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He couldn’t put Sebastian ahead of that.
William stared at him for a second, then slouched forward and put his elbows on the desk. He ran a hand through his hair and then down his face, destroying the put-together persona he’d had on. “Honestly, I would have thought of something nasty to say about your dedication to the Resistance if you’d told me Sebastian came first.”
Leon quirked a mirthless smile. “So, no right answers here, then?”
“No.” William shook his head and returned his empty smile. “No right answers here for anyone.”
When William didn’t continue, Leon leaned forward to mirror his position. “What did you want to talk about, Mr. Ralsdi?”
“Well, there’s not much I can say about my son. He’s making his choices.” William shrugged his shoulders up high and then dropped them down. “He always did want to be seen, and clearly, you see him, so maybe that’s the best a father can ask for.”
Leon winced. “I think a father could ask for a little better.” Someone who didn’t have to say Sebastian was second and someone who wasn’t wanted across the sector as a terrorist would have been the least of what Sebastian deserved.
William nodded with something a little like acceptance in his eyes. “The fact that you see that, at least, speaks well of you.” Then William sat back up, and a bit of his politician’s face returned. “No, I want to talk to you about the gas. The Resistance’s strategy.”
“The strategy is simple.” Leon had been ready for this, and he nodded. “The Klah’Eel have tacit support for this particular invasion but little goodwill for their general occupation considering the burden of all the refugees on the surrounding planets.”
William nodded. “True.”
“And they have even less support among their own populace.” Leon raised a finger. “The Klah’Eel are a people proud of their army, no doubt, but even warrior people want schools and hospitals, and infrastructure, and they’re sick and tired of their government pissing all the public funds into hanging on to a violent, poor, human-infested piece of a secondary planet.”
William snorted. “You have a high opinion of Southern Tava.”
Leon chuckled. “Speaking from their point of view, of course.”
“Of course. Well, I see where you’re going with this.” William rubbed his jaw with the back of his hand thoughtfully. “Make us more trouble than we’re worth. Make them hurt so that their own people call them off.”
Leon nodded. “I think it could work. We can’t beat them outright, and the intergalactic community isn’t interested in supporting us.”
William cocked his head back and forth, as though weighing thoughts on either side of his brain. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that. Emissary Serihk has been raising holy hell about the Klah’Eel’s mishandling of the peace treaty that he negotiated. The Klah’Eel may be under more political pressure than you realize. The Qesh, in particular, are horrified by that gas.”
“Maybe.” Leon scoffed. “But by the time they’re horrified enough to do something about it, the Klah’Eel will have already overrun us, and then they won’t care.”
“You think you can get it duplicated before the Qesh or the Humans find their morals?” William raised an eyebrow.
“We already have people meeting with the Carta Cartel to get them to lend us their main scientist.”
William raised both his eyebrows. “The qeshian one?”
Leon shrugged. “I wouldn’t know.”
“Hm. Well, if it is, he’s very good. He could be enough.”
“The only alternative to using it ourselves is to neutralize it, but what does that give us?” Leon raised his chin. “Then we’re back where we were before we even knew about the weapon. Back when the Turners were going to take us. No intergalactic support and facing a far superior force.”
“We still chose to start this war then,” William pointed out.
“Because we’d never get another chance once the Turners got ahold of us. But you know what our odds were.”
“Not good, I know, I know.” William leaned back in his chair. “I know.”
Leon rolled his shoulders back and looked levelly at William. “I feel very confident in this decision.”
“You feel confident it’s the best way to win the war,” William clarified.
“I do.”
“But do you feel confident it’s the best thing for Southern Tava?”
