Page 72 of Legacy for the Alien Warrior

“Never for good,” he promised, bending to press his forehead against hers in the Cire gesture of deepest affection. “This is just a necessary task. Then we build our life.”

“Our life,” she repeated, the words sounding like a vow.

When they finally separated, Elrin was waiting nearby, his expression understanding.

“I’ve prepared supplies for your journey,” the old trader said. “And I’ll guard them as if they were my own.”

Thraxar clasped the Treveloran’s slender arm in gratitude. “I know you will, my friend.”

The acknowledgment of friendship seemed to surprise Elrin, whose crest fluttered in pleasure. “Safe travels, Thraxar var’Chatakan.”

With a final look at his family—and they were his family now, regardless of blood or species—Thraxar boarded his ship. The familiar routines of pre-flight checks and system activations felt different somehow. Before, his ship had been his only home, his sanctuary. Now it felt empty without Rory’s soft humming, Talia’s curious questions, and Kara’s warm presence.

As the engines powered up, he placed Rory’s stone arrangement on the console before him. A reminder of what he was protecting. What he would return to.

The deep silenceof space enveloped the ship as Thraxar plotted his course to a remote sector of the Carellian Void—a region with minimal traffic and natural radiation that would mask the planned explosion. He’d been traveling for nearly twenty hours, pushing the engines harder than was strictly necessary.

The sooner this was done, the sooner he could return.

He’d prepared the unmanned pod in the cargo bay, programming it with a simple trajectory and detonation sequence. The tracker was secured inside, still broadcasting its silent signal to anyone looking for Talia.

As he worked, his thoughts kept returning to the family waiting for him. The concept still felt new, like armor not yet broken in—slightly uncomfortable but increasingly right.

For so long after losing his parents and brother, he’d convinced himself that attachment was weakness. That the solitary life was safer. Easier. He’d been wrong. The pain of potential loss was nothing compared to the emptiness of never having anything to lose.

The ship’s communication system chimed, indicating an incoming transmission. Thraxar frowned. No one should be contacting him here.

He activated the viewer cautiously, relief washing through him when Elrin’s familiar face appeared.

“Forgive the interruption,” the Treveloran said, his voice slightly distorted by distance. “But there’s been a development you should know about.”

Thraxar’s muscles tensed. “Are they safe?”

“Yes, yes,” Elrin assured him quickly. “Everyone is fine. But I’ve received additional information about the situation on Lumiri.”

“Tell me.”

“The political landscape is shifting. The youngest of the ruling houses, House Kevalti, has broken from the coalition. They’re now openly supporting the reforms Kerran Vey’Nor proposed.”

Thraxar considered this. “How does this affect Talia?”

“House Kevalti has considerable influence in the planetary security forces. They’ve begun investigating the bombing that killed Kerran, calling it a political assassination rather than a terrorist incident as previously claimed.”

“You think they might protect her?”

Elrin’s crest flattened in caution. “Not yet. It’s too unstable. But in time, perhaps…” He paused. “I merely thought you should have all the information before proceeding.”

Thraxar nodded slowly. “The plan doesn’t change. Talia Vey’Nor must be believed dead for now. But we’ll monitor the situation on Lumiri. If true change comes, perhaps someday…”

“Someday she might reclaim her heritage,” Elrin finished. “A bridge between old and new.”

“A decision for her to make when she’s grown,” Thraxar said firmly. “For now, she deserves a childhood. A family.”

“Indeed.” Elrin’s beak-like nose twitched with something like approval. “Safe journey, my friend.”

The transmission ended, leaving Thraxar alone with his thoughts once more. He glanced at Rory’s stone arrangement, then at the pod containing the tracker.

A future for Talia that included both her past and her present—it was more than he’d dared hope for. But that future could only exist if they succeeded now.

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