When he tried to scrub my forehead with his knuckles, I wormed out from under his arm and smoothed down my braid. “Get settled in and then come find me to help set up for the First Night Soiree.”
He groaned. “I just got home and I’malreadybeing sentenced to servitude?”
“There’s no time like the present,” I replied, andkissed him on the cheek. “Welcome home, Val.” And I meant it, even though I didn’t know why he was here.
“Glad to be home,” he replied, and I left him to get his room sorted.
It would be a few hours until First Night started, but guests were already beginning to explore the ship in the meantime. They didn’t have access to the maintenance deck, where the crew quarters, galley, cargo, and launch bay were, so at least Sian only had to deal with the crew members. Either way, I popped into the laundry, because I knew Maeve was already in the main chamber setting up for the party, and grabbed a spare seasonal uniform to drop off at the galley.
Sian was sitting at the scratch table, tossing little berries for Noola to catch in her mouth, while Veebee prepared the snacks for the party, with two automated droids that kept getting in her way. She’d shove them out eventually and just do everything herself. She always did.
“Yellow’s not really my color. I’m more of a cool-tone kind of guy,” he said jokingly when I gave him the spare uniform.
“Ha.If you leave the galley, wear this and say you’re seasonal in the laundry.”
“Laundry?”
“No one ever wants to work in laundry, so no one’llquestion it. Vee, the dessert smells amazing!” I added before I left the galley and hurried to the turbolift.
I hated the First Night Soiree.
It was just what it sounded like: a party. Dad always loved a good party. He lived for them. If there was a celebration to be had, Dad was absolutely having it. And because it was the first one with Val back, I was absolutelydreadingit. Even so, I found myself as I did every single First Night, standing in the main chamber of theStarfarer, a sweet drink in hand, chatting with guests against my will.
My uniform felt too tight. My heeled boots were killing me. And if one more guest slid up to me with a hazardous pickup line, failing to see the name sewn on my chest, I was very certain I’d toss myself out of an airlock just to end the agony. I could be compared to a Naboo sunrise only so many times before I began to debate the ethics of murder.
At least the chatter from the guests was all juicy gossip: senators sneaking away together, sabacc championships, planets wanting to join the New Republic, pop stars on the run, who put money on whom in the Canto Bight fathier races…
The loudness, the glittering lights, the laughter, it all rebounded off the bulkheads of the ship and burrowed a headache just behind my eyes. In a corner of the main chamber, N2-0 spun bright synths while beeping to the beat. Made to be an R-series astromech only to dream of being a DJ, and not doing a half-bad job of it.
Most of the hundred guests we had on board attended First Night, dancing to the music, orbiting each other like binary stars looking for their other half—or other halves, depending on what they preferred. The green and purple lights painted them in shades of carefree and hungry.
My brother stood on the other side of the dance floor, laughing with one of the guests. They placed a hand on his uniformed chest, much too informally, and leaned closer to him. He bent toward them, easy to flirt with.
It was so strange seeing Val in the crowd—on this ship at all, really—dressed in the dark blue of theStarfarer’s crew. Looking at him, I could almost trick myself into thinking he’d never left. Except the uniform was new; if I squinted I could still see the folds in the jacket, and his name wasn’t sewn onto the chest.
Why did he have to come back on thesame tourwhere I smuggled a man and a lightsaber aboard?
Kotti surfaced from the dance floor, golden bands around her long thin lekku glinting in the light. Shewas tall and beautiful as always, wide eyes rimmed with sharp eyeliner to match her uniform. She slung her arm over my shoulder and gave me a squeeze.
“You look like you came to your own execution,” Kotti shouted into my ear. She looked made for a galaxy full of bright lights and fast music. Her mossy skin glistened with a thin layer of sweat, the brassy bangles on her wrists—definitelynot uniform-approved—jingling whenever she moved.
“I’m not sure how I feel about this,” I observed, watching my brother.
Kotti gasped, oblivious. “What? Ilovethis song!”
“No, I mean…” I nodded toward Val, flirting with the guest. He laughed and whispered something in their ear, causing them to blush. “Why did he decide to come homenow?”
“Who cares? I thought you’d be happy.”
“I am!”
She eyed me suspiciously.
“Mostly,” I admitted, caving like one of Veebee’s soufflés. “I just…it’s going to be weird.”
“A little, but he lookssogood in that uniform,” Kotti said, biting her bottom lip. “I remember Val, but you know, I never realized just how hot he is.”
I shot her a pleading look. “Don’t you dare.”
