I didn’t have an answer for that. I didn’t dare even consider one. Obsidian was far bigger than Sanctuary. If aliens got loose on this station, I trembled to think of the devastation. And it wasn’t like we could just destroy the station with everyone on it, even if we had a ship. “One problem at a time,” I sighed at last. “Let’s find out what’s actually happening.” But even as I said it, something broke loose in my chest. Cage confiding in me, not hiding behind his bluster, even if it was just for a moment: that was what I needed to give me courage, more than anything else he could ever say.

Courage or not, every step, I expected to encounter one of the three remaining bounty hunters. But they apparently had their hands full and trusted Matt and Bian to take care of us. Exactly what was Matt’s relationship with these people? We’d only been separated for a little under a month. By the time they debriefed him and fused a bunch of metal to his spine, convinced him to join Legion, he couldn’t have known these hunters for more than a few days. How did they claim his loyalty over people he’d known for years?

With a rush of embarrassment, I realized the same question applied to me. Was my dad wondering that himself, sitting on an Omnistellar ship, desperately trying to figure out what had happened to his dutiful, rule-abiding daughter? Or was his only concern recapturing me? Or worse yet, alien tech?

One problem at a time, I reminded myself. Fall down seven times, get up eight.

We reached the docking ring without incident. We found it completely deserted. Red lights illuminated the space in periodic bursts, but no alarms sounded. We stepped off the ship hesitantly, Mia still invisible in front of us somewhere, me with my stun gun drawn, Alexei, Cage, and Jasper poised and ready for action.

But there was no one there. It was like one of those horror movies where a disaster sweeps through a bustling area and suddenly it’s a graveyard. The formerly busy, crowded docking area stood completely empty.

There was no sign of attack, though. Aside from a few hastily dropped tools against one wall and the creepy red mood lighting, everything seemed to be in order. All docking doors were sealed, but most of them still had the green light illuminated overhead, meaning no one was cleared to depart.

I advanced barely a step into the docking ring. Something about the silence, the red lights, the emptiness, set off warning bells in my head. The air seemed thicker, saturated with tension. I swallowed hard. “Mia?” I whispered.

She shimmered into view barely a foot in front of me. Her shoulders drew together so tightly my neck ached in sympathy. “What the hell is going on?” she demanded.