They were woken by Fanny's pad, an ining call.

  "Hmm, eh Kay!" Fanny jumped up. Now she was fully awake too.

  "En," she groaned as Fanny switched on the far tht Fallerian light.

  "Yes, of course." "In 2000?" "Well, yes, do. See you!"

  A g the lock s told her that it wasn't even 2000, assuming the pad had synised with local time. And the Fallerian day was shorter, so it must be the middle of the night.

  "Fanny?" she mumbled.

  "Ah, sorry, yes, that was Kay, my sed oldest sister."

  It took a few moments to process. "Your sister is here oation?"

  "They just jumped in from Fallerian IV. She was there on business whe the news from our data dump. It took her a while to sort through all the news in there. As soon as she found out that my pad was registered here on Fallerian III, she set out. She will do 1500, they are approag the station."

  "Great, another 1000 to sleep," she mumbled.

  "I'll take a shower then!"

  She turned as Fanny turned off the light.

  * * *

  It was 4200. Fanny was walking far ahead, almost at a running pace despite the hops and jumps to avoid trampling and possibly crushing the appendages of the natives. Even the brief scare and the resulting adrenaline rush she got when a thin Fallerian i leg suddenly appeared just under her paw and she had to hop to the side st-moment, did little to wake her up. She was still dead tired, her internal clock still insisting that it was midnight, even though she had slept quite long. Well, jump g, and she had left without much sleep from Hopkins.

  As soon as they were at the dog port, where Kay's ship was in its final approach, she fought again to stay awake. Now the dog office emerged from the small rou o the dog port, just as big as him. She mumbled a Falleriaing in his dire, which was answered with much more vigour and formality. She tried to stand a little more upright and awake.

  The arrival of the dog officer had been the signal, the indicator turned yellow, then blue, then purplish, and the massive freight dog hatch slit open. The warm, humid air from the station formed a fine mist when it met the cold air from the ship. The cooler air helped to wake her.

  A rge cat stood in the dog hatch, with long fluffy fur with a pattern and, of course, a perfect body. Nothing else to expect from a Ketcher.

  "Wele to Fallerian," the dog officer greeted.

  "I am happy to follow your tract," the cat replied in perfect Fallerian. "400 dog for innersystem travel for half a day. 145 per person?"

  "Yes. Please take this tract seal."

  The cat sed his pad with hers and then vice versa. The officer wished her "Successful business" and disappeared into the small tunnel o the dog port before she could yawn again.

  "Kay!" Fan forward as soon as the door closed behind the dog officer, tg onto the rger cat and causio stagger slightly.

  "Fanny!" The youthful, happy voice did not quite match the imposing cat.

  They hugged and spoke quickly. She didn't want to eavesdrop and politely stepped aside to give them some privacy. And she wondered why she was so tired? Could it be the suppressant? But why was Fanny not affected? Her pad chimed. It date from Marik. He and Jedro had already taken out engine 2, and Jedro was sure she could get it w again. Marik also sent a lot of captures. Good news, she wished she could be there. She looked through the captures and 3D ss of the details.

  "Hey, bodyguard!"

  The call made her look up. It had been Kay. Fanny was standing halfway behind her older sister, her ears almost horizontal aail between her legs up to her breasts. Fanny was pletely embarrassed.

  "e closer, I am not afraid of a special OPs," Kay teased again. So Kay knew about her first enter with Fanny, she was just teasing.

  "Kay, stop!"

  She grinned, it would be fun to have the upper hand over Fanny. Even if Fanny had never been mean. But her brain was empty. "Yes, Mam, Rerra from Petra at your service," was her me answer.

  Kay grinned. "Kay from Ketcher. And I must thank you fetting my sister off the station."

  "Well, I did it mostly for Trina of Samul, she is my ex-cousin."

  Kay looked surprised but Fanny her.

  "Seems there is a story. Since I paid for 4000, how about lunch? My treat."

  She would rather be in the workshop. Oher hand, a lunch with Fanny's older sister, until yesterday the third powerful cat of Ketcher, she could hardly refuse. Why would high-tiers always interfere?

  * * *

  They walked only the three flights of stairs and another short distao some restaurants ohird deck, which catered for all kinds of visitors with high and low tables aing arras and even climates. Most of the aliens were human, like everywhere else. Easy to spot, since eveowered over the Fallerians. In the distance, she saw what might even be a Dragon Triple, which would be a rare sight in any nearby system. But with the many races of Fallerians, she was not sure. It was certainly more opolitan than Hopkins Station, where only a few humans ever visited and never one of the other races of the gaxy.

  They passed a restaurant where three other cats sat at a table. But none of them wanted Krantagratin. And they wanted a private versation out of earshot of other cats, so they kept walking.

