"Not abandoning you—leaving. Walking away from this life while I still can, while I still have a reason to walk toward something better."
The crew absorbed this in silence; they were too startled to ask what she was going to do.
Grevik was the first to speak.
"You found your sister," he said.
"After all these years."
"I did." Elisabeth looked at Maureen standing nearby.
"And you all are aware of the mindset, once I have decided, I won't back down and this is one of those things. I hope you all understand and move on without me."
"Though I will miss you all and the Darkwhale, I want to live with my sister and take care of her from here on out."
"We understand, Captain," Grevik said, and around him the crew nodded.
They weren't happy—losing Elisabeth meant losing the protection and success she'd brought them—but they understood in the way people understood when someone they respected made a choice for personal reasons rather than strategic ones.
