Meladee entered their superliminal path.

Through ship to ship communication, Benham asked, “Are you ready?”

“Listen. I’m not an expert at this. I’m gonna take my time.” Meladee continued to enter the numbers and checked them one by one.

“I thought you were a pilot.”

“I am. I was just a sailor first. Then, I was an airship pilot, and now, I’m getting the hang of this superliminal travel thing.”

Benham’s ribbing didn’t bother her one bit.

“What kind of technology does your planet have? You guys don’t seem exactly space age, and your clothes…”

“...Are so beautiful you can’t take your eyes off the reams of cotton and silk,” Meladee finished for him.

Benham paused; then, laughed. Meladee imagined his smile. He seemed to love her jokes.

Behind her, Camellia and Eva waited at the navigation and weapons stations. Meladee looked back, hoping to bask in the glow of success with her friends. She was surprised to find negative expressions. Eva’s conveyed annoyance; Camellia’s sadness. Meladee raised her eyebrows and turned back to her helm.

“Okay, now I’m ready. Will we still be able to talk on the trip?” Meladee asked.

“Yes. It’s going to be a long trip. We’ll have to stop for fuel along the way. How much fuel can your ship carry?” Benham’s voice sounded a bit distant. He probably leaned away from his speaker.

Meladee looked at Eva and cut ship to ship communications. “How does this thing go?”

Eva reactivated the com. “Solar energy. We have a backup system that runs on more traditional fuel, but the entire hull is equipped to absorb energy from stars, even distant ones. We won’t need to refuel at the waypoint.”

“Lucky,” came Benham’s voice. “Okay, I’m going to engage superliminal drive. Follow me.” Benham’s ship flashed off their screens.

Meladee caught sight of it again when she engaged their drive.

Both ships raced through space, Benham’s Mountaineer and their Halfmoon. For a moment, Meladee watched through the windshield. She almost couldn’t believe she had a spaceship. And, it was bigger and better fueled than their new friend’s.

Wow, Meladee marveled.

Benham restarted the conversation, “Where did you get the Halfmoon?”

“It’s just Halfmoon,” Meladee corrected. “And, we got her from under a mound of creature flesh.”

Benham paused. “The big creature or the small one?”

“Big one. Goes by the name Ul’thetos. I never saw the small one. I’m not sure just how big the so-called little one is.”

“About a quarter acre,” Eva said.

Meladee jumped. She’d been so focused on her helm and Benham’s voice, she forgot Eva and Camellia shared the cockpit. Meladee looked back at both women.

Eva rose from the weapons station. “I’ll be below where I can monitor the ship. I’ll keep communications on.”

Camellia nodded and turned back to her station.

“So….how big is a quarter acre?” Benham asked.

Camellia and Meladee exchanged a glance. With a wave of her hand, Meladee left the explanation to Camellia.

Camellia shrugged. “Oh, it’s about the size of an average plot of land in Tagtrum’s bigger cities.”

“I’ve...never been to Tagtru…” Benham let the unfamiliar word die on his tongue.

Meladee shot Camellia a confused look. What the hell is up with her? She wondered where Camellia’s precision and attention to detail had gone.

Camellia caught the look but avoided Meladee’s eyes.

Camellia tried again. “My apologies. The little creature would have just barely fit the pool with the hottub.”

“Damn.” Benham whistled.

“And, remember that’s the small one.” Meladee wasn’t impressed by Camellia’s size description. She had thought the little one was even bigger.

A long pause followed, but Benham resumed the conversation, determined to talk. “Does the little one have a name?”

“Yeah, that one calls itself Ah’nee’thit.” Meladee tapped her controls and read the travel plan. “This trip is going to be a long one. Do I have to sit here the entire time?”

“Someone should. You’re lucky. Eva can take a turn. I have to sit here…all alone.” Benham sounded bored. “I wish one of you had come along with me.”

“No can do. We’re kind of paranoid,” Meladee said. “Don’t worry, Benham. We’re going to entertain you.” Meladee tapped her head. “Think...think...I’ve got it. The perfect conversation. And, it’s funny too.”

“I like funny,” Benham called.

“So, a few days ago, Eva and I talked about what happens if we get sucked into the vacuum of space.” Meladee smiled.

“This is funny?”

“Quiet,” Meladee scolded. “Obviously, Camellia and I would just die.”

