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She didn’t kno long she stayed out there, but the cold air gave her goose bu the sun set, and thought of it as the setting of the sun on her life on this planet with Xan Having no ht out the one person she knew she needed to speak with to settle things before she left

Sloan knocked on the door and waited for the answer One of Venu’s assistants came to the door

“How may I help you, Captain Sloan?”

“I wish to speak with Venu” The door was promptly closed in her face by the woman before Venu quickly reopened it

“Sloan, please come in I had no idea you were back already”

“I’ to waste any time, Sloan swiveled to Venu

“I’ve come to accept your offer Five million credits, and I’ll leave the planet as soon as you can authorize my shuttle departure,” Sloan asserted She seeuard as she stu area

“II’m shocked, to say the least,” Venu said

“Shocked but no doubt overjoyed at the prospect of not needing to have me around anymore,” Sloan seethed

“May I ask why?”

“What do you care?” Sloan spat “I’ You can marry off Xan to anyone you want, and they will rule the sector as the king and queen of your dreams”

“I—” Venu attelare that Sloan shot her

“I’ll be leaving this evening, as soon as you authorize the departure I’ll go to the landing pad shortly”

Sloan sprinted through the palace, hoping to avoid seeing anyone She darted into her—no—Xan’s rooms and made her way to the clothes roo she’d brought was already on the shuttle She’d been so excited that she’d left it there to get to Xan as quickly as possible Sinking slowly to the floor in the middle of the smaller rooht droith how many poured out of her

She’d thought she’d finally found her place in the universe A place she could call home with a man as hers, and she was his She tried to drive the eht crack Xan enter the room before she could stop the flow of tears He rushed to her and picked her up off the floor