(Dyn)

  Dyn stepped out of the Captain’s Suite as the door shut behind him with a click. He looked down at the bck tri hat with its ridiculous crimsoher.

  “Wait, she meant give the hat back, right?” He briefly gnced back at the door, w if he’d misremembered their versation.

  ‘Rex Dyn,’ he thought. ‘No one in their right mind just hands you, of all people, a ship.’ He shrugged, plopped the hat on top of his head, and shuffled dowairs toward the brig.

  This time, when the ded noticed him and the hat, he stepped aside and stood at attention against the wall as Dyn approached.

  “Captain,” the ded said.

  Dy out a sigh. ‘Don’t panic,’ he thought. ‘You just give it back when you’re done, just like she said.’

  “I’d like to see my friend now,” he said.

  “Of course, sir.” The ded gestured with his bony hand toward the door on their right.

  But before Dyn could proceed, the ded asked, “Sir, if I may?” He remai attention, his gaze fixed on the wall in front of him.

  They both waited a few moments before Dyn realized the ded was waiting for his permission. “Oh yeah. So ahead.”

  “Is… the previous captain still with us, sir?” the ded asked, still staring forward.

  Dyed the apprehension in his voice, but he didn’t know if it was out of respect or fear. While the two often yielded simir results, he wasirely fortable with the tter.

  “Rex,” he said, pointing to the hat. “She’s just letting me borrow it to talk to Echo.”

  It’s not like he killed her and took over the ship. He just did what he had to in order to help his friend.

  “Very good, sir,” the ded said with a slight nod. “Sorry to have bothered you.”

  Dyn didn’t like the idea of getting yes-manned, but if it let him talk to his friend, he’d bear it. He just had o question.

  “So, whoever wears this hat really is the captain of the Everafter?”

  “Aye, captain.”

  Okay, maybe that wasn’t the st question. “And you’ll do whatever I say?”

  The ded was hesitant to answer. “Aye, captain.”

  Dyn frowned. He didn’t uand this whole ‘hat’ business. And things he didn’t uand teo bite him in the ass. So, he asked, “Why?”

  The ded turned his skull at him. “Why what, sir?”

  “Why would you listen to anyone who’s got the hat? Couldn’t you just take it from me? Would that make you the captain?”

  The ded pointed with a nod to the hat. “That hat’s ented, sir. It won’t ge owners unless both parties’ sent. I couldn’t take it from you, even if I wao be captain.”

  Dyn blinked, looking up at the ded. “You don’t want to be captain?”

  The ded shook his skull and resumed staring at the wall ahead. “No, sir.”

  That aook Dyn by surprise. He figured any sensible person would want a free ship and crew. “Why not?” he asked.

  “Too much responsibility, sir.”

  “Responsibility?” Dyn scoffed. “I don’t think standing around and telling everyone what to do is that much of a responsibility.” That’s all he satain Echo do.

  “Permission to speak freely, sir,” the ded asked. Dyn could tell his st remark ruffled the skeleton’s bones.

  “Uh… Granted?” he said, still trying to get used to adults asking him for permission like they were ba school.

  The mprian rexed his stailting his head down at Dyn. “The one who wears that hat is responsible for every soul aboard this ship. Whatever happens, good or bad, falls on your shoulders right now. That and the captain’s responsible for all es.”

  Dyn’s eyebrows shot up. “Wages?” he asked, an octave higher than usual. He didn’t have any money, or credits, ems, or any other way to pay them.

  “Aye, the Everafter pays better than any other freencer on this world.”

  “I—I don’t have any…” he said, unsure how to tell them he was broke. Nathan wouldn’t be happy if he showed up with a boatload of surly crew looking for their wages.

  “Don’t worry, sir. The previous captain made sure we didn’t dump the treasury with the rest of the non-essential supplies and equipment.”

  Dyn released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and leaned forward. “We have a treasury?”

