Page 300 of Reaper Said Mine

"You really didn't."

I point toward the viewport.

"Those ships out there?"

"Yes."

"The ones killing my people?"

"Yes."

"The ones that destroyed my colony?"

"Yes."

"The ones that funded raids, massacres, and corporate extermination policies for decades?"

Her gaze remains steady.

"Some of them."

My laugh returns, harsher this time.

"Some of them."

"That's your response?" Ursa asks.

"It's accurate."

The bond shifts uneasily between us. She knows where this conversation leads, and I know she's not finished.

Unfortunately.

Ursa steps closer.

"I'm talking about creating a neutral bloc."

"No."

"Listen."

"No."

"Gnash."

"No."

The word comes out louder than I intended, and the room stills.

I take a breath and force control back into my voice.

"They murdered my family."

Ursa doesn't flinch.

"They abandoned my colony."

She remains silent.