The dragon spreads metal wings, plunges them into the ground and then... slumps.

Every muscle and every servo go slack. The great biomechanical monstrosity just floats there, anchored to the rock, a limp lifeless husk adrift on inertial eddies.

Ohhh. That makes sense. (Deskyl opens her eyes.)

    "That's not really her, it's a machine she was operating."

“Artha wants herself and her subjects to live forever. She considers directly inhabiting a body to be an unacceptable point of vulnerability, and so she and her Dragoons only ever engage in battle via drone platforms.”

Neat!

    "Deskyl will have to talk to her about defensive technology she can reproduce, then, once the diplomatic situation is worked out."

Devika continues to watch the metal dragon rocking to and fro in front of them, as though expecting it to come back alive and lunge for Dheto's SLAYER the moment it's left unobserved.

A couple degrees pass.

Artha's proxy reactivates.

(Devika jumps a little, even though she knows she shouldn't ought to.)

"Hello, Ma'am."

"Hello. My sisters have reached a consensus."

Artha opens her claws and extracts her wingtips from the rock below.

"We will support you in your intended goals. Culamine's Hound, Shreya, has volunteered as an escort and her SLAYER is being refit for the proposed mission profile."

    "Thank you, Ma'am."

"Culamine says that while she wishes dearly to have her stolen vassals returned, she does not expect it will be feasible to rescue all of them. She wants you to prioritize the primary objective, and to attempt an extraction of her people only if a low-risk opportunity presents itself--in which case you should only take as many as you can safely convey."

    "Yes, Ma'am. Deskyl also spoke to one of Culamine's vassals who is originally from the United Colonies, and wants to return to her family; if it seems likely that we'll be able to return her without risking the primary objective, Deskyl would like to bring her along. Devika, do you think we should try it?"

"No. Probably best not to."

(Emotion Read: conflicted, nervous, attempting-to-lie-to-a-dragon.)

Deskyl nods.

    "That's all right. If this goes well, she can always make another trip."

"The fastest route to the colonies is through my territory." Artha gazes almost straight up, out across the inner edge of the orbital debris disk. Starlight glints off of her proxy's mechanized eye-sockets. "I am comfortable allowing you to use it as a staging area, and willing to provide any additional equipment you might need using my vassalage's macrofabrication module, provided we can ensure the safety of my of my people in the process."

    "Thank you, Ma'am."

"What is the greatest distance you can kill someone from?"

    "With technological assistance, a few dozen miles. The limitation is generally being able to sense her target well enough, and real-time video is a useful supplement to her magical senses. Without it, a mile or so under normal conditions or two to five if she's meditating. The only magic she's able to do accidentally is short range, though, a few dozen yards at most."

"If I invited you to my vassalage, but asked you to remain outside of meditation-kill-range of my vassals, would you comply with that request?"

    "Yes, Ma'am. Bearing in mind that she won't have direct control over her location and would prefer not to hijack an ally's vessel."

"Of course. I will make arrangements to keep any vehicles or installations you use well clear of death-susceptible populations."

Artha's proxy kicks off the dysofrag and drifts into the open span of space beyond.

"Dheto. Would you be comfortable providing Deskyl, DZ and Devika transport to my holdings?"

"Unless it conflicts with my master's wishes, I am comfortable following any order from any of her sisters."

"Ladriel has said you are free to accompany me until the three of them are safely aboard one of my habitats."