Chapter 6

Evan handled the robotic retriever with a practiced skill that allowed him to maneuver the small device through space and still keep one eye on Alex. His Keeper was standing at the window, arms crossed in front of his chest, staring out into space, jaw clenched tight. He hadn't spoken a word to anyone in the past hour. Even Chief Jackson had taken the hint and avoided approaching him with the news that they were within range of picking up the coffin for inspection. Evan had made sure Alex wasn't disturbed, and had taken the controls himself to guide the object into the hold. Around him the bridge crew quietly called out status reports and proximity ranges while he worked, but Alex made no move.

"Whose coffin is it, anyway?"

Evan heard the question behind him and ignored it.

"Dunno. Maybe they buried some of the Vision's crew or something."

The reply was quietly delivered and Evan hadn't paid enough attention to identify the voice.

"Keep your minds on your work, people." Jackson's tone was authoritative and the entire bridge fell into silence instantly.

Evan found the coffin through the visual pickups on the retriever but didn't try to see into it. There was plenty of time to verify what the scanners had already shown. The quicker he got the thing onboard, the quicker they could find some logical explanation and give Alex reason to relax.

He used the grappling arms of the small machine and snagged the coffin, then punched the retriever into reverse and easily brought the package on board, setting it in an empty section of one of the holds. Without a word, he shut down the retriever and brought himself out of the controls. Chief Jackson looked at him, then Alex, then seemed to hesitate.

Evan was prepared to silence the chief before he could disturb Alex, but his Keeper turned suddenly and faced them both.

"I don't want anyone touching it until I get down there."

"Aye-aye, sir." Jackson nodded once, then turned and walked to his station without another word.

Evan looked up. "It's in bay twelve."

Alex motioned with his head and started walking toward the lift, so Evan followed quietly. As they descended, his Keeper again stood silently, jaw clenched so tightly the muscles to either side were flexing. Evan felt uneasy, as if he should be able to say or do something that would relieve Alex's discomfort, but he couldn't think of what. They'd both fired the shots that had ripped the man's chest apart. They'd both opened the coffin to confirm his continued state of death, and they'd both sent that coffin out into space with Spencer's body inside.

"He's dead."

Alex's jaw muscles flexed and he swallowed. "I know."

Evan nodded, mostly to himself. That obviously hadn't helped. He watched Alex for another two levels and noticed he was twisting the ring around his finger. It was a habit his Keeper had taken up very early on in their relationship that had bothered Evan until he realized it wasn't an unconscious desire to get it off, but rather a form of absent comforting.

He decided not to try another angle, and instead moved to stand closer to Alex near the door, waiting for their level. They reached it in minutes and found no one waiting for them in the corridor. It was a small thing to be thankful for, but Evan suspected Chief Jackson had given the order, keeping the curious and the hold technicians away until Alex had a chance to inspect the coffin alone. Evan knew finding an empty coffin in space was unusual, but with the tendency of ships to expel their contents during violent decompression, it couldn't be that unusual. He knew, though, that the chances of this coffin having come from anywhere other than the Ascalon were slim to none.

Alex paused at the door to the hold and Evan saw his entire body stiffen with tension.

"You know, I almost wish he wasn't dead."

Alex shot Evan a startled, confused look. "What?"

"That way he could see how well we work together, and be unable to do a thing about it." He looked at Alex. "He was powerless to get me back, we know that. And this was all his idea. I just think it would be a kind of poetic justice to make him understand just how badly his plan failed." Evan shrugged. "If he were alive, that is."

Alex's expression slowly changed from shock, to anger. Finally the corners of his mouth turned up in a wry sort of smile. He put a hand on Evan's shoulder and laughed shortly. "Thanks. I needed that."

Evan mentally sighed as he saw some of the tension and anger ease out of Alex's face.

They opened the door and stepped into the hold. Resting on a receiving platform at the far end sat a sleek black missile-shaped object, cold and glistening from the vacuum of space. Evan took note of the insignia painted on the side and the identification numbers he hadn't taken the time to examine while he was retrieving the coffin. He knew without checking them against the Ascalon's records that this was, in fact, the very coffin they'd buried Spencer Marcase in.

Alex stepped up to the head of the coffin but avoided touching it. The titanium shell was thawing, but still too cold for human fingers. Evan stepped beside him and looked down at the small viewing area. It was frosted over and impossible to see through. He swallowed and glanced at Alex, then pulled a small scanner from his thigh pocket and flipped it on.

