But I’m a lot stronger than I was back then. I’m no longer anyone’s tool or bargaining chip. I step forward, raising my gun.

When he sees me, the captain pauses, surprise flickering across his face. I keep the gun aimed at him, but I know I can’t shoot; I need him to tell me where the vials are. He’s a private man, not the type to share information with his crew.

“Drop the comm,” I say. Too late, I realize how foolish my hesitation is—he could call for help and have the whole pirate crew descend on us in moments. But instead, he clicks the device off and lowers it to the floor. Good. If Drom blowing up the engine wasn’t enough of a distraction for Lyre, the abrupt loss of their captain’s orders should plant more confusion among the pirates. Perhaps the silence will bring them here to me, but if that’s the case, so be it.

“The weapon, too,” I say, noting the blaster on his hip. He obeys, moving very slowly. Still, I remain on guard. It doesn’t make sense that he’s being so compliant.

“Ah, if it isn’t Auriga’s eldest,” he says as he straightens, his gaze hovering on my wounded leg before flicking up to meet my eyes. “Made it through the war, then, Corvus? I thought of you when I heard the news about Titan.”

I frown but stay silent, stepping forward and waiting for him to reach for a weapon or pull some trick. Surely he must have something up his sleeve. Yet he merely remains with both hands in the air, his dark eyes tracking me.

“I’m sorry to hear about her, by the way,” he says, and I scowl. Bringing Momma into this is too much.

“Shut your mouth. You two hated each other.”

He chuckles.

“It was a fair bit more complicated than that,” he says. The words bring me back to Scorpia saying something similar about Orion, and Drom’s crude response to it. I grimace. “Your mother was a spirited woman,” he continues, while I try not to let my thoughts follow the path he’s trying to lure them down.

“I’m not interested in talking about her. Where’s your cargo? The vials?”

“You’ve got a lot of her in you. More than your siblings, I reckon.” He studies my face and smiles. “Though I guess you’re all pretty damn brave, trying to steal our cargo like this when you know it’s hopeless.”

“Answer the question.” I can’t let him get into my head.