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“Vahn, you can tell me anything. You know that.”

“The truth is Iwantto marry Kara.” He paused a beat. “She is mykalehsha.”

The general thought she’d misheard.

“I beg your pardon?”

“It happened on Minerva-6. The physical reaction was unmistakable. And she loves me. Or at least, she did before she found out who I was. So you see, marrying her is not just a pathway to peace. It is what my heart desires. It is what my wholebeingdesires.”

There was silence.

Ela had never experiencedkalehsh. Oh, she had madevastrawith plenty of strong and athletic males but she had never experienced that mating bond, that deep mystical connection, with any of them. She had always thought that when she did, it would be with Vahn.

But in the years she had quietly loved him, he had never returned her feelings. And now he never would. A deep sadness took hold of her, one she was careful to hide.

“So back on the planet, when you told me you had captured the human, that was a lie?”

“I didn’t know what else to do. I thought pretending she was my prisoner would buy me time to figure out a solution.”

She drew in a breath, trying to loosen the shackle round her heart.

“I did not think it possible one’s fated mate could be another species.”

“I didn’t either. But it is real, believe me. Kara has to winshaa’baara,not just for the sake of our planet, but for the sake of my happiness.” He touched her shoulder. “No-one else knows this, Ela. I told you because I trust you more than anyone.”

You trust me but you don’t love me.She swallowed down her pain.

It all made sense now. Vahn’s insistence on making peace with the humans. Kara’s determination to winshaa’baara.

She wanted to scream at the unfairness of it.Shewas the one who had loved him her whole life. And he’d fallen for ahuman?

But what was done was done. She couldn’t fight fate. And he needed her help. However much it hurt, she wouldn’t turn her back on him. She tried to think logically.

“If Baelon found out, he would use it as a sign of insanity. He could challenge you for the throne.”

“That is why you must keep my secret and help Kara to win. Can I count on you?”

“Let’s take it one step at a time,” she said briskly, side-stepping the question. “Shall we record the message for Earth?”

He nodded.

“Yes. I know exactly what I’m going to say.”

Fourteen

“Citizens of Earth, greetings from Vraxos. Our worlds have been at war for two decades now. As the new leader of my people, it is my deep and abiding desire that the bloodshed does not continue for another two decades.

The conflict has taken so much from all of us. But it has also given me a perspective I may never have otherwise gained. During a space battle several months ago, I was stranded on an uninhabited planet with only one other survivor. A human.

A woman who taught me about courage and fortitude. Who showed me that humans are just like Vraxians with the same fears and desires. The same hopes for a better future.

That human is Kara Cameron-Singh, the daughter of President Dana Cameron. She and I helped each other to survive and as incredible as it may sound, she became my friend. She is now here, alive and well, on Vraxos. And like me, all she wants is peace for both our planets.

The recent passing of my father Zhaal Qu’rash has given me an opportunity to launch a new era, one I intend to take. I am marking the start of my rule with an unequivocal offer of reconciliation.

I have today announced a ceasefire among all Vraxian military units. Our troops will pull out of all disputed areas. There will be no more confrontations with human soldiers.

As a further gesture of goodwill, we will send a cargo ship with some of our most advanced energy technology as a gift. You may board the ship at a space station of your choosing to verify the contents.