The man stared for a second, then slowly looked down at his hands as if trying to process the fact that he was alive, healed, and talking to strangers from the stars, all in the same minute, his fingers flexing slightly as if he expected something to be wrong.
Aurelian didn't waste time.
"What is your name," he asked, "and what is the current situation on Larkspur Haven?"
The man took a slow breath, steadying himself, and answered properly this time.
"My name is Caelan Voss. I was one of the commanders of the Haven orbital knights."
That alone matched what Aurelian had guessed, both from the mech frame and the way he carried himself even now.
Caelan looked past him for half a second, toward the view panel where the distant planet could still be seen, and his jaw tightened, the reaction instinctive.
