“Oh, what’s this?” Scorpia asks, noticing what’s happening when a councilwoman reaches down to help us up—Ennia Heikki, if I remember correctly. “VIP treatment again?” Scorpia jokes, and then catches sight of Shey standing a couple of yards away. Shock spasms across her face, followed by a splash of hurt, before she manages to clear it again. “Well, well,” she says, as if she’s setting up for another statement, but she says nothing more.

A few of the council members, recognizing us, step forward to help us onto the docks. Regardless of our shaky past with the council, we’re now hailed as heroes on Nibiru for what we did to stop the Red Baron. If any of them hold reservations about us after being held hostage in the council chamber, they hide it well, and shower us in generosity despite it. For public appearance’s sake, if nothing else.

I go first, grimacing slightly as I step up and my leg wobbles. Heikki steps forward as if to steady me, but I stop her with a glare.

As people shift on the already-crowded dock to make room for my family, I end up next to Shey. I pretend not to notice her, but the next wave of movement through the crowd shoves me right into her. I step back, muttering an apology. She gives me a cool look and says nothing. We stand in silence while the rest of the gathering whispers around us, awaiting the opening of the Gaian ship. But after an agonizing few minutes of quiet, I clear my throat. I’ve avoided this conversation for long enough.

“I was wrong about you,” I say, glancing down at her. She looks up at me, the mask of her face betraying nothing, and I sigh. “You’re… much more than I thought you were, and you’ve done so much for my family. I’d like to apologize.”

Shey’s lips purse. “Then apologize.”

I suppress another sigh. Scorpia never did go for the easy ones. After struggling with my pride for a moment, I hold out both hands and bow my head in the Gaian gesture of requesting forgiveness. Shey lets me linger there for a few moments before tapping each of my palms and letting me rise. With a jolt, I realize she’s not wearing gloves—a gesture that will not go unnoticed by either the Nibirans or the Gaians.

All other things aside, the woman is brave. I can see why Scorpia is so taken with her.

“I forgive you,” Shey says with a nod. A smile flashes across her formerly guarded face. “As long as you move and let me stand beside your sister, that is.” She glances past me. I follow her gaze to see Scorpia standing nearby, separated from us by a willowy councilwoman. My sister glances away as Shey and I look at her, doing a poor job of pretending she wasn’t eavesdropping.