"That wouldn't have ended it," Draycos said. "The Valahgua and their Death weapons were still free. Even without Neverlin and Frost, they would have found a way to attack the refugee fleet."
"I suppose," Alison said reluctantly. "Anyway, you know the rest."
"All except your story about being General Davi's daughter," Taneem spoke up. "How did you create that fiction?"
"It's no trick for Intelligence people to create false IDs," Jack explained. "Her dad probably also gave her all those voiceprints Uncle Virge told me she had stashed away in case she needed them."
"Jack's right," Alison said. "But in this case, we also had General Davi himself ready to back up my story if Neverlin decided to check up on me. After I called his forces in on the Patri Chookoock last month, Dad had to tell him the whole story to keep him from launching a full investigation and maybe knocking over my personal applecart in the process."
"I'll bet he was thrilled," Jack murmured.
"He was several miles north of furious," Alison agreed. "Not at us, but at what Frost had done with his men and equipment. He agreed on the spot to cooperate with us."
"Hence the Malison Ring contingent your grandfather brought in with him," Jack said dryly. "Probably the main reason Frost switched sides there at the end. He knew he'd lost, and figured he'd better surrender to your grandfather before Davi got to him."
"Something like that." Alison shook her head. "I just wish we could have persuaded the Patri Chookoock to cooperate, too. But he wouldn't. All Dad could do at that point was block his communications so that he couldn't bring the hammer down on Harper."
"Though Neverlin still guessed the truth," Taneem said.
Alison sighed. "Yes."
"So why didn't you just tell me from the start who you were?" Jack asked. "It would have made things a lot easier."
Alison shrugged uncomfortably. "In the beginning, because we weren't sure whether we could trust you," she said. "You or Draycos."
"Oh, that's nice," Jack growled.
"No, she's right, Jack," Draycos said. "She had only my side of the story, after all. There was no way for her to know we weren't a group of invaders planning a conquest of the Orion Arm."
"At least not until I got to know him," Alison agreed. "By then—" She grimaced. "You'd gotten it into your head that Grandfather might have been involved with your parents' death. At that point, I didn't dare tell you the truth."
"You don't still think that, do you, Jack?" Taneem asked.
"Not really," Jack assured her. "Besides, if Alison can accept the whole K'da race based on Draycos's character, I suppose I can accept Mr. Braxton based on hers."
"Which makes him a good man?" Taneem suggested.
"It certainly makes him a conniving man," Jack said blandly. "Also smart-mouthed, underhanded—"
"Hey!" Alison protested.
"—but probably not a murderer," Jack finished. He turned innocent eyes on Alison. "You say something?"
"Listen, buddy-boy," she said, leveling a finger at him, "if you want to talk about conniving—"
"Please," Taneem interrupted anxiously. "Please don't fight."
"They're not fighting," Draycos soothed her. "This is a rather silly game humans sometimes like to play together."
"You'll get used to it," Alison assured her, sending Jack's innocent look right back at him.
Jack felt his stomach tighten. "Yeah," he muttered.
"What, you don't think she will?" Alison asked, frowning.
"I don't think she'll have a chance," Jack told her. "As soon as—"
He broke off at the sound of a footstep down the corridor. "Hello?" he called.
"It's just me," Braxton's voice came back. "Where are you?"
"Second cabin," Alison called back. "Down the corridor aft."
There were more footsteps, and Braxton appeared in the cabin doorway. "There you are," he said, crossing over to the bunk and sitting down. "You ready, Alison?"
"Almost," Alison said. "Is the battle over?"
"Actually, the battle never got started," Braxton said, looking thoughtfully around the room. "We were able to get through to the Brummgas on the Foxwolf—" He looked at Draycos. "Excuse me: the Gatekeeper," he corrected himself. "They decided there was no sense in throwing their lives away and mutinied against the Valahgua."
"Lucky for them," Alison said.
"Not for all of them," Braxton said soberly. "The Valahgua turned the Death weapons around and killed over a hundred before they were finally overwhelmed."
The room went quiet. Jack glanced at Draycos, seeing his own revulsion and regret in the K'da's expression. Even big, dumb lummoxes like the Brummgas didn't deserve to die that way. "Rotten losers, aren't they?" he murmured.
"Yes," Draycos said, his voice dark. "They are."
"Well, they'd better get used to it," Alison said. "Now that you're back where you belong, they're done for."
"Yes," Braxton agreed. He finished his survey of the room and turned to Jack. "Speaking of being back where they belong, Jack, you and I need to discuss your future."
"What future?" Jack said sourly. "Now that everyone knows Uncle Virgil's dead, some Internos bureaucrat's bound to take the Essenay away from me. Then they'll put me in school, or with some strangers—"
He broke off. "Sorry," he apologized. "I suppose I should just be happy I'm still alive."
"Yes, you should," Braxton said. "But I think we can do a little better than your rather unappetizing scenario."
He gestured to Draycos. "You see, as it happens, Braxton Universis still owns Iota Klestis."
Jack eyed him suspiciously. "And?"
"Oh, don't worry," Braxton hastened to assure him. "The K'da and Shontine are welcome to it, for as long as they want to stay. But instead of giving it to them outright, I thought I'd give them a permanent lease at a dollar a year."
"Why is that better than selling it to them?" Jack asked.
"Or just giving it to them?" Alison added pointedly.
"A mere dollar a year fee is giving it to us," Draycos told her.
"May I speak?" Braxton asked. "Thank you. There are two reasons to lease instead of sell. One: those Internos bureaucrats Jack just mentioned also have their own ideas as to what should be done with refugees and displaced persons. If I still own Iota Klestis, I can let anyone move in there that I want."
"Giving the K'da and Shontine time to negotiate their way through the paperwork?" Alison suggested.
"Exactly," Braxton said. "And two: since I own the world, I can hire anyone I want to be ambassador to the residents."
"Ambassador?" Draycos asked.
"Technically, he'll be a corporate liaison," Braxton said. "But the duties will be effectively the same. Naturally, I'll need someone who knows and understands the K'da."
He looked at Jack. "Ideally, one who is also already known and trusted by them."
Jack frowned . . . and then, suddenly, he understood. "You can't be serious," he said.
"I certainly can," Braxton said. "My planet, remember?" He looked around the room again. "And of course, an ambassador needs his own personal diplomatic ship." He smiled. "It needs a little hull work around the hatchway, but I think it'll do."
"But I'm just a kid," Jack protested.
"But you have the gifts of insight and compassion and justice," Draycos said. "Speaking on behalf of the K'da and Shontine, we would be honored to have you among us."
"Then it's settled," Braxton said, standing up. "Once the fleet's ready to move, we'll escort them to Iota Klestis. I've already alerted the nearest Universis depots, and they're putting together an initial supply run to help with the transition."
"Thank you," Draycos said.
"My pleasure," Braxton replied, inclining his head. "I'm very much looking forward to working with you and your people."