Page 32 of Koha'vek
I raised a brow. “Me?”
“The Council won’t interfere. That gives us space. Thin, narrow space. But I’m making it yours.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning you’re the liaison, protector, and watcher over that colony. You keep them safe. You keep them quiet. And if anything goes wrong—if someone leaks, if someone dies—it’ll be your neck on the block before theirs.”
I rubbed my temples. “Of course it will be.”
Dark’s expression softened. Just barely.
“I know what I’m asking. It’s not fair. But you're the only one I trust who can walk the line between duty and decency without stepping in it.”
He paused.
“And Koha’vek trusts you.”
That landed deeper than I expected.
I thought about Ava, standing next to him, choosing him without apology. I thought about Veklan and the look on his face when I told him peace might be possible. And I thought about the children in that colony, wide-eyed and barefoot, born into the remnants of a war that wasn’t theirs and a planet that might never call them its own.
“They’ll need resources,” I said quietly. “Food. Medical support. Weather shelter.”
“You’ll get what I can spare,” Dark said. “Unofficially, of course.”
“Of course.”
He gave me one last look. “You’re doing the right thing, Raven. But don’t expect a parade.”
“I’m used to thankless,” I said. “But I’m not used to hiding the truth to protect it.”
“Get used to it,” he said. “Because that’s what peace looks like right now.”
The hologram winked out, and I sat there for a long time.
Just me, the cold coffee, and a hundred unspoken promises I’d now have to keep.
I didn’t rush the ride.
Didn’t have to. The air was clear, the sky bright, and the horse trail that led to Koha’vek’s cabin held no threats.
But I still watched the trees.
Old habit.
When I pulled up, Koha’vek was already outside, chopping wood like the world hadn’t just made him a shadow citizen on the edge of legality. Ava was sitting on the steps, skin kissed by sunlight, shelling a handful of wild beans into a basket.
They both stood when they saw me. No words, just the weight of the moment hanging between us.
Koha’vek didn’t askif I had news.
He knew I did.
I dismounted slowly and retracted my helmet as I approached.
“I spoke with General Dark,” I said.
Koha’vek’s jaw flexed once. “And?”
