Smoke rose from the rubble. A restaurant owner and a few other merchants came to look over their ruined stores. Most just stared at the wreckage, with vacant looks in their eyes, but one man and woman came to pick up the pieces of stone and wood. They dug through for any wares that might still be useful.

Eva glanced at them once, curious to see their finds. However, she had more curiosity for her find. She worked on the exposed engine of the Volanter ship. She’d disabled it, taken notes, and pictures. But none of that would matter if someone took the ship away and learned all the same things she did.

Come to think of it, a ship wasn’t the best find. Rooks would probably capture many, learn the secrets, and…share only so many of those secrets with each government.

Eva stroked her chin. Lurren could still have a leg up on the ground-based competition, and she didn’t worry about the navy in the same ways. Eva pushed some wires aside and continued her work.

A pair of ships screamed overhead, lower than before. Eva’s gaze shot up. She left her hands in the engine, but she watched the trails of white smoke that followed the ships. They sped away. So far, no one landed at Eva’s site.

Eva dived back into the engine. She had a chance. She pressed her com again. “Sten, are you there?”

“Yes. I’m sorry I missed your other calls. I had to deal with some Lurrien vessels that limped home after the battle. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I need you to send a tow ship.” Eva worked her tools around the only part of the Volanter computer she could separate from the whole.

Wires and weaving circuit patterns formed three tree shapes, and so much of it ran together.

“Why do you need a tow ship? Did something happen to the new shuttle?” Sten’s voice held real concern.

“No, the shuttle is fine, but we do have a Volanter vessel. I want to get it to Lurren. The little shuttle will never tow it.” Eva snapped one connection loose, but so many more waited. As she broke the line, the computer board didn’t even swing, held as it was so strongly by other wires.

“Rooks wants all the vessels and rider’s bodies. I don’t think we’re supposed to take anything to Lurren. Do you want me to let her know you have a vessel? Right now, I think Presereme is listed as having only bodies.” In the background, Sten’s typing sounds clicked softly.

Those soft sounds were enough to make Eva panic. They barely had a body. It was scorched beyond recognition. Though, Eva didn’t know what other Volanter remains could be found in Presereme. The ship had two other seats, after all.

Eva didn’t care about the bodies. The ship was their prize, and by their, Eva meant Lurren.

“I can call it in,” she said.

The ships soared in the distance, and Eva saw them turn.

“Don’t worry. I’m already halfway through. I might as well finish. Ah, there.” A little beep sounded over the com. “And, it’s already acknowledged. A couple of ships should be headed your way right now.” Sten sounded so pleased.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Eva watched the ships fly closer and dip lower in the sky. “I see them.” Her hands fell from the engine.

“Something wrong?” Sten asked.

“I thought we might be able to help with the research.”

“Oh certainly. I’ll see if I can get us some time with each ship. Rooks would probably be happy to have our expertise.”

Eva dropped her tool. Even if she and Sten could get a look and develop full understanding of Volanter technology, they could gain no true advantage from it. Pan remained Eva’s best hope for a unique find.

Sten’s voice fizzled over the com but regained its clarity after a half sentence. “…can join them on the Bardiche for study, or we can head to a temporary facility they have set up on a Tagtrumian island. Apparently, they borrowed an old Textiler warehouse.”

“Sounds good,” Eva said, trying to keep the defeat out of her voice.

The com fizzled again. “…bad connection. I’m going to shut down and try calling you again in a few minutes. Okay?”

“Okay.”

The com beeped off. He’d heard her.

“Why the long face?” Meladee strolled over with a piece of burned cloth in hand.

Eva’s eyes darted to the computer. She debated putting the connection back, but she left it. She could say she was fooling around inside, instead of trying to steal a part. “It’s a complex machine.”

Meladee shrugged. “Someone will figure it out. Hey, look what I got.”

Eva narrowed her eyes. “What is it?”

Meladee held the cloth by two corners and let it dangle, full spread, between her hands. Lines of cream and yellow ran over the blue cloth, forming a magic circle. It might have been beautiful, but with the scorch marks marring the design, Eva could not see its potential. As far as Eva knew, cloth could not be restored from a semi burned state.

“That won’t clean up.” Eva shook her head.

Meladee dropped one corner of the cloth and held up a single finger. “Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. The circle I just showed you is an expert cleaning spell.” Meladee smiled. “It still works, so this bad boy can clean anything aboard my happy little ship, even if it doesn’t look so clean itself. And, I got it for a discount.”

Eva felt her expression go dry. “I thought you pulled it out of the rubble.”

“Well, I did, but I also paid.” Meladee put her hands on her hips. “I’m helping out.” She gestured to the people who’d lost their shops, in some cases, their homes. “It might not be my country, but I care about their problems. They’re just creepy Groazan people, trying to make a living in creepy Groaza.”

Eva bowed her head.

“You must think I’m selfish, or something, if you’re this surprised,” Meladee said.

Eva looked up fast. “No. I don’t think that.” Eva knew that people often accused others of the things that made them feel guilty.

Meladee walked with Eva back to the shuttle. Eva remained quiet, though Meladee tried to draw her out.

She rubbed her new cleaning cloth against Eva’s skin. That was the only thing that worked.

“Must you?” Eva asked.

“Sorry.” Meladee stuffed the cloth back into her pocket, falling a bit behind. She had to ask. She hated to, but she had to. “Something wrong with you?”

Eva glanced at her arm. “It would appear your cloth actually does work.”

Meladee glanced down and saw pristine, glittering gold on Eva’s sooty arm. “Hey, it does.” Meladee waited for answers that didn’t come. She supposed she would have to guess. “So…Sten…maybe…nah, that’s all I got.”

Eva turned slow to face Meladee. They reached the shuttle, and Eva paused at the locked door.

“What about Sten?”

Meladee kind of shrugged. “I don’t know. Have you got Sten problems?”

“A man is not my problem.” Eva pressed the lock open. “It’s not always a man, Meladee.”

“What about finding a present for Camellia’s kid?”

Eva froze. She turned slow. “Are we supposed to do that?”

Meladee raised her eyebrows. “Yeah. It’s tradition. In Tagtrum too, so when it’s my turn, just remember that. I think I might get a book.”

Eva looked left and right. “How long do I have?”

Meladee spread her hands. “How should I know? I’m not keeping track of the weeks. Ask Camellia.”

Eva slumped. “I have twenty weeks then.” She stepped over the threshold of her shuttle.

“When you put it like that, I’ve got a lot of time.” Meladee really didn’t know what to get, but she’d think of something.

A book could always be appreciated. Eva would pick something different, something hopefully amazing. Eva was the one who had to build a relationship beyond infanthood for her own artificial, long-lived sake.