Alyce leaned forward and looked at him. “Think about it all you want, but also consider that Holly is right. We were at Charles’ mercy when things were bad.” Alyce nodded toward Holly. “Holly is intelligent and wonderful, but what if she hits her head and it scrambles her brain and she starts to, I don’t know, become a different person? Then we’re once again stuck with somebody who can’t make good decisions on behalf of the station.”
Holly gave Alyce a look. “Do you think I’m going to hit my head and become a different person?”
Alyce pursed her lips. “It’s not likely, but it could happen. I’m looking at different scenarios. Charles wasn’t alwaysthatbad. He was always tightfisted when it came to the funds, and refused to acknowledge reality, but it wasn’t until the later years that things became impossible. You just don’t know.” Alyce slapped her knee with the palm of her hand. “I think it’s a good idea. I’d like to see the contracts and the terms.” She looked at Holly with a flat, open gaze. “Thank you. Few people would give up this kind of power and ownership.”
Holly’s gaze dropped. She felt her cheeks warm. “I don’t feel like I’m giving up any power,” she said quietly. “I’d still be the majority owner, and Lars-Vector-2 remains in my name because moons can’t be sold. But let’s face it, I don’t know everything abouteverything, and you all have knowledge I don’t.” Her brows drew together as she wondered what the rest of them were thinking. Were they questioning her motives? Wondering if she felt incapable of running the station? “I didn’t build this place,” she said quietly. “I’m not Oliver Moone. I didn’t investmy fortune into making this space station what it is. I inherited it. I didn’t earn it. I’ve certainly put some sweat and tears into it, but that’s not the same. I shouldn’t have ultimate control over it just because part of my last name is Moone.”
Orba and Sula, who had been quiet thus far, glanced at one another and then turned forward. “We have a very long view,” Orba said in that whispery voice. “Both backwards and forwards. And as for the present, we see much. We see the truth of people, even when they cannot see it themselves.” Orba’s tiny mouth curved the smallest bit. “You wondered why we stayed. Now you know. We saw this.”
Holly blinked. “You saw this coming?”
Orba inclined their head and didn’t elaborate on exactly what they saw. Or didn’t see.
“Hey, just saying, if you saw all the problems with Cody, you could have mentioned it,” Harry said lightly, but with a frown.
The Vepins ignored him and Orba continued, “We support this plan, but we cannot take a stake in ownership of this station and moon.”
“Why not?” Holly asked, also wondering why aheads-upwas too much to ask if they foresaw Cody’s treachery.
“Vepins cannot share what we see of the future, because it is always shifting, changing, despite the probabilities. We also cannot own property. Weownnothing. Even what appears to be our clothing is not ours in the way you understand possession.” Orba spread their long hands. “But the solution you propose serves the station well. It serves the people here very well.”
Sula, who never spoke, or at least Holly had never heard them do so, inclined their head. Their mouth did not move, yet words came, so quiet and whispering they were barely audible.
“We find…your lives…vivid.”
Everyone stared. No one said a word. Sula’s statement had clearly been difficult. The words were halting, but they had madethe effort to speak, and had probably given it a great deal of thought and effort to communicate.
Orba smiled at their companion. “Well done.”
Sula nodded, looking pleased. Their translucent, shimmery skin sent out a ripple of rainbow iridescence.
Tyer, who had also been quiet the whole time, stretched out his legs and threaded his hands behind his head. His gaze moved toward the ceiling. “Since I am here, I assume you expect me to take part ownership of this place as well.” He arched one brow in Holly’s direction. “I consent to this. But only to a very small portion. I’ve been here a while, but I keep to myself.” His gaze flickered to Harry, who did not blink. “I have reasons for this.”
Mish shook her head. “I’m still trying to digest it all. But of course, yes, I’d like to stay, and…” Her brow folded into a worried crease. “After what Cody said, I thank you all for not pressing me about Birler, my husband. Some of you have tried to talk to me about this, and I—I don’t know where my husband is.” Her voice thinned. “He has not answered any of my communications. I don’t know if he is simply out of range, or if…” She broke off, closing her eyes tightly. “But I’ll be staying. And if he returns, he can choose to stay if he wishes. My children will make their own way in life once they reach maturity, but my home is here, with all of you.”
Holly gazed at Mish, taking in her clear distress, which she usually hid beneath a layer of disarray and hustle. She had fourteen children to look after, and they required considerable supervision. Now she was dealing with the fact that her partner was missing, without knowing if he would return.
Sam frowned. “Have you tried contacting the salvage rig he’s stationed on?”
Mish’s lips twisted. “I have. There’s no response at all. It’s beyond Galactic Enforcement’s range. They can’t do anything about ships that travel that far beyond the quadrant. It’s largelyunknown to us, what lies out there.” Mish cleared her throat. “Regardless, I’m in. I love living here, and I hope perhaps one day I can tend bar at the lounge. I’d like to contribute more, once I have a little more time.” She smiled, but it was tight and thin. It offered a glimpse of what was beneath the way she presented herself every day. And what was beneath that was heavy and troubled.
Holly’s chest ached for her friend. “If there’s anything we can do to help find Birler, we’ll do it.”
She glanced at Harry, who had been observing all of this with great interest. He had been quiet as well, which was uncharacteristic. But now his expression had sobered. “I don’t have Fungi Frolickers in deep space on salvage rings,” he said. “But I will put a call out to my followers, asking if they have seen or heard of your husband. I’m very sorry, my dear.” He leaned over and patted Mish’s hand. “You’ve been incredibly strong through all of this.”
Mish smiled at him and turned her hand over to squeeze his. “Thank you, Harry. That tincture you gave me really did settle my nerves.”
Harry winked at her. “I’ve got a stronger one if you need it. Just let me know.”
He turned to Holly. “I think your plan is splendid. Happy to be a part of it. And very curious to find out the actual terms. I know that our dear Alyce and Sam have not been paid properly in quite some time. I’m sure that will be improved?” He raised his brows. “And how does all this actually work?”
This was Mr. Binn’s territory. He nodded and sent copies of the contract to everyone’s d-pad, although not everyone had brought one, so they shared. They talked about the proposed breakdown of who would own what percentage of the forty-nine percent that was being offered, taking notes and tweaking things here and there. Tyer was not happy with his proposed shareand wantedlessfor reasons he would not elaborate on. And for the next hour, conversation centered on how the new ownership structure of Moone’s Landing would work.
Rasker, who had been sitting quietly beside Holly the whole time, reached over and took her hand. While discussions happened around them, he leaned toward her ear. “You handled that beautifully. And for what it’s worth, thisisthe right thing to do.”
“I hope so,” she said. “This allows future residents to apply for part ownership, to earn it through time and contribution. And it also gives other members the ability to challenge a resident’s ownership if they act badly, or steal, or do something that doesn’t align with the intended spirit of what we’ve built here.” She closed her eyes and squeezed his hand. “I have no idea what Moone’s Landing will be like hundreds of years from now, and neither did Oliver when he built this place. He had the best of intentions keeping it in the family, but that almost didn’t work out.”
Rasker’s cool gray eyes held hers with a gaze of love and quiet devotion. “Oliver’s focus was on building Moone’s Landing, but he didn’t plan for a possible future that wasn’t ideal. He assumed his son was just like him and would build on what he started.” He brushed his thumb across her knuckles. “Youknowthat things can go awry, and you’re trying to create a system that accounts for that. In this regard, you are similar to Oliver Moone. You want to build something that lasts, that is important, but you have the foresight that your great-grandfather lacked.” His voice dropped. “I love you, Holly Greene-Moone. And I am looking forward to earning my own small ownership of this station.”
