Twenty
Sithe
I guide Catarine to the cargo bay. The journey through the ship is uneventful.
That in itself is strange.
The captain has stationed crew members at intersections to safeguard our passage, but the other Arrisans ignore us. Catarine’s hood seals in the atmosphere, her scent, and conceals her image. The only one who knows she’s beneath the hood is me.
Our return journey passes too quickly. We are directed through the main cargo entrance rather than the narrow personnel hall, and at least as many upper-quadrant officers stand respectfully at attention outside the cargo bay as engineers move inside it.
The Vanadis ship, a cargo-class expedition vessel, slides through the atmosphere veil. Engineers pilot it to the dock.
Captain Falkion himself stands at the end of the dock. H
