Aleks's hand stayed outstretched for a second too long before he pulled it back with a small wince, rubbing at his neck. "Right." He muttered. "You're not really the shaking-hands type."
He motioned toward one of the unclaimed chairs, its frame shaped from smoothed bone and salvaged driftwood, more solid than it looked but not exactly inviting. His gesture didn't leave much room for refusal.
"Sit." He said, then added, almost smiling. "The crew'll be here soon. If you came looking for one of us, might as well meet the rest."
He dropped back into his own seat, one boot tapping idly against the floor while he reached behind the table. Papers rustled. From a thin stack, he pulled a large sheet, blank, off-white, the kind used for ship manifests or tactical sketches, and slid it between them.
"That was Beli." he said, nodding toward the door. "I'm Aleks."
