Declan listened intently, his eyes gazing into the dancing flames. Memories of Ri'aaj, his girlfriend back on the ship flooded his mind. He felt a pang of sadness but quickly masked it with a slight smile, not wanting to burden Buddy with his own thoughts.

"Yeah, I get ya," Declan replied, his voice rough but gentle. "It's tough being away from the ones we care about. But hey, at least we got each other, right?"

Buddy chuckled, a sound like a bubbling brook. "Yeah, man, we do. And I gotta admit, you're not too bad for a guy who likes to shoot things from afar."

Declan snorted in amusement, his laughter a low rumble. "And you're not too shabby for a bloke who runs around like a maniac. We make a good team, Buddy."

Buddy briefly paused then continued, “What about you? Do you miss someone?”

Declan nodded, a pang of longing tugging at his heart. "Aye, lad. I miss Ri'aaj. She's back on the ship, probably worrying about me."

Buddy glanced at Declan, noticing the sadness in his eyes. "Hey, man, you okay?"

Declan forced a small smile. "Yeah, just missing her is all,” he paused for a moment, his beak opening and closing as if he was choosing his next words carefully. Finally, his arms reached for the delicate gold chain around his neck.

"Hey, Buddy, check this out," Declan said, pulling out the pendant he wore around his neck. It was a gleaming golden bullet casing, intricately designed with engravings. He held it out for Buddy to see, a small, bittersweet smile playing on the corners of his beak.

Buddy's eyes widened in surprise as he took in the intricate details of the pendant. "Whoa, man, that's beautiful. What's the story behind it?"

Declan's expression softened as he traced his fingers over the pendant. "Ri'aaj and I both have one of these. It's a reminder of our love for each other, no matter how far apart we are," he explained, his voice filled with warmth and longing.

Buddy nodded understandingly, a comforting smile on his face. "That's really special. I'm sure she's wearing hers right now, thinking of you," he said. He then paused before speaking again, “I hope I can find a girl like that one day. One that loves me like Ri’aaj loves you.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The above text is a snippet from Declan's upcoming novel. Ri'aaj is Declan's girlfriend and probably the only woman in the galaxy that can keep up with his grumpiness.

Around her neck is the golden bullet casing mentioned in the text.