Later that night, the door opened without a knock. By the time there was someone in the door frame, I’d already snapped out of my seat and my gun up to their head height. The man who’d opened the door stared across the room at the barrel.

“Commendable reaction time Mr. Kingston, I can tell that what Jie’s said about you isn’t an exaggeration.”

I lowered the gun as a woman joined the man, both of them were dressed in emerald coloured suits, it was very traditional human clothing.

The man, dark skinned with greying hair and a salted beard, spoke again, “Miss Jie has requested that you come see her. I’m Mr. Jeffers and this is my colleague Sonia, we been tasked with bringing you to her.” He skipped the ‘quietly.’

“The girl comes with,” I answered.

“You may bring the Fotuan with you,” Jeffers answered, “we were told to expect as much from you.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment.”

“I see nothing wrong in having an understandable character Mr. Kingston. Now please, Miss. Jie doesn’t appreciate waiting.”

“See that hasn’t changed,” I said just loud enough for them to hear it.

Victoria rose from her seat. Unlike Mythellion, we almost wanted her to stand out on Station 26. All of the humans on the station could clock her as a Fotuan, so keeping her in non-Fotuan clothes was just going to invite questions. She was back in the silver and black robe she’d hired me in.

The blood had been washed out.

Both of the guards stared at her instead of me as she strode past them without saying a word, exiting out into the hallway with long languid strides. Before I followed I turned around and grabbed the Nurse off the wall, finally zipping up the bag as I did.

“The weapons shouldn't be necessary Mr. Kingston.”

I slung the bag over my shoulder and made my way to the door.

“But we were told to expect as much. Please, follow us.”

I exited the room to join Victoria, who let both of them pass. Once Jeffers started leading, several of the doors further down the hallway opened as similarly emerald suited men and women stepped out into the hallway to join us.

“K-”

I help up a finger to shush Victoria. This wasn’t like our time on the docks. There wasn’t room for a private conversation here, and there wouldn’t be for a while. We had to assume that Jie would hear of anything we could say. My translator could prevent a bug from picking us up, but if there was a human in the room everything would trickle back to her.

The gilded hallways of the hotel were dimmer than they were when we’d come up, which must have been another part of the station’s marketing to ensure that there was a ‘night time.’ The idea of a 24 hour cycle for light was refreshing, between that and the hallways staying neutral instead of unerringly humid, it was nice being on a station that played favorites when you were the favorites.

It didn’t make it better, it just made it nice.

Instead of being led down to the main lobby, Mr. Jeffers took us down a quiet stairway to the side on the main floor, bringing us into the ‘basement’ of the Pent. The golden lights came on as he opened that door, and shut off behind us as we descended the stairs. Most of the guards that had joined on our walk stayed behind in front of the entrance to the stairway as we headed down.

Victoria kept glancing over at me, so I did my best to look straight ahead. The last thing I wanted her to do was catch a look and assume it meant we needed to try something that would get us shot.

She had the right idea, in a vacuum there was a cardinal rule against letting someone take you to a second location, but she was, once again, missing context. I knew Jie, if she’d wanted us dead we wouldn’t have made it to our rooms in the first place without a fight. It wasn’t like she’d need to hide killing a random merc and a Fotuan deserter.

No, Jie wanted something. She might have just wanted a visit, but when Jie wanted something there was no point in swimming against the tide.

Four floors down we reached a secluded parking garage. Most stations weren’t designed for vehicles, having lifts to carry you over any unwalkable distance, but Station 26 wasn’t most stations. Its history as a mining complex meant it was a network of railways and roads built for haulers.

In the middle of the garage there was a lone car, and it was unsurprisingly emerald and gold. Jie certainly had a brand down.

“I assume we’re taking the car to her?” I asked. Mr. Jeffers didn’t answer, but instead opened the door.

“No Kingston, there is a level of implication that comes alongside meeting you formally,” Jie’s silken voice dripped out of the door as it opened revealing her sitting on the far side of the limousine like interior of the car. “Welcome back to Station 26, Kingston, please, if you would both like to take a seat in the car, we have much to discuss.”

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With almost anyone else in the galaxy I would have offered a snippy response unless they were paying me not to, but with Jie I simply took my seat in the car across from her, waiting for Victoria to do the same.

Victoria hesitated before entering the car, the yellow glow of Jie’s cybernetic eyes following every twitch and movement of the girl as she considered her options. For the second time on this walk, Victoria’s instinct was right. Luckily she ignored it for me.

Jeffers closed the door, and the dim glow of the interior lights slowly came up to the point where we were traced out in sunset gold clarity. The light shimmered off the black lines of implants ran up Jie’s neck, visible despite her high, traditional collar. That said, it must have been intentional as her hair was tied back in a complicated arrangement, she could have hid the cyberpetics if she wanted to.

Aside from her eyes at least.

“It’s been too long, Jie,” I opened.

“It has been for me. I don’t believe that you feel the same, Kingston.” The car started moving. “You were exceedingly clear during our last conversation that you had no intention of coming back to Station 26.”

