Back to Sola

Dustin had a lot to think about as the lift slowly returned them to the ground floor. Unslep nodded briefly as they stepped out and back into the noise of the exchange, but said nothing further leaving Dustin to take Meli’s hand before the pair headed off in search of Naera.

The Caenii woman thankfully had remained where they’d left her. It seemed that she’d spent the entire time trying to optimize her purchases with the limited funds she’d been able to acquire from the data on the stick Dustin had provided. As they approached, she held up a hand and spoke without looking up. “Nearly got this worked out, Dusty. Just need to decide if I want the recipe for the breakfast cereal or the one for the after-dinner cakes. The cereal is supposed to be good for young minds, but from what I’ve seen of their other recipes it’ll contain enough sugar to make even a Velca hyperactive.”

Meli’s ears flickered into amusement as Dustin leaned against the wall next to Naera’s terminal before replying. “Take your time, we’re in no major rush. Meli, can you call ahead to the ship and get Emely to start readying the information we’ve just sold to be transmitted? Rye too, given it involves schematics.”

Naera kept her gaze locked to the console as he spoke, ignoring the others for a moment before sighing and tapping the screen a couple of times to complete her purchases. “I went with the cereal, Dusty. Looks like I was right - it’s horrifically bad for kids, but I think I can probably use the base recipe to make energy bars for the pilots that might come in handy on longer missions,” she explained as she retrieved the data chip and tucked it safely into a pocket. “Let’s go home.”

The walk back to the ship was just as crowded as the outward journey had been. Despite the fact that it was approaching evening with the station’s lights dimming slightly, the bustle of commerce appeared unaffected - save for a slowly growing number of lamps and lanterns casting a warm orange glow over the wares on offer. Dustin paused a couple of times to buy trinkets; while their major trades had been information, he’d brought a few things from Sola’s stores worth offering in trade, mostly gold strips mined from asteroids. Gold wasn’t that valuable to most space-going civilizations given the ease of locating it off-world, but for the jewellery and trinket traders lining the walkway it was an important part of their material costs, and so held enough value for him to barter for gifts for his ladies.

As the airlock finally closed behind them, he sagged with relief. “That took way more energy than I was expecting. They really do love to haggle, don’t they?” he asked nobody in particular, running over what he needed to do next in his mind as the doors cycled.

By the time they got up to the ready room, Emely and Rye had already sent all the agreed material to the board and gotten a sizable data-packet in reply. The bunny girl was sat in discussion with Sammie, both women focusing on the plans for shuttle engines they’d received from the Arof, while Emely had curled up with Yaerwen and was making idle conversation as the Hoxx woman stroked her shoulder.

Dustin took a moment to store the gifts he’d bought in his private bunk room; he wanted to give them out when everyone had gathered for the evening meal, and several of the ladies were elsewhere. With that done, he grabbed a drink and settled in his usual seat. “So. Now we’re away from the canids, the question is where do we go next?”

The question had been a rhetorical one. Dustin didn’t really expect any answers from the small group of his ladies that had gathered, especially given how tired Naera and Meli both looked. The constant noise and effort of trading had clearly worn them both out as much as it had tired him, leaving the trio more than happy to follow a suggestion from Emely to go rest until dinner time.

Waking sometime later as his green-skinned love wriggled out of the nest they’d all made together, Dustin yawned and stretched. “You’re not going to go cook, right?” He said, watching Naera pull her top back on as she shuffled towards the arch in the wall.

“Nope. Already prepped food for tonight before we left the ship - just gonna go collect it and then heat it up in the small galley. Emmz predicted I’d be exhausted, so I followed her advice and planned ahead.” Glancing back at him, Naera smiled and gestured to the bodies spread across the rest of the chamber before adding “mind waking everyone else up while I’m gone? You want to give out those gifts, and then we really should answer that question you had about where we’re going next.”

It took Dustin some time to wake the others. Partially because it was hard to bring himself to wake them - Emely in particular looking exceptionally cute where she had her tails curled around her - and partially because several of them insisted on kisses on waking that delayed his moving to the next woman significantly. Eventually though everyone was roused, albeit in mixed states of dress as the women filed out to fill up the seats around the ready room table just in time for Naera to return.

The Caenii wasn’t alone, with Yril’k and Jaisyl walking in after her. On entering the room, the Vex’ess warrior glanced across the half-dressed group and sighed before settling into her usual seat. Jaisyl on the other hand stopped in the doorway, her cheeks rapidly turning red. Rye glanced up from where she’d just set a jug of juice on the table and chuckled. “Are ya coming in or not, princess? We’re having dinner and discussing where we’re flying to next, ya can’t still be getting weirded out by seeing us half-dressed after being on Sola as long as ya have. Besides, we’re all decent…ish.”

Dustin mused that the pregnant Rabyth’s words would have probably had more impact if she’d been wearing more than just panties and a vest top at the time, but it did at least seem to help the Tho’unn woman make up her mind. With a huff, Jaisyl stepped further into the room, remarking “I am not weirded out by your perversity, just disappointed in the standard of dress during important meetings” as she settled into a chair next to Dustin. Meli raised an eyebrow at the princess’s choice of seat, but didn’t say anything as she took up her usual position on his other side.

Food took the edge off the Tho’unn’s demeanour, and the group settled into idle chatter as they ate through the stew-like dish Naera had prepared. Once everyone had eaten, Dustin excused himself, returning with the bags containing his purchases. The bracelets, delicate ornaments and boxes he handed out had the effect he’d hoped for, delighted smiles ringing the room as the gifts were passed around. Yril’k blinked with surprise when he slid over a small box containing an ornate set of metal darts, not expecting a gift of her own. Dustin had spoken about playing the game with her previously when they’d been training, so he’d been fascinated to learn that the Arof had a similar enough sport and hadn’t been able resist buying a present for his friend.

Finally, Dustin turned to Jaisyl and offered her a small pouch. The princess took it with an odd expression, opening it and turning out a set of fine jewel-capped pins and ornate tiny scissors. “I thought they’d be practical as well as ornamental,” Dustin mused as the Tho’unn woman stared at the glittering things in her hand before carefully stowing them back in their pouch. He wasn’t sure if getting the princess a gift was the right move; Jaisyl’s relationship to him and indeed the rest of the gathered women was complicated, but he’d seen the set and thought of her and so had ended up buying it anyway.

Fortunately, it seemed to have been the right decision. Inclining her head, Jaisyl gave Dustin a genuine smile, all thoughts of the impropriety of everyone’s state of dress fully forgotten. “Thank you, Dustin.”

With that last gift given, Dustin turned back to the rest of the room before things could get awkward. “Alright, now you’ve all got your presents - where are we going next? We’ve a few options - the Arof gave us a bunch of forward routes we can sweep to try and find new paths from… or there’s a system that seems odd.”

Meli set her drink down and sighed. “Odd is a very simple description, husband. Let me explain properly for everyone,” she began, before outlining the strange circumstances of the lone star that the chairman of the Arof board had suggested they investigate. Deliberation took some time after that - but the result was the one Dustin had expected; he knew his women too well. Of those who voted (Jaisyl, Aricia and Yril’k abstained as they had no strong opinions either way), every single person present agreed that they should go and look at the quiet star.