Stacia had been up all night. She retreated to her rondavel. Her head hit her pillow, but sleep didn’t come. She curled into a ball, not bothering to toss or turn, letting the warmth from her arms seep into the parts of her she held, hoping to at least warm herself through by the time she chose to rise again. She had gone over holovids, ship’s diagnostics, reports, and communication logs for Paki’s investigation. She’d talked to the scientists on Titan, the Dreaming City, even on O.E. for updates on Bek’s condition. She avoided staying still, on the off chance that Yahya might track her down. The thought of him left her feeling cornered. Until sheer exhaustion caused her to collapse onto her bed, even if her mind raced too much to actually rest. She was alone with her thoughts and no one to parse them with.

“Maya?” she tried again. Nothing. She’d assigned her best techs to inspect their system. Well, the best techs after Paki. Or Bek. She sent a communiqué inquiring about the status of the patrol of ships at the Orun Gate. She rolled one hand into the other, absently popping the knuckles of each finger joint before reversing hands and repeating.

Stacia wasn’t one for conspiracy theories. Facts guided her. Hard, demonstrable, repeatable evidence. Invisible forces, bed partners of politics and deep entrenched business didn’t interest her. She was an experienced scientist, researcher, and critical thinker. She thought her way out of situations.

She needed answers.

Her door chimed, the backup measure for when Maya was down for maintenance. She signaled for the door to open. It did. The ship’s autonomic functions operated just fine. Stacia began a checklist of functions to evaluate before the figure in her entranceway fully absorbed her attention. Dina stood in there wearing her off-duty attire. Clad in a velour kaftan, she was barefoot, her toes painted metallic gold, matching her earrings and rings. “I see you, Stacia.”

“I … see you, Dina.” Leaning against the frame, Stacia half blocked the doorway. “I was about to call you.”

Part of her luxuriated in the energy of the moment. Feeling desired, desiring, the tentative edge of flirting. The heady unknown of a young relationship sprouting uncertain what brand of friendship it might generate. Stacia allowed herself the moment.