“Welcome to my ship, Dupont.” Gareth stepped forward to greet him. “I have with me, my crew. As the manifest will tell you, we also have one guest. He will remain in his quarters during the inspection. If you deem it necessary, we can arrange a meeting with him.” Gareth explained.

“Yes, yes. This is it, your crew?” Dupont looked over the five of them. “Bit of a skeleton, isn’t it?” He said.

“It is enough to start. We are growing.” Gareth said. His defensive tone caught her ear, and she focused on him for a moment. His jaw was tight. A crack in his stoic facade. Curious, Valorie reached out and found his disgust, carefully hidden away. Something about the imperial captain on the Helianthus violated Gareth. Only the clenched line of his jaw revealed the feelings kept in check. Dupont’s eyes flicked towards Valorie.

“I can see how well that is going.” He said, eyebrows raised as he settled on Gareth again. Valorie did not like the look he gave her Captain. The smug look down his nose as he baited Gareth made her fingers feel tight. She balled them into a fist. Gareth waited, disengaging from Dupont’s game. When Dupont didn’t get the response he wanted, he stepped forward.

“Very well, shall we begin?” Dupont said, bushy eyebrows settling back into place. Valorie started to wonder if they had a mind of their own. “With your guidance, Jovic and I will have a look at the areas of greatest concern. The rest of my team will conduct a more general survey. I expect your crew to stay out of their way or risk violating our contract.”

“I will see to it.”

“Good, good.” He opened a display over the back of his wrist and stepped up to Gareth, pointing at the areas of interest. Gareth spoke as they studied the display, and Dupont nodded. Confident he understood, Dupont turned to his men and began giving out orders.

Gareth took the chance to speak with his own crew. Valorie stepped up nervously behind the rest. It wasn’t her place anymore, was it?

“You heard his warning – please stay out of their way. If you see anything damaged, keep me updated.” He said. Quinns nodded.

“I’ll keep an eye on them.”

“I’ll help,” Leon added. Quinns frowned at him, but Gareth held up his hand, silencing the argument before it could start.

“Sachi, their concerns lie in your areas. Would you prefer to watch over their tour?” He asked. She shook her head.

“No. I am still completing the protections on his exposed roots. I need to hurry before he gets sick.” She spoke of the tree as a beloved patient. Her tone left a warm feeling in Valorie’s chest. Gareth nodded, looking to Serge.

“Serge, please continue to support Sachi.” He said.

“Got it. Will do.” He said, patting Sachi’s shoulder. “Looks like it is back to work for us.” He said. She looked up at him, her hands moving to her waist.

“If you regret refusing a pair of knee pads, the offer is still open. Even if they look strange.” She said. Serge frowned, running his hand through it his hair.

“Might have to take you up on that.” He said, pointedly ignoring the triumphant look on her face. Gareth dismissed the rest and turned to Valorie.

“You are with me.” He said. She nodded. She had no reason to argue, though she did not understand his reasoning. Once Dupont had released his team, Gareth led the way out of the bay with Dupont and Jovic behind him. Valorie followed up last. No one had locked her away in her quarters yet. She took hope from that.

She observed the three in front of her. Gareth led the way but kept pace with those behind him. Jovic set the speed as he focused on the three displays over his arm, tapping at one, frowning at another. Valorie still could not make out the screens clearly, but it seemed he was running his scans a second time. Dupont glanced at the screens but spent most of the walk examining the ship. When his eyes trailed along the ceiling, Valorie sensed his annoyance. His upper lip twitched with a sneer. The ceiling in the Hayes equipment room scraped the top of Leon’s head. This hallway was a foot above that. Dupont huffed, and his gaze moved to Gareth’s back.

“One thing I can’t get over is your ship. It’s not imperial – that much is clear. What is an Imperial legacy doing flying such an oddity.” Dupont said. Gareth kept his focus on the path ahead, but the air around him changed. His disgust was back, and it seethed below the surface.

“She was a collaboration of an independent station and the Database. Built to aid in their deep space research.” He said. Back straight, eyes forward.

“Oh well, that explains the outrageous design. The Database has no common sense. How did it end up here?” Dupont made no effort to hide the derision in his voice. It caught her off guard. She had been on the Hayes. He should have nothing to complain about.

“My mother would say, it’s amazing what you find at the royal auctions after a successful campaign.” Gareth’s voice was light. A satisfied grin spread across Dupont’s face at Gareth’s words. Valorie dug a little deeper and found Dupont was remembering something. Memories were always vague, but the feelings were clear. It was a large payout from his work in a successful campaign. Crushing a young station into submission. Pure satisfaction. Valorie drew away. Gareth did not pause as the Bio room doors slid out of his way.

“Ah, I see. Right time, right price for the ship, then?” Dupont said, stepping inside the Bio room. “Independents never last very long, do they?” He added with that self-satisfied grin. He took one look around the Bio room and did not take a step farther. Jovic followed Gareth, without looking around first. The room was warm and had a peculiar smell, like a potted plant watered far too often.

“This is it – the first area of my concern,” Jovic said, tapping the screen twice more, and finally looked around. His brow immediately furrowed. “What… What is all this?” He asked. He was next to the large tub at the end of the counter.

“Plant and bacteria samples. Wywick, my Biologist, keeps the ship alive.” Gareth said.

“Perhaps, my tech means to ask, why?” Dupont said from his position by the door. He crossed his arms, his eyes focused on Gareth.

“Among other things, it keeps our immune systems viable for planet-side exposure.”

“There’s conditioning for that,” Jovic said, staring into the tub next to him. Valorie remembered the pulsing green masses in that tub. The look on his face as he peered inside matched her feelings on the contents.

“Yes, for populated planets,” Gareth said.

“Just look up where you’re going and prepare the treatment. No need for all… this.” Jovic said, leaning away from the tub.

“Could this be the anomaly, Jovic?” Dupont tapped on his arm as he waited. Jovic scowled, glancing down at his screens.

“It’s unclear, sir. What’s above here?” He asked, looking at the ceiling. His eyes widened, and Valorie followed his gaze. The ceiling was thick glass. Tubes led from desks in the Bio room through the glass into the soil above.

“The Gardens,” Gareth answered. Mold and soil smudged the glass, but the tree roots slid across the surface in a few spots. The thick glass showed no sign of give, but the sight made her feel smaller. As if the full weight of the room above bore down on her. Jovic scowled, and his attention went right back to his work.

“We should have a look there as well.” He muttered, moving toward his captain. Dupont looked to Gareth.

“Right. We are ready to continue, Hughes.” Dupont turned to leave. His eyes traveled over Valorie, and he scowled stepping out into the hallway. She followed, watching him take a deep breath once he was out of the Bio room. Did the smell bother him that much? She wasn’t sure. Jovic and Gareth entered the hallway, and their journey to the Gardens began.