The Radiant Hope was much larger than the Crystal Heart had been, but that made the repurposed bounty hunter ship much more suitable for the mission at hand. Slowly but surely, over the last few months, it'd been cleaned up, upgraded, and redecorated to better meet Imperial standards, with the help of both the ancient machines still in operation and its new crew.
Rutile Quartz walked the length of the ship, taking in the bustle going on around her. Tundra was in conversation with the freshly-installed navigation AI, and the snippets of words that Rutile caught as she passed by told her that the talk had gone from official to casual in record time, as the two were discussing pre-Exodus literature. Morga and Thana were in the kitchens, and Rutile could smell that they'd broken out the contents of the latter's herb garden; the transformation hadn't given Thana true earth pony green hooves, but she'd familiarized herself with the vault's hydroponics anyway and buckled down to learning agriculture. Bizra was checking, double-checking, and triple-checking their supplies, making sure everything was in its proper place.
"This foal... what do you intend to do when we find them?"
Rutile wore a uniform, these days, in the colours of the Crystal Empire. It made her look more official instead of like a scruffy drifter. It also had the welcome side effect of hiding the magical quartz heart still embedded in her chest.
Tell the parents what they are, and give them all a chance to come to the New Empire, she responded mentally as she straightened out a picture frame holding an image of her standing next to Empress Flurry Heart.
A month ago, Rutile's mark had flared with light, and had given her a message, that there was another. Actually locating them, however, had been the empress's job, and it had taken that month to do whatever fancy alicorn scrying that she could presumably do. They had a sector and a planet to go to, now, though it would naturally take time to find the young foal once they got there. Especially if there was Order presence there.
They would have to deal with the Order of the Two Sisters eventually. They'd never allow an alicorn other than their long-dead goddesses to seize power again. But it was a large galaxy, and they'd have time to rebuild before needing to worry about removing that thorn.
"And if they refuse?"
Rabia hadn't spoken for several weeks after Empress Flurry Heart had woken up. Rutile reasoned that it may have taken that much time to come to terms with the fact that her children really weren't about to commit regicide in her name. Then she'd started talking, in small amounts, but had made no attempt to seize control again. Rutile couldn't say that the presence was welcome, but she was making an effort to not shut down every conversation with orders to get out of her head anymore.
Then we leave them be and make the invitation to the next one. With the portrait straightened out, she went through the rest of the sitting room, adjusting more decorations and fluffing pillows. This was the place she'd want to invite the parents in to talk, after all, if they were willing to accept her hospitality. She'd have to check with the umbrum sisters that the tea supply was good, so that they could brew a pot.
"This foal is your kin. More so than the parents, in some ways. You would let them be denied their heritage?"
Rutile rolled her shoulders in a shrug. If it's to be, then when they grow up, they'll track us down themselves.
"Like you did?"
That earned a sardonic smile. Hopefully with less shooting and without ending up with a voice in their head, but yes.
Rabia quieted again, at that, and Rutile continued her sweep of the sitting room. She wasn't sure about all this diplomatic business, but as the only adult crystal pony around, she supposed she understood the logic of sending her out as an envoy. She would become what she'd wished for as a foal, an adult who understood and would be able to teach young crystal foals all about themselves.
Not that her parents hadn't done the best job they'd could, given the circumstances. After this mission, she intended to pay them that long-overdue visit, and then bring them to meet the empress themselves. She'd also, of course, need to make time for another expedition with Tundra, as there were several other Imperial settlements that Empress Flurry Heart remembered and that may have surviving vaults.
The work of the no-longer-last crystal pony was never done.
And Rutile Quartz wouldn't have it any other way.