Looking out over Prime Viridian, the water below shimmered like a pane of glass which darkened as the lavender sky slowly bled into dusk. Forests and their mineral-laced leaves glinted in the cold wind. Sam stood at the railing of the terrace, still in her uniform, shoulders squared.

  John stood beside her, hands in his pockets. For a long while, he said nothing. The silence between them felt heavy. The anger of Thariel’s presence still lingered.

  “He looked tired,” John said at last.

  Sam didn’t turn her head. “Thariel?”

  “Yeah. He has some pieces missing, that’s for sure.” John leaned forward and rested his elbows on the stone ledge. “He can destroy a city, but he can’t take a punch.”

  “He came to the Galactic Council begging, like a dying animal.”

  “And they turned him away.”

  A four winged bird shrieked as it flew overhead.

  John glanced sideways at her. “Do you think we should have helped him?”

  “I don’t know. That is partly what keeps me up at night. The Hyperions attacked us. They killed millions of civilians. They tore through our defenses like paper. I should hate them.” Her fingers tightened on the railing. “But when I heard Thariel’s plea…I saw beyond the monster for a couple of seconds. I saw someone who lost everything. Have you read about their history? It’s tragic.”

  John shook his head, no. He let the words hang in the air. His instincts told him to argue with her and tell her something about how all monsters have a past but it doesn’t excuse their terrible deeds. But at that moment, it didn’t seem like the right thing to do. He focused his gaze down toward the water. A sudden gust of wind howled and the lake below them rippled and distorted their reflections.

  “I can’t tell what’s right anymore,” Sam said. “The deals. The diplomacy. Selling human bodies for protection. The Cortari want to station war vessels above our cities and President Bridges thinks it’s the only way we can stay safe and relevant in the galaxy. He expects me to push humanity’s influence and embrace alien cultures but I can’t even think long enough to decide what side of history we’re on.”

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  “You don’t have to decide that tonight. You’re allowed to just…feel it. Sit with it for a while.”

  Sam reached behind her and picked up a polished stone from the garden bed. Without looking, she flung it. It sailed through the air and splashed into the water. It struck hard and sent wide rings of distortion across the surface.

  “I haven’t had time to grieve,” she murmured. “Not for my parents. Not for my friends. I’ve buried everything under orders and meetings and fake smiles for chambers full of aliens who believe Earth’s humanity is a species still struggling to crawl out of the primordial ooze.” She exhaled. “Sometimes I wish I was still in the Corps. Back then, everything was simple. You followed orders. You stayed in line. You didn’t have time to think. You just did what you were told.”

  John looked at her. “And now?”

  “Now…everything I do feels like it matters too much. If I make the wrong deal, somebody dies. If I breathe wrong, somebody dies. There’s too much at stake.”

  A group of screaming kids ran behind them, chasing after their parents.

  Silence stretched again.

  “Think for yourself first,” John said. “Not the whole galaxy. You’re not a machine, Sam. Everyone can see you’re doing your best. You’re the best person for the position you’re in.”

  She looked at him. Her eyes were rimmed with exhaustion but remained sharp beneath the weight. “What about you? I know that you always wanted to be an actor. You were talented as a kid. I know that it’s still inside of you. You could give all of this up. You have the freedom to choose a better life.”

  He cracked a grin. “I think that life is behind me.” John sighed. “Besides, there’s something that came up. Vel’Sem told me about a Griffin Wing in the Arbiter Lounge. It’s supposed to be some kind of advanced weapons platform. It might give us a shot against Thariel.”

  Sam’s gaze returned to the water. “Go. Keep me updated. I need to know that someone is doing more than playing politics.”

  “You’re navigating a minefield just like I am. You’re an intelligent girl, you’ll find the way through and help humanity just like you did in New York City. If there is a chance that we can use this Griffin Wing to punch Thariel in the mouth…I’ll make sure you’re the first to know.”

  She smiled briefly, then returned to reflecting and looking toward the horizon over the water.

  John gave her one last look before he turned and approached Vel’Sem who sat at a table and patiently soaked in his surroundings. Sam remained at the edge of the veranda with her hands on the railing as she watched ripples fade across the water and return to its natural stillness.