Hello everyone! It has been quite a while since I have posted a story on here! There has been much change in my life - involving a huge move to a new country.

Some of you may notice this story, yes, Nightsiders is the idea of my significant other, Firefall. He has kind of hit a spot where he could no longer get the thoughts out or the time hint why there has been no update to his account, so I have asked him if I could write and post it for him. My partner has give all rights to me and creative freedom to make it my own. I already have a few ideas of what I would like to happen, but of course I will be sticking to the main outline of major events he has provided me with, and asking his feedback on each chapter as I finish. I want to do his story idea justice - even if I annoy him!

Anyway, I hope those of you who have read the few chapters of his find this and enjoy the way I have started to write it and the small changes I've implemented.

Chapter One
Unexpected Cargo

Delbert Doppler
Crescentia Space Port

The great arc of Crescentia shone brightly in contrast to the darkness of the endless Etherium. The concave side forever glowing its familiar white and terracotta from the rays of the distant Montressor sun. Eight miles from one point to the other, it was an impressively large man-made structure, but as Delbert got closer to the crescent shaped spaceport, he saw just how small the actual usable span was. Watching from the porthole window of the ferry, ships both massive and minor, even the biggest like a minnow beside the vast spaceport, came and went – sails alighting with solar energy from the refined crystals woven into the heavy flax material.

When the muffled, barely audible voice broke over the speaker, Delbert looked over to see the ferry was approaching the dock. He turned away to gather the loose note papers scattered on the seat beside him and the book in his lap to shove back in his bag. Delbert maneuvered his way off the small ship to take in a deep, fresh breath of the Etherium, thinking of the one ship he would always search for first.

He knew, of course that the Legacy was not due into port for another hour from the glance he gave at the antique pocket watch – gifted to him by Amelia from her last voyage. While looking around the already busy streets of Crescentia, Delbert adjusted the strap of his worn-leather bag before heading left into the crowd, but not before tripping over where the wooden pier met the cobble footpath. Delbert was glad to be free of the sticky, cramped space aboard that ferry ship, even if he was now trading it for the crowd of people around him. The breeze cooled the pools of sweat that had formed on the back of his neck by the time he lifted a handkerchief to wipe them away.

He halted his boots at the first crosswalk. Several people walked past him and further into the bustle of activity. Delbert, no matter how many times he had stepped onto the artificial satellite, never ceased to marvel at how magnificent it was. Making him nearly forget it was more than just a center of trade, but this sector of the Empire's main naval base. The base orbits around his home planet of Montressor, but until recently he never had much reason to be here. Etherium winds and solar energy from the nearby burning star – its main source of power – are what keep it active.

Delbert tucked away his now damp handkerchief, wiping away the wrinkles from his burgundy coat, he heads into the commotion of mid-morning activity.

Crescentia was usually busy, but today it was even more so – at least to his observation. The sampietrini roads – wide enough for two-way traffic – had groups of people crossing to either side, causing the carriages to stop and wait, but also making ones behind honk their infuriation and impatience. Waiting for his chance to cross, Delbert watched a group of young men dressed in white and beige uniforms climb out of a solar carriage waiting to move again. Chatting amongst themselves with smiles, they made their way into a market square. After spending so much time around Amelia, Delbert could recognize spacers fresh out of the Academies or boot anywhere – considering their uniforms stick out among the common clothing. Gripping the strap to his bag, he continued down the footpath.

His eyes kept aware of the street signs, turning when he needed to find the new food shop Sarah established a few months back after her inn was burned to the ground by pirates. He did not want to miss it, again.

Every building he passed beyond the naval wall, the one that separated the civilian shops from the actual base, were made of limestone and wooden frames. Most of the buildings stood no more than four stories high. Shops littered the ground levels, carved wooden signs hung from iron shelving hooks to identified what the shop sold. Apartments occupied the remaining floors of the buildings, iron balconies connected to the staircase that offered escape in the event of fires. Some were occupied by bodies smoking pipes – blowing their smoke to the sky, few were covered in greenery of plants, Delbert spotted a humanoid woman snapping damp laundry and clipping it to the iron railing to dry from the galactic breeze flowing off the nearby current.

