Strolling toward his house, Vathion balanced on the curb, arms out. He surveyed his surroundings, seizing this rare moment of solitude to reflect. He'd spent an hour with Mirith before deciding he needed to get home to finish packing. But at that moment, it hit him that he always seemed to hurry through life without truly seeing the world around him. This realization left him with a sense of emptiness, yearning for a more mindful existence. Jathas rode Vathion's shoulder, basking in the sunlight and keeping his own council for the time being.

His neighborhood was well-kept, consisting of a main street with cul-de-sacs on either side. Association groups regularly lived together in these rings, each with neatly trimmed gardens communal gardens. Gardening was an age-old Gilon and Hyphokos pastime, dating back to the dawn of history when they had first discovered how to do it. Some historians believed that Gilons had become intelligent not just because of Hyphokos influence but because their love for collecting pretty flowers had led to farming and, from there, industry.

"Vathion!" Ameda Gannatet called from the garden. She was aging gracefully, her gray hair kept short in an almost military, no-nonsense style. Wrinkles surrounded her stormy blue eyes and wide mouth. Her triangular face had always seemed vaguely familiar, though he could not place why. She waved at him. Feeling a tug at his heart, Vathion headed toward her. I'm not going to see her again, either.

Jathas scurried up Vathion's hair as he removed his bag. Vathion embraced the older woman, relishing in the familiar scent that enveloped him. "Hello, Missus Gannatet," he greeted, his rare, genuine grin breaking through. "You won't believe what happened!" She was one of the few people who knew the reality of his family situation. Vathion didn't know why his mother had told the old couple next door, but they were like grandparents to him now. They'd frequently been his babysitters when his mother had errands she needed to run.

Stepping back, Ameda held him at arm's length, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. It was a look that made Vathion feel like he was filling a void in her life, just as she was in his. Not that he minded being her source of comfort. It was a bond that brought solace to them both.

"What is it, dear?" Ameda asked.

"I graduated today! Two years early," Vathion announced. "Mom and I are going to go see Dad finally!" A breath of excitement washed through him again, but it turned cold as he caught the older woman's expression.

She managed to smile at him, tears in her eyes. "That's wonderful news, darling." Her voice was strained.

Confused, Vathion hugged her again, "I'll call if you want," he offered, trying to make it better somehow.

"Yes," she whispered, petting his hair, "Yes, I would like that. Please call."

"Missus Gannatet? Is something wrong?"

Sniffling, Ameda managed to make her smile look genuine. "I'm just overwhelmed. How fast you grew up, Vathion!" She patted his cheek lightly, then touched his hair, and he felt as if she was not really looking at him but someone else. "Already graduated and going off to space. Be careful out there. Try to keep your father out of trouble. Now run along, dear, before your mother gets worried about you."

Reluctantly, Vathion picked up his bag again, then hugged the older woman before turning and heading back to his house, where he stepped onto the white pebble path to the front door. It was a Gilon's dream home, and the only thing missing was his father, and it made Vathion wonder why Natan had bothered choosing to have a child if he had not wanted to be with them. He sighed, unlocked the door, and glanced back. Missus Ameda was gone. Sighing again, he stepped in.

A strange, strangled noise startled him, and he paused, waiting to hear it again.

Hasabi's strained voice called. "Vathion, come here..."

Kicking off his shoes and dumping his heavy bag on the floor next to the door, Vathion continued into the living room and over to the corner where they had their wallscreen set up to take calls. Vathion immediately recognized Ma'Gatas, Ha'Natan's second in command on the flagship Xarian, on the other side of the screen. Ma'Gatas looked grim, the scars on the left side of his face pale against his slightly yellow-tinted skin, his excessive weight made his jowls heavy and chin, which had never been strong even in his youth, double and sag. He had thinning amber hair clipped close to his scalp and large, nearly bulging, cyan eyes. Seeing him in person was a shock since Natan had never allowed anyone else from the Fleet to call.

Hasabi, face in her hands and shoulders shaking, stifled another sob. Vathion rushed to his mom, putting his arms around her shoulders, not registering the look of shock on Gatas' face.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Vathion asked gently, all thoughts of Mrs. Gannatet's confusing behavior driven from his mind. Jathas hopped down from Vathion's hair to the desk.

