Suddenly, it occurred to her that Helix didn’t have any identification, but he didn’t seem troubled. Indeed, when it came to his turn, he offered his forelimb like it had a chip in it, and the terminal flickered, then the information appeared. He must have hacked the system. So fast, so flawless, and yet the droid in charge of such matters appeared to have no idea.

“Proceed,” said the passenger control bot. “Enjoy your time on Vaadla Station.”

Qalu had a little more trouble since she had Aevi, but Helix resolved that too, adding an appendix to her own travel clearances, clarifying that the Pherzul was a bonded companion, required for Qalu’s emotional welfare. She supposed that was correct, more or less, as they had been together for ages.

Eventually, they wound up on the other side, entering the station proper. There were multiple levels with open space between, room for the slow rotation of the station’s axis that created artificial gravity. Colored signs flashed for products and places to visit, some with holo advertisements motion-activated as they went by. On Vaadla Station, there were more aliens than Qalu had ever imagined, all going about their business in a rush. She tried not to seem as ignorant and inexperienced as she was, but she couldn’t help staring in all directions at once. Aevi was doing the same, and it took all Qalu’s strength to prevent the Pherzul from dashing off. That might have been safe on the resistance ship; here, it absolutely was not.

The walls were made of a smooth, pale metal that gleamed as the colored lights poured over it, gilding the whole station in a festive air. Though the air lacked the freshness of the outdoors, it still held a sweeter tinge than one would expect, better than the recycled staleness on the resistance ship. And the Vault had been even worse, like breathing dank algae soup.

“This is rather exciting,” she whispered to Helix. “Where should we go first?”

He’d visited other stations before. Maybe Gravas was even bigger. It occurred to her that they ought to talk about everything he’d seen and done after he left Barath. She’d enjoy listening to his adventures, but first, they should have one of their own.

Helix turned from his intense assessment of their environs. “Accommodations first. And then, we should see if we can find a public garden where Aevi can play.”

“You do love me!” the Pherzul shouted, drawing looks from multiple passersby.

The vocalization chip wasn’t a common mod, but Qalu was glad she’d gone with it. Talking to Aevi always granted her great joy. Kicking off Qalu’s chest, Aevi launched herself at Helix and he caught her, tucking her safely against his shoulders. His head tendrils fluttered, showing that he was moved by this display of affection and trust.