“No.” I stop her before the word impossible can come out of her mouth. My heart can’t take it. “You really expect me to believe you unleashed that weapon without some kind of countermeasure planned in case it was turned back against you? With all of Gaia’s resources, all of its research on the Primus? There has to be a way.” I take a moment to breathe and suppress the emotion threatening to overwhelm my reasoning. I have to remember I’m trying to strike a deal, and desperation doesn’t play well in deal-making. “We can help each other. Save him, and you will have more than our ship and our unique services.”

I pause, sick to my stomach at the mere thought of what I’m saying. My conscience rears its head, just like it did back on Titan—but I shove it down. I have to do this. Leonis is the only one with a chance at saving my brother.

“You will have our loyalty.” I take a step closer, lowering my voice. “And you need as many allies as you can get in the times ahead. I know you don’t want to make your planet the scourge of Nova Vita, Madam President. You don’t want to make enemies of the entire system.” I splay a hand across my chest. “So we’ll do it for you. We’ll be your weapons, and your villains.”

The moment I finish, self-loathing rises in the back of my throat like bile, but I swallow it down. I couldn’t believe that Momma made a deal with Leonis, but now I understand why she did it. Now that I’m in charge of the family, I need to protect them, keep us all together, like she always did. If this makes me a terrible person, if I hate myself for the rest of my life for making this deal, it will be worth it as long as my family is safe. I’ll do what I have to do. Become worse than Momma if I must.

Leonis studies my face. The silence lasts so long that it takes all of my self-control not to break it myself.

“If we try to treat your brother, the methods will be highly unconventional,” she says. “Experimental, and extremely expensive, with no guarantee of success.”

Despite her words, it’s all I can do not to grin, because she’s no longer trying to tell me it’s impossible.

“The expenses can be subtracted from our payment. Do whatever you have to,” I say. “Do what you would if it were your own daughter.”

She goes quiet for long enough that I believe I actually got through to her.