She nodded."Surprisingly, yes.I must have been more exhausted than I realized."
"Everyone's systems need to reset occasionally."
"That they do," she replied.She took a seat on a nearby box, watching him."So, what are you doing?"
"System inspection and repair work."
She picked up one of his tools, an adjuster, and turned it one way and then another in her hands."I would have just thought you did everything with your tiny robots.Not actually work on things with your hands."
"Tactile contact is occasionally necessary for repairing things."
"I imagine we're going to learn a lot about each other through these peace talks.Assuming we get through them."
"We will.Though I do not understand how much talking will happen."
"Why?"
"You want peace.We want peace.No more fighting.And we want our people back."
"The talks are more than just you a handshake and done."
"Handshake?"
"A Terran gesture.It means a deal has been agreed upon.In olden times, many arrangements were made with a handshake and the promise of each other following the agreement."
"Done on their honor, then," he said as he twisted a few connectors into place.
"Exactly.Part of me wishes for that kind of simplicity in negotiations."
"Why can there not be?"
"Too much nuance.Everything must be a give and take.If we give back your prisoners of war--"
"They are not your people.They are ours.You have no right--"
She waved her hand."I know.I agree with you.This is what negotiations are about.We give you what you want, and you give us what we want.And we go back and forth until everyone is satisfied."
"I still do not understand why your people kept ours at all."He didn't.While he was pleased to learn they were alive, he didn't know what the Terrans were doing with them.
No, that wasn't accurate.He knew what the Terrans would do with captured Rhimodians.They would try to take the technology that the Rhimodians used to create the lysteel and the nanites.
"It doesn't matter, not now.The whole purpose of this is to get your people back to you.You came to me wanting to find a way to do it.And I've done everything I can to create a way to get the Rhimodians back to your people.It may not be the best circumstances, and believe me, I'm furious as to how we wound up in this position, but I know that we must do what we can to bring our two people together.If we stay apart, we both will fall."
"You have far more people in your domain than we do."
"True, but many of the Terran worlds are suffering.Families are being destroyed, and the effect that is having on our whole empire is starting to show."
"You have your reasons for wanting to end this war, just as I do," Bahran said.
"Some are more personal than others," she said.
"Yes, they are."
She met his gaze."And what are yours?"
"To bring my people back to us."
"But why now?What do you gain for this?"
