With the conversation finally settling into something calmer—no longer stalled, but not yet moving—Luke found himself staring past Naeva and the others, his attention drawn once more to the cavern's open cove. To Hope. The ship sat there patiently, unmoving, as if it had been listening the entire time.
"Do you mind if I walk aboard?" Luke asked, breaking the lull. His tone was casual, but there was a sincerity beneath it. "Just to see if anything's changed."
Naeva followed his gaze and let out a faint breath, something between a sigh and a laugh.
"Go ahead," she said, waving a hand. "She's docked. Stable. You're free to look around."
She paused, then added, almost thoughtfully.
"We'll stay here. Might as well… think properly for once."
That earned a few murmurs of agreement from the researchers. Some leaned back against crates, others sat cross-legged on the stone floor. For the first time in a long while, they weren't pretending to be busy.
