Nova waited until Amari had gone inside, her footsteps slow and dragging with exhaustion. She didn't even glance back as she told him.
"Don't stay up too long!"
Before disappearing through the shop's door. Nova gave a quiet nod she wouldn't see, his eyes lingering on the closed door for a moment longer than necessary.
Once he was sure she was out of sight, he turned and slipped into a narrow alley behind the shop, crouching low and pressing a small device to the wall.
Static buzzed against his ear as he adjusted the frequency, trying to cut through the interference.
The planet's atmosphere was unusually thick with noise, but finally, the connection clicked.
A familiar voice rang out, crisp despite the signal strain.
[You're late.]
"I was busy. What's the status? What did you find?"
Nova muttered.
