Torran shook his head. “She could’ve killed him at any point, but he barely had a bruise on him. I didn’t have time to examine the vest, but my guess is that it was a convincing fake.”

“She wanted me and my team dead so the empress could blame us for the kidnapping and restart the war. Will the captured human kidnappers be enough?”

Torran’s mouth compressed into a flat line. “I don’t know. Depends on how strong their tie to the FHP is.”

I closed my eyes. “Why? Why does the Valovian Empire want another war?”

“Empress Nepru fears what the FHP is planning on Bastion. It would take us years, maybe decades, to build a similar station on our side of the wormhole, while Bastion continues to grow unchecked. If FHP operatives truly have infiltrated Valovia, she’ll take it as a sign that the FHP is actively working against her and Bastion is an immediate threat.”

It was a valid concern, but starting a war over it seemed drastic. However, maybe she had tried diplomatic routes and had gotten nowhere. I wouldn’t put much of anything past the Feds.

“Will you be pulled back into the military if there’s another war?” I asked.

His expression grew pensive. “I don’t know. I’ve served my time, and I’ve seen enough death, but I can’t stand by and watch our people be overrun, either. I would much rather stop the war before it starts.”

I sucked in a breath, connecting the dots. “You intend to go after Morten and the telekinetic, with or without the empress’s blessing.”

He nodded, watching me closely. “They are instigating war. I want to know why. It’ll be harder if Empress Nepru decides to try me for treason, but I’ll still do what I can.”

“Does the empress know that you have Cien? And that you’re on my ship?”

“Yes.”

“Was she happy about it?”

One corner of his mouth lifted. “No.”

That wasn’t the answer I’d hoped for, but it wasn’t unexpected. “Will she really try you for treason?”

“That remains to be seen,” he said, his voice grim. “After we found Cien, she ordered me to bring him to the palace and remain with him while you returned to FHP space. I refused on the grounds that my life debt overrode the order, but she let us go only because we launched with him on board. She has a few reasons to keep me alive, but that won’t stop her forever.”

“Well, if she declares you a traitor, you’re welcome to bounce around the galaxy with us.” I grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “We could charge a lot more with a telekinetic on board.”

Torran stilled, his eyes on my face. “Do you mean it?”