Aria sat up in bed. She felt a lot better – not great – but better. Around the dim room, Aria saw the marks of a hospital: equipment, a table here, and a chair there. The haze of aura hung over everything, but nothing stood out as particularly touched by living beings. She saw a few faded streaks of blue nearby her bed, but most of the room lay under the calm of grey. A recovery room tended to be a pleasant enough place aura-wise.

Her bed sat high off the floor, and Aria slid out of it. She needed to get dressed, and she needed to talk to both Sotir and Alban. Aria already put out the call to Sotir. She hoped he would get her an audience with Alban, but she knew how Alban felt about them. Aria hoped she hadn’t missed her chance to help Pan.

Aria searched the room for her clothes. She’d seen her fair share of hospital rooms. Sometimes her things were nearby; sometimes they weren’t. She checked a small cabinet and saw a cubby with her clothes and shoes. Aria pulled them out. In the dark, she dressed.

Aria’s clothes carried shades of her aura – powder blue and white. Others had handled her things and added their own colors – yellow, green, and orange. Aria felt a little strange wearing something so touched by another.

Pan tried her hand at that kind of a job. Pan touched the things of others and did for them what they couldn’t do for themselves. Pan had dressed and washed people. She’d cleaned their clothes. She’d tidied their rooms – for eight months. Then, she went and got another job.

A knock sounded. Aria’s door squeaked open.

“I didn’t know you were getting up,” a nurse said, peeking inside.

Aria jumped a little. She stood fully dressed, but she hadn’t noticed the light falling into the room. Aria regarded the nurse and saw a friendly aura, swirling over a woman close to Aria’s age.

“Where you able to get Sotir?”

The nurse smiled and opened the door further. “Yes, here he is.” She swept an arm towards Sotir as if to present him.

“Already up?” Sotir slipped inside and nodded his thanks to the nurse. He flicked on the light and closed the door behind him.

Sotir took one of two seats and watched Aria.

Aria walked to his side and stood over him. “What’s going on? No one will tell me. What happened to Pan? Is Irini okay?” Aria leaned forward. She felt a bit woozy.

Sotir grabbed her arm and steered her to the chair beside his. “I told you that you would get hurt if you didn’t tackle Pan.” Sotir’s aura showed grey-green, with a hint of rose. “Irini’s alright. She’s asleep. You probably shouldn’t be running around yet. Pan is in a cell. Things are looking…a bit up and a bit down.”

Aria sat sideways in the chair, not fully settled. She leaned her temple against her seat. “How so?”

“Well, Alban isn’t going to give Pan freedom. She’ll need to go before a committee of mentors – at the very least. Remember, she’s still killed.” Sotir folded his hands. His aura remained grey-green, and the rose faded.

Aria gestured for him to continue. “What else?”

“There’s a bit more down. I can’t confirm whether Pan tells the truth about the ghost. I’m a bit tired from catching the three of you.”

Aria tapped his arm. “I’m sure about that part. I saw a mist of red, and it was Brynn. And, Irini’s thread can find her. Brynn made Pan do all those things.”

Sotir’s aura stayed consistent. His face betrayed little emotion as well. He nodded. “I’ll trust your judgment, but I still plan to do a read.”

“Of course. Is that all?”

“For the downsides? Yes, I think so. The mentors need to determine what Pan is guilty of and what to do with her.” Sotir smiled a little. His aura showed some yellow. “The upsides…”

Aria sat straight and folded her hands, ready to listen.

“Alban says that the mentors want Pan’s help with some Soffigen activity. She has a good chance of returning in an arcane capacity, regardless of what she’s done.” Sotir’s aura flushed rose.

“Are there more upsides? Or, do you hold a special place in your heart for the murder Pan committed?”

“Am I showing colors?” Sotir smiled wider. “If you must know, I have confirmed a definite willingness on Pan’s part in regards to my plan.”

Aria laughed. She lowered her gaze and shook her head. “That should not be your first priority. You’ll have Alban even more dissatisfied with us.”

Sotir’s aura showed some of its old yellow. “Dissatisfied? But, he’s not.”

Aria’s head snapped up. “What do you mean? He distrusts us, and he avoids any work that might bring him into contact with us. We’re the people that ruined his chance to catch the reaper.”

Sotir nodded. “We were, but I’ve been working with him on and off for the past two years. It’s done a lot to mend things, especially since I helped catch Pan this time.”

Aria felt her mouth drift open. “Why didn’t you tell me? I might have tried to fix things myself. I don’t want to be disrespected by military officers.”

Sotir smiled. “I doubt it’s that bad.”

Aria exhaled. “It doesn’t matter. The good news is you can get me a chance to speak to Alban.”

