"Sixteen days, to be exact. Grand opening ceremony, free food and drink for the first hundred customers, the whole production."
I did the math. The Historia was still working with the Alliance Prime on a way to capture Hewes. My orders were to rendezvous with them at Ardeese Valout station once I'd dropped off the refugees. Even if they wrapped up tomorrow, it would take the Historia at least three weeks to reach the rendezvous point.
I had time. Time to not think about her for a while. Time to pretend the ache in my chest was something I could ignore.
"I could stay a few days," I heard myself say. It might be interesting to hang around—if I could stay away from Charlene.
Munroe's face lit up. "That's great. We don't get many Alliance visitors who stick around. Most drop off their passengers and vanish before the ramp's even fully extended." He clapped me on the shoulder with easy familiarity. "Mei's got a guest house that's empty. She'll insist you stay there—won't take no for an answer, trust me. Woman's got hospitality bred into her bones."
As if summoned by the mention of her name, Mei Lin appeared at Munroe's elbow. For someone so small, she moved with remarkable stealth.
She tilted her head back to meet my eyes. "I couldn't help but overhear. You're staying?"
"A few days, if it's not an imposition."
She waved her hand dismissively. "The guest house has been empty for months. You'll be doing me a favor—keeps the dust from settling. It's fully equipped. Kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living area. Private entrance. You won't be disturbed."
The emphasis on that last part wasn't lost on me. She'd probably witnessed Charlene's attempted annexation of my personal space.
"That's very generous. Thank you."
"Craig will show you where it is." She was already turning back toward the refugees. "I've got to get these folks settled, then head over and check on the Space Pearls construction. I'll see you later."
She disappeared back into the organized chaos, leaving me standing with Munroe.
"Come on," he said, jerking his head toward a path that led away from the landing pad. "Let's get you settled."
I grabbed my kit from the Veridian Dawn—light, since I hadn't planned on an extended stay—and followed him down the path. It wound through the wheat fields I'd spotted from the air, the stalks heavy with grain and rustling in a breeze that smelled like Earth. Like the memories I had of Earth, anyway.
Like the world she lived in, breathing the same air, walking under the same sun, completely unaware that somewhere in the galaxy an alien warrior carried her memory like a sacred flame.
"How long have you been here?" I asked, shoving the thought away.
"Eight years." His voice carried contentment. "I was a cop back on Earth when I got abducted. The Trogvyk grabbed me right after I got shot by a drug dealer. Honestly, I'm grateful. If they hadn't abducted me and run me through the Garoot Healer, I'd be dead now."
The path opened onto a small village. Not a colony installation, not a settlement—a village. Earth-style houses with front porches and flower boxes. A central square with benches and trees. Solar panels were cleverly integrated into rooflines, but otherwise, it could have been transplanted from Earth.
We walked past the main hall, a large building with wide windows and smoke rising from a chimney and continued down a side street. A neat white house sat at the end, separated from its neighbors by a small garden bursting with what looked like tomatoes and peppers.
Behind it, barely visible through the lush garden, sat a small cottage. The path continued past the main house, winding between raised beds thick with leafy greens and climbing vines heavy with beans. The cottage itself was charming—stone foundation, wooden siding painted a soft cream color, a peaked roof with moss creeping up one side. Flowers I didn't recognizespilled from window boxes, their petals a riot of purples and yellows.
"That's where you'll be staying," Munroe said, gesturing toward the cottage.
We followed the garden path, my boots crunching on gravel between the beds. The plants were healthy, well-tended, arranged with both practicality and aesthetics in mind. A small arbor covered in flowering vines created a natural archway just before the cottage door.
"Mei Lin's a botanist," Craig told me as we reached the front door. "She's good with plants." He pushed the door open, and we stepped inside.
The space was simple but comfortable. The kitchen was compact but functional, the living area had a couch that might actually fit me, and through an open doorway, I noticed a bed that looked plenty big enough.
"Bathroom's through there," Munroe said, pointing. "Anything else you need, just ask."
I set my kit down and turned to face him. "This is more than I expected. Thank you."
"Like Mei said, the guest house was just sitting here." He grinned. "Besides, maybe you can give me some insight into that mess with Declan Hewes. We get news out here, but it's always delayed. Is it true a Romvesian prince broke him out?"
"It is." I leaned against the kitchen counter. "The Historia is still tracking them."
"That's bold, even for the Romvesians." His expression turned serious. "Hewes is bad news. What he did to humans..."