Delbert took a right around a local produce shop on the corner to continue his way.

Several men in different decorated naval uniforms traveled from shop to shop. Carrying bags of their recent purchases – things needed for their shore leave or their upcoming ship out. Delbert slowed his pace while passing a crying child. Thrashing his grayish-blue tentacle arms above his head, screaming for something he wanted displayed in the window. A chocolate bar, was it? Delbert studied the frustration growing on the mother's face as she tried to console her son, holding a confused toddler on her hip. With a solemn look on his features at the situation, Delbert sidestepped without eye contact to continue his way towards Sarah's shop.

At the end of the block on the corner across the street, he spotted the coffee shop. It was a small building squished between two others. The curved front did not give much floor plan to work with, but somehow Sarah made it function. The exterior wall that made the face was near entirely windows. Allowing anyone who passed by to catch a glimpse inside. Not giving much of a glance down the street, Delbert stepped off the footpath to quickly stride for the front door – not acknowledging the lurid honk he received.

The familiar bell chimed across the room at his entrance. It wasn't hard for it to considering how small the shop was. Barely large enough for the counter that consumed nearly the whole of the back wall. A couple of metal tables and chairs scattered around took up the rest of the room's usable space. Almost all of them were occupied by military spacers. Delbert, moving across the petite room to the back of the line, spotted Sarah Hawkins shifting back and forth effortlessly to pack to-go sandwiches and make coffees, skirts shifting with all her movement. With a pleasant smile, she handed the order to the humanoid customer in front of him, and when he stepped up to the counter her smile brightened even more.

"Delbert!" She beamed while wiping her damp fingers on her apron. "How good to see you. It has been a while since you've come by here."

"Ah, yes it has." Delbert rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, Sarah."

"Does that mean Amelia is back on Crescentia?" She leaned to look behind him, her eyes searching. "Have you two come to enjoy breakfast?"

Despite himself, Delbert blushed at the mention of his partner. "She is due in port within the hour. I had thought about surprising her with her favorite morning coffee while the cargo is being offloaded."

Sarah returned her eyes to his. "You're very thoughtful." She turned her back to the machines that made the various coffee drinks she sold. "The usual, Delbert?"

He nodded his head, ears bouncing and glasses falling a bit askew. "Yes, please. Thank you."

The loud hissing sounded throughout the shop as she cleaned the steamer spout. A cloud of steam enveloped her for a fleeting moment, then disappeared when she began moving.

"I've been meaning to ask," Sarah started, filling up the first paper cup with pure coffee, "how are you and the captain doing?"

"Doing?" Delbert placed his hands on the countertop for a mere second before he jerked them away. His palm smeared into a puddle of unknown liquid. Trying to hold back his look of distaste, he reached for some napkins close by to wipe it away. "Oh, Amelia and I are good – great actually. In perfect health, or so I believe, no one has told me other –"

Sarah's laugh interrupted his sentence. "No, no, not what I meant, Delbert. I mean how are you two settling into the relationship? You have been together for a few months now, right?"

"Five, yes." Delbert nodded his head in confirmation. Tossing the damp, paper napkins in the bin she kept on the other side of the counter. "I'd hope to say very well."

"Hope?" Sarah cocked a brow as she filled the second cup. Looking at him with puzzlement.

Feeling his cheeks warm from embarrassment at finding himself put on the spot by Sarah's questioning, Delbert fixed his gaze on the several jars of coffee beans behind her head. "W-Well, yes, it is true we have been together for five months, but ever since Amelia was cleared by medical to return to spacing, we have only had a few weeks to spend with each other in total. Her shore leave in-between those voyages does not offer us much time to really learn or explore our partnership. Of course, we do not waste a second of the time we get, but most of our learning comes from the letters we exchange." Delbert, at some point returned his gaze to Sarah, who moved behind the counter to warm a danish in the microwave. "It is strange Sarah. I have lived most of my life alone in that house after my parents passed, except when you came by over the years, but until Amelia, I never realised how forlorn I was. Amelia brought this certain…warmth into my home when she stayed with me during her recovery after Treasure Planet, and it took her going back into space for me to see it."

