Finally, answers. Maybe. (The way Rei said that, though, describing her 'purpose'... It kind of sounded like she...no, let's save that kind of a question for a better time and place, Faraday. Although, it would explain a lot of things if the answer was yes...)

So all of the people Rei knew who could have given her a goal or motivated her in some way were not here anymore. This alone, without assumptions, explained a lot about Rei's responses tonight. "I'm sorry," the prosecutor apologized softly, looking downcast. To have everybody you count on in the way Rei described to no longer be here was awful. It might be good in a way, if the reason for them being gone wasn't actually because of death or worse. But having support here was really helpful, and it could be tough to survive without it. Byrne himself couldn't even imagine what he'd do without Badd and some of the wonderful people he'd encountered here, even if he'd rather them all not be in this situation at all.

"But I can at least assure you," he continued on, voice still soft, "that your purpose is not to fulfill a single one of Landel's goals." Please promise me that if nothing else, his expression seemed to plead. He didn't want Rei feeling hopeless, or that being here to serve Landel was ever a good thing.