So I boil it down as much as I can. "He has my back, and I have his."
And Jade smiles in complete understanding.
KASPAR
Alice seems antsy when I return to the station to pick her up. She's tired, yawning constantly as she leans against me, but I can feel the tension in her body as I place my arm over her shoulders. She leans into me, her arms going around my waist. "So we're sleeping on the Jabberwock tonight on on the station?”
“Jabberwock. I thought it might be too much for Sterre to change things on her again. So I figured we'd pop up to the Sister so you can see her, and then we'll head back to the Jabberwock. We'll get her moved over tomorrow." I rub her shoulder as she snuggles against me. "Unless you want to see the Little Sister tomorrow, too?"
I try to keep my voice even, but the truth is, I want Alice to see the ship. It's home for me, and it's going to be home for her…I hope. I know she hates change almost as much as she hates surprises. Alice likes for things to be simple, and she likes to have a safe space. I know she's been nervous, so the sooner I get her on the Sister and let her see things, the quicker she'll relax.
"I'm tired, but I'm also really anxious about the ship," Alice confesses to me. "So I wouldn't mind seeing it tonight. I know it probably seems weird to you that I'm anxious—"
"That's cute," I say. "Thinking I didn't notice you were nervous. I know you, Sunshine. I know how your mind works. And I know you won't be able to rest easy until you feel secure. So let's go up and see the Sister, and you can poke everything to your heart's desire. You can move the furniture around and make it your home, all right? I just want you to be happy."
She squeezes me tight. "Did I ever tell you that you're the best?"
"Once or twice," I tease back. "But I never mind hearing that."
My joking seems to ease some of the tension in her. She's calm and collected as we head over to the small shuttle that Jerrok uses for prowling around outside the station. It's not meant for long distances, being little more than a secure box to float over to the Sister, but Alice doesn't worry. I know Zoey hates the smaller shuttles, but then I remind myself that Alice was in an escape pod with me for weeks. She's an old pro in cramped spaces.
We pull up alongside the Sister and hook the shuttle into the open dock. I glance over at my mate as we do, because I know the Sister looks very different than the sleek, long lines of the Buoyant Star. "Any thoughts so far?"
"It's a ship."
"Stop with the praise. It'll go straight to my head."
She smacks my shoulder lightly, seated behind me in the tiny shuttle. "I don't know anything about ships. This one looks different than the Jabberwock and the Star both. What am I supposed to say? It looks very space-y? It's got wings and a hull and I approve?"
I chuckle. She has a point. "The interior is nicer than the exterior."
Alice only grunts. "So…the exterior is supposed to look like that?"
"Weathered? Yeah. If we look like a keffing mess, people underestimate us. The last thing you want is to look sleek and shiny."
"Someone should tell Kivian that," Alice quips, her arms tight around my waist.
I just grin, because I know what she means. The Jabberwock is sleek and new and a benign gray that doesn't quite hide the fact that she's cutting edge. In contrast, the Little Sister is a bit boxier in form. Her paint is worn away on parts of the wings and she's got a few dents from asteroids. She's no beauty queen, but that's part of her charm. She's supposed to look a little ragged, so when she has bursts of speed or moves in on another faster, fancier ship, they never know what hit them.
I settle the shuttle down in the cargo bay and wait for the doors to close and for the air in the hold to re-pressurize. I can practically feel Alice's brain working. I know she's assessing our surroundings, that her mind is turning over the clutter in the hold. It's not like Jerrok's space, where scrap is crammed all over every bit of floor space so he can re-use it or sell it later. This is a mess thanks to my messy brother, who has tools and sheet metal out in the hold as if he's working on a project. "Keffing Adiron," I mutter. I was hoping it would be tidy so I could point to the place and show her that we're not like Jerrok. So much for that. "It's not normally like this."