As Gareth finalized his materials for the meeting, he noticed Kurt glancing his way. Kurt must have noticed Gareth’s lack of breakfast because he set aside the food he had picked out. Clasping his hands on the table, Kurt leaned forward a little. Gareth felt a question incoming and paused in scrolling through the manifest.

“Good morning, Captain.” Kurt started and they exchanged pleasantries before he launched into his question. “Have you been a member of the Empire for long?” Well, that was a breath of fresh air. Gareth expected something about his past, the Hughes legacy. This question was more personal. He had been unfair to Kurt, so Gareth gave him a friendly smile.

“My mother was a member of the Database with UEE heritage, so yes. Since I was born.” Gareth answered.

“Hence your interest in applying to the Database?” His eyes were eager.

“The first of many inspirations. You seem interested in the factions.”

“I’m a member of the FSU, third generation in fact,” He forced a smile but it was closer to a grimace. “But I’ve never felt quite at home with them. I’m tired of it, so I’m looking something different.” He answered. Leon chuckled, earning a look of interest from Kurt and amusement from Gareth. “Mr. Gomez, may I ask what caught your interest?” Kurt tiptoed around his words. Leon cleared his throat.

“The Union respects a certain kind of person,” Leon said, resting his coffee mug on the table. “They got their ideals. If you don’t live by’em, you’ll feel like an outsider real quick.”

“Exactly!” Kurt began but bit down on his enthusiasm. “I can, of course, match those ideals – I could work myself to death with the best of them.” He straightened his shoulders, “But I believe there is more to be achieved in life than such hard work.” Kurt was looking for a place that acknowledged him by his own standards. That rang a little close to home for Gareth.

“No wonder you’re so tired.” Leon’s tone was dry, but a smirk grew at the corner of his mouth. The remark didn’t phase Kurt for a moment.

“See, you get where I’m coming from! Are you Union, too?” Kurt asked.

“I was. Second generation. Been imperial a few years now, though.” Leon saw Kurt’s eyes light up. Leon picked up his coffee mug and continued. “We can talk about it later – and I’m not promising any of it would be useful. But the meeting’ll start soon, so I’d eat something if I were you.” He said. Kurt nodded, retrieving the plate of food he set aside.

Relative quiet restored, Gareth returned to finishing his meeting notes. Leon took a hesitant sip from his mug and relaxed, taking a longer drink.

“You’re right, Cap. The dairy is alright.” He said. Gareth did not bother to look up from the screens at his fingertips.

“Good thing you sampled it,” Gareth said, eyes tracing over the checklist for the day. Leon grinned, taking another sip.

“Hey, I’ll try anything once.” Leon began, but Gareth’s eyebrows went up and Leon faltered. “No, but food is different. I’ve had one too many “home-cooked” meals ruin my day. It’s not a good look to be stuck on the-”

“Fair enough.” Gareth interrupted, “I don’t need specifics.” He said, and Leon chuckled. It was quiet for a moment as Leon took another sip. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter.

“You know, you should eat, too.” He said. Maybe, Gareth thought, but a certain level of professionalism is expected of a Captain. He had spent enough time to know the virtue of distance. He met Leon’s gaze.

“I will. Later.” He said. Leon didn’t look convinced, but he nodded anyway.

Gareth waited a few more minutes before getting everyone’s attention. The chatter died down and soon all eyes were on him. Gareth stood at the head of the table, the star map hovering in front of him.

“Welcome to the pre-takeoff meeting for our flight from Bloor Station to the Sarria Docks. We will be taking off this day, the 16th of March, with an ETA of six days.” He indicated the route on the star map hovering over the table, bright neons cutting a path across the stars. So far, so good. “To begin, I would like to welcome our new software tech, Kurt Lawson.” He gestured to Kurt, who stood up. “Would you like to share a few words?”

“Thank you, Captain. I cannot wait to get to know everyone here.” He said, glancing at Leon with a smile before returning his gaze to Gareth. “I spent a long time working with the Union’s upgrade fleet, but I kept hoping for something different. Something to challenge my expertise. Joining you here, I believe I have found that opportunity.” His enthusiasm grew as he spoke, and the table’s mood followed. Yulia’s smile was genuine, Leon’s amused, and Sachi’s knowing. Only one stuck out. “I look forward to sharing my abilities with you as we journey forth.” Kurt continued, but Gareth’s gaze drifted over Valorie. It was often hard to know what the SCT was thinking, but the first word that came to mind was perplexed. It was possible Gareth had said too much to her.

“Your optimism is inspiring,” Sachi said, resting one hand on her chin. “Next time, please consider your verbosity.” Her voice was still light, but it carried a reprimanding tone that brought Gareth back to his teen years. Kurt looked at her and fidgeted by pinching the edges of the table.

“I will do so. Thank you, ma’am.” His voice was tight.

“Thank you, Kurt,” Gareth said. Kurt bowed his head and settled back into his seat. “We will also have two passengers for this trip. Our new passenger is Doctor Alec Porter, a researcher from the Database and our client. In addition to the usual amenities, he also retains access to the bay and his ship. Serge, Sachi, I have instructed him to follow your guidance if he needs assistance.”

“Not an issue, Captain.” Sachi’s knowing smile returned, “I will take good care of him.” She added.

“Right. Good.” Gareth said, his voice turning somber, “I also need to inform everyone that Doctor Porter was recently aboard a ship that was attacked by raiders. He lost many of his colleagues and the past week has been very traumatic for him. I ask you to be patient and give him the space he needs to grieve.” Gareth allowed for a moment of silence. Most of his crew’s faces were downcast or turned away. When it started to feel too heavy, Gareth spoke again, his voice softer.

“During the attack, Doctor Porter lost something very important to him. This leads me to the heart of this meeting. I have agreed to retrieve what was lost.” The tension in the room changed. Everyone was listening before, but now they were focused. “It is a salvage mission. Everyone has heard of the risks. I would not consider such a request without good reason.” He had expected a question blurted out at this point, but the room remained quiet. Each of them was willing to hear him out. He felt a spark of pride in his chest.

“First, it must be said that our earnings will be significant. I have a breakdown of costs and returns available for anyone who is curious. This is not the most important reason for my decision. The wreck is one week old and in a low traffic system. With the initial raid complete, the chance of running into raiders this early is next to zero.” Gareth’s voice leaned into the tone he had used for important briefs before. Likelihoods, statistics, and the preparations around them. When Gareth noticed the pattern he was falling into, he cut himself off. “Does anyone have any questions?”