Sarah grabbed the danish from the beeping microwave to drop in a grease paper packet, folding it once to trap the heat into it. She placed it on the counter before him with the two cups of coffee. "See what, Delbert?"

He recognized the tone of her voice. She was searching for a meaning of something in his words – or she desperately wanted him to say it.

Sarah began scooping vanilla yogurt from the refrigerated storage box into a clear container. "That I no longer wanted a life alone. I wanted to have that warmth of company, companionship with another person. That I wanted it with her."

She had a huge beaming smile on her face while pouring muesli and fruit atop the yogurt. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're about to propose to her!"

Feeling his heart thump faster, he lifted his hands before him – waving them hastily. "N-No. I don't-I don't mean th-that!" His words fumbling from his lips. "Then again, maybe sometime in the future, but not now. It would be too soon. F-For both of us. Me. Most certainly for her."

Sarah's laugh finally made him pause his rambling. "I was only jesting. You make it too easy." She placed the final item before him. "Truly, Delbert, relax. Breathe."

Gratefully sighing his relief, Delbert stowed the danish and muesli breakfast in his bag, making sure it would survive until he could reach the Legacy. Pulling out a few coins, he placed them in her palm. "Thank you, Sarah, really. We shall see you soon. That is a promise." Delbert grabbed the two cups, steam slipping free from the small holes used to drink. "Give my greetings to Jim?"

"I will." She waved her farewell.

Delbert stepped out of the warm shop to the busy, loud streets. Heart still racing from his conversation, the eagerness beginning to settle in his chest, Delbert set off down the footpath towards the docks where Amelia's ship was assigned to moor.

Waiting impatiently on the vacant pier, Delbert shifted his balance from foot-to-foot – holding the warm cups of coffee. His eyes scanned the vast Etherium where the light of the spaceport faded off, swallowed by the darkness, in hopes of spotting the Legacy emerging from the said darkness.

"Morning, doctor." A small man holding a portfolio suddenly appeared next to him, wearing a large tricorn hat and an embroidered waistcoat. "Beautiful morning, is it not?"

Doppler, careful to not spill the hot coffees on himself, turned his head to give the man a smile. "Good morning, Commissioner Mott. Yes…a beautiful morning indeed."

"Captain Amelia summons you up here again? I recall seeing you here the last couple of times she's brought the old Legacy into Crescentia." Mott wasn't looking at him anymore, instead he opened the portfolio to flip through the several papers he's got stored in it.

Mott's tone was entirely innocent, but to Delbert's ears he had to fight off a blush. "W-well, yes, it is the ship's charts, you see. It's an older collection and the captain is very diligent about updating them with any new stellar phenomena she sights on her voyages…"

"Very commendable, I'm sure." Mott looked up from the paper. "Ah, right on schedule, as usual."

Delbert's eyes dart back towards the Etherium at the mention of Amelia's ship. His heart lifted as he spotted it, stomach fluttering. Scattering a flock of mantabirds as it approached, the RLS Legacy under sail was a fine and unmistakable sight. He saw the flare of plasma from her engines dim while she neared the spaceport and was finally able to see the tiny figures of spacers scrambling up the rigging to furl her sails. The ship switched to her thrusters for the final approach. Flag signals blossomed from her halyards, answering some other messages received from one of the huge port telegraph stations that lined the edge of Crescentia. Despite his impatience for the ship to dock, Doppler always enjoyed watching her maneuvers – the sight of power so carefully and gracefully mastered and guided, all under the hands that he trusted most. Whilst he watched, he couldn't help unconsciously smiling, speaking three words only he could hear.

Amelia…my darling.

