“My real name isn’t Sudak,” she said. “It’s Deal. Annelida Deal.”

I frowned, sure I’d misheard.

The Trouble Dog spoke. Her voice echoed from the PA. “Captain Annelida Deal was my commanding officer at the Battle of Pelapatarn. It was she who ordered the destruction of that world’s biosphere.”

Beside me, I heard Alva suck in a sharp breath. “Holy crap, she’s that Annelida Deal?”

Sudak gave a nod. “The Trouble Dog is correct: I was responsible for that crime. And now, Captain, I’m afraid I’m going to have to throw myself on your mercy.” She scratched her stomach. “You see, I haven’t eaten anything in some considerable time, and I’m feeling somewhat weak.”

“Weak?” Clay almost spat the word. She jabbed the knife at the other woman and turned to me. “For fuck’s sake, Captain. Do you know how many people this woman has killed? And now she wants us to feed her? We should throw her in the reactor!”

No.

The word came from the bear creature, but seemed to appear in my head without travelling through the intervening air.

There will be no more killing.

For a heart-stopping moment, Alva looked too shocked to speak or move. Then the shock gave way to outrage. “Stay out of it,” she said, as the creature stepped between her and her target. “You weren’t there. You don’t know what she did.”

I have scanned her, and I know everything she has done.

“Then stand aside, fur bag, and let me kill her.”

No. She believes what she did was right. You apparently believe it was wrong. To kill her without an examination of both arguments would be unjust.

I had raised my weapon when the creature moved. Now, I forced myself to lower it. “The monster’s right,” I said. “She deserves a trial.”

Alva turned on me. “Bullshit.”

“No, I’m sorry.” I squared my shoulders and cleared my throat. “We’re taking her back to the House, and they can decide what to do with her there. The Archipelago War is over. If we kill her now, it’s murder, and it makes us no better than her.”

Alva Clay glared at me. She seemed to be searching my face for something. Whatever it was, she didn’t find it. She let the knife fall to the deck and her knees began to buckle. I stepped forward but Childe was already there. He caught her under the arms and kept her from falling.

“Come on,” he said gently. “Let’s get you patched up properly.”

He half led, half carried her out, and she didn’t resist.

When they were gone, I found myself alone with Sudak and the alien.

“All right,” I said to the woman. “Are you going to let us take you back for a trial?”