Valorie walked alongside Gareth as he led the way into the gate waiting room. She wanted to hide behind him, but she pushed on, holding her head up. Dupont was staring out the glass windows looking over the Helianthus. He was smiling to himself, hands clasped over his stomach. Valorie’s heart was pounding now. If it got any faster, she might have to take direct control over it. She clenched her fingers and tried to follow her Captain’s lead.

“Dupont,” Gareth said.

“Ah, my favorite heir to the Hughes legacy. I can’t believe my luck.” He said, eyes sparkling under bushy eyebrows. When Gareth didn’t engage, he rambled on. “Did you know, the number of independent ships has been dropping? Seems freelancers find it hard to feel safe without the might of a faction behind them.” Dupont said, his gaze drifting to the Helianthus. The hunger had not left his eyes.

“I have the proper contracts,” Gareth said.

“And it’s so expensive, too. I suppose that isn’t such a problem when you can ask family.” Dupont smirked, raising one hand to rub his chin. Gareth’s irritation shot up so fast, Valorie had to resist the instinct to step away.

“I am not receiving any such aid.” He said.

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” Dupont said. He could appear collected, but Valorie still sensed his excitement. She tried to see it in his expression, noting the way his eyes glittered and his lip quivered. A seed of queasiness bloomed in her stomach.

“What are you driving at?” Gareth asked, his polite manner slipping as his tone dipped. This seemed to excite Dupont further.

“Well, I decided to go ahead and discuss our little foray with your family after all. A little tidying up of loose ends.” He paused, but Gareth didn’t give him the pleasure of a response. “I met with their agent and I learned quite a bit. I have to say it’s pretty disappointing. Seems they are considering calling their ship back. Reeling in the prodigal son, as it were.”

“The Helianthus is in my name,” Gareth said, and Valorie was glad she could not see his expression.

“Ah, yes, an inheritance from your mother. Well, they do not think the matter is so clear-cut. They asked me to keep an eye on the property while they make a decision.” He smiled. “Could be any time soon.”

Gareth stood tall, but his emotions shifted. Amid the anger, there was a touch of fear. Such a small seed, it scared her more than his anger. Worried, she glanced up at him. Clenched jaw, anger constrained.

“That seems a waste of military resources.”

“Ah-ha, don’t you worry. There is always time for our most esteemed legacies. Rest assured, I have obtained approval for my activities.” His eyebrow twitched. “Unlike you,” His smile deepened with a vicious curve. Gareth glared at him, a moment passing before he spoke. As he paused, the tension dispersed from his shoulders.

“Is there anything else you want to share?” Gareth asked. Dupont’s smile twisted with confusion.

“No, I-” Dupont began.

“Good,” Gareth said, “I will be on my way.” He turned and started toward the gate to the docks. Valorie followed after him, dodging Dupont who moved to follow.

“We will meet again, Hughes!” Dupont called after them. Gareth ignored him, but Valorie glanced back. Dupont was smiling again, his arms crossed. The door closed behind them and she was relieved to be away from him. Gareth’s anger was still red hot but when he turned to look at her, his expression was apologetic.

“Don’t worry, Valorie. He won’t be an issue.” Gareth’s voice was comforting. She nodded, but he still seemed worried. He paused, making eye contact. “And let me tell the others about it. I need to do some research first.”

“Yes, sir.” She said, eyes turning to the floor the moment he looked away. She wanted to say more – something comforting as he did for her. She couldn’t say it would be okay, she had no idea what lay ahead or if she would be able to do anything about it. Her chest felt heavy as she followed him. They reached the main elevator near engineering and the crew quarters. Gareth stood straight, shoulders at ease, hands at his sides. If she could not sense he was unhappy, she’d never have known it.

“It will be okay, Valorie,” Gareth said. She looked up and realized she was under scrutiny. She had no idea why – she tried to look confident. By the time he spoke again, he’d decided something. “Tonight, we will be welcoming a new client and a new crew member. Tomorrow, we’ll be leaving port for our mission, so spend tonight preparing.” He said. The doors opened and he stepped out.

“We met Dr. Porter today and we’re leaving tomorrow? Isn’t that rather quick?” She asked. She followed him out but he had stopped in the hall.

“Speed will be our first challenge for this job. We’ll discuss it more at the meeting tomorrow.” Gareth took a breath, “Yulia will be greeting the newcomers aboard. I would like you to join her and observe.” He smiled but his voice was firm. “I want you to prepare for when it is your turn.” He said. Her eyebrows drew together, but she didn’t argue. It would be her turn one day because she was part of the crew. That was a positive thing. Gareth smiled. “You’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, sir.” She bowed her head.

It was late into the day hours when Valorie followed Yulia out of the Helianthus towards the gate. At least, Valorie was trying to follow, but Yulia kept matching her pace. When Yulia noticed, she chuckled.

“You keep going so slow – are you nervous?” Yulia asked. Valorie blushed, increasing her speed. Yulia had dressed up, her darker navy blue hair keeping with a more professional look.

“Sorry,” Valorie said. Yulia’s laugh turned to a frown. Valorie was beginning to understand that this was not an angry expression. A frown could have many uses. She needed to get better at understanding the subtlety of each one. This one meant disappointment. Probably.

“We talked about all the apologizing, didn’t we?” Yulia said.

“Sor-” Valorie cringed, “I mean, yes. We did.” She said.

“There see, you caught it.” Yulia smiled, patting her shoulder. The direct thought that Valorie picked up was an internal one: I shouldn’t be so hard on her. A small smile spread across Valorie’s lips and she looked into Yulia’s eyes.

“Thanks,” Valorie said. Yulia nodded, opening her PD. The design was minimal using dark colors except for small dashes of clean neon. Faded into the background was an intricate drawing of several people wearing armor. They looked similar to the game she had seen Yulia playing during breaks.

“You are gonna need that confidence if you’re gonna do a meet and greet on your own. The Captain’s counting on me, so I’ll make a good example.” She grinned. Valorie could sense Yulia was nervous, but it didn’t drain her energy. Somehow, she gained energy instead.