“Some things about this station are decent.”

Jie smirked, “I think you’ll find that it’s much better than when you left.” She didn’t point out that I had pointedly avoided mentioning whether she was one of the decent parts.

“That’s a low bar.”

“Then I assume we’ve exceeded expectations. I imagine those were low as well.”

I didn’t bother correcting her.

“It is nice to have a hero on Station 26, we’ve always been more of a den of scoundrels despite my best efforts.”

Victoria betrayed her surprise at me being called anything other than a problem.

“What about you?” Jie didn’t give us time to discuss, her amber eyes focusing in on Victoria again, “I can’t say we see many Fotuans out on the rim.”

“We’re just stopping through.”

Jie flicked her eyes over to me with a clear ‘I didn’t ask you.’ “In fact, I may be behind on my understanding on the Meritocracy, but I believe that you should only ever be out on the rim if you have official business for the Fotuans themselves.”

“That’s correct,” Victoria admitted. She did her best to stay in the character she’d established, but her voice faltered.

“Interesting. Though you are simply ‘passing through’ my station, so I assume that your business has nothing to do with my operations here,” she took a long deep breath as a pause. “Though you must be lonely on such a… human dominated station. Should I point any Fotuans that land here in your direction? Ensure that you have someone familiar.

“Not necessary,” Victoria answered a little too fast.

Jie smirked again, that was information. “Of course, you did hire a human escort. My experience with Fotuans is criminally low, but I imagine there are some of you that are sympathetic to our position in the galaxy. Always pleasant to be surprised.”

“What can I help you with Jie?” I cut in.

“Why do you assume I’m asking you something, Kingston?”

“I know you.”

She seemed unimpressed.

“I know how Songlai works,” I corrected.

The car turned a hard corner, not that it was easy to tell in the cabin. “You’re not necessarily wrong, Kingston Diadona, but your understanding of Station 26 is outdated. We don’t use that name anymore, it reflects us poorly to those who understand it.”

It was my turn to smirk, or at least chuckle. Jie was half the reason that the name Songlai had caught on in the first place, that and necessity. Cantonese bastardized through English was always hard for alien translators to pick up.

“I do see the irony in me asking you to do that Kingston, I truly do, but times change. People change.”

“Some of them, sure.”

“Hm?”

“Not everyone changes,” I reiterated. It was up to her to decide whether I meant for that to exclude her, or me. Maybe both.

“Well that’s completely fair as an opinion Kingston, and you are correct about Station 26, it hasn’t changed as much as I wish to represent with our appearance,” Jie offered a theatrical sigh, “there are still somethings that I wish to correct about this station.

“You seem to have done a lovely job so far,” I offered as dismissal.

“I was hoping for your help with something regarding that,” she said, “while you’re here.”

“I thought I was clear last time.”

“And yet, you’re back on Station 26,” she mused, “perhaps that clarity wasn’t as absolute as you were hoping.”

“Sometimes the unexpected comes up,” I answered, Jie looked pointedly at Victoria.

“Kingston is under my employ right now,” Victoria joined in, “offering him work in front of me is bold of you.”

Jie perked up at Victoria joining the conversation, she leaned in, almost crossing to our side of the car. I took it for what it was, her way of saying ‘who do you think has the power here?’

“Or am I misunderstanding human customs?” Victoria continued.

“We do offer a lot of respect to our hosts, but you’re correct; It was bold of me, but I do have a reputation, you need one this far from the core” she leaned back, returning to her relaxed position, “you understand that though, you’re so very far from home.”

Jie blinked twice, which I understood was her sending a command to her PA using the neural networks she’d set up. “I don’t need you to accept my offer right now, simply that you may consider it. Victoria, I will compensate you for Kingston’s time. Kingston, this is a chance for you to be back on the right side of history. Push our cause in the right direction again.”

Victoria scanned my reaction to the last part, I wasn’t sure what she saw in it.

“If that isn’t enough of a reason,” Jie continued, “then know that I will consider it a personal favor, and I can assure you that, whatever you’re trying to do, having my assistance will be incredibly useful.”

The car stopped, and Jie took a deep breath as the door behind us opened automatically. Jeffers opening the door earlier had simply been a display of wealth.

“Miss Vic, before you leave,” Jie cut in as we both went to get out, “what is it you’ve hired Kingston to do?”

“Kingston is joining me as security detail at an upcoming meeting,” Victoria lied.

Jie blinked twice, then offered a soft smile. “You chose someone exceptional. Should you want to hear more about my offer, your access cards should allow you to call one of my people when scanned.”

“I’ll consider it,” Victoria answered.

“Good, and Mr. Diadona, do take care. Station 26 still could use someone like you."

The door closed behind us as we stepped out of the car and into the quiet neighbourhood that she’d driven us to. Victoria looked around, confused and assuming that it was a random location.

I understood what it was, this was where I was supposed to meet Tash if I’d agreed to her offer.

It was a reminder that Songlai was still alive and well, Jie was just the new heart.