“Oh!” Naomi exclaimed, as if Valerie’s words had made sense, and Valerie stopped and twisted, a smile unfurling on her face. Naomi still had no idea, but it was a chance to play for time to come up with something better. Naomi held her hands out as if for comfort. Valerie exhaled, her arms coming around Naomi, her head resting near her neck. “I’m proud of you, Naomi.”

Naomi’s mind kept whirring, and then it clicked into place. Ah. In her mind’s eye she saw her snow globe, resting on her desk. The glitter held down by gravity. One of the few personal items she’d brought on board. It was like Valerie, to hide it right under Naomi’s nose. Could it really have been there all along, even when Naomi had unwrapped it that Christmas morning?

Before she could pull away, Naomi glanced over Valerie’s shoulder, watching as Lebedeva rose from the autodoc like Lazarus. Naomi stepped back just as Lebedeva grabbed Valerie. Valerie yowled, reaching for Naomi, frantic, her fingernails scratching across Naomi’s right cheek hard enough to bleed. Naomi hunched her shoulders, wrapping one arm across her stomach and cradling her face with the other.

Valerie twisted, clawed, but she was weak compared to Lebedeva. The Russian wrestled her into the autodoc, snapping the restraints around her arms and legs.

Valerie spat, screamed.

“Hold still, or this will hurt,” Naomi said, prepping a new syringe. Her cheek burned. Valerie reluctantly stopped thrashing as Naomi slid the IV needle into her vein, ready to inject it. Naomi’s hands still shook, but she did better than she had with Lebedeva.

Valerie’s breathing was short and fast, sweat beading at her brow. “What—?” she asked.

“Injected Lebedeva with saline,” Naomi said. She indicated the syringe she held. “This one is sodium thiopental anaesthetic. Never even prepped the potassium chloride. You didn’t watch closely enough.” And she’d let herself be distracted by Naomi’s act as the submissive daughter before she could check if Lebedeva was actually dead.

Valerie had always seen Naomi as someone who needed to be led. Even though Naomi had just been working behind Valerie’s back with Hart and Evan, Valerie thought her adopted daughter would always be fundamentally truthful to someone’s face. Incapable of a little, simple sleight of hand.

Naomi gave her captain, her boss, her mentor, her almost-mother a smile before she pushed the syringe into the IV line.

“Nomi…” Valerie began, before her words slurred and her eyes flickered shut.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

129 Days After Launch

2 Days to Mars

43 Minutes to Change Trajectory

120 Days to Cavendish

Lebedeva sagged against the wall. “You did it.” She was clearly shaken. She’d made her peace, accepted what Naomi was about to do, and then… not died.