Liam Kincaid raised his head as the familiar clicking of Renee's high heels sounded in the corridor. Her face was grim and tight when she entered the room, and he did not fail to see that her disarranged hair was wet from the rain. Whatever was so urgent to have her forget about the usual perfect appearance, he did not doubt he would regret it if he asked.

'Trouble?' he eyed her carefully.

She bit her lip, glancing at J Street, who was sitting on the sofa with a laptop on her lap and a concerned look on her face. 'You earned it,' she said bitterly as she produced a global from the pocket of her jacket and threw it Liam's way. Despite being taken by surprise, the man effortlessly caught the device.

'Where's Da'an?' she asked, tentatively looking behind her back.

'Reclining in an energy shower in the guestroom. Why?'

'Play the most recent transmission.'

Liam did not have to be asked twice. A deep frown creased his forehead when Vorjak's grimacing, wrinkled face appeared on the screen accompanied by the low, rough voice characteristic of his species. Renee watched the young man's lips tighten while he listened to the message. Although the Jaridian's demands were to be expected, the final threat awakened a predatory glint in the hybrid's eyes, which continued to cast a dark shadow over his features even after the transmission had ended.

'I'll deal with him,' he said simply.

'How?' Renee smirked with undisguised irony. 'Do you happen to have your own war fleet hidden under the bed?'

'I said I'm going to deal with him, and I will,' Liam rose from the armchair with a dark expression on his face.

'This crisis can be solved in one way only and we both know what the price is.'

The man grabbed his leather jacket and began to put it on. 'I'm not going to let any Jaridian anywhere near Da'an. I thought that much was clear.'

'You'd rather risk the destruction of the planet?' the Doors International CEO instantly blocked his way and her eyes narrowed. 'Doom humanity for the sake of a Taelon? Is that it?'

'I have said no such thing,' Liam's jaw clenched.

'The Taelons lied to us, manipulated our government and shoved us into a foreign war we did not wish for,' Renee continued even once he had turned away from her. 'They used us, willing to sacrifice the entire human species if it ensured achieving their own goals.'

The man said nothing.

'How long can you deceive yourself,' she went on nonetheless, 'and pretend Da'an did not participate in managing that agenda?'

'What did you expect?' Liam frowned. 'That he would simply betray his own species for an alien race he had barely known for five years?'

'And you're asking me? You were the one who introduced him to the Resistance!'

Liam was trying to keep calm, but his tension was slowly leading him down a dangerous road, especially since he still did not have full control over his Kimera heritage. Mindful of the deadly power he possessed, he clenched his hands into fists to ensure his shaquarava would not be activated through the anger welling up inside him. 'We needed his help,' he argued, 'as much as he needed us to show him he wouldn't be alone if he chose to aid us in our efforts.'

'Just keep telling yourself that.'

'You can't deny that he did help us on several occasions.'

Renee felt her blood boil. 'Only to betray us in the long run!'

Driven to the limits of his patience, the young hybrid turned to face her with every intention of countering her accusations, but in the end his lips parted without a sound. Renee raised an eyebrow at this unexpected reaction. When she turned to see the reason behind it, her eyes widened as she met the bright blue gaze of the North American Companion, who had clearly been standing in the door frame for some time now.

'I believe you are correct in your judgement, Miss Palmer,' he said quietly as he waved his hand the way she remembered him do during all his public appearances. 'However, at the time I was hoping a different future awaited both our races.'

'What kind of future did you have in mind when you betrayed the Resistance?' Renee asked with apparent sarcasm, disregarding Liam's piercing gaze, which reached her with the precision of a bullet.

Da'an's only answer was a pale opalescent blush which swept over his form.

Still, she was by no means discouraged. 'I never trusted you, but there were others who did. Somehow I'm not surprised that most of them are dead now.'

'Renee, that's enough,' Liam interjected. The diplomat's shimmering eyes hardly betrayed any emotions, but having been working for the North American Companion for over three years now, the man did not fail to see the hint of sorrow which lay beyond the surface of his perfect mask of dignity.

'I have made difficult choices,' the Taelon said to his own defence, 'and although most of them were not to your liking, they were necessary.'

'Necessary for whom?' Renee pressed. 'I don't think you've ever considered the well-being of humanity while making these decisions.'

'Your disappointment is understandable, however –'

'Disappointment?!' she cut him off in mid-sentence. 'Zo'or might have been cruel and ruthless, but with him around we at least knew where we stood.'

As she mentioned the Synod Leader's name, Da'an lost his human façade, struck anew by the pain of loss. The memory of Zo'or's painful death evoked a sensation of deep sorrow and the diplomat instantly sensed his unborn offspring's disquiet. Simultaneous effort to conceal his own thoughts from its developing consciousness and active participation in the discussion was a challenge, especially when the infant's discomfort directly triggered his own.

