The Guardian's Dilemma

Zizi of Cleo knows there is no going back home after their ship is shot down and they are stranded on Earth. Having been placed in the custody of the US Government, they face interrogation and confinement. Their only companion is the man tasked with the topic of their capture: Neveth Amalthea Musleath from the planet Haddal, who has allied himself with Earth in the hopes of brokering their aid in preventing the cold war between Haddal and Cleo from escalating.

The devoted and pragmatic Amalthea struggles with the inherent contradiction between his loyalty to his people and the responsibility he holds for the child abruptly placed within his care. The lonely and lost Zizi seeks both freedom and camaraderie, finding them at odds with one another. In a society that benefits from their captivity and demands their compliance, can Amalthea and Zizi reconcile their needs and wants with those of humanity? Can one truly care for another when both are stuck in a terrible place that benefits from the two keeping each other there?

A soft science fiction ethical drama for young adults.