The coffin was intact and sealed shut, with no signs of force or damage that could explain a lack of the body they'd put inside. Evan carefully examined the locking mechanism with the scanner, then slipped his hand down inside his sleeve so he could use the fabric to wipe the frost from the unit. With a quick glance at Alex, he typed out the codes to open the coffin, then stood. His Keeper's expression seemed resigned, and didn't change as the lid slowly moved aside.

Alex sighed and stared into the empty coffin. "So it didn't open due to damage?"

"I can't find evidence of any." Evan looked at his Keeper instead of the empty box.

Alex nodded slowly, still staring down at the padded cradle. "It was opened using the codes, then."

"It seems that way."

His Keeper nodded again, then folded both arms across his chest. "From the outside?"

"We can assume that, since the only one inside was dead."

Alex looked at him, eyebrows raised for a moment, then he shrugged. "So, where is he?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not getting anything." Ian blinked and looked up at Alex with an apologetic shrug. He flipped off the holographic display and glanced over at Evan. "Either he's nowhere near the Pendulum Nebula, or neither of you truly desire to find him."

"Ian can only locate what someone strongly desires to find." Mari leaned against the wall behind her Sha'erah. "If there's an underlying sense of not wanting the object found, unconscious or not, he can't locate it."

Evan looked at Alex and saw him shake his head in frustration. "I don't want him found. I just want to know where he is." He turned to pace the room then stopped and turned back to Ian. "Thanks for trying, though."

"You look like a man who could use a drink." Mari pushed away from the wall and put a hand on Alex's shoulder, guiding him toward her ship's galley.

Evan watched them walk to the other end of the small ship, then sat on the console beside Ian. "It's not the object he truly wants to find, just the answers."

"I can't help with that," Ian shrugged. "I wish I could."

"It's not that important." Evan waved it off.

"Who was this man, anyway?"

Evan looked at Alex as he contemplated his answer. "He was my previous Keeper."

Ian's eyes widened. "Your previous . . . I thought you said that he was Alex's father? " He blinked and shot a glance at the two Keepers standing in the galley. "How did he die?"

"It's complicated." Evan didn't regret letting Ian in on the truth, but it really was too complicated to properly explain. "Basically he wanted to steal me back, and he was killed in the attempt."

Ian nodded slowly. "I'd heard of people trying that. So Alex actually killed his father?"

"We both did." Evan shrugged. "I had to protect my Keeper."

"Of course." Ian nodded again, then he noticed Mari and Alex approaching and fell silent.

"The technicians can go over that coffin for the rest of this trip, and they won't find anything." Alex sighed.

"Well, it's a mystery, I'll give you that. But not one I'd lose sleep over." Mari flicked some hair from her shoulder and leaned against the holographic display table. "But like you said, dead is dead. It's a shame someone's body is floating around out there without a resting place, but you buried him properly, Alex. No one can fault you."

Alex inhaled deeply. "We'll be orbiting the planet in two days. It's too hard to get good scans with all the atmospheric disturbances, so we'll be there quite a while exploring it the hard way. You're both welcome to hang around. We might be going deeper into the nebula after this stop." He looked from Mari to Ian and back again.

"Thanks, but Ian's got a good handle on a direction for us to take." Mari glanced at Ian and seemed to share a quick, wordless communication. "We'll launch after the Ascalon gets settled in orbit, I think."

Alex nodded. "Fair enough." He turned to Evan and motioned with his head toward the stairs. "We'd better get back to work."

Mari walked them both to the door of her ship and again apologized for Ian's inability to help them locate the missing body.

"It was worth a try."

Alex put a hand on Evan's back as they exited the large hold where Finder's Keeper was berthed. "That's still a pretty incredible talent Ian has."

"He's for sale when Mari's finished with this mission."

Alex laughed and shook his head. "If that's a hint, no thanks." He shot Evan a sideways glance and grinned. "I've got my hands full."

Evan just nodded and continued down the corridor. In a way, having Alex buy Ian would at least insure the Sha'erah a good home. But for purely selfish reasons, he was glad to hear that wasn't going to happen.

By that evening, Evan had formulated a number of theories regarding the disappearance of Spencer's body, each of which was feasible, but none helped to quiet the uneasy feeling burning in the pit of their stomachs. And those theories weren't keeping Evan's own thoughts from flashing back to Maker and the sight of Alex decapitating him before he could finish them both.

