Kalan gave Fresia a serious look. “Mox is no one to trifle with, Fresia. He has a hairpin temper. You even look at him wrong and he’s liable to explode into violence. So, just let me do the talking.”

Fresia stared at Kalan with wide eyes. “Maybe you should just go talk to him by yourself. I can catch up later.”

“No, that won’t work. You’ll be with me keeping an eye on the cargo transfer. If he sees you there and you haven’t been introduced, I,” Kalan took a deep breath and shuddered a little. “I just don’t want to even think about it.”

“Okay,” she whispered, shrinking in on herself.

“There he is,” said Kalan.

The person Kalan pointed at was at least seven feet tall. Where heavy-duty coveralls didn’t cover his body, he was covered in tiny black scales. Slabs of muscle protruded from his arms and chest. He barked orders at a few men, exposing teeth that could give Patonga’s a run for their money. Kalan watched from the corner of his eye as Fresia gaped, slack-jawed, at Mox. He kept a firm grip on his expression as approached the enormous lizard. When he thought his self-control might give way, he opened his mouth and shouted.

“Mox, you giant, useless runt of a lizard, get over here and talk to me.”

Kalan watched Frezia’s face turn into a mask of horror as the lizard whirled toward them.

“Kalan,” Mox roared. “You tiny, soft, sorry excuse for a freighter captain! I really will eat you this time!”

The lizard bounded toward them and Fresia stumbled back, letting out an inarticulate scream as the lizard scooped Kalen up into a mighty hug. Kalan groaned as the lizard bounced him up and down a few times.

“Air, Mox. Humans need air.”

The lizard let out a laugh and dropped Kalan back to the ground. Kalan risked a peek at Fresia. She was looking at him and Mox, her head tilted at a slight angle. It took a second before fury consumed her face. Much to Kalan’s amusement, she pulled back a fist and punched him in the arm.

“That was so mean!” She shouted at him.

Mox intervened then. “Don’t be too angry, little one. It’s a rite of passage around here.”

Fresia really focused on Mox then and asked, “Little one?”

“Everyone here seems little to me,” offered Mox, heaving his shoulders in a shrug.

Kalan watched as Fresia tried to come up with something to say. He felt a little jolt of pride as she rallied.

“I guess they would since you’re freakishly tall.”

Mox laughed and clapped a hand on Kalan’s shoulder. “I think this one’s a keeper, Kalan.”

“Fresia,” said Kalan, “this is my friend, Mox. Mox, Fresia will be flying with me for a while.”

Mox gave Kalan a long look. “Really? You took on a new crew member?”

“I did,” said Kalan.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Fresia,” said Mox, offering his enormous hand to the girl.

She blinked at the hand for a second before gamely putting her tiny hand in it. “It’s nice to meet you, Mox.”

Kalan suppressed a smile as she shot him a dirty look.

“What can I do for you, Kalan?”

“Artex will be docking soon. I’d like to hire your people to move his cargo over to my ship.”

“Something wrong with his people?” Mox asked in mildly curious tones. “Not that I mind the work. But why?”

“Raiders. The Pride and her crew are banged up.”

Mox made a hissing noise that even Kalan found unnerving. “May every raider tour the countless hells.”

“Agreed. So, you free for a little extra work?”

“Of course,” said Mox, nodding his great reptilian head. “We’ll get on it as soon they’re secured.”

“Thanks, Mox. Usual rates or do I owe you something extra for the short notice?”

“Usual rates. Just buy a round for my people one of these days to say thanks. We’ll call it even.”

“More than fair, Mox. As always.”

Mox clapped Kalan on the shoulder again before turning his attention back to Fresia. “You keep an eye on him for me. Captains are always getting themselves into some kind of foolishness, and I can’t save him all the time.”

Kalan watched as Mox went back to shouting orders at his people. He’d liked Mox from the first time they’d met. They were kindred spirits. He turned to say something to Fresia and she punched him in the arm again.

“So. Mean.” She said, stamping her foot.

Kalan couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up and out of him. Fresia just kept glaring at him, which made him laugh even harder.

“It’s not funny,” she said.

“I know,” said Kalan, struggling to catch his breath. “I know. It’s really not funny when it happens to you. But just wait until you get to do it someone else.”

Kalan watched as the gears whirled in Fresia’s mind. She gave a little half-shrug.

“Okay,” she admitted. “That might be a little funny.”

Kalan wasn’t all that shocked that Fresia gave him the cold shoulder for about an hour. When the actual work of moving the cargo got underway, she thawed out as he explained what the men were doing and why.

“Why don’t they start unloading at the back of the, um, the cargo space area,” she fumbled.

“The hold,” he said. “If the men were doing all the lifting, it might make sense to do it that way. The cargo drones are doing most of the manual labor, though. If they worked back to front, the drones would just get in each other’s way as they come and go. By the time they’re unloading the back, the drones will be spaced out enough that it’s not a problem.”

