We arrived back at the long haul transport and split up to do our assigned tasks. Luxea headed to the parts storage, Rhubin volunteered to bring the contaminated filter to Evelyn in the medical bay, and I went to the crew quarters to get my things. What I didn't expect was to see Cassie waiting for me.

“Hi, Ullir.” Cassie said, her face slightly ducked so she wasn't looking right at me.

“Hi, Cassie.” I said.

“I guess you're really leaving.” Cassie said.

“I have to.” I said. “I can't stay on this ship for the rest of my life.”

“What's wrong with that?” Cassie asked as she lifted her head and looked at me. She had tears in her eyes and I saw a deep regret in them.

“I didn't say there was anything wrong with it.” I said and stayed where I was instead of trying to approach her. “It's just not the life for me.”

“But... what if... what if I...”

“Cassie.” I said in a stern voice, and she winced. “It wouldn't have mattered if you didn't overreact that first day.”

“But...”

“I admit that it would have changed things between us from then until now; but, you knew... you all knew... that this day would come sooner or later.” I said. “It actually took longer than I thought it would, to be honest.”

“Ullir, I... I'm sorry.” Cassie said.

“I know you are, Cassie.” I said. “I also know that you can't change how you treated people with just an apology. You have to actually change how you treat them.”

“I did!” Cassie said. “After I overreacted that first time, I...”

“...slept with Rhubin.” I said, and she stopped talking. “It's none of my business who you have fun with, and I'm sure you had lots of fun.”

“Did... did you watch...”

“No.” I said firmly. “I even asked Rhubin not to tell me about it.”

“Ullir...”

“I asked him not to tell me about any of it, actually.” I said. “Despite how much he wanted to talk about it, I really didn't want to know what he did with any of you.”

Cassie sighed. “I really like you.”

“Yeah, I know.” I said. “It didn't stop you from doing what you wanted with whoever you wanted, though.” I stopped talking and waited for a moment. “I don't want to know the answer to what I'm going to ask you. It's just for your own thoughts to answer.”

“Okay.”

“How many men did you sleep with while you stayed at the Hamilton on the tourist station in the Granis System?” I asked. She opened her mouth to respond and I held a hand up to stop her. “I told you. I don't want the answer.” I said, then smiled. “Unless the answer is zero.”

Cassie closed her mouth and didn't speak.

“I figured that was why you went right to the fanciest hotel as soon as we were on the station.” I said. “Not a restaurant for food. Not the marketplace to shop. A hotel.”

Cassie looked like she was getting angry. “Ullir.” She said, and I could ear it in her voice. “I'm not a...”

“I know you're not.” I said and cut her off, and she looked at me with wide eyes. “Like Evelyn said, we all have needs. Some people want the fleeting comfort of passionate and meaningless sex. Others want people to treat them with respect and perhaps be their friends.”

“I respect you!” Cassie exclaimed. “I didn't even try to seduce you after... after that...”

“Her name was Ohazith, and in only one week, she made me care enough about her to ask her to quit her job of six years to come with me.”

Cassie caught her breath. “I... I didn't know that.”

“You would if you had bothered to ask, or tried to talk to me like friends are supposed to.” I said. “Actually, none of you have asked me about it.”

“I thought you wanted to be left alone.” Cassie said.

“I've always wanted to be left alone.” I said. “Ohazith being murdered didn't make that condition magically appear.” I smiled. “When Aphatoris sentenced me to a week in isolation for killing that thief, it was actually a nice break for me.”

“Wh-what?”

“Except for about ten minutes each day when I ate supper, I was left completely alone.” I said. “No one was anywhere near me during all that time and it was very peaceful.”

“You're such an ass!” Cassie exclaimed. “We were worried sick when we found out that they had arrested you!”

“I'm sure you were.” I said without any inflection in my voice. “I was arrested about an hour after arriving on the station. When did you find out about it?”

Cassie closed her mouth on her hot retort, because she didn't expect me to ask that question.

“Three days? Or maybe four?” I asked. “No. It was six days, wasn't it? That's when your shift was supposed to start on the ship. You wouldn't have checked in until then.”

Cassie turned her head to the side and I saw the tears roll down her cheek. “So, you're blaming me.”

I chuckled. “For what? Taking care of yourself?”

“For not caring enough about you to check in on you until I was done partying.” Cassie said and looked back at me, clearly angry.

“You've always done that.” I said, and saw the surprise on her face. “Of course, sometimes it was before you went somewhere to have fun, too.” I corrected. “It was never you just coming by to visit, or saying hello, or a dozen other little things that could have been used as an excuse to see me. It was always before or after you were going to have fun with someone else.”

“I... no, that... it's not true.” Cassie said, her voice full of doubt, and her flow of Presence wavered.

“It's a surprising fact, isn't it?” I asked, and she couldn't look at me. “I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed if I had been involved with you, or with Luxea, or even with Evelyn. I would have been too busy being distracted.”

