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"As Jerry."

"As Jerry."

Reyna set her drink down. "If you come back from your next Earth mission calling yourself something worse, I'm revoking your landing privileges."

Jere beamed at her. "Noted. But you should know, I've already grown attached to Jerry. Jerry and I have been through a lot together."

"You were there for three weeks."

"Threetransformativeweeks, Rey."

"I'll put that in the mission report. 'Duration: three weeks. Classification: transformative. Addendum: subject has developed an emotional attachment to a fictional identity and may require evaluation.'"

Jere's laugh was so sudden and so loud that Elena pressed her hand over her mouth and Reyna sat there with her drink, expression immovable.

"I wasn't trying to be funny," Reyna stated.

"That's what makes it so!" Jere said, the laughter continuing to wrack his body.

From the counter, Borran spoke without turning around. "Foghorn."

Jere turned and looked at the Brontari's back. "Excuse me?"

"Foghorn," Borran repeated. "Nickname for you. Better than 'Jerry.'"

Elena snorted.

"You're giving me a... a nickname?" Jere asked, his voice a mix between confusion and elation.

Borran responded with a grunt while he continued to work his dough at the counter. Borran made no move to continue past the one grunt, ensuring that, as far as he was concerned, the conversation was over.

"Foghorn," Jere repeated softly, as if testing it and letting it roll around in his mouth. His eyes found Reyna, then turned to Elena, who, if you looked closely, was doing her absolute best to keep her shoulders from shaking softly as she stifled a laugh. "He's calling me Foghorn."

"I heard," Elena said, clearing her throat and then pressing her lips together.

Jere took a moment, his face thoughtful. "But why 'Foghorn?'" He asked. "Is it really because I'm... loud?"

"Well, Borran, I think the boy's figured it out," Reyna mocked, looking over at Borran behind the counter. Borran only stared at her with his same flat expression. Elena began attempting to hold her shoulders still again.

Reyna watched as Jere sat with the turn of events. Then, after a minute or so, he grinned, wide and proud and glowing. "Iloveit."

"Of course you do," Reyna said, but she couldn't keep the smile off her own face because, she had to admit, the name was perfect.

The kitchen did fully quiet soon after that. Jere pushed his Earth artifacts around the table, still talking, but gentler now. As the night winded down, all that was left between the three of them was the contentment of being here together, home.

Reyna watched Elena and Jere, Elena leaning back in her chair with her drink still in hand. She looked tired but happy letting her guard down in the room where it was safe to do so for all of them. And then she looked over at Jere, who was finally sitting still, the high of recalling his travels and fascination with the little planet on the outskirts of their travel space, tracing one finger along the edge of his peace sign.

She realized she was memorizing the moment. The specific warmth and these two people and the hum of a ship was learning, under Elena's command and Reyna's operations and Jere's heart, to become something worth remembering.

Borran set down a plate of the Brontari's famous Gula Cakes between them. The dense, rich cakes made from volcanic grain flour native to Dunamar, the Brontari homeworld. Jere reached for one immediately while Elena took one with the grace of one who would never admit how much she truly loved them. Reyna reached out and grabbed one as well but held hers, looking over at the two of her best friends over the top of it, letting herself feel the full, unguarded weight of loving people who loved her back.

"Not bad," Elena said, catching Reyna's eye across the table. "For three cadets who skipped an icebreaker, huh Rey?"

Reyna smiled. Her real, genuine, compassionate smile. Because, yeah, it wasn't bad for three cadets who decided their calling was taking an old vessel and completely overhauling it to follow their passions and dreams. She didn't think anything could ever top that.

FIVE

GO YOUR OWN WAY