Well, hard to argue with any of that. I shouldered my laser rifle and chimed in. “Also, the aliens seem to be adapting. The first time we shot them with laser rifles, they went to pieces. Now they have some sort of shielding against it. Same with Cage attacking them a moment ago.”

“Kind of like us,” said Alexei thoughtfully.

I blinked. He was right. Kind of like us . . . and especially, kind of like me. A shudder ran through me, and Cage’s hand drifted to the small of my back, steady and reassuring. “We have a few other weapons. Rune got us into the armory. We’ll fight as long as we can. The shuttle bay is at the rear of this level, and Rune says the manifest lists at least five shuttles. Once we get your dad, escaping shouldn’t be too difficult. Actually destroying this ship, or anything else, with the weaponry we find on a shuttle, though . . .”

“Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.” Priya marched forward, ignoring how Alexei and Mia refused to part for her, shouldering her way past Jasper and into the lead. “Engineering’s next. Hallam and Matt, take the rear. The rest of you, keep your eyes peeled.”

Mia’s face twisted into a snarl of rage, but Alexei caught her arm and pulled her along, murmuring to her under his breath.

Imani offered me a shaky smile as we followed. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she whispered.

“You too.” I examined her. “You doing all right? With the aliens?”

Some of the blood drained from her face, but she nodded. “I thought once I saw them again, I’d either be furious or too terrified to move. Turns out, I’m neither. I mean, I am scared, and I am angry. But mostly I just want to go home. Tell my family the truth about Aliya. I want to survive, and I’ll do what it takes to make that happen.” She smiled faintly. “Ideally without losing any of you.”

“Speaking of which,” said Reed, “do I dare ask where the other bounty hunter is?”

“Dead,” I replied quietly. “And the aliens took his body. I don’t know why.” I glanced between him and Imani. “My dad . . . he was injured in the attack. If—when we find him . . .”

“You don’t even have to ask,” Reed replied gently, and Imani nodded.

I blinked back tears. I’d never doubted them, but their words reassured me, gave me hope. Could I have healed Dad myself? Maybe. Who knew with the way things were going? But between the three of us, I knew he’d be okay . . . as long as he survived until I found him.

Cage’s hand tightened against my back, lending me unspoken support. “That reminds me, Priya’s hurt,” I managed, turning to Reed. “Can you maybe heal her before we go into engineering?”