  “Aye, captain. We’ll be adding to it whe back to Nightshade to collect the other half of the charter fee. Although, I’m fairly certain the dry dock is going to eat any profits on this charter. The refits alone are going to be astronomical. Not to mentioog the armalley, and meical. Then there’s the death be payout for Echo von Lee’ah—” He stopped after deteg Dyn’s anxious energy skyrocket.

  “That’s… good to know,” Dyn said, feeling overwhelmed. He o speak with Echo quickly and give the damn hat back.

  “Of course, captain. Oh, and if I may suggest.” He took a step forward and lowered his voice. “Take the hat off before talking to your friend. She’s still a member of the crew for now. Anything you say while wearing it would be treated as a direct order,” the ded said.

  Dyn appreciated the tip. He didn’t want his friend to ay differently because he wore a stupid hat. It occurred to him that’s probably how Eury felt about the P-word too.

  “Thanks,” he said, removing the hat from his head.

  He stopped at the door to the brig, rapped twice with his knuckle, and waited. When there was no response, he ope, stepped inside, and shut it behind him.

  Now they were both pletely in the dark. He ran his hand along the wall. The polished wood sts felt smooth under his fiips as he searched for the bench he knew was bolted to the room. He let out a small sigh of relief to find the seat. He was afraid they might have tossed it overboard with all the other "non-essential" supplies—whatever that meant.

  Dyn dropped onto the bench. One question burned in his mind, but he wasn’t sure he could hahe ahe captain had been right; he could feel Echo’s disfort about being seen like this. Still, he g to the hope that she’d want a friend.

  His voice broke as he asked, “Hey Echo, are you awake?”

  She didn’t answer immediately, and his ay only grew as the silence dragged on.

  As if sensing his impending panic, she answered, “We don’t sleep.” He heard stirring from her cell as she got up. “Is—is that… the captain’s hat?” she asked.

  He gnced down at his hands, where the hat should’ve been, but couldn’t even make out the crimson red feather—only darkness. Then he remembered what she’d told him about mprians; they don’t need light or eveo see.

  He gripped the hat nervously, running his fingers along the folded brim. “Would you believe me if I told you I won it at a card game?” he asked with a faint smile.

  “No,” she said, far too quickly.

  “Why not?” She hadn’t eveertaihe idea that he could’ve outsmarted the captain in a game. “You never know,” he said, crossing his arms. “I could be really good at cards…” The crimsoher tickled his nose, and he huffed loudly, trying to blow it out of the way.

  “You aren’t very good at lying,” Echo said. She ot on about his ckluster subterfuge skills.

  “How you tell?” He squi the darkness. “I’ve never lied to you.” He heard the smallest of chuckles.

  “I just know. Also, I don’t reend pying games with a mprian. There are tells in your energy aura that you ’t hide.”

  His jaw dropped. “Well, that’s not very fair…”

  His thoughts drifted to sneaking Echo back to Earth for a run on Vegas. “Thanks for the heads up, though.”

  Echo gave him a few more moments of procrastination before she asked, “Dyn, how’d you get the hat?”

  He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “I had a chat with the captain about how they were treating you and she ha over.”

  “Just like that?” He could almost hear her ent eyebrows raise.

  “Yep. Just like that.” He rolled the brim of the hat between his thumbs and index fingers, trying to buy time before he had to ask the dreaded question.

  “Must’ve been some chat…” she said. “But why are you here? What do you want?”

  “I wao talk to you,” he said, tinuing to run his fingers along the brim as it rose and dipped like the waves of the sea.

  “Are you here to talk as the captain or—”

  “As a friend,” he was quick to interject. He only ever wanted her to see him as a friend. Her suggestion wounded him. He wasn’t about to order her to stop being sad. A lifetime of experieaught him that’s just not how depression worked. Besides, he didn’t ask for the damn hat.

  The captain had been right again; the hat was more trouble than it looked, and he couldn’t wait to be doh the stupid thing.

  Eained quiet in her cell, aried to remain patient, but felt pelled to tell the whole truth.

