“See?” They all spun. The Liar was in the corridor outside, floating in a lazy spiral in mid-air, tentacles dangling. “I have technology far beyond your capabilities.”

Callie unholstered her sidearm and pointed it toward her. “But can you do that trick fast enough to avoid me putting a hole in you?”

“You have seen how quickly I can vanish.” Lantern didn’t sound perturbed. “Here is my proposal: when the wormhole generator is operational again, we will return to your solar system. You will give me the generator for safekeeping. I will then destroy it, and let you go on your way.”

“What’s to stop us from turning you in?” Callie said. “Telling your story and letting everyone know the truth?”

“Haven’t we demonstrated how far we’re willing to go to protect the universe from the threat of the Axiom? I would suggest discretion. I will oversee the erasure of your records to remove all information about the Axiom. The destruction of Meditreme Station will be blamed on accidents, or perhaps pirates – there is a notorious group on Glauketas, yes? Surely you see this is the only way for our species to survive. If the Axiom wake, we all die, or worse.”

Callie shook her head. “I don’t believe it. Even if your story isn’t total bullshit, you can’t let us live, knowing what we know.”

“My sect is forbidden to speak deliberate untruths, captain. We must be unquestioningly trustworthy, in order to do our work.”

“So says a Liar. We’re too dangerous a loose end for you to leave us alive. Criminal conspiracies don’t leave witnesses.”

“Once the evidence is gone, I do not fear your testimony. Who would believe you? As soon as you begin by saying, ‘A Liar told me’, your story will be dismissed.”

“Even if you’re personally willing to let us survive, the rest of your sect clearly favors overkill, and you said it yourself: you’re a junior member. I don’t plan to spend the rest of my short life worrying about your elders back in the Oort Cloud. No deal. Besides, we still need the generator. We have to rescue Elena’s crew.”

“You can’t go back to the station!” Lantern said. “It’s bad enough you’re here, in orbit around an Axiom planet. If you return to a place where humans have already interfered once? That increases the chances of attracting Axiom interest.”

“We didn’t interfere!” Elena said. “We were interfered with.”

“The Axiom doesn’t know humans exist. Don’t you understand? We’ve kept you from their notice so far. If they find out about your species, and worse, that you’re propagating throughout the universe? They will scour you from the galaxy completely.”

“Humans are pretty good at surviving,” Callie said. “We’ll take our chances. I’m ready to pass judgment.” She raised her gun. “You are guilty of murder. The sentence is death.”