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He doesn’t look convinced.

“What are you eating?” I gesture toward his plate. “I’ve never seen any of that before.”

“Taros, a type of underground vegetable.” He stabs his fork into one of the tender vegetables. “Eglick is a fish native to Zeahiri. This is a common meal.”

Two trays drop onto the table in front of us. When I look up I see Hyva and Lieutenant Jai sitting down. They’re eating the same thing as Raiz.

“Sister Neev,” she begins but I cut her off.

“Just Neev, please.”

She gives me a smile, her two fangs showing the tiniest bit. “Neev. Please allow me to apologize. My outburst wasn’t directed at you, it was directed at Mydax for challenging the commander. And call me Vynia.”

“No apologies necessary.”

In truth I didn’t even realize she had any kind of reaction. One moment I was having a conversation, and the next Hyva had me thrown over his shoulder and was halfway down the stairs to get to med bay. Everything happened so fast.

“Neev says that this is all humans need to consume to live,” Raiz says to Hyva. “Is that accurate?”

Hyva’s eyes meet mine, and I swear I can see the alien version of an eye roll inside them. “It looks sufficient. They eat more often than we do.” He examines my soup. “What is that called?”

“Soup. It has protein, vegetables, and grains. Perfectly balanced.”

“Liquid meals are not filling,” Raiz states.

I meet Hyva’s eyes, which are full of mirth. Being abducted by a weirdly overprotective warrior alien wasn’t something I had expected this year. Or any year really.

I decide to change the subject and look across to Vynia. “I haven’t spent much time out of my quarters, but you’re the only female I’ve noticed on board aside from myself. Are there any others?”

“No. It’s just you and I. Female survival on Zeahiri is rare.”

“Oh.” What a different experience from what I’m used to. “Why is that?”

They share a quiet look that tells me maybe I should not have inquired.

“You and Altis share a last name, are you siblings?” I change the subject to avoid a social faux pas.

“We are twins.”

My stomach twists. I’ve always wanted a sibling. Someone who was just mine, who I could tell my secrets to and grow up, laughing our way through trouble.

“That’s lovely.”

Quiet settles over the four of us as we continue to eat. I let my eyes roam around the room, taking in the crew around us. It’s more boisterous than I’m used to when I eat in the company of others in the Order. There’s no vow of silence for us but rarely will one hear any sort of loud exclamation.

A dull ache begins to throb at the back of my head. So far I haven’t been plagued by headaches like I would have expected without my medication, but with each beat of my heart, I feel the pressure in my skull magnify.

Knowing that the migraine is bound to hit soon, I quickly finish my meal and drink as much water as possible. I consider asking Hyva if he has anything to help treat the problem, but I don’t want to trouble him again. Hopefully, I can sleep it off.

I look at my dinner companions and give them what I hope is a convincing smile. “Thank you for dinner. I’m glad you pulled me out of my quarters for a meal. I’m going to retire for the night.”

“I’ll escort you back.” Vynia stands. “I’m going that way anyway.”

She shows me where to place my dishes and then we fall into step beside each other.

“What drew you to becoming a pilot?” I ask.

“A lot of things.” She laughs quietly. “But mostly because a bunch of males told me I couldn’t do it.”