“Hold your fire,” Heikki yells at them, likely making the same realization about what a very bad idea that would be.

“He’s just informed us of what this vial does,” Oshiro says, surprisingly calm. “I would suggest we give him some space.”

The guards retreat at the council’s command, though they keep their weapons trained on my brother.

“I really hope you know what you’re doing,” I mutter to him.

“You put our entire planet at risk by bringing that abomination here,” Heikki says, the fury in her voice barely controlled. “You must know that Primus technology is banned here, let alone such a powerful weapon.”

“I do,” Corvus says. “But I have to make sure you understand how dire this situation is.” He lowers the vial, though he keeps it gripped tightly in hand. “Titan has fallen. Gaia is dying. I don’t know the cause of either, or if they are linked. But I do know that the system needs to start finding peaceful solutions for its problems, and it needs to do it now, before the situation worsens.” He scrutinizes the members of the council one after another. Few of them meet his steely gaze. “Gaia does not have time to wait. Whatever your decision may be, you need to make it today, so that they can decide how to proceed if shelter here is not an option.” He turns the vial over in his hand. “Until you decide, I will remain on Nibiru with this weapon, to serve as a reminder of everything at stake.”

“This was not the plan,” Shey hisses at me, while the council erupts in outrage. I give her an apologetic shrug.

“We’ve never been very good at plans,” I mutter, and step forward to stand at my brother’s side. “Well, you heard the man,” I say, loudly enough to be heard above the clamor. “As we’ve tried to make clear to you, the Gaians don’t have time to spare. So we’re going to skip all of the bullshit and the time-wasting and get right to it. Now you need to decide if you’re willing to help out your fellow humans, or if you’re going to turn them away in their time of need.”

I lower the upper half of my body in a proper Nibiran bow to hide my grin.

“So I suggest you get to the decision-making,” I say, and step back as the council begins to shout again.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

The Decision

Corvus