I nodded. “Once.” Kee had caught a stray plas pulse during what should’ve been an easy pickup. I shoved down the memories of blood and fear. The autostab had saved her life, even if the slow journey back to civilization had taken a decade off mine. I swallowed and continued, “It paid for itself.”

Anja’s expression turned grim and her mouth tightened in sympathy. She, too, knew about loss.

I mentally shook myself. “Let’s skip the bottom level, since you already saw it yesterday. Any questions before we start carrying boxes?”

“What’s the ship schedule?”

“We usually run on a standard day cycle with everyone on a single daytime shift unless we’re in dangerous territory. You will be expected to help with general cleaning in addition to your mechanical duties, but everyone gets plenty of downtime. We’ll add you to the dinner cleanup schedule, which is shared by everyone who doesn’t cook. If you enjoy cooking, let me know, and I’ll swap days with you.”

Anja laughed. “You don’t want me in the kitchen.”

“Fair enough,” I agreed with a smile. “Dinner is communal, and while eating together is not required, it’s encouraged.”

“Will the Valoffs eat with us?”

I grimaced before reluctantly nodding. “I’d rather keep an eye on them, so yes. Is that going to be a problem?”

“No. I can be civil, but I doubt we’re going to end up best buds.”

“Civil is all I ask.”

By the time we’d moved Anja’s stuff into her quarters and returned the levcart, both Kee and Eli were awake. I found them in the galley. Kee sat at the bar while Eli worked the stove. Luna was nowhere to be found. She liked to nap after meals, so she’d likely be in the garden.

Eli turned to slide eggs out of a pan and onto two plates. “You want some?” he asked when he caught sight of us.

“No, thanks.” I’d grab something later when I got hungry. “Anja?”

Her stomach growled, but still she hesitated.

“If you don’t like eggs, you’re welcome to have something else,” I said. “There’s plenty of leftovers in the fridge, or we have meal bars.”

“Don’t listen to our fearless captain. I make a mean scrambled egg—far better than some tasteless meal bar.” Eli’s smile was warm and welcoming, and it took me a second to remember the effect he had on others.

Anja blinked and rallied enough to say, “Eggs would be great, thank you. I can clean up.”

“I’ve already volunteered,” Kee said with a bright smile. She handed one of the plates to Anja and kept the second one as Eli returned to cooking. “But I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to keep me company. I’m Kee, systems engineer. And that ugly brute is Elias, first officer, but we all call him Eli. Welcome aboard!”