"Maybe you're right." Alex leaned into the couch cushions, sinking back so his head was resting on the pillows. He hooked his toes onto the edge of the table and rested both hands on his knees, twisting the silver ring around his finger slowly while looking at it. "Anyone could have found that coffin and taken the body to claim all those rewards we didn't want, then dumped the thing back out into space, empty, to keep other fortune hunters guessing."

"It makes sense." Evan watched his Keeper from a few cushions away.

"It's just about the only thing that does."

Alex slapped the couch and stood suddenly. "I buy it. Let's get some sleep. We've got probes to send and a planet to discover."

"Good night." Evan waited until his Keeper had gone to his room before he made his usual security sweep of their quarters, locking the door and turning on the recorder for all messages. Once in bed, it didn't take long for him to realize Alex probably wasn't going to get much sleep that night. He could sense the uneasiness nagging at his Keeper, preventing the sleep they both badly needed. Tomorrow Evan had to send out another probe and try to guide it through a volatile upper atmosphere rife with wild bursts of electrical energy and solar winds which would do their level best to prevent the probe from functioning properly.

Evan took a deep, slow breath, then let it out and took another, trying to force his mind and body into the relaxation technique that would aid sleep. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the darkness, then slowly sensed his Keeper beginning to relax into slumber. He thought about the darkness and let it fill his mind, waiting for the inevitable drifting sensation that would suggest sleep was coming.

# # #

Alex leaned back against the railing of the bridge's upper deck and watched the probe launch from a level below. He cradled a cup of coffee in both hands -- his second one so far that day -- and waited while Evan steered the probe from a console behind him. Neither of them had slept well the night before, but Alex was hoping the sheer curiosity of what they were about to discover would be enough to clear out the cobwebs. He'd been plagued with strange dreams the entire night but couldn't really remember any of them with enough detail to discuss. Evan, too, had admitted to a nightmare but didn't seem anxious to discuss it, so Alex hadn't pressed him.

"The probe is approaching the upper atmosphere." Chief Jackson was standing at his station to the left of Evan, calling out his reports directly to Alex.

It was unnecessary, since Alex knew his friend could not only handle the task of collecting data but would report everything he saw or did in complete detail. Still, Jackson was only doing his job. A task made more difficult for the man considering his prejudices.

Alex turned around and faced the chief. "Does it look like we'll get through?"

"There's an electrical storm quite high up, but isolated over the southern hemisphere." Jackson glanced over at Evan, then up at Alex. "The planet may well be calm and habitable, but the upper levels are difficult to get signals through."

Alex nodded, considering all the options available. "A relatively private planet with a natural shield against unwanted probing could be useful to someone."

"It could be useful to a lot of people, if it's habitable."

"We'll know soon enough." Alex looked at Evan. The sight of his friend so completely absorbed by his task never ceased to amaze and impress him. How Evan mentally entered the computers and manipulated machinery and data as if he were inside the very heart of the binary system that created it was a mystery, and one Alex knew he'd never fully understand.

"The probe is through." Jackson continued to announce the progress to his captain. "Proceeding along the northern land mass toward the equator."

Alex sipped his coffee and tried to picture the planet below them. So far they'd only received images of it from space, and only the major land masses had been discernable through the colored haze of charged nebula gas.

A sudden change in Evan's expression alerted Alex to trouble.

"I'm losing it."

Jackson adjusted several controls on his own console and shot Alex a glance. "The probe is nosing down at the equator."

"Evan?"

"There's a magnetic disturbance interfering with the signal." Evan shook his head once, but never focused his gaze on anything or anyone as he spoke. He was facing Alex, and appeared to be speaking to his Keeper, but his black eyes were glazed and distant.

"We have enough information for now, if you can retrieve it." Alex watched Evan's face and saw the struggle of concentrated effort there.

"That's working." Jackson interjected. "He's getting control again."

Alex couldn't help wonder if there was a tone of surprised respect in Chief Jackson's voice. "Bring it back, Evan. We'll examine what we have and see where it takes us." He looked at the chief. "Staff meeting this afternoon in my office, Chief. We'll go over the data."

"Aye, Captain." Jackson shot Evan a quick glance, then went about his work.

Alex walked down to the lower section and stood beside his friend. "Just send the data and store the probe. We can go over it while we're eating lunch." He put a hand on Evan's shoulder and received a nod of affirmation. Since he couldn't see what the Sha'erah was seeing, Alex settled for watching the blip on the sensors as it lifted out of the planet's thick atmosphere and hurried back to the Ascalon.

Evan set the probe easily back into the hold and turned to face Alex, black eyes completely focused and attentive now. "All of the computers have the data burst, and the probe doesn't seem to have been damaged. We can probably use it again."