“Yeah,” Benham cut in. “So far not very funny.”

Meladee continued, “Eva, however, can survive for a whole year. In this hypothetical situation, she’s been sucked out through the hull. We’re all dead, and she’s stuck. Now, she has to figure a way out. She said she would end her life with her welder, but she hasn’t got her welder...”

“Why haven’t I got my welder?” Eva interrupted from Engineering. “If I was just fixing the hull, I have the welder.”

“No, no. You grabbed something else by mistake.” Meladee put a hand on the speaker as if that could calm Eva.

“It’s not in my nature to grab a spanner when I need a welder,” Eva said.

“You had a glitch. Now, you have to deal with it. So, what do you do?” Meladee waited. “Eva? Eva?”

“She cut communications.” In her eyes, Camellia held disappointment. “I don’t think she’ll take a piloting shift now.” Camellia rested her head on her hand and didn’t bother to look at Meladee any more.

Meladee frowned and watched Camellia. Downtrodden seemed the best descriptor. Suddenly, the space and welder conversation seemed like a bad idea.

“Bad topic,” Benham said over communications.

“Yeah,” Meladee agreed.

Camellia exited the ship. She disembarked and found Mountaineer in the next parking space.

Several feet away, Benham spoke to uniformed men. Camellia stiffened. Then, she realized the uniforms were not costumes of the Finial. Instead, they designated the men as fuelers. One even held a thick tube. Tucked under his arm, it trailed towards a massive tank, half of which was underground.

Camellia looked beyond the fueling station. She beheld an open market and some distant buildings. Though the buildings were large, simple architecture gave the place a cozy feel.

“This place seems to be a trading post.” Camellia stepped sideways to allow Eva and Meladee off the ship.

“It does look fun,” Meladee said. “Kind of has that mountain town feel. You know what I mean?”

Camellia smiled and nodded. “Yes.”

“No.” Eva scrunched her nose.

“Not exactly a mountain town.” Benham strolled over, with the fuelers trailing him.

The fuelers stopped at Mountaineer and ignored Halfmoon.

Benham watched his ship receive the fuel line. “There’s a big complex of caves below us. This town makes a lot of tourism money. They also do some mining and trade of precious jewels.”

Camellia looked at the town with fresh eyes. She saw several stands dedicated to jewelry and minerals. Camellia couldn’t help but remember Sorin’s love of rocks. Her angry, former, and now very dead lover always made time for rocks.

“Do we have time to look around?” Camellia asked.

Benham smiled. “Yeah, I can show you around while Mountaineer gets refueled.” He beckoned for the women to follow and pointed a big building. “Under that building, is the entrance to Haugr Caverns. It’s pretty big. There’s a main cave and a string of smaller ones. They let tourists in the caverns, but some of the smaller caves aren’t for the faint-hearted. It can be a tight fit, probably not at your sizes.” Benham looked over the girls.

Camellia wondered if he marveled at their shared short stature. None of them possessed appreciable height. Camellia, too blood-starved to reach her full potential, stood at five foot two. Meladee barely made five foot one, and Eva topped out at five feet.

Eva had a great response to anyone who questioned her stature. She claimed that she conserved materials. Camellia liked that excuse and thought about using it in the future.

Benham never called them short. Instead, he perused them a little longer, and Camellia realized that he admired their shapes. Despite their similar heights, they possessed different bodies. Eva had a small, deceptively delicate frame. Meladee had an athletic build, with narrow shoulders and wide hips. Camellia was petite, with a small waist, curvy hips, and a matching bust. Camellia couldn’t begrudge him his look. She took it as a compliment and watched as his eyes lingered longest on Meladee.

As it should be, but I wish there was someone who would look at me like that. Camellia didn’t even think of Adalhard – well, actually she did. She just pretended she didn’t.

Benham curbed his admiration and continued, “Anyway, there’s a mine nearby and some cliffsides where you can dig for gemstones. We don’t have time for all of that, but we can take a quick walk around.”

Camellia watched the people. She saw pale, lean miners take a cart to a cordoned off area. Batlike parents and their excited children entered the house to the main cavern. A sign proclaimed it the Haugr House. Other groups trekked to the smaller caves, following a sign reminiscent of a white bear.

“What is that?” Meladee pointed at the Haugr house window.

