Rem nodded. “It’s amazing.”
They watched as a montage of mech battlesplayed across the sky. One colossus, then two, then three, coveringthe sky as they bore down on their hapless Alluvan counterparts,who crumpled to the celestial ground.
The pilots cheered lustily, and even Carrakseemed mesmerized.
And Rem was staring in openmouthed wondertoo.
“It’s propaganda, remember?” Zia teasedhim.
“Yeah, and it’s working. I’d gladly give mylife for this planet. Over and over again.”
“I thought you were my bodyguard.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. You.” He eyed her playfully.“So, what did Humber say when you asked him about your mother’smotive?”
“You mean, her alleged motive?”
“Right. Why would she frame Dad?”
“Humber’s only possible explanation was ifshe wanted a life term as president, and your father stood in theway.”
“Yeah,” Rem admitted. “That’s what I figuretoo. But in her defense, if she did do that—allegedly—it wasbecause she lost faith in my father. She thought GARD was vital toEarth’s survival, and when Dad opposed it, she couldn’t allow himto become president, even though they had agreed to alternateterms. So she framed him.”
“Allegedly.”
“Right. Allegedly.”
Zia smiled. “I don’t believe it for a minute,but I was willing to consider it for the sake of our friendship.See how my face isn’t turning purple and I’m not yelling at you?This is how we discuss the subject without letting it turn us intoenemies. We need to learn how to do that, Rem.” She took his handand admitted, “I can’t go back to Earth and pretend we aren’tfriends anymore. I’m not saying we have to be best friends,or anything like that. But there’s a connection now, and I don’twant to lose it. Not after all this.”
“I don’t want to lose it either,” headmitted, edging closer. “I’m just not sure we have a choice. LikeI said, I studied that trial vid and the security tape for years,looking for some way to exonerate Dad without implicating yourmother. But the truth is, either she was dirty or hewas. And it wasn’t Dad.”
And it wasn’t Mom, Zia respondedinstinctively. But for Rem, she remained silent. What other choicewas there? Even though it seemed clearer and clearer to her thathis father had shot the guard. Aengus’s own testimony had placedhim in the command center with those codes in his hand. His ownexperts had been unable to prove that the final seconds of the tapehad been falsified. And he had proclaimed for the whole world tohear that he could easily break into GARD and steal those codes,and was considering doing just that.
“Do you see now?” Rem asked gently. “I don’twant you to admit a damned thing about your mother. You trust hercompletely. I respect that. She’s your mom. But he was my father,and he told me to my face he didn’t shoot that guard. So . . .” Remrested his hands on her shoulders. “When we go back home, we can’tbe friends anymore. The only question is, can we be friends whilewe’re here? I’m hoping the answer is yes.”
Before Zia could answer, the sky erupted intostunning blazes of green, blue, yellow, and red. “Daytimefireworks?”
“Yeah.” Rem slipped his arm around her waist.“This is a pretty amazing place. I’m glad you’re here with me,Zee.”
It would have been romantic if not for theoxygenators and the goggles, Zia decided wistfully.
The oxygenator and the goggles. And UncleJ, Mom, Aengus Stone, the Vekzori, Alluva, and Carrak. Those arethe only things standing in the way of a superheated loveaffair. Talk about star-crossed! She exhaled in completefrustration. We are sooo doomed.
* * * *
For the next four days, she and Rem werefriends again—respectful and talkative, but without any realintimacy. Zia knew that was for the best, even though a part of herwas dying to kiss him again. So she tried not to notice how steelyand protective he was, or how his eyes sparkled when he talkedabout mechs, or how much fun Maryak and Gannor were having as theysnuck off at every opportunity for some enthusiastic hot play.
In an odd turn of events, Rem now trustedGannor like a brother, and allowed him to guard Zia in place ofhimself or Carrak at the rec center—an arrangement that pleased allof the females involved, including Maryak.
The two males traded shifts as bodyguards.While one participated in practice, the other would watch themaneuvers from the enclosed observation deck with Zia nearby. BothRem and Gannor knew they had no chance of piloting a skirmisher inthe first match, but they still took their practice dutiesseriously, knowing they were helping the designated pilots honetheir skills by firing at and colliding with them.
As Maryak had predicted, every inch of Malarawas wild with excitement and anticipation. Parades clogged everystreet, the sky vid flashed battle scenes night and day, and thepilots—who were treated as heroes even on a normal day—were nowsuperstars. Every ounce of energy radiating around the planet waspositive, as though the Malarans were absolutely certain theirmechs would prevail.
But Zia remembered the statistic Humber hadquoted to her: that the most they could hope for in the firstbattle was a draw, because invariably, if someone won that match,it was the challenger, not the target. And so, while everyone elseindulged in reckless bravado, Zia became more and more concernedabout the very real possibility that Malara might lose.
What would happen then? To Zia and Rem? ToMalara? To Earth?
And even before that, what would happen toCarrak? It was obvious that the heroine of Zellot would pilot thecolossus in this first battle. The Alluvans, who were expecting agiant piloted by Zia Quito, would be delighted, and would come atCarrak with everything they had, trying their best to kill her. Itseemed unthinkable, but it was true, yet no one—includingMaryak—even mentioned the possibility.
The least you could do is wish Carrak goodluck, Zia told herself on the day before battle. So she edgedaway from Gannor, who was guarding her, and toward Carrak’s office,which was at the far end of the observation deck.
She had seen the general go in there earlier,looking exhausted despite her straight-backed posture.
Would it kill you to follow herinstructions for once? Zia asked herself. She wanted you tokeep playing in the kiddy simulator until you could win all fivedisks in
