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Dear Mr. Brody, 

Our investigator found multiple noteworthy items at the factory. Attached below is the footage they took.

In addition to this notebook, they found a near-empty wallet with two dollars in change, a cellphone that was apparently smashed to pieces, and a few cans of food.

Any attempts to retrieve information from the cell phone did not work. It’s been completely destroyed.

We will send you an email with the contents of the notebook ASAP.

Sincerely, Cerceruska Private Investigators

FILE 1.MP4

(Vela’s part in italics.)

The rest of their time spent at Kirra was both eventful and relaxing. Vela and Dritz were able to spend plenty of each day together, sharing more long walks and more time in the pool of water as Vela seemed to be making progress with swimming. There would be no more chances to practice once they left, unless they were lucky enough to visit another planet with the opportunity to do so.

No matter how much fun they had, they both seemed more than happy to return to Hesperus Alpha. The trip back was pleasant, and they were much more relaxed and casually intimate with each other, sharing more embraces and kisses, even sleeping in the same bed on the ship since they both seemed comfortable with it now. After a few days back and sleeping in their separate rooms, however, Vela was beginning to think she wanted a change.

[Can I ask you something?] Naturally, Dritz agreed. They were walking along past the hangars leading away from the Nova, having just completed a routine check of the ship. Vela stopped and looked at him seriously, then looked away with a slightly embarrassed expression. [I was thinking that maybe we could move into bigger quarters on the station, together. Would that be alright with you? It's only if you agree.] All she could do was wait for his answer, hoping it wasn't too forward of an idea for now.

While Dritz had never been Kirra before, he knew he would hold the planet close to his heart even before their trip had ended. It was almost as though the trip had been magical, a way for the two of them to come together more.

Landing and takeoff continued to get easier, and by the time they were landing back at the station, they had the whole thing down to a fine art, with Dritz even managing to sign the whole procedure as they did it, albeit with the odd mis-gestured sign.

Vela's question had been sudden, but the subject... It was more than welcome. Dritz beamed.

"Wow, that... Yeah, that's amazing," he said brightly. "I would love that, flower. Hopefully you won't mind the mess I make..."

Vela smiled, though once again there was the urge to laugh gently as well. These feelings seemed to come with greater frequency now, which she had never experienced before, and she almost wondered if one could practice learning to laugh in the same way one could learn to swim.

[Thank you. I'm honored. I had hoped you wouldn't mind... Aurians are fairly quick at acting on a relationship this way.] She paused and shook her head with amusement. [I have been to your room before. I don't think it was that bad... And I can help you tidy sometimes.] Her signing became almost shy, if that was possible. [I like sleeping in the same bed now. It's so warm.]

Embarrassed, she turned to begin walking again, heading toward the offices. [We can arrange it now, while we're here. I wonder if the double rooms are very nice.]

Dritz stifled a chuckle. "I'm glad I could keep you nice and toasty," he grinned, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I guess... Huh, it's never really occurred to me, but it must be nice for you to be warm." He paused, looking somewhat glum, "I don't like to think of you being cold. Still, you'll never be cold while I'm around." He slipped behind her, wrapping both arms around her while they walked.

The officer they spoke to was a feminine male with dark blue skin and long white hair who flamboyantly and enthusiastically assigned them a double room, giving them until the end of the next day to move their things and return the keycards. "Don't end up paying for two rooms~!" he cooed, handing them new keycards.

Vela found herself with a seemingly permanent smile on her face as Dritz walked with his arms around her, and they headed to one of the desks to obtain their new room. The Chrysalan was able to handle it for them as usual, once again making her think of how lucky she was to have him around in many ways.

They turned away from the officer with their new keycards and plans to begin moving their things, but Vela was distracted by the sight of a human standing a little further down the hall, a datapad in one hand and a look of confusion on his face. He also seemed to notice them moving toward him, but only glanced up at them for a brief moment before looking back down at the pad.

"Ah, hey. Are you two busy? If not, could I ask for your help? It'll only take a few minutes." Vela looked the stranger over, noting how he appeared to be dressed as a mechanic, wearing a faded jumpsuit and scuffed boots and having a generally scruffy appearance in addition to his stubbled face and wild mess of loose brown curls. She turned to Dritz, nodding to say it was alright if he also agreed.

Already planning to sneak off one day and get Vela the prettiest plant he could find for her-, no, their new room, Dritz all but ushered the Aurian along, eager to move their things.

He hadn't noticed the human until he spoke, but he seemed to be a mechanic, technician or engineer, judging from the overalls and overall appearance. Dritz immediately beamed, stepping forward and gesturing warmly.

"I have more than a few minutes to help a fellow tinkerer," he said. "How is it I can help you, friend? I've been on the station a little while, so I'm great with directions and good deals."

Orion sighed quietly; it had been a long morning, and to find someone seemingly so helpful right away was a blessing. "You're a mechanic?" Hearing this part made him lift his head properly at last and really look at who he was speaking to.

He gave his usual slightly lopsided smile as he noticed the gentleman who had spoken first. "Ah, Chrysalan. That's great, I've been to your planet. Really admire you guys' work ethic and skills. I'm Orion, by the way. I probably should have introduced myself first."