Shaking her head, Hasabi wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Talk to him." She gestured at the screen and let go. She stumbled to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. He could still hear her sobbing. Looking back towards the screen, Vathion reluctantly took a seat.

"I am Ma'Gatas," the man introduced needlessly, "Second in command of the flagship Xarian," he hesitated, "I'm sorry, but... Ha'Natan is dead. He has named you as sole inheritor of his property." Vathion felt the blood drain from his face, and all he could do was sit there with a blank look, unable to respond. Tears stung his eyes as Ma'Gatas continued, "A transport is already on its way. It should arrive in twenty-six hours."

This shook him out of his numbness and into shock. " Wait—wait—what?" he asked, leaning forward, placing both hands on the desk in front of him to brace himself. " You mean..."

The man repeated, "You've been named Ha'Natan's heir and will inherit his possessions." Mentally, Vathion went through the math, realizing that an entire fleet of twelve battleships was an incredibly large financial burden to take on, especially at sixteen.

He did not recall falling out of his chair at that point, but apparently, he had, for he had to climb up off the floor and straighten the seat before retaking it. The man had a small smirk on his lips. "I... okay." Vathion clutched the edge of the desk, unable to think of anything else to say.

Ma'Gatas nodded slightly, his seriousness returning. "I'm sending the files Ha'Natan wanted you to have now."

Nodding, Vathion watched as the man's face disappeared and the swirling envelope logo replaced it, meaning it was receiving mail.

Jathas whipped his head to look at Vathion. "That's amazing! You get to have the Natan Fleet!"

The document finished downloading. Opening it, Vathion shook his head in numb shock. "Not quite the right attitude here, Jath." Just saying it made his eyes water, and Vathion blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear his vision. He couldn't be mad at Jathas, though. Hyphokos could take the memories of a fallen member of their people and absorb them. In essence, the body could die, but Memory Lived On. It was too bad they couldn't do it with Gilons.

Jathas' ears drooped as he fell silent.

Vathion sniffled and typed in the password to open the protected files, then began to read, eyes widening as it turned out to be the autopsy report on Natan's death. Crushed by a crate in cargo bay four? He wiped his hand across his eyes, coming away wet.

"What the hell was he doing there?" Though Vathion had never physically been on the Xarian, he knew the layout of the ship like the back of his hand. Years ago, Natan had given him a video game based on the Natan Fleet so he could pretend to be the admiral. It was his favorite game.

Cargo bay four, located directly under the shuttle bay, was used for spare parts. There was nothing interesting at all in there, but the report said he had been found at the beginning of first shift when the crew came in, so it could not have been a late shipment.

This didn't make sense.

Nothing in his life made much sense if Vathion was being honest about it. Gilon mated pairs weren't supposed to survive without each other for long periods of time. Yet here he was, sixteen years without meeting his father, who was, to all appearances, perfectly fine... until he got crushed by a crate in a cargo bay he had no business being in, was well before his shift, patrolling a station that was nowhere close to the front lines.

Vathion turned to the news, scouring the channels for some mention of Natan's death. There was nothing. Wiping his eyes again, Vathion let out a breath. Hopefully, there would continue to be nothing.

"Are you alright?" Jathas asked.

"No." Pacing the room, Vathion pressed his hands to his face. "What am I going to do?"

"What do you mean?" Jathas asked.

Dropping his hands, he looked at Jathas where the lizard still sat on the desk. Jathas flicked his ears, getting a strand of hair off one. In some other life, Vathion supposed this would've been absurd. Nothing in this moment felt real.

Sitting back down, Vathion looked at the files Ma'Gatas had sent again. The first was the death report. The second was an update for Battle Fleet. The third was apparently Natan's autobiography. Vathion didn't read past the first few lines to see what it was. There was a letter to Vathion and Hasabi. Lastly was Natan's will; he printed the last two. Taking both, he headed to the bathroom door and sat beside it, listening to his mother sob. Jathas jumped down and joined him, crawling under his shirt to slip into Vathion's syote sack.

"Mom?"

He heard the sink run for a moment and a few splashes.

"He wrote a letter," Vathion said gently.

She did not open the door but quieted her sobbing a little.

"Dear Hasabi and Vathion," he read out loud, throat tightening and tears making his eyes blurry.