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“We all fuck up,” I muttered.

Cass turned to me and nodded. “We want you to stay.”

Devec blinked. “What?”

“On the ship. With us. You need work that doesn’t require you to sell your spine. We need crew.” Cass looked at me. “The ship makes the final call, though, but she doesn’t hate you. We kept you here overnight so she could get to know you.”

The Hollow Chorus pulsed once in agreement.

I held his gaze. “You walked away from a kill order and led us to Cass. You went against my uncle’s orders. That takes courage.”

“I... this wasn’t how I expected the conversation to go. I don’t have crew qualifications, though. I’m not qualified.”

“Neither was I before I bought a haunted ship and fell for the human who fixed it. We overcame challenges, and now the Hollow Chorus believes I’m captain material.” I stood, made him a plate of food, and set it in front of him. “Eat. We’ll figure the rest out after you’ve talked to the Hollow Chorus to see if a bond will work. You want in?”

Devec stared at me, his eyes wide. “Yeah. Thanks. I’m in!”

Tambi turned her tablet around and projected the image. “I want you all to watch something.”

Doc rubbed her hands together. “This is gonna need popcorn.”

Tambi pulled up a live feed. It was a sector trade authority report, public record stream. Navarre’s name was at the top, flagged in red.

Suspension of trade credentials. Effective immediately.

Asset freeze across registered accounts. Pending investigation.

Public disclosure of charges filed, accessible to every trade partner, client, and associate in the sector.

My uncle’s empire was collapsing in real time. Should I feel sympathy? Not for a second. He brought this upon himself and deserved every soiled mark against his name.

“His comms will be lighting up,” Tambi said. “Business partners pulling out. Family members distancing themselves. The trade authority posted formal charges ten minutes ago.”

“As we hoped they would,” I said.

Monica raised her mug. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer dirtbag.”

“He’ll fight it,” I said.

“Let him.” Cass’s voice was calm. “He can’t hurt us. Together, we’re unstoppable.”

The bond carried Cass’s certainty, and underneath it the quiet, ferocious satisfaction of someone who’d been beaten, gotten back up, and won.

“This calls for the good stuff.” Monica stood, pulled a bottle from her bag, and presented it to me. It was a Kelvane single-origin spirit.

My nostrils flared. “This is rare. I approve.”

“I had it speed-imported last night.” Monica cracked open the bottle. “I knew we’d be having a parrrrty today.”

I poured glasses and handed them round.

Cass raised hers, and the Hollow Chorus brightened, the gold-veined lighting warming to full, as if anticipating her words.

“To our perfect ship,” Cass said.

“To this crew. Old and new,” Tambi said.

“To never dealing with a haunted fucking ship again.” Doc downed her glass. “No offense, beautiful, but you scared the crap out of me with all those spooky aliens popping up. They’re gone, right?”