Her Captain’s questions left Valorie confused, but she wasn’t done helping Yulia greet the newcomers. Valorie put the Captain’s behavior aside and raced to catch up with the group. When she reached them, Yulia was asking Kurt what kind of view he would prefer from his room. Garden or space. Valorie treasured her window into the Gardens. There could be some meaning behind the choice, so she watched Kurt curiously.

“Garden, please.” He said, piquing Valorie’s interest. Lucky for her, Yulia continued.

“I’m surprised – you seem like a space guy through and through.” She said. Valorie agreed, curious to see what his response would be.

“Ah, well. I grew up planet-side.” That answer seemed to be enough for Yulia. Valorie felt a sense of calm wash over Kurt with his answer. She had sensed that feeling before when others remembered something pleasant about the past.

“Oh, I’m the opposite. Do you miss it? I’m not sure I would miss space if I settled down.” Yulia grinned, “I mean, I would miss it here though.” The small talk covered their entire trip through the crew quarters. Porter spoke up a couple of times, but Yulia and Kurt did most of the talking.

Once both newcomers had settled into their new quarters, Yulia nudged Valorie’s arm.

“Wanna go have some dinner?” She asked.

“Yes, please.”

“That’s the spirit. You’re hungry after a long day’s work, right?” She asked. Valorie nodded, meeting Yulia’s grin with a small one of her own. Yulia was quiet for only a moment. “About earlier.” She said, turning to look at Valorie. Yulia focused forward when she was quiet, but looked to Valorie each time she spoke. It almost seemed as if she were walking sideways.

“You have concerns?” Valorie said.

“Nothing that formal.” The smile returned to Yulia’s face for a moment before she suppressed it. “I noticed you were quiet. Which means somehow you were quieter than usual. Didn’t even know that was possible. Is everything okay?”

“I needed to make careful observations since I will have to do greetings one day.” She answered. It had started that way. When Valorie focused too much on the details, she forgot herself.

“Is that so,” Yulia said, straightening out her steps again. A moment later, she smiled and spoke in a lowered voice. “Kurt was handsome, wasn’t he?” She said with a conspiratorial laugh. Valorie blushed. Understanding physical attraction between humans was one of her worst areas. Some of her sisters had experience but it was such a mixed bag that Valorie had avoided it so far. Reaching out, she sensed curiosity in Yulia’s excitement.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t look at him that way.” Valorie shook her head, feeling guilty for her lack of a real answer.

“Not your type, huh?” Yulia looked thoughtful for a moment. There was a shift in her feelings, a hint of fear. That startled Valorie, and she looked down. There was something to fear? Yulia clasped her hands in front of her. “Is there someone in the crew that stands out to you?” She asked, the seed of fear still nestled in her curiosity.

Valorie looked ahead as she thought about the question. Someone who stood out to her? There was one person – the first light among the crew that she could recognize from a distance. One whose shadow she had followed across two ships. He always stood out to her. That was the answer, right?

“Quinns,” She said. She must have got it right because relief washed over Yulia followed by a rush of excitement.

“Really?” She grinned, covering her mouth. “No, I shouldn’t joke,” She said, but Valorie could see the corner of her smile behind her hand. “Really?” Yulia said again.

“I can’t explain why,” Valorie said. Yulia’s behavior made her nervous about her answer. But that seed of fear was completely gone, which made Valorie happy, so she let it go.

“Oh, that’s pretty normal. You like what ya like.” Yulia’s smile warmed. “I won’t say anything, don’t worry. If you ever need any help though…” She trailed off. Help with what? Valorie was in over her head.

“I will make sure to ask,” She said, hoping that would be the end of it. Yulia patted her shoulder.

“Anytime,” Yulia said, smiling. She was picturing Valorie and Quinns holding hands, looking very awkward. Valorie blushed when she picked up the image. She needed to change topics quick.

“What do you think Serge made for dinner?” Was the first thing that came to mind.

“Well, he was pretty busy today so something quick I’d say,” Yulia answered. Valorie nodded, pushing for the new line of conversation.

***

Gareth was up early for the meeting at 800 hours. It was easy to get up when sleep eluded you. He finished his preparations with extra time left before the day got started. Extra time he could use relaxing on the bridge, sipping some morning tea.

It wasn’t the mission ahead that disturbed his sleep. It was the run-in with Dupont. Gareth knew his grandparents would not remain complacent for long. When a year had passed, he thought something must have distracted them. Perhaps they would let the issue drop. It wasn’t impossible, there was still imperial pride in working for the Database.

But Dupont had confirmed this hope dead. Gareth’s family wanted to pretend the Helianthus was theirs. That thought settled into his chest like poison, paralyzing whatever it touched.

A group of dockworkers caught his eye. They were starting the early prep for the launch happening in almost three hours. He took a sip of his tea, light citrus elevating the bitter taste. Sachi said it was good for early mornings and a clear head. Gareth found it unpleasant at first, but it grew on him.

So, the truth. His family didn’t want the ship. They wanted him back at the helm of an imperial ship, earning prestige. That’s where they always wanted him. If Gareth didn’t want that, then his family would convince him otherwise. Show him that resistance was not worth it. Gareth closed his eyes, tilting his head back.

He needed to start with a plan. Ground himself in facts and contain the wild fears caused by assumptions. His grandparents’ attorneys wanted to question the ownership of the Helianthus. Running away wasn’t an option – he could not afford to make enemies of the Empire.

He could prove his ownership in the courts. That was the most honest approach. The Helianthus was his and he would not back down on that simple truth. They knew it, too, but they could twist it. Ground the Helianthus while the court deliberates. Follow that up by slowing proceedings down to a crawl. Gareth would fight it, but legal representation was expensive, too. His family did not need to win. All they had to do was wait out his savings.

When Gareth opened his eyes and looked across the bridge, he saw the previous crew. His Uncle Oliver in the Captain’s chair, giving orders and listening to concerned crew. When Gareth was old enough – or well behaved enough, his mother would say – they allowed him on the bridge. Gareth’s uncle made sure he kept out of the way but he would chat with Gareth in the quiet moments. Guiding him in the art of running the ship. A citrus scent wafted by his nose, returning him to the present. He stared at the tea leaves tipping back and forth at the bottom of his cup. It was going to get harder to hide his fears.