Niles could feel the sun’s warmth on the back of his neck as he watched minute dust motes glide down onto his desk. He had allowed Andrew to spend the night on the barge. It wouldn’t be right, he thought, to him get a room in the city when we won’t be leaving until the following morning anyway.

Niles was happy with a crew count of six even though the barge could have supported eight or even a cramped ten. With Andrew gone the Dusty Maiden’s crew count would only be five now, if he didn’t count Jon and Emma. But they were more like temporary business partners anyway. He wondered if they had enough people for Jon’s mission.

Then he heard Andrea’s voice coming from the main deck. She was obviously dealing with the city agent. He continued to watch the dust motes coalesce onto his desk. Emma’s voice cut in. He couldn’t understand what they were saying but he was sure it had to do with their deal. There was no reason why Emma’s letter wouldn’t work. Being a Guardian, Niles knew, garnered certain advantages.

A few minutes later there was a knock from behind the door. “Come on in,” Niles said, expecting Andrew to enter the cabin.

Andrea entered the room instead. “Captain, I have the payment from Daura City,” she said.

“Good. And did we get docked?”

“Actually, no.” She came closer to the desk and put the money down. “We’re ready to go, though I don’t think Andrew has said his goodbyes to everyone yet.”

Niles reached for the money, and then he nodded slowly.

“Niles...?” she asked, curiously.

Niles had already started to split the cut. “Yeah?”

“How come you never told me about your powers?”

Suddenly he felt a quick pang of guilt as he thought about Andrea’s question. His mother had believed he’d attract negative attention from the Guardian Order, so he’d never told anyone about his powers after making that promise. Until now. “It just wasn’t a good idea for anyone to know,” he said.

“But I know now.”

Niles thought she sounded flirtatious, but he couldn’t be sure, and It would be very awkward if he’d ever read his pilot’s intentions wrongly. He smiled. “Maybe you’ll get to see me use them later on.”

“You mean during this crazy mission?”

“Exactly.”

There was a moment of silence. Then Andrea said, “This mission is insane.”

“I know... but we’ve pulled through some pretty rough stuff. I think we can handle it.”

Andrea smiled ruefully. “So... can we stop by Norbridge before we go get ourselves into trouble?”

Niles winced on the inside. Andrea was putting him in a tough position. Again. He didn’t like it. It felt... awkward. Too much was at stake. How would he tell her they wouldn’t be able to go? Even if he wanted to do this for his pilot, he couldn’t. They had a mission to do. “Andrea...” Niles said with a note of regret in his voice. “We’ve already had this discussion, haven’t we?”

She cocked her head back. “No, we haven’t. Things have changed.”

“Things have changed.” Niles agreed. “They’ve gotten worse.” And it is true, he thought. They’ve gotten way worse.

“Niles, I need to make sure my family is safe.”

“You’re being irrational. There’s—“

“Irrational?” She said, eyes widening. “This is my little brother and sister we’re talking about, Niles. Even if there’s a chance they’re in danger then I have to go. You know that.”

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“If something were to happen—which is extremely unlikely—it wouldn’t matter anyway.”

“What?”

“If these damned aliens show up, we’re all dead,” Niles said, waving a hand in the air.

Andrea laughed mirthlessly. “I can’t believe this.” She raked her fingers through her long wavy hair.

“Yes,” Niles said sharply. “Yes, there are pirates near Norbridge. Yes, they could attack. Yes your family could be in danger... but what are the chances of that, really?”

“Dammit! Niles, I already told you—“

Niles jumped out of his chair and leaned over the desk, his arms spread outward. “And you need to see reason. We can’t go running off to Norbridge because you’re worried.”

She nodded, a fast jerky movement of her chin as she put her hands on her hips and started to pace back and forth now. “Because I’m worried.” She laughed again. “Alright. Alright, Niles. Then you give me no choice. I’m getting off your boat.”

Niles felt his eyes bulge just a little as he said, “What?”

“You selfish bastard.”

“Selfish?” he asked, jerking his head back. “Me?”

