“About this jaunt to the Gallery, of course.” Since arriving at the guesthouse an hour earlier, she had changed into a navy-blue jumpsuit. The long streak of white in her hair ran like a vein of silver through her loosely tied ponytail. Her dark eyes shimmered with an iridescent sheen that reminded me of those high-altitude clouds you sometimes saw glittering after sunset, still lit up by the light of the vanished sun.

“A liner went down.” My voice felt hoarse and unreliable in my mouth. “I’ve been sent to look for one of the passengers.”

“And we’re going to hitch a ride on a Reclamation Vessel?”

I shrugged. “It’s the fastest way to get there.”

She crossed the room and perched on the corner of the unused bed. “Why would the Conglomeration pull you out of the jungle for a crashed liner?”

I moistened my lips. “It didn’t crash.”

“Then what happened to it?” Laura’s tone remained light, but she sat back a fraction and her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

“We intercepted a distress signal. The ship was attacked.”

“And this was four days ago?”

“Six by the time we get there.” I dropped my pistol onto the bed.

“And your government hasn’t thought to share this with the Outward?”

“Apparently not.”

A frown creased the skin between her brows. “I don’t buy it. Say we get there and find it’s been shot down. So what? What do they expect you to do about it?”

“They don’t want me to do anything, just hunt for this one person.”

“Who is it?”

“Ona Sudak.”

For the first time, Laura looked surprised. “The war poet?”

“They want me to confirm she’s dead.”

“Can’t they wait for the official report?”

“Not if she’s been taken by anybody else.”

“Why would they think she might be?”

I splayed my hands. “Search me. They just asked me to find her. They said it was something to do with cultural pride.”

“But who would want to kidnap a poet?”

“An ardent fan?”

“Be serious.”

“You want serious?” I stretched, working out some of the aches and twinges in my back. I felt almost giddy at the prospect of leaving this planet, even if only temporarily. At the same time, the responsibility of my new mission left me queasy. This could be my one and only chance to prove myself, and I didn’t want to blow it. “The Gallery’s a disputed system. At least three races claim it. If people start shooting in there, who knows what might happen.”

“So, this is a strictly covert mission?”