Camellia peered inside. She saw sparkling gems, geodes, and carvings.

Benham wore a smile. “That’s the gift shop. When I have female tourists, I always go there, so thanks for noticing it. I love a good display of femininity.”

Meladee whacked him lightly on the shoulder. “We’re going in.”

“We have no money.” Eva crossed her arms and shook her head.

“Oh, yeah. Fuck.”

“I’ll spot you.” Benham started for the shop. He made it up the stairs before the women followed him.

As they caught up, Benham grasped the door’s handle.

Camellia hurried to reach Benham’s side. “No, we really can’t take any more charity.”

Eva joined them. “I agree. We already wasted Amantius’ offer, and we did not provide the service you and your friends undoubtedly wanted.” Eva narrowed her eyes.

Benham stopped and looked at Eva and Camellia. “If it makes you feel any better, Amantius and Fotis both paid for my stay.”

“So, they wanted your bod?” Meladee teased.

“Uh, no.” Benham smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

Meladee opened the door and a rush of cold air blew out. “Whoa. This place is icey inside.”

“That’s air conditioning. Don’t they have it on your antiquated world?”

All three women spoke at the same time.

“Not like this.” – Meladee.

“No.” – Camellia.

“Yes.” – Eva.

Benham raised an eyebrow. “Okay…so some places, but not others. Doesn’t Halfmoon have climate control?”

Camellia felt her eyes widen as she realized it must. They just didn’t set the temperature very low.

Benham just smiled and shook his head. Then, he led the women into the gift shop and stood by the door. He waved them on, and they spread out among the wonders.

While Meladee and Eva started at the front, Camellia drifted to the back.

She enjoyed the cool air. It reminded her of Meladee’s jeweled egg. Though, she had to admit, air conditioning was not nearly as cold.

Camellia wandered by jewelry, gemstones, and children’s toys. At the very back of the shop, a shelf of geodes beckoned. Camellia stopped before it. Again, she thought of Sorin. Before he became a nightmare lover, they had been engaged. He gave her a palm sized geode as an engagement present. An engagement that never came to pass.

Camellia picked up a small geode. The rock had been split in two. It’s creamy exterior hid blue-white stones. Camellia held both halves.

“Remember,” Eva warned. “We aren’t taking charity.”

Camellia startled to find her friend so close. She put the geodes down. “Right.” She nodded.

She faced Eva and found Eva’s eyes focused behind her. Camellia turned. Authorities stopped a small family, just two bat parents and a child.

“What now? They can’t have too many children,” Camellia grumbled, too quiet for the guards to hear. “Or, do some species have a limit of zero?”

“The other patron’s voices prevent me from hearing the full conversation,” Eva said. “But, I caught something about their ship.”

“Why do we always see these Finial officials when they’re harassing young families? I don’t know if I like the Finial.” Camellia scowled and watched the situation.

“I agree.” Eva turned away. “With luck, we can avoid their involvement with our predicament.”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Camellia said. “They don’t seem like the helping type.”

The officials left the bat family, presumably with a warning. As the officials walked by the gift shop, Camellia and Eva looked into a case. Camellia worried the men would stop them, but they traveled by.

On the other side of the shop, Benham and Meladee peered into a glass case.

“I know what I want.” Meladee tapped the glass. “Look at that.” She singled out a flower necklace, with each petal cut lavishly from a gem. She had never seen anything so beautiful.

“That’s expensive,” Benham said, taking a step back from the display. “Would you even wear something like that?”

“You don’t know what I’d wear.” Meladee huffed. She half-conceded he was right, but she had to keep that fact to herself.

Benham raised his hands. “Sorry, I just meant, you wouldn’t be able to wear it a lot working as a pilot.”

“Probably true, but you said you’d spot me...”

“I can’t buy that.” Benham shook his head. He glanced around. “How about...this?” He pointed at a simple blue pendant, cloudy like moonstone.

“Fine. But, when this place burns down, and I can never get that flower necklace, I’m gonna be sad.” Meladee frowned.

“Why would this place burn down?” Benham asked. “Are you planning to do it?”

“No, I’m just saying it’s a possibility. Won’t be me who does it though. I’m starting a line of ice magic, going to put my pyromania spells on the shelf for a while.”

