Torran pointed to the final man. “Havil Wutra, medic.”
Havil wore a dark blue shirt. He stepped forward and bowed. He was leaner than Varro, which the armor had concealed. In armor, the three of them had looked nearly identical. Havil had deep brown skin, straight black hair, and dark eyes, likely brown or black, with lighter streaks.
I wondered if Havil’s medical training would be applicable to human physiology, because if so, it would be nice to have a trained medic on board.
I took a moment and focused on the group. The headache was immediate and intense, but their auras wavered into view. Chira’s aura was sapphire, Varro’s was topaz, and Havil’s was ruby. Torran’s aura remained an unusual platinum with hints of other colors.
I let the focus go and clenched my hands against the urge to rub my temples. I needed to start practicing again. I’d gotten lax because we’d stopped dealing with Valoffs after the war.
Havil frowned. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice a smooth tenor.
I narrowed my eyes at him. What had he sensed? I waved off his concern. “I’m fine.” I needed to be more careful in the future. I hadn’t felt the brush of his mind, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.
I addressed the group. “Welcome aboard. Did General Fletcher tell you about Luna?”
Their expressions shifted but not enough for me to catch what emotion drove the change. All three nodded.
“Good. If you do anything to hurt or frighten her, I will put you in a spacesuit and send you for a walk outside. If you’re lucky, Lotkez will pick you up. If not, not my problem. We clear?”
“We would never harm a burbu,” Chira murmured, outrage clear despite her soft tone. “We understand.”
“Good. Same thing goes if you start poking around in our heads without permission.” I paused, thinking about Havil’s question. “I know some of you may be empathic and can’t help picking up stray emotions, but if you actively try to read us, you will break the contract, and I will happily keep your money as I sail off without you.”
“I have briefed them on the contract requirements,” Torran said. “They will abide by the terms.”
“If nothing slows us down, it’s five days to Bastion. I’ll work up the duty roster tonight, but for now, you can settle in and familiarize yourselves with the ship. Kee will show you around.”
Kee hopped up from her station and beamed at the group of unsmiling Valoffs. Kee looked delicate and harmless, and she was, unless you threatened her or hers. People always underestimated her, but she was perfectly capable of defending herself long enough to call for help, even outnumbered.
I hated sending her out as bait, but if we were going to be double-crossed, it was better to know now.
“Come on, I’ll give you a tour and show you the best places to hang out.” She headed for the door, talking as she went. “And we’ll let Luna out of the galley on our way by so you can meet her before she ambushes you.”
I tensed at the mention of Luna. The Valoffs already knew about her, so it wouldn’t be a surprise, but Torran’s volcanic reaction was still fresh in my mind.
Kee continued talking as she led Chira, Varro, and Havil from the bridge. “Luna likes to jump on people, but her claws are really sharp, so we made these little shoulder guards for her to use as landing pads. You should get Tavi to show you how to make one, too.”
The door slid closed, cutting off Kee’s bright voice and leaving me with the intense urge to follow her. Instead, I got to deal with Torran, who’d remained behind. I painted on a pleasant expression and reminded myself that he was a paying client.
I could be civil for two months. But it was going to be a challenge.
Chapter Seven
Torran remained by the door while his sharp gaze cataloged the bridge a section at a time. Starlight wouldn’t give up her secrets so easily, but it was better to distract him before he started digging deeper.
“Not interested in a tour?” I asked him.
His eyes cut to me and my skin prickled at the reminder of how they had looked when he was angry. “I’ve reviewed the ship’s map.”
I rubbed a tired hand over my face. It was barely lunchtime of the first day and I was already ready for a break. Only fifty-five and a half days to go. “Do you have any questions?”
“No.”
I held on to my remaining patience with both hands while Eli and Anja pretended to be busy at their terminals. I knew they were pretending because Starlight was flying under autopilot and didn’t need their input.
Summoning every shred of civility I had left, I asked, “Did you need something else?”
Torran tilted his head a fraction of a degree. It wasn’t enough to notice normally, but when he focused on something, he stood so still that every movement was magnified. “No.”
Civility snapped. “Then why are you still on my bridge?”
He frowned and glanced around as if he were looking for something, and suddenly I understood. He was used to being in control, and a captain’s default position was on the bridge.
I’d spent hours and hours staring out at the black for no reason other than I liked sitting at my terminal. With a tap, I could verify that everything was working as expected. I knew that the ship would alert me at the first sign of trouble, no matter where I was on board, but it wasn’t the same.
And I also got antsy when I was on someone else’s ship.
I took pity on him. “Come on, I’ll show you where we store food in the galley and then you can help me with dinner prep. Usually I don’t start this early, but I’m making lasagna tonight and it takes a while to assemble and cook.”
“Please tell me you’re going to make enough for leftovers,” Eli pleaded, proving that he’d been paying more attention to the conversation than he’d let on.
I grinned at him. Lasagna was one of his favorites and we hadn’t had it in a long time because some of the ingredients were expensive and highly perishable. “I’m making two giant pans. There should be plenty for leftovers.” It would take me a while to dial in the required amount of food for the additional people on the ship. Until I had it right, I would err on the side of too much.
Eli looked between Torran and me. “You need any help?”
His meaning was clear, but we’d all have to get used to being alone with the Valoffs. “No, thanks. I’m going to put General Fletcher to work. We have a few hours until the first wormhole traversal. Stick to your usual duties until I update the roster. And keep an eye on the ship while I’m busy.”
Eli dipped his head in understanding. He knew I really meant for him to keep an eye on Kee until she was done with the tour.
That sorted, I turned to Anja. “You’re welcome to take the day to familiarize yourself with the ship. If Kee doesn’t need you, then I’d appreciate an inventory of what you think needs fixing and a priority for each task.”