We weren’t scheduled to leave Naboo’s orbit until morning, so all I had to do was keep an eye on the surveillance vids every half hour or so and monitor the incoming comms. Out of the viewport, the wide blue-and-green planet floated like a pearl in deep space. It turned too slow to see, steady and stalwart, a reminder of the passage of time when everything else felt still. The longer I looked, the sleepier I felt.
Tonight would be a hard one to stay awake for.
Then, about halfway through the night, as I tossed sabacc cards into a captain’s hat, movement on the surveillance video caught my eye. I pulled it up only to find the stowaway wandering the bottom deckagain—this time waiting outside of one of the rooms, rocking impatientlyback and forth. Noola was sitting on his shoulder, playing with her tail.
I watched him for a while, wondering what the heck he was doing, before I realized he was outsidemyroom. And strangely enough, he wasn’t trying to pick the lock with a fork and a dream.
I buzzed down to the terminal beside my door. “I’m not there,” I informed him.
He jumped, startled, and slapped a hand over his heart. “Warn a guy when you go omnipresent!”
“That’s my secret: I’m always a little bit everywhere.”
“Frightening,” he replied dryly, and raked his fingers through his hair to regain his composure. It was gray in the nighttime lights, floppy and wild, as if it never quite did what he wanted it to do. I’d never met anyone so young with his hair color, and judging by the roots it was natural. I wondered if it was soft—
What was Ithinking?
Forcing the silly thoughts out of my head, I asked, “What do you want?”
While at the same time he asked, “Can’t sleep?”
I frowned. “I could ask the same.”
“I’m just stretching my legs….”
“And loitering around my personal quarters?”
His mouth dropped open. Noola squawked, and it sounded a lot like a laugh. “I…knocked. A few times.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t just barge in?”
I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn’t see. “No, I meanwhyare you in front of my room?”
He shifted on his feet, glancing around the corridor even though it was completely empty and, at this time of night, everyone was sound asleep. “Can we talk in person?”
“Why?”
“I think I…owe you an apology,” he said. “You saw a reprehensible side of me. I don’t normally try to break into people’s rooms.”
“Oh?” I deadpanned.
He winced. “I really don’t.”
“As far as I can tell, I know exactly who you are. You’re cagey, secretive, infuriating—”
“And you’re mistrustful and revoltingly moral and stubborn,” he batted back, his eyebrows raised high as he turned toward the camera and looked right at it. Then, eyes locked on the lens, he bent toward the comm and added in a softer, growly voice, “Not that I’m complaining.”
I stared. My mouth was open, but no words came out. I felt the telltale heat of a blush rushing across my cheeks. “I…I am notmistrustful! Maybe you’re just not very trustworthy.”
“Says the mistrustful girl who probably thinks I’mtrying to break into her room to steal something instead of, I don’t know, apologizing for being such a rude drydak yesterday.”
“You…could be,” I argued, but it was a weak argument at best.
He scoffed. “Why would Iknockif I wanted to steal something, Starlight?”
Sadly, he had a good point. “I’m on the bridge for the night shift.”
