Shen Que

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Shen Que (沈确)
Alias(es)	Commander Shen; First Commander; “Messiah’s blade,” as described by Empress Carolina; Xingyao, an assumed name used with Ling Yu 6 7 43.
Gender	Male; Omega 1 6.
Affiliation	Icarus Empire; First Fleet (formerly); White Sand Star’s General Affairs Office 14 36.
Occupation/Role	Former commander-in-chief of the First Fleet; deputy director overseeing White Sand Star’s ore trade 14 36.
Spouse	Pei Ji; their AI-arranged match has pheromone compatibility exceeding 90% 2 6.
Residence	Fallen Star Palace, White Sand Star 5 38.
Education	Royal Military Academy, Command Division 14 43.
Status	Alive; recovering from severe injuries, with mental-power recovery unresolved 34 35.
First Appearance	Chapter 1, “Would he like it?” 1.

Background / History

First Fleet Commander

Shen Que attended the Royal Military Academy and entered the Command Division before joining the fleet. He later reflected that these choices had felt like natural obligations rather than pursuits driven by personal desire 14 43.

As supreme commander of the First Fleet, he became a widely admired military figure, known for his cool, detached bearing at medal ceremonies. Upon his promotion, Empress Carolina granted him Cold Glow, a 3S-class mecha whose creation earned its designer, Blue Crane, the title of master 3 37.

Injury and Loss of Command

According to the account Shen Que gives Charles Lee, he was injured nine months before his later checkup during a fleet engagement near the 8215 Asteroid Belt. After a judgment error and a communications-and-detection failure, he left the flagship in Cold Glow to investigate. Pirates ambushed him; he struck an asteroid, sustained severe neural-synapse damage, and lost consciousness. He awakened eight months later 34.

Cold Glow was destroyed, and Shen Que lost the mental power needed to establish synaptic connections. His injuries were followed by resignation and marriage, though he continued to be addressed as “Commander” 3 22 31.

The circumstances of his defeat remain questioned. Pei Li suspects a political scheme, while Pei Ji commissions Safiya to investigate out of concern for Shen Que. Ai Fan rejects Pei Li’s accusations as unsupported 20 28.

Arranged Marriage and Recovery

The Brain Computer matched Shen Que with Pei Ji, and Carolina ordered the marriage. Before his departure, she urged him to survive, calling him “Messiah’s blade.” White Sand Star’s distance from the Hive and Pei Li’s influence also offered protection 6 11 16.

Pei Ji’s absence from their wedding subjected Shen Que to public ridicule. Shen initially regarded the marriage as his last remaining security and prepared to fulfill its obligations despite believing Pei Ji disliked him 6 11.

At Fallen Star Palace, Pei Ji’s carefully controlled pheromones helped Shen Que sleep and eased his distress. Shen nevertheless interpreted the absence of a mark as rejection, unaware that marking caused him severe pain and that Pei Ji had withheld the explanation unless he asked 3 5 6.

White Sand Star Banquet

Ai Fan privately informed Shen Que that he would receive family assets and take responsibility for the mineral business. She chose him after Pei Ji lost forty million in one month managing a business that had not lost money in a century 17 18.

At the public banquet, Pei Ji and Shen Que performed the opening dance. The subsequent announcement of Shen Que’s assets and control of the ore business unsettled him because Pei Ji had not been told beforehand. He feared the reassignment had damaged their relationship 22 25 26.

After leaving the hall, Shen Que detected and subdued Austin, who had followed him into the garden. The exertion and pain triggered another heat-onset episode, requiring Charles and Luo Yuan’s intervention. Pei Ji later reassured Shen Que about the ore trade and asked for his help managing it 26 27 30.

Pei Ji then took him away from the unfinished banquet aboard a small warship. At the Desert Tavern, Shen Que learned about Pei Ji’s ties to the Desert Folk and received a private apology for the wedding: a view of the stars after the town’s lights and artificial moonlight were extinguished 31 33.

Ore Trade and the Missing Stone

While continuing treatment, Shen Que familiarized himself with the mining operations and production lines. He reported possible loopholes to Carolina but withheld conclusions until he could confirm the details 35.

At the General Affairs Office, he rapidly developed ore-appraisal knowledge, evaluated staff performance, and mediated a dispute over larkstone intended for Blue Crane’s mecha project. He later negotiated with Messiah’s Mecha Research Center, and Blue Crane was satisfied with the replacement ore 36 37 38 39 45.

Pei Ji sent him a rare Pheromone Memory Stone, which Shen Que wanted mounted in a necklace. His search for an artisan led to Ling Yu, an interstellar merchant to whom he introduced himself as “Xingyao” 38 39 43.

After officials confiscated the stone as alleged smuggled property, it disappeared from storage. Shen Que ordered staff suspended pending investigation and filed criminal charges against Minister Lucas for maliciously misappropriating Pei Ji’s property 46 49.