“Can’t the drones do all of the work? Do they really need people to guide them?”

“In theory, the drones can work by themselves. But, drones take cargo where they’re told to take it. If you’re dealing with someone honest, that means the hold on your ship or the client’s warehouse. If you’re dealing with someone you’re not sure about, you want people there keeping an eye on things.”

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“Is that why we’re here? You don’t trust Captain Artex?”

“I trust Artex. I just wanted you to see how it works. Speaking of the man,” said Kalan, raising a hand in greeting.

Captain Artex limped out of the hold of his ship, arm still in its sling, and came over to them. He gave Fresia a curious look “Kalan. Who’s the kid?”

Kalan saw Fresia bristle a little at that last, but she thankfully held her tongue. “Artex. This is Fresia. I’m taking her on as a crew member for a while.”

“Really?” Asked Artex.

Fresia shot Kalan a look. “Why is everyone so surprised about that? Is it because I’m a girl?”

Kalan and Artex both stared at Fresia in blank incomprehension before Artex laughed, then coughed, cradling the arm in a sling.

“A girl?” Artex asked. “She hasn’t met Emantine yet, has she?”

“Not yet,” said Kalan.

“Just you wait, Captain Emantine is something else. Then, there’s my first mate. She’s a woman and she’s twice as tough as me and Kalan put together. She’ll probably make a better captain than me, too.”

“Yes. I most certainly will,” said a woman from behind Artex.

The grizzled captain turned and gave the woman a nod. Kalan shifted nervously as Nielle stepped up beside her captain. She had bandages wrapped around her right hand and most of her right forearm, but didn’t seem to pay them any mind. Nielle made Kalan deeply uncomfortable and, to make matters worse, he wasn’t entirely sure why. She never did anything in particular to him or anyone else. It was just her presence.

“Captain Kalan,” she said, stepping over and resting her un-bandaged hand on his arm. “It’s nice to see you again.”

Kalan forced himself to look at her. Ivory skin almost glowed beneath the lights of the docking ring and jet-black hair framed her face. She looked up at him steadily with lavender eyes. Her gaze always put him in mind of a cat, lazily interested until something caught her attention. Then, it was all focused intensity with something wild and primitive lurking in the background. She’d never looked at him with anything other than that disconcerting, focused intensity.

“Nielle,” Kalan croaked. “It’s nice to see you.”

“Who is this?” She asked, never breaking eye contact.

“New crew member,” he mumbled.

“Really?” She asked in clear surprise.

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Demanded Fresia.

“Kalan never takes on new crew members,” said Nielle. “Ever. He has his robot and an engineer he fires every six months or so, but never any new crew. If he’s changed that policy, I might have to reconsider my position with you, Artex.”

“I haven’t,” blurted Kalan, wishing that Nielle would stop staring into his eyes that way. “It’s just her. Just for now. We’ll see how it goes.”

“What a pity. I suppose I’ll have to stay with Artex,” murmured Nielle.

“Thank the gods,” said Artex. “I couldn’t run this heap without you, Nielle. And you know it.”

Kalan felt a massive surge of relief as Nielle stepped away and gave her captain a fond smile. “I do. Don't fret, Artex. I wouldn’t abandon you for just anyone.”

Desperate for a new topic, Kalan eyed the Defiant Pride. “How bad is the damage, Artex?”

Artex sighed. “We’ll be stuck in dock for weeks before she’s space worthy again. The engines are sound, but those damn raiders ripped the hull up something good. Half our subsystems are down or on the brink. The AI in the repair control module is about to have a nervous breakdown. It’s a mess. If I didn’t know you were going to be gone for weeks, I’d be sending some work your way.”

“What’s Emantine doing?” Asked Kalan. “I mean, she’s probably crazy, but she’s reliable.”

“I’m not sure,” said Artex. “Haven’t seen her recently. As long as I don’t have to give anything to Penfrin, I can sleep at night.”

“Asshole,” said Kalan, Artex, and Nielle in unison.

“So, we don’t like Penfrin?” Fresia asked.

Nielle smiled at her. “No, child, we most certainly do not. If you do have the gross misfortune to meet him, though, feel free to stab him. Tell him it’s from me.”

“Okay,” said Fresia, giving Kalan a concerned look.

Later, he mouthed. She nodded.

“You’ve clearly got your hands full, Artex. I won’t keep you.”

“Fly safe, Kalan,” said Artex, holding out a hand.

“Always,” said Kalan, trading grips.

Nielle settled her hand on Kalan’s arm again. “If you change your mind about taking on crew, you know where I am.”

“I do,” said Kalan, averting his eyes. “Come on, Fresia. Let’s head back to the Kala. I want you to see how all of this works on the other end.”

Kalan walked briskly away and reassured himself that he wasn’t actually fleeing from Nielle. Fresia needed to see how they check in cargo. That was all. By the time they reached the ship, Kalan was almost ready to admit to himself that he was running away from Nielle. He led Fresia into the hold where Em was checking in the cargo.

