The original google doc with most of Werayne plus miscellaneous info can be accessed here

It's very difficult to dig through so below I've compiled deleted scenes from the novel, from varying points in the story's conception

~Sophie's POV~

They asked me all sorts of questions. It was confusing and terrifying all at once.

You’re human, you have no allegiance to these people, these Paladanians and Halapatovians. Why do you fight for them? Can you not see their evils? Their cruelty and oppression?

They have lived in luxury and arrogance all their years. The Pecayen were born from suffering. Even now they keep those of us who aren’t free as pets, stifled, unable to be their true selves, as we are. They must learn, they must see.

I wasn’t 100% sure, but it seemed like they beamed propaganda into my head. I didn’t know, my mind was… foggy. Between the nightmares and the questions and whatever it was they were putting in me, conditioning me with… well yeah. I didn’t know. But I was scared and thinking was trying to run while knee deep in mud.

~Abigail's POV~

“Okay, I’m going to go check on the others, see what’s happening with the ship.” Mickey stood up and squeezed Sophie’s arm, before leaving the room, leaving behind only the occasional beep of the scanner, and the vacant room. I glanced down at the cannula, fingers sliding over the fluid case in the weighty silence. After a moment, I looked up, fixed my gaze on her. This was the first time we’d been alone together since everything. Exhaling a little, and running her fingers over her filling veins absentmindedly, she raised her head and looked at me. She smiled softly, and all I could think was here she was and she was mine and I needed her. I lifted my hand, careful not to upset the things attached to her, and placed my hand on her cheek. Her eyes flicked to mine for a moment, and I could tell she was fighting back tears.

“I thought I’d lost you.” I whispered, my throat constricting and muffling my voice as I became overwhelmed with emotion for Sophie, and the memory of these awful weeks without her. “I’ve spent so much of these past years missing you and not knowing where you were, but I always knew you’d come back to me. This time…”

I suddenly realised how very close I was to Sophie, arms almost wrapped around her neck, faces nearly touching. She broke my gaze and fixed her eyes on the floor, unmoving. I wasn’t used to this. My chest tightened. I missed the bright, excitable, always present girl who was my everything. I hated everything that had stolen her and left her broken. I felt bad. I should've been more considerate of her current state. But I needed her. I needed her to be okay.

~Mickey's POV~

“Psychologically it doesn’t make sense.” Robyn insisted vehementally. “Understanding this could be extremely important... Mickey you should know that, you saved earth by simply understanding a man once, and remember that investigation into that crime gang, how well rehabilitation worked and that implementing ideas from their responses actually caused crime rates to drop?...”

“Robyn, this is not the time.” I said harshly and she stared at me, affronted. With the Alliance, no one would ever talk to her like we were now; she’d garnered too much respect. But here we were all the same. Here this war had us all on the same level.

~Mickey's POV~

The six of us huddled together as we exited the ship. We must've looked completely disheveled, all tired eyes and days-old apparel. Robyn led the way, naturally, flashing her ID at numerous points, more at ease in this alien environment than those of us who called this system their home. Sometimes I wondered how we ever got anything done without her.

We reached an access point and she quickly started conferring with one of the soldiers at the entry, a halapatovian I thought. At the Alliance base back home, people were constantly moving, getting one job or another done. This space station was the same . I was completely conscious of the eyes of all in the corridor on us. Medical workers, soldiers, commanders and tech officers, all bustling past, all watching us. It wasn't exactly unexpected, and I knew that Sophie and Abigail at least were used to it, and even as I glanced back I could see in Sophie's eyes that she was elsewhere, not even noticing the attention. I could never tell what Abigail was thinking, her eyes a swirl of carefully guarded grey. She caught my gaze, expression inquisitive, and I shifted my eyes over to Lexie and Jayken. They at least were aware, clearly, and uncomfortable. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to live as a Weraynian in this society, always aware that you were considered the enemy. I felt sorry for them. At least this was what me and Sophie and the rest had signed up for; they'd been thrust into this by circumstance. I looked on to Rojjel, standing with his arms crossed, looking as if he was deep in thought, expression guarded.

Yeah, we were a mess at the moment, or maybe i was reading into it too much. That's what Beth would say...

Maybe I wouldn't think about that.

Jerking my attention back to Robyn, I saw the soldier nodding and waving us on.

"Come on." Robyn said, glancing back at us.

~Abigail's POV~

“Abigail!” Alexas face was as pale as if she’d been completely drained of blood. She reached her arms out blindly and I realised what was happening and, instinctively, grabbed her hand to steady her, to comfort her. Instead, much in the same way that my powers allowed me to see inside rooms just by touching the walls, I found myself seeing what Lexie was seeing. Somehow I knew it was the past. I had the viewpoint of a council room on Halapatov, and

...

“How can they expect us to treat them as equals? They are nothing without us; no concept of leadership, no knowledge to share, we have given them our technology and in return they want a place on our council? This is madness.”

It was a different time. I told myself. And yet I was strongly reminded of the coldness in Ray’s voice when talking about the Weraynians, his apathy towards them as a people and, being in Lexie’s head, I could feel her anguish at being treated as lesser all her life - this wasn’t some distant issue irrelevant to the present. And the other thing was, right, this history didn’t line up with what we’d been taught since childhood.

...

“This is troublesome. Our people grow uneasy. Many of them support Pecayen, and want us to withdraw. If this war does not end soon we may have riots on our hands.”

“So you suggest we withdraw?”

“After everything we have done for Pecayen, after letting them have access to our gifts? They are like animals, already begun experiments to challenge our strength. But there may be another way…”

Lexie and I watched in silent horror as the plan was put in motion; using the monitoring stations already in place around Pecayen, a force field would be constructed to restrain the people on the planet. The people who had left the planet already would be granted the status of refugees and moved to the settlement on the Halapatovian moon Aandrigo.

~Mickey's POV~

I moved towards where Jayken sat, dazed and covered in a sheen of sweat. He looked broken, distinct from how Sophie had looked, but similar nonetheless. I ripped the medical kit open and set to busying myself

~ Sophie's POV~

“Abi’s just completely shattered by this. Her whole world has turned on its head. I mean, she’s been suspicious for a while that things aren’t exactly as she’s been taught all her life, especially since meeting Lexie and Jayken, but she always trusted that her leaders were doing the right thing. She grew up in this one tiny town where people look out for each other and she expects the whole world to be like that. She’s really aware right now that like, when this war is over her life can go back to normal but for Alexa and Jayken and all the Aandrigians and Weraynians they’re fighting a battle every day. It’s crazy. I mean it’s messing with my head, no wonder it’s getting to her.”

“I was so young when I first came to Flauraan… Back then it seemed to make so much sense that the Weraynians were the villains - though now it’s obvious that they were just one violent group in that situation. It’s just, I think back to then and how the Weraynians convinced the humans on the ship that they were the victims and that’s how it almost led to my people attacking Flauraan. I thought the Weraynians were just sprouting propaganda, but it’s the other way round.” I sat up and Mickey shifted his grasper from behind me. “I just feel so stupid for bringing the Alliance here to support this, I thought I was helping but it was just reinforcing the real bad guys.”

“Sophie, don’t be silly.” Mickey said gently. “The Alliance is an aid organisation, and just because this is an unjust war doesn’t mean that every person fighting in it is evil. Like you said, there’s very strong propaganda at work here, and most people on the frontlines are just being used by the government. Those are the people we’re helping. I’m glad the Alliance is here. We got to help people, and now that we know the truth we can make sure the Weraynians are liberated.”

I looked at him, so optimistic and passionate and i was so thankful in that moment. I snuggled into him once more. “You’re right.”

