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“A drugs charge like yours, you’ll have to go see the station magistrate. They hate it when people bring illegal substances on board.”

“You don’t think they’ll kick me off the station? It was a bit of weed. It helps me relax. Being in space makes me tense.”

“They have every right to.”

Marcus scowled at him. “What about you? Are you planning on setting up home with Ivy here when you get out?”

“Prodigy is no one’s permanent home. I’d go where ever Ivy wanted.” Karn only said that to get a rise out of Marcus. He smiled as he saw a vein throb in Marcus’s forehead.

“She won’t be into you. Ivy’s not over me. When I see her again, she’ll remember the good times we had. You’ll be history, an embarrassing notch on her bedpost.”

Karn crossed his arms over his chest. “Whatever you say.” He would not get wound up by this idiot. He’d surprised himself by realizing he cared about Ivy’s decision. Surely, she wouldn’t choose this guy. They had history, but it sounded like awful history. She wouldn’t go back to that.

After everything Karn had learned about Marcus, he understood why Ivy treated people the way she did. She’d had her heart broken by someone she loved, and her best friend had betrayed her. That would make anybody have issues.

“You should stick to your own kind,” Marcus said.

Karn stared at Marcus. “I know you humans are often moronically backward, but even you must realize there are hundreds of different aliens in the star systems. We are all compatible with each other. We look a bit different and operate our societies differently, but one thing we all understand is that you don’t have to stick to your own kind. That thinking is dangerous and stupidly outdated.”

“Listen to you. Have you ever considered running for a seat on the Council of Representatives? That pompous attitude would fit right in.”

Karn shook his head. “That’s the sort of thing I’d expect to hear from you. You’re a space virgin. You need to open your mind. Otherwise, you’ll end up as space dust.”

Marcus sneered at him. “We all know the only reason you’re interested in humans. You can’t be that advanced on the other side of the wormhole. You guys have messed up big time over there. What the hell are you even fighting about?”

“It’s too complicated for your tiny human brain to understand.”

“I bet it’s not that difficult.”

“Too difficult for you.”

“You’re not a superior as you think.”

Karn closed his eyes, trying desperately to shut out Marcus and his whining. Part of what he said was right. The war had been going on for such a long time that everyone’s motives had become muddled. Some of the fighting was for resources, some because some races thrived on violence. There were so many different battles going on, you were never sure what side you were on.

It didn’t matter to Karn. He picked the winning side, the side that paid him the most. That was all he cared about. Get the money, do the job, and leave. He looked after himself.

Karn was being stupid. It shouldn’t bother him what decision Ivy made about Marcus. He wasn’t ready for a relationship. Relationships led to problems. They made you question yourself and do dumb things, all in the pursuit of making someone else happy. He didn’t want that in his life. He liked things simple and clear-cut. He didn’t form bonds or make things complicated.

“I can’t wait to see Ivy,” Marcus continued as if they were having a friendly chat. “I’ve got so much to tell her. I’ve been saving to get my own ship.”

Karn arched an eyebrow. “You know how to pilot?”

“I took lessons on Earth. They’re offering them for free in the hope of getting more people off the planet.”

“You sat in a simulator a few times. That doesn’t make you an ace when it comes to flying a spaceship.”

“Can you fly?”

“Of course.”

“Then it can’t be that difficult.”

Karn’s fingers flexed, but he kept his hands across his chest.

“I’m still short of all the capital to get a ship. Ivy will help out. She was always good like that.”

“Then you really don’t know Ivy. I helped her pay her last food haul. She might not have the money you’re wanting to get your grubby fingers on.”