Benefactor — Joe Vasicek

IN A COLD AND LONELY UNIVERSE, A SIMPLE ACT OF GRACE CAN RESONATE ACROSS WORLDS. An outworlder is nothing if not fiercely independent, and Jakob is no exception. But ever since he brought his family of starbound refugees to Alpha Oriana, he's felt increasingly powerless. With the recent Imperial takeover and rumors of job cuts at the dockyards, it's only a matter of time before they're forced to move on -- again. When a young man and woman with an unusual story show up from his wife's homeworld, he takes them in, if for no other reason than that they remind him of a time when he was young and still in love. Ever since he sent his sons away, his marriage has been a nightmare -- but all he wanted was to give them a chance at a better life out among the stars. Whether or not that was a mistake, his wife has never forgiven him for it. In the face of so many challenges, it's not clear how long the family can hold together, but Jakob will sacrifice everything before he asks for help -- even if the only way out lies through an open airlock.