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T he Star sat on Hazel’s desk between us. I still felt its pull in a way that was hard to accurately describe. It was sort of like having a loose tooth that you couldn’t stop poking at with your tongue. Except in a good way.

Holding it for a few brief moments in Ayronina’s suite had made me feel like a superstar, no pun intended. As if I were capable of anything. I might have to start wearing the pendant I’d been given more often.

Hazel shook her head in obvious admiration. “I can’t believe you did it.” She chuckled. “Actually, I can.” She smiled at us. “You two are amazing.”

I sat up a little straighter. “We kind of are, aren’t we?”

Frank snorted softly. Drifts of glitter still covered his face, clothes, and hands while the sweet smell of the dusting powder tickled my nose every time he shifted. “We just did what you asked us to do.”

“That may be true,” Hazel said. “But I owe you.”

“You owe us nothing,” he said, shaking his head, which sent a few specks of glitter into the air.

“Not true,” she countered. “You both have a significant favor banked with me, should you ever need one. And the Federation owes you, too. They may not ever realize it, but they do. You might have kept us out of a war.”

There was a knock at her door. She looked up. “Come in.”

Captain Stuedecker entered. He saluted Hazel, who saluted right back. “Mrs. McFadden, Mr. Kitson. Pleasure to see you again.”

“Same here,” I said.

He addressed Hazel. “The ASF officers are still interviewing the premier and his wife?—”

“Separately, I’d hope,” Hazel interrupted.

“Yes, separately,” Stuedecker confirmed. “It’s going well. The premier has admitted to having a relationship with Ayronina, although he says it was consensual.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Mrs. Hanth also admitted that she is not a … para … paramina.”

“ Paryina ,” I gently corrected.

He nodded. “That’s the word. She was very upset and begged us to keep that a secret.”

“I bet she did,” I scoffed. “She makes a big deal out of that. I don’t think the citizens would react well to her lying about something so important to them.”

“The Federation will keep her secret,” Hazel promised. “Especially if it means getting Loessa as an ally.”

Sounded a little like blackmail to me, but I wasn’t about to mention that. “What about Ensign Ludwig?”

Hazel’s mouth tightened. “He’s in the brig. He’s admitted to everything—bribing the guards to get them to help, using an ASF printer to create the counterfeit star, programing the lights to go off at the gala. He even confessed to putting the bloody knife and Ayronina’s dress out of the airlock.”

Frank rubbed his knuckles on his pants. “Did he kill Olan first then?”

Stuedecker nodded. “Yes. Olan was killed when he changed his mind about giving Ludwig the Star. Ludwig strangled him and shoved his body into the mechanical space. Navun was killed later that night when he told Connor to pay him more or he’d spill what he knew. Connor had Navun meet him at the cargo bay, since he was originally headed there to hide the Star in one of the lifepods.”

I frowned. “That doesn’t explain how pieces of Ayronina’s dress were found there.”

“Connor had the dress with him. He was going to use it to hide the Star in, with the cover story that he was returning the dress to her suite.”

Frank made a face. “Her suite is nowhere near the cargo bay.”

“No,” Stuedecker said. “But he didn’t think anyone would question him running an errand for the great Ayronina. After he killed Navun and got blood on the dress, he knew he had to get rid of it. He never intended to put Navun’s body out the airlock. He knew he didn’t have the completion code. But those few seconds when the lock started to open was all he needed to ditch the bloody dress.”

Frank crossed his arms. “How about that. What will happen to him?”

Hazel answered. “As we have no way of sending him back to Earth at this time, he will remain in the brig. He will be court-martialed at some point.”

For a moment, I felt bad about Ensign Ludwig, but I felt worse about the two young men who’d lost their lives because of him. “And Ayronina?”

“She’s Loessa’s problem,” Hazel answered. “I have a feeling Fathia will smooth things for her so that she can leave the planet, if that’s what she wants. I’m sure Fathia would prefer that outcome as well.”

“Yut deserves some kind of fallout for this,” Frank muttered. “He started this whole thing.”

“There will be repercussions,” Hazel said. “The Federation is being apprised of all of this. He’ll be expected to bring his behavior up to standards, if he remains in power. That will be up to the citizens of his country. If he does, and his behavior impacts future events that jeopardize interstellar peace, he will be dealt with severely. Something his Federation representative will make him aware of.”

