Panel 1 is interesting: even as Caneghem concludes his case for isolation, he looks to Syr’Nj for understanding, comparing his people’s withdrawal from the known world to her withdrawal from the Gastonian Hall of Houses. Officially, he wants no bond with any non-sky-elf; emotionally, he can’t help reaching out when you least expect it. We saw a lot of that with him and Reynolds.

Hollinger gets one more appearance here (we’ve finally settled on which of the sky elves he’s supposed to be), and in John’s rendering, he looks a lot like he could be Hollister and Clair’s dad, which would explain the similar names.

Poor Clair: look at her crying into her hanky in panel 4. The script had “angry tears,” which doesn’t come across with these abstracted faces, but that’s okay. She really thought her people were on her side in this.

We never took a census of the population of Asallah En-Qu’Lara, nor of any other group or subgroup within Arkerra. My feeling, however, is that the total population is 300ish, and about 125 of those voted “remain,” but of those, only the few seen here are willing to give up their homeland just to remain “citizens of the larger Arkerra.” (Syr’Nj and the script put the number at a “dozen-odd,” but I count about two dozen in the panel.) As Syr’Nj says, it’s no small sacrifice they’re making…and it’ll be a bigger sacrifice for some than for others…so by all means, guys, enjoy your fuck-you dance.

FB: Here we see a lively flock of migratory, flightless birds.