Page 206 of Star Claimed Omega
‘Soleil! Where the hell have you been?’ Zima cried. ‘We thought you’d deserted us for the luxury decks!’
Wren, her boss, hung back a moment, his stern expression softening into a genuine smile. ‘I was about to file a missing person report, young lady. Did the XO finally lock you in his quarters?’
‘Only temporarily,’ she joked, her heart swelling with a warmth that felt dangerous and good.
She set the tray down with a flourish, waving her hand over the custard tarts, blueberry muffins, and rich, dark chocolate scones. ‘I brought peace offerings. I needed a little space to think through a few things. Life’s been complicated.’
The word‘complicated’ was an enormous understatement, a blanket term for evading security, breaching the ship,and subsequently becomingentangled with the second-in-command of the entire flotilla.
She caught Wren’s eye, making sure her gratitude was plain.
‘Sante, boss. Your support is appreciated.’
Along with Santi, Wren had ensured the entire records system remained blissfully unaware of her unauthorized activities.
Wren, privy to the chain of command, gave a knowing, tight nod, accepting the praise.
The four colleagues settled around the office dining table, pouring strong, dark tea and thick, spicedkahawa, and indulging in the baked fare while talking animatedly between satisfying mouthfuls of pastry.
‘Well, you missed a broken pipe and flooding disaster in Sector Seven, but the good news is you’re back!’ Astra exclaimed, reaching for a second muffin. ‘You look great, Soleil. Must be nice to take a vacation whenever you feel like it because your man runs the place.’
‘I’ll try not to abuse the privilege,’ Soleil quipped.
‘Are you back with us, then?’ Wren asked, taking a careful sip from his mug. ‘The work is piling up, and frankly, Astra’s scrubbing technique is substandard.’
‘Fokkoff,’ came the quick reply from the woman in question, along with a middle finger thrust in his face.
They all laughed.
Soleil nodded, picking apart her custard tart. ‘I am. I intend to pull my weight all the way to Pegasi. I actually miss the cleaning work, believe it or not.’
Her three colleagues stared at her, brows furrowed, unconvinced. ‘No one misses this shit, Soleil,’ Zima stated, deadpan.
She smiled at their disbelief, thinking privately how little they knew.
This simple, honest life, the friendship, the routine, the lack of immediate, existential threat, was a fantasy compared to the life she’d fled.
She would scrub every pipe onThe Sombraif it meant keeping this life.
Without missing a beat, she shot her friends a raised brow. ‘Honeys, cleaning has its perks, you’ve no idea. More importantly, I missed you guys and the gossip. What have you been hoarding?’
‘So last week Yanni and Oona were fighting again in the communal showers, and they broke two sinks this time,’ Astra whispered conspiratorially, leaning in.
‘Nada,’ Soleil murmured. ‘Why?’
‘Some showdown about an ex, so Yanni’s moved out and they both have to pony up for the repair bill.’
Zima added, ‘Also, Tess, that rude, overbearing inspector from Sanitary was caught sellingourrestricted-grade cleaning solvents to the crew on theOdysseyfor double the price.’
‘Karma baby,’ Wren proclaimed, with a grin. ‘That woman has been such a pain in my ass that seeing her being marched away in cuffs was deliciously whimsical.’
Soleil sipped her tea and smiled.
Normalcy. It tasted sweeter than any pastry she ever baked.
That evening, the lakeside beach curved in a crescent of soft silver sand, kissed by the pale glow ofThe Sombra’smoon.
The lake lapped at the shore, its glassy surface streaked with the glimmer of stars.