“Captain,” said Em.

“Is everything in order?” Kalan asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, I’ll take over here. I assume Petronan is aboard.”

“He’s cozying up to the engines as we speak, sir.”

“Good. You go and prep the ship. We’re leaving as soon as all the cargo is aboard.”

“Very good, sir,” said Em, handing over a data pad and leaving the hold.

“Okay, so the way this works,” started Kalan, before Fresia cut him off.

“Is Nielle your girlfriend?”

“What?” Kalan choked.

“It’s just, the way she was acting. I thought she was your girlfriend.”

Kalan stared at her as a feeling a lot like panic clawed its way around in his chest. “No. She is definitely not my girlfriend.”

“She’s so pretty,” said Fresia.

Kalan wasn’t sure if he was supposed to say anything or not. “Yes, I suppose she is pretty.”

“Do you not like her?”

Merciful gods, thought Kalan, please kill me now. He waited in hopeful anticipation, but the sweet release of death didn’t find him.

“I don’t know her,” Kalan said. “Besides, she’s unsettling.”

“But don’t you think,” started Fresia.

Kalan cut her off that time by shoving the pad at her and saying, “The way this works is that every container has a unique signature code. If the container is opened at any point between departure and arrival, the code changes. It’s automatic. If that happens, it also means we don’t get paid for it. That’s why we scan in every container. We get a list of the original codes from the shipping client. Every code should match a container in this hold. We never accept a container that doesn’t match a code on the list. It doesn’t matter who or where it comes from.”

“Not even if,” Fresia began.

“Never, Fresia. Whatever is in a container with a non-matching code could be contraband, could be tainted, or could even be a threat to the ship. It could be a bioweapon or a bomb.”

Fresia looked shocked. “Really?”

“Really.”

“How do we know these aren’t containers aren’t filled with bombs?”

“There’s a lot of procedures around these transport codes to make sure they aren’t. You’ll learn about them as we go. For right now, I’ll just say that you need special transport codes to ship weapons and special permissions to carry them. We don’t have those permissions. So, what’s the rule?”

“Never take a container with a code that doesn’t match.”

“Good.”

Kalan walked Fresia through using the pad to scan in the containers a few times. Then, he stood back and supervised while she handled the last of the containers. Kalan gave her credit. Whatever else she was, the girl was a quick study. She only made one mistake and recognized it as soon as it happened. She also didn’t try to hide it. She came over and told him. He walked her through correcting the problem and she went back to work. Once the last of the cargo was on board, Kalan settled up with Mox’s people and promised them a round the next time he was on the station. The whole group let out a cheer. He closed the hold door, checked with the computer to make sure everything was buttoned up, and called up to Em.

“Take us out, Em.”

“Yes, captain.”

Kalan felt the subtle shift of the deck beneath him as the gravity cradle moved the ship away from the loading dock. Then he felt the second shift as Em began maneuvering them away from the station. He gave Fresia a small smile.

“Come with me,” he said. “There’s something you should see.”

Kalan led Fresia up to the bridge and walked over to a panel he’d almost never used. He touched it and a chair unfolded from the bulkhead. He gestured at the chair.

“Have a seat.”

Fresia sat and Kalan walked over to his own chair. He pulled up the projected display and glanced over the ship’s internal readings. He stopped when he saw the engine performance. It was up to 96 percent efficiency. He wondered what had lit the fire under Petronan. He’d have to commend the engineer. Kalan glanced up and saw that the forward display was off. Em typically navigated by a host of sensor information, so he didn’t need the display. Still, Kalan wanted Fresia to see this.

“Em, please activate the forward display.”

“Yes, captain.”

The display came to life and showed ships moving back and forth against an endless expanse of stars. Kalan snuck a look over at Fresia, who stared at the display with an uncomplicated smile of wonder. He grinned to himself and turned his attention back to the readings. Em didn’t really need him up here, but it was the Captain’s duty to be on the bridge when disembarking or arriving. Em smoothly guided the Ankala Rising through the heavy traffic near the station and then out toward the wormhole juncture.

“Em, a one-minute warning before we transit to the wormhole network, please.”

Em looked back at the captain, who glanced over at Fresia. “Oh, yes, of course, sir.”

Fresia sat transfixed as they moved through the void of space, her eyes never twitching from the display. Em gave the one-minute warning.

“Fresia,” said Kalan.

“Yes, um, am I supposed to call you captain.”

He smiled at her. “That’s the tradition, yes.”

“Yes, captain.”

“We’re about to transit into the wormhole network. The display will go blank when we do.”

“Why?”

“It’s a mystery. It’s also perfectly normal. I just don’t want you to think anything’s wrong.”

Fresia nodded in understanding. Em started his five-second countdown and Kalan braced himself for that awful, awful, and there it was. Then, the feeling was gone again. He looked over at Fresia, who wore an odd expression.

“Welcome to the empty,” said Kalan.