Sparrow preps the Chimera while I log our flight plan with Jovian traffic control. I pack a few items of spare clothing and some toiletries, but I make sure to add the scrambler and EM dampener to the pack. Not that I think I'll actually use it, but better to have and not need it... well, I'm sure you understand. Same principal as a taser or a condom. Ideally not at the same time, of course.

  Looking at the orbital data, we'll have to leave in the next two hours. I mean, both moons are in orbit, and we need a flight plan that won't miss the window. Thankfully, the Chimera is fueled up already and easy to prep. Less than an hour later, Sparrow and I are walking to the docks.

  Unlike Ursa Miner, the docks at Argus station are busy and bustling with activity. Mostly civilian, but Navy uniforms are obvious, and a pair of bored looking MPs stand along the wall with weapons slung behind them. In my overlay, silver threads seem to pulse along the walls, with twisting knots of silver around the active nodes and terminals set along the walls. The vibrant blue-green waves of light seem to roll through the dock as the foxfire swirls around the docked vessels.

  And at the end, the Chimera. A lunar shuttle with a massive bulb of a generator, modified engines, large oblong cargo portion, and a smattering of seemingly random attachments and modifications obvious along its spine and skin. She's not a pretty vessel, but I'll admit; she's got character. Kind of like her pilot.

  I get a notification in silver flitting in my vision as the cargo bay doors open, informing me of a number of pending messages. "Ah, well, looks like my dating profile is blowing up," I tease, tossing the bag up the ladder and into the shuttle proper.

  Sparrow laughs as she follows, the navigation console lighting up as she raps it with her knuckles. "Yeah? More horny sailors sending pictures of their... assets?"

  "Oh, you know it," I say, flagging a few dozen messages and blocking the senders. I'm ready to try tackling a case again, even if I'm just bashing my skull against the bulkhead. I've got a thick skull, after all. "But I'm looking at a few that might be scams. Hard to tell if they're the same ones who duped our sailor."

  Sparrow flicks a switch, the Chimera's thrusters warming up with a building hum that I can feel through my feet. "You know, they might just be going for men. Most Navy are, it's the low hanging fruit."

  I raise an eyebrow, not pointing out the obvious pun. See how classy I am? "Maybe, but like a quarter of the sailors are women, and some of the men like men. I can't imagine scammers would leave money on the table," I say, narrowing the list of new messages. "But I've got some that seem fishy, and guess what? Most of them are claiming to be from Callisto or Ganymede," I say, giving her a smile.

  She snorts as she cold-starts the engine, making the Chimera shudder. "Sure, might be scams, or just lonely gals looking for a good time."

  I smile at that. "We all want a good time. A few are offering money, it just so happens, but not for the kind of work I was hoping for," I say, rolling my eyes as I flick through a number of messages. "But looks like four possible candidates, so I'll ping out some messages and see who starts catfishing."

  The ship shivers as the docking clamps release, and there's a hiss as the station airlock vents. "It's not a verb, you know."

  I snort, but I take the times to compose a few messages. Nothing giving away any real details, and implying I'm stationed on Argus. My profile, a little barebone, could be a sailor, or a long-haul freighter. For a picture, I just threw up a shot of myself in a leather duster. Honestly, I'm no model, but there must be lots of lonely folks out here, because my inbox is flooded.

  I set one of my two sniffers out, watching the subsentient AI bound through the code. Sadly, it doesn't find any familiar handshakes or metadata that the client provided. I sigh, packing him back up, when another alert pops up in silver. I tilt my head, frowning. Callisto? "Huh... looks like I got a new potential case."

  "Yeah? Who?" Sparrow asks, eyes locked on the console as the thrusters begin to turn the Chimera.

  The blue-green foxfire cascading along Argus station makes me shield my eyes from the viewport, squinting to make out the details in silver. "Looks like your friend, Jax."

  Sparrow blinks a few times and looks over, brow furrowed. "Sorry, Jax reached out to you? Not to me?"

  "I guess?" I say, opening it the message and pouring through it. As I do, my frown deepens. Huh. "He's asking for help."

  She gives me a quizzical look. "You? No offense, but why is he going to a stranger over a friend?"

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  I bite my tongue as I scroll through the rest of the text. "Because the Gaian League is blackmailing him."

  From my previous conversations, I had pegged Jax as something of a gossip. He's apparently a communications clerk with one of the mining co-ops off Callisto. From what Sparrow tells me; he sells rare-earth metals out of the Jovian. He's tapped into the comms and arranges a lot of their trades and deals. He also tends to get the news before lots of others in the Jovian. Sparrow says he's a wirehead that rarely leaves his basement.

  "So, what could they possibly have on him?" Sparrow asks, annoyed.

  I scratch my head. "He isn't saying. And apparently all he can tell me is someone known as 'K.C.' wants all the deals and sales to go through Ganymede's trade network."

  Sparrow scoffs. "So, it's a monopoly? Force Jax and other independent sellers to go through them and skim off the top?"

