Contents
Twenty-Five
Overview
Jessyn awakens from near-fatal injuries, rebuilds her medication farm, and endures Third Gardener’s probing questions. She learns the attacker was killed, confirming Corvall’s sacrifice and that the plan is in motion. At the orchard she secures the hidden weapon and cylinder, deletes a risky message Garral left, and recommits to her cover work.
Summary
Jessyn wakes in her ship cell, grateful for clear pain after drugged confusion. She finds her medication culture dead and painstakingly sterilizes and restarts the farm with precious starter, balancing risk and scarcity. Holom Coombs greets her warmly, Manni shows strained concern, and Third Gardener arrives to question her.
Pressed to explain the “cave” incident, Jessyn claims a secluded tryst with Garral Pär turned into an attack that killed him and forced her flight. Third Gardener states the attacker was found and killed, which tells Jessyn that Corvall’s sacrificial decoy succeeded and the wider plan is underway. When Third Gardener doubts her unlikely survival, Jessyn deflects and prioritizes returning to survey work.
Jessyn pushes herself to the orchard, aching and lightheaded, determined to preserve her cover. She retrieves the dropped gun and checks the hidden cylinder, then decides not to carry them back, fearing a search. Instead, she conceals both more thoroughly under leaves and debris.
At her kit, Jessyn discovers a half-drafted note Garral had slipped into her old notebook, revealing directions to a new camp and tender memories. Moved but pragmatic, she erases the message to protect the operation and rejects fleeing to an uncertain life away from the world-palace and her brother.
Reaffirming her purpose and secret, Jessyn returns to composing a plausible orchard report, maintaining her role while the covert plan advances in the background.
Who Appears
- JessynWakes injured, restarts her medication farm, fends off interrogation, secures hidden weapon and cylinder, erases Garral’s risky note, resumes cover work.
- Third GardenerSinen overseer interrogating Jessyn about the cave incident and Garral’s death; skeptical of her survival, demands continued survey.
- Holom CoombsGeologist who treated Jessyn earlier; greets her warmly but awkwardly upon her recovery.
- ManniBotanist who shows restrained concern for Jessyn, then withdraws, reflecting the camp’s grief and tension.
- Garral PärPresumed dead; his clandestine draft note to Jessyn offers escape and affection, which she deletes to protect the plan.
- CorvallDecoy attacker whose confirmed death signals the covert operation is underway.