The Legacy was decelerating as she drew ever closer, thrusters throwing out angel wings of gas that briefly shone white in the sunlight before dissipating. She was close enough now that Delbert could see her rudder moving side-to-side as the helmsmen adjusted her course. He could imagine the scene on her bridge, the steam of confident orders Amelia would be issuing to her crew. Or perhaps it was Amelia herself bringing the Legacy in, as she sometimes did, especially these days when the Interstellar Academy insisted on pushing half-educated midshipmen out the door as fast as possible so that they could complete their training aboard the ships of the Reserve Fleet like the Legacy. As the vessel drew nearer, the dockside stirred to life. Longshoremen who had been lounging on the pier, smoking, and chatting idly amongst themselves, responded to the bawled orders of their foremen and began making ready to receive her.

"I will not bother asking for your pass. I am sure it's in order as it was the last couple of times." Mott brushed invisible dust from his shoulder.

"Th-thank you, Commissioner." Doppler swallowed nervously, turning his gaze back to the small man. "I can assure you that it is."

A shadow briefly fell over them as the Legacy coasted to a halt overhead. Thrusters fired again and the ship began descending towards her place. Mooring lines as thick as a man's leg were tossed over the side with shouts of warning to the dock workers below, who stood clear as the heavy cables landed with echoing, heavy thuds. The dock workers hurried forward to grab them, haul in the slack, and made them fast to the large iron bollards along the side. As the lines tightened, Delbert's heart leapt as he looked up and caught sight of a familiar slender, blue-coated figure on the Legacy's bridge. It was a small figure, standing stock still, but it dominated the entirety of the ship as if it were an extension of their own body.

Amelia, in her element.

The docking complete, Doppler's impatience returned as – with no spectacle to distract him – he had to wait the usual inexplicable long time for the gangway to be wheeled and hoisted into position, granting access to the ship as the last of the sails were furled. Mott set off towards it at a casual pace, the portfolio tucked under his arm. Delbert followed, protocol forbidding him from being the first up despite his racing heart urging him to push the man out of the way. They reached the bottom of the wooden gangway, the official turning to the burly, heavily tattooed leader of the longshoreman.

"All ready, foreman?"

"All ready, Mr Mott." The longshoreman touched his forehead.

They climbed the gangway, the wood creaking slightly under their weight and with the gentle, but noticeable movements of the ship as she swayed in the stellar breeze. Delbert had to be extra mindful of the paper cups in his hands, filled with hot liquid that could burn him if splashed on his skin. After what felt like hours, they reached the ivory painted handrails, Mott doffed his hat to the bridge and raised his voice.

"Permission to come aboard?"

"Permission granted!" A familiar, crisp-accented voice rang out from the bridge.

Delbert could not stop himself smiling as he saw Amelia making her way down the steps to the main deck.

The ship's timber deck was reassuringly familiar and sturdy after the flexible gangway, and Delbert stepped onto it gratefully as Amelia and Mott exchange handshakes before beginning their official business.

"Commissioner Mott of the Crescentia Port Authority, come aboard, Captain."

"You're most welcome, Commissioner." Delbert watched her arm return behind her back, standing as tall as her small height would allow her.

"Always uplifting to see the Legacy returned to port safely – along with her crew and commanding officer. Just returned from," Mott opened his portfolio and glanced at the papers, "Briga, was it?"

"Yes. Our cargo manifest is all in order as per these documents." Amelia brought her hands forward to pass over a sheaf of paperwork. "We had a last minute loading on our way back. Some cargo on a spot contract from a freighter that was delayed at Briga by engine troubles, or so I was told. The addendum is there and in order, I made sure."

Mott thanked her, took the thick stack, and began comparing it with the records he had in his portfolio. While he worked, Amelia looked up before stepping around Mott, approaching Delbert with a smile tugging at the corners of her red painted mouth.

"Ah, Doctor." She stopped at a respectable pace in front of him. "Good of you to come aboard as well."

"I could hardly refuse your kind invitation, Captain." Delbert smiled.

Having to maintain this air of formality with Amelia while on the deck of her ship, in earshot of her crew, was frustrating in some ways, but in other ways an entertaining kind of game that appealed to the part of him that still enjoyed such things.

