Véronique is the pilot of Fealty. She is impulsive and committed. Their facecast is Hunter Schafer; they are skinny, white and blonde.
Appearance
In her appearance in HOUNDs she is 24 years old and has been an Elect for 8 years. As a teen they were a "beloved jock" who competed in multiple track and field events (including some type of running, high and/or long jump, and javelin). She attended the same Nideo school as Gucci Garantine: Artwright.
Their dress uniform is a blue dress jacket covered in hundreds of cameos, similar to the doublet of the queen in The Green Knight.
Personality
Véronique first became an Elect at 16, with her initial ceremony being held at her high school. She is impulsive and committed, and very loyal to their Stel. Early in her escape from Curtain forces they struggle to rationalize their actions, with her oaths to Fealty and to her Stel coming into conflict.
Véronique expresses several times that they think they literally can not be killed due to their status as Fealty's Elect.
Veronique has a very close, even codependent relationship with Fealty; they both refer to each other as "Anchor" with all the associated symbolic baggage. Fealty has also called her Excerpt and Candidate. Notably Véronique has a habit of referring to both her and Fealty as one person, ie. "We can't do that, we're Fealty".
Involvement
Early in the Curtain's search for a way into the Twilight Mirage Fealty and Véronique are escorting the Peaceful Princept across Nidean space when Fealty happens to catch sight of something that will allow the Stel access to the Mirage. Véronique initially intends to report this to the Princept, but loses their nerve and is forced to flee when the rest of the escort realizes something is wrong.
Véronique and Fealty proceed to try and escape their pursuers, fleeing with the Portcullis System to the Skarnoc Debris Fields where they kill Curtain forces, start a small kingdom, and come into conflict with Millennium Break agents. Over the course of their journey Véronique and Fealty are petitioned by Perennial, Amaryllis and the Divine Conviction, and Acacia and the Divine Fortitude. After eventually deciding that their only option is to flee to the Twilight Mirage, Véronique expresses doubt that they will be allowed in, but proceeds with the mission after Fealty assists them in formally breaking their oath to their Stel and Fealty swears an oath to Véronique, which is broadcasted across the sector. This leads to several other ships, including Pressure Cove of the Fox in the Snow joining up with the pair (much to Véronique's frustration).
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Upon reaching the edge of the Mirage, Véronique, Fealty, and their followers are cornered by the forces of the Curtain. While their followers fight, Véronique and Fealty choose to pilot directly into the Mirage, risking being lost forever in exchange for preventing the Curtain or Pact forces from being able to retrieve any information from them about how to breach the Twilight Mirage.
Trivia
- Véronique is the French name for plants in the genus Veronica, which are associated with loyalty, devotion and commitment. The plants were probably named for Saint Veronica, as known as Berenice; this is an intentional reference by Jack to Cassander Timaeus Berenice.
- Anchor is the term for the final runner in a relay race.