She stomped toward the door.

“Andrea,” Niles said sharply. “You can’t go.”

“Oh, I can’t? And why not, Captain?” she asked, emphasizing the last word.

“I need you... we need you. You’re the best pilot I’ve ever had.”

“Is that all I am to you, Niles?”

He said nothing. He wasn’t going to grovel and crawl. This was about more than him or her, or her family. This was about saving everyone on the planet.

You’re much more to me than a pilot.

“Goodbye, Niles—oh, and I’ll need my cut before I go,” she said, reaching over the desk to take her share, her eyes not dropping from his. After she scooped up her cash, she turned and left the cabin.

Niles had his hands on his hips. He could feel the veins bulging in his neck. Then the chair got in the way. He picked it up and tossed it at the wall. After a moment he glanced at the chair observing the damage he’d done to it.

There was a tentative knock at the door. “Uh... Captain?” Andrew asked, half leaning into the cabin. “I’ve got my things and I’ll be going now. Just wanted to let you know.”

Niles nodded slowly. It was too bad he was losing a member of his crew. And now I’ve lost Andrea, he thought. In Niles’ opinion, she’d been the most dependable and trustworthy person aboard his barge. But there was something else he felt as well. It was as if he were losing more than a pilot and a friend. He was losing something the future held in its grasp.

Niles breathed out heavily. “I’m sorry, Andrew. Come on in.”

Andrew stepped into the room. “At it again, huh?”

Niles raised an eyebrow. “How much of that did you hear?”

“Quite a bit,” Andrew said with a wry smile.

“Yeah. Alright then,” Niles said as he put out a hand. “It was good having you on the crew—oh, and here’s your payment for the last haul.” He gave Andrew his cut.

“Thanks, Captain,” Andrew said as he let go of Niles’ hand. Then he left the cabin.

Niles looked back at his desk. He was going to sit, but then spotted the smashed chair and decided to go up to the main deck to let Walter know that it was time to depart. “Walter, you’re piloting,” he said.

“Wait—where’s Andrea? I thought I saw her get off?”

“She won’t be coming. Now let’s get moving... wasted enough time here already.”

Walter hesitated for a moment. Then he said, “Alright, Cap.”

Niles moved to the stern of the barge behind Walter and the helm. He watched Daura City shrink as ithe Dusty Maiden cruised out of the city.

“I’m sorry, Captain.”

Niles half turned to look at Emma, but then he decided to watch the receding cityscape instead. “Get Jon for me, will you?”

“Sure,” she said flatly.

Niles noticed the momentary pause before she answered him. He knew what he’d asked sound more like an order than a request. She obviously didn’t like being told what to do by someone who wasn’t a Guardian.

He could hear her footsteps receding as she went down the companionway. Well too damn bad, he thought. My barge, my rules. She would just have to get used to it, because he didn’t feel like being agreeable right now.

Then his thoughts involuntarily drifted to his pilot. Why had he acted that way? He practically kicked her off the barge. It was hard to put himself in her position. He didn’t have family. He wondered if he’d made a mistake choosing not to go to Norbridge for Andrea. In not choosing to go he had lost his best pilot. The others—himself included—could barely even call themselves pilots when comparing to her skill.

“You wanted to see me, Niles?” Jon asked.

Niles didn’t say anything to Jon for a minute or two. Then he turned around, his back braced against the stern railing. “We’re on our way. Just need the bearing.”

“Right,” Jon said. “Well there are two barges. One is the Analaya, and the other Breabooth. Both possibly have what we need. The Analaya is headed west for Drymote, and the other south to the jungles of Vestibar. Your call, though I’d suggest we try and intercept the Analaya first before she reaches her destination.” He scratched his chin and continued. “She’s a little closer and if she doesn’t have the information we need, we can always swing back around for a second try at the Breebooth as she makes her way back to the capital.”

There wasn’t much to think about. Jon had already planned the whole thing it seemed, and he obviously had it under control. “Analaya it is then,” Niles said. “You plan a lot, Jon.”

“Always and thoroughly.”