“Jahdra!” Before I can turn to see who it is, something hits me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. A pair of arms wrap tightly around me. I squirm uncomfortably, trying to loosen their grip and free myself, but they just squeeze tighter. I feel my heartrate quicken as panic tugs at the corners of my mind where I’ve tried to banish the memory of the Garda and his choking grip.

“Jahdra, I can’t believe it!” Finally the arms release me, and I spin around in a mix of panic and relief to see Kiv beaming at me.

“It’s so good to see you!” she says, putting her hands on my shoulders and shaking me playfully.

The air on Pajorat Prime is warm, even inside the bay. It’s practically tropical compared to the stale, cool air of a ship.

“Kiv! Holy shit! What are you doing here?” Kiv and I go way back, and while I certainly didn’t expect to see her here, her friendly face and wide grin are a sight for sore eyes.

“I could ask you the same thing!” she says with a laugh.“Where’s everybody else?” she asks, standing on her toes andlooking around.

“They’re around here somewhere,” I lie, glancing around. “Probably went to check out what kind of tactical they’ve gothere. As if it’s gonna be so different from what they can find on Olympia or anywhere else in the galaxy,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Typical,” she says with a smile. “But for real, Jahdra, what are you doing here?”

Good question. I trust Kiv almost as much as my own crew, but I’m not about to go running my mouth anywhere I could be overheard, and to be honest, I don’t need her worrying about all the shit I’ve been dealing with.

“Just dropping off some cargo,” I say, raising an eyebrow meaningfully.

“Ah, I see,” Kiv replies with a slow smile. I can tell she’s eager to hear more about this “cargo.”

“One of those types that thinks a little change of scenery is gonna change everything, you know what I mean? ‘If I could just start over somewhere like Pajorat Prime, things will be different,’” I say with mock wistfulness.

Kiv laughs.

“Well, I hope he likes farming. They’ve really gone all-in on terraforming projects here,” she says. “It’s not exactly what I’d call a dream destination.”

“It doesn’t sound so bad,” I say. I may not know much about terraforming, but a little peace and quiet doesn’t sound so bad right about now.

“Oh shit. I always forget,” Kiv says, smacking her palm to her forehead. “You were born on Meridian. You’re not like us colony kids,” she smirks.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Yeah, yeah,” I say, giving her a playful punch on the arm.

“Hey, since you guys came all the way here, why don’t you stay a while?” Kiv says hopefully. “There’s plenty of work shuttling supplies around the system. I’m actually about to do a run to Pajorat II.”

It’s a nice offer, but I can’t exactly take her up on it unless I’m ready to blow my cover.

“I’ll mention it to the big guy,” I say. “But I wouldn’t get my hopes up. You know he never goes for anything I suggest.” The annoyance may be manufactured, but the sentiment is true enough.

“So we’ll get him drunk and make him think it was his idea,” Kiv says with a shrug.

“I like the way you think,” I say with a laugh. It feels good to laugh. And with Kiv, it feels so natural. Part of me does want to stay. And why not? I could tell the others they’re free to go their own way. We could get their little ship patched up—that is, if it even needs patching up—and they could choose to hide out on one of the minor planets in the system if they don’t want to be found or wait around until they find another ride to Alpha. I’m sure someone would help them out eventually. Maybe.

If I only had myself to worry about, I’d seriously consider it. But I promised to get the Chrysanthemum back to Meridian, and that’s not something I’m willing to give up on just yet.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” I say, suddenly realizing that this would be a great opportunity to try and get some answers.

“Yeah, shoot,” says Kiv.

“You get a lot of smugglers around here?” I ask.

Kiv looks a little surprised by my question, like I’ve just said something incredibly stupid.

“Nah, I can’t say we get much in the way of smugglers out here,” she says. “I mean, come on, we don’t exactly see a lot of high-end loot on this side of G,” she smirks.

“What about scrapers?” I ask, undeterred.

She wrinkles her nose, considering my question for a minute before shaking her head.

“Look, this isn’t exactly dangerous territory, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she says.

Well, that’s good, I guess. I bite my lip, trying to weigh how much I can tell her without giving away too much. She’s one of my oldest friends, but that doesn’t mean she’d be thrilled at the idea of being complicit in…well, I guess I don’t really know what all.

“I’m just asking because we had a run-in with a ship on our way here. Not much damage, but I kinda got the feeling that was deliberate. He could’ve just been testing us, seeing if we were an easy target, or—”

“Or maybe he was just trying to give you a nudge in the right direction?” Kiv finishes. “To be honest, I don’t really see the point. I mean, unless someone really wants to find you,” she says, thinking for a minute. “Oh! Or if the Vanguard has a call out on your ship.”

I feel a sudden lurch in my stomach. The Vanguard. I swallow hard, trying to keep the panic from showing on my face.

“Maybe it was just a scraper who got bored on the way to Delta and went looking for an easy lunch,” I say. It sounds believable enough.

“Yeah, maybe,” Kiv says. “Either way, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. You guys can handle ‘em,” she gives me a reassuring smile.

“Hey, I hate to be a party pooper, but I do actually have to run,” she says. “But I’ll be back tomorrow, so please, please don’t go anywhere.”

“Alright, I’ll do my best,” I smile.

Kiv gives me a quick squeeze before heading out to the bay door.

“Tell Meerin and the boss man I say hi!” she shouts over her shoulder.

“What about Ramy?” I yell back.

“Tell him he can kiss my ass!” And with that, she’s gone.

I stare after Kiv and feel my heart sink, knowing that’s probably the last time I’ll ever see her.