"I'm sorry to hear of the trouble at Briga."

"Oh, no trouble." Amelia shrugged. "At least, not for us. The other ship was not so lucky. They'll be fortunate to be out of dock in less than a month or two. That kind of delay to their cargo is the sort of thing that ruins reputations. So, they took out several spot contracts with other departing vessels and we took on that portion of their cargo that was bound for Crescentia. It may have arrived here a week or two later than scheduled, but here it is in the end."

"Very kind of you." Delbert said.

"Hardly." Amelia shrugged with a smile. "One of the reasons that their Lordships of the Admiralty have half the Reserve Fleet doing cargo runs is because the shipping cartels charge the world for spot work."

"If you say so, Captain," Doppler smiled back – not following all Amelia's military talk, a skill he was working hard to improve. "I'm sure you know your business better than I ever will."

"Quite." Her smile turned into a grin. "Now then, about the matter I invited you on board for –"

Delbert watched her eyes lower before her words seized speaking. After a moment of silence, he looked to see what she was glancing at. The two cups of coffee he still held. With a slight, nervous flush, their eyes lifted to catch the others' gaze. "I figured…a cup of your favorite coffee would help with the stresses of the ships unloading and paperwork?" He lowered his voice for – hopefully – her ears only.

Something flashed in her bright green eyes. A warmth he had been denied of for weeks. "While the ship is being unloaded, would you be so kind to confer with me about the charts I mentioned? I have quite a few new sights to mark."

Delbert tried not to let the leap in his heart show in his voice. "I would be delighted, Captain. Would not want to stay out here and get in the way."

Amelia nodded in an ostensibly businesslike manner before turning to her first officer who had joined them at some point unnoticed. "Mr Lockwright? I leave the offloading to you. Confer with the Commissioner regarding any matters related to our cargo. I shall be in my cabin updating charts if I am needed."

The young man in a blue naval uniform, the white patches of a midshipman still bright on his collar, touched his hat. "Aye, ma'am."

Amelia nodded again then turned back to him. "Come along, Doctor. Your expertise is needed."

The cabin door closed behind her with a loud click that echoed off the panelled walls of beige. Delbert watched her not bother with the lock, knowing a captain's personal quarters was sacrosanct, before she removed her hat to shake her auburn locks loose. There was palpable tension in the air now that they were secluded from the rest of the ship, holding their breath as he watched Amelia hang her hat on the hook by the door – a sense of anticipation. Delbert knew they were both still learning how to navigate these moments, these unfamiliar reunions eagerly awaited and yet impossible to truly plan beforehand.

Feeling his palms damp with sweat and his heart ready to jump in his throat, Delbert cleared away the lump quietly. "I-I'm glad to see you back in one piece, Amelia," he spoke softly, not knowing if it was too soft, "I always am."

"Just as I am glad to see you as I left you," she finally turned to grace him with her beautiful eyes, "perfectly well, dear Delbert. It always means so much that you come all the way up here to meet me."

"You've been away for five weeks. I'm not going to make us wait any longer than needs be, darling." Delbert smiled back. "Besides, you've come all the way from Briga. The longest voyage you've made since Treasure Planet five months ago. The trip from Montressor to Crescentia is not much by comparison to that."

"Still." Amelia stepped closer to him. "I'm glad you did it. That we don't have to wait longer. These dockside processes can be…perpetual." She was finally standing before him, closer than she had been on deck. "And there's something I've very much been wanting to do the next time I saw you."

Delbert swallowed. "And…wh-what's that?"

Amelia removed the cups from his hands to place them on her desk, out of the way. She took his hands in hers, looked up into his chestnut brown eyes. He watched the burdens in her eyes from the voyage wash away just from the simple touch. How had he gone so many years without this woman, this comfort in his life? "To tell you that I have missed you. And…to show you just how much…"

Something in Delbert sparked at her words, allowing him to shove hesitation aside and lean forward to capture her lips in his. It was a soft, gentle kiss of course, Delbert had not lost all sense to push her too far too quickly. He knew these moments were too precious, too rare and fleeting, for him to act foolish. Though, with that first contact boundary crossed however, he deepened the kiss when she did not pull away. Something heartfelt, something that tried to embody five weeks of waiting, yearning, and worrying. Delbert's arms encircled her slender frame, holding her close to his larger body. He felt her hand drift to the back of his neck and rest there.

