“I can make a bed,” he confirmed. “This, at least, is not so different.”
I gave Torran the same spiel I’d given Anja. To my surprise, he didn’t balk at the assumption that his people would join in shared crew duties such as cleaning, but his eyes narrowed at the communal dinner. “Is that a problem?” I asked.
“You cook for everyone?”
“We occasionally trade off, but yes, I usually cook dinner.”
“You would cook for us, too?” he asked, something odd in his tone. His expression had turned flat again, so it was no help.
“Yes,” I said slowly, “assuming you can eat what we eat. It’s easier to prepare one big meal than a bunch of small ones. But if you would rather cook for yourselves, you can, though I would still prefer if you ate dinner at the same time as the rest of the crew. It helps build camaraderie. If you need your own food, you should ask your people to pick it up while they are out.”
“We brought food with our supplies. Most of it is human fare we picked up along the way, which you are welcome to use. If my crew gets restless and homesick, I will cook for them from the supplies we brought from Valovia.”
“You cook?” I asked in surprise.
He stiffened in offense, and his tone was biting when he said, “Leaders provide for those under their care.”
Not often enough. I kept the words locked behind my teeth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend the question as an insult. I figured you had people who cooked for you.”
He didn’t look any less insulted. “It is my honor to feed my crew. Are you not the same?”
“Me, personally, or humanity in general?” I asked, then waved and continued without waiting for a response. “I enjoy feeding my crew, but in general, humans have a more ambivalent attitude toward cooking. Some enjoy it, some loathe it. Is it going to cause some sort of interstellar incident if I cook for your people?”
He considered me for a long moment. “No.”
Well, that wasn’t exactly reassuring.
He turned his head toward the cargo bay, and his eyes went distant. “My crew has returned.”
A second later, the proximity warning alerted me to their presence. I wondered if they had contacted him, or if he was mentally keeping track of everyone in the area. Could he even do that? There was so much we didn’t know about Valovian abilities.
I hoped that lack of knowledge wasn’t something I would come to regret.
Chapter Six
In the cargo bay, the Valoffs were busy emptying the levcarts of boxes, crates, and trunks. A few large soft-sided duffels were in a pile off to the side. Without a word, Torran started carrying supplies. I sighed and did the same.
The nearest Valoff jerked in surprise when I picked up a box, but I ignored them. I’d never been one to stand around and watch while work needed to be done, and I wasn’t going to start now. As much as I might regret the decision, the Valoffs were still my clients for the next eight weeks.
A minute later, Eli joined us, scowl firmly in place. He growled out a barely civil greeting and picked up a crate, muscles flexing. One of the Valoffs in armor stared for a second before turning their attention back to their own crate.
With all of us working, the carts were quickly unloaded. I swiped an arm across my forehead, wiping away the light sheen of sweat. The landing bay was warm today, but I didn’t close the cargo ramp. We’d be shut in soon enough. Might as well enjoy the fresh air while we could. Well, fresh-ish. The recycled air carried the bitter tang of mechanical grease and hot metal.
Torran’s crew left to return the levcarts. While waiting for them, I caught sight of a tall woman in a station security uniform heading straight for Starlight. She was flanked by a half dozen guards.
“Any idea what that’s about?” Eli asked quietly from my right.
I rubbed the side of my face. “Unfortunately.”
Torran stepped up on my left. “Is there a problem?”
“Most likely.” There wasn’t time to say more.
The security liaison and her entourage stopped at the bottom of the cargo ramp. She was a bit younger than me, perhaps in her late twenties. Her brown hair was pulled back into a severe bun. Her eyes flickered over Torran and Eli before landing on me. “Octavia Zarola?”
“Yes?”
“Security footage from this morning revealed that you are harboring a dangerous fugitive. Turn over Anja Harbon immediately or face sanctions.”
I sighed in frustration. The universe owed me a good turn, but today wasn’t my day. “What is she accused of?”
The woman blinked. “It is none of your concern.”
“I disagree. Anja is my mechanical engineer. As her captain, I have the right to demand details as well as proof of a crime.”
That earned me a sneer. “She is a traitor. If you refuse to hand her over, you will share her fate.”
“Why don’t you tell the truth: she’s being shadow banned because the station master’s wife failed to mention that she was married, and the station master is pissed and trying to save face by punishing someone who doesn’t have the political power to protect herself.”
The security liaison went livid. Bright red color bloomed in her pale cheeks and her hands fisted. Behind her, the guards shifted restlessly.
Next to me, Torran stood statue-still, but I could feel the power swirling around him. I couldn’t explain how exactly, but it felt angry, much like it had earlier when he’d found out about Luna. Hopefully that anger was directed at the security liaison or the station master, because if not, we were going to have a real problem.
Eli shot me an exasperated look before turning a blinding smile on the security liaison. “I’m sure this is all just a little misunderstanding,” he coaxed, smile still firmly in place. “Why don’t we discuss it in private?”
She blinked and swayed slightly before steeling her spine. “There is nothing to discuss. Turn over the fugitive immediately.”
Captains had a lot of autonomy on their own ships, even when those ships were parked in a station’s landing bay. She couldn’t force me to turn over Anja because the station didn’t have any proof of a real crime. But she could force me to leave and Torran’s crew wasn’t back yet. “I’ve yet to see any evidence against her. Come back when you have some and we’ll talk.”
“If you refuse to cooperate, then your docking authorization is revoked, as is all future station access. Leave immediately. If you delay or return, you will be arrested.”
“While I would be very happy to leave your station behind, I am waiting on additional crew.”
Her eyes lit and her lips twisted into a cruel imitation of a smile. Crew away from the ship didn’t have the same protection as crew on board. “How unfortunate,” she murmured. “I’m sure they can catch up with you at the next station.”
“You would interfere with a Valovian diplomatic mission?” Torran asked, his voice cool.
“Starlight’s Shadow does not hold a diplomatic registration,” the woman sneered.
“Perhaps not. But I do, and I am a paying client of Captain Zarola.”
“And you are?”