During the trip back to Eden’s End, Alexander slowly introduced himself to Mingyu’s family. This was after Mingyu had told them about him, and he had spoken to them through video calls. He didn’t want to startle them with his appearance, but it seemed like he was overthinking things. Much like the people on Eden’s End, during his initial meeting, the Na family had very little rea to his appeara least the older members of the family didn’t. The younger ones' eyes went wide at seeing him, but he could tell they held bay other sort of emotion.

  sidering how prim and proper the family acted, he wasn’t too surprised by this. Mingyu’s father, Huang persohe wal, or maybe stoic was a better word. Alexander found it a bit strange since he knew Mingyu didn’t act this way. As he took in the Captaiended family, he realized Mingyu was the most normal of the bunch.

  The family all bowed in respect as he and Mingyu approached, with Huang giving only a cursory nod that Mingyu returned. “Father. I know you have spoken to him already, but may I introduce you tracious beor, Alexander Kane.”

  At a loss as to what to do, and with no head, Alexander simply bobbed his holographic avatar in the approximation of a nod.

  The patriarch of the Na family seemed pleased by this as he nodded iurn. “As oher to another, I wish to thank you for taking in my son and his crew.”

  “I was only doing what was right.” And being from the arra. “Do you have any pns once we arrive?”

  “Let me dismiss the children and eak of work.” The mahe younger children, who were likely his grandchildren, off with his wife, leaving only him and Mingyu’s siblings in the room.

  As soon as the childre, the remaining group seemed to rex slightly like they had been ag that way only for the children’s sake. “I apologize for that, but I could tell the children were at their limit and would have soon started pestering you with questions. I would also like to apologize if we seemed a bit pretentious. I know how our stoic behavior e across to others. That was simply how I was raised and how I chose to raise my children. I found it helps to instill a calm and thoughtful approach to life. Although it is not suited to every situation, such is what we find ourselves in right now.”

  “So you were ag?” Alexander asked in surprise.

  “Yes and no. Childreo emute their parents, and someone far ba the Na line realized this could be used to help raise children to think before ag. There are probably better ways to do this, but it works for me and my family. But enough of that, let us sit and discuss your question. I assume you ask what I pn to do once we arrive because you have an opportunity you wish to offer?”

  Alexander had to chuckle at that. He almost fot who he was dealing with, but Huang Na was a cil leader for most of his life, and the Captain of The Moonlit Destiny until he turhat over to his eldest son, Mingyu.

  “You got all that from one question?” he asked as the group of five sat. Only Mingyu sat on Alexander’s end of the fereable, marking a clear separation from his family that didn’t go unnoticed by the father.

  “It wasn’t hard to figure out. Those in trol only discuss pns with people they wish to work with directly. Otherwise, you would have ignored us during the trip and put us down on the p and that would be that.”

  When the man expi that way, it became pretty obvious. “You are correct. I do have an opportunity I would like to offer you. I may have opportunities for the rest of you as well, depending on your skillsets but we get to that ter. Mr. Na, how would you like to teach?”

  That man had no outward rea to the question. That alone gave Alexander a glimpse into how effective he must have been during his time as a cilor for Petrov Station. The man sat there quietly, and Alexander eventually realized he was waiting for more information. Alexander smiled at the man, he could sit here and py the same game, but it wasn’t necessary. It was time to y some of his cards out oable so to speak. “I’m in the process of starting an academy. One where people learn anything from mathematics, advanced engineering, starship operation, and even military training.”

  “You either have a death wish, Mr. Kane, or a bottomless pocketbook. Which is it?”

  “her, I assure you. As to the deathwish ent, I assume you are referring to the corporations' stranglehold over learning?”

  The man gave a terse nod.

  “ I be blunt, Mr. Na?”

  “You might as well call me Huang, or it’ll start getting fusing. And yes. I would prefer if you just speak your mind.”

  “Huang, I couldn’t care less about the corporations and their arbitrary rules. I left STO space so I didn’t have to deal with that bullshit. By the time they realize what I’m doing, I will have turned Y6X-3H2 into one of, if not the most fortified systems that humanity trols. Then it will not matter what they think.”

  “That is a risky game, Mr. Kahe corporations are not stupid. They have other ways to stop people who try to upset their bottom line, including cutting your system off entirely. Are you prepared for that?”

  “If we’re going to be on a first-name basis, call me Alexander or Alex. As for your question, no, I’m not equipped to deal with that. At least not yet. Which is why I’m starting slow. The academy I envision won’t be a reality for years. By then I hope to earn some allies in key positions aablish myself withiO.” Time was both his greatest asset and his greatest enemy at the moment. Alexander o walk a tight lio keep himself off these mega-corporation’s radars while still growing.

  Huang leaned ba his chair, the first real ge in his demeanor sihe versation began. “If we were having this versation ba Petrov Station, I would have told you no, and gotten you expelled from the station to protect the people there from any backsh that this nonsense would have garnered.”

  “But we aren’t orov Station are we.”

