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“What do you mean?”
Boris shrugged. “I’m not sure why you assumed I would.”
“Because why wouldn’t you?”
Boris shot him an incredulous look, one he rarely used with Orion. “Mars is my home. Why would I leave that behind?”
“Well… what will you do once I’m gone?”
Was that a flash of irritation on his face? “I’ll be an engineer, like I’ve always been. Do you think I just go into hibernation when I’m not with you? I have a job.”
Orion laughed. “You don’t need all that. You said it yourself—onColossal, I can do whatever I want. You don’t need a fucking job. Come on… It’s the most prestigious ship in the known universe, at least sinceBali’s Bountydisappeared. You won’t have to work a day in your life. And I’ll need an ally out there to convince me not to murder my parents.”
“No thank you,” Boris said flatly, and it was clear he was done.
“‘No thank you?’ That’s all you have to say?”
Boris stuffed his hands into his pockets. “You’ve been a good friend, Orion, but we always knew you’d have to go back. At least I did. I’m not ditching my life on Mars to follow you around. But hey, stop by whenever you’re around. We’ll raise some hell.”
Orion’s nostrils flared, just a little, not enough to notice unless you really knew him, like Boris did.
“Fine. Fuck off then. I’ve got packing to do.”
Boris gave him a knowing nod, as if he knew exactly how Orion would react. Just like fucking Ajsa.
Fuck him.
Orion didn’t watch as his only “friend” turned around and left the quarters.
CHAPTER2
KAIA
“Good run today,” Kaia thought as her boots hit the ground of the docking bay.
She smacked the side of her ship, running her fingers along its familiar pockmarked surface and trying not to think about the repairs she knew she’d soon have to pay for.Ahton’s Takehad served her well over the years, despite her lack of reciprocation. She could count on one hand how many times she’d taken it in for a full checkup. As for a proper refurb… Forget it.
Kaia had gotten good at doing her own minor repairs.
“Good take?” One of the docksmen walked up to inspect her parking job. It was a formality. Kaia was shit at parking, and no one bothered correcting her anymore.
“Pretty good,” she said, smashing the heavy red button on the underside of the hull with a fist. The storage bay door swung down with shrill warning beeps. The door was slow, revealing scraps of bent metal, twisted carbon of burnt-out hulls, and a mass of fizzling electronics. She grabbed an inconspicuous black box from beneath a tangle of wires when it became reachable and stuffed it in her pack. That one she’d keep for herself.
As buyers rounded on the ship and began eyeing the goods, Kaia took the time to scan the bay. Loran’s black retrofitted fighter was in its usual spot, expertly placed. Loran knew how to park.
His engine panel was coated in fresh condensation; he’d bounced from the site of the skirmish just an hour or so ago, leaving Kaia and a couple of others to pick up the scraps like vultures tailing a pack of lions. Some of the smaller unbranded gang ships sat scattered throughout the dock. They’d lost one today. Kaia wasn’t sure who yet, but all of Loran’s goons looked the same to her, even though she was technically one of them.
The commotion on the other side of the dock caught her attention. She pressed the button to shut the storage, waving off prospective buyers who craned their head over the ascending door. “Be at the market tomorrow morning. See me then.”
She waited for the hold to finish closing at its excruciatingly slow pace, monitoring the buyers milling about to make sure none of them got handsy. Then she came closer to get a better view of the shiny craft.
Looked like a brand new needlefin. Fucking beautiful, and definitely not something you saw every day. Not around here. A bearded man in a pilot’s uniform was talking to a docksman, checking off forms, and Kaia’s eyes fell on the other man exiting the ship from the rear door. Kaia wasn’t in the habit of staring, but she took her time stripping off her flight suit, removing each bit of padding slowly and with great care—plenty of time to appraise the newcomers.
Kaia wouldn’t call the sleek black carbonsilk trousers and shirt that the man wore gaudy, but he was definitely not trying to hide his good fortune.
Guy must be loaded.
Then there was his height. Clearly almost seven feet, several heads over the pilot and docksman. His black brows were knotted in a frown, mouth curled down with displeasure. All the rich ones were always unhappy about something. He jerked a lock of black hair from his face and crossed the dock with long, pointed strides, ignoring the bustle of ships and people around him. Like he couldn’t wait to get out of there.