Separately, Shen Que used Pei Ji’s recorder to access galaxy-wide tracking information. Discovering Pei Ji far from the Fourth Fleet’s assigned patrol route, he reported the anomaly despite his personal attachment 45.

By the latest supplied chapter, Shen Que has learned that Cold Glow cannot be rebuilt and has gone to the underground Golden Casino. His purpose there is not yet explained 50.

Appearance

• Build and complexion: Slender, with pale, sometimes nearly translucent skin; his injuries leave him visibly frail 5 7 20 21.
• Hair: Black 7.
• Face: Thin lips, finely shaped brows, long lashes, and a usually cool, distant expression 3 17 20.
• Eyes: Described as deep and dark in some scenes, pale or cold in others; no consistent eye color is established in the supplied passages 3 26 33.
• Bearing: Upright and composed, retaining a commander’s authority even when physically weak 5 16.
• Formal clothing: White military dress uniform with a glittering star insignia; also wears White Sand Star’s traditional robes, gold ornaments, and a ruby pendant between his brows 16 22.

Personality

Shen Que is proud, restrained, and strongly self-reliant. He insists on dressing and walking without assistance even when his hands tremble or his footing is unsteady. His manner is generally gentle, but a quiet command or glance can make servants immediately withdraw objections 5 6 26.

His professional candor survives his loss of command. When Pei Ji asks for an assessment of his piloting, Shen Que gives precise criticism rather than the praise Pei Ji expects. Challenges to his competence can draw out a colder, openly competitive side 6 7.

Beneath that composure, he fears being an inadequate spouse and Omega. He worries that his disability, unstable pheromones, and inability to share social duties make him a burden. He conceals discomfort from Carolina and Charles, while repeatedly leaving questions about Pei Ji’s feelings and marking unspoken 16 26 33 35.

His affection is often private and practical: he waits for Pei Ji, treats his scratches, secretly preserves his drunken messages, and treasures an unattractive scent-bearing stone over costly gems. As their relationship develops, he becomes willing to ask directly for Pei Ji’s comforting pheromones 18 20 30 39.

He dislikes public attention and feels socially uncomfortable in crowded, fashionable settings. At work, however, he is measured rather than punitive, distinguishing Xingyao’s poor writing from the accuracy of his data 24 38 43.

Abilities & Skills

Command and Tactical Analysis

• Identifies inefficient ammunition use, poor aim, and a roughly 0.1-second pause in Pei Ji’s evasive correction that exposes his left side 6.
• Designs adaptive simulations that target Pei Ji’s weaknesses and alter holographic terrain in response to his attacks 34.
• Retains extensive battlefield knowledge, including the ability to distinguish more than five hundred similar Zerg varieties by details such as their tail hooks 37.
• Uses combat experience to verify numerical data in administrative reports 38.

Mecha Piloting

• Piloted Cold Glow, the only lightweight mecha among the Empire’s seven 3S-class machines 31.
• Remains capable of manual piloting after losing his neural connection, requesting a D-class training mecha with a manual console 7.
• Defeats Pei Ji in their three-minute match according to the simulator’s effective-attack and damage assessment, despite being thrown to the ground 8.
• Limit: His weakened body cannot safely sustain mecha combat; later matches bring on another fever, and Charles explicitly forbids piloting during recovery 34.

Close Combat and Perception

• Detects a hidden follower from a faint sound and uses a floating lamp to expose the attacker’s position 26.
• Improvises with nearby wisteria vines, then trips and pins Austin despite lacking mental power and being vulnerable to Alpha pheromones 26 27.
• Identifies Safiya as a mercenary from calluses associated with a Silver-Thread Scimitar and a scar caused by a mecha light blade 33.
• Limit: Fighting causes severe muscular pain and exhaustion and can precipitate a heat-onset episode 27.

Ore Appraisal and Administration

• Learns to identify Grade A larkstone at a glance in under a month, surprising Jin Yi 36.
• Understands the differences between A+ and A-grade larkstone coatings, including radiation resistance, texture, and flaking rates 37.
• Recognizes that finer distinctions within a grade normally require instruments rather than visual appraisal alone 37 40.
• Handles commercial negotiations and uses legal procedure when Lucas disputes his administrative authority 45 49.

Health and Limitations

Condition	Effects and Treatment
Damaged mental power	Previously formidable, but now unable to support synaptic connections. Charles considers recovery possible only after physical rehabilitation; examinations have not established whether any usable mental power remains 22 31 34.
Neural-synapse injury	Sustained during the destruction of Cold Glow; accompanied by painful memories of a Brain Computer malfunction and the mecha’s loss 34 45.
Recovering bones and poor physical condition	Causes pain, weakness, awkward movement, and limited stamina. Medical-pod treatment improves his bones and nutrition, but he must avoid strenuous activity, alcohol, and sleep deprivation 5 29 34.
Old scent-gland injury and pheromone dysregulation	Produces irregular cycles, poor pheromone control, and unusual sensitivity to Alpha pheromones 3.
Abnormal heat onset	Dr. Lee finds that his pheromones rise to the onset phase rather than a full heat. Later observations identify pain as the most reliable trigger; he often loses consciousness and cannot recall the episodes 3 29 35.
Intolerance of marking	Pei Ji’s temporary mark fails to provide normal relief and instead causes severe pain 3.
Trauma and disturbed sleep	Experiences nightmares and flashbacks involving insect swarms, alarms, and drowning sensations. Pei Ji’s presence and scent improve his rest 8 16 21.

