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"No, not the evidence--Mr Cormac, he destroyed the planet"

The silence pours in to follow her words I can feel Flynn’s panicof the air that aze pulls toward hi hollow-eyed at the screen My heart squeezes, a low painful wrench

"We let hiht that…well, we thought the story ended there We knew he’d taken whispers from the rift, but we didn’t think any were still alive until a few o"

"Whispers?" I interject

Merendsen shifts, clearing his throat in such a way that forestalls any answer to my question, and I realize he’s afraid to discuss it over the computer, despite their security measures "It’s not your fault, Lilac," he says quietly "Noe know"

"He can’t destroy Avon" Flynn’s voice is hoarse, torn from his throat with an effort that makes his shoulders quiver "There are people here Not just colonists--soldiers, civilian personnel, corporation representatives It’d be rief in the slope of her lips, the drawn brows "You don’t know est what Lilac LaRoux has just told us It o If we tip our hand, even if we start to win this secret struggle behind the war, thecontrol of Avon, he could destroy it, and all the lives it harbors Me Commander Towers Molly Flynn

We’re all alone

"Your only hope is to find proof" Lilac LaRoux is all business again, that grief tucked ahere no one can see it She’s far better than I ever was, Stone-faced Chase or no "You find proof of what’s going on there, and you find a way to go public with it, tell everyone ill listen about what --that’s your protection He can’t destroy anything if the galaxy is watching"

Then, eyes drifting away, no doubt searching for ain "Mr Cor to help Just hang in there" Neither of us expected the daughter of Roderick LaRoux to care that people were dying on Avon, much less offer us help or co my attention back "If my father’s experi Trust Flynn, trust yourself, but trust what you feel, not what you see They can do things--put pictures in your head, s, that aren’t there Trust what you feel"

I take a step back, not knowing how to respond Trust what you feel I ain, but I can feel his eyes on et off the line, just in case"

Lilac nods "Of course" No pleas to stay or coy de to her She’s calood soldier--and then I have to disht for sheer ridiculousness "I’ll see what I can get by tomorrow and send it your way"

Merendsen exhales audibly, the sense of urgency fading I can’t see his face, but I can tell he’s gazing at his fiancée on the screen, having run out of words

Her eyes soften "Be careful, Tarver," she says siertips brushing the screen--and after half a second, hers lifts as well As though they’re reaching across the intervening light-years, pal to intrude on this intiht cuts out abruptly as the picture vanishes I look up to see the words SESSION TERMINATED flashing along the botto briskly It’s a few seconds before he turns, swiveling in the chair to look at irl Still don’t understand why I want to , sir I’rins at ettingto people dismiss her as a fashion-obsessed idiot, but it’s what’s best, and it keeps anyone fro?" Flynn speaks up, otten there was anyone else in the rooe of his fiancée on the screen

Merendsen shakes his head "It’s all a bit--I can’t tell you everything You’re going to have to trust s we can’t tell anyone But I can tell you a little Enough"

We settle in, Merendsen in the computer chair, me on the top of my clothes trunk, Flynn on the end of the bed Merendsen’s struggling, searching for a place to start His fingers fuesture I’ve never seen froot called up for his first medals and had to accept them in front of the entire company

It hitswhatever it is he and Lilac LaRoux are hiding Whatever orth destroying an entire planet to conceal