Reath silently downgraded his thoughts about the size and influence of the Byne Guild. The Vessel was serviceable, sure, but if this was the pick of the fleet, he had questions about that fleet.

His expression must’ve betrayed his thoughts too clearly, because Affie laughed. “Scover doesn’t get why this is my favorite, either. But I feel like certain ships…they have an energy, you know? Maybe even a little bit of a soul. The Vessel has more of a soul than any other ship I’ve encountered. And that’s what I want to travel the galaxy in.”

“I understand that,” Reath offered. Maybe the ship grew on you, after a while. “It does have, um, personality.”

Affie stirred a little water into the bowl, and the pinkish powder puffed up into a sticky bun. “So, okay, tell me what the Jedi are in two sentences or less.”

For the first time in what felt like days, Reath smiled. “Those two sentences might be pretty long.”

“We’ve got nothing but hyperspace and time.” She settled herself into a chair and took a big bite of the sticky bun, through which she mumbled, “Ready for this, Geode?”

Geode said nothing and did nothing.

Reath sighed. Best to begin at the absolute beginning. “Do you know what the Force is?”

Affie gave him a withering look. “Everybody knows about the Force, come on.”

“All right, all right.” He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Sorry. Just making sure. So, the Jedi are Force users united in our quest to understand the mysteries of the Force and to serve as guardians of peace and justice throughout the galaxy.”

“I’ve heard of Force users before,” she said. “But why does that make you monks?”

“I still have one sentence to go. Um, we ground ourselves in a spiritual existence and give up individual attachments in order to focus entirely on greater concerns.”

Affie chewed thoughtfully on her sticky bun for a moment before saying, “So, that means no sex.”

Should he give her Master Jora’s whole speech about the difference between celibacy of the body and true purity of the heart? It was a very long speech. Reath decided to skip it. “Basically.”

She nodded. “Definitely monks.”

“Now, see, that I just don’t get,” Leox said later, when Affie and Geode tried to explain the Jedi to him. “How are you supposed to prove love to the galaxy at large if you don’t know how to love any one individual person?”

Affie shrugged as she double-checked their readings. The wavering blue light of hyperspace glinted off every bit of metal in the cockpit, making it look beautifully electrified. Even Geode sparkled slightly. She said, “You don’t have to have sex with someone to love them. You should know that if anyone does.”