[The sheer amount of questions dropped like dozens of paper flowers from a towering man with the comportment of an orator than a proper cavalier was dizzying. For a brief moment, Judith wished they had been as light as the delicately folded blossoms in varying shades of red and purple that Coronabeth sent her with every promotion. Instead, she was in the peculiar position of needing to offer comfort to a behemoth with sad, bewildered eyes...

Like the Warden, the Captain wasn't one for platitudes.]

That's too many questions, Ninth. The best that I can explain quickly is that the universe is far more complex than anyone as far from politics as the Ninth House can imagine. The Emperor has enemies, they call themselves the Blood of Eden.

The commander on the vessel I've been held on is called We Suffer, and it seems many of them have turns of phrase for names instead of anything we're familiar with.

You seem to have heard of a Stele. I can't give you details, but it seems like this Lyctor helped them get a hold of one. Ordinarily it takes three necromancers to operate-- but they only had me.

Defeating Teacher killed Marta, but I very nearly joined her. Several times. There was no way I could be useful to them, but that didn't stop them from trying.

.... Honestly, I should have been dead before that Lyctor showed up to berate them.

I'm not sure how I lived.