Our next destination was just a normal planet. It was the one that had ordered the large farming equipment, and we had the fifty cargo containers unloaded and on the planet in only six hours. No one wanted to rest there, so we secured everything on the ship and went to the next destination. This went on and on, and each stop barely took any time as each one had smaller orders to deliver.

During each hyperspace jump, with Cassie's help, I managed to decipher and plot out all of the ship data that Meaglesnarn had given me on (Undecipherable)'s ship. When I compared it to the ship data I had on the missing ships, the information about the ship's capabilities matched the second one. The one where I had seen his apprentice's ugly face in the passenger manifest.

After Cassie ran everything through the navigation computer, it compiled them all into a consistent course and gave me the locations that the ship visited the most. Unfortunately, it was nowhere near where the long haul transport was headed. Rus offered to change course to get me as close as possible, and I flatly refused. They had put themselves at too much risk already by having me aboard and I wouldn't ask them to intentionally lose money by changing their course so significantly.

What was fortunate, or fateful, was that Cassie had been running her own search without my knowledge. I wasn't sure how she did it, or where she got her information; but, she had managed to track down the giant gas planet where my parents had been killed and I had been kidnapped. That would have been significant all on its own, and I was quite happy with that... then she surprised me by showing me a long term docking fee for a ship that matched the registration papers I had in my possession, then she brought up the navigation data on her console to get there.

“How did you...” I stopped talking and bent down to give her a hug from behind. “If I wasn't saving myself for someone and if you weren't such a bitch when you get angry...”

Cassie reached up and smacked the top of my head. “If I wasn't sitting down right now, I'd kick you right in the balls.”

“I really like you, too.” I said, and that made her laugh.

“That's actually not too far from our normal route.” Rus said. “Mind you, there's not really much to do near a gas giant.”

“Dad, I've worked out a new course that will add it as a stop before we head too far out to come back to it.” Cassie said. “It'll add a day to the delivery on Apan, though.”

“Those people love me.” Rus said and waved her concerns away. “I'll message ahead at our next stop and let them know about the delay.”

“How many more stops?” I asked as I let her go.

“Only three.” Cassie said. “We don't have any layovers left and the ship is nearly empty, so you've got just over a week before we get there.”

“I'll be ready to leave then.”

“Are you sure?” Rus asked. “You've been a great member of the crew so far. I wouldn't mind you sticking around long enough for that pay raise.”

“It's been great being here for the last three months; but, if I can get my parents' ship back... I mean, my ship back... then I need to do it.” I said and pointedly ignored Cassie's and Luxea's reactions.

“That's understandable.” Rus said, then smiled. “Feel free to take as many jumpsuits as you need.”

I laughed. “I appreciate the offer; but, I think the novelty has worn off, even if some of them had Cassie in them.”

Cassie blushed, and I kept to myself that it could mean two different things. The first being the ones she wore and the second being the ones the men wore that she slept with.

“You do remember that she's my daughter, don't you?” Rus asked.

“Rus, I've never forgotten that she's your daughter.” I said, my voice full of respect. “I better start getting my things in order.”

“You have a week to do that.” Cassie said.

“It's not really going to take me long.” I said. “I've only bought two normal outfits during this whole trip and I only wore one. Everything else I've kept in my sleeping compartment.”

“There's large laundry bags in the jumpsuit closet.” Rus said. “Take a couple if you want.”

“Thanks.” I said and left the cockpit. I went to the crew compartment and grabbed the laundry bag that was more like a duffel bag and added my clothes to it, then I took a second bag and added my personal belongings to it, wrapped it up tightly, then put it inside the clothing bag. I added the rifle and pistol next and tied the bag. I covered the top of the bag in Presence and made it solid, then put it back into the personal storage of my sleeping compartment.

That didn't take as long as I thought it would. I thought and sat down on my bunk. I stared at the small bundle and took several deep breaths. My entire life in one sack.

It was the second time it had happened to me, and I sighed as I covered the personal storage with Presence and made that solid, too. With that out of the way, I took out a datapad and looked up the systems for my ship and started to study.

The week of small deliveries passed by as if it hadn't happened and the long haul transport jumped into the system with the super gas giant planet. With the ship nearly empty, we decelerated quickly and parked into a high orbit, well away from the small space station in geosynchronous orbit. After a bit of communication tag back and forth, since we had arrived during the local night, we were granted permission to send the shuttle.

“I think I'd rather wait until morning.” I said to Rus.

“Actually, it's better to get over there and get things handled and during the night shift.” Luxea said, and I raised my eyebrows at her. “They aren't going to be too strict on procedures and should just process your ship with little or no fuss.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Luxea said and stood. “I'll go with you and show you how it's done.”

“I don't want to trouble you.”

Luxea chuckled and waved for me to follow her. “We can grab Rhubin on the way by the crew compartment and then head to the shuttle.”

I let her lead me down through the levels to the crew compartment and I stopped her from entering the hallway. “He's in there with Evelyn.”

