Tamiyo awoke an hour before sunrise, surrounded by warmth and silence. The Ghost of Mandachor was dark and pleasantly cool, the main room lit only by the faint amber spill of emergency strips along the floor. Bedding had been laid out in lazy spirals. Pillows, blankets, and bare skin scattered by exhaustion like some shipwreck. The air was thick with the scent of sweat, dust, and dried alcohol.

  Aurania lay closest to the wall, half-wrapped in a blanket and nothing else, her bronze skin dulled by sleep. One arm flopped over Violet, who was curled tightly into herself, hair tangled and one cheek pressed against someone’s discarded jacket. Veolo and Amalia slept back to back, limbs tangled, both topless and utterly unbothered by it. Faint purple bruises covered Veolo’s knuckles, and Amalia's ribs rose and fell in slow, even breaths. They all bore marks of the barfight: scrapes, swelling, dried blood that hadn't been washed off. They all slept in comfort and safety, the non-lacravida being the only ones even attempting the modesty of clothing.

  Brana was sprawled on her back like someone had dropped her from a height, snoring lightly, one hand still wrapped in the cloth she'd used as a makeshift bandage the night before. Near the far corner, Inelius and Raine had nestled into one another. Raine’s head rested on Inelius’s chest, purple hair draped like a curtain between them. Inelius slept lightly, brows still faintly furrowed, even in rest.

  Riza was gone, as was Soren. Their absence was obvious, not just physically, but in the shift of weight. The group had settled unevenly without them.

  Tamiyo eased upright, bare feet brushing against cool floor plating. She stepped carefully over limbs and clutter until she reached the ship’s simple bathroom. The water pressure at least did the job, the soap smelled efficient instead of cozy, and it felt like too little reward for how much work would have been required to wash her hair. But the heat was enough. It chased off the sweat and smoke, the sticky substance of whatever had been in those drinks, and the heaviness from her eyelids.

  She dressed quickly, neutral clothes layered light, and stepped off the ship into the cold blue breath of pre-dawn.

  Brolgar leaned against the crates at the bottom of the ramp, tending a hot plate with a shotgun strapped to his back. He motioned her over and offered her a mug of tea from his thermal canister and breakfast wrapped in a tortilla he had in a pot.

  “Even on guard duty,” she said with a smile, taking the mug and wrap from him. “Do you ever not have food or drink with you?”

  He laughed but looked confused by the question. “No, lass, that would mean I wouldn’t be doing m’job.”

  She smiled back at him and quickly drained the mug of its invigorating contents. Returning it to him, she said thanks and then walked into the morning hush, munching on the wrap as she headed towards where he said Riza and Soren were.

  The horizon was only beginning to brighten, the stars still visible in the upper sky, pale and fading. The dirt beneath her boots crunched lightly, dry and uneven, but Tamiyo welcomed the bite of it. It felt real and grounded.

  She had only been walking for a minute or two when Riza emerged from behind the hill that overlooked the ship’s clearing. She was wearing tight dark robes that were damp with sweat despite the cold morning air. Dust clung to her lower legs like a second skin, and the look on her face was focused and calm, as though she'd left something behind up there; exertion, anger, maybe grief.

  They met near a low fence someone had tried to rebuild with scrap metal and wire.

  “Good morning, Tamiyo,” Riza greeted, voice low but steady.

  “Morning, Mama,” Tamiyo replied. “You leave the big guy breathing?”

  Riza gave a tired smirk. “He doesn’t die easy.”

  “If anyone could do it, my money would be on you.” Tamiyo’s eyes lit up faintly as she activated her medical scanner. “How you feeling today?”

  “Not too bad, a little fatigue maybe.”

  “Any nausea yet?”

  Riza shook her head.

  “Hmm, ok let me know as soon as you notice it, the morning sickness is likely to start any day now. Hormones are good though! Looks like you’re about eight weeks along.” Everything else looked normal, so she powered down her scanner.

  Being a personal care CIPHER, Tamiyo already knew how to care for a pregnant human. A lot of it transferred over, but after Riza had broke the news to everyone, Tamiyo had downloaded as much info as she could specific to lacravida so she could accurately monitor. The biggest difference with lacravida was that the pregnancy was expected to last around 70 weeks instead of 40, so the baby would likely be born larger than if the mother was human.

  Tamiyo caught Riza eyeing the last half of the breakfast wrap she was holding. “Did you eat yet?”

  “Something small, before we sparred.” Riza looked away, pretending she hadn’t just been looking.

  Tamiyo held the wrap out to her.

  “N-no, that’s yours.”