'At some point Liam truly trusted you and this was the reason why we nearly lost this conflict,' Renee raised an eyebrow when the man in question took a step forward, positioning himself between her and the Taelon diplomat.

'You will stop this right now,' his voice gained an intimidating undertone.

Da'an blinked, clearly confused by his Protector's reaction. Not long before he himself had been making similar accusations in the audience chamber of the Taelon Embassy.

Undeterred by the man's threatening stance, Renee met him at eye level. 'I'm your friend, Liam, and you really need to wake up. We both know the Taelons got what they deserved, and Da'an should be no exception he- .'

'I said enough!' he rumbled.

The Companion jerked, his azure eyes turning to orbs. For a split second the mental barrier he had erected around the child's mind was weakened by the distraction, allowing images and sounds from the outside world to enter its consciousness unfiltered. Frightened, the infant whined upon witnessing Liam's evident verbal aggression, and although the Taelon instinctively surrounded it with thoughts of comfort and peace, it did not lapse into ease.

The man frowned, and Da'an instantly took a step back, having realized that the moment he became distracted, the child might have established a basic telepathic contact with its second parent. Liam's awkward expression indeed testified that this might have been the case.

'First you're testing my patience and now you're whining,' he turned to Renee, who was clearly offended by the accusation.

'Go clean your ears, Kincaid,' she hissed.

'You know what? I actually might. I've had enough of this pointless argument,' he declared. 'I'm going to deal with Vorjak my way, and you can continue your rant elsewhere.' This said, he turned towards the elevator.

'Liam?' Da'an appeared confused. 'Where are you going?'

Although he was the first one to ask, the question was visible in Renee's bewildered features as well. 'Be reasonable,' she warned when no answer came. 'The moment you set your foot on the surface, you'll be tracked and arrested.'

Liam clearly ignored her warning and turned to Da'an instead. 'I promise I'll be back as soon as I can,' he said, mustering a small smile which he hoped would bring the diplomat some comfort despite the difficult situation they had both found themselves in. Leaving Da'an with Renee did not seem like a good idea right now, but he scarcely had any other choice when there was no time to spare.

'You'll be safe here,' he added before looking questioningly at J Street, who had been observing the entire conversation in utter silence from the very beginning.

To his relief, she answered his unspoken question with a nod.

Renee glanced at the alien being standing in the corner of the room. Da'an had neither moved nor spoken since Liam's departure and the awkward silence was becoming more unbearable with every passing minute. Nonetheless, the situation seemed to impose that uneasy effect on the Doors International CEO only, because the Taelon diplomat appeared to have some natural predisposition to standing motionlessly without the need for any kind of reaction to the outside world. Reading emotions from a Taelon's face had always been like finding the right direction in an endless maze, but the slow movements of Da'an's fingers appeared to testify that he was no less worried for his Protector than she was. Though the fact was, one could never be sure what thoughts were really swarming in an alien mind.

'This should keep us going for the remainder of the night,' Street came in with two cups of coffee; its calming scent instantly permeated the room, but Renee was far too anxious to appreciate her friend's gesture.

'We can't help him while we're sitting here,' she said.

'Where do you think he went?'

'How should I know?' Renee sighed. She found it hard to admit it, but the truth was Liam's attitude towards her had changed considerably after the Jaridian invasion. Although he had never said it openly, she felt his frustration over the fact that the Atlantic National Alliance had allied itself with the Jaridians and openly refused to defend the Taelons. For some reason (and she did not doubt Da'an's involvement) her friend had chosen to protect the manipulative, selfish alien species even when nearly the entire mankind would rather see it annihilated.

'He wouldn't go directly to Vorjak, would he?' Street asked.

Da'an's eyes flashed at the mention of the Jaridian Leader's name. 'Why do you suspect he would take such a reckless course of action?' he inquired, visibly bothered by the prospect.

'Vorjak threatens to destroy Earth if you are not delivered back to him,' Renee said tightly, 'but I'm guessing you suspected this would happen.'

The Taelon lowered his gaze. 'I feared he might act in a possessive manner towards the object of his revenge. It was the reason why I had relieved Liam of his duty as my Protector.'

'Liam has always been more than your Protector, Da'an, and once he's into something, he's not the kind of person who just lets go.'

'I regret I have not realized the extent of his engagement sooner,' the Taelon said quietly.

The confession might seem genuine, but Renee's gaze was still mistrustful. 'It's a little too late for that,' she remarked bitterly. The emotional pain she had accumulated throughout the years of the Taelons' presence on Earth reflected itself in an unceasing suspicion in her judging eyes. 'Liam treated you as a friend, but all you've ever done in return was repaying him with betrayal.'

