I looked around the crowded bridge. Even though it was after midnight, both crews had stayed up for the traversal. I could see the same relief I felt reflected on more than one face. Wormholes didn’t bother me too much, but the Valoffs seemed much less comfortable around them.

“Everyone should get some sleep,” I said. “It’ll take a couple of hours to arrive, maybe more if their docking department is backed up again. Then we’ll do a quick restock, pick up Lexi, and hopefully leave by tonight.”

“Have you heard from her?” Eli asked.

“Not yet, but the last comm broadcast was yesterday morning. We should be getting a refresh from the station momentarily.”

Long-distance communication was slow at best. Comm drones traversed the wormholes to broadcast messages and news to the next set of drones and ships. In highly trafficked areas, the drones might cross the wormholes six or eight times a day. Out here, it was closer to once a day unless you were sending military or government messages. Stations also kept a two-month queue of received messages, since ships were often out of range.

Urgent messages could be sent via special delivery on high-priority drones, but it got very expensive, very quickly.

“Lexi should’ve arrived late yesterday,” Kee said.

“If I don’t hear from her in the next refresh, I’ll send her a message in the morning. No reason to wake her up now.”

Kee yawned and stretched. “Sounds good. You going to fly us in?”

“Yes, then I’m going to try to sleep until a reasonable hour.”

People slowly trickled from the bridge, leaving Anja and Torran. Anja stopped by my terminal. “Should I pack my things?” she asked quietly.

“Do you want to?”

“No.”

I smiled at her. “I hoped you’d say that. Kee already threatened to mutiny if I let you leave on Bastion and she has to go back to working with Eli.”

Anja looked down. “I barely did anything. And I didn’t get as much done in mechanical as I’d hoped.”

“You did plenty.” And she had. She’d worked her ass off this week. It wasn’t her fault that there were so many issues that needed fixing. My expression sobered. “We are heading to Valovia, likely for weeks. Be very sure that is something you want to do.” I held up a hand to stop her when she would’ve interrupted. “I’m not trying to dissuade you. I want you to be sure, so take tonight to think about it.”

She murmured her agreement and left the bridge, leaving me alone with Torran. Luna had left riding on the improvised shoulder guard Chira had fashioned for her. The burbu seemed to be picking a new Valoff for every traversal, and Chira was tonight’s winner. She had snuggled Luna close as we crossed through the wormhole.