As though by magic, the two separated. It was definitely magic that set their forms shrinking and contracting into a humanoid shape again. But it was fear of Niko that made them do it so quickly. Niko wondered if there was any spell powerful enough to remove their ability to shape-shift. A valuable ability in combat, on a space station it had proved considerably more inconvenient. Ever since their mother died, the two had been nearly uncontrollable.

Now both stood naked, staring straight ahead. They appeared perfectly human in this form: tall, well-muscled youths with golden skin, long amber hair, and dark brown eyes, avoiding the captain’s stare.

“What happened now?” she said.

“There’s a bioship in port, and he was rushing to get his work done so he could leave without me and go see it!” Talon said.

“That’s not true! I would have waited! But he takes all the easy jobs!”

“I am the elder, they fall to me.”

“The elder by a mere minute!” Thorn glared at his twin.

Niko’s voice was dangerously low. “No one is going down to goggle at fancy bioships, because tonight is important. So here’s a more important question for you—cleaning up the mess you’ve made in here, is that an easy job or a hard one?”

They looked at the room as though noticing the chaos of their surroundings for the first time. Thorn examined the smear of flour and pickle juice on his foot.

“Easy job, Captain,” Talon said. “We’ll do it together, pick things up. Nothing’s broken.” He glanced around, checking to make sure he wasn’t lying. Aside from a shelf or two, he wasn’t.

“And after that?” Niko said.

“What?” Thorn said uneasily.

“This is the last time,” Niko said. “No more of this, or you’re out.”

“What?!” The word came from both of them simultaneously, their eyes fixed on her in shock.

“I’ve been too easy on you because you were grieving your mother,” Niko said. “If you’ve got the energy to fight, you’ve got the energy to work.” She looked around the small space. “I’m coming back here in a half hour and I want things to look as though this fight never happened. Am I clear?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” they chorused.

They were so young. Barely cubs when they’d been given to her to train. She’d taken those of her troop she could with her rather than leave them to the Holy Hive Mind, but in the process of freeing them all, she sometimes thought she’d saddled herself with ten times the work she would have had if it had been just her and Dabry.

No, she knew she’d saddled herself with ten times the work.

She left the room.

Dabry was in the hallway, and had witnessed the whole encounter. “Sometimes you’re not a very nice person,” he said mildly.