Cassie didn't look at me as she spoke. “Some friend you're trying to be.” She said. “You don't respect me at all, do you?”

“You don't get it.” I sighed. “If I didn't respect you, I would be saying all of this later when we all gather together and Rus officially sends me off of the ship.”

“You're such a liar.”

“Do you want me to tell everyone that you only saw me as your next conquest?” I asked. “You haven't tried to be my friend at all. You've made no effort in that regard, except to try and further your own goal of sleeping with me.”

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“I have tried to be your friend!” Cassie exclaimed and looked at me.

“No, you haven't.” I said. “Out of the three of you, Luxea's the only one to...”

“I knew she would get her claws into you!” Cassie said.

“That's not what...” I stopped talking and sighed. “You're not even listening to what I'm saying, are you?” I asked, and she didn't respond. “You've already decided that I'm wrong and you're looking for any excuse to justify hating me for not accepting your advances.”

Cassie frowned at me and stayed quiet.

“Well, I'm glad we had this little talk.” I said. “We didn't manage to get everything out into the open; but, at least now you can go on with your life with the unreasonable belief that I've wronged you.”

“You are such an asshole!” Cassie spat.

“Yeah, I'm the asshole.” I said. “Who exactly is the one that tried to corner me every time they were horny and tried to talk to me, then ran off with someone else?” I asked. “Do you know how frustrating it is to like someone, then have them sleep around with everything that moves and you can't even have a normal conversation with them, because all they want to do is talk about that other person and what they were doing?”

Cassie's mouth made that little 'o' of surprise.

“I figured you were trying to make me jealous, or envious, or something by telling me all of that stuff.” I shook my head. “All you managed to do was piss me off. You've never guessed how annoying it is to have you describe the things you did, then you try to touch me or infer that I'm missing out.” I said. “Like I don't know that I'm missing out!”

Cassie's eyes were wide as she stared at me.

“Rubbing your body on me every goddamn time you're around me is NOT trying to be my friend!” I nearly yelled. “Do you even care about how it made me feel, to have you sleep with someone else and then come over to me and hug me, or squeeze my arm, or rub your chest on my arm or my back?”

Tears were flowing down Cassie's cheeks again.

“You didn't care about my feelings at all!” I spat at her. “All you cared about was your own satisfaction! It didn't matter what I had to suffer through, as long as you got to tease me in a twisted attempt to get me to give in to your petty desires!”

Cassie started to openly sob and cry.

“Yeah, I'm the asshole.” I said and used a mental technique to calm down. “I also don't make any excuses for my behavior, because I don't need any.” I said in a normal voice. “Since I've been on the ship, I've always been honest, I've always helped, and I've always been there when someone needed me.”

Cassie wiped at her eyes; but, the tears didn't slow down.

“I may be an asshole, Cassie... but you... you are not a nice person.” I said.

“I... I... I hate you!” Cassie exclaimed.

“Of course you do. I'm the asshole.” I said. “So, go ahead and hate me. You've always done everything you wanted anyway. Why would you start acting differently now, even after I've told you the truth?”

Cassie walked over to me to slap my face, and I caught her hand easily.

“I think I've humored you and your immaturity long enough.” I said sternly, then I stepped backwards out of the hallway and into the central shaft as I dragged her with me.

“Let me go!” Cassie almost yelled.

“Rus? What's the penalty for assault on the ship?” I asked and turned us around to face him.

Rus sighed. “Three days confinement and docked pay for the days you didn't work.”

Cassie caught her breath when she saw that everyone except Donny was there. “H-how... how much did you hear?”

“Since you yelled 'you are such an asshole' at Ullir and he said you were trying to make him jealous.” Rhubin said and looked at me. “Ullir, I'm sorry I played a part in hurting you like that. Willing participant or not, I still helped.”

“Now you know why I asked you not to tell me anything about your... activities.” I said and let Cassie's hand go.

“I wanted to apologize before, but...”

“...it never seemed like the right time.” I finished for him, and he nodded. “Well, it doesn't matter.” I said. “I've got my own ship now and I don't have to stay in this weird environment anymore.”

No one knew how to respond to that statement.

“After Luxea gets the replacement gravity sensors to Donny and he gets them installed, we can handle the payment transfer to the port master.” I said. “We can wait until then to say goodbye.”

“I'm saying goodbye to you right now!” Cassie said and wiped off her face. “Ullir, you are a jerk! You are an ass! You are a whole bunch of other things that I can't say because my father is right there!”

“Come on, Cassie. Tell me how you really feel.” I said.

Cassie made her hands into fists. “Ullir, you can just fu...”

SMACK!

Cassie's ponytail of red hair whipped to the side when Luxea slapped her.

“Shut your mouth.” Luxea said, her voice full of disdain.

“Luxea!” Rus exclaimed and tried to step between them to do something, and Rhubin caught his arm.

Cassie put a hand on her face where a red welt was already forming. “What was that for?!?”

“I'm tired of your immaturity, too.” Luxea said. “You can't look past your own pettiness to see the people in front of you are real and not just playthings.”