Benham looked at Meladee and struggled not to smile. “Let me buy this necklace, and we can get going.” He looked around. “Do you think your friends want anything?”

“Doesn’t look like it. Eva’s already leaving.”

Meladee waved Camellia over, and Camellia came.

“Hey.” Meladee nodded a greeting.

Camellia leaned close and said quietly, “We saw Finial officials harass people again. I know you said we don’t have to worry about them, but Eva went to our ship. She’ll take off if they get close.”

Benham turned serious. “I don’t share Amantius’ opinion. Worry about them. I do.” Benham started for the counter. “Go to the ships. I’ll be right behind you.”

Meladee looked at Camellia. The last thing they needed was a new threat of gargantuan proportions. From the concern on Camellia’s face, Meladee figured Camellia felt the same.

Back aboard Halfmoon, Camellia shared the cockpit with Meladee. Again, Eva posted herself in Engineering. Alone on Mountaineer, Benham was silent. Camellia hoped to maintain the silence and thought about leaving to spend some time alone in her room or the lounge.

“Do you think this thing is a moonstone?” Meladee asked, holding the pendant around her neck. “Couldn’t be, right? Different galaxy. Besides, they get expensive at this size.”

“Maybe, Girandolans don’t value moonstone like we do.” Camellia stared at her lap where her limp hands rested.

“Neat. We could make money like that. Buy stones that are cheap here and then sell them on Iruedim. Then, someday I might actually buy something without extreme budgeting.” Meladee turned in her seat and looked at Camellia. “You’re really quiet lately. Is something wrong?”

“No.”

Meladee waited.

Slowly, Camellia raised her gaze. She saw the would-be moonstone around Meladee’s neck and felt her eyes narrow. Camellia remembered the necklace that Meladee wore off and on; it seemed to be supplanted by Meladee’s new toy.

Camellia leaned forward and planted her chin in her hands. “Let me ask you…that necklace you wore the first time we met…The one with the reforged claddagh and the broken kanzashi…what does that mean to you?”

Meladee straightened. “They were both my mom’s things. That’s what they mean.” Meladee raised an eyebrow. “Don’t get weird on me,” she warned.

Camellia nodded. “How did they get broken?”

Meladee shrugged. “Little accidents. I don’t really know. They were broken before I got them. My mom stuck them on the chain, which was kind of disappointing for her. But, pretty convenient for a sailor.” Meladee gave Camellia a rueful smile. “Why are you thinking about that?” She fingered her new moonstone.

Camellia looked upwards and stared at the grey of the cockpit’s ceiling. “I don’t know. Broken things…just fascinate me.” Camellia looked Meladee in the eyes and nodded towards the moonstone. “I hope you don’t let that replace your mother’s things completely.”

Meladee laughed half-heartedly. “I wouldn’t do that.”

Camellia nodded and believed the words, but she didn’t think that Meladee felt the same. “It’s good to hold on to little mementos. They’re important.”

Meladee raised both her eyebrows. “Yeah, well sometimes, it’s better not to.” Meladee took a deep breath. “My turn to get weird. I’m going to ask you a strange question. Are you ready?”

Camellia stiffened and answered slowly. “Yes.”

“Did you like Cahir?”

Camellia startled. “No. I didn’t like him.”

Meladee sighed. “Good. I was starting to wonder, especially with this talk about broken things and mementos. I felt kind of bad teasing you about him.” Meladee frowned as Camellia returned to her introspection. “What is it then?”

Camellia just shook her head. Adalhard.

“Let me guess…” Meladee looked at the ceiling. “Iruedim’s impending doom? Some other guy? The AAH thinking you’re crazy?”

Camellia smiled. “A bit of everything, I suppose.”

“We’ll figure out the Iruedim thing. And, don’t worry about being crazy. I’m crazy. I don’t let people give me shit over it.” Meladee half-smiled. “What I find really interesting is this some other guy thing. Who is it?”

“Oh, I didn’t mean…” Camellia shook her head. Again, Adalhard’s name passed through her mind.

Halfmoon’s communications beeped, and Benham called, “We’re approaching the Rost Research Center. Be ready to decrease speed and land.”

Meladee faced forwards and put her hands on the controls. “Ready.”

“That was fast,” Benham teased.

Camellia frowned at their banter but turned her attention to her station. I’m too old to be jealous.