"Great." Alex smiled, then nodded toward the office. "You look like you need a break. Let's get some lunch then see what we have."

"It's really not hard, doing that." Evan shook his head but followed Alex back up to the office.

"Yeah? Well neither is flight if you ask a bird, but that doesn't mean much to the rest of us." Alex stopped at the door and grinned, motioning for Evan to precede him. He turned back to the bridge crew and caught Jackson's eye. "Make sure everyone who wants to see that data knows it's there, Chief."

"Aye-aye, captain."

Alex called the main galley from his desk and ordered lunch, then leaned back and watched as Evan brought up the rough data on the large display screen at the opposite side of the office. "Where did you start losing the probe?"

"Here." Evan pointed to a rocky section near the planet's equator. "It was either a magnetic pull or disturbance from the charged particles storming around the atmosphere. I'm not sure which really, but it felt more like a pull."

"Felt?" Alex raised an eyebrow as he looked at Evan.

"I never actually lost contact, it was just trying to nose down." Evan shrugged. "I wasn't expecting a magnetic equator."

"Hmm." Alex nodded slowly and looked at the screen again. "It's not unheard of."

"Well, it's avoidable, at least." Evan walked to the door when they heard the knock signifying the arrival of lunch. "From what I saw, the planet looks harmless enough." He took the trays and set them on the small table as Alex joined him.

They ate lunch and Alex kept the conversation light, hoping to give his friend a bit of a break after the morning's work, though Evan seemed anything but tired after all the heavy concentration. Instead, he appeared anxious and excited about having been the first one to see their new discovery. A fact that Alex enjoyed quite a bit. He had every intention of making sure they were among the first humans to set foot on the planet he'd already logged an official claim on, and felt his own anticipation growing. Rarely did he ever bother personally exploring the planets he discovered, but this time he was looking forward to it.

After lunch, he poured over the main facts before the staff meeting while Evan made room in the somewhat small office for the group. His decision-making staff included Bridge Chief Jackson, Ship's Doctor Sara Feller-Jackson, Head Botanist Doctor Jamison Clan, Planetologist Professor Ronald Gar and Chief Biologist Doctor Scott Atwater.

Alex had Evan sit at his desk so he could manipulate the probe data using the computer embedded there while the three doctors occupied the couch. The professor found a seat at the small round table with Jackson while Alex sat on the edge of the desk.

"Okay, you've all had a look, I presume?"

There were enthusiastic affirmatives all around the room, and Alex noticed the wide smiles on Atwater and Gar's faces. The biologist was practically beaming.

"I'll let Evan give us a basic run-down of what he found, then we can all put in our opinions." Alex glanced over his shoulder at Evan, then almost unconsciously looked at Jackson before turning his attention back to the screen.

"The magnetic pulls of either pole are attracting the nebula's gasses, but I found an odd sort of pull at the equator almost equal in strength." On the screen they all watched swirling purple and green clouds break away, revealing a lush, green landscape dotted here and there with mountains, rocks and blue streams. "The northern hemisphere seems temperate, the equator hot and rocky. It was the unexpected magnetic field that nearly caused the probe to go down there. Knowing what to expect, I'm convinced it wouldn't happen again."

Alex nodded slightly, mostly to himself, agreeing with Evan's assessment of his own abilities.

"The atmosphere is prone to electrical storms, but they're quite high up. And I got the impression there's something large deposited on the southern hemisphere, but I wasn't able to explore that far."

The probe's recording pointed back up toward the colored sky and their view returned to the chaos of the Pendulum Nebula.

"Who wants to go first?" Alex could see by the way Atwater was bursting with happiness that he would have spoken out first regardless.

The Doctor jumped up excitedly and walked to the screen where he could point and gesture with enthusiasm as Evan obligingly replayed the probe data.

"Air samples show the perfect blend of 74 percent nitrogen, 23 percent oxygen and all the other requirements. Thus far our tests have shown no lethal bacteria or viral agents floating about, and the water is mountain fresh." His smile widened. "Teeming with aquatic life."

Alex grinned at the man's excited triumph.

"I'd say you've found yourself a winner here, Captain. A planet I, for one, am most anxious to take a closer look at." Reluctant to end his little speech, the doctor sat on the arm of the couch nearest the screen instead of returning to his vacated cushion.

"Sara, you agree?" Alex glanced at his former lover and noticed out of the corner of his eye the quick look he received from Jackson.

