But for some reason, he let it slide. Let his elder son take the fall.

“Very well,” he said. “Gather them up. We’re taking them back to the commissary immediately where you will apologize to Darby and then volunteer to clean the mess hall for the next week.”

“But . . .”

“Unless he or I decide to make it two.”

For a second, Leo thought his brother was going to buckle, to recant his fake confession and toss Leo back under the bus where he rightfully belonged. But Gareth held firm, nodding solemnly and then stacking the chocolate bars neatly on top of each other.

As he did, Leo noticed Gareth slyly push one of the bars underneath the blanket on Leo’s bed. Their father didn’t see because he’d turned back to his younger son, still shrinking in his chair. He stared at Leo for five agonizing seconds.

“Next time, just tell me the truth,” he said finally.

Leo stayed seated as Dr. Fender led the newly condemned from the room, stack of stolen chocolate bars in hand, ready to apologize for a crime he didn’t even commit.

Only once they were gone and the door was sealed shut did Leo take the treasure from where Gareth had tucked it, stuffing it into one of his brother’s running shoes instead, hoping they could share it later.

He and his brother, in it for the long haul together.

He heard her voice calling down to them and instantly Leo was back on that bridge on Vestra, lying on the ground, buffeted by the howling wind, sucking wind himself, having just saved Boo from plummeting to his death as the bounty hunter approached.

Zennia was here. She’d found them. Again. Except this time it wasn’t Leo’s name she called.

“Bastian Black . . .”

The captain stood in front of Leo, who was still kneeling next to Crayt, hands wet with the Aykari’s shiny blood. Zennia stood at the top of the ramp, just out of sight.

“Tell your crew to holster their weapons. I just want to talk.”

“No offense, Zenn,” Baz called up to her, “but our last conversation got real awkward real fast. If I recall, one of your drones put a hole in Boo, and you tried to put one in my head, so you’ll understand if I’m not really in a mood to catch up. Besides, things are a little tense out here. My robot just lost her first boyfriend and I’ve got an exiled Aykari scientist bleeding on the floor.”

Not to mention the whole blowing-up-planets thing, Leo thought.

“You’d all be bleeding on the floor if I hadn’t shown up,” Zennia said. “Believe me, if I had wanted you dead, I could have waited another ninety seconds for those bots to finish the job. So do me a favor and put your guns away.”

Baz looked at Kat. “What do you think? She did just save our necks.”

“Yeah. Probably so she could get the satisfaction of snapping them herself,” Kat countered, but Baz was already holstering his pistol. With a frustrated groan, Kat slung the rifle back over her shoulder. “Fine, but if she shoots you this time, it’s your own fault.”