โThereโs a lot we can doโin the short-term, mid-term, long-term. Some things will be harder than others, but only if we have the will to see it through,โ I said, deliberately sidestepping the question. Iโd already given them a lot to absorb all at once, maybe too much. โThereโs a powerful saying from my past that feels particularly fitting here: โFreedom isnโt free; it is paid for with the blood of patriots.โ The defenders of Kessik IV who lost their lives fighting the Hurโq were patriots, and its high time we learned the lessons this war has laid bare. Change is not just necessaryโitโs overdue.โ