Sara nodded, glancing at the screen. "I agree we haven't found anything deadly in the air or water, so far. The usual precautions will be in order, of course."

"What about the mass Evan sensed at the southern equator, Professor Gar?"

"It seems to be a mineral deposit." The professor inhaled deeply, contemplating his information. "Large quantities of crystals and ore, most likely a dormant volcanic mountain range. Could be excellent mining potential there, once we figure out exactly which minerals they are."

Alex nodded. "Something we can leave up to the new owners." He listened while the scientists discussed gravity, botany and their anticipation over personally sampling new plants and discovering new species of animal and insect life. Alex kept a casual eye on Evan and noticed how intently he was taking it all in, mulling over everything that was said, probably evaluating the risks and possible dangers they might face on the planet's surface. But there was a gleam in his black eyes. A sparkle Alex doubted anyone else would even notice. Something that suggested to him the Sha'erah was anxiously awaiting the chance to be one of the first humans to set foot on a new, virgin planet.

Seeing Evan so involved helped Alex push out the bad feelings he'd had since finding his father's coffin. It was just like Spencer to find a way to haunt him this way. There had to be a logical explanation, and right now he was leaning toward Evan's theory of bounty hunters. He appreciated his friend's many attempts to find believable reasons for Spencer's body being gone as much as he was appreciating now Evan's genuine excitement about the new planet.

"Okay, Edwards tells me we can achieve a solid orbit by tonight." Alex stood and glanced around the room. "We'll take a shuttle down in the morning and start sampling and surveying. Chief, put together a team for the first run, and have some standing by. If things check out we can get both shuttles jockeying people down."

"Aye, Captain." Jackson gave the other scientists a quick nod, then left the office with an arm around his wife's waist.

The others wandered out, still talking amongst themselves, eagerly anticipating what tomorrow would bring. When Alex and Evan were alone again, Alex sat on the couch with a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes.

"You're tired?" Evan shut down the display screen and looked at Alex.

"Yeah, a little." He stretched both arms out until he felt his shoulders pop. "Nothing a cup of coffee won't cure, though." Alex stood and started for the door, so Evan quickly got up and followed. "This place is going to be humming for a while."

"They're excited about the new planet." Evan shrugged as he walked with Alex out to the bridge. "Aren't you?"

Alex grinned and looked sideways at Evan, then nodded. "Sure I am. Come on, lets get some coffee and get that data on our display. I'd like to have a closer look at what you saw. Get it on the 3-D and check it out."

It was a sight Alex knew he'd never grow tired of. Seeing their living quarters virtually transformed into the surface of an alien planet, with detail so sharp you felt you could reach out and touch it. It was nothing short of amazing. The scientists preferred numbers. Facts and figures that represented their reality. But Alex liked to see what he was looking at. See it for what it was, not just what it meant.

They couldn't get good images beyond the equator, where Evan had nearly lost control of the probe, but sensor data from that region showed much of the same landscapes, with the addition of the massive mineral deposit. But the images they did have were impressive. Snow covered mountains, grassy plains, rocky cliffs worthy of climbing, crystal clear water flowing in rivers, streams and large lakes. The sky reflected the wild colors of the Pendulum Nebula in swirling clouds and odd blotches of blue and purple.

Before long, Alex and Evan were making plans for climbing expeditions on the cliffs nearest the agreed-upon landing site. When Alex's stomach complained audibly, Evan finally insisted they turn off the display and eat something.

"You know, the fact that this planet's magnetism interferes with transmissions off-world brings up some interesting possibilities." Alex leaned against the back of the couch and watched Evan as he was dialing up a dinner choice. "Great place to keep secrets."

"That's not necessarily a good thing." Evan ordered up more coffee with a raised eyebrow. "People keep too many secrets as it is."

Alex sighed, reviewing their recent dealings with secrets and deception. "I have to agree with you there. But you gotta admit, we have a few of our own worth keeping."

Evan looked at him, then nodded. Before he could reply, the door chime sounded softly throughout the room.

"Mari, come in." Alex stepped aside and motioned for Mari and Ian to come inside.

"I won't keep you, Alex, I know you've got plenty going on right now." Mari stopped a few feet inside the room and glanced at Evan. "We're getting our ship ready to launch in the morning, so we'll be on our way."

Alex nodded slowly, trying to sort through the sudden feeling of disappointment that washed over him. "So you're ready to head off in search of that anomaly, are you? You two could hang around, if you wanted. We're going to be in the nebula for a while, still."