“You have no right to judge me!” Cassie said.

“I'm not judging you. If I was, I'd call you a stupid brat who thinks the world needs to revolve around her and gets upset when it doesn't.” Luxea said. “Isn't it funny how you didn't do any of those things you did to Ullir where I would see them?” She asked. “Is it because if I had, you knew that I would have stopped you?”

Cassie just glared at her and didn't respond.

“I thought so.” Luxea said and turned to Rus. “It's been really great being on this ship all these years, despite your constant sexual harassment.” She said. “But, like Ullir, I think I'm done with this kind of lifestyle.”

“Wh-what... what are you saying?” Rus asked, his attempt to pull free of Rhubin's grip was forgotten.

“I'm cashing out.” Luxea said and pulled out a chip reader and typed up several things on it, then popped a chip into it. “I won't even ask for the remainder of my cut for this haul.” She said and pulled the chip out and put it in her pocket. “You can keep it as the fine for assaulting Cassie, the gravity sensors, and for a couple of these chip readers.”

“But... but... but...”

“I know what's left is worth a lot more than that; but, I'm not waiting around until the end of the trip to leave.” Luxea said and turned to look at me. “Ullir, would you mind giving me a ride? Your ship is big enough to carry a couple of passengers.”

“Luxea...”

“Hey, I can pay.” Luxea said and popped her chip back into the reader, typed up something, then popped the chip out and put in a blank. After a moment, she pulled the new credit chip from the reader and held it out to me. “One standard passenger fee to get me back to one of the main trading hubs.”

I looked at the chip and then at her face. “I'm probably going there anyway.” I said and didn't take the offered chip. “I'm going to need more clothes, supplies for travelling, and a few other things.”

Luxea nodded and tucked the reader and the credit chip into her pockets. “Evelyn, could you pack up my things and have them ready when Rhubin brings Donny back?”

“I can do that for you, sure.” Evelyn said, then she turned to me. “I want to say goodbye to you, too.”

“But...”

“I don't think you're going to be allowed back on the ship after this.” Evelyn said and stepped forward. “Ullir, it was very nice meeting you.” She said and held a hand out to me.

I ignored the offered hand and took her into my arms as I gave her a hug instead. “Ullir's my last name.” I whispered to her. “My first name is Aaron.”

Evelyn took a breath and let it out as she hugged me back briefly, then she let me go.

I let her go and looked at Rus. “Goodbye, captain.”

Rus didn't say anything, so I turned to look at Cassie. She still had her hand on her face and stared at Luxea with seething anger.

I didn't say anything to her and I looked at Rhubin. “Can I bother you for...”

“It's not a bother, since I'm going with you.” Rhubin said. “Grab your stuff and I'll take you back to your ship.”

I went to my sleeping compartment and grabbed the laundry bag with my things in it, then came back out. Luxea, Rhubin, and I went down to the shuttle dock and climbed aboard, then we were out into space and flew over to my ship. After she stashed a couple of chip readers in different places, she checked the air purifying system again and started it up, then she went out with Donny to attach the gravity sensors. Rhubin and I checked over the supplies that were in the ship to see what was available and what I would have to buy at our first stop.

“Long term ration supplements.” Rhubin said as he opened a cabinet in the kitchen. “You can add these to almost anything to make a tasty meal.”

“I guess that's because there's not much storage space on such a small ship.” I said and closed a cupboard filled with rationed food trays. “There's no way to fit anything more than six months of food for three people in the cargo area.”

“At least it's a part of the ship and you don't have to wear a spacesuit to access it.” Rhubin said. “You haven't tasted vacuum stored food yet.” He chuckled. “By the way, you don't really want to.”

I chuckled, too. “I can imagine what it tastes like.”

We heard the main hatch cycle and walked over to the hatch to meet Luxea and Donny.

“Okay, we've got the communications array installed and the gravity sensors.” Luxea said. “After I run a quick test to make sure they're working, we can head over to the station to pay off the storage fees.”

“Sounds good.” I said, and she went to the cockpit to start the diagnostics.

“Luxea told me what happened.” Donny said as he took off his helmet. “I'm sorry, Ullir.”

“Why? You did your best to warn me, and I did my best to not encourage her.”

Donny nodded and held a hand out to me. “Well, it was nice meeting you.”

I shook the offered hand. “It was nice meeting you, too.”

“Hop in the shuttle and I'll take you back to your ship.” Rhubin said to Donny, who nodded again and went towards the middle of the ship. “I'll be back in a few minutes to bring you over to the station.”

“I'd like to say there's no rush...” I started to say, and Rhubin chuckled.

“Yeah, they'll probably want to heavy burn to leave the system as soon as possible.” Rhubin said and followed Donny to the middle of the ship. I followed them with my Detect Presence technique and watched them ascend into the shuttle, disengage the small umbilical, and take off towards the long haul transport. I let out a brief sigh and walked down the hallway towards the cockpit.