  “We are not. And that is not the only reason I am eaining your dangerous idea. If it wasn’t for the STO’s as, or ck thereof in the case of Petrov Station as a whole, I may still have told you no and asked to be returo STO space. As it sits, I find myself not a fan of the STO’s decisions tely. They have grown indulgent and zy because there is nothio keep them in check sihe Shi left and the Coalition was disbanded. I fear their hubris is going to get a lot more i people killed before they finally take a. What does this positioail?”

  Alexander spoke at length of what he had in mind. He used the information Mingyu had told him about his father to ehe man into accepting. It was too bad the man wasn’t ied in being a captain again, he could have used a few more.

  As for Mingyu’s siblings, none of them were qualified to be captains sihe Na family only had one ship and Mingyu was nearly a decade older than his sibling and the only one even close to being qualified when Huang was neariirement. Even without being a captain, they were still all engineers and business owners. It wouldn’t be hard finding them work, but he decided to discuss the points with each of them to make sure that was what they wao do.

  Before he got too far into his expnation, Mingyu’s oldest sister, Ju interrupted. “I apologize for being rude, but what if I don’t wish to work for you? What if I wish to establish my own pany?”

  “Out of curiosity, what sort of pany?” Alexander asked.

  If it was something he could use, all the better.

  “I mainly worked as an importer orov. I ehe work and would like to do so again.”

  “That could be a problem. There isn’t mu the way of imports and exports ing to Eden’s End.”

  “But you do have a station, do you not? If that’s the case, you will eventually have both.”

  “…I do… but I will not be turning over imp and exp rights for any of my stations to aside of BSE. Too easy for people to take advantage of that as I’m sure you uand.”

  “I see. Then what about hirio run your import and export operations? While I would have preferred to be my own boss, I would like a position simir to my previous one ba Petrov.”

  “Hmm, we do a trial run, if you do well, we discuss details. I will get you a list of our transport assets before we arrive so you look them over. Did anyone else wish to start their own business?”

  He should have figured they would all say yes. Wei Na was the oldest sister and thus the o speak up. “You spoke of this academy? Do you have chemical engineering learning modules?”

  “We do. Did you wish to do somethied to chemical engineering?” He could see a host of uses for someone like that.

  “Not particurly. I studied bio-engineering and provement teiques for my work as an agronomist. I always felt I could do more if I had a better uanding of chemical engineering. I assume you have farms?”

  “They are more like small family farms, but yes, we have farms. I put you in touch with two of the farmers who would probably love to pick your brain. If you’re looking to create a plot of your own, I’m sure we find some room.” The woman thanked him and the discussion moved to the Na family member.

  Yi Na was Mingyu’s brother and their age had to differ by at least fifteen years if Alexander had to guess.

  “To avoid stepping on Blue Star Enterprises’ toes, what do you produce?”

  “At the moment, everything. But the main foy pany will be engines, robotics, and anything to do with space.”

  “That is quite a list,” the man replied. “What areas are you wishing to divest i from?”

  It wasn’t hard for Alexao choose. “stru. While I’m capable of doing it, I am not a structural engineer.”

  “If what Mingyu told us is accurate, I assume that there is a lot of this stru?”

  “More than I keep up with,” Alexander said without hesitation.

  The man nodded. “I wish to offer my services for the sake of running any stru efforts on the surface, with the uanding that ohose initial efforts are plete and I start my own pany, I have first refusal of any tracts for the en years.”

  It was an iing offer, and he had to think about it. The Na family would have quite a bit of power. Alexander didn’t want to be accused of ism or have monopolies f. The only stig point was the first refusal of any project. Alexander assumed the entire Na family was aware that there would be no access to credits until they established a Q link, which would only be a few more months from now.

  As he mulled over his decision, he asked a question of his own. “Do you have any qualifications to be a structural engineer?”

  “No, but I ran one of Petrov Station’s rgest maintenanpanies on the ninth ring. So while I am not qualified, doing that sort of work means I o uand how the infrastructure went together.”

  It wasn’t much, but his qualifications were leagues better than anyone else on Eden’s End. And if Alexander was ho, he was sick of having to split his focus to keep the repair crews w effitly. “I’ll agree, but only for first refusal for five years. Trust me, there will be plenty of work.”

  The man thought about it for a bit befreeing.

  That left the you brother of the Na line, Jin Na.

  “I don’t wish for anything as grand as my siblings. I’m a pure engineer, so anything in that vein will suit me just fine.”

  “We have a few homegrown engihat are w for Eden’s End’s civilian leadership. I put you in touch with them, I’m sure they would be thrilled to get another member to ease their workload.”

  After the discussions, Mingyu’s family went back to their s.

  “Thank you for w with them,” Mingyu said tiredly, “I know my family be rather overbearing at times. Especially my father. Even after he retired, I think he fot he wasn’t in charge sometimes.”

  “It’s fine. I would have preferred they all work for me, but we don’t always get everything we want. Your family wanting to do their own thing is probably better in the long run anyway. F them to do what I want would have only bred rese.” That being said, Alexander was going to keep an eye on them.

  Mingyu’s family was used to being top dogs, he didn’t want them bringing that attitude with them and causing trouble or strong-arming any possible petition that might e along. petition would e aloually, it was only a matter of time. Heck, he already knew a lot of new faces would arrive when the Hawks returned.