Mari smiled, but shook her head. "Thanks, but we need to be getting to work ourselves." She rested one hand on Alex's arm momentarily. "Don't worry, Alex, this isn't exactly good-bye. I have a feeling we might be looking you up for a ride home. We'll keep in touch as best we can while we're in the neighborhood."

Alex glanced at Evan. He'd hoped their time traveling together could have allowed for more opportunity to get to know Mari and Ian, for both their sakes, but things hadn't worked out that way. "We'll be here several weeks, then most likely further in for a bit. Do you, ah, have any direction in mind?" It was useless to try and talk her out of finding that static mass he'd once tried to locate, but part of him still didn't believe she ever would, regardless of Ian's incredible talents.

Mari shrugged and grinned conspiratorially at her Sha'erah. "Now, Captain, you of all people wouldn't ask me to divulge routing secrets, would you?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Relax, Alex. We'll be fine. Ian can't get lost, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. And I want to thank you again for finding this planet for us so quickly."

Ian lowered his gaze and nodded, deferring to his Keeper for any verbal reply.

Seeing the man's response reminded Alex just how traditional their relationship was. Mari was nothing like Kellman, and by all accounts she was far from being another Spencer, but it was clear her impersonal attitude was the kind of behavior both Ian and Evan had been bred to expect. They deserved better.

"It's the least we could do." Mari waved it off. "But I do have a proposal for you, if you have a minute?" Her eyebrows arched questioningly as she gestured toward the door.

Puzzled, Alex nodded and followed Mari out to the corridor. Evan made no move to follow, and Ian remained inside their quarters, closing the door so the two Keepers could speak privately.

"What's up?" The last time she did this, Mari had asked for permission to spend time with Evan.

"Let me get straight to the point, I know how busy you are." Mari folded her arms across her chest and looked at Alex. "After this job I plan to retire and sell Ian. I can't justify keeping someone as talented as he is without having a use for those talents. It would be a waste and I won't tolerate that kind of waste."

Alex chewed the inside of his lip, trying to think of something he might be able to say that would convince her otherwise.

"Here's my proposal. Ian's talents could serve you quite well. More than you realize, I expect."

Alex blinked in surprise, then opened his mouth to protest, but Mari held up a hand, stopping his reply before it could begin.

"I'm not asking you to buy him, Alex. Frankly I'm not sure you could afford it, and owning two wouldn't be logical. I'm suggesting a trade."

Alex's eyes widened. "A what?"

"A trade," Mari replied matter-of-factly. "I know you inherited. But you have to admit Evan's talents are being wasted in this capacity."

"Wasted?" Alex felt his confusion giving way to surprised anger.

"He wasn't created to assist an exploration vessel's captain." Mari shrugged calmly, either unaware or unconcerned about how her words were being received. "He's not being used to his full potential as a Sha'erah, Alex. That's a crime when you really think about it, don't you agree? Especially when Ian is so much better suited for this type of work."

Alex's anger was reaching the boiling point, but his lingering shock kept him from letting it take over. He couldn't believe she was standing there saying this.

"Anyway, I was thinking we could strike a deal. A trade, so that Ian could be put to good use. Then I could sell Evan to someone who needs his talents and knows how to use them. That way we'd all win. The Sha'erah would be used to their full potential, you'd have the value of your inheritance, if not the exact item, and I'd still have a sale that would set me up for retirement."

Alex knew his mouth was open and nothing much was coming out, but he couldn't seem to decide between an angry retort and outright laughter. So many responses came to mind, he found he couldn't settle on anything better than a coughing stutter. Trade Evan?

"I don't think so." Alex shook his head sharply, settling on the easiest route with the least profanity and stammering. "For too many reasons that you probably wouldn't understand."

Mari looked at him for a long moment, then sighed slightly. "Well, like I said, this isn't goodbye. Keep it in mind, maybe you'll change your mind before Ian and I head back to Scotian."

"That's not going to happen." Alex reached for the door panel and palmed it open, anxious to get back inside before she could come up with any other insults disguised as offers.

"Ian, we have work to do." Mari didn't come back inside. She waved for Ian then turned and headed for the lifts even before her Sha'erah was able to pass Alex and leave the room.

Alex reached out and grabbed Ian's arm before he could leave. "Ian, be careful out there. Nebulas are tricky things, even with your talents."

Ian looked at him, surprise filling his eyes. The look quickly changed to a somewhat confused acknowledgment and he nodded.

"Goodbye, Captain." Ian nodded, then hurried down the hallway and out of sight around the corner.

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