Once Serena voiced her wish to reach Gordia Central, the so-called pirates—no, the former Imperial soldiers—seemed to reach a decision of their own.
"Your Highness," Baroque said carefully, "instead of limping there on the Grim Reaper, we could take you aboard the Abyss. Naomi too, if she wants."
He was asking Serena, but Naomi felt a twist in her gut.
Sure, riding with the seasoned crew of the Abyss would be safer. But that would mean leaving Osaka behind.
Osaka's mainframe wasn't just some box you could tuck under your arm. His server room was as big as an engine bay, racks of humming computers stacked to the ceiling, guzzling down magical power. There was no way to just transplant him onto another ship. Naomi knew that. And yet—
"No," Serena said firmly. "I know it's selfish, but I want to go on the Grim Reaper with Naomi. Osaka is our friend too. I don't want to leave him behind."
Naomi's eyes went wide. Serena remembered—she remembered how Naomi had asked Osaka about backups the moment they landed here. The warmth that flooded Naomi's chest was impossible to hide. When their eyes met, Serena smiled.
They hadn't known each other long, but in those short days they had fought through death again and again. Comrades-in-arms. Naomi felt it deeply—and Serena clearly did too.
"...Fair enough," Baroque sighed. "Can't expect a princess to abandon her friend. Alright, then we fix up that rust bucket of yours. Damn thing's ancient though. Modern parts won't fit worth a damn. Best bet'll be a junk shop run."
Naomi brightened. "Actually, we already tried Luna Beta's junkyard. No luck. We ended up using an NRX-99 piston and a sixth-gen reaction control ring—Oberntzeis Heavy Industries. Modified, but it worked."
Baroque stared at her. "...Huh. Didn't think you were that much of a gearhead. Hell, I don't even remember my own engine's maker. Hey, Rim Zap—you were a mechanic, weren't you? Go with her tomorrow, help her scavenge."
Naomi nearly spat her drink. "Wait, what?! Rim Zap's a mechanic? I thought he was shock troops!"
Even Osaka chuckled through the tablet.
Baroque grinned. "I get you. He looks like an assault trooper. But on paper, he was enlisted as a mechanic. Truth is, anytime there was a ground fight, he'd be charging in with a rocket launcher. When I was green, hearing the mechanics were being deployed to the front lines scared me shitless. I thought we were doomed. Then I saw him in action. That's when I realized—nah, it's just the personnel office screwing up again."
"Still..." Rim Zap muttered, monotone as ever. "...Naomi's evasion... was impressive. Lost sight of you. Baroque was mad..."
Naomi scratched her cheek. "That was... just dumb luck."
"Luck? Nobody shakes off Rim Zap by accident," Baroque said. "So why'd you run anyway? He just wanted to talk."
Naomi threw her hands up. "Baroque! Picture it: you're unarmed in the middle of a crowded street, and this mountain of a man comes barreling at you. What do you do?"
"...Yeah. I'd run too," Baroque admitted, rubbing his head. "My bad."
Rim Zap didn't look the least bit offended. Instead, he tilted his head toward Naomi. "...Engine. What is it?"
"Thermus-Valdick VA-200-TT fusion core," Naomi answered. "Problem is, it's ancient. Barely any left in circulation."
"...Hellhound class," Rim Zap muttered. "...successor was the Palestar..."
"Right, but the mount didn't fit," Naomi said quickly. "Oh—I see. You mean swap the whole base instead of just the core. Yeah, that might work."
Their back-and-forth quickly drowned in technical jargon. Baroque groaned and waved over his first officer.
"Cassia! Tomorrow Naomi and Rim Zap are heading out for parts. You go too."
Cassia raised an eyebrow. "Is that really necessary? With Rim Zap, they'll be fine."
"You think I'm worried about safety? Hell no. I'm worried about the money!" Baroque barked. "Leave it to Rim Zap and he'll come back with enough scrap to build a whole new cruiser. I need someone to hold the purse strings."
Cassia laughed softly. "Fair point. With those two geeking out, someone needs to keep the budget sane. Very well, I'll accompany them."
Naomi frowned. "Hey, I've got money too—oh, wait, not enough for an engine. Guess... you're lending me some?"
Baroque slammed a hand on the table. "Lend? Don't be stupid. You're a friend of Her Highness. We'll contribute. But," he jabbed a finger at her, "there are limits. Cassia will make sure you don't bankrupt us."
Serena, listening quietly, finally spoke. "Don't worry. Once my accounts are accessible again, I'll repay you. Consider it a proper reward."
Naomi exhaled in relief. At least Serena was mindful of the strain on them.
"Much obliged, Your Highness," Baroque said with a bow. "While Naomi's out, we'll show you around the Abyss. You'll be staying aboard for a while—Grim Reaper's getting a full refit. We'll assign either Elsa or Shino to attend you."
"You don't need all the titles here," Serena said gently. "Just talk normally."
Cassia's composure cracked, and she laughed. "Thank goodness. Formal speech is rusty—I haven't used it in ten years."
Baroque snapped his fingers. "Shino! Get over here."
Naomi's head snapped up. She'd noticed Shino earlier, but now, up close, she couldn't look away. Soft animal ears twitched atop her head, and a long, fluffy tail swayed behind her through a slit in her trousers.
"This is Shino," Baroque said. "She's our radar operator, like Serena was for you."
Shino bowed slightly. "I'm Shino. On board, I handle radar and comms. While we're docked, I'll serve as Lady Serena's attendant. Pleased to meet you. ...And you, Ms. Naomi—first time seeing a beastkin? Most people can't take their eyes off the ears and tail."
Naomi's face flushed. "Sorry! I just—your tail looks so soft, I couldn't help staring."
Shino chuckled. "Want to touch it?"
Naomi's eyes sparkled. "C-can I?! Please!!"
Laughing, Shino plopped down beside her and guided the tail into Naomi's hands. The texture—warm, plush, and alive—reminded Naomi so much of the cats back on Earth that her chest ached with nostalgia.
Among the bridge crew, Shino was the only woman.
"...Better sleep on the Abyss from now on," Rim Zap muttered suddenly. "Explosion... might happen."
The word explosion froze the entire table solid.
"...Okay," Naomi said after a beat. "Yeah. We'll stay here tonight."
Serena nodded quickly in agreement. Neither of them felt like testing their luck on a ship Rim Zap had just casually declared might blow up.