you were in Rephidim that I would make you go to parties and wear a dress instead of that awful uniform all the time. You wicked woman!I do not know why I bother at all.

You missed a lovely Landing Day celebration, Elise. Lord de Ayde and I wentto a small party hosted by Lord Samuel de Orthieriel, whom you may remember from the New Year's festival he held at the turn of the century. Poor thing, I don't think he's held another large gathering since. "The" Landing Day ball to go to this year was hosted by the do Varrs, and I actually was invited, but the von Shanars would be there, and they've never been nice tome since that whole affair with Sanguine Hall – as if it's our fault that their ancestor had involved herself in that shameful duel. And it's such ancient history, too. Sometimes I wonder if we do make too much of history. And Dominic haut Glas was to be there, too, and I cannot abide that poodle. See, my hand shudders just to write his name, there, I am making a terrible mess of this letter. Squint, dearest Elise, you know I am too lazy to copy this over. And don't you dare show this to Tremaine, I am not his pupil any longer and I do not need to listen to anymore lectures on the virtue of penmanship, thankyouverymuch!

Besides, you would be a fine one to instigate such a lecture, sinceyou never write at all, or at the least not to me.

But I am being a terrible scold. You probably do not write because you do not want to think about me and my nagging. You know I mean none of it in seriousness, Elise. I wish you could hear me, and then you would know that I am teasing you as I always have, and just like you always tease me. What else are sisters for?

Where was I? Oh, yes, de Orthieriel's party. Grant's family and his have been friends for forever, it seems, and Grant suggested we visit them instead, so I spurned the do Varrs for them. I hope the do Varrs do not take it too personally, I should hate to be dropped from their invitation list. But de Orthieriel's little affair was quite charming; he had this quartet of musicians playing the whole night, and no one cared that I danced mostly with Grant because there was hardly anyone else there dancing anyway and the food was scrumptious, and then we played at charades and Lord de Orthieriel is just the funniest person in the world to play that with, he goes through the most amazing antics for such a little old fellow, and he makes these absurd wild guesses that had everyone in stitches, even you would have laughed, my sweet sister.

So that was my Landing Eve. Landing Day we went to a nice service at the Temple, led by one of the newer priests, Killian Threadar, who is a Rhian and looks like he ought to be a Technopriest instead of leading the services, but he has a wonderful voice, very deep and projected, and he told an inspirational story about a young Gallah whose life was touched and changed by the First Ones on a Landing Day centuries ago. Wonderfully moving. I hope you will have a chance to meet Priest Threadar when you next return to Rephidim – I think you will like him.

Some days after Landing, the sixth or the eighth I think, I had a visit from Lady Annabelle de Amoureaux, who has joined an organization called "Friends of Captain Rockmore." I don't know if you recall, but Captain Rockmore is the Rhian who stole the boomer from the Temple and dropped it on Babel. He was never apprehended by the Temple and he's believed to be alive and somewhere on the surface – Annabelle hinted that some of the people in her organization know where, but of course she said nothing specific to me. The "Friends of Captain Rockmore" are lobbying the Temple to grant him amnesty for his actions, so that he may return to Rephidim. Lady Annabelle thinks the Captain quite the hero for taking such decisive action to strike a blow against Babel, and avenge Rephidim for the damage wrought by the Plaguebringers. She asked me if I wanted to join or donate to the cause, andI told her I would think about it.

To be honest, I feel quite inclined to agree with her. While it is not my place to question the judgement of the Temple, I do wish that they had been more forthright and decisive in striking back at Babel for what they did to us, and I believe Captain Rockmore taught them a valuable lesson by dropping the boomer. They may have whined and complained, but the Eeee have not dared to attack us again since. For the sake of the souls of our dear parents, my heart is gladdened that someone has avenged them. I only wish that the device had destroyed all of their city and not merely part of it – it is no less than that unpleasant race, with their twisted values and evil goddesses, deserves.

But I thought the subject ticklish enough that I should not involve the family name without consulting you first. I spoke with Grent about the matter, and he held quite a different opinion. He was quite adamant that Rockmore should remain a wanted criminal, and expressed his wish that the Temple apprehend him and punish him as befits a traitor. I was quite shocked, as you might imagine, but Grant says that the Captain disobeyed the orders of the Temple, stole a valuable and dangerous artifact, and used it in a manner that might easily have engulfed all of Rephidim anew in a war only recently ended. He said, "It does not matter what the Eeee do or do not deserve. There's no place in the Temple, or in Rephidim either, for a solider – and worse, an officer – who goes against the orders of his superiors. And to risk war – and it is a miracle we are not at war still over this, mark my words – just to carry out one's private vendetta – that is treason, and of as high an order as any spy or betrayer of men."

I am still not sure what to make of all this; I feel quite out of my depths. Grant encouraged me to seek your advice, and so I am. I hope you will break your vow of silence and write me back, dear sister, so that I may know what you would wish me to do. I do not know if our one lone voice or shekels will make a difference on this matter, one way or the other, but for my own peace of mind I should like for House Bellefeuille to take a stand.

But regardless of the outcome of such weighty matters, know that I still remain,

Your loving (if neglected) sister,
Katherine