The upgraded 400 dton merchant Mohinder’s Fortune was roomy enough, but everything smelled like FauxChicken™ Curry and the odor was making Vera nauseous.

‘Where the hell is the new guy?’ she thought angrily as she waited by the hatch. Almost the minute they landed on Glisten Neb had disappeared, claiming family issues. It was only after talking to Harpoon that Vera had learned Neb’s ‘family issues’ were actually a series of eleven different paternity lawsuits. There was no telling if he’d be able to rearrange his court appearances to avoid conflicting with the mission. To make matters worse, he’d agreed to let Harpoon provide him with legal assistance. Harpoon had gone to meet Neb at court that morning, crowing as he left that Neb would have “zee finest leegel mind in zee galaxy at hees deespozal!”

The whole affair had left Vera no choice but to place an add on MercList. Sure, the quality of MercList respondents was usually low, and occasionally they were conmen or outright criminals, but she hadn’t had the time to be fussy. Now, waiting by the hatch to see if Neb would return, and, more interestingly, to see what the new recruit would be like, Vera ran her fingers absentmindedly over the Sternmetal insignia on the fake uniform Lyn had provided…