“I’d like that.” Beryl answered before Zylar could.

But he seemed glad enough to endorse her desires, whatever they were. “Indeed. It would be wise for us to travel before we receive approval for our clutch. Once that occurs, I fear we will be occupied for some time.”

Helix asked, “Will that happen soon?”

“Not until we earn back some status. It could happen anytime after we’re recalled to Srila. Based on our performance, I would estimate half a cycle.”

“I like it here,” Beryl said softly.

“I know. But it’s not a safe place for us to rear our young.”

“There are lots of interesting smells,” Snaps said. “Right, Aevi?”

The Pherzul confirmed, “There are. I could smell burning from where weapons were fired, and a blood trail from something that crawled away. It was big, but Snaps wouldn’t let me hunt it down. I’m not sure it’s entirely deceased.”

“That would be the Buzu I drove off earlier,” Zylar said.

Helix regarded his old friend with amused curiosity. Before Zylar met Beryl Bowman, he lacked all confidence. He never would have spoken of combat with such casual competence. Truly he seemed to be thriving in the Barrens, well able to adapt to this hostile environment.

“What’s a Buzu?” Aevi asked.

Snaps tried to tell her while Zylar was talking, and rather than compete with the two little ones, he presented a holo of a vicious slug with a huge maw that spewed a bilious, acidic liquid. Only terrifying creatures could survive in the toxic wasteland past the border of the Barrens. Privately, he admitted silent curiosity as to what type of gear they used, if it was similar to the suit Zylar had worn when he took Beryl Bowman from her homeworld.

Qalu leaned forward to inspect the Buzu more thoroughly. “What a fascinating mutation. I believe we saw a similar annelid as part of Volant’s Fabulous Spectacle on Vaadla Station.”

Beryl had questions about their travels, and they chatted a bit more, relaxed now that the deeply emotional matters were handled. The visit stretched to a couple of spans, but on the third darktide, Helix could tell that Qalu was anxious to get home. For his own part, he craved time alone with her. They’d passed each span curled up together on the makeshift sleep platform, and he couldn’t wait to return to Tiralan. Early, right after he awakened, he booked passage on the next shuttle arriving in the Barrens. When Qalu and Aevi roused, he whispered the news, and Aevi scrambled up to nuzzle her face against his.

Then she cavorted around the common room, singing, “Home, home, we’re going home!” Until Zylar and Beryl emerged to see what the commotion was.

“You’re leaving?” Zylar asked.

“We’ve imposed long enough,” Qalu responded. “You were most gracious to entertain us, but my mothers must be incredibly anxious by now.”