"Mail call," Beryn announced as he came through the open hatch.
Jasyn looked up from the piles of paperwork she sorted. The mess spread over most of the table. Beryn handed her a thick envelope.
"Business summaries from Leon," she said with a sigh. There were shadows in her face that had nothing to do with missed sleep.
Clark paced the floor, a small baby nestled against his shoulder. The child watched solemnly with dark blue eyes.
"Three for you, Twyla," Beryn said cheerfully. He passed the letters to her when she came out of the cockpit where she'd been running checks on the systems. "A letter from home," he said, studying the next envelope. "Proud grandparents sending their congratulations." He handed the envelope to Jasyn.
She made a face. "It's probably another five page letter from Clark's mother telling me space is no place to raise a child."
"More business," Beryn said as he handed another official looking envelope to Jasyn. "And one for Darus. From a sweetheart?" He raised his eyebrows in surprise. The envelope was pink and scented.
Darus looked up from where he sat on the steps down to the engine room. Filter parts were spread around him. He looked old, worn and brittle. He moved slowly to take the envelope when Beryn handed it down to him.
Beryn moved back to the center of the lounge on the small ship. "Another business message," he said as he finished sorting through the mail. "And one from the Independent Traders Guild." He hesitated, the thick envelope wavering in his hand. "It's addressed to Dace."
"She was the one with the membership," Jasyn said. Her voice came out harsh. She took the envelope from Beryn. She dropped it in front of her, on top of a pile of papers and stared down at it.
"There was also a special delivery," Beryn said with forced cheerfulness. The rest looked at him, all except Darus. Beryn turned to the hatch.
The woman standing there was tiny, short and petite. Her dark hair was cut close, curling over her head like a cap. She held herself with confidence, despite the generic gray of her shipsuit. She beamed.
"Ginni," Jasyn greeted her. She swept the other woman into a hug. "We weren't expecting you for at least a month."
"I finished early," Ginni said, returning the hug. "You've done some remodeling," she added as she looked around the ship.
"Some," Jasyn said as she sat back down.
Ginni's attention was drawn to the baby Clark held. "He's cuter than your pictures. He's absolutely adorable."
The baby gave her a wide toothless grin.
"We named him Lohys, after my father," Jasyn said.
"May I hold him?" Ginni asked.
"Be my guest," Clark said and handed the child over. "His middle name is Habim."
Ginni cradled the baby against her, smiling at him. "Good name." She looked back at Jasyn. "Do you still have that job offer open?"
"You have to ask, Ginni? Of course we do."
"Because I found out I have no aptitude for navigation," Ginni said quickly, her confidence wavering. "I got a pilot's certification instead. And an assistant cargomaster rating."
"You can balance the cargo. I won't mind giving up that job," Clark said. "And we can always use another pilot."
"Is everything all right, Darus?" Beryn asked.
Darus' face was white. He looked up from the letter, staring at the others without seeing them. He slowly rose to his feet, the center of attention now. He stumbled towards the table. "She's alive," he whispered. The letter fluttered from his hands. "She's alive," he repeated as he slumped into a chair at the table. He pressed his hands over his eyes.
Clark snatched the letter as it fluttered to the floor. "It's from Paltronis, Lowell's bodyguard," he said as he glanced over the letter.
"Read it," Jasyn ordered. She was standing, drawn to her feet by Darus' reaction. She stood next to him, her hand on his shoulder. He sobbed into his hands.
"You're her father, you should know," Clark began. "She made it back, a lot later than we expected. She found where the ship on Vallius came from."
He stopped and cleared his throat before continuing. Jasyn's hand tightened on Darus' shoulder. The three of them had been on Vallius with Dace.
"She had to go back. Lowell wouldn't let her because she isn't Patrol. She is now. But at least she's an admiral." Clark stopped again.
"I'm going to kill him," Jasyn said. "After making him hurt for a long time."
"She made it out, she's safe," Clark said, staring at the paper. He looked up at Jasyn. "Tayvis didn't."
"Then where is she?" Beryn asked.
Clark looked back down at the paper. "Tivor, Lowell sent her to Tivor."
Jasyn slumped, the anger in her burning out. "We can't do anything there."
"Paltronis promises to bring her home, as soon as she's done," Clark said. "Three months, this time. She promises."
"Lowell promised before. Three weeks," Jasyn said. "How could he do this? We're going to Tivor and we're going to find a way to get her out. No matter what it takes."
"We can't, Jasyn," Clark said. "Tivor is closed to just about everything. There isn't anything we can do."
"Except wait? I'm through waiting."
"I have an idea," Ginni said. She grinned wickedly. "Send Leon to get her out."
They stared at her, surprised by her suggestion.
Jasyn slowly began to smile. "I like the way you think."
"She's alive," Darus said. He laid his head on the table and wept.