Aurelian didn't rush either of them.
The past several months had been filled with battles, frontier expansion, hidden routes, Kharov raids, ancient ruins, and enough problems to keep ten commanders busy.
A normal afternoon wasn't a waste of time.
If anything, it felt strangely valuable.
They walked through several more sections of the commercial district, stopping occasionally to browse shops, talk, or simply enjoy being somewhere that wasn't trying to kill them.
As they walked, Rhoswen asked more questions.
Rhoswen listened more seriously than usual.
Astra did too, though she already knew most of it.
They stopped near a broad window overlooking the lower launch levels. Ships moved below them in ordered lanes, some civilian, some military, all part of the vast machine that was the Arcturus family's home territory. For a moment, Aurelian thought about the contrast between this place and the March.