Turning to the second individual, his eyes widened with further interest. He or she was certainly interesting-looking, but not in a bad way. "I can't place your species, sorry. Must be from further out in the galaxy?" They made a series of gestures with their hands, which he immediately realized must mean something specific. "Sign language?" he asked, looking at the Chrysalan with curiosity.

"I sure am," Dritz beamed. He only seemed to get more excited when Orion mentioned he had been to Chrysala, "No kidding? That's excellent. Remind me to quiz you on where you went later, but for now, I'm Dritz, and-"

He turned to find Vela introducing herself and flourished, gesturing to her. Once she was done, he added, "This lovely vision is Vela. She's an Aurian. If needs be, I can translate for you."

He patted the human on the arm, "Now, what can we do for you?"

Orion found himself smiling again, listening to Dritz talk. He was clearly the enthusiastic sort, and based on his praise of Vela, likely in a relationship with her. He did enjoy seeing two different species come together and form such a special bond.

From what he also knew about Chrysalans, Dritz was likely honest and would not try to lead him astray on anything. It would be safe to ask whatever he needed. "Aurian, hm... Can't say I've ever heard of them before. I pride myself on knowing a lot about life throughout the galazy, maybe we could talk sometime while I'm on the station... depending on how long I stay." Vela smiled and nodded at him, and he turned back to Dritz.

"Thanks. Well, I'm looking for a specific shop, I was contacted on a job offer. I really need the money right now. String of bad luck," he added with a frown. "I've never been to Hesperus before, but I've been looking at the map and just can't find the place. Does the name 'Telar Technicians' ring any bells? I'm guessing it's run by Tellarians, but I could be wrong."

Dritz had already decided that he liked this unkempt human. Orion seemed level headed and polite, and being another mechanic was never going to hurt the Chrysalan's opinion.

Dritz listened, frowning uncertainly. He had never heard of the shop. From the title, he knew that he would have been aware of it. Dritz knew every dealer and workshop on the station; he prided himself on it and made a point of making sure he kept good relationships with all of them.

"I'm really sorry, Ori, but... I don't think there is such a shop. I mean, we can have a walk and ask around, I'm happy to do that, but I've never even heard of it," he said apologetically, his voice soft and his antennae going slack with the disappointment of potentially letting him down.

"Ah..." A number of expletives had sprung to Orion's mind in that moment, but it wouldn't do in front of near-strangers who were only trying to help. "That's alright. Yeah, if you want to walk around with me for a little while, I'd appreciate that."

Putting his datapad away, Orion shoved both hands deep into his pockets as he walked with Dritz and Vela, trying to keep the faint stirrings of despair at bay. He needed the money that "job" would have brought in. He wasn't about to start complaining to them, but so much had gone wrong in the space of the last week that he had virtually nothing left, not even for food or fuel. And then there was the other problem...

After they had walked around a good half hour, asking various shop owners if they had ever heard of such a place, he was more than willing to admit defeat. He turned to Dritz with the air of one who simply had to do something, even if they didn't really want to.

"Thanks for helping me. I... well, anyway. You're a mechanic. What kind of payment do you find acceptable? I'm not asking for charity. Just wondered if you allowed anyone to go into debt to you. I'm honorable with my debts, even though my saying so isn't proof. But the problem is, I need some work done on my ship, and while I do mechanic work... this is beyond my level of expertise. See, I do a little of everything, but I can't say I've mastered any of it. One of the problems of not being an expert in any one field is when something goes wrong, you can't always fix it."

He blew out an exasperated breath, running one hand through his hair in a way that just made it messier. "I'm rambling. My point is, much as I hate asking, I need a mechanic willing to work on my ship and also willing to allow me to pay for their service later, when I've got the money again. You interested?"

The poor guy. Dritz felt bad for Orion. Someone had clearly led him astray, and he seemed more than a little upset about the whole thing (rightly so). He patted him on the shoulder, shaking his head.

"Sorry, some people are just jerks. Not sure who told you about that, but fret not!" This time he threw an arm around Orion, giving him a friendly jostle, "To make up for whoever led you on a wild chase, I will help you free of charge. Consider it a token of friendship." He held up a hand, "And I won't take no for an answer."

"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm unlikely to track them down, anyway." The individual had been rather strange, but Orion could not identify anything about them in a solid way. Dritz had thrown an arm around him in a friendly manner, making him smile again. He seemed to have the sort of personality which was both quite friendly and the slightest bit amusing. Vela was watching them with a little smile, not able to add much to the discussion but also seeming friendly in a quiet way. He suspected that was her nature.

"Are you sure?" Orion's forehead wrinkled as he drew his eyebrows together in concern. "I mean, well, I'll take the offer since you won't hear otherwise. I've got no choice, seeing as how I need my ship to earn more credits." He nodded to Dritz. "Thanks in advance. I'll take you there right now, if you'd like."

They both agreed it could be done immediately, and Orion led them back up the levels to the docking bays and his waiting ship. "Here she is," he said, unable to keep the fondness out of his voice. "I named her Destiny. She's a great little ship, just haven't been able to save up enough credits to upgrade her much. I've got tools and anything you might need onboard." The Destiny definitely looked to have seen better days, but was very sound for space travel even despite the scuffed grey paint and slightly outdated components.

