The shuttle rose from the capital fortress and climbed through the cold haze toward orbit.
For several minutes, Aurelian did not speak. Astra sat across from him, quiet and composed, while Rhoswen leaned back beside the hatch with her arms folded.
She looked tired in the way only someone pretending not to be tired could look, and for once, she did not fill the silence with questions.
Below them, Karven Spire's capital slowly disappeared beneath cloud cover.
Aurelian watched it through the side display until the city became only a dark stain against the planet's surface.
The day had been long enough to feel like several days tied together, but the work was nowhere near finished.
The capital was stable, the relay was theirs, and Daskor was in custody, yet the rest of the planet still had garrisons, industrial zones, and cities whose loyalties were unclear.