“I’ll get him for you. What are you going to say?”

Aria pulled her feet into the chair and knelt on the seat. She leaned over the arm and into Sotir’s space. “I want to tell him that Pan didn’t destroy Tingaran Station. She is guilty only of sabotage regarding Soffigen ships and the murder of Brynn.”

Sorit’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t see how that’s possible. Whoever destroyed Tingaran used arcane powers.”

Aria knit her brow. “Sotir, are you content to love someone who you think killed thousands of innocent people?”

Sotir stood. “I can’t help what I feel.”

Aria’s eyes widened. “It’s a good thing for you that she didn’t do it.” Aria stared. “Get Alban.”

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Aria met Alban, not in his office and certainly not on the bridge, but in one of the doctor’s offices. They didn’t want to discharge Aria, but Alban didn’t want to miss his chance to speak with her, so Aria, Alban, and Sotir stood in the doctor’s office somewhat out of place.

Aria’s eyes roved over the room. She saw a haze of green and blue over everything. The shades varied, and Aria had a hard time getting a good read on the doctor. A moment of study reminded her that it didn’t matter. It was just a curiosity.

As for Alban, his aura bled blue and red, wafting the colors on to the floor like a fog machine. Sotir stood in a corner and showed grey-green, as usual.

“I’ve spoken to Pan,” Alban said. “She’s rather distrustful of me. She won’t eat. I’ll need you to tell her it’s not poison.”

Sotir narrowed his eyes. “She didn’t eat after I left?”

Alban shook his head. “No.”

Sotir’s aura showed a cloud of yellow and pink – concern and care.

Aria held her head high. “I can do that, but I want to look at the food first.”

Alban raised his eyebrows. “I see you’re having difficulties with trust as well.”

Aria nodded. “I’ve heard the suppressant drug is currently in use – the one that takes away our powers.”

“The effect is temporary. No lasting damage,” Alban promised.

“You wouldn’t give that to Pan?” Aria asked.

Alban frowned. “No, I didn’t.”

His aura still showed red and blue. He’d said he didn’t, not that he wouldn’t. Alban paced the room and examined something on the doctor’s shelf. His aura thickened.

“What about her state of mind?” Alban asked. “Distrust, guilt, anger. That kind of thing. What did you see? Now, be truthful.” Alban turned and faced Aria, looking like a shadow in a cloud. Warning hints of yellow flashed deep inside.

From the corner, Sotir watched.

Aria looked between Sotir and Alban. “I’ll be truthful. I have no reason to lie. First, I will vouch for her. She said she didn’t destroy Tingaran Station. I watched her when she said it. She told the truth. She’s scared to return, and I believe she would like to remove that incident from her record.” Aria met Alban’s eyes as best her fuzzy vision allowed. “I want someone to make an effort to clear her name.”

“If she didn’t destroy the station, who did?” Alban asked.

“We don’t know. We could find out.”

Alban sighed. “Think about it. There’s no one else who could have done it. There’s no one with a motive. I think she’s lying to you.” Alban turned to Sotir. “In your readings, you saw an arcane destroy Tingaran, didn’t you?”

Sotir’s aura turned grey. “I…did.” He looked down.

Aria’s heart beat faster. “People can’t manipulate their auras. I know her very well. She doesn’t lie.”

“Funny, she lied to Detective Casimir.” Alban crossed his arms.

Aria bowed her head. “She lied because she was scared. And, the lies helped her stave off what she feared. Now, she’s scared, but she knows lying won’t help.”

“She lied to you for years, and you didn’t see it.” Alban’s aura flashed with purple, deep inside the blue. Smug lightning within the clouds.

Aria couldn’t deny it. Pan did lie about her reaperhood for years. At the very least, Pan omitted the truth. Aria never recognized it, but that wasn’t Pan’s doing.

“She might have lied, but she shouldn’t have been successful. All the signs were there, but I saw what I wanted to see.” Aria didn’t bother to watch Alban’s aura. She watched her own. Her steady powder blue phased grey – a shade of regret.

“Aria, look at me.” Alban held up a finger. “Let’s put aside this idea that she needs to clear her name. At the very least, she’s guilty of sabotage.”

Aria nodded.

“Now, Aria. I’m going to share with you two pieces of information. We’re going to see if your answers change.” Alban paused, giving her a chance to speak.

Aria just waited and watched Alban’s colors. The thoughtful blue simmered into blue-grey, calm. Thin threads of orange and red hinted at a flavor of annoyance or righteousness.

“Every Scaldin ship is under orders to apprehend Pan – if we should find her. Some are actively searching. The orders say to capture, not kill. We are to recover her alive and well, powers intact. The reason for that is Pan’s clear desire to help with our Soffigen problem.”

