“Me too. After—after what happened—” Clo sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. “We’d helped Sher out of a tough spot a few months before. When he heard, he came back with a man named Briggs. They swore up and down they’d take care of me, that the resistance could use a mechanic like me.” Clo gave a laugh. “I thought they were bogging mad. First, that they thought a scrap like me could be useful, but I told them the Novantae would no’ barrage the Empire. Like trying tae move a boulder with a few drops of rain.”

“Feels that way. What’d he say?”

“Some poetic shite about how drops of water could move mountains. Or it only takes one spark to catch a flame. Nonsense. Just giving a kid some comfort.”

Rhea gave a half-smile. “He gave you wise words. It takes ages for water to move mountains, or for fire to catch on damp wood. It takes just as long to grieve someone we love.” She rested her head in her hands. “What was it like?” Rhea asked. “Having a mother?”

Clo stiffened.

“You don’t have to answer—” Rhea started.

“It’s okay.” She tried to think of an answer, letting the Snarl keep coloring her voice. “Ye took care of yer own, because no one else was gonnae. My mam held me at night. She sang me tae sleep. If scran grew too scarce, she gave me her own and told me she wasnae hungry, even though I knew she was. It’s been years, but sometimes I’m so . . .” She tightened her jaw, stared at the controls.

“Angry?”

“Yes.”

Their conversation lapsed into silence. Clo snuck a covert glance at Rhea.

Rhea met her eyes, as if she knew exactly what she was thinking. Clo coughed, put the ship on autopilot, and moved over to those wide, beautiful windows. She’d never been able to fly a ship big enough she could walk around the bridge with ease.

“You haven’t forgotten what you told me before the mission on Macella, have you?” Rhea asked.

“If I didn’t die, I’d show you the galaxy.” Clo’s grin was slow. “Yeah, I remember.”

“Lo and behold, you made it.”

“I did almost get hit by an elevator and I jumped off a damned building, but aye, still in one piece. More or less.” She stood and beckoned with her fingers. “Come with me.”

“Where?”

“Back to the observation deck. I want to keep my promise.”

With a smile, Rhea followed Clo down the bridge and through the halls to the observation deck. Telling Rhea to wait, Clo shoved the chairs to the back and gestured for the other woman to stand in the middle of the room. At the control panel, she turned off the lights, flipped one last switch, and joined Rhea.

Rhea opened her mouth to speak. “Wh—”