Treatment

• Compatible pheromones: Pei Ji’s controlled scent soothes him; Charles and his previous physician believe prolonged exposure may help treat the dysregulation 4 30 42.
• Personalized soothing agent: Charles prepares a rare agent from pheromones extracted directly from Pei Ji’s gland. Shen Que finds it more comfortable than the earlier preparation 35.
• Medication and rehabilitation: Requires regular medicine, adequate nutrition, rest, and continued treatment before mental-power recovery can be assessed 10 22 34.
• Suppressant restrictions: Initially warned that his body cannot withstand suppressants, he nevertheless seeks them during distress; later chapters also describe suppressant use 2 5 30 45.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Cold Glow — His former 3S-class lightweight mecha, granted by Carolina. Destroyed in the failed battle; it cannot be recreated because some blueprints were lost and construction depends on an engineer’s individual skill and condition 31 37 50.
• Mecha storage pendant — Retains the now-empty pendant that once held Cold Glow 50.
• Pheromone Memory Stone — A rough, cloudy white living stone sent by Pei Ji, probably originating from the Sea of Life. Preserves pheromones and offers comfort during separation; Shen Que seeks a necklace setting that will not require drilling it 38 39 42.
• Recorder — Pei Ji’s gift enabling calls at fixed coordinates; Shen Que also uses it to access galaxy-wide tracking information 38 45.
• Wrist terminal — Used for communications, official work, and tracking equipment. Shen Que secretly backs up Pei Ji’s drunken messages to his Private Cloud before deleting them from the conversation 18 45.

Relationships

• Pei Ji — Husband. Their marriage develops from mutual misreading into practical care, attraction, and trust, though Shen Que continues to struggle with the absence of a mark and doubts about Pei Ji’s feelings 5 22 30 33 38.
• Empress Carolina — Sovereign and protective guardian who raised him for years. She arranged his marriage, receives his reports on the ore-production lines, and considers divorce an option after recovery 11 16 35.
• Ai Fan — Mother-in-law and administrative mentor. Entrusts him with the ore business, offers guidance, and comes to admire his intelligence and judgment 17 18 37 38.
• Pei Li — Father-in-law and lord of White Sand Star. Suspects Shen Que may be an instrument of Carolina’s political ambitions, but provides little evidence and is made to apologize by Ai Fan 19 20 28.
• Charles Lee / Dr. Li — Treating physician. Reviews his records, oversees rehabilitation and pheromone treatment, and seeks specialist advice about his mental power 21 22 29 35.
• Anya — Personal maid responsible for his daily needs. Attends to his meals, medicine, and rest, while respecting his sometimes intimidating insistence on independence 5 9 26.
• Demi — Member of Pei Ji’s household who assists with Shen Que’s care and files the charges against Lucas 10 49.
• Luo Yuan — Pei Ji’s subordinate; protects Shen Que from paparazzi and helps carry him to safety after the confrontation with Austin 26 27.
• Safiya — Tavern owner and mercenary. Explains Pei Ji’s history with the Desert Folk and challenges Shen Que’s understanding of his husband 33.
• Xingyao — Subordinate and fellow Royal Military Academy alumnus. Shen Que recognizes the accuracy beneath his poor paperwork and asks him to value the missing stone 37 38 49.
• Jin Yi — Ore-office official whose guarded attitude changes after seeing Shen Que’s appraisal skill; supports caution during the larkstone dispute 36 39.
• Austin — Pei Ji’s former classmate and romantic rival. Follows and attacks Shen Que at the banquet, only to be subdued by him 24 26 27.
• Ling Yu — Interstellar ore merchant who offers access to an artisan. Shen Que conceals his identity by using Xingyao’s name 43.
• Blue Crane — Designer of Cold Glow and client of White Sand Star’s ore business 37 45.

Trivia

• Likes cookies, especially Anya’s baking; Ai Fan’s chocolate cookies do not appeal to him as much 9 17.
• Has theoretical knowledge of dancing but little practice. At previous banquets, he generally exchanged necessary pleasantries and then stood in a corner eating desserts 14.
• His banquet accessories become a fashion trend advertised in First Oasis jewelry shops, much to his embarrassment 43.
• Realizes during his necklace search that he has never developed a hobby pursued purely out of personal passion 43.