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“You removed it,” he said.

“The housing.”

“The symbol mattered.”

“Yes.”

“I should have asked what safety looked like to you before deciding it for you.”

Kesta secured a case latch. “That would have been a better beginning.”

“I cannot revoke the claim today.”

“Then do not ask me to forgive what you are still choosing.”

Pain crossed his face. He accepted it without turning it into anger. Before the rescue force assembled, Kesta walked the entire convoy route on the map with Tavi.

The altered markers had not simply redirected the wagons into Red Basin territory. They had timed the arrival for the orbital pulse window. Whoever changed them knew the convoy schedule, the maintenance rotations, and the empire’s activation cycle.

“Who had access?” Kesta asked.

Tavi rubbed the healing cut near his temple. “Condenser crews. Route stewards. Command runners. Infirmary staff when we sent medicine with the convoy.”

“Sera?”

“She could have. So could I.”

He said it without defensiveness, which made Kesta trust him more and suspect him no less.

“Could the relay stone have been delivered from outside?”

“Yes. A trader could exchange it for a damaged marker. A child could carry it without knowing. A scavenger could cross the maintenance fence during a storm.”

“So we have no suspect list.”

“We have an entire camp.”

Kesta copied the access names onto a separate slate and sealed it. The sabotage investigation would continue after the convoy, if there was an after. At the armory, Keth refused to issue Kesta a military rifle.

“You are offended by my aim?” she asked.

“I am offended by what imperial weapons do when they recognize imperial blood markers.” He gave her a short projectile launcher built from mining equipment. “This has no network, no biometric lock, and no opinion about your designation.”

Jessa checked the charge chamber. “It also kicks like an angry pack beast.”

“I have treated angry pack beasts.”

“Then you know they do not become less angry because you understand anatomy.”

The brief humor eased nothing and helped anyway. Dreven entered the armory as Kesta adjusted the sling. Every conversation quieted. His earlier confinement order had turned private conflict into public governance; no one could now pretend the camp’s future did not depend on how he handled her refusal. He placed a command token on the table.

“This gives Kesta authority to halt the mission for medical or conditioning threats,” he said. “Her order overrides mine within those limits.”

One elder guard protested. “A claimed outsider cannot override Ash Camp’s commander.” Dreven looked at him. “Then consider her Ash Camp’s appointed medic.”

“Is she?”

Kesta answered. “For this mission, yes. Afterward, the council can argue about whether usefulness counts as belonging.” The guard’s expression said he intended to. Dreven distributed the remaining authority tokens to Keth and Jessa. He did not give Kesta’s token to her. He set it on the table and waited for her to take it. The care with which he kept the roles separate was almost painful to watch. Kesta picked it up. Only then did they move to the western gate.