There is no negotiating with the Yirkin scum or my father's killer, A'Ran thought but held his tongue, aware his only ally believed himself right in this. His attention turned to the odious favor.
He thought for a long moment, knowing no peace treaty could be reached with Qatwal. Their war was passive-aggressive rather than open, consisting of Qatwal making his ore ships disappear and then reappear without the ore or his affront at the last Council meeting, where A'Ran had Kisolm, the man who would be dhjan, imprisoned in his quarters and miss the Council's final vote on who would maintain distribution rights to the ore only Anshan possessed. A'Ran won the vote by one.
He'd done his part to agitate Kisolm and received every bit as much as he'd given. They'd trained together on one of the Council's neutral planets and ended up rivals in everything.
"I'll do it, Jetr, for you, not the Council. You swear the Council will consider my debt to them repaid?" he asked.
"I swear it. Peace cannot be underestimated, A'Ran. Several members, including Qatwal, may be willing to aid you in regaining your planet after you've reached a peace treaty."
"If they do, it will be to steal my ore. I'll do this and go back to war. I've given up on finding a nishani for my planet."
"This system is truly unique. I didn't believe the planets died without the dhjan and his lifemate until I saw what happened to Anshan."
A'Ran desperately needed allies, food, and water for his people. He clenched his jaw, his pain deep and hidden as he thought of his people and his planet. He fought hard to build alliances the Council destroyed, and bartered, cheated, and stole for the weaponry needed to defeat the invaders, the Yirkin, a sophisticated race whose goal was to claim as many planets as they could in their empire-building. It was the Yirkins' first venture into their system, and they'd chosen Anshan, aided by traitors within his father's government who were wooed with the promise of ruling their own planet.
"A'Ran, there is something else I must tell you." Jetr's voice grew quieter, and he drew near. "My warriors intercepted information from Anshan. Your father's betrayer planted a traitor among those closest to you. I don't know who, but I suspect Ne'Rin."
"Ne'Rin?" A'Ran said, crossing his arms. "His father may have betrayed mine, but he has been loyal for all these years we've been exiled. He saved my sisters from his own father. If he could've saved my father and mother, he would've."