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Maybe there’s so I can do with the renal transnaling, ht toward sleep when my cousin’s face flashes in front of h invisible hands are stranglingwhat my father forced her to do; she was still one back for her, tried to find her in the crowd, brought her with us And instead, I left her there

My lips shape the words in the darkness I left her there to die

I think of Elana, herthe trends I set I think of Swann, the ragged edge to her voice as she tried to fight her way back through the crowd to get to an to break apart Did they find escape pods that worked? Or did Swann spend too long trying to find o down in flames with my father’s ship?

It isn’t the first time someone’s death has been my fault, but that doesn’t ht-years away, perhaps being told at this moment what happened to the Icarus And he has no one there to lean on, without me Since my mother’s death when I was little, we’ve never been apart for more than a feeeks at a time--and never without the ability to speak to each other at the touch of a button on a console

And now I’m stranded on an alien planet with a soldier who hatesI aspire to

For the first time in my life, I’ and turning in my makeshift bed, so the space blanket crinkles noisily I expect hi such a princess, but he says nothing and his breathing doesn’t change He doesn’t even hear ive up and just let myself cry

"At that stage your expectation was that you would be rescued proined she’d be their top priority"

"What did you e of pace from a platoon"

"That’s not a substantive response, Major Merendsen"

"I hadn’t had long to form an opinion The situation wasn’t ideal"

"For you or her?"

"For either of us Do you know anyone who’d have been pleased in our places?"

"We’ll ask the questions, Major"

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