24. Davrik
CHAPTER 24
DAVRIK
A lice stares at me, her face a mix of horror and disbelief as she processes what I've done. The pirate's body lies still at our feet. I holster the weapon and take a deep breath.
"I need to tell you something." My hands shake as I reach for her, but she steps back. "Please."
"You just killed him." Her voice trembles. "In cold blood."
"Because men like him would kill you without hesitation. I know because..." I run my fingers through my hair. "Because I work with men like that. Not pirates, but criminals all the same."
She crosses her arms, waiting.
"I'm a smuggler. The best in the business. That's why my cargo is so valuable - because when people like Freynal need something moved discreetly, they come to me."
"Freynal?" Her eyes widen. "Wait, I know that name. The syndicate boss? The one authorities have been trying to pin down for years?"
"Yes. I've moved everything - drugs, weapons, stolen data cores. Even people sometimes, though I don't ask questions." I gesture in the direction of my crashed ship. "That cargo? Freynal paid triple my usual rate. Whatever's in those containers, it's worth more than either of us want to know."
"So you just... transport anything? For anyone?"
"As long as they can pay." The words taste bitter now. "I'm very good at what I do. The most dangerous people in the Athenaverse trust me with their secrets because they know I'll get the job done."
She hugs herself tighter. "And you never wondered what you were enabling? What these people do with the things you transport?"
"I made it a point not to think about it." I step closer, and this time she doesn't back away. "Until I met you."
"Why tell me now?"
"Because I love you. And because that pirate was about to tell you anyway. I wanted you to hear it from me first."
"I…I need time to think. About everything." She starts to leave, and I instinctively follow. "By myself. For now, just…please."
I watch Alice disappear into the dense foliage, her steps quick and deliberate. The jungle swallows her whole, leaving me alone with the cooling body at my feet and the weight of everything I've done.
A soft beep emanates from my pocket. "You really stepped in it this time, boss."
"Not now, Navi." I drag my hands down my face, the reality of the situation settling in my gut like a stone.
"Oh, I think now is the perfect time. Let's review: you killed a man in front of your mate, confessed to being a criminal, and she walked away looking like she'd seen a ghost. Did I miss anything?"
"You forgot the part where I'm stranded on this planet with cargo worth probably billions." I kick a nearby rock, sending it skittering into the underbrush. "And now the only person who might have helped me probably hates me."
"Might hate you? She definitely hates you. Though I have to say, watching you fumble through emotions has been highly entertaining. Much better than our usual routine of 'dock here, don't get caught, collect credits.'"
"This isn't a joke, Navi." The weight of the gun against my hip feels heavier than usual. "I need to figure out what matters more - the cargo or her."
"The fact that you're even considering that question shows how far gone you are. The Davrik I knew three months ago wouldn't have hesitated."
"The Davrik you knew three months ago hadn't met Alice." I start pacing, my boots crushing the vegetation beneath. "Hadn't seen someone so passionate about making the universe better instead of just profiting from it."
"So what are you going to do about it?"
I stop pacing and stare in the direction of the research station. "I don't know. For the first time in my life, I honestly don't know."
I slump against a tree, sliding down until I hit the ground. The jungle's constant buzz of life feels like it's mocking me.
"You know what the worst part is, Navi? I'm actually good at what I do. The best."
"Was that ever in question? Your success rate is ninety-eight point seven percent."
"And what's that worth now?" My fingers trace patterns in the dirt. "All those credits sitting in accounts across the galaxy, and I've never once thought about what I was really doing with my life."
"Oh no. You're having an existential crisis. Should I play some sad music?"
"I'm serious." I pick up a fallen leaf, examining its intricate patterns. "Alice spends her days trying to help people. Making actual differences in the universe. And what do I do? Help the worst of society get worse."
"You help them get richer, technically."
"Same thing." The leaf crumbles in my grip. "You know what she said to me last week? She talked about how this plant she found could help millions of people with chronic conditions. Millions, Navi. And I just sat there thinking about my next big score."
"The Davrik I know doesn't turn down good money."
"Maybe he should." I stand up, brushing off my pants. "Maybe it's time the Davrik you know changed."
"Because of a woman?"
"Because of my mate." The word feels right on my tongue. "Because for the first time in my life, I want to be someone worth loving."
"That's disgustingly romantic." Navi's tone softens. "But what about Freynal? He's not exactly known for accepting resignations."
"I'll figure something out. I have to." My hand rests on the gun at my hip. "Because I can't lose her, Navi. And I can't keep being this person anymore."
The jungle's constant symphony fades into background noise as I make my way back to the station. Each step feels lighter, despite the weight of what I'm about to do.
"You know," Navi pipes up from my pocket, "there are easier ways to have a mid-life crisis. Buy a fancy ship. Get some modifications. Date someone inappropriate- oh wait, you've already done that last one."
"She's not inappropriate. She's mine" I duck under a low-hanging branch. "And this isn't a crisis. It's clarity."
"Clarity that's going to get you killed when Freynal finds out."
"Maybe." I pause to check my bearings. "But I'd rather die trying to be better than live knowing I could have changed and didn't."
"And what will you do after getting out of this predicament with Freynal? Assuming you survive?"
The question stops me in my tracks. What would I do? All I've ever known is moving cargo and staying one step ahead of the law.
"I don't know," I admit. "But whatever it is, I want to do it with her. Maybe... maybe I could help her. Use what I know about staying under the radar to protect people like her instead of criminals."
"Now that," Navi says, "actually sounds like a plan."
The station's entrance looms ahead. Through the window, I can see Alice moving around inside, probably working despite everything that's happened. My heart speeds up.
"Here goes nothing," I mutter, reaching for the door.
I find Alice in her lab. Her eyes are rimmed red, and her normally neat hair falls in disarray around her face.
"I want out." The words tumble from my mouth. "All of it. The smuggling, the crime, Freynal - I'm done."
She lifts her head slowly. "Just like that?"
"Just like that." I move closer, careful to give her space. "I've spent my life being the best at something that hurts people. But you've shown me there's more to life than just surviving it."
"You killed a man today." Her voice cracks.
"I know. And I can't take that back." My hands clench at my sides. "But I can promise you it won't happen again. No more death. No more crime. I want to be someone worthy of you."
She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. "How can I believe you?"
"Because I love you. Because you're my mate."
She stands, her legs shaky. "If I stay with you - if we try this - I need your word. No more violence. No more illegal activities."
"You have it."
"And one more thing." Her chin lifts. "I want to know what's in those crates."