Tatehan's grip tightened on the handlebars.
He was nearly there. 99.9 percent surely meant just a few steps forward.
This was it. The reason he'd left the Spaceship hours ago. When he should have installed the core in it, he'd chosen this instead.
Somewhere ahead was the Red Crest Clan—the organization that controlled Waython Hollow. Though "control" sounded forceful, like they'd seized power through violence, Tatehan suspected the reality was more complex.
Perhaps it was inherited, passed down through generations. Maybe the Red Crest's ancestors had founded this settlement, and leadership had simply remained in the family line ever since. He didn't know the history, but he'd find out soon enough.
And somewhere within their territory was Kael's daughter.
A girl who didn't know her father was dead.
A girl who didn't know a stranger had killed him.
A girl whose life depended on the bio-neural core currently stored in Tatehan's inventory.