"I have missed you too, Amelia. My words fail to describe how much." He whispered, lips brushing against hers from how close they were. His fingers grazing down along the curve of her spine.

Delbert felt a sudden vibration against his palm, Amelia's rare purr. "That's saying something coming from a scholar such as yourself, dear Delbert." He felt her soft lips kiss his cheek before moving to kiss his jaw softly, like a feather was brushing his fur.

"Ah, A-Amelia," Delbert held her a bit tighter.

"Delbert," was Amelia's only reply before he felt her tongue – slightly rough being a feline – trace on the bottom of his ear.

Delbert shivered from the touch. "You know what that does." He didn't bother to hide the struggle in his voice.

"I am well aware." He felt her long, slender fingers begin to free the buttons of his waistcoat.

Delbert curled his fingers into the thick fabric of her uniform coat, the only thing he was able to do while being held under her power. "We…we are still on your ship, Amelia. Wi-With the crew just beyond that door." He mentioned with a glance at that said door. That unlocked door.

Amelia's sensual chuckle tickled his neck. "I am aware of that too, Delbert." Her hand still on the back of his neck began a light stroke against the nape. "I've just missed you so much, and I want to show that."

He shuddered in delight at the caressing touch of her fingers. "Y-You're certainly doing that..."

He heard the smirk more than saw on her painted lips. "And…is there anything you wanted to show me, dear doctor?"

"Everything," he whispered, leaning his head to nuzzle her. "Absolutely everything."

Delbert did not give Amelia much chance to reply after that. His head moved, taking his sensitive ear away from her tongue, to close his lips to hers more fiercely than before – his reserve crumbling away under her affections. He slipped one hand into her hair to hold her there while his touch to her coat became a grip. He pulled it clear off her shoulders, letting it fall and snag at her elbows.

Stepping forward, his superior height became an advantage when he turned them quickly to press her backside against her desk. Leaning forward to make her arch her own, slipping his tongue out to caress her bottom lip – a seek of permission. She granted it with a moan and part of her lips. Amelia moved beneath his body, pushing herself up to lay more comfortably, and lifting a long slender leg up to hook on his hip. Delbert growled lightly as he pushed his hips forward, letting Amelia feel the affect.

Five weeks.

They have been apart for five weeks, and all the desire, the comfort, the closeness they have had to suppress is finally escaping the inner walls it's been locked behind. In truth, Delbert could have waited until they returned to his home on Montressor to release his passions, but Amelia had other ideas when her tongue teased his ear.

Delbert began to move his hips slowly, but firmly enough against her so she felt his desires through her trousers. He was rewarded with a muffled mew between their heated kisses. Delbert pressed his palm flat on the desk to keep from crushing Amelia, his other hand stroked down her shoulder, passed her collar bone, between the swells of her glorious breasts – his thumb brushing over a nipple – and landed on the first silver button of her waistcoat.

"Amelia," Delbert panted.

"Delbert!" Amelia allowed herself to groan desperately, and a bit loudly.

With his teeth nipping along her jaw, Delbert freed that first button and went for the second…

There was a knock, a loud echoing knock on Amelia's cabin door, and it caused both to freeze in position. It was quiet for what seemed like a long moment as Delbert wondered if he had imagined hearing it until there was another knock. Sharper. More urgent sounding.

"Captain!" A spacer's voice Delbert didn't recognize called from the other side – thankfully not daring to open the door. "Mr Lockwright's respects, Ma'am! You are needed on deck!"

Delbert, with his heart beating in his ears, listened as the spacer's boots quickly disappeared away from the door. Even though they were left alone again, Delbert was too astounded to move. He couldn't wrap his mind around how much control he had lost with being in Amelia's presence, how he had forgotten the other people just outside their bubble.

