Page 211 of Commander’s Mate

That last thought made me uncomfortable.

Did I need to be needed?

Was I choosing a dangerous life because purpose felt better than grief?

Maybe.

Was that automatically wrong?

I did not think so.

The registry mattered.

Not because Zared liked it.

Not because the mercenaries gave me a title.

Because Sela’s name mattered.

Ari’s rights mattered.

The missing children mattered.

Meya Maktu mattered.

Every person reduced to inventory mattered.

On Earth, I carried other people’s messages home.

Out here, maybe I could help carry people themselves toward home.

Or toward whatever they chose instead.

That was not nothing.

A shadow fell across the path.

I looked up.

Zared stood ten feet away.

Of course.

“You followed me.”

“No.”

“You just happened to be in this garden.”

“Yes.”

“Liar.”

“I was informed you left the district center alone.”

“That is following with extra steps.”

“I did not interfere.”