Sal’s feet felt heavy as she walked into the shuttle bay. She was leaning heavily on Dash. This was the right thing to do, it was the only thing to do, but it was still difficult.
Jess was standing to her left, Ali a short distance from him. Sal ignored Jess and moved over to Ali, pulling her into a fierce hug.
“I’m sorry Ali,” she said. “I don’t want to leave you, but I can’t stay here. I know your memories of the Gift aren’t all positive, but try to remember that it wasn’t all bad either.”
“I’m going to miss you, Sal,” replied Ali. “We’ve been through so much together. Don’t be a stranger. I want to know how you’re doing, even if you don’t feel you can come over here.”
“I promise. I’ll keep bugging you. Take care on this mission… I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as ev
