Zanru visibly bristled at Valdis's accusation. "Just because I'm not there," Zanru growled, "doesn't mean I abandoned them. Not that you'd know. You lot don't have any concept of family, the way you carry on like you're the only ones who can decide the city's future. I don't owe you answers. I especially don't owe you answers when you're strutting around proving you don't take the kedan seriously by mouthing off about us like we're infants. We're not capable of defending ourselves without your superpowered help, is that it?"

She snorted and turned to walk away from the light, back up the tunnel into darkness. "Fuck off. I don't need Foreigners as a proxy to make alliances on behalf of my people."