  I chew my lip. "Not just that. They could approve or kill deals. Gives them lots of leverage. The concerning part is that Jax says this 'K.C.' has to be Gaian."

  Sparrow swallows and hangs her head. "And he didn't tell me because... he's not sure about me. Because I used to run with the League."

  I let a breath stream from my nose. "Maybe. Or maybe he was ashamed. They have something on him, to pressure him."

  Sparrow gives me a sideways glance. "Are you going to help?"

  I tap my chin. "Well, whatever info this K.C has gotten on Jax, the Gaian's have it now. Even if I could somehow infiltrate and brick their system, which the league would be guarding against, I'm basically gambling that it hasn't been backed it up somehow or somewhere." I sigh. "Not much chance of that. However, finding out who it is? That's doable. And if I have enough on them, I may be able to get them to stop leaning on Jax."

  There's a moment of silence between us. Sparrow turns her head and lifts an eyebrow. "So... how much are you going to charge him?"

  It's only been two hours, but the Chimera is making good time, and I should arrive with an hour and change to spare before my hearing. I send Jax a response, telling him that I'll do what I can to help him. I don't name a rate; given that he referred my first case to me. Plus, he's Sparrow's friend, and I'm not totally sure I can dig up info on the Gaians. And if I'm being completely honest? I still have a bad taste in my mouth about the League, given that Rusteater tried to kill both me and Sparrow.

  But somehow, my mind is otherwise occupied. Not by ecoterrorists or looming hearings or lunar catfishes. And not by the pilot next to me or the serpentine whorls of her smart-ink tat rolling up her arms and legs. Though she does draw my eye.

  And she can apparently read me pretty well., because she turns her head and gives me a concerned look. "You seem kind of tense, Melody."

  I roll my shoulders, cracking my back. "Yeah, the weapons certification is really grinding my gears."

  A few more moments of silence go by. "Is that all?"

  I sigh, lifting a hand to my temple, holding my head. "No."

  Sparrow clicks her tongue. "It's the criminal inquiry, isn't it?" She asks, giving me an ashamed sideways glance.

  I snort, rubbing my forehead. "Well, that sure isn't helping," I admit, leaning forward and putting a hand on my knee. "Thinking about Brent, losing my partner..." I lick my lips. "It's making me think about my last partner, Alex."

  I hear an intake of breath from Sparrow. For some reason, I can't bring myself to turn to face her. "Have you spoken to him since...?" Sparrow asks, trailing off.

  I shake my head. "No. But now starting a dating profile, even for a case..." I say, biting my tongue and running my fingers through my hair. Ugh, could use a haircut, it's past my shoulders. "I know it's weird, but Alex and I were engaged. You and I are together, but somehow starting a dating profile feels like moving on in a different way."

  I hear her giggle. "Starting a dating profile to flush out a scammer? As opposed to sleeping and living with your new partner?" Sparrow asks, raising a delicate eyebrow.

  I snort and smile. "Ridiculous, right? The little distinctions we draw. Falling into a relationship without planning on it... oh well! That's life," I say, giving her a smile and a blush. "But starting a profile, taking steps to date and move on, even as a facade for a case... it's hitting me in the heartstrings..." I admit, taking a deep breath and feeling a shiver run through me.

  Sparrow nods as she locks our route into the navigation console and gets an affirmative ping from traffic control releasing the vessel. "It makes sense. Planning, deciding, moving forward? It makes you look back, too," she says softly.

  I nod, gulping. "But... I'm also thinking of pinging Alex and speaking with him."

  Sparrow reaches out and takes my hand. "That's a big step. Are you ready?"

  I sigh again, hanging my head. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready. But time isn't going to make it easier. And I haven't been totally fair to him."

  Her hand squeezes my palm a few times. "Melody, you aren't obligated to give him closure," she says, brown eyes wide with concern.

  "I... might be, in this case," I murmur. "I left a lot of things unsaid, and he deserves to hear them. And I think it might be good for me."

  Sparrow's hand slides up to my shoulder. "Whatever you need."

  It takes me some time. I ask Sparrow to stay with me. I don't put the channel on speaker, I just hold her hand. He'd sent me a few messages, but I never got the courage to read them. Even now, part of me would rather speak, not write. And another part of me doesn't want to speak to or about him ever again. But after a few minutes of silent freakout on my part, and reassuring words from Sparrow, I pull up my overlay. Finally, I take a deep breath, and ping Alex.

  I'm expecting that the lightspeed delay will be too great; it's at least fifteen minutes between Argus station and Luna. I anticipate the bounce-back will give me time to leave a message, full and complete. I'm expecting his response won't come through for at least half an hour, even if he replies right away. Assuming that he replies at all.

  My rhythm is thrown off when my ping is accepted, and I hear his baritone voice answer immediately over my channel. "Well, hello Mel. It's been a while. Better late than never, right?"

  And my whole world falls apart.