“He's what?” Luxea asked, then sighed. “I told Evelyn we were close to port an hour ago.” She said. “What are they doing?”

“Ah... things.” I said.

Luxea walked over to the small panel by the hatch to the hallway and hit a button. “Rus, blare over the speakers that Rhubin was supposed to have the shuttle prepped already.”

“Oh, that's mean.” I said with a grin.

“Tell me what they do.” Luxea said and matched my grin with her own.

I nodded, then Rus' voice blared over the speakers throughout the ship that Rhubin was about to be charged with dereliction of duty for not having the shuttle prepped when it was needed. I laughed when I saw both Rhubin and Evelyn jump at the loud noise, then Rhubin tried to sit up. Evelyn was on top, so she tumbled off of him and the bunk as she fell to the floor.

I described it to Luxea and she laughed with me as I told her about them scrambling to get dressed. After about five minutes of them fumbling around, both Rhubin and Evelyn came out of his sleeping compartment and walked over to the hatch. When it opened, they saw Luxea and I holding our sides and laughing at them.

“Ha. Ha.” Evelyn said. “That wasn't funny.”

“Yes, it was! Ha haha hahaha!” Luxea laughed. “I told you an hour ago to get ready for port duty.”

“I thought you were warning me that I only had an hour left.” Evelyn said.

Luxea kept laughing and Evelyn went up the ladder to the medical bay.

“Sorry, Ullir.” Rhubin said. “I'll have the shuttle ready as soon as possible.”

I didn't say anything as he hit the button to open the floor hatch to go down to the next level, then Luxea and I followed him all the way down to the level with the shuttle dock.

“Hey, kids.” Donny said as he came in through the side door and unhooked his helmet. “Docking clamps are released, so you can take off whenever you want.”

“Come with us.” Luxea said.

“What for?” Donny asked.

“Obviously so you can check the outside of Ullir's ship.” Luxea said. “I'm going to make sure they didn't mess with anything on the inside, and you need to check everything on the outside.”

“Hazard pay?” Donny asked.

“Yes, you'll get a bonus for a space walk outside of the hangar, if... and only if... Ullir's ship isn't housed and is just floating in space.”

“Then count me in.” Donny said. “My suit's energy packs are freshly charged and I don't have to change them.”

“How's your internal air?”

“I'll round it down to twenty three hours left.” Donny said.

Luxea nodded and made sure the umbilical to the shuttle was pressurized, then she opened it and ushered us all through it to the shuttle. We were out the docking bay about ten minutes later, once Rhubin started everything up and did his checklist for full operation. He did it all quietly and didn't look at anyone else while he worked.

We didn't poke or prod him verbally for not having it done already, even though it was pretty much his only official job. Rhubin flew the shuttle over to the small station and we saw that they had an internal dock for us to land in. He looked a bit surprised and I asked him why.

“It's because the station is so small.” Rhubin said as he manoeuvred the shuttle into the fairly large bay. “All this volume could easily have gone into living quarters or pretty much anything else except for a pressurized landing bay.”

“Maybe they just don't like using a docking umbilical.” Donny suggested.

“Or they had the plans for a large space station and didn't scale it properly, or change it for a smaller one.” Luxea said. “Look at those cargo shipment containers.”

I looked out the large viewing window and saw several cargo containers that were half the size of the ones in the cargo bay of the long haul transport.

“I think you're right.” I said.

“I'll stay aboard and keep the shuttle ready for departure.” Rhubin said.

“I'm not needed yet, so I'll stay, too.” Donny said.

Luxea nodded to them both and led me out of the shuttle. It was weird to step out of it and walk down the small ramp as if we had landed on a planet and not a space station.

I guess I've gotten used to using the docking umbilical for passenger transfers. I thought to myself as we entered what looked like a guard station. It was empty.

“Not even a token watch commander for the night shift.” Luxea shook her head and went through the door at the back. I followed her and the hallways were a little smaller than what should have been on a normal space station. “Yes, the scale is definitely off.” She said and stopped walking when she saw what looked like an information booth. It was unmanned, so she walked around the small counter and quickly typed on the keyboard there. She bought up a schematic of the station that had basic amenities listed on it, and she chuckled.

“What's funny?” I asked.

“It's like a child designed it.” Luxea said. “It has everything a space station is supposed to have, only it's at half the size and the details are all simplified.”

“I don't remember it being this small.” I said. “When I was a kid, my father was gone for a while, then my mother went to look for him. They were gone for a long time, and then...”

Luxea stepped out from behind the counter and put a hand on my arm, then rubbed it consolingly. “I'd say you didn't realize the scale; but, maybe they changed the station since then.”

“Do you think they could change out an entire space station in only twelve years?” I asked, and she shook her head. “What about cutting off or losing a section?”

Luxea shook her head again. “No, there's no indication the station has been compromised or had extensive repairs.”

“Then why would it have taken so long?” I asked, curiously.

“I don't know.” Luxea said and slid her hand down my arm and took my hand. “Come on. I know where the port master's office is.”

