Kat adjusted her grip on the awkward alien controls and Leo willed his stomach to stay steady as the ship jolted out of hyperspace, adding even more to that inside-out feeling. He could see Gareth turn a little green, but then his brother’s eyes changed from slits to saucers as he stared out through the cockpit.

“Oh,” he said. “Oh man.”

Leo followed his brother’s gaze out into the void, locking onto the beautiful blue ball spinning imperceptibly in the distance, looking just the same as it did three years ago. He felt a shiver work its way through his entