Page 38 of New World

Ash waved that away with a chuckle. “If Kella wanted to kill you, she wouldn’t have knocked.”

Kella rolled her eyes at Ash’s comment and looked at Dorane with a slightly apologetic expression and a slight shake of her head.

“He is the one who would knock, have a conversation with you and probably a meal and a drink before killing you. I am trying to teach him efficiency, but he is not a very good student,” Kella retorted.

It took a second for Dorane to realize that Kella had made a joke. Asta’s smothered snicker told him that she picked up on the subtle humor at the same time. Dorane’s fascination grew.

There must be something to these Ancient Knights if they can make a Turbinta joke, he silently mused.

“I’ll remember that,” Dorane chuckled. “So, why are you here?”

Ash’s demeanor shifted slightly—not losing its warmth, but solidifying. “To warn you that there’s a Turbinta assassin named Zoak who’s taken your contract. According to Kella, he’s a badass with mental issues.”

Dorane exhaled in mild amusement. “Thank you for the warning, but it’s a little late. There have been several attempts on my life recently.” He paused, considering. “Though… I hadn’t heard that Zoak was in the mix. That is interesting.”

Kella shook her head at his dismissive attitude. “Zoak is different. He is like Ash says… not right in the head.”

Dorane tilted his head, unimpressed. “He’s an assassin. He kills. That’s pretty much all I need to know.”

Kella’s lips thinned. “You don’t understand. He is not an assassin. He will take money, but he is not driven by credits. He will kill more than who he was hired for. He wants a legacy. He wants to be remembered for his cruelty.”

Dorane studied her, noting the way her posture stiffened, the flicker of something unreadable in her expression. “And you know this because…?”

Kella hesitated. He didn’t miss the way Ash’s arm tightened around Kella’s waist or the way Ash leaned into her and murmured encouragement in her ear. He wasn’t sure if it was to calm her fears or to keep her from telling him 'Good luck facing Zoak’ and leaving. He suspected it was the latter.

Dorane leaned forward slightly, his voice smooth. “Come now, Kella. Don’t be shy. You seem awfully concerned for someone who normally wouldn’t care.”

Kella’s jaw tightened. “I knew him. When I was training. And I’ve heard stories.”

Kella’s eyes strayed to the glass of his office. It was as if she were staring at someone, almost daring them to take the shot. Dorane motioned with his hand to Asta, who nodded. Asta touched the communicator on her wrist and tapped in a command. Dorane waited, his eyes not leaving Kella’s face as it tightened and she moved until she was between Ash and the glass.

“A laser cannon could be fired at close range and not penetrate the glass,” he murmured.

She turned to look at him. A myriad of expressions crossed her face before it changed to relief. She sensed the same thing he had—that there was someone out there.

More than one, he thought, resisting the urge to get up and walk over to the window.

“Zoak likes to stalk his prey. He will start with those closest to you and kill them, simply to taunt you. That is not the Turbinta way. We are trained to kill a specific target—for credits. We kill only those that get in the way of our target. Any other is a waste of our energy and not conducive to the end mission. Zoak would kill every person on Cryon II if he knew it would cause you pain. He is driven by a desire to be known as the greatest ‘assassin’ of all time, fool that he is. He is a loose cannon who was shunned by the great Masters. I overheard Tal—my Master and Zoak’s former Master—speak of him once, many years ago. He had an obsession with killing all the Turbinta Masters and claiming their titles. Tallei recommended that Zoak be terminated, but instead, he was transferred to a new Master—who shared Zoak’s obsession. She believed that he would only betray her when she was the last Master left standing. He killed her first… and the rest of the villagers nearby, hanging them in their homes, before he disappeared.”

“Why didn’t the Turbinta Masters go after him?” he asked, sitting back.

“They believe themselves smarter and faster than Zoak, there was no profit in hunting him, it would be unprecedented to work together for a single target, and those who were affected were dead. He has been relatively quiet since. Plotting his next grand show,” Kella said. “He is here. I can feel it in my bones, watching even as we speak.”

Dorane weighed her words, then nodded. “I believe you.”

She nodded in return, and Dorane turned his gaze back to Ash. “And you? What’s your angle? Why do you care what happens here?”

Ash met his gaze without hesitation. “Because I know what happens when dictators are in power.”

Dorane raised a brow.

Ash continued, his tone serious but steady. “The Gallant needs your support. I grew up on a planet called Earth. They had their own mess of politics there… it doesn’t always look like war, but it is. Dictators suppress people through fear, through cruelty. They take power, not because they deserve it, but because they can. And they keep it because good people don’t stand up soon enough.” His jaw set. “I made an oath once—to defend against enemies, both foreign and domestic. Doesn’t matter that I’m in a different galaxy. That oath didn’t change.”

Dorane studied him for a long moment. There was a quiet resolve in Ash’s expression, a certainty that Dorane could appreciate. He leaned back in his chair.

“I like you, Ash.”

Asta groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “Oh, stars help us.”

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