I rested my hands in my lap as a sense of peace settled over me. “Is there anything else you need us for?”

A tiny smile curved Hazel’s mouth. “Not at the moment. Thankfully. You can go. I’m sure you’d both like some rest. You’ve been at this nonstop, something I am deeply grateful for. Just so you know, I will be making the Federation aware of your assistance in this matter.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Frank said.

“It’s important they know.” Hazel laced her fingers together on top of the desk. “I think they sometimes lose sight of the fact that this starliner holds more than just men and women in uniform. You two are a good reminder that the rest of the souls on board are not to be undervalued.”

“Thank you.” I had no problem with FAN knowing we’d helped. Might work in my favor the next time the library needed something.

“You’re welcome. Have a good night.” Hazel smiled at me. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Mom.”

“Sounds great.”

As Frank and I left, Captain Stuedecker took Frank’s seat, leaning forward, I supposed, so he and Hazel could discuss the fine details that remained unfinished.

Frank offered me his arm as we strolled toward the elevators.

“Oh, no,” I said, holding my hands up and grinning. “I don’t want glitter all over me.”

He laughed and dropped his arm. “Fair point. How about after I shower, we go get something to eat?”

“Sure, I could eat. Also, a bit of ice cream would be nice. Your dining hall or mine?”

“I was thinking something quieter. I’m sure we could get into Luna’s without too much wait. Maybe none at all if I call ahead.”

I took his arm. What was a little glitter? “That would be lovely.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

An hour later, we were seated at a quiet booth at Luna’s, contemplating the choices. I didn’t usually eat this late, so I was trying to decide on something that wouldn’t keep me up. We both had work the next day.

“Want to split something?” Frank asked.

“Maybe. What were you thinking about?”

“Chicken piccata with angel hair pasta?”

I nodded. “That sounds perfect. Especially with a salad to start.”

He put his menu down, shaking his head. “You can have salad. I’m getting the soup.” He took a piece of bread from the basket in the center of the table.

Robinson, the server we always requested, had already informed us they had Italian Wedding soup as one of the evening’s specials. “That did sound good.”

Frank gestured with the bread before taking a bite of it. “Anything that isn’t vegetables sounds good.”

I grinned and set my menu aside so I could reach across the table and take his other hand. “You were pretty fetching in the glitter, but I like you better without.”

“Glad to hear that. I have no plans to be covered in glitter again. Unless it becomes necessary to keep you and your daughter as permanent residents of the Athos .”

I squeezed his hand. I didn’t have enough words for my gratitude. “Thank you for all you did for us.”

“You’re welcome. But you know I did it for us , too.”

“I do know that. And I’m pretty thankful about that as well.”

Robinson returned, took our order, collected our menus, and left us alone again.

“Work tomorrow,” Frank said before sipping his water.

“Yep. Back to the grind.” I laughed. “It’s not a grind, though. Not for me. I’m just looking forward to getting back to things being normal again.”

Frank lifted his glass. “Cheers to that .”

I clinked my glass to his. “You want to take Harry and Gracie to the Botanical Gardens this weekend?”

“You bet. I’ll make a lunch reservation at Bloom.”

I loved that place, but it was pricey. “We could just get some box lunches from the dining hall. You don’t have to take me out all the time.” I really didn’t want him to think I required fancy dining to be happy. I didn’t. All I needed was time with him.

“First of all, I like taking you out, and second of all, what else am I going to do with all my money?”

I smirked, unable to argue that. It was his money. “They won’t mind Harry and Gracie in the restaurant?”

“For what they charge, we should be allowed to bring a real cat and bird to the table.” The twinkle in his eyes made it clear he was enjoying the very idea. “Not only that, but since we still have our status as Special Envoys, we could always bring that up. We’ve got a lot of star power right now. Heads’ll roll if they say anything.”

I knew he was teasing. Frank was the last person who’d use his importance to get his way. Not to mention, Hazel had told us not to take advantage of it. Even so, I couldn’t stop smiling. “I think lunch at Bloom would be great.”

“I’ll take care of it. Maybe just tell Harry to be a little more discreet about climbing trees this time.”

I picked up my glass and sipped my sparkling water as I contemplated how good my life was. The bubbles in my water felt like they were drifting through me, making me just as buoyant.

I set the glass down and gave Frank a little nod. “I’ll see what I can do.”