Dritz insisted, almost actively dragging Orion in the direction of the lifts to the docks. Even in if he had not been needed for maintenance, he would never pass up the opportunity to see someone's ship.

Destiny did not disappoint. She was worn in the same charmingly scruffy way as her pilot, sturdy and strong. The Chrysalan's eyes lit up, and he reached out to touch the hull.

"She's amazing," he beamed, turning to look at the other two briefly before he turned to speak to the ship. "Good afternoon, Destiny. Let's see if we can get you and Ori back up, working hard and adventuring once more."

He turned to the others once more, "What's wrong with her? Maybe while I examine the problem, I could explain the bits that you haven't yet learnt, so you can fix it yourself if it happens again?"

"Most wouldn't call her amazing," Orion chuckled softly. "I've had 'piece of junk' and 'flying scrapyard' tossed at the Destiny more than a few times. But frankly, she is amazing, and has taken me all over the galaxy. I'm glad you seem to appreciate ships in any form."

He found himself further amused as he led them both on board. "You always talk to ships? I guess it would help them get to know you. And, uh... 'Ori?' Have we known each other long enough for nicknames?" There was a spark of warm mirth in his eyes which showed he was much more teasing than being serious. It had been quite a while since he'd run across such welcoming people.

The interior of the Destiny was similar to the exterior, more than a little worn and the slightest bit messy. Orion wasn't such a slob that he would leave trash laying around, but there were a lot of tools and even some personal effects scattered here and there. He led them to the engine room, continuing to talk in the meantime.

"Warp's been impaired somehow. It's not that it doesn't work at all, I could handle that. But it's slow instead. It'll work for a few minutes, then stall out and just go around half the speed it should. The readout says it's at full speed, but... I dunno." He began to work at opening the panel for Dritz, then stood back. "Yeah, that'd be great. But it makes me feel a little worse about not being able to pay you. I mean, repair and a lesson, too..."

"Hey, you gotta respect them if you're going to be looking at all of their delicates and fiddling around, my friend," Dritz said sagely, before smirking, "And if I'm going to help you without any form of payment, I think we're friendly enough for nicknames. Good luck managing one from my name, though." He offered Orion a wink as they were shown the interior.

Dritz stifled a chuckle as he noted the untidy surfaces, thinking it must be a trait all mechanics shared, and that he was definitely fond of him already.

Dritz cocked his head. It wasn't a problem he'd encountered before, and that fact made him slightly nervous, but he put his serious expression on and flopped down in front of the panel, looking up at the machinery within.

"Right, lovely lady, what is going on in here?" he muttered, leaning in. He ran the usual tests, looking at the fuel burners and the energy conversion, frowning at the readout. "Come on, Destiny, it's not helping you to lie about your problem," he said, running a finger down the reading and comparing it to the display and the sounds the warp was making as he engaged the test mode. He looked up at Orion, smiling, "So, you probably know about all of this bit, and I'm sure you've done it all yourself. Did the warp make any strange noises before or during the speed change?"

Together, Dritz and Orion located the problem in the initial energy converter, and Dritz showed him what to do for a "quick fix, if you're being chased by Talanshii pirates or something" before showing him a more permanent measure, pleased he knew of a way to help.

"Ah... I guess you're right. On both counts," Orion replied with a sheepish smile. It wasn't a thought which had ever occurred to him in that specific way. "I'll have to give it some thought, then."

He stood back but watched closely as Dritz inspected the engine and related parts, listening and nodding along with the explanation and fixes given. "I never would have thought of that, honestly. I guess the problem with doing a little bit of everything is that you don't have the time to get really good at any of it. I can fix most basic problems for others, but a complicated one like this..."

Feeling quite enthusiastic by the end, Orion nodded eagerly when asked if he could remember in case it happened again. "Yeah, this is great. Thank you so much, I... really, really don't know what I would have done without you. Leave it to a Chrysalan, eh? You guys are incredible." He clapped Dritz on the shoulder, squeezing lightly. "I know you offered for free, but I'll probably consider myself in your debt. I won't be able to help it."

He looked around to finally notice that Vela had seated herself in one of the chairs nearby with her hands neatly folded. She had also been watching, though quietly, of course. There was an air of mystery about her, Orion thought. He knew all about Chrysalans, but he hadn't the faintest idea about Aurians.

"One of you have a ship, then?" he asked in an attempt to prolong their time together. Doing so made him feel awkward for the first time, but he felt he needed to know more.

Dritz felt a swell of pride for his people at Orion's praise, nodding. "Well, I know I am," he laughed.

He turned and looked affectionately at Vela. Something about her sitting there, a clear cut, pale gem in amidst the clutter and disarray of Orion's belongings, made his heart swell with more than pride. He still could not quite believe his luck that she had wanted to embark upon a relationship too. Of course, the days were early, but damn, if he wasn't the most excited he'd ever been about his personal potential-future.

"Vela has a ship, the Nova. She's just as beautiful as the Destiny. Just as misunderstood by ignorance too. I used to have one. The Papilio got me here, but ol' Pap understood our time together would be short. I had to sell him to afford to live here until I had stable work," he explained, rambling.