It was Amelia's soft chuckle that snapped him back from the passionate daze they had sealed themselves into. He lifted his head to lock his eyes with her own and found a small, apologetic smile on her lips.

"Duty calls at the worst of times. There is probably a tangle in a clewline that any apprentice lubber could sort out in five minutes." She raised a hand to caress his cheek. "Perhaps a pin in our reunion for now, my dear?"

Delbert let his eyes wander down, catching sight of the full position they are in. His Amelia laid across her desk with her coat bunched at her elbows and waistcoat nearly undone. Hair dishevelled from his curling fingers. And he blushed at spotting the peaked nipple through her shirt where her waistcoat had shifted.

"Ahem," with a clear of his throat, Delbert pushed himself off her. Stepping back to give her room to sit up and stand once again. "My apologies. I hadn't meant t –"

"Darling," Amelia spoke, having readjusted her coat back on her shoulders and her waistcoat buttoned up, "you never have to apologise for our intimacy." She stepped away from him to collect her hat and don it again – once she fixed her hair. "Especially if I started it." She winked.

Delbert blushed hotly while he fixed his own clothing. "I'll bear that in mind,"

"Would you like to join me on deck, or wait for me here?"

"I'd be happy to join you." He smiled, grabbing his cup of coffee. "I just hope you're right and it's nothing serious…"

Delbert quickened his pace when her cabin door opened, following Amelia out into the bright day just beyond. He stopped beside her at the railing lining the quarterdeck, blinking his eyes a few times to adjust them from the darker cabin he just emerged from. Resting the bottom of his cup on the railing, Delbert looked to Amelia who was staring out at the busy deck below, but she was not looking down like he expected. Instead, her eyes were staring straight and slightly up – like she was gazing beyond the forecastle.

Delbert turned his head to follow what she was looking at so intently.

There was a crate suspended over the main deck, a few meters above the polished timber, by a dockside crane. It was a large one, but flatter than it was tall and made of light-colored timber that still bore faded branding from a dozen different users over the years. Delbert tilted his head when he spotted a dark stain on the underside. Finally seeing the slow leak of dark liquid splashing on the deck beneath it – creating a small puddle. He squinted as if it would give him a better look from the distance he stood from it.

The stellar breeze blew across the ship in that moment, blowing through his hair. Doppler's sensitive nose revolted, and he flinched back from the railing instinctively. There was a reek of an organic decay. Delbert looked at Amelia and knew she had smelled it too.

"Gods…what is that?" He fought to cover his nose.

"Report, Mr Lockwright," Amelia said crisply.

Lockwright and Mott were standing below the crate, off to one side, peering up at it with a look of repulsion from the smell. Several of the crew had gathered around. Longstanding rules made unloading a ship the responsibility of the stevedores so most of the Legacy's hands had little better to do for the time being.

"Looks like something spoiled in this crate, ma'am." Lockwright replied, glancing up towards them both, of course his attention was on Amelia more than Delbert.

"I can't let it go ashore in this condition," Mott shook his head, "I am sorry, Captain, I must request that it be inspected here on your ship. It might represent a quarantine hazard."

Delbert watched Amelia's brows furrow into a scowl at the inconvenience he knew this brought her. "Very well. What is in that crate, Mr Lockwright?"

Lockwright leafed through his papers hurriedly, a few slipping free to land around his feet. "Um, not rightly sure, ma'am. It's one of the extra ones we took on just as we left Briga. From that other ship. So, all the paperwork was filled out in a bit of a hurry." He stops flipping when he finds a page. "It just says 'consumables' on the manifest…so foodstuffs of some kind, I expect."

"Well, the quickest way to find out is to open it," Amelia lifted a hand to rub her temple, "which is what we have to do anyway." With a sigh, more to herself, Delbert watched her point to some of the idling spacers. "All right. You men there, bring up a tarpaulin to spread under the crate before my deck is covered in that mess. And find a crowbar to lever it open. Let us not have this delay any longer than necessary. Can we continue unloading from the other holds, Mr Mott?"

