Raven accepted the tablet with a polite nod, though he barely needed it. His eyes skimmed the menu out of habit more than necessity, old reflexes from briefings and manifests before settling on what already felt decided.
“Fried potatoes. Königsberger Klopse,” he said quietly, handing the tablet back to the butler. “Capers heavy. White sauce proper. And… cherry honey mead, if you have it.”
The butler inclined his head, already gone before Raven finished the sentence.
As the staff moved away, Raven took a moment to let the setting sink in. The open pavilion. Salt in the air. The low rhythm of waves rolling in and retreating again. It was almost disarming the kind of place designed to make people forget themselves. He didn’t. His gaze kept drifting, subtle and habitual, mapping sightlines, exits, the spacing between staff, the shimmer of the water beyond the lights. Even paradise had angles.
“Hidden showrooms that stay hidden,” Raven replied to Cait at last, his voice calm, approving. “That’s all we ever ask for. The less interesting something looks on a scanner, the longer it survives.”
He rested his forearms lightly on the table, fingers interlaced.
“Our people will adapt to your procedures. No uniforms. No patterns. Cargo moves as curiosities, not shipments. Anything sensitive stays compartmentalized until a buyer is confirmed.” A brief pause. “And if something ever draws attention it shouldn’t… it won’t lead back here.”
The drinks arrived first. Raven lifted the glass of cherry honey mead, the deep red catching the pavilion lights. He inhaled once..... sweet, sharp, familiar. For just a heartbeat, the years peeled back.
“Rheinland knew how to make winters bearable,” he said, almost to himself, then raised the glass slightly toward Stephanie.“And how to remind you what you were fighting for.”
He took a measured sip, then another, slower this time.
“When the Barbados showroom is ready,” Raven continued, business easing back into his tone, “we’ll seed it carefully. Relics first. Artifacts that invite curiosity. Azurite stays controlled...... information spreads faster than cargo.” His eyes flicked briefly to Cait. “If your R&D people find a use for it, we’ll expand supply. If not, it remains invitation only.”
The first plates began to arrive, steam rising into the warm night air. Raven watched the Königsberger Klopse set before him, the familiar scent grounding in a way he hadn’t expected.
“For now,” he said, settling back slightly,“we eat. Deals like this last longer when they start human.”
And as the waves rolled in again, Raven allowed himself this small luxury of the rare feeling that, for once, the ground beneath his feet was not swaying.
Sparrow watched Raven as the tension in his shoulders fractionally released. It was a microscopic change, invisible to anyone who hadn't commanded him through the darkest years of their exile, but to her, it was monumental. A profound, quiet warmth bloomed in her chest. Seeing her officers find a sliver of peace, even for just a meal, was a victory in itself.
When her own plate was placed before her - a beautifully seared local catch garnished with island spices, a deliberate choice to ground herself in the present rather than the past - she picked up her fork but didn't immediately eat. Instead, she looked between Caitlyn and Stephanie.
"He is absolutely right", Sparrow said, her voice softer now, stripped of the sharp edge of the strategist, leaving only the profound sincerity of the Shepherd."The shadows we operate in are incredibly cold. If we forget how to break bread, how to share a table and a moment of genuine comfort, we risk forgetting what it is we are trying to save."
She raised her glass of brandy, the faint violet shimmer still swirling in its depths, catching the ambient light of the pavilion.
"You are offering us more than just a showroom or a logistics hub, Chairwoman. You are offering us a hearth in a very vast, very unforgiving house. For that, you have my profound gratitude, and the unwavering reliability of my organization."
She met both of their eyes, her gaze steady and deeply earnest.
"To new friends",she toasted quietly,"and to our family."
She took a sip, the fiery liquid settling pleasantly in her stomach alongside the scent of the ocean breeze. For tonight, she would allow herself to simply be Lia, sharing a beautiful meal with allies, knowing that today they had woven a very strong, vital thread into their lifeline.
Steph: Of course, we have this, we have a lovely Chef from Rheinland working for us. My Wife hired him to keep me from being Homesick too much. And it's quite nice to get the food I grew up with in a place that is as beautiful as our Samson Resort.
She said and smiled while Cait nodded. Samson was a little paradise on Curacao, and for Cait and Steph, it was the best place in the Universe. The two women would lean back in the chairs as they waited for the food. And soon after, the Maid would return with the Drinks. For Raven, they would have a Vintage Mead that was Aged to Perfection and had a Wonderful Aroma of Cherrys. The Bottle showed that it came from an Old Traditional Mead Maker that only did a Couple of Hundred Bottles a Year.
Cait: This is from my Personal Stock. I myself am a Rum Lover ever since I was old enough to drink. But that doesn't mean I don't value other kinds of alcohol. Please Consider this Bottle as a Personal Present of Mine. I hope it will serve you well for many other occasions of Celebration. And your Right to live in the Shadows can be Cold and tend to make you forget how to be a human. I know that all too well, as I grew up amongst Junkers.
She spoke with a warm smile as the food arrived, and she would inhale the lovely smell of a fresh-cooked meal that was made to perfection. While others believed Rheinland Cuisine was nothing more than meat and potatoes, Cait had learned that it was far more varied and Unique than most would love to believe. She had learned to love it, of course, a great source of that was that Steph would influence her quite a lot. Cait had started to love the Roulade the most. The Meaty Roll was delicious, and combined with a dark Gravy and some dumplings, it was the perfect dish for her.
Cait: Yes to us and to a bright future for all of us. I am sure that we will have a great time and a profitable one too.
Cait and Steph would Raise there Glasses and would make a smile at their guests. The breeze from the Ocean was soft and warm and would bring a light smell of the Sea from the Beach. Some Cries of birds could be heard in the sky, and if they looked out to sea, they could see how they would go down and hunt for fish in the ocean. The day was calm and beautiful, and the sun would slowly go down with each minute that passed.
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.
