Interview with Rome II - Part 2 of 9

As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Rome was very talkative so I had to break up her interview into two parts. Here is the second half of Rome's interview, part 2 of 9.
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(Perry just shakes his head. He scrolls through his tablet computer until he comes to a marker.)
Perry: Here we are. The last time we spoke, you had explained how you ended MASAL and reached a peace accord with the Stareaters. Plus Darwin. And the Sipre. You certainly have had a lot of adventures although none recently. Do you miss them?
Rome: I really want to say no but there is a tiny part of me that did enjoy them. At least looking back on them now.
Perry: Because each of them had a successful conclusion?
Rome: I suppose. Mostly because Rei and I work so well together. We lean on each other. We solve problems together. He’s been my rock for most of my adult life. Not only do I love him, but I trust him absolutely. And he trusts me. That was a hard-won lesson.
Perry: How so?
Rome: Growing up, as a Vuduri, trust was a foreign concept. Everybody was inside everyone else’s head so the thought of someone doing something unexpected was impossible. Then my Cesdiud. At that point, I lost all of my trust in everyone. Rei included. But that didn’t last long. I loved him enough to trust him, then eventually Ursay then others. Take the Deucadons, for example. They are wonderful people and have been through so much. But when I first met them, I had no idea.
Perry: Even so, your time on Tabit, Deucado and Earth. All sound like they had a good outcome. Was the end of any of your other adventures ever in doubt? Did you ever think you would fail?
Rome: Oh, my goodness, most all of them. When we were buried in it, most times I didn’t think we would come out on top. I told you last time, in my utter naiveté, I took on the Overmind of Deucado. As soon as I was in, I knew I was overmatched but I never let that show. It worked out but I didn’t know it at the time. As I matured, at least I had enough sense to be worried.
Perry: So what other times were you worried? Can you tell me which specifically?
Rome: Which times was I not worried? That would be easier. When we first uncovered the Darwin people, they nuked my Library. It was only luck that we were not killed. When Rei and I went to Helome, I thought for sure I was going to lose my Rei, mau emir, to Virga.
Perry: Virga. I’ve heard of her. She’s quite famous in her own right. She led Helome to becoming a free-thinking member of the Union.
Rome: Yes. But she wasn’t always that way. When I first met her, she was the enemy. She was going to steal my husband! Now she is one of my dearest friends.
Perry: How did you turn her around?
Rome: When she first kidnapped Rei, she wanted to use him for his genetic contribution.
(Perry looks confused)
Rome: She wanted to mate with him.
Perry: I take it that upset you.
(Rome huffs)
Rome: Of course! But her reasons were noble. To stop the Vuduri on Helome from eventually all becoming Onsiras, the Overmind decided they had to migrate to becoming mosdureces, like me. They needed, uh, primitive DNA. So Virga figured what could be more primitive that a living fossil, my dear Essessoni husband.

Tomorrow, part 3