“Thank you.”

That earned me a bright smile. “Of course. Lexi and I found a few leads, too. We’ll chat later.”

From the side, the waiting shuttle looked like a sleek black rounded rectangle that was designed to hover rather than fly. It had an unfamiliar looping sapphire insignia on the side. Large cargo doors on either end had folded up, allowing the Valoffs to load their supplies.

With a nod, my team started loading our gear. Luna jumped down and inspected the new transport. I didn’t really worry about her running off because she’d stuck by my side through a literal war, but I kept an eye on her nonetheless. I was more worried about a Valoff spotting her and freaking out.

Once everything was loaded, Kee and I did the final lockdown on Starlight. The ship would keep the essential systems running while in standby, but it would take twenty minutes—ten if we rushed—to be ready to fly again.

The cargo door closed with a final thunk as the locks slid home.

Time to see what Valovia was all about.

This was the first time I’d set foot on a Valovian planet during peacetime. Bitter memories tried to swamp me, but I locked them down and focused on the present.

Gravity on Valovia was a little less than Earth standard, so moving was just a bit easier. It wasn’t enough to affect my balance, but it would take me a few days to readjust to Starlight’s gravity once we returned to the ship.

The air was crisp and dry, and the pale blue sky looked washed out against the large orange sun that rose higher every minute. I found it hard to believe that it would set in less than five hours.

I returned my attention to the ground and boarded the shuttle. Luna sat on the tallest stack of crates, observing her surroundings with a keen eye. A dozen seats hung from the ceiling in connected pairs. Each pair was anchored at a single point that looked like it would pivot.

Lexi had already claimed a seat and secured herself, but Havil and Chira were demonstrating the safety restraints to Eli and Anja. Kee poked the nearest pair of seats and they swung slightly.

She caught my glance and grinned at me. “Well, that’s fun.”

Varro drew closer, looking like someone trying to approach a wild animal without scaring it off. “Do you need help?”

If I was generous, I would say that he had asked both of us, but he kept sneaking sidelong glances at Kee while trying to pretend indifference. Kee, who was far from oblivious, beamed at him. “Please. I don’t want to end up on the ceiling.”