"Ma Morozov," Kaidan supplies, chipping away at a stubborn section of mixed snow and ice near the cottage's stone chimney and sending shards of it flying. Catching the sunlight as they fall, the effect is almost pretty, if you ignore the biting cold. "Her son was killed in a skirmish with a Cetagandan patrol last spring, she said, and he used to take care of repairs for her. There."

The roof, with all of its secrets revealed, now stands acceptably free of snow. Kaidan tosses down the shovel, before half sliding his way down and onto the woman's woodpile, the better to turn up beside his new partner in home renovation. She's got nearly a half foot in height on him, so he's left to look up as he smiles with a bit of sheepish amusement and admits that "What I know about carpentry wouldn't fill a page... but I figure having a patched roof that doesn't look pretty is better then having a roof that leaks, right?"