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“Steady on with the emotions, mother. Wouldn’t want anyone to think you’re pleased to see me.”

“Iampleased to see you, child. When we found your Merlin drifting in space crushed like a tin can, I thought…” her mother faltered, which shook Kara. Her mother never faltered. “Anyway, we were still searching for you when the message came through from the Vraxian Zhaal. I thought it was a ruse at first.”

“It’s no ruse, mother. I was marooned with him for all those months. He’s a good person.”

“He’s not a person,” her mother snapped. “He’s a snake.”

“He’s a person, and like it or not his people rescued me off that world. I’d like to think we would have done the same for Vahn if you’d found me first.”

The expression on her mother’s face suggested that was highly doubtful.

“Are you well?” she asked instead. “You haven’t been hurt? Brutalized in any way?”

“I’ve been looked after like a queen. Food, clothes, accommodation. And mother, Vahn wants peace as much as I do. As much as Earth does.”

“The snakes can’t be trusted.”

“Jesus, did you even listen to his message? He’s offering a truce. A ceasefire. He wants humans and Vraxians to become brothers.”

“So that they may steal our resources with less effort.”

The same old mantra. Kara’s temper flared.

“Have they asked for any of our resources? No. And given what I’ve learned about their technology, we stand to benefit from any peace dealwaymore than them.”

“It sounds like the months you spent in his company have brainwashed you.”

“If by that you mean I had my eyes opened, then yes. I learned a lot.” She took a breath and controlled her anger. “Vahn’s my friend, mother. And he told me something. About how the war started. I want to know if it’s true.”

President Cameron stiffened.

“If what is true?”

“That the war was started by humans. By a military taskforce on the E.S.V. Chennai that landed on Vraxos twenty years ago.” The President didn’t respond. “Mother? Is it true?”

“It was before my time,” she said evasively.

“That’s not good enough. When you became President, you must have had access to classified documents about the war. Intel on what happened to the Chennai. Tell me the truth. For once in your life, just be honest.”

“Your father died in battle.” Her mother’s eyes were blazing. “The Vraxians took him away from us. It was my job to make sure that didn’t happen to anyone else.”

“But it did.” Kara glanced at Ela, listening intently off to one side. “It happened to thousands of people. Vraxians and humans. We’ve lost so many since the war started. We lost father. The Zhaal lost his brother. Isn’t it time to end it?”

“And you think he can?”

Kara swallowed. It was now or never.

“Vahn believes there’s a way to bring our people together. Not just through negotiations and trade deals, but by bonding our two species. He wants to marry me, mother.”

She waited for it to sink in.

President Cameron’s already pale face drained to alabaster white. She reached for the edge of the table to steady herself.

“You… you’re not suggesting… you can’t marry a snake!”

“Stop calling him that. He’s brave and strong and kind. He saved my life over and over. If you just met him…”

“Never. I will never allow it.”