“I don’t think vegetables can bewrong,” Zia said with a laugh.
“They can if they’re pink. Yuck.” Jenni bither lip. “Malara’s bad enough. But the trip will be evenscarier.”
“I’ll be sound asleep,” Zia reminded her.
“In a metal capsule filled with water. I’d beterrified of drowning again.” She shook her head. “I’ll neverforget how scary that was, Zee. I thought my lungs were going toburst.”
Zia winced. “It’s water vapor. Youcan’t drown in it.”
“But you can’t breathe it either. My mom saysyour respiration will slow to almost nothing from the IV they giveyou. Otherwise, you would drown. Or at least getpneumonia.”
“Jenni?” Zia murmured. “Can we talk aboutsomething else?”
“Oh, sorry.”
“It’s time to go anyway.” Zia turned back tothe mirror. “This looks too flashy, doesn’t it? I should braidit—”
“No, leave it like that. The vids will loveit.”
A knock sounded from the hallway. “Zia?”
She gave Jenni a wistful smile, then crossedthe room and opened the door. “Hi, Uncle J. Is it time?”
“The limo’s right outside.” His expressionwas weary as he studied her uniform. “Look at you.”
Jenni walked up to Jared and said bluntly,“Don’t let her go, Mr. President.”
“Believe me, I’ve tried to stop her.” Hesighed out loud, then inclined his head toward the hall. “Yourparents are waiting to take you home, Jenni. Have you girls saidgood-bye?”
Jenni turned to Zia, her eyes filled withtears, which made Zia cry too. She had always joked that they weresisters at heart, and now she knew it was true, because her heartfelt as though it were breaking. They might never see each other,or even talk, again. Not raise kids, much less hell, together.
“If something happens to me, you’d bettername your first baby Zia.”
“I will, I promise!”
They hugged each other again. Then Ziainsisted, “I don’t want a blotchy face for the vids, so get going,okay?”
“You don’t want me at the launch?”
Zia shook her head.
“You look so grown up. So military. Don’tdie, please?”
Zia laughed through her tears. “I won’t. Ipromise.”
Jenni looked like she was about to saysomething else, but instead, she burst into tears again and ran outof the room.
“She took that well,” Zia joked to her uncle,but inside, her mood was growing grim. Moving back to the mirror,she confirmed that her makeup wasn’t tear-streaked. Then sheannounced quietly, “Okay. Let’s get this over with.”
* * * *
When they reached the limousine that wasparked in front of the Hacienda, Zia took a deep breath. This wasit. If she was going to change her mind, this was the time. In afew minutes, they’d be at the press conference, which was beingheld on an airstrip near the transport that would take her toMalara.
“Do you know if Rem is at the launch siteyet, Uncle J?”
When he scowled, she reminded him sharply,“We settled this last night. No more Rem-busting. Or I’ll just walkto the ceremony.”
“It’s not that,” Jared assured her. “I’mwilling to admit he has his good points. Especially because herefused to help you with your crazy robot scheme last night. Thatdemonstrated good judgment on his part.”
“I agree.” Zia slid into the leather seatnext to her uncle. “Now all we have to do is get him to admit thatyou’re a good guy too.”
“That will never happen,” Jared predicted.“His resentment runs too deep. It’s easy for us, Zee. We can judgehim on his own merit because he’s no real threat. But to him, we’rethe enemy as much as the Alluvans are.”
When she rolled her eyes, Jared insisted, “Idon’t blame him for feeling that way. Our family shattered hisfather’s life, and Rem’s future along with it. Even if he’s a heroon Malara and returns to a wave of popularity that eventually landshim the presidency, his legacy will not yet be restored.”
“Why not? That’s his goal. I’m sure ofit.”
“It’s one of his goals. But that boywill never really be content until he clears his father’s name. Andthe only way to do that is to smear the name of Elena Quito. Yousee that, don’t you?”
The statement had an uncomfortably accuratering, but Zia wasn’t buying it. “I think you’re the one whowon’t let the rivalry die, Uncle J. So just stop talking about it.We’re here anyway.”
“Wait, Zee! I’m sorry.” He gave her a hopefulsmile. “I did what you asked, by the way.”
“What?”
“You told me last night that you didn’t wantSean Logan going to Malara with you.”
Her anger evaporated into tentativeappreciation. “You told him he couldn’t come? And helistened?”
“He had no choice,” Jared said with a harshlaugh. “I’m the one who appointed him. If he disregards my wishes,I can appoint someone else. So he had to agree with me. Especiallybecause I’m correct—we cannot spare him for such a long mission sofar from Earth. If we were attacked, he could never get back herein time to do his job.”
“That’s true,” she murmured. Then she gaveher uncle an awkward hug. “Thanks, Uncle J. He would have ruinedeverything for me if he’d come.”
Jared arched a knowing eyebrow.
“Not that,” she scolded him. “I needthe Malarans to take me seriously. So that the Alluvans will beafraid of me. That’s the whole idea. And since I’ll turn eighteenduring the flight—”
“Your birthday! I forgot all about that, Zia.I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she told him. “It’s perfecttiming, because I’m determined to act like an adult and aprofessional pilot even if it kills me. But I couldn’t do that withLogan bellowing at me and treating me like a child all the time. Sothank you so, so much. And don’t worry. Rem will protect me.Whatever else he feels, he’s serious about that.”
“He’ll have help. Humber tells us there’sroom for three additional personnel on the transport. So Loganselected an honor guard. Since you and Stone are representing theAir-Space Force, the others will be from the army, the navy, andthe marines.”
“Ooo, I love that,” she said, adding warily,“They can’t order me around, can they?”
“No. As a captain, you’ll outrank them.”
“Captain?” She eyed him critically. “I don’twant to outrank Rem.”
“Logan promoted him to captain early thismorning.”
“Really?” She exhaled in relief. “Thanks,Uncle J. That’s perfect.”
Someone tapped on the window of the limo, andwhen Jared lowered