Delbert looked back to the suspended crate when a slight creak came from the blowing wind.

Mott nodded. "That would be satisfactory, Captain."

Amelia inclined her head in thanks, moving to make her way towards the stairs descending to the main deck. "Very good. Mr Lockwright commence unloading the forward hold while we get this sorted out."

The deck was moving again at the order of Amelia's strong voice over every inch of the ship. Delbert watched the spacers return from below with a heavily folded tarpaulin, making their way across towards the suspended crate. Amelia began her way down the few steps to meet them, Delbert looked back to the crate when another creak sounded – this time deeper. He watched a few more drops of stinking fluid leak onto Amelia's spotless deck. Feeling sympathy, knowing how much the mess would vex her sense of order, but also hoping it would not stain the timber. She was waiting, impatiently, arms crossed, until the last of the spacers had scrambled aside from securing the tarpaulin.

"Avast lifting!" Amelia called, cupping her hand beside her mouth to project her voice. "Lower it back onto the deck! Easy, now!"

Delbert snapped his head back to the crate. Hearing the creaking, it sounded like it was groaning while it lowered slowly to the deck.

Is it supposed to sound like that?

Amelia reached out wordlessly and took the crowbar from the spacer who had fetched it a bit ago. Delbert spectated from above, admiring how she took even this part of her duty upon herself rather than delegate it to any of the crew.

"Mr Mott?" The man turned to look at her. "Shall we proceed?"

Mott nodded. "Go ahead, Captain. I am watch –"

There was a sharp, sudden noise that caused Delbert's ears to flick. Catching it at the last possible moment before a loud slam vibrated the ship, and his inner ears. Delbert dropped the cup of coffee at his feet from the sudden force, the dark liquid flowing towards the edge of the timber. Doppler looked around to see the several crew members clutching their noses to block the overwhelming stench emanating from the crate, a gust of it finally hitting his own nose almost like a physical force. Clamping a hand over himself, he glanced over towards Amelia. Mott, standing just a few paces beside Amelia, secured a handkerchief over his nose and mouth, but Delbert could see the visible retching. Amelia, despite a felinid's sense of smell being scarcely less acute than a canid's, did not clench her face, but had her nose wrinkled in a repulsed way.

Quick on his clumsy feet, Delbert made his way down to the main deck. Watching Amelia lower the unused crowbar, staring at what had been revealed from within the crate. When his feet pressed to the timber of the main deck, Delbert finally let his eyes glance to where the pungent smell was coming from.

"Mr Lockwright?" Amelia called coolly. "Secure this ship. Nobody gets on or off without my permission. And Mr Mott? You may need to inform your superiors in the Port Authority of this."

Amelia stepped aside just as Delbert came up beside her. His eyes stared at the broken bottom board that had landed on the tarpaulin, and at what laid atop that – trying not to vomit.

"Oh…oh my…" he breathed out softly, "should we…call a doctor?"

"I think it is a bit late for that," Amelia answered coldly.

There were bodies laying in the straw packing. They had clearly been there for some time judging by the amount of decay and maggots littering them. The bodies were entangled and piled upon each other, but he wasn't sure if that happened when the bottom smacked into the ship. He could not tell how many there were from their positions and amount of straw used to cushion them.

"Gods…" Lockwright looked to Amelia. "What shall we do, Ma'am?

"We inform the authorities. We let the investigation run its course," said Amelia, "and we trust that justice will be brought to whoever is responsible for this."

Delbert glanced over at Amelia and was struck by the expression on her face. Perhaps nobody else there knew her well enough to see it, but amid the crowd of shocked and revolted faces that were staring at the appalling sight on the deck, the expression she bore was that of anger. Delbert saw the fire flickering within her green irises. He turned himself to face her back, watching her hand Lockwright the crowbar and make her way toward the stairs. Gripping the strap to his leather bag, Delbert gave the bodies a final glance before heading after her – not bothering to hide his look of apprehension.