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The exodus had not yet spread beyond the most affluent, mobile, and well-connected segments of Utharian society, but it had energized conversations everywhere, and intruded on the smooth working of the planet’s economic machine.

“Sure, we can take care of you, Stonn,” said the yard manager of Starway Services. “But it’ll be three days before we can even look at it.”

“Three days! Never mind—rent me a service bay,” Luke said, nodding toward a sign offering that option.

“Sure,” said the manager. “Let me check the schedule.” His fingers danced over his datapad. “Yes, I should have one available in five or six days.”

“Come on, dear—let’s go,” said Akanah, tugging at Luke’s arm. “Someone in this city must know how to treat visitors properly.”

“Suit yourself. But you’re not going to do any better anywhere else,” said the manager.

“And why is that?” Luke asked.

“I had one crew chief and three mechs decide this would be a good time to take a family vacation. Most of the other shops are even more shorthanded,” the manager said. “And I had twenty-eight of my regulars call to schedule early annuals or work they’d been putting off. If I weren’t keeping a bay open for transients and referrals, you’d be waiting a week.”

“Li, dear, I’ve read about this sort of scam in Port of Call,” Akanah said. “The yards take kickbacks from the hoteliers for keeping travelers stranded.”

Catching the sudden glower in the manager’s eyes, Luke patted Akanah’s hand patronizingly. “Now, darling, let’s not insult the man just because our plans have been upset,” Luke said. “Why are you so busy?” he asked the yard manager.

“Because of the war, of course,” the manager said.

Akanah’s gaze narrowed. “War? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you ever link to the grids? The New Republic and the Duskhan League have been growling and feinting at each other for months.”

Akanah turned to Luke. “Did you know about this?”

“I heard something of it on Talos,” said Luke. “I didn’t want to worry you. It was only rumor then. I guess it’s become something more, if people are running the other way.”

“You can see Koornacht Cluster in the night sky from here, you know,” said the manager. “The idea that a thousand warships are poised to clash somewhere over their heads makes people nervous.”

“A thousand warships?” Akanah asked in an awed whisper.

“That’s what they’re saying.” The manager shrugged. “Some of them, anyway. You hear a lot of different stories. So—what are you gonna do?”

“We’ll leave our ship with you,” said Luke, pushing the registration pad across the counter. “But can you tell me how long it might take after you get to it? Do you have a local source for parts?”

“For a Verpine Adventurer?” the manager asked, glancing down at the pad. “Oh, sure. We’ve got four of them in our scrapyard alone. Call us in three days.”

The manager’s casual acceptance of war on his doorstep deepened the chill of fear that had come over Akanah on hearing the news. It’s too soon—he’s not ready for this, she thought wildly as she followed Luke out of the depot. I’m taking him exactly where I don’t want him to go—right into the heart of temptation. He’s still trying to direct the Current. He’s not ready to watch others fight without raising a hand of his own—

“We can’t stay here,” she said in a worried whisper when they were outside. “It doesn’t feel safe. I don’t know what it is, but this place is shadowed.”

“I don’t see a lot of alternatives,” Luke said, leading them back toward the northbound slidewalk. “You need to be able to tell the hyperdrive which way to jump, and Mud Sloth can’t do that right now.”

“I understand that,” she said, clinging to his arm. “But we could be here a week or more. Isn’t there something else we can do? Can’t you buy the parts from him and fix it yourself?”

“Didn’t you hear him in there? We’re headed into a war zone,” said Luke, stopping short. “For all we know about what’s happening, J’t’p’tan could be one of the battlegrounds. Don’t you think it’d be a good thing to be able to count on our hyperdrive?”

She