General Eyre is such a bother," William sighed, ruffling through papers.

" Mm."

" She wants all this exact information, down to tenth-degree on the coordinates. That's ridiculous! The last time we had to record it that closely was on a localized debris retrieval, the Mycologica isn't even within two hundred aus of any habitable planet."

" It is suspicious."

" Noo-oo-oova, I feel like something sneaky is going on and they're not letting me in on it," William complained, tossing his head back in frustration. " I don't want to be used as a scapegoat by one of the higher councils, this is so unfair."

" Didn't you get Kirie to run background on the ships?" Nova asked, as a matter of course.

" She's always so busy with Neda, she barely ever comes by my office anymore. I haven't heard back on their service histories and I don't even get my late night coffee more than once or twice a week now..."

" I think one of these things should take priority over the other, Wille."

" Definitely the coffee."

Nova sighed, slumping down in his chair.

" Should've guessed that you would say something like that," he replied, smiling softly, as though it was a comfort to listen to William complain.

" Maybe you-"

" I am not going to wake myself up at four in the morning to bring you a drink," Nova cut him off.

" And here I was, thinking you loved me!"