I wasn’t the only one who was nervous. The bridge was full, even though we were almost a day and a half away from the first wormhole. My crew had changed out of the Valovian armor, but Torran’s team still wore theirs. I wasn’t sure if that was a bad sign, or if they were just more comfortable in armor than clothes.

“Eli, you have the bridge. I’m going to check on the others and then make a snack for anyone who wants one.”

“I have the bridge,” Eli acknowledged. “And if you’re making a snack, I vote cookies.”

“Oooh, yes, please,” Kee said, looking up from Luna. “I’m dying for some sugary goodness.”

I grinned at them. “I’ll see what I can do.”

I left the bridge with a wave and made my way to the crew quarters. Nilo had been put in Havil’s room while he recovered, so the doctor could keep an eye on him. The door slid open at my knock, and Havil smiled at me from where he was propped up in bed. Nilo remained out cold.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Yes, I’m feeling better,” Havil said. “And Nilo will be fine with a bit more rest.”

“Good. Let me know if you need anything.”

Havil nodded, and I waved before sliding the door closed. I moved down the hall and knocked on Torran’s door. I waited for a long moment, but no one answered. Worry nipped at me, but Torran could take care of himself. Maybe he’d decided to take Cien down to the medbay with him.

My stomach rumbled as I headed to the galley. Between the time changes and the weird double sunrises, my body had no idea what time it was supposed to be, but stress burned a lot of calories. Cookies sounded amazing.

The galley wasn’t empty. Torran and Cien sat at the table eating what looked like pasta and cheese. Torran still wore his armor, but Cien had obviously had a bath.

When Cien caught sight of me, he froze, his eyes huge and scared. I stopped near the door. Rather than focusing on him, I turned my attention to Torran. “Kee has requested cookies. Would you like to help me make them, or should I come back later?”

Torran turned to Cien. “Would you like a cookie?”

The child hadn’t taken his eyes off me, his food forgotten. He mumbled something in Valovan, but Torran just waited. Cien sighed. “What is a ‘cookie’?” he asked in Common, his tongue tripping over the unfamiliar word.

Torran said something in Valovan and Cien’s eyes widened, but he didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he watched me like a hawk. It broke my heart to see the kid so scared.