“Will he be there?” I asked jokingly. “This place is practically deserted.”

“It's the first time I've been to a station that went by local time and not galactic standard time.” Luxea said. “This place should be a bustling hub of activity, since it's actually the middle of the day.”

“Maybe it's their way of defiance?” I asked as she dragged me down several hallways and we stopped at an unremarkable office. “Okay, this layout is stupid. Shouldn't the port master have an office near the port?”

“He's supposed to.” Luxea chuckled. “If my guess is correct, this is going to be the plushiest office we've ever seen.”

“Oh, damn.” I said, and she laughed. “Do you want to knock, or should I?”

“I'll do it.” Luxea said, and instead of knocking, touched a small square beside the door. I heard a low chime from the other side of the door, and then it opened with a whooshing sound.

I can't make the Warglesnort farting joke. I thought in disappointment.

“Yes, yes. Come in.” A male voice said, and we stepped into the plushiest office I had ever seen. Luxea and I exchanged knowing looks, then walked over to the large ornate desk that had an alien behind it. As far as I could tell, he didn't have any facial features besides a slit for an eye and a slit for a mouth. That was it. It was also kind of creepy.

“You've got business here that can't wait until morning, apparently.” The alien said from the lower slit.

Luxea squeezed my hand in a sure sign that she wanted to speak, so I nodded. “Rather than wait for some incompetent who would be just waking up, I thought it was best to enlist your expertise instead and have it handled properly.”

The top slit on the alien's face pulled open slightly and I saw a large black eye. “My brother is due on shift in the morning.”

“I stand by my words.” Luxea said and squeezed my hand tighter to keep me quiet.

How did she know I was going to speak? I asked myself.

“Ha.” The alien barked a laugh. “All right. You've convinced me.”

She has? I thought in surprise.

Luxea quickly and expertly described the situation to the alien, and he used some kind of hands to activate a tiny holoprojector on his desk. The super gas giant appeared on it, as did the station, the long haul transport we came in on, three other ships docked at various parts of the station, and then a tiny little dot appeared near the polar region of the planet.

My parents could have gone into a large docked ship. I thought in surprise. That could explain why it took so long.

“I can honestly say that it's the longest long term storage we've ever had.” The alien said, then laughed. “It might be the longest anywhere!”

“No doubt.” Luxea said with a huge smile. “You can definitely claim notoriety for not only having it, you can claim it for clearing it out of your inventory.”

The alien used what looked like an insect leg to scratch what should have been its chin that was only a flat surface. “Yes, I see your logic.” He said. “I hope you realize that the storage fees are significant.”

“For twelve years of storage? Of course they are.” Luxea said and let my hand go, then she leaned onto the desk. “Have you used annual compound interest formulas or did you use the monthly?”

“Most people just ask for the price.” The alien said, clearly surprised.

“Most people don't realize how important your job is.” Luxea said.

Is he blushing? I asked myself as the alien's face changed colors slightly. Damn, Luxea. I thought in admiration. She's charming the pants off an alien!

“Since it was long term storage, we had to use the annual interest rate.” The alien said.

“Did you perform basic maintenance?”

“Only on the outside. Once the ship was locked, we didn't have access to the internals.”

“Did you do it monthly to pad the bill?” Luxea asked and swayed her body from side to side slightly.

“You... are very... knowledgeable.” The alien said, clearly flustered.

“Like I said, not everyone knows how important your job is.” Luxea said. “Now I'd like to know what the price is.”

The alien typed something and a little piece of paper popped out of a tiny slot in front of him, and he handed it to her. She read it, and made a ticking sound with her tongue and her lips.

“I thought you said you used the annual rate.” Luxea said and turned her body to the side, and kept up the slight wiggling. “This is a bit much, even with the maintenance.”

“Well... there were administration fees...” The alien said.

“You didn't need to charge for that, did you?” Luxea asked and increased her wiggles. “It was just sitting there.”

“We still... had to... make sure everything was handled.”

“What did you take from it?” Luxea asked.

“The external... communications array and... three of the gravity sensors.” The alien said, and his body started to sway with hers.

“Oh, no.” Luxea said, in an almost helpless voice. “How is the ship going to talk to other ships?”

“We... have a replacement.” The alien said. “Cheaper and much older... but, it works.”

“Then... shouldn't you deduct the brand new communications array cost from the fees?” Luxea asked. “I'll forgive you for taking the sensors.”

“Y-yes. A-all right.” The alien said and typed with four of its hands. The holoprojector turned off and another piece of paper popped out and his shaking hand held it out to her.

Luxea reached out and took it very slowly, then looked at it. “That's much better.” She said happily. “Thank you very much.” She said in a deeper voice. “Where can we get the communications array?”

“Storage crate 134235.” The alien said. “It should be in the hanger where you landed.”

“Yay!” Luxea exclaimed and the alien jumped. “We'll go out and check the ship, then we'll be right back with your payment!”

“O-okay.” The alien said. “H-hurry back.”

Luxea nodded and turned away from the desk, grabbed my hand, and we left the office.