Morning on Cindralis was artificial, programmed into the station's systems. The golden panels dimmed slightly to mimic dawn, and perfumed air carried faint notes of citrus through the corridors. But to Kael, the illusion was as thin as a veil.
He hadn't slept. The assassins' faces haunted him, and Serenya's whispered proposition gnawed at his mind.
Lyra stirred beside him, her hand brushing his arm. "You're awake again."
"I don't think I've stopped," Kael admitted, staring at the ceiling.
"You don't have to decide alone," she said softly. "Whatever choice you make, it's ours."
Kael turned to her, searching her eyes. "And if that choice damns us?"
Lyra's fingers curled into his. "Then we walk through the fire together."
For a moment, the war faded. Kael drew strength from her steady gaze, the certainty he lacked but she carried so easily.
Then the knock came at the door.
Serenya entered like a shadow in crimson. No guards this time, no theatrics—just her, calm and controlled.
"Corven has called an emergency session of the Trade Guild Council," she said. "He will use the poisoning to declare you untrustworthy. He will denounce your alliance, and in the same breath, confirm Cindralis' allegiance to your brother."
Rhea leaned against the wall, twirling a dagger. "So what you're saying is… we're already screwed."
Serenya's lips curved faintly. "Not if we act first. Corven will be vulnerable in the council chamber. Remove him, and I will step into his seat. With me in power, Cindralis joins your cause tonight."
Kael studied her, his gut twisting. "You want me to be your assassin."
"Think of it as removing a parasite," she replied smoothly. "One man dies, and millions gain freedom from Taren's grip."
Lyra's voice was sharp. "Freedom under you."
Serenya's gaze flicked to her. "Better me than him. At least I understand balance. Profit and survival. Taren understands only domination."
Kael exhaled slowly, the weight of the decision pressing like iron. He could kill one man and secure the alliance—or try to find another path and risk losing everything.
The council chamber glittered with gold and glass, but tension thickened the air like smoke. Corven sat at the central throne, his rings flashing as he gestured theatrically.
"Fellow guildmasters," he declared, "last night's events prove our guest is not a liberator but a danger. He brings chaos to our station. And what does he offer us in return? Dreams and riddles. Meanwhile, the Ghost Admiral promises us power, wealth, certainty."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the chamber.
Kael stood at the base of the dais, Lyra and Rhea at his sides. His voice rang out, hard and clear. "The only certainty Taren brings is death. You've seen the footage. You've heard the reports. He will use you until you are empty, then discard you like every other pawn he's crushed."
Corven's eyes gleamed. "And yet, you offer nothing but rebellion. Rebellion does not fill coffers. Rebellion does not—"
The chamber doors slammed open. Serenya strode in, her crimson cloak billowing, her voice slicing through the noise.
"Rebellion does bring freedom," she said. "And without freedom, coffers mean nothing. Kael Ardyn speaks the truth—Taren cannot be bargained with. He can only be resisted."
Gasps swept through the council. Corven's face darkened. "You dare defy me?"
Serenya's eyes glittered. "I dare to expose you. Tell them, Corven. Tell them about your meetings with Taren's envoys."
The chamber erupted in shouts. Corven slammed his fist against his throne. "Lies! Slander!"
Kael's hand hovered near his blaster. This was it—the moment Serenya had engineered. All he had to do was strike, and the alliance was theirs.
Time slowed. Kael saw three paths:
Kill Corven, secure Cindralis under Serenya's rule, and stain his hands with political blood.
Refuse, and risk losing the station to Taren's influence.
Or gamble on a third way—expose Corven without becoming Serenya's weapon.
He raised his voice above the chaos.
"Enough!"
The chamber stilled. Kael stepped forward, his words sharp as steel.
"You want proof of Corven's betrayal? Check the logs. His encrypted channels hold the records of his meetings with Taren's envoys. We seized copies during the assassination attempt."
A calculated lie—but Rhea, catching on instantly, activated her wristpad. Holo-recordings flickered to life, showing falsified but convincing transmissions of Corven speaking with masked envoys.
Gasps turned to shouts of outrage.
Corven paled, his bluster collapsing. "This is… this is fabrication—"
Serenya's blade flashed. In one swift motion, she pressed it to his throat. "Fabrication or not, the council has heard enough. Vote."
The vote was swift and brutal. Eleven hands rose for Serenya. Only Corven, sputtering and red-faced, opposed.
Guards dragged him from the chamber as Serenya seated herself on the gilded throne. Her crimson cloak spilled over the steps like blood.
"By decree of the council," she said, her voice smooth as glass, "Cindralis Station joins the alliance against the Ghost Admiral."
The chamber thundered with approval. Merchants cheered, guildmasters nodded, and the tide turned in Kael's favor.
But Kael's stomach twisted. He hadn't killed Corven—but he had still delivered power straight into Serenya's hands.
Later, as they left the chamber, Lyra whispered to him, "You bought us an ally. But at what cost?"
Kael's jaw tightened. "That's what I intend to find out."
That night, Serenya invited Kael to a private balcony overlooking the station's glittering expanse. The stars beyond the viewport shimmered, and the hum of commerce filled the air.
"You played it well today," she said, sipping dark wine. "Not as ruthless as I'd hoped, but cunning enough. I can work with that."
Kael's tone was flat. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for the Frontier."
Serenya smiled faintly. "Perhaps. But don't fool yourself—every alliance has a price. And when the time comes, I'll collect."
Her eyes lingered on him, sharp and appraising, before she turned back to the stars.
Kael left with a chill running down his spine.
Back aboard the Ark, Kael stood with Lyra and Rhea.
"We have Havenreach. We have Cindralis. Two pillars of the Frontier," he said. "But Serenya… she's not an ally. She's a storm waiting to break."
Lyra touched his hand, her eyes steady. "Then we'll face her storm when it comes. For now—we move forward."
Kael looked out at the endless stars, determination hardening like steel.
"Taren thinks he's the only one who can shape the galaxy. He's wrong. We'll prove it—one world at a time."
The Ark's engines roared, carrying them onward to their next battleground.