Kai hadn’t believed he’d ever let go of the Zonian, the large freighter he’d called his for the best part of a decade.

Each of his wolves had their respective cabin, Krane slept on his copilot chair, and Kai’s small apartment was the closest thing he’d ever had to an actual safe home. One bed, just long and broad enough for his frame. Shelves atop of it; their contents would have fallen right on his face at the slightest turbulence. That didn’t bother him; if there was turbulence, he certainly didn’t want to sleep through it.

Sky slept at his feet. The five wolves who’d left Haimo with him were as far from domesticated as any animal could be. They followed him around because they’d decided he was pack—their alpha, to be precise. Sky had been the alpha before him. For a time, Kai had wondered whether the beast was following him around to catch him at a disadvantage someday. Rip his throat out and reclaim her title. But, in time, he’d learned to sleep in her presence. Now, he couldn’t sleep at all without feeling her there.

This was truly home. An old male and five beasts in a modified ship full of stolen goods.

But whatever way he thought of it, he needed to let her go. His plan depended on it. He had to have a new ship.

“You’ll have to pilot her,” Kai stated reluctantly. He just couldn’t see another way.

Krane scratched his head. “Hmm. Yeah, you’ll need something smaller, less conspicuous, too. I guess we’re in the market for a light fighter.”

Kai nodded stiffly; the very notion was distasteful to him. He wasn’t much different from the wolves—a den animal, protective of its territory.

Half an hour into his tour of the closest tech sector, he had a change of heart.

Kai had no clue how Krane had managed to get them onto Tor Koa, a tightly guarded imperial planet, given the fact that they were both wanted outlaws, but there they were, being shown around by an elegant, well-dressed noble who was talking to them like they were valued customers.

Not for the first time, Kai wondered who exactly was old Ian Krane.

Then he was too busy drooling over the designs their host was showcasing to think about it too much.

“This one is a beauty,” Wen Aris, their host, told him, catching sight of the slender, silver ship he couldn’t stop watching. “She’ll be available commercially next year. But she’s in working order. Her Highness made it clear that any model you require will be available for your use.”

Again, Kai turned to Krane, who seemed quite fascinated with his nails right then.

So, he did have some noble contacts, and amongst the Imperials, no less.

Kai let it go. He certainly had his own private history, and he wouldn’t have appreciated it if his companion had started digging into it.

“She’s a Battria-X7 model. Designed for speed and protection. Her cannons and front blasters are lethal, like the X6, but, what makes her special, along with a velocity of point six past lightspeed in warp mode, is her shields. As resilient as those of most cargo and command ships. She’ll be the safest light transport in the market once we start selling her.”

Kai didn’t even consciously move his hand, yet it was extended, almost caressing the window separating him from the ship. Their Zonian was fast, no doubt about it, but no freighter of her size could go above point three past lightspeed. Smaller, slimmer, with modern materials, the light spaceship models they watched now went twice as fast.

“What do you think, kiddo?”

He had trouble putting what he thought into words.

“She won’t be cheap.”

The old male just laughed it off. “It’s on me. I can keep the Zonian and get you this baby as payment for your half of it.”

Only, a thousand Zonians wouldn’t have amounted to the price tag of this technological beauty.

“Don’t sweat it, boy. Someone owes me a favor. I’m collecting. No money will exchange hands on this.”

Kai recalled getting small, insignificant presents on a yearly basis. A small scarf with his name embroidered on it. A toy. A little knife. It had been a long, long time ago. He hadn’t thought he’d ever feel that way again.

“The wolves can’t live in there. She’s too small.”

Ian shrugged off his concern.

“They can stay with me when you’re using her.” He turned to the noble. “Does it come in black?”

Wen nodded with grace. “All our ships are entirely customizable.”

“Good, good. Let’s get the details sorted.” They started walking away, speaking low, whispering secrets Kai chose not to intrude on. Besides, he was too busy drooling over the ship, checking out its every angle.

“Kai!” Ian called out at some point. “What’s her name?”

He should have thought about it long and hard. Naming a ship was no small matter; it had taken them a long time to settle on the Zonian years ago.

But eyes flashed through Kai’s mind. One blue, one gold. He just said, “Lotus.” Why the child made him think of a lotus at all, he wasn’t sure. But calling his ship after the little lady who’d saved his life felt right. “The Black Lotus.”

“I like it. Classy. Slightly evil. Suits you.”

And she did.

His first mission was badly planned and should have ended up in a disaster. The Lotus saved his damn skin though. Wen Aris was no liar, evidently; her shields were worth their weight in gold.

Kai and Krane used to listen to the authorities’ communications to avoid them; now, catching their frequencies, they intercepted words about a kid accused of weilding magic. Kai knew he had to at least try to do something about it.

“We’re not ready,” Krane said. Rightly so.

Kai nodded. “There are only regular guards posted. The inquisitors said they’d be in in the morning. They don’t expect anyone to drop in and try to break the kid out.”

That, he knew from experience.

Krane sighed and just told him, “Don’t die,” knowing he had no way of dissuading Kai from doing anything he wanted to do.

Kai boarded the Lotus, his brand-new, just delivered, Lotus. At Krane’s demand, it was painted black, with red engines and propulsors, which only served to make her more gorgeous.

Sky approved.

“You’re not supposed to be in there,” he told the wolf, who thoroughly ignored him, stubbornly remaining planted on his heels.

Kai sighed and started the engine. Krane opened the trapdoor under the Zonian to let her out.