  “Take it, Riza.” Tamiyo waved the wrap slowly near the sniper’s nose.

  She tried hesitating a moment longer, then quickly grabbed the wrap and devoured it.

  Tamiyo watched her with a smile. “Make sure you drink water.”

  “I know,” Riza said stubbornly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

  “I’m still going to tell you,” Tamiyo leaned in dramatically and whispered, “Doctor’s orders.”

  “You’re not actually a doctor.”

  “Didn’t say they were my orders,” she said with a smile. She started walking past Riza and lightly tapped the sniper’s belly to accentuate her point, then headed up the hill. She yelled back over her shoulder, “And get some sleep!”

  Tamiyo followed the path up the hill, the incline gradual but dry. The soil gave way just slightly under her feet. As she crested the ridge, she spotted Soren a short distance away, seated on a large sun-bleached rock with his back straight and legs folded beneath him. His hands rested loosely on his knees, fingers relaxed, palms up. Eyes closed. Chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm.

  He looked almost like a statue, except for the faint tremor in his shoulders from exertion. His shirt was off, folded beside him, and his hair was damp with sweat. Several red lines shown across his skin, like minor abrasions of some kind.

  Tamiyo approached without speaking at first, giving him space to finish whatever rhythm he was in. After a moment, his eyes cracked open.

  “Good morning,” he said, voice low.

  “Hey you. Did Riza fight you with a red marker?,” she said, easing down onto a flat patch of stone beside him.

  Soren snorted softly. “Nope, that big ass dagger of hers. Just hard to make me bleed I guess.”

  “You’re the perfect sparring partner for her. Anyone else wouldn’t last long.”

  “Yeah but it still hurts like hell,” he said, glancing over at her.

  Tamiyo shrugged. “Get faster.”

  He lightly pushed her off the rock. Tamiyo let herself fall with a dramatic oof, sprawled in the dust like he’d broken every bone in her body.

  She didn’t move.

  Soren leaned over the edge of the rock, squinting. “Oh come on—”

  “Core module damaged,” she said in a robotic tone. “Commencing haunting protocol.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You’re not that fragile, you’re made of some tungsten alloy and caffeine.”

  “Dead tungsten,” she said, eyes still closed. “Tragic, really. Wasted potential. Gone too soon.”

  He laughed at her. “Come on, who else is going to keep Aurania in check for me?”

  She cracked one eye open to look at him. “She still not letting you call her Aura?”

  He shook his head, but he didn’t look as sad as she was expecting about the topic.

  Tamiyo stood up and crawled back up on the rock to sit next to him. “How is everything going with the two of you, anyway?”

  He didn’t answer right away. His gaze was locked on the horizon, but it looked relaxed. “Good,” he said finally.

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  Tamiyo subtly activated her scanner. “You know your heart rate jumps when you think about her?”

  He quickly looked at her and then blocked her vision with his hand. “No fair.”

  She batted his hand away and they laughed together.

  After sitting quietly for a few moments, he finally spoke again. “I talked with her right before we got here. She… was at least a little vulnerable with me.”

  “Oh?”

  He grinned lightly. “I told her I didn’t want to keep wondering if she might be interested in being more than friends, kind of gave her an ultimatum. She didn’t say what she wanted, I think it might be hard for her. But she did say she doesn’t want me gone.”

  Tamiyo couldn’t help but smile. “It’s a start.”

  “Yeah,” he said quietly. Then, “Of course, being more than friends requires being friends first, so… I’m kind of working on that at the moment.”

  Tamiyo observed him, how he looked while thinking about Aura. It reminded her of how Inelius looked thinking about Raine when Tamiyo had first met them. Then she remembered something.

  “You know, before Raine and Inelius got together, Raine once described their relationship to me as ‘aggressive friendship.’ I admit I know little of flirtation and I’m still figuring out friendship myself, but maybe that’s why Aura is so hostile to you?”

  A sharp but short laugh hit the air, coming from neither of them. A moment later, Aurania walked up the hill, her viridian robes blowing slightly in the light breeze. “That’s not the reason. He just pisses me off.”

  Tamiyo didn’t know what Aurania was going for, but to her, it just felt rude and dismissive. She glared at Aurania.

  Surprisingly, Aurania didn’t return the glare. She looked almost ashamed for a split second. Then she quietly said, “Sorry.”

  There was a tense moment of quiet as the sun slowly began brightening the sky.

  “We’re meeting with Venlin Dread this morning,” Aurania finally said.

  “We’ll be there,” Tamiyo answered, unable to keep the sharpness from her tone.