  Finally, Kay chose a stew pce. She was happy to follow her suggestion, as it was clear that she had been in the Fallerian system much lohan any of them. Therefore, the first thing she did was swit a cooling breeze for their table, a feature she was sure did where they were staying. Before they sat down, Kay hugged her as well, almost sm her with her soft fur and her Ketcher-enhanced assets at her face height. Yes, that short cat you are, as if she had hat reminder.

  "So, Rerra from Petra, you shipped two high-tiers just so from the station."

  "Not just so but"

  "Ok, details ter. First, name your price."

  She looked at Kay, stunned. "What?"

  "Kay, why didn't you trust me?" Fanny intervened.

  "These are dire times, you have been there. This is too serious. It could start another civil war."

  "No," it escaped her, "please no!"

  "No one wants war, never. But there will be fighting on the p, betweecher tribes at least. So we must return quickly, the fewer members of Fiyul are present, the more the others will feel ready to challehe Ketcher cil."

  "My ship is currently being repaired. I will not be able to return immediately."

  "No, don't worry. I will take Fanny with me, we will leave in 3500. But again, please name your price. My sister is worth a lot to me, and jumps are not cheap. I did not want any obligatio behind."

  "Fanny is a friend. I do not leave my friends behind."

  Fanny turo her and put a hand on her shoulder. "e o us pay for the fuel and whatever else there is to pay for. All I did was sitting in your ship and then going shopping. No, I want to tribute more. But I ot repair a ship, nor speak I Fallerian goo enough. So let me at least give you something to make your life easier. Space travel is expensive."

  Expensive? Well, maybe in those fancy ships. "No, it's not that much. Xenon was about 1650 for the jump from Fallerian, innersystem jump 350, makes about 2000 together. Really, not too expensive, maybe two months of sary. Cheap if I save lives. And the White Ocelot is not yet certified for ercial use, so I"

  Now also Kay put a hand oher shoulder and shook her. "No, little cat, you want to bee a trader? Where is your business sense? I am Kay of Fiyul from Ketcher, sed of one of the richest tribes in the Hopkins system. You should be milking me food. Whether your ship has certification or not. At least 3000, your costs plus 50% profit is a very good rate. So let me give you 3500."

  "But I also got Trina and me off the station, so a third would be"

  Fanny interjected. "No, please, Rerra, why are you so stubborn? You helped me without asking for anything. So let me thank you with what I think is appropriate."

  "Thank you." But she had still to state it, "I would have do anyway. You do not have"

  "transferred," Fanny closed the topiow you repair your ship without w about running out of money. And the ime we meet, I want to hear happy tales from distant worlds."

  "Thank you." Then she slumped. "But first I will go back too, I have left my behind."

  "You e with us. But we might get into trouble."

  "Quite likely," she nodded. "How do you pn to get down? Is the ship p-rated? I doubt you dock at the station."

  "Ihat would be a problem," Kay admitted.

  "How many are on your ship? Less than 30 could fit into a shuttle. Do you have a dog adapter?"

  "Thank you," Kay said, scribbling on her pad but not answering. Still scribbling as their food arrived. But it was literally boiling, and that in the warm and humid station. The little cold wind from the unit above could only do so much. They all had some sort of spoon and blew oew in it.

  Fanny spoke . "Getting a shuttle means to involve Samul."

  She nodded. "They are no monsters. I mean, you met Trina, even helped her. I would ask her, I don't think she's happy on Fallerian V."

  Fanny nodded. "Quite a cold reception, yes."

  She shuddered too. "I am sure that she wants to go back too. And she knows you, so that would work for both sides. Samul will try hard to get her down on the p or onto the station and will take with them whoever Trina suggests."

  Kay nodded. "Thank you, Fanny, please send her a message."

  "I think I should ask her." She got out her pad and quickly wrote the message. And then finally took a small spoon. She could barely eat it without scaldiongue. But it tasted great, another nice Fallerian dish. Hard to believe that the ioids were so good chefs.

  The steaming stew meant slow eating. Between the spoons, Kay told them of her time in the Fallerian system. How she had been on Fallerian IV for two months, scouting for ways t Ketcher, or at least Fiyul, into the space business, seeing that a single p ey was not sustainable in the long run, aainly not as profitable. Kay talked freely about what she nning to do and who she had met so far. She did not listen, it souoo much like any versation at the Curragh high table, an unpleasant reminder of her past. No, it was better not to bee involved in this high-tier business again. If she was going back, it would be oerms, in her ship. But Trina needed allies all the more, for even the Samul here bmed her for the loss of the station. After the spoonful, her pad chimed. Her message had been dispatched to Fallerian V, the interpary charge applied. It would take a while to reach Trina as the stations were almost opposite sides right now.

