After we restocked and picked up Lexi, we’d pass through the heavily guarded wormhole that divided human space and Valovian space. Then we’d travel for a day before the final traversal spit us out close to Valovia itself. If everything went according to schedule, we should be on-planet by the eighth day. As far as space travel went, it was almost speedy.

Now if only we could catch the thief as quickly.

Why would a human go all the way to Valovia to steal something from Torran? It didn’t make sense. There were plenty of less risky targets in the human sectors.

The door to the bridge slid open while I was pondering possibilities. A glance over my shoulder revealed the Valoff in question. Torran nodded in greeting and then slipped into the comm terminal. He did a cursory check of the ship’s systems and then settled back in his chair.

“Why didn’t you hire a bounty hunter at Bastion?” I asked. Not only would it have saved him several days of travel, but it also would’ve offered a much better selection.

Torran glanced at me before returning his attention to the comm terminal. “There are too many ears on Bastion,” he said at last. “I did not stop.”

So he really was trying to keep the theft quiet. “What was stolen?”

His gaze cut to mine, and I saw calculation in his eyes before he masked his expression. “A family heirloom.”

“If you want my help—and you appear to, with the amount you’re paying me—you’re going to have to give me more than that. Or we can agree it’s an impossible task, and I can keep the initial payment and let you off on Bastion.”

Torran sighed, and for the first time, he looked worn and worried. “I want your help,” he murmured. “The thieves stole a very old, very important ring. It’s engraved with my family’s insignia, and possessing it gives the holder the right to access the family’s accounts and properties.”

“Shit,” I breathed as the full implication hit me. “Can you invalidate the transactions because the ring was stolen?”

One shoulder lifted. “Perhaps, but it will not be easily done.”

“Have they already accessed your accounts?”

He paused, clearly debating whether or not to tell me the truth. “They tried. I moved the vast majority of our assets into protected accounts as soon as I learned of the theft.”

“How many assets are still at risk?”

Torran stared at the stars on-screen for a long moment. “Enough.”

“If the ring is so important, why wasn’t it secured?”

“It was.”

I snorted. “Then your security sucks.” I talked through the heist. “So a team of—do you know how many thieves were involved?”

“At least four.”