“I suppose I should be grateful you served at all. I know how this war must look to your off-worlder eyes.” I stay silent. There’s no safe response to such a statement. “And I’m not a fool, either. I know the conflict here is as nonsensical as the rest of the system thinks it is. Settling here was a mistake, and we should have realized it long before now. This world is barren. Hostile. It wants to be rid of us. If we had only managed to pool our resources rather than fight for them, to focus on leaving this place rather than trying to survive it… If we had united like the nations of Earth did when it came time to leave their planet…” He trails off, shrugs. “But it’s too late for that now. The Isolationists will never agree that this planet isn’t enough for us, nor grant us enough peace to open the secure trade routes we need. Even aside from that, there’s been too much bloodshed.” He shakes his head. “There will be no end to this war. And if there was, what would it leave us with? This planet is no great prize.”

I shift in my seat. I’m unsure why he’s telling me this, but I know his words are dangerous. Titans try very hard to convince themselves that they’re fighting for something. I almost had myself convinced of it, enough so that his words unsettle me.

“I’ve been grateful to serve my planet, sir,” I say. “I’m not sure what you’re suggesting.”

“I’m suggesting we give the Isolationists what they want: a planet all to themselves. Let them freeze and starve here, if that’s what they want so very badly. Let them rot.”

“And what about us?” I realize after the words are out that the us isn’t entirely appropriate. I’ll be gone soon, and whatever Altair is planning won’t apply to me.

“Our side has always known that the answer to our problems lay outside of Titan,” he says. “We’ve always argued for trade, for open borders, for agreements with the other planets.” He pauses, his tapping fingers going still and his eyes searing directly into mine. “I was going to speak to you about this if you accepted my offer,” he says. “But if you’re planning on leaving… hell, might as well give it one last shot.” He leans forward in his chair while I remain silent. “Our side has argued for many radical things, but until now, no one has been so bold as to suggest we could leave this place entirely.”

My brow furrows.

“There’s nowhere to go,” I say, before realizing that isn’t exactly true. My chest constricts, and I can barely bring myself to speak for dread of the answer it may bring. “Unless your plan is to invade one of the other planets?”