Each night, the clamor of the Tower Hangar gives way to silence as the engineers change shifts. Niik used to find the lull unnerving, preferring to bask in the sounds of arc welders and power tools. Together, she and Amanda would speak about nothing and everything over the cacophony.

Now, Niik prefers the silence.

Her Servitor shines a light on the Sparrow in front of her, as it has done for weeks. After making some final adjustments, Niik circles around to the front of the Sparrow and hits the ignition.

The engine sputters and burns out.

It's happened a hundred times before, on other nights, with other Sparrows. But this time, something is different. Niik snarls an Eliksni curse and hurls her spanner at the floor. Then she buries her face in her four hands and collapses into a heap, her eyes glistening with tears and her ether tank rattling with her ragged sobs.

"Well, there's your problem!" crackles a voice beside her.

She looks up to see her Servitor projecting a holo-recording. Miniature recreations of herself and Amanda crouch next to another Sparrow as Amanda gestures to its thrusters with a grease-stained arm. She imparts a lesson about its functionality with a smile that says she enjoys sharing the knowledge.

Watching now, Niik can't help but smile too. It was a lesson she had forgotten, but thanks to her Servitor, it would stay with her forever.

She wipes away her tears with a grease-stained arm and gets back to work.