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PROXIMITY TARGET: ACTIVE.

Kesta felt cold.

“That cannot be his claim key.”

Tavi's violet eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Because the claim didn't exist yet.”

She scrolled through the data. The second signal strengthened as her pod approached Ash territory. Not Dreven specifically. Perhaps. The remaining identifier was partially corrupted, but two routing tags survived.

H-CLASS.

K-VR.

Kesta copied them into her notebook.

“Human class,” she murmured.

Tavi pointed toward the second tag. “Kharovian variant.”

The words sat between them. Not proof. But very close to a pattern. Someone had sent Kesta toward a Kharovian signal before anyone on the surface knew she existed.

Tavi rubbed both upper hands over his face. “I dislike this.”

“You dislike very little.”

“That is why it is significant.”

Kesta copied every readable line by hand. A shadow fell across the page. Dreven stood beside the awning. He held up the blue water chit she had apparently left near the treatment tray.

“You dropped this.”

Kesta reached for it. Their fingers touched. Warmth traveled through her hand. No band flare. No signal. Just Dreven. His gaze dropped briefly toward their joined fingers before returning to her face. Kesta took the chit.

“We found something.”

His expression sharpened. She showed him the reader. Dreven read the surviving tags, then looked at the timestamps.

“It recognized a Kharovian signal before you landed.”

“Yes.”

“Mine?”

“We cannot prove that.”

His jaw tightened. Kesta understood the question behind his face. Was this why he had noticed her? Was this why she had reacted to him? Had the attraction begun before either of them had a choice? She hated that the same question had entered her mind.

“We know the empire expected something,” she said quietly. “We do not know what.”

Dreven looked at her for several seconds. Then he nodded.

“No conclusions before evidence.”

Kesta's mouth curved faintly.

“You've been spending too much time with me.”