Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Vagabond sat in a docking bay carved into the cliffside, only accessible via a series of winding tunnels that seemed to burrow through the rock like the passages of some vast hive.
Doren led Emma confidently through them, Ari babbling contentedly in his arms while she tried not to trip over the uneven floor.
“Athtar built these docks himself,” he explained as they walked. “There’s a public landing field, but he wanted somewhere more secure for visiting ships. Took him three years.”
“He seems like someone who commits fully to things.”
“That’s one way to put it.” His tail swished with amusement. “He’s the most stubborn male I’ve ever met. Once he decides something, nothing in the galaxy can change his mind.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
They emerged from the tunnel onto a wide platform overlooking the bay, and she came to an abrupt halt. The Vagabond was... not what she’d expected.
The ship was large, easily three times the size of the small flyer they’d escaped the Ithyians on, with a bulbous main body and stubby wings that looked like they’d been added as an afterthought.
Its hull was a patchwork of different metals and materials, some gleaming silver, others tarnished bronze or flat grey, interspersed with a threatening array of weapons.
Scorch marks decorated one side, and what looked like a large dent marred the undercarriage.
It was, objectively, the ugliest spacecraft she had ever seen.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” His voice was soft with genuine affection.
She opened her mouth, closed it, and tried again. “She’s... certainly distinctive.”
“The exterior’s mostly cosmetic. It keeps people from looking too closely because they assume she’s just another piece of junk hauler.
” He started down the ramp towards the ship, and she hurried after him.
“Most pirates won’t bother with a target that doesn’t look valuable.
And the customs officers tend to wave me through without inspection. ”
“Because they don’t think you’re carrying anything worth checking?”
“Exactly.” He reached the main hatch and pressed his palm to a panel beside it. “But the inside...”
The hatch slid open with a smooth hiss, revealing an interior that made her stop dead in her tracks.
Where the outside was utilitarian and ugly, the inside was a riot of color and texture.
Fabrics in every shade imaginable draped from the ceiling and covered the walls—silks and velvets and materials she couldn’t identify, patterned with swirling designs that seemed to shift in the low light.
Cushions and pillows were heaped in every corner, creating cozy nooks that invited lounging.
Shelves lined every available surface, crammed with objects that ranged from the clearly valuable—jeweled boxes, metallic sculptures, crystalline formations—to the seemingly random—a child’s toy, a dried flower, a fragment of stone covered in unfamiliar script.
“It’s like... a dragon’s hoard,” she breathed. “If the dragon had excellent taste.”
“I prefer to think of it as curated chaos.” He stepped inside, and lights flickered on as the ship recognized his presence. “Everything here has a story. Some I bought, some I found, some I... acquired through creative means.”
“Stole, you mean.”
“‘Stole’ is such an ugly word. I liberated them from owners who didn’t appreciate them.
” He set Ari down in the midst of a pile of cushions, where she immediately began grabbing at the fringe on a nearby throw.
“This one, for example—” He picked up a small golden figurine from a shelf.
“—was sitting in a vault on Theron VII, completely ignored. The collector who owned it had hundreds just like it. He never even noticed it was gone.”
She moved through the space slowly, trailing her fingers over the soft fabrics. Despite the clutter, there was an underlying order to it—groupings that seemed to make sense, arrangements that pleased the eye. It felt less like a ship and more like a home.
“You’ve been collecting these for years,” she realized.
“As soon as I had my own ship.” He replaced the figurine and moved deeper into the ship, gesturing for her to follow. “After my mother died, I had nothing. Not even clothes that fit properly. I swore I’d never feel that empty again.”
The corridor opened into a second common area—a large space with a curved viewport looking out at the hangar, more cushions and blankets, and a cooking station that looked surprisingly well-equipped. Beyond it, she could see doors leading to other sections of the ship.
“Living quarters are that way.” Doren pointed. “Captain’s cabin, two guest quarters, and a space that could work as a nursery. The cargo hold takes up most of the lower level, and there’s a small medical bay in the back.”
“It’s bigger than I expected.”
“She’s a modified freighter. Originally designed to haul cargo across long distances, which means plenty of storage and comfortable accommodations for extended voyages.” He turned to face her, spreading his arms wide. “So? What do you think?”
She looked around the space, taking in the layers of collected treasures, the careful arrangements, the obvious care that had gone into making this metal shell into something warm and livable.
She thought about Doren’s childhood, his mother’s death and his father’s rejection.
All those years of accumulating beautiful things to fill the emptiness inside him.
“I think,” she said slowly, “that you’ve built yourself exactly the home you needed.”
A hint of surprise flashed across his face. “Most people just see the mess.”
“Most people aren’t looking properly.” She crossed to him, reaching up to straighten a fold in his collar that didn’t need straightening. “You’ve surrounded yourself with beauty and stories and things that matter to you. That’s not mess. That’s a life.”
He caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. “You’re going to make me insufferable, you know. Saying things like that.”
“I thought you already were.”
“Ouch.” But he was smiling, that real smile that transformed his face from handsome to devastating. “Come on. I’ll show you the rest.”
He gave her the full tour—the cockpit with its panoramic viewport and advanced controls, the guest quarters that were small but comfortable, and the cargo hold that was currently filled with crates of what he called “mostly legitimate trade goods.” The final stop was the captain’s cabin.
The cabin was larger than she’d expected, dominated by a wide bed piled with more cushions and colorful textiles.
The walls here were covered in star charts and handwritten notes, fragments of maps and lists of coordinates.
It felt like the inside of someone’s mind—chaotic and brilliant and endlessly curious.
“This is where the magic happens,” he said, gesturing grandly.
“The magic being sleep?”
“Among other things.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and she laughed despite herself.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Part of my charm.” He pulled her close, resting his chin on top of her head. “So. This is it. This is me. All the pretty things I’ve collected to convince myself I’m worth something. All the maps and charts for a treasure I’ve been chasing my whole life. All the... mess.”
She pulled back enough to look at him. “Are you trying to scare me off?”
“Maybe a little. Give you one last chance to run.”
“Doren.” She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to meet her eyes. “I’m not running. Not from you, not from this, not from anything. I made my choice.”
“Even though you don’t know where we’re going? What we might face?”
“Even then.” She kissed him softly. “We’ll figure it out together. You, me, and Ari. Whatever comes next, we face it as a family.”
The word hung in the air between them. Family. Such a simple concept, and yet she could see how much it shook him.
“Family,” he repeated, as if testing the shape of it.
“Too much?”
“No.” His arms tightened around her. “No, I think it’s exactly enough.”
From the common area, Ari let out a shriek that sounded more delighted than distressed. They broke apart, hurrying back to find her surrounded by a pile of cushions she’d somehow managed to knock off the couch, her silver skin gleaming as she waved her arms triumphantly.
“I think she approves of the ship,” Emma said.
“She has excellent taste.” He scooped the baby up, settling her against his chest with an ease that still surprised Emma.
He looked so natural holding her, comfortable in a way that seemed at odds with everything she knew about his past. “Welcome aboard, little one. Try not to destroy anything too valuable.”
Ari grabbed his ear and tugged. He winced but didn’t pull away.
She watched the treasure-hunting smuggler and the ancient baby he’d accidentally rescued and felt something warm unfurl in her chest. This was her life now. These were her people.
“So,” she said, moving to stand beside them. “When do we leave?”
His grin was sharp and bright, full of adventure and promise. “As soon as Faith has those coordinates. The universe is waiting.”