Reath reflexively took a deep breath. He wasn’t the only one who did.

Leox leaned against a tree, mellow and easy. “See, we can look at this one of two ways. One, we didn’t get where we wanted to go as fast as we’d like. That’s unlucky. Not really that bad in the scheme of things, but unlucky. Or two, while hundreds or thousands of people died in a terrible disaster, we were delivered to safety—hell, not just safety, but someplace beautiful. That’s lucky as all get out, don’t you think?”

A few people nodded. Nan didn’t, but Reath caught the shadow of a smile on her face. Even the Orincans began to shuffle a bit on their feet as they relaxed their usual battle stances.

“So instead of looking at our little bit of unlucky, I say let’s celebrate the huge amounts of good luck we’ve had,” Leox said. “We’re coming at this from a place of strength. Why not act like it?”

The luxury ship captain paused only briefly before saying, “Honestly, most of our meals could be comfortably halved and still provide the nutrition of a meal. We do have some to share.”

Not to be outdone, the Mizi captain chimed in with, “As it happens, we’re transporting a shipment of repair parts. Some of them may be of use to those who took damage in hyperspace. Our insurance will cover the losses to our client.”

The Orincan captain grunted, which wasn’t exactly a friendly sound but suggested she and her people would cooperate.

After that, Reath was able to put together an overall manifest of food and other meaningful supplies fairly quickly. At the end, as everyone strolled away, he turned to Leox, who was still leaning against the tree. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it, kiddo. Sometimes we all need a reminder to focus on the good things in life.”

Even a few days before, Reath would’ve been reluctant to believe that he could learn anything (besides basic ship mechanics) from a person like Leox Gyasi. He was glad to have discovered differently.

As Leox continued his meditative stroll through the greenery, Reath was left alone for the first time since the abortive looting of the Amaxine station. It was an unwelcome solitude. If he didn’t have to concentrate on an immediate issue, his mind had time to wander back to the moment he’d faced off with Nan’s would-be kidnapper—

The sound of the lightsaber—the heavy thud of the severed limb on the floor—

Reath was startled out of his reverie by rustling in the ferns, which parted to reveal Dez Rydan stepping through. Dez smiled, but Reath knew why he was there even before Dez said, “How are you feeling?”