The diplomat glanced at her abruptly, clearly startled by her accusation. 'I would have chosen a different course of action, had there been a more hopeful alternative.'

'I'm guessing that standing by his side wasn't hopeful enough then?' she ironized.

'As a member of the Taelon Synod, I could not afford to be Liam's friend in a manner that you suggest, yet I spared as many of my resources as it was possible at the time to protect his secret.'

'What's the point in keeping his secret if you're ruining his life?'

A flush of energy rippled over Da'an's pale features, making him look mildly sick. It was with some difficulty that he regained his human façade. 'Please, elaborate.'

Renee manifestly crossed her arms. 'Despite disagreeing with his point of view on some level, the Resistance had once held him in high esteem for his courage and determination. But when it became clear that in spite of your true motives, he would never openly stand against you, those who had once been supporting him, turned against him.'

The Taelon Ambassador's features did not betray his thoughts, but as he lowered his gaze, Renee could sense his dwindling resolve.

'He's either your Protector or the leader of the Resistance, Da'an, he can't be both,' she continued. 'As long as people believed the former was just a smart subterfuge to gain information, all was fine, but now… If he still has friends in the Resistance, he's losing them at this very moment as he endangers humanity to save you.'

Da'an looked to the side. It was evident he was striving to form an answer, but somehow it seemed that his diplomatic skills were of little help when truth could no longer be avoided. 'It has not been my wish that he do so,' he waved his hand, although Renee did not fail to notice the way it trembled slightly.

'It's never your wish, but somehow everything around you just keeps falling apart.'

This time the Taelon bristled a little before looking up at her with cold, unblinking eyes and dignified, silent anger which she remembered well from those distant times when he had still been an influential figure in the Taelon hierarchy. 'A willingness to understand is a rare virtue,' he said cryptically, 'yet if you are unable to do as much, have the decency to cease judging me.'

Renee bit her lip. In that one moment when she saw Da'an's eyes flare with Taelon energy, an emotion which strangely resembled a faint look of hurt unfurled within and she began to wonder if some residual traces of human emotions which he had stolen from her younger brother could have somehow been left in his system.

'This isn't helping anyone,' Street remarked, hoping to defuse the situation.

'Obviously,' Renee said. 'But I know what could help, and so does he.'

The Companion said nothing.

'If Liam continues down this road, he's going to end up dead in a matter of days!' Renee's breaking voice perfectly mirrored her frustration even when the artificial mask of professional conduct she had been trained to keep up at all times in no way betrayed the emotions roiling inside. 'Is that what you want?!'

Da'an took a step back, clearly uncertain if she was expecting any answer at all.

'Renee, please,' Street interjected before she could continue. 'We're all in a difficult situation right now, and lashing out at one another is just making things worse.'

But the Doors International CEO did not even look in her direction as if she had not heard her at all. Instead, she approached the Taelon diplomat. 'If this is the final blow you have planned to finish him off with, I guess I should congratulate you on your efficiency, Da'an,' she hissed into his ear.

Before he could answer, however, she turned away from him and stormed out of the room. With his bright blue eyes open wide, the Taelon watched the door slide shut behind her with a whir.

In the awkward silence that followed, Street slowly rose from the sofa and walked up to him, hesitating. 'Renee didn't mean what she said, Da'an,' she began. 'She's frustrated, that's all, and your species hasn't exactly made her life any easier.'

'I nurse no grudge,' he answered. 'She has suffered great pain… some of which I have personally caused.'

Street let out a small sigh of relief as she finally began to appreciate his typically Taelon, reasonable and logical approach to life. It appeared that her friend had indeed misjudged the alien Ambassador. He seemed to be no less concerned than she was, only perhaps in a quieter and more restrained, introverted way.

'I have never wished harm to come Liam's way,' he said, unknowingly confirming her assumption. 'I have asked for none of what I have been given; neither my freedom nor his mercy… not even…' his voice faded, and after a while it became clear he was not going to complete his thought.

Street did not dare to break the silence. Without a word more, Da'an approached the automatic door and left the room as soon as it opened upon registering his presence. In that one moment when he glanced at her for the last time with a glimmer of sadness in his alien eyes, he looked like a wretched shadow of his former self, and she did not need to ask why.

'Where are you going?' the hacker hurried after him.

'Liam has assured me I am no prisoner here. If I am free to leave, I wish to exercise that right.'

Her jaw dropped. 'You'll be tracked.'

'I am grateful for your concern,' he slowly moved past her, and she barely caught a glimpse of a wistful smile which for a split second curved his pale lips, 'yet I have long accepted my fate as it is, if not counting a single spark of hope which faded far too soon.'