Aria nodded.

Sotir stepped out of the corner. “You remember the job where we retrieved the bodies.”

“How could I forget?”

“The Soffigen have definitely run experiments. They might have a way to combat arcanes. They’ve also – discretely – found Scaldin away from home and…” Sotir paused. His aura reached for Aria and seemed to gage her reaction. “They’ve captured and experimented on Scaldin who live off Scaldigir. We’ll leave it at that.”

Aria stood stiff. She didn’t like the idea of Soffigen messing with their bodies.

Alban broke in. “When Pan started her sabotage, we looked into her motives. The Soffigen are up to something. And, it’s all connected to this body business.” Alban raised a hand. “Don’t tell Pan this. I don’t want her to feel justified in her actions. From what I can tell, she doesn’t really know what’s going on. She just sees scary ships and weapons and destroys them. She does what she wants.” Alban shook his head. “We’re not encouraging that.”

Aria nodded along. Actually, Pan didn’t know about the ships, not without Brynn. Now was not a good time to bring up Brynn. Would it even affect Alban’s estimation of Pan? It would certainly affect the mentors’.

Alban continued, “Pan is just the person to help. She’s the only reaper who hasn’t victimized other Scaldin. Our leaders find that promising, certainly worth our time. We’re going to make sure Pan gets home safe.”

Aria liked the sound of that. She thought they might have found Pan’s best chance for a normal life.

“Now, if she accepts, we have to hide her from the Soffigen. We pretend she’s either at large or dead. Captured...then maybe escaped. She can’t appear in public, not even on Scaldigir, so before you look so relieved, I’d rethink that part.”

Aria frowned. Alban had read her well.

Aria glanced at Sotir. His aura fizzled in anxious yellow. His plans to take Pan for wife would be disrupted for certain.

Aria exhaled slow. “What’s the second thing you think might change my mind?”

Alban smiled. “You’re set for a kind of early retirement. Next year, you can choose to live with Ambassador Gavain Alpian of Farbe. A good catch I hear. You’ll choose the jobs you want to do – light work or none at all. Imagine a good decade of that, maybe more.” Alban’s smile showed through his aura. “The problem is that if you cooperate with Pan in any way that undermines what the Scaldin are trying to do, you will either not get the Ambassador, or your time with him will be delayed and not extended.”

Aria’s heart beat fast. She wanted that deal. Escape to Gavain was closer than ever. It had been cut in thirds. No more race till thirty. She had just a year to wait. Aria would finally have a taste of freedom, and for the first three months, she didn’t plan to set foot outside whatever house she and Gavain picked. Aria wanted to live a quiet life for a decade.

But, then, she couldn’t help Pan.

Aria glanced at Sotir. He looked down. So much for his assurance that Aria would get Gavain.

Alban asked, “Does this information change your answer? About Pan’s guiltiness? About her state of mind?”

Aria straightened. “I will say again that Pan is not guilty of the station’s destruction. She is, however, guilty of all the sabotage. Your impression of her is correct. She’s very scared. She’s...not that angry, but she doesn’t trust the Scaldin. I wish someone would just give her a chance. She’s lonely. Grim.”

“Not angry, really?” Alban asked.

“I used to see a lot of red in her aura. It’s just not there in the same quantities. Most of the time, not at all.”

Alban stroked his beard. His aura fogged with blue.

Aria raised her hand. She hoped her next words wouldn’t hurt her chances with Gavain. “Also, I think you shouldn’t take Pan home. I think someone should come to a neutral location to talk to her. I think she should be allowed to retrieve anything she wants...from her job. And, I think you should let her clear her name in regards to the station. That could change things for her.”

Alban shifted and took an audible breath. “I have to take her home. I have orders. I can’t let her go, not even to grab things from her old job. Whatever that is. And, I’m telling you, she has no reason to clear her name.”

“She does. For herself,” Aria said. “I won’t help her escape or anything like that, but I am going to try to convince you to let her do these things.”

“We’re a long way from home. We’ll talk again about halfway through our journey. You’re going to have to come up with something very convincing. And toe that line if you want your deal.” With that statement, Alban headed for the door. His aura of blue trailed after him, with only a few threads of frustration in its haze.

Aria frowned and set her eyes on Sotir.

“I guess I have some reading to do.” Sotir headed for the door. He spoke low. “Since I’m going to look into a future with Pan, I’ll take the time to do the same for you and Gavain. I’ll try to find where that line lies.”

“Thank you.”

Sotir stopped in the office doorway. “By the way, you have a message from the Ambassador. You probably have to go back to your recovery room, but I can get you a long-range com. You could talk to him.”

Aria felt a pang. “Yes, please get that for me.”

Sotir nodded once and left.