- Nyana and Rhae are negotiating with the Confederacy.
- This is the final step before the Institute can get the CNK system.
- The Negotiations take an interesting turn; they need approval from an independent world near CNK.
- That world will only negotiate in person, on their turf.
- On the way they get jumped by some Zealot Pirates
- It's just a small ship, but it's plenty to board them.
- They're captured (Nyana don't want to kill anyone).
- They take over the ship but still go to it's final destination
- The women land at the pirate base and investigate, trying to figure out what the hell two Sooni were doing part of the crew.
- The discover the entire pirate company is Sooni; this is just a front for a Zealot base
- Nyana and Rhae are discovered, they get captured and brought before Mr. Zaine.
- He confirms their fears; the Zealots have been prepared for far longer.
- He has a good chuckle about the 'heretics'
- He rubs Nyana's powerlessness in her face.
- Nyana realizes there is no way to deal with this situation without bloodshed.
- She has to give up her long-held belief that one Sooni should not harm another
- It's core to her sense of identity, being a Chosen
- But, it's for the greater good
- Rhae, for her part, thinks the best Sooni is a dead one, so she's down.
- Nyana and Rhae fight their way out of the base, having a showdown with Zaine
- Nyana has Rhae blow up the base (somehow?) and Zaine survives, but hundreds of Sooni are killed.
- Zaine will inform her that this isn't over, and she drew first blood.
Epilogue (Possible)
Nayna has a Zealot assassin captured. He's one of dozens that have constantly come after her. Glyse was supposed to be with her on this trip; something came up. She realizes they won't stop coming after her unless she was dead. So she decides she has to die to protect her family. End on ambiguous line; is she committing suicide? Or is she faking her death?