Curacao Meeting

["Raven"]

~~ VIP Area ~ Samson Resort ~ Planet Curacao ~~

Raven noticed the moment Cait and Stephanie raised their glasses and followed without hesitation. He lifted the vintage cherry mead carefully, almost respectfully, as if the bottle itself carried more weight than just alcohol.

“For new friends,” he repeated quietly, then added in an older tone, something that clearly belonged to another time, another life. “Und auf die, die noch fehlen.”

He inclined his head slightly toward both women.

“Thank you for the hospitality. And for the trust. Neither is something we take lightly.”

The glasses touched softly, and Raven took a slow sip. The taste was richer than he had expected, warm, heavy with cherries, but not overly sweet. Something about it felt familiar in a way he couldn’t quite place anymore, like a memory that had lost its edges.

When the dishes were finally set in front of everyone, he looked down at his plate for a second longer than necessary. Fried potatoes, Königsberger Klopse, the white caper sauce just the way it should be. For a moment, the conversation around him faded into the sound of the ocean.

“I wish everyone a good meal,” he said calmly. “And even better deals under a clear sky.”

Only then did he begin to eat.

He didn’t rush. Each bite was slow, deliberate, as if he was trying to confirm that the taste was real and not something his memory had invented over the years. After a few moments he gave a quiet nod toward Cait and Stephanie.

“My highest respect to your cook,” he said sincerely. “It tastes exactly like I remember it… I almost forgot what that was like.”

The meal continued in a calmer tone after that. The sun slowly slipped toward the horizon, the light turning warmer, softer, and for once Raven allowed himself to simply exist in the moment without thinking about routes, contracts, or the next problem waiting somewhere in Sirius.

When the plates were cleared and the evening settled into a quieter rhythm, Raven placed his napkin neatly beside his plate and rose from his chair.

“Please excuse me,” he said politely. “It’s been a long day, and tomorrow will likely not be a quiet one. I’ll take you up on the guest room.”

He gave both Cait and Stephanie a respectful nod before stepping away from the table and following one of the staff members back toward the guest house. The night air was warmer than he expected, and when he finally reached the room and the door closed behind him, the silence felt almost unreal.

Raven didn’t lie down immediately. Instead, he stepped toward the window and looked out.

The stars above Curacao were bright, far brighter than the ones he remembered from the crowded core systems. For a long time he simply stood there, arms folded loosely, staring into the dark sky.

“They can still see them,” he murmured quietly to himself. “Wherever they are.”

The thought stayed with him. The ones who never came back. The ones still missing somewhere beyond the charts. The ones everyone else had already written off.

He let out a slow breath.

“I’ll find a way,” he said under his breath. “No matter what it takes.”

Only after a long while did he finally lie down. Sleep didn’t come quickly, but when it did, it came without dreams, the kind of heavy, quiet sleep that only followed the rare nights where the past loosened its grip just enough to let him rest.