Page 34

Sasha

The memorial wall stretches before me, reaching seven feet high and a hundred feet long, thousands of names etched into the smooth black stone. All those people, lost to the fight against the Empire and more added every day.

Although the rate of new names is slowing day by day.

My fingers trace the familiar curves and lines of Naeve’s name. Her face flashes in my mind and a knot forms in my throat. It’s such a small thing, that name and yet, it feels so important that it’s there. Like somehow, a part of her is not lost, but etched into those stones for all of eternity.

The warm breeze carries the sweet scent of desert flowers blooming in the newly irrigated gardens. Even after all those months, it still feels like a wonder to me.

Around me, our transformed city hums with activity. Gleaming Huugwor architecture blends seamlessly with old houses, creating an oasis of technology and nature. Water flows freely through crystal-clear channels, feeding the emerald patches of farmland that dot the landscape. The sound of construction echoes in the distance as more homes rise from the desert floor.

Three months since the Battle of Tartarus. Sometimes I still wake up expecting to find myself back in my old room in the Fortress, alone and dreaming of leaving. Instead, I wake to Eirik’s warmth, his strong arms holding me close, our bodies fitting together perfectly in our new home overlooking the valley.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

I turn to see Maitlin approaching, her steps slow but steady. Her pregnancy shows clearly now, her belly curved beneath the flowing dress she wears. The sight makes my throat tight with emotion. She looks healthier than I’ve ever seen her and I’m sure the free access to freshwater and humi-breathers are to thank for it. Her striped skin is glowing, her red and black hair falling in thick waves past her shoulders.

“You’re early,” I say, opening my arms to her. We embrace carefully, mindful of her condition.

“The transport schedule changed.” She pulls back, her feline eyes bright with emotion. “I leave in an hour.”

My heart clenches even though I’ve known this day was coming for weeks. Maitlin is leaving to go to Karrula, to connect with her mother’s people and have her child far away from the harsh climate of Valcan. I know why she’s doing what she’s doing. But knowing doesn’t make the goodbye any easier.

“Have you seen the latest reports?” Maitlin asks, her hand resting on her belly. “Three more systems have joined the uprising. The Empire’s losing its grip everywhere.”

“I know Karrula was one of the first to rise against the Empire,” I say, watching a group of children playing in the new community gardens.

We stand in comfortable silence as the sweet scent of the vegetables drifts by, each fruit and vegetable nurtured by Huugwor irrigation systems.

“Naeve would be proud,” Maitlin says softly. “She just didn’t live to see it.”

The sound of an approaching engine makes us both look away from the wall. A sleek transport vessel descends from the pale blue sky, its silver hull catching the sunlight. Jax is here to take Maitlin to the space lift.

“Don’t get all mushy on me now,” Maitlin tells me as she pulls me in for a surprisingly strong hug. “I’ll write and call. You don’t get to be rid of me that easily.”

Emotions clamp down on my throat and all I’m able to do is hug her back. Then she turns and leaves. I watch until the transport disappears from view. Strong arms wrap around my waist, and I lean back into Eirik’s solid warmth, his familiar scent washing over me.

“She will have a good life on Karrula,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my neck. His touch sends shivers down my spine, always.

I turn in his embrace, pressing my palms against his chest. The steady thrum of his heartbeat grounds me, reminds me that while some things change, others remain beautifully constant.

“I still can’t believe you got Sargul to work for the Enforcers.” I shake my head, tracing the line of his broad shoulder.

His laugh rumbles through his chest. “You mean him thinking we work for him?”

“Well, in any case, he put his smuggling network to good use.” I rise on my tiptoes, pressing my lips to his. The kiss deepens naturally, his hands spanning my waist as he pulls me closer. When we break apart, his eyes glow with that intensity that still makes my heart race.

“Come,” he says, taking my hand. “I want to show you something.”

We walk through the streets, past the new construction where former Imperial citizens now work alongside Huugwors, learning how to use the Soul Stones. The integration hasn’t always been smooth, but every day brings new progress.

Eirik leads me to the staircase and all the way to a balcony overlooking the city.

“Look,” he says, pointing to where a new building rises from the earth. “The first school. Where any child in the city can come learn for free.”

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper, leaning into him.

“This is our legacy,” he says, his voice deep with emotion. “Not just freedom from the Empire, but a new way of living. Together.”

I turn to face him, seeing in his eyes the same fierce love that fills my heart. “Who would have thought a thief and a warrior would help build all this?”

His hands frame my face as he bends to kiss me, gentle yet passionate. I melt into him, my entire body ignited at the simple kiss.

“My little thief,” he murmurs against my lips. “You stole my heart.”

The warm breeze carries the sounds of our now thriving city; children laughing, people talking, the steady rhythm of construction. A world being rebuilt, one day at a time.

I close my eyes and breathe it all in. The smell of freshwater in the air. The feel of Eirik’s arms around me. The knowledge that we fought for this peace and won.

This is what freedom feels like.

This is what home feels like.

The End