"Really," Orion responded, surprised. "Well, if the Nova is just as beautiful and misunderstood, I can't help but think I'd like to visit her, if that's an idea that'd be alright with you." He looked at Vela, who nodded in a way he felt was both gracious and with some surprise of her own.

They left the Destiny behind for the moment, and the Aurian led the way to her own ship. Orion was in awe for a little while, able to see the ship was old, quite alien in some ways, but had been upgraded here and there to make for a distinctly unique vessel. His amazement must have showed, because Vela invited him (through Dritz's interpretation) to come onboard and take a closer look. He wandered through the interior, listening to the Chrysalan explaining various parts of the layout, and felt himself almost in a daze at how remarkable it all was.

Once they were back in the docking bay, he was again left with the awkward sense of not knowing how to continue their encounter without seeming suspicious. Fortunately for him, Vela began signing to Dritz in a way that seemed purposeful.

Despite the Nova not being his own ship, he was still incredibly passionate about her, and felt proud that Orion could see her beauty. Given the human's own ship, he had a feeling he would see it.

Vela had nudged him, and started signing, her eyes kind as she suggested offering Orion a meal. Of course, Dritz immediately agreed, "That's a great idea!"

He turned to the scruffy mechanic and beamed, "You hungry? Wanna come and get something to eat with us? My treat!"

"Ah..." Orion glanced between Dritz and Vela in a state of almost complete bewilderment. "You know, I think I'll take you up on that offer. Feels impossible to escape you two trying to take care of me," he chuckled. He knew they probably wouldn't accept a refusal, and the emptiness in his stomach was most insistent that he do as they asked. "But hey, at least let me treat you both sometime in return, when I'm more financial again."

The pair knew where to go much better than Orion did, so he kept close by their side as they headed to their destination. The shop was small, but warm and friendly with soft lighting and the sound of pleasant chatter coming from within. "How did you know?" he sighed, looking over the menu on the plaque outside. They were serving a wide variety of both noodle and rice dishes, and it was his favorite sort of good, plain food.

It was difficult, but Orion managed to hold himself back enough to only get a medium-sized portion of rice with stir-fried vegetables and meat. He thought he could eat several large plates, hungry as he felt, but knew that wouldn't be the best idea in the end. He glanced up at Vela across from him, somehow amused at the way she daintily sipped straight from the bowl of broth she had ordered, but quickly forgot everything else when he set into the food on his plate.

"Amazing how good food tastes when you haven't had much for a while," he said in between bites, managing to at least be a bit careful with his manners.

Dritz ordered his own large portion of noodles topped with a generous helping of leafy green and red vegetables, and happily paid for their meals. He thought that Orion might have ordered more, but decided not to push the subject, thinking he could perhaps offer to buy something sweet for them to take and have later. It had only just occurred to him when the other man spoke that he potentially hadn't eaten for more than a while, and he didn't like to think of the mechanic going hungry. He remembered a short period of distrust and prejudice he experienced when he was working on a different planet. He'd been new, and not many of the residents wanted to trust a Chrysalan, thinking he might be too good at something and take someone's job, making them redundant and unemployed. He'd only gone a few days without a proper meal, but it was enough for him to understand how difficult it could be to focus on an empty stomach.

"Right, when we're done here, we're getting you some things to keep you going until you get that next paid job. Just some dehydrated meals to keep on the Destiny, to keep you going. Nothing expensive for you to feel guilty about, though," he announced, tapping his fork on his bowl.

Orion nodded, not even bothering to be surprised or protest at all. They were already friends who were just looking out for him, and he vowed to himself that he would find a way to repay them someday. "Alright. Thanks a lot, again. My saviors," he added with his slightly lopsided smile.

He pushed his plate forward when he had finished, actually feeling full and content for the first time in... he didn't want to think about it. "I'm in no rush. I thought I'd like to learn a little more about you both, if you don't mind?"

Neither of them protested this idea, and Orion cleared his throat as he thought about them together to begin with. "So... ah... I hope this isn't too forward of me, but are you two... A couple? Because I was thinking, uh, you're actually pretty adorable together if so." He was grinning awkwardly, a little envious at the same time. It was hard to find someone willing to be interested in a traveler such as himself.

Dritz smiled triumphantly, pleased that Orion didn't bother to protest, because the poor guy wouldn't win that argument.

Orion's question surprised him, however, and he glanced at Vela, barely hiding a cheeky grin. He had not realised they were so obvious, but he did recall how he had introduced her.

"We are, actually. Relatively new to each other, but no less happy, I'd say. Of course, I wouldn't wanna speak for you, flower," he said gleefully, again looking to Vela, ready to translate anything she wanted to say.

Vela smiled shyly in return, also pleased that Orion had mentioned his suspicion of them as a couple. [I am very happy,] she signed for both Dritz and Orion's benefit. [Dritz has been kind to me, and he is amusing and very warm.]

Realizing what she had said, she gave the Chrysalan an embarrassed look. Maybe that had not been the best description to an outsider, but to her it was all very important. She hoped it hadn't been inappropriate, but did wonder if Dritz would translate her exactly or not.