  * * *

  They had been to their room to pick up Fanny's belongings and were on their way back to the ship when her pad chimed. "Trina answered." She went to the side in one of the frequent gaps of the corridors, probably designed for pedestrians to let pass rge vehicles. Though they had never seen any. The two ocelot cats looked at her pad expetly.

  "Ok, Trina would like to return with you, with two other Samuls if possible. Kuri and Yerrin, both of the Carmak tribe, so middle tiers. Samul has no ship here, and probably none in the near future."

  "Sounds like they are desperate." Kya grinned.

  She had to agree. After their cold reception, these pompous Samul did not deserve aer. "I think this is why they send only middle tiers, still tant. More on topic, Trina also writes that fitting a dog adapter to a shuttle is nearly impossible, as it messes up the aerodynamics during ast. Thus one would have to attad detach it in space, which the shuttles are not prepared for. She suggests that you better get an adaptor here, it would not matter for jumping. If you like, she arrange one and attach it herself on the way." She forwarded Trina's entire message to Fanny.

  Kay spoke first. "Sounds very reasonable, also I am not so sure how my pilot is about spacewalks. So, Trina is very wele. We would even take the other two Samuls if Trina vouches for them, but only these two. My ship is not that big, and I do not want to share s between s. Fanny?"

  Fanny was already typing.

  "Perhaps e in, so it is not automatically fgged as spam."

  Her remarks drew an angry 'I'm not stupid' look from Fanny. And then, the message was sent and they walked on.

  At the dog port, Fan inside for a moment while Kay waited o her for the dog officer. "You still have the modding from the Koni."

  She nodded, “Of course,” and lifted her feet-paws with the opposable toes.

  Kay ughed. "hing but weird. You made quite an impression on Fanny. You know, she talked a lot about that mission. And more about you than she would admit, so much that some people thought Rerra was a distant sister." Kay chuckled at her embarrassment. "And afterwards, she wao stay oation, not return to the p. She was so sad that I was chosen over her to go out."

  "No, you e me. Fanny must have caught the space bug even before. The first thing she did whe on the ship was to order me to show her the cockpit. And she was so disappointed by the station structure outside the windows." She grinned. "By the way, Fanny has a B pilot's liow, good for flights without jumps. So don't let her close to the cockpit."

  Kay's eyes widened and her ears stood straight. "What?"

  "I had full Samul authorisation including lising while we were fleeing the station. They did not revoke that part. There was time to kill, so I let her dock my ship here, all requirement fulfilled."

  "Fanny's a pilot." Kay was still digesting that.

  "Now, a basidezvous in space is A, dog at a rotating station is B. To be ho, my ship is pretty hard to fly, no AI. So Fanny did well aainly earned her B css. She must have done a lot of simutor training. Yes, another space-longing cat. And holy, I think she could fly even your ship should ever the need arise."

  Kay hugged her tightly once more and ruffled her back fur. "Thank you, you are really like a sister. You're sure you do not want to joischer?"

  Even if this was meant seriously, no way, never again high-tier politio thank you. "Kay, I really appreciate the offer. But, no thanks, I grew up in the Curragh tribe from Samul. So I am familiar with the life of high-tiers and, no offence, I am happy to have left it behind."

  "Curragh?" Kay let go. "Really?"

  "You ask Fanny or Trina but otherwise, keep it a secret."

  Then Kay began to ugh. "Really, Curragh. Now I uand. And I had sidered to bribe you."

  "But I am Petra now, only Petra."

  Kay went serious. "She's ing back."

  Fanny almost skipped when walking back. "Kiyu is there too! Rerra e on board?"

  "I would like to meet your sisters. But iimes, the less cats know about my involvement, the better. Petra has not Ketcher’s resources."

  Fanny's smile faded but for a sed. "Sorry, yes, then soon I hope." She smiled again.

  It was hard to resist Fanny's excitement. "I look forward to it." She certainly hoped it would be soon.

  "And here, three inhalers, all with 16 doses."

  "Thank you, I will hem for"

  Fanny did not let her finish her sentence. "I doubt very much that you will hem. When we were shopping, Marik wao know a lot about ships, about cats in general, and about you in particur. Like why my fur was so much thicker than yours, and if" She winked. "Go for him!"

  At that moment, the dog officer emerged from the small side door, sparing her further embarrassment.

  Fanny's deregistration as a resident took a little more discussion, but then it was all done.

  She came bad hugged her. "Get your ship ready and then e anytime. The soohe better. I'll miss you, my friend!"

  She hugged Fanny too. "Good lud please, take care!"

  Then Fanny turned and followed Kay into the ship. Onside, they both turned and bowed until they were hidden by the rapidly closing dog port hatch.