  “Tamiyo…” Soren said. “It’s alright.”

  “No.” Tamiyo said curtly, standing. “She keeps doing this shit. Abrasive all day and 5 minutes of kindness every couple of days. You like her too much to stand up to her attitude, but that doesn’t make it right.” She began to storm off.

  Neither of them tried to stop her, but after she had taken half a dozen steps, she slowed, thinking about her reaction.

  Slowly turning around, she said, “I’m sorry. I don’t… do well with aggression and intimacy.”

  Aurania quickly walked up and hugged her, picking her up in the process. “I’m sorry,” she said sincerely. When Aurania finally set her down, she cast a quick glance at Soren. “He can be irritating, but… I do like having him around.”

  “Maybe tell him that more,” Tamiyo said, her voice harsh but softer than before. “If you’re hostile to someone 90% of the time and only offer tenderness when they look hurt, it’s not love. It’s abuse.”

  Aurania looked hurt, like Tamiyo had slapped her.

  “She’s trying,” Soren said quietly, slowly walking towards them. “I see it in pieces. She’s just handling a lot of stress, I think…” As big as the man was, his posture made him look small for a moment.

  “I will… try harder,” Aurania said.

  Tamiyo’s chest was still tight with anxiety from the exchange. She knew part of it was her own baggage, and she couldn’t solve everything for them.

  She looked back and forth between the two of them. “I’m going to go clear my head,” she said finally, trying to remain composed. “You two fight or fuck, whatever feels right. I’ll see you at the meeting.”

  She turned and walked off, leaving them both standing there lightly blushing.

  The meeting took place on the top floor of the only three-story building in Boadicea, the interior a stark contrast to the town that lay just outside its doors. Polished stone tile lined the floor, clean and gleaming in the morning light that filtered through tall, dust-free windows. An art deco chandelier hung low over a darkwood conference table with a dozen seats. The air inside was sharp with the scent of citrus polish and ozone, like someone had cleaned with both intention and power tools. It was the kind of place that had been renovated by someone with taste and a need to stand out.

  Venlin Dread stood near the window, one hand holding a cigar and decorated with gold rings like the other three hands were. He was a lazarco of medium height, dressed impeccably in expensive black threads. The tailored outfit accentuated his lean frame, and a single golden chain hung from his vest, tucked into one of the pockets. His leathery hide was the same black as his outfit, but crimson lines traced across his skin, making him look like a four-armed dragon. He looked nothing like a human, but even Tamiyo couldn’t deny how handsome he was.

  He smiled as the group filed in. “Ah,” he said, voice smooth and confident, “The heroes of last night’s debacle. I trust the saloon’s structural integrity was at least left unharmed?”

  Aurania, walking at the front, gave him a polite nod. “Mayor Dread. Thank you for your hospitality.”

  “My time is yours, after all, you are here to help,” he replied, gesturing to the chairs. “Though I admit, I expected a quieter first impression.”

  Brana grunted and took the seat farthest from the table, letting her chair creak loudly in protest. Veolo stayed standing, her arms crossed. Violet and Amalia slid into seats with casual coordination—Violet upright and unreadable, Amalia casually eyeing the mayor. Tamiyo sat near center and Soren stood behind her. Inelius sat just across from Tamiyo and Aurania slowly eased into a chair next to Tamiyo, seemingly testing if it would hold her weight. It did, but not without complaint.

  Venlin let the silence stretch for a moment longer than necessary before settling into his own chair. He exhaled a curl of smoke from the cigar and leaned back. “I must say, I admire the efficiency. Barely a day planetside and you’ve already made yourselves known.”

  “We didn’t come here to pick fights,” Soren said.

  “Of course not,” Venlin said smoothly. “But you can understand my position. Our planet is new to the Union, and most of the people in Boadicea didn’t want to join. They’re looking for an excuse to cast blame. And then a whole mess of exotic outsiders show up and suddenly chairs are flying, jaws are breaking. I have to take care of my people, you understand.” He let his words hang in the air for a moment.

  Looking at Aurania, he continued, “You are somewhat in charge of your own town back home, no? How would you handle the presence of outsiders stirring up trouble?”

  The group shared some glances, Tamiyo saw more than one of them look at Soren standing behind her. Venlin had no idea how close to hitting a nerve he was.

  “Even outsiders are treated with respect,” Aurania finally said. “None of my people would ever continuously harass someone who wasn’t interested.”

  Venlin nodded quietly for several moments, thinking to himself while his cigar smoldered. Then he took a quick drag and let out a puff of smoke with a faint smirk. “In their defense, my people aren’t used to such beautiful women.”