Either way, Orion didn't seem to think it strange. "Ah, that's great. Congratulations. So... how did you meet? On her planet? Or on yours?" Vela let Dritz handle that answer, though she continued to watch him with interest.

As Dritz translated, he couldn’t help the pride in his voice. He liked being amusing and warm a lot, and wanted others to know this about him.

"We actually met on the station! Can you believe that? I mean, probably, but still, I can't imagine many couples meet this way, especially not mixed species ones. At least not on this station. It's not exactly a place for pleasure," the Chrysalan laughed. "But how about you? Good looking, ssskillful hands... It's the tinkerer's curse-" he smiled goofily, preening, "You must have a companion somewhere?"

"That's pretty amazing," Orion agreed, his smile warm. As much as he knew about them, the pair in front of him did appear suited as opposites. Vela was calmer and naturally quiet, while Dritz had more energy and seemed inclined to chatter. It was amusing to watch them, in a way. "I wish you luck with your future."

When asked about himself, he shrugged his shoulders in a good-natured way. The way Dritz had phrased the question made him laugh a little, however. "Nah, not me. Sometimes I think about it... might be nice. But I travel a lot, finding temporary work wherever I can. Guess my wanderlust is stronger than any other sort I might have." He snorted softly, unsure why he felt the need to make such a joke. "Most people don't want to settle into my lifestyle. But I wouldn't say a relationship could be out of the question... someday."

He shifted in his seat, glancing at Dritz again. "Speaking of work, you said you'd sold your ship to look for steady work. Did you find it? Just curious, I'm not looking for a steady job, myself."

Orion's explanation seemed very apt, even with what little he knew of the other man so far. He was sure, however, that someone would definitely snap him up one day. Someone with the same head for adventure that Orion apparently had, if that was in fact what he wanted. He wondered briefly if he and Vela seemed odd to an outside perspective, with their very different communication and appearance. No matter the answer, he thought he didn't really mind. They were odd together, but that only made him more proud.

"Poor 'Pap. He's the reason I kept from begging in the streets, though! It took a little while, and I still sort of work for some of the mechanics near the docks, but mostly I work for myself and just offer my expertise when they need me. Selling the ship allowed me enough credits to keep a bed for long enough to establish myself as someone to go to," he shrugged, beaming. "What are you looking for, then? Enough money to finance your wanderlust, at a guess?" He chortled at his own little joke.

Orion nodded, impressed at what Dritz had accomplished even if he was unable to understand wanting such a life. He wanted to travel no matter what, though how long that would last, he couldn't say. "I'm glad you could get where you wanted to be. Yeah, well... in a matter of speaking, I guess. I work where I can in order to travel more. I'd prefer to be working over anything else, actually. I can do almost anything: repair, maintenance, escort, asteroid mining, transport... I'd go on, but you get the point."

He settled back in his chair with a sigh, giving off the impression he was now deep in thought. "Guess I wonder how long I can keep going, sometimes. It's a big galaxy with lots of places to see and all kinds of people to meet, but... I was born in space, you know. Human parents, but I've never been to Earth. I'm not sure what to consider myself," he chuckled softly. "Was it difficult to leave Chrysala at all?" He didn't ask Vela yet, wanting to save trying to learn about her for all at once.

"A jack of all trades," Dritz said brightly. "That'll serve you well... In fact, I bet it probably already has! You should be fine finding small jobs to keep you going."

He watched Orion with a small smile. His favourite people to speak to were always similar; they had deep passion that they worked hard for. Vela and Orion both had that wonder for the galaxy and all it had to offer. He quite looked forward to sitting back and letting the two of them talk to one another.

"It was. You know about my folk, we have large families. I had a lot of goodbyes," he said. "I suppose you gotta think 'which do I want more', and what I wanted more was to see some of the galaxy while I worked. Mainly new people, though, and the station is great for that, so it suits me for the moment."

After a comfortable pause, he added, "And hey, only you can decide how long you keep going, Ori. But I think if you decide to settle, you might get restless? Just seems like it'd happen that way."

Orion leaned back in his chair, nodding. "I can imagine.  I remember that, yeah. It's good that you were able to make your choice and carry it through. And I'm sure you'll be back to visit plenty."

He sighed, eyes roaming about the room. Was what Dritz had said really so true? It felt like it. "Yeah, at this stage in my life, I think so. In fact, even right this moment... I feel a little restless." He gave the faintest smile. "So it's travel for me, for now. Which I can carry on sooner thanks to the two of you."

With another grateful look for both of them, he felt he had finally reached the point where he couldn't wait anymore. His gaze settled on Vela with a determined sort of interest. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?" She shook her head, which indicated clearly enough that she didn't mind. "Great. Uh... well, let's start basic. What is your planet like? And Aurians? Are they all sort of like you, or very different?"

He watched her carefully as she signed in response, then had to look at Dritz to translate. It was a bit of a weird experience, but he thought he'd get used to it quickly.

Dritz watched carefully as Vela signed. She was mercifully slow for his benefit, and when he repeated her words, he looked back at her periodically to ensure he was telling Orion exactly as she meant him to hear.