~Sophie's POV~

After that, things didn't exactly go as smoothly as some might have hoped. Some of the Weraynians did not come out of their situation as sorry as others. There were a few conflicts that had to run their course. And there was so much relief needed, captives to be released and cared for, injuries and funerals attended to - I mean, it’s not like I expected things to just wrap up neatly but it was just… exhausting. Rojjel’s broadcast seemed to have helped smooth things over though. There were major government changes. The Weraynians we encountered at first had accepted our help, out of necessity more than anything I guess, but after a bit they withdrew and started doing a lot of cleanup themselves. The wounds were all a bit fresh, and I think if the Halapatovian and Paladanian governments hadn’t been so recently shamed for their ill treatment of Pecayen, the war might have been prolonged, but thankfully some Aandriggians reached out to build bridges and were somewhat welcomed. All sorts of ideas for government reform, treaties, rehabilitation, integration etcetera were flying around, but honestly most of this stuff we only heard about from afar. We spent the following weeks in meetings, having us and our ship tested, our injuries looked after, and in isolation from the more official stuff. I personally did a lot of sleeping, which is odd for me. …

~Sophie's POV~

The music from the celebration was a fun, catchy tune and I started bopping along to it. I recognised the style of music from one of the cities Abi and I visited on Halapatov; it was nice to hear.

“Hey,” I was pulled out of my distraction and looked up as Abigail jerked her head towards the open space in the room and smiled. “Wanna dance?”

I was really thankful for her in that moment. I’d been out of whack for a long time now and she’d taken care of me so well, I mean she was struggling too, with everything. But dancing was something mindless and comforting, and that might help me actually enjoy this celebration, instead of being distracted. And being with her, here, now, finally, in happy times, made it perfect.

As we danced, doing stupid moves, smiling and laughing, I looked around at the others. The Alliance agents here were eating food and probably chatting happily about going home soon. The Protector was off to the side, talking to some random Halapatovian with Terra and Rojjel by her side, looking pleased. Lexie and Jayken were in a group of friends and family, Lexie grinning and telling stories, Jayken listening with a thoughtful, maybe even somber look on his face; it was actually really funny to watch, because normally Lexie was quiet and a bit grumpy, snarking every now and then, while Jayken was chatty and carefree. Abi followed my gaze and murmured, “That’s a change,” and I laughed, turning back to her sparkling eyes. I spun her clumsily.

~Abigail's POV~

Coming home was like nothing I’d experienced before. Since I’d first met Sophie, all those years ago, I’d been away and returned to my humble house and family many a time, for one reason or another. But never like this.

Having been dropped in the spaceport with all my possessions, including the plans and notes which the council had entrusted me with, a testament to a future of change, one that I had no choice but to have a hand in sowing, after everything, I took a transport to my hometown, watching the dying light through the window, and trying to hold down the emotions and images that threatened to engulf me, even now.

I walked the distance between the town and my home, unsure of what I would find. Of course mum would be home, waiting, anxious as always, but in what state? How could she exist without dad? How could our lives continue after the brokenness of war? How could I wake up and face each day with everything behind me? Between each breath, I saw flashes of the war, Sophie’s lifelessness as she lay under rubble with her arm dismembered, Beth’s ashen face as she spoke her final words, Jayken imprisoned and tortured, the killing, the endless killing and worst of all the images that almost destroyed the Weraynians, that Lexie and I were forced to suppress, which almost killed me. Even the broken spirit of all the people we aided in the aftermath, Weraynians and Staarus folk alike, pervaded my senses and overwhelmed my memory with pain.

How could I live like that?

The answer was simple. Repress it for I had so much more to deal with. For now, my mother’s pale expression filling with relief as she opened the door and flung her arms around me. Patting her back in comfort as she wept and then weeping too, standing in the hall for far too long, not even sure how long. Eventually sitting down with her to a cold dinner, mouth overflowing with the food that, despite its temperature, tasted so good after so long away from home. Glancing up to see my mother’s eyes piercing me, full of questions which she refused to ask both for my sake and hers. Resolving to tell her the stories one day, not now, but when we could both handle it. So she could hear of the brave and extraordinary things I’d witnessed and done, so she could know how Sophie was now that this time was over. So she would not have to worry about the awful stories buried deep inside me. But for now, all that could wait.

Now was a time to rebuild, for all of us, both in our own lives and the Staarus System as a whole. We would live each day with the weight of what was past, and push for something better. But that was okay, it’d be okay. And maybe, one day, the war could be long forgotten, full reparation could be made and we could just live in peace and harmony together, with the world at rest.

For now, we would live in hope.