Chapter 50

"What's your progress?" Kommer asked.

He panned his holofeed. Younglings sobbed in their parents' arms all across the Capital Basin.

Kommer slipped into an alleyway and centered the feed on himself.

"We're not out of rations," he said. "Most of the people aren't out of household supplies."

"Then what's the rush?" She muttered through gnashed teeth.

"Are you on your way back?" He questioned. "Even though we're not out of supply, people are in hysteria. My life and Trennan's life have been threatened many times."

"Sounds like a personal problem," she wanted to say, but refrained because threats were bad.

She panned her holofeed.

"I'm on my way," she promised.

"Who are the others?" Kommer questioned.

"The last five members of the elder race," she said.

Kommer tensed up.

"Talk about insults to injury," he thundered. "They're the reason we have no economy."

Maz's ears perked up, and he scoffed. "What's his problem?"

"You're going to start another war, Nessa Colysa. You can't bring them back here."

"I assure you it's not like that," she defended. "They're kids, Kommer. Come on. And they're the only ones left."

Kommer sucked his teeth and released a whistle.

"Can I—and they—send out a mass transmission from the Great Dome?"

"You can."

"Okay, Linguist. Will you grant permission?"

"I'll get you in," he consented. "You'll have to use the call center, which I didn't show you before."

"Thanks, Kommer," she said.

And she disconnected the holofeed.