"Aurctas is very cold and icy, lots of snow," he said carefully, "You're gunna have to be patient with me, I've only been learning her signs for a little while. Aurians are mostly like Vela, and share a lot of the same traits, physically speaking." He glanced at the Aurian herself for clarification, as it was something he was learning at the same time as Orion, "Pale hair, skin and eyes? Yeah. Pretty small, lean build overall? Not that I observe that so much." He gave Vela a vaguely flirtatious smirk before his face flushed as he remembered he was supposed to be translating, not flirting.

"So it's a good distance away from its sun, then," Orion murmured, watching Vela as Dritz translated. She seemed to have a habit of keeping herself quite poised, and he wondered without asking whether all Aurians behaved similar. Her reaction to Dritz's mild flirting was slow, as if she found such things difficult to catch onto, but then she gave him a faint smile and shook her head firmly. Orion found himself smiling as well, thinking she was telling him it wasn't the right time.

"Not a lot of diversity, fairly undiluted by any other species. Got it," Orion continued, as though attempting to memorize everything he was told. "What about your language? Can you speak at all, or is it through signs only?"

Vela shook her head, but she also opened her mouth to speak. "Little," she managed. It almost sounded as though the effort strained her too much, because she stopped after that.

"I see. With at least the ability for speech, maybe with enough practice..." He continued studying her closely. "What is it the Aurians are doing on Aurctas? Since it's obviously not your home planet, unless it's currently under a global ice age. And I doubt that."

Dritz looked decidedly pleased with Vela for her effort to speak aloud, and he gave her a little pat on the leg.

Though he didn't know a lot about it himself, Dritz could tell that Vela was uncomfortable with the question, and she signed to Orion in a way he recognised.

"Aurians left their home planet a looong time ago," he explained, "And make a living for themselves by mining there now." He paused, before thinking he might be able to steer the conversation away for her, "What about you, you said you were born in space? On a station? Or a ship?"

Slightly puzzled, Orion watched the reactions of both Dritz and Vela to his questions, and could tell the Aurian didn't really want to talk about it. Mining on a cold planet wasn't much of a life, and her response hadn't indicated any particular enthusiasm for the practice. There must be something else, but Dritz had quickly changed the topic. Orion could let it go, but he resolved to look up as much information as he could about her people once they parted ways.

"Sounds interesting. Ah, I was born on a ship. Guess you might not know, but that's why my name is 'Orion.' I was apparently born in the Orion Sector near Earth. Us humans have some strange customs." He shook his head, amused. "We also say a child born in space can be taken with an irresistible urge to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other. That much might be true, considering the way I turned out."

He paused a moment, shaking his head. "Never did feel like visiting Earth. Why did you leave Aurctas? Anyone come with you? If you don't mind me asking."

Vela didn't seem to mind too much, slowly signing and allowing Dritz to interpret again.

"Yeah, I've never met a dull human yet," Dritz agreed, chuckling. Of course, Orion didn't need to know how few humans Dritz had actually met and spoken to. The custom and belief seemed odd, but he thought them nice, and listened intently.

He watched Vela sign, seemingly more comfortable than before, and he smiled as he interpreted for her, "Vela just wanted to explore, I guess kind of like you, and she came alone in the Nova. What adventurers I'm surrounded by!"

"That's always a good reason," Orion agreed. "I kind of like the sound of being called an adventurer. Never thought of it quite like that."

He settled back into his chair, looking between them comfortably for a time. "Thanks again, both of you, for everything. Like I've said, you really helped me out. It's been great to meet and talk with you, and to think of you as friends already." He gave them a smile, but then sighed. "Hate to say it, but I keep thinking about heading off and making some money to keep going again. So maybe it's better we look into getting those supplies now."

He stood with his empty plate, then paused. "Hey, is there some way I could keep in contact? I'd really like to meet up again someday. And I'd like to repay you somehow, too. And this time it's me who won't take no for an answer."

Dritz stood and slapped Orion on the shoulder in the friendly way he had seen other humans do to one another, grinning. "Pleasure's all ours, Ori," he chirped, flourishing with his hand and producing a business card with his details. "I think no matter where Vela an' I end up, we'll probably come back here often. That's all my messenger and holonet info, just drop me a line any time!"

He wrapped an arm around each of them, squeezing them happily, "Of course, of course. Take your time, though. Now, my impossibly attractive friends, let's go and get this man some fuel to do his job."

"Huh," Orion replied in response to being handed a card, looking it over closely. "Why haven't I ever thought of this? Maybe when I'm more financial, I should have cards made. Might expand my 'business' a little. Thanks, I'll keep in touch when I'm able."

He responded awkwardly to the half embrace, at least managing to pat them both on the arm. Vela gently touched him back with delicate fingers on his own arm, but he thought to himself that she might have some sort of surprising strength that was maybe not so physical as a Chrysalan's would be.

They made rather quick work of purchasing him some basic supplies and enough fuel to make it to the next station, proving that Dritz did know his way around Hesperus pretty well. Orion was impressed, promising he would also return soon enough, as he did like the look of the place from what he had seen so far. Arriving back at the Destiny, they transferred the supplies and Orion shook both of their hands before standing back to look them over once more with a smile. Dritz's bulkier frame and brighter cheerfulness compared to Vela's slender shape and pale composure tugged at his heart in a way which actually seemed fond, something he hadn't experienced much lately.

