"And a good morning to you too," Dee grinned. "Get much sleep last night?"

"Fuck off," HG replied with a smirk, clutching her cup of coffee like her life depended on hit. She let her heavy work bag drop to the floor.

"So who was it? The waitress or the bartender?" Dee picked up a file from her desk, flipping it open.

"Both."

"Damn girl! How do you always manage to find quality action on this hunk of junk?"

"It's a secret, passed down from generation to generation in the Wells family."

"I bet."

HG relaxed into the office chair and sipped her coffee. It wasn't so bad, living on this station about as far from the home world as you could get. She'd been sent here as a punishment but had grown quite fond of her life in the past few years.

"So what's on the agenda today? Any good cases come in overnight?"

"Nope," Dee lifted the file in her hand. "Mine dispute," she set the file down and picked up another. "Mine dispute." Then another, "and a domestic."

"Wolcott said he landed an illegal racing crew a couple of light years over," HG leaned forward a bit. "He's willing to trade it for a favor from you."

"Hmm, we'll see. Did he tell you what he wanted?"

"No but I'm sure it's a dozy." Dee looked behind her partner. "Well speak of the devil. Wolcott what brings you over to this side of the office?"

"Charlie's called a meeting. Starting in five."

"Yippee." Dee murmured as she stood.

"So Billy," HG's eyes sparkled. "I hear you have a racing ring investigation you're willing to trade…"

"Good morning," Charlie said loudly as HG plopped down next to Wolcott. "Let's get right to it. We've got a big one that just landed in our sector kiddos. HQ has been tracking an illegal antiquities ring for months and it seems they have begun to run traffic out of this sector. From what HQ can tell this is some pretty serious stuff."

" Such as?" McShane asked from the doorway.

"The kind of stuff that gets you killed," Charlie replied bluntly. He pulled out his small reading glasses and opened a file. "This crew has been running for a while, starting small with black market stuff." He paused, "then some stuff from over by Orion."

A murmur when through the room. Orion has been off limits since the Great War that scattered humanity across the galaxy.

"And now," HG asked, bringing the assembled officers back on point.

"Stuff from Earth," Charlie replied evenly.

The room erupted into comments of disbelief. Earth, the fabled home world of the human race had been lost for millennia, most likely destroyed. There was no way that after thousands of years that someone had found it.

HG looked over at her partner Dee who was standing next to McShane. She arched an eyebrow, the other woman shrugged her shoulders.

"HQ is sending a team to help with this case that'll be here the day after tomorrow," Charlie said after the room had quieted. "Part of the task force from the home world that's been on this situation from day one. Todd has already processed the advanced data and it will be waiting at your desk terminals after the meeting. If you're not currently handling a level one case, this is your new assignment. Dismissed."

"Earth," Wolcott looked over at HG. "How is that even possible?"

"It's probably another forgery kid," Dee fell in step with the pair as they headed back to the desk area. "Traders have been claiming they have stuff from there for years. It's always been proved a fake."

"Well with this case I guess I won't need that trade then HG," Wolcott stopped at his desk. "Thanks anyway."

"I'll still help you Billy," HG smiled. "As we agreed."

"So what'd you promise the kid HG?"

HG sat down and turned on her terminal. "He is wooing a young gentleman from the engineering team and has asked for my help in cooking dinner."

"You're such a softy."

"I am no such thing."

Dee continued to chuckle as she opened her terminal and pulled up the decrypted files sent over from HQ. On the first page it listed the personnel handling the case.

"Dude," Dee asked quietly, looking over at her queasy looking partner. "Are you gonna be okay with this?"

HG swallowed. "I suppose I have to be. I mean, she forgave me years ago for what happened to her husband."

"Okay."

HG looked down, unable to meet her friend's eyes. Yes, Myka Bering had forgiven her years ago the death of her husband and HG's partner. They were fine officers and HG had done all that she could to prevent his death.

The thing was, she'd never forgiven herself.