Gem’s expression hardens. “And with Hewett on board, they figure we’re less likely to attack the ship. What about the other hostages?”

“Not sure…” I toggle through more live feeds. “Oh.” The ice cube slides farther down my esophagus. “Dining room. The good news is they’re still alive….”

Gem risks a look at the screen.

The bad news is our friends are being held at gunpoint. In the middle of the dining room, Luca, Ophelia, Franklin, and Tia are on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs. Two hostiles stand behind them with Leyden guns trained on their heads. Two more hostiles, also armed with zappy mini harpoons, pace the room restlessly, like they’re waiting for orders….

“Human shields,” Gem mutters. “They take Hewett on the ship, leave the rest of our people here under guard. More insurance to let the Varuna get away safely. We have to take the dining hall, then reach the boat before it casts off.”

“But if we go charging in there—”

Above our heads, the ceiling vent rattles. I almost leap out of my squid boots. Gem trains his guns on the levered slates. The head of a small metal insect pokes out, its glittery eyes like Fabergé eggs.

I laugh with relief. “Pilot Bug?”

I can’t be sure if it’s the same drone who guided our ship into the lagoon days ago, but it spits a festive electrical spark as if it’s happy to see us. Then it buzzes out of its hiding place, followed by half a dozen of its shiny emerald insect friends.

“Oh, you beautiful bots!” I run a finger down Pilot Bug’s back, making its wings flutter. “I’m so glad you guys are safe.”

The bugs snap their mandibles and spit sparks, letting me know how they feel about LI taking over their base.

Gem shakes his head in amazement. “They must’ve been hiding in the ducts this whole time.”

The ductwork.

An idea starts to tingle at the base of my brain. I look at the bugs, then the monitor, then the AC vent. “Gem, do you have any nonlethal grenades?”

“Sure, but why… ?” His eyes gleam. “Oh, I get you.” He pulls one of his alt-tech baubles from his bandolier. “Pilot Bug, could you fly with this much weight?”

Pilot Bug’s wings buzz indignantly. He spools out his copper tongue and coils it around the grenade.

“Perfect,” Gem says. “One bug can carry; another can pull the pin. That’s a short-burst EMP. It won’t hurt people, but it should knock out anything electronic in an enclosed room. Pilot Bug, as soon as you drop it, you need to get away from there quick.”

“Hold on,” I say. “Will it work on their Leyden guns?”

Gem tilts his head. “I think so. Usually a thin metal sheath is enough to protect a piece of electronics. Our Leyden bullets are encased in carbonite inside a nemonium magazine. If we’re outside the room when the blast goes off, our weapons might be okay. But theirs…those harpoons carry the charge on the outside of the projectile. An EMP blast should at least short-circuit them, make them less dangerous. It might even make the weapons malfunction altogether.”