"Thanks again," he said pleasantly, leaning in closer to Dritz for a moment in order to lower his voice. "Take care of her, yeah? You're a lucky guy." He stepped back and bowed his head a little to Vela. "Enjoy your time in the galaxy. It's an amazing place." She gave him a smile, making a gesture which he somehow could guess meant 'goodbye,' and repeated it back to her.

With Orion stocked up with fuel for both ship and body, Dritz and Vela escorted him back to the Destiny. As he hugged the scruffy mechanic, he nodded. He wanted nothing more than to take care of Vela, his flower. The thought of not being able to do so, or not achieving that, worried him. Of course, Orion didn't need to know these things so early, but Dritz would remember the words.

Seeing the human mimic Vela's motions gave him a warm, fluttering feeling, because he imagined such a gesture would mean a lot to her. For someone who was nearly a stranger to attempt her language... He did nothing to hide his delight, even clapping excitedly as Orion managed the gesture well, quite elegantly even.

"I'd say that was almost perfect, wouldn't you?" he asked Vela.

Vela nodded her agreement rather than signing again, not feeling like adding anything further. It was the equivalent of how those with a spoken language would feel when they simply didn't want to talk. Strange as it seemed, she was going to miss Orion. He was kind and interested in them, and it made her surprisingly happy to get to hear Dritz being able to converse with someone else who used their voice.

With a wave and another goodbye, Orion disappeared into his ship. They watched from a safer distance as he began his departure, before Vela turned to Dritz. [He's very nice,] she signed simply. [Do you think we will really see him again?] A little shy, she slipped her arms around his waist to give him a gentle hug.

Dritz had been somewhat sad to see Orion go, but soon he felt slim arms around his middle, raising a wide smile. He pulled Vela closer, kissing her on the forehead.

"I think so, flower. He was honest, and seemed to want to repay us, I think his sense of honour will mean he'll come and find us," he said, affectionately nuzzling the fluffy hair behind her ear. "Shall we get back to our room?"

Breathing out quietly, Vela closed her eye as she felt Dritz's face brushing against her so gently. It made her want to lay down with him and just hold on, warm and comfortable. His suggestion, however, made her realize they really did have to move all their things first. [Yes,] she pulled back to say. [We were interrupted, but for a good reason.]

They decided to move her things first, and once in the room she had to frown a little at the assortment of small machines she had brought from Aurctas. [These can go back to the ship,] she signed. [We would have more room that way.] Other than these, her only possessions in her old room were a small selection of clothes and personal items. She worked at gathering them into the bag she had originally packed them in and thought for the first time how little she really owned.

[Do you think there's a way to move more than one at once?] she asked in regard to the machines. [It will take so long, one at a time.]

As much as Dritz wanted to stay holding her close, enveloping her smaller frame and breathing in subtle, lightly powdery scent of her hair, he knew they would need to take the time to actually move their things, rather than just go straight to their room.

He was slightly disappointed when they arrive that she wished to move her intriguing machines out of the room, but... It would allow them space they wouldn't have otherwise. He strolled over to one of the machines, looking it up and down. Never one to miss an opportunity to make himself look particularly good, he flexed his arms, limbering up before testing the weight of the machines. Once he established that he could lift one easily, he hefted another, moving the first under his other arm. Again, it was fairly easy for him, but there was too much risk to the devices, which he set back down carefully.

"I reckon someone will have a trolley we could use," he said, snapping his fingers. "I could run down to the storage staff and see, if you like?"

Vela agreed to this idea, waiting patiently for Dritz to return with the trolley. In the meantime, she caught herself thinking of how strong he was to lift two of the machines at once, then remembered the time he had lifted her (though without permission), which set her heart beating faster when it hadn't before. She hurriedly began to search around the room to make sure she had everything instead, a little embarrassed at herself.

The trolley was big enough to carry all the machines at once, and Dritz insisted he lift them all to it himself. He could easily push it as they made their way to the Nova to deposit them there, Vela carrying her bag of personal items. It had not taken them long to clear out her room, and her bag wasn't heavy, so she had the feeling she could carry something of Dritz's as well.

[Your room now?] she asked with a little smile, wondering if he had left it in much disarray or not.

Considering Vela's light packing, removing her things from her room was remarkably easy, and with them on separate tasks, they were done quickly. The trolley would likely hold any of Dritz's larger belongings, but given how he only really used the room to sleep and bathe in, he wasn't sure he'd even have that many bigger things to move.

He nodded and led them along to his room, which... Damn, he wished he had cleaned beforehand. There was a small selection of empty just-add-hot-water snack pots, albeit stacked within one another quite neatly, a small box of data cards (only some of which were labeled), an open duffle bag with obscenely bright fabric poking out, and all manner of dirty clothes discarded in a rough pile near a chair.

Dritz flushed slightly, "You can wait outside if you like... It won't take me long to get rid of the trash and throw my clothes into bags."

Vela had to blink a few times as she looked around the room and took in the mess. However, she didn't actually feel as bothered by it as she might have expected. [No. I can stay and help.] She was determined, and Dritz seemed amused by this as he agreed.

