“I know, darling,” I said soothingly, “I’m ready to leave, too. But soon you’ll have more people to attack, and I’ll totally let you sink your claws into the Valoffs as often as you like.” I snuggled her close and scratched behind her ears.
Luna tilted her head, closed her eyes, and sent me a wave of affection. I returned the sentiment a thousand times. I didn’t know if her telepathy worked both ways, but I hoped she knew how much I adored her.
I gave her one last scratch. “How about I get my shoulder guard and then we go check the crew quarters?” I asked her. Despite her intelligence, Luna couldn’t answer, not really, but I’d gotten used to talking to her—we all had. I often overheard Kee working on a problem aloud while Luna chirped back at her.
I turned down the hallway toward my quarters and Luna stayed happily snuggled in my arms. That was answer enough.
Starlight’s Shadow was a moderately small ship, with room for twenty regular crew and overflow bunks for another dozen. The crew quarters lined both sides of a long corridor. At the far end, set apart from the rest of the quarters, four rooms served as the captain’s and officers’ quarters with single bunks and en suite bathrooms.
At this end, eight double bunks shared two large, communal bathrooms. The double bunks were divided into two sets of four, with the bathrooms between them.
I would put Anja and Lexi in the rooms at this end of the corridor—the farthest away from mine. I would usually put Lexi next to me, in the officers’ quarters, but I needed to put Torran there. I didn’t want to, but there was some truth to that old saying about keeping one’s enemies close.
The rest of the Valoffs would share the middle set of rooms. That way I would have friendly eyes on both exit points, just in case they decided to try something.
I stopped outside my door. Eli, as my first officer, had the cabin directly across the hall from me, and Kee’s quarters were beside his. They could both help keep an eye on this end of the corridor. The door next to mine seemed too close for comfort, but I would just have to deal. Separating Torran from his squad was also a good idea.
Luna chirruped and butted me with her head. I stroked a hand through her soft fur. “I know. I don’t have to like it; I just have to do it.”
The door slid open at my touch, and I wrinkled my nose in frustration. When the Valoffs arrived, I would have to start locking it again, which meant I’d have to find another way for Luna to enter and exit.
My quarters were larger than the others, with a bedroom and bathroom tucked away in separate rooms behind a small office. The additional space meant I could talk to people in private without having to invite them directly into my bedroom.
But every square meter on a ship was precious, and even though I had a bit more space than everyone else, my office was cramped. I’d managed to fit in a tiny desk and chair, a comfy guest chair, and a small bookcase. Heavy paper books were a luxury that I could ill afford, but I couldn’t bear to part with them, either.
The office was painted a bright, sky blue that always made me smile. I moved through to my bedroom, which had deeper blue ombré walls, the color of the sky brightening just before dawn.
Luna jumped to the bed and curled into a circle, her fluffy tail over her nose. She watched me with one curious eye. When I pulled out my shoulder guard, her head popped up and she chirped at me.
I stripped off my shirt and armored vest, then replaced the shirt and strapped on the shoulder guard. As soon as it was in place, Luna launched off the bed. I smiled and braced as she landed perfectly on the guard. Her claws dug into the soft top without being able to pierce the flexible armor underneath.
“Ready?”
She chittered at me, so I set off. First, I checked the cabin next to mine. The bedroom was painted bright green, a leftover from Lexi, but all of the other personal adornments had been removed. A double bed dominated the space, with a small chair and side table tucked in the corner.
All of the crew cabins were included in the routine cleaning of the ship, so the room was clean, if bare. I pulled linens from the wardrobe and stacked them on the bed. Torran could put on his own sheets.
The double bunk rooms had a single bed built into the wall on each side, with a curtain that could be pulled to divide the space in half. The beds themselves also had blackout curtains so one person getting up wouldn’t wake the other. Each side had a small, built-in wardrobe and a pull-out chair. These rooms were cramped, which made the other common spaces on the ship more important.
Torran was bringing three people with him, but the agreement we’d signed allowed him to bring up to five. I prepared three rooms. There was no reason to double up until it was necessary. It would be far easier to keep the peace if everyone had a private place to retreat to when needed.
I also prepared rooms for Lexi and Anja. I was hoping to hire another mechanical engineer on Bastion, so I made up a third room next to theirs. The bathrooms would be the demarcation between Valoffs and humans.
Luna had stayed with me, exploring the rooms that she didn’t often see. I clicked my tongue and she leapt up to her perch on my shoulder. I stroked her head. “I suppose it’s time to figure out what we’re having for dinner.”
She perked up at the magic word. It had not taken her long to learn all of the food-related words.
“Come on, you little glutton. Let’s get you fed, then I’ll see what I can do for the rest of the crew.”
I often took cooking duty because I enjoyed it. Eli and Kee took turns at cleanup. I wasn’t sure if the Valoffs had ever washed a dish, but they were about to learn. Everyone on Starlight’s Shadow did their share—unwelcome guests included.
I stopped by the hydroponic garden on my way to the galley. The garden was mostly self-contained, but I enjoyed spending time in the greenery. One of the first things I’d done after I bought the ship was install a little table and a few comfy chairs in the back corner. I’d planted honeysuckle and trained it to climb a lightweight arbor over the space. The vines draped over the entrance, creating a little oasis of green.
Luna headed straight for her perch in the arbor. I decided I could spare five minutes for mental health, so I followed her and sank into a low chair with thick padding. The blossom-heavy vines waved gently in the room’s ventilation and blocked some of the bright overhead grow lights.
The distant rumble of the fan merged with Luna’s low purr of contentment. I closed my eyes and let the soothing sound and the sweet smell of honeysuckle flowers melt away my stress.
After a few minutes, I reluctantly climbed to my feet. If I stayed any longer, I would fall asleep. I checked on the plants. Vegetables and herbs in various stages of development grew on shallow, multilevel racks filled with circulating, nutrient-dense water. The lights automatically simulated a day-night cycle.