  “The captain told me I could talk to you on one dition. If I asked you a question first and accepted your response,” he said. While that might have eased his sce, his stomach tio work itself into knots as the moment of truth loomed.

  “What’s the question?”

  The fabric of the hat creaked under his tightening grip. “Echo, do you wao leave you alone?”

  After a terse moment, she whispered, “Yes…”

  His heart skipped a beat as it sank. A wave of shame washed over him as he broke his deal with the captain. She’d been right to call him out; he couldn’t accept her response. But this was too important. He had to be sure—he had to know.

  “Forever?” he asked, hoping and praying she’d ge her mind.

  “I…” She hesitated, allowing him to g to his remaining sliver of hope. “I don’t know.”

  While it wasn’t the response he wanted, it was one he could live with. He took a deep breath and released his death grip on the poor hat.

  “Okay…” Dy out a breath and nodded, leaning out of his seat and onto his feet. He noticed the faint glow of light from beh the door. It was time to go. He made his way to the exit and reached to open it, but before he could, the smallest mprian called out to him.

  “Wait,” the small voice said.

  He let go of the doorknob, turning back toward the voice. “Yeah?”

  “Not forever,” Echo said. “I just—I just need some time.”

  “How long?” His voice cracked again as he sniffled, uo hold back tears of hope. He’d always experienced big emotions, and while sad feelings made him cry, joyful ones made him cry more.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “But I’ll e find you when I’m ready.”

  He knew he ushing his stay and asked, “But if I kept the ship—”

  “Dyn, you ’t keep the ship,” she interrupted.

  “I might…” He still wasn’t sure how to feel about Echo being able to read him like a book.

  “You won’t.”

  He used the back of his sleeve to dry his tears. “But if I kept the ship and said you could stay, would you want to?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?” He sniffled again, his arting to run as his emotions ran amok.

  “Because the rest of the crew would leave. It doesn’t matter how good of a meic I am; it takes more than one person to fly this ship,” she said.

  “Okay, guess I’ll give the ship back then.”

  “Thank you,” she said softly.

  He ughed, dabbing his cheeks again. “e on, I wasn’t really going to keep it…”

  “No, not that, silly. Thank you… for not giving up on me.”

  A new well of emotions threateo overtake Dyn as his lip quivered. He o take a seat agaiurning to the bench.

  He ed his fa his sleeve again and asked, “How could I? After Captain Echo expined everything yoing through and—”

  “And you still wao talk to me?” She cut him off, sounding incredulous and surprised at the same time.

  He found both sleeves soaked and used the hat to deal with his unendiions.

  “I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I was only around when it’s ve. I know I’d want a friend with me if I hit a rough patch.”

  “This isly a ‘rough patch’,” she said.

  He threw his hands into the air. “That’s what I’ve been trying to say! Which means you need a friend even more.”

  Echo let out a small sigh. “I’ve a feeling I won’t be able to ge your mind about this…”

  “he captain already tried,” he sniffled again. “And I ended up with her ship.” He chuckled and added, “Might as well let me take you out of that cage and give you a big hug.”

  “You do give good hugs,” she admitted. “But no, not while there’s a crystalis on board. The resolve in her voice told Dyn she wouldn’t ge her miher.

  “Suit yourself,” he mock-shrugged. “But hugs are free and you have as many as you want.”

  “Just… be patient with me?” Echo asked. “I o be alone for a while. It might take some time before you see me again.”

  “Take all the time you need. I guess this means goodbye for now. Echo—”

  “A’liyah,” she corrected him.

  “Sorry? what about—” he stopped talking, realizing this was something important she wao say.

  “I’m her Echo von A’lyor Echo von Lee’ah anymore. I’m something… someone… else, and I think I’d like to be called A’liyah,” she said.

  “So… no more Echo?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

  “Just A’liyah.”

  Dyn the darkness, knowing she could still see him.

  “Goodbye, A’liyah.”

  “Goodbye… for now, Dyn.”

  He put the hat on, got to the door, and ope to the blinding light of the hallway. The door shut behind him with a click.

  ---

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