He shot his sister an appraising look. She was young and spunky, just turning sixteen, and glad to be anywhere but Plumas. She had a button nose, blue eyes, and ragged brown hair that she cut herself whenever it grew too long and annoying. Her snappy wit made her delightful as a traveling companion but wicked as a verbal opponent if anyone tried to insult her.

“Will the ship take that kind of abuse?” he asked.

“I’d call it exercise.”

“Later,” he said. “Right now I’m only interested in getting out of here. I’ll let you dock at Rendezvous.”

As Plumas dwindled behind them and Jess set course, Tasia called up his past expedition logs. “Are we really going to look for the Burton again? Found any new clues?”

“No, that was just an excuse to bring you along before Dad could find a way to keep you occupied.” He stared into the streaming stars. “I don’t think the Burton will ever be found, given the time and distance and the hazards of space. Losing only one out of eleven generation ships seems an acceptable percentage to me, considering their old-fashioned technology.”

Tasia gave him a quirky smile. “Probably a better chance of finding the Burton than of re-establishing peace between Dad and Ross.”

Jess sighed. “Still, it’s our responsibility to work hard to soften the old man’s heart. Ross is getting married to Cesca in a year or so, and we can use that as an excuse to tie our family together.”

Tasia, too warm after living under the ice sheet, adjusted the temperature inside the ship. “He’ll come around, Jess. Dad is too smart a businessman to keep up a feud with the husband of the new Speaker.”

“You may be right.” Jess let her take the controls and went to make them some pepperflower tea, hoping to avoid further discussion of the subject of marriage. Every time he thought of the upcoming wedding, his heart felt heavy and he was afraid his love for Cesca Peroni would show on his face.

Tasia was always delighted to see the glittering asteroids and artificial structures of Rendezvous, and Jess was likewise delighted to see the joy on his sister’s face.

Clan representatives came forward to greet them in a flurry of layered cloaks and jerkins, all embroidered with family markings and beautiful designs. Already considering her own marriage prospects, Tasia flirted with the young men, though she would no doubt be even pickier than her father.

Rendezvous was a place where all Roamers could speak their minds, make business deals, leave messages for extended groupings, interact with cousins and distant family members. Because the clan units were small, exchanging unmarried men and women was vital to keeping their culture and their people strong.