  Tamiyo noticed how he was watching Amalia when he said it, and how Amalia didn’t shy from the attention. She tilted her head slightly, a half-smile playing at her lips, and her posture shifted just enough to accentuate the lines of her neck and shoulder.

  “I myself hold great reverence for the lacravida. I admit I have met very few, but seeing you here now, I can see the stories I’ve heard were not exaggerated.”

  “And what stories might those be?” Veolo spoke up from across the room.

  “Your formidable prowess,” Venlin said. “Your skill in combat. I once heard a harrowing tale about someone called The Ghost of Proxinara, are you familiar with that one?”

  The team exchanged several more amused glances. He was referring to Riza, though it was likely he didn’t know her name or what she looked like.

  “Yes,” Aurania said, hiding a smile. “But we’re not here to share legends.” She accentuated her last word by wiggling her fingers, as if the legend were made up and not currently napping at the edge of town.

  “I agree,” Venlin said smoothly. “Let us let bygones be bygones, and I trust you to handle any future insults how you see fit. I hold great care for my people, but I believe they will have received the message after last night.”

  He looked once more at Amalia before returning his attention back to Aurania, the moment passing like smoke on the breeze.

  “In any case,” he continued, tone sharpening, “I’m glad you’re here to help. We could use the assistance, whether my people admit it or not. The infrastructure’s decaying, we have issues with failing power grids, water is short. And the raiders are growing bolder, I understand you’ve already been out to scout some of them.”

  “Yes,” Aurania said, then turned to Inelius. “Major Drozek?”

  “There’s a decent sized group out at that old relay tower,” Inelius said. “30 or so with scavenged equipment it looks like. How long have they been plaguing the town? Are they backed by someone, some local wanna be warlord?”

  “No nothing like that,” Venlin answered. “Our town is small, I’m sure you’ve been on all manner of grand adventures and fought big wars, but our town is nothing like that. We’re one of the lesser advanced areas of Mol’eyne, technology still lagging behind. Part of it’s due to funding, part of it’s the people. But no matter the cause, outlaws just kind of come with the territory, just more people trying to survive.”

  He pulled a tablet out of a drawer where he was sitting, tapped it a couple times, and then slid it over to Aurania. “I’ve compiled a list of everything we could use your help with, I leave it up to you who does what.”

  Aurania reviewed the tablet quickly, fingers scrolling through the line items while her expression remained unreadable. After a moment, she set it down and began assigning without hesitation.

  “Inelius, take Veolo and Soren and start working on the collapsed bridge east of town. Assess what’s needed and start fixing it if possible. You need supplies, let me know.”

  Inelius nodded and rose from his chair.

  “Brana,” Aurania continued. “The south power grid has some failing junctions, take Amalia and look into it please.”

  Brana said “Will do boss,” and Amalia rose from her seat to glance at the map behind Venlin.

  Aurania thumbed through some more data on the tablet. “Tamiyo—”

  “Mayor Dread,” Violet said abruptly.

  All eyes turned toward her. She hadn’t raised her voice, but her tone was firm.

  Venlin’s brow lifted slightly. “Yes? Miss…?”

  “Violet,” she answered. “We heard there is another lacravida somewhere around these parts, I would like to speak with her.”

  Aurania raised a brow, but said nothing.

  Venlin tilted his head slightly. “You mean Amaryn?”

  Violet’s posture straightened just a bit more. “That’s her name?”

  He nodded once. “Yes, Amaryn Lieton. Quiet girl, she’s been here a few years but tends to keep to herself. She lives out beyond the west edge of town. Older place, stone foundation, white flowers around the porch.”

  Violet nodded faintly, then stood. “Thank you,” she said, genuine but cautious.

  Venlin took another drag from his cigar. “Of course,” he said, exhaling smoke. “Always happy to reunite kinfolk.” The way he said it made it sound more like a joke than a gesture of goodwill.

  Tamiyo stood as well. “I’ll go with her.”

  Aurania looked between the two of them but didn’t argue. “Very well.”

  With that, the team began to move. Chairs scraped against polished tile. Brana stretched her back with a pop. Veolo was already halfway to the door.

  Tamiyo and Violet left together, descending the stairs without a word. It wasn’t until they were outside again, in the dusty morning light of Boadicea, that Tamiyo finally spoke.

  “You alright?”

  Violet walked with purpose down the path. “We were here 24 hours and they started getting handsy.” She kept stride, but turned to look Tamiyo in the eyes.

  “She’s been here for years, Tamiyo.”

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