Gareth sat in the navigation chair – Leon’s chair – on the bridge. He was double checking their speeds against the universal tables for orbit. When he started, anger was still working its way through his system. Fury with Valorie’s possible betrayal. Frustration with his own desperate hope that she was not controlled by the UEE. He focused on the equations in front of him. Yulia needed the coordinates quick. She did not have time for his self reprimands. As he focused, his anger eased away.

“Looks like the second planet is our best option. Initial scans indicate probable high gravity. Orbit will be farther out.” He said.

“Please message me the recommended range, Captain.” Yulia said. Her tone was strained with forced protocol. When they were alone, her speech was always awkward. Gareth wondered when she might get passed feeling uneasy around him. It had already been a year. He was confident that he could not be that different from her captains in the Union. At least, he was fairly confident.

“Yes, of course.” He said, sending her the range as he spoke. He looked over his work with satisfaction.

With his anger passed him, he felt a tad embarrassed at his behavior. He tried to keep a professional front, but Valorie had seen through him. When she asked for validation, he had not been willing to test himself further.

Now that he was calm, he considered their situation. If the UEE found them carrying the fugitives, they would detain the Helianthus as a threat. In theory, he could pull a few strings within his family to negotiate the quiet release of the ship and her crew. After a hefty fine, of course. The mark on Heli’s record would mar his applications to join the Database. If not a complete disaster, it would be a huge set back in cost and reputation. He sighed and tried to focus on the display in front of him. He did not want to rely on his family ever again.

“Are the readings still good, sir?” Yulia asked. The very immediate issue of not running the ship into a planet grounded him in the here and now.

“Not a bad distance from the star, no sign of large debris. This is a decent planet for an unplanned stop.” He said. He would take a win where he could get one right now.

“It’s as good as any other.” Yulia said as she turned her chair to look at him.

“Yes. Good job, Yulia.” He smiled at her. She blushed and grinned back.

“Just for you, Captain.”

“I’m not interrupting, am I?” Leon’s voice came from the back of the bridge. Gareth pushed off from the navigation station, back to his own seat.

“Took your time, didn’t you?” Yulia said. Leon drifted in, towards his chair.

“I figured you two had it sorted out.”

“Get seated. We will be leaving flight mode.” Gareth said, before making a warning over the intercom. He knew this was the silence before the storm, and relished the quiet. The final peaceful moment before the onslaught of questions.

“We did have it sorted… Don’t mean you can dilly dally.” Yulia said turning back to her station. Her voice sounded stretched, even as she kept it lighthearted. Gareth had the feeling she was trying to keep her feelings under wraps. He appreciated the effort.

“I had to make sure she’s secure.” Leon said, and Yulia glanced over her shoulder, concern spread across her features.

“Is she… Is that really necess-” She began.

“We’ll talk about it at the meeting.” Gareth interrupted, and she flinched. “Once we reach the appropriate stability, Leon, please exit flight mode.” Gareth added. He felt some guilt at interrupting her but knew it was better to wait on such discussions. She turned back to her station.

“Yes, sir.”

***

Everyone arrived at the meeting room before Gareth. Each crew member was already in place at the table, waiting for an explanation. When he entered, all eyes were immediately on him. A thick tension replaced the relaxed atmosphere of breakfast. During breakfast, he had been listening more than focusing on the star map. He enjoyed the sound of his crew getting along. He missed it already.

“I know everyone is curious. We do have a serious issue, but I need everyone to discuss it with a level head.” He made eye contact with each of them in turn. “The UEE has marked us for inspection. They seem intent on completing their inspection before we reach a Union port.”

“An inspection? Why?!” Serge said before everyone else jumped in. They all began to speak at once, and no one made any sense. Gareth held his hand up to quiet them until one voice remained.

“Let’s dump her and run then. Don’t even need an imperial station any time soon.” Serge said. His reaction was most volatile – immediately attacking what he saw as the source of the problem.

“Her?” Yulia asked, her voice subdued. She knew Serge’s answer, but she was challenging him. So much was normal, but her tone was off. She was forcing herself through the motions.

“It’s obvious who the traitor is here. Not exactly jump science.” Serge rolled his eyes. Yulia’s eyebrows furrowed as she looked down at her hands. She was drawing small distracted circles on the table’s smooth surface.

“It’s not obvious…” She muttered, but there was no fight.

“Yulia is right.” Leon said. Yulia peeked up, her fingers paused on the table. “There are other possible causes.” He added, his voice sharp. He had his arms crossed in front of him, and a look that dared Serge to argue. Leon was angry, that much anyone could pick up. The real question was, with who was he angry? If he could still find it within himself to defend Valorie, Gareth’s money was on Leon being mad at himself. It was quite possible Gareth had put too much on his shoulders.

“Oh right, innocent until proven guilty. Bet she’ll love sharing that one with her comms buddies.”

“Man, what are you saying.”

Gareth took a quick stock of those that remained quiet. Sachi listened but waited as the others spoke. Quinns had stopped listening. Instead, his eyes were far away, planning some scheme. That was comforting.

“Enough. I will worry about who is at fault. What we need now is a plan.” Gareth said. Ideally, he would have more than one plan in motion, but there was no reason to lead with that.

“Avoid’em.” Serge said.

“How would we know where they are?” Leon asked. Gareth answered.

“Valorie was able to confirm what systems had imperial ships.”

“And Gomori is one?” Leon said, and Gareth nodded.

“Don’t have to be Gomori. Could go somewhere else.” Serge said. It seemed the more afraid he was, the more stubborn he got. His first suggestion was to run. It was clear he did not want to garner attention from the UEE. He had made it clear when he joined the Helianthus, but it had not been an issue until now.

“Okay. So, we pick another station. Has to be Union, so that closes a lot of doors in the immediate area. What’s to say we don’t run into imperials on the new route? The more jumps we make, the more likely we’re gonna run headlong into an imperial ship.” Leon said. Serge frowned as he thought it over. Gareth knew he would not dare suggest Valorie’s ability which left him with no answer. Yulia watched him fret and felt the need to distract the room with a different idea.

“We could hide the guests planetside. Get inspected and come back.” Yulia said. Serge looked over with a newfound sense of hope in his eyes. There was a quiet moment as each person thought about it. Gareth shook his head.

“We can not leave people for an undetermined amount of time on an unexplored planet. It is likely more dangerous than dealing with the inspection.”

“Even with the exosuits? I’m sure Serge is gonna make me go with them, so I will keep them out of trouble.” Yulia said.

“The exosuits are not meant for extended use.” Gareth kept his answer simple. “According to the designer, the exosuits could be used for up to twenty-four hours. If you ask a repair tech, eight is your magical number.”

“It was just a thought.” She said. She sank back down to doodling with her fingertips. Serge patted her shoulder and she looked up with a small smile. It was a sweet moment, and Gareth wondered if they knew their worries were mutual.

Abandoning the fugitives would be unwise. Even if there were fewer Union stations than Imperial, they would make sure he regretted it. It was well documented how viciously the FSU could hold a grudge. Gareth felt like another idea was right outside of his grasp. An old memory. The more he focused in on it, the further it slipped away. He could not let his frustration show. He closed his eyes as he went over the data once more. There had to be something.