“They need us to continue mining the ore and refining it for them.” Enso Du turned to Ynna. “There’s nothing your world offers to them, is there?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Yet, for some reason, they’re afraid of you,” the Enso pressed. “Your actions, and what you said to them from the bridge, prove that.”

She stood firm but didn’t answer him. She couldn’t. She was strictly forbidden from doing so.

The Enso gave her a sour look. “I thought so. Your refusal to answer with a simple yes or no tells me your people or your parents have found a way to keep those aliens at bay. Why won’t you share that information with us? Do you know how many lives could be saved?” He pointed to the dark gray mass on the grid. “If this barrier is able to prevent us from traveling between our worlds, this planet and everyone on it could be dead within a few months. Do you realize that?”

She felt tears sting her eyes but she remained mute. To respond would betray her parents and her planet.

“Another thing,” Ko mentioned. “This barrier is going up at an astounding rate. You may not be staying with us for the whole month, Farris. You may be going back to your world quicker than anticipated. That is, if you can go back. If the Scwurm will allow you to.”

The Enso grunted. “I don’t think the Farris will have any problem returning to her world, if her previous interaction with the Scwurm means what I think it means.”

“What do you think it means, Father?” Ko queried.

Du pointed to her. “It’s what you said. That you are the eight hundred and twelfth descendent of Huaram and a full-blooded Netusant. Back when I was a child, my great-grandfather once told me a story about a species of creatures called the Netusant. The Netusant reportedly held great power, although he didn’t make clear what kind of power. He said the aliens spread far and wide across the galaxies, where they assumed the shapes of the inhabitants on some planets, inhabitants they were genetically similar to, and bred with them. But instead of those offspring being half-breeds, or their abilities becoming diluted over time with each generation, every Netusant child retained the full extent of its power. I always thought those stories he told me were fables, made up fairy tales meant to entertain.” The man shook his head. “I never believed such a creature existed or could exist…until now.”

Ynna was aware of Ko staring at her with a mixture of fear and wariness.

“What kind of abilities are the Netusant supposed to have?” the Ensod pressed.

Du shook his head. “I don’t know. It was never made clear to me. But the Scwurm know, don’t they, Farris? The Scwurm are aware of the Netusant and they fear them, don’t they? That’s why they backed off and allowed our ship to return, isn’t it? Because they were afraid of what you might do to them if they didn’t.”

They were pressuring her, almost ordering her to reveal what she knew. Rather than remain in the command center, Ynna turned and stiffly strode out of the room. She expected the Enso to call out to her, and was faintly surprised when he didn’t.

She continued walking, unaware of where she was going. All she knew was that the man was right about two things. Her time on this planet was going to be way shorter than originally planned.

And his great-grandfather hadn’t made it up.