She let him handle the things that would be thrown away, and the dirty clothes, since he seemed to want to. Attempting to carefully put his other clothes back into the duffel bag, and then find another bag for his remaining clean clothes, she found herself stopping to study a few of the items. They were all very bright colors, some Vela felt she had never even seen before. One particularly caught her fancy, a bright turquoise top without sleeves, covered with a zigzag pattern in yellow and pink. She held it up a moment, forgetting she was supposed to be putting it away.

[This is pretty. You have a lot of clothes. Maybe you can show them all to me sometime?] Her interest was genuine, as she felt the bright colors he wore were very connected to him.

Vela's help was, at the same time, both welcome and quite embarrassing. She had kept quiet, and had handled his belongings with respect, but not in a cautious, 'better not touch his things because he's gross' way, which he had briefly feared.

He turned from where he was neatening the bed and looked at the top she held up, grinning. "Oh, that one... It's actually quite old now. And just the tiiiiniest bit too snug for my liking. It's not obscenely tight, but still," he chuckled. He cocked his head, his smile becoming more fond, "Those colours look good against you. Suit you."

His expression became just slightly sheepish as he spoke again, "I really like having bright clothes. It's a weird vice, but its probably the thing I spend my money on the most. Chrysala doesn't really have much of a clothing industry beyond the practical, so I can't resist buying anything bright and unusual I see."

Vela nodded, listening carefully. As she put the top away, she made a mental note of its appearance in order to remember it later. If it did not fit him so well anymore, then maybe she would be able to try it on. The thought of wearing Dritz's clothes was somewhat intriguing to her, now that it had crossed her mind.

There was also the thought that maybe she would be able to find him some clothing he might like as a gift. The growing urge to do things for him was strange in a way, but not an unpleasant way. The rest of their cleaning and packing flew by as she was engrossed in these ideas, and before she knew it they ready to head to their new room with most of the bags and other items placed on the trolley.

The keycard read 33C, and without much time at all they were able to locate it. Vela opened the door for them and had to stop and stare for a little while. It might not have been too much different than their old rooms, but it was certainly bigger, with an actual room for the bed (double sized) separated from the main room which was furnished with a couple of couches. The kitchen and eating area would be just the right size for both of them, and the washroom even had some sort of large empty container of a sort Vela had never seen before.

A little overwhelmed by it all, and the fact it was theirs, she turned to Dritz to sign, simply in her happiness, [It looks very nice.]

Dritz paused at the door just as Vela had, looking around with raised eyebrows. He knew the double rooms would be bigger, but it was almost a small apartment, rather than what should have been a large hotel room. Considering the small difference in the cost, it was impressive. If they weren't so strict about double rooms having two inhabitants, he would have moved into one sooner. Still, experiencing it with Vela was particularly special.

He peered around the other rooms, turning back to her with a wide grin.

"This one has a bathtub!" he exclaimed. When Vela didn't immediately respond with recognition, he understood. "You not had one before? You'll love it. It's the most warm you could be!"

It took some effort for Vela to imagine what it would be like to be warm as possible. She wasn't fully convinced Dritz was right, seeing as she was always more than pleasantly warm nestled next to him in bed, or whenever they embraced. But if he said so, she would give this "bathtub" a chance.

[It sounds good. I would like to try it. Maybe you can show me how later? We can use it together?] Her questions had been entirely innocent, as she truly knew nothing about it, but Dritz's reaction was not quite what she expected.

Dritz's eyes had widened, his antennae perking up as he started giggling, shaking his head. He stepped over to her and wrapped his arms around her, still laughing affectionately.

"You're wonderful," he said brightly. He took her hand and brought her into the bathroom, crouching by the tub and gesturing, "And once we are... More comfortable with each other, we can use the bathtub together. But for now, since, uh... You usually use it alone. Naked. For washing, with hot water, you see?" He turned the tap and put a hand under the water until it came warm, gesturing for her to try.

As Dritz explained, Vela's mouth fell open slightly as she thought about how embarrassing what she had just suggested might be to anyone else. She didn't think she would be embarrassed personally, as nudity didn't mean as much to her. However, she had seen the slight changes to her body lately and knew what it meant.

[I will wait for that,] she signed with the slightest smile, once she understood how the bathtub actually worked. She placed her hand in the water and felt how warm it was, beyond pleased at the thought of being able to immerse herself in it almost in the same way as the pool of water on Kirra.

They returned to the main room, but Vela didn't feel much like unpacking just yet. Instead she walked over to the bedroom, Dritz seeming to follow her naturally, and sat down at the edge of the bed to simply look up at him with a feeling of warmth.

Shutting the water off, still amused by her innocence surrounding things the rest of the galaxy might take for granted, Dritz followed her through to their bed.

Their bed. Even if they had shared a bed on Kirra, it was still a wonderful novelty for him.

He flopped next to her and, in one smooth motion, flopped down to lie against the pillows, lifting her with him and pulling her into an embrace, squeezing lightly, the slightest sigh escaping him.

"You comfy? I'm comfy. What say we just leave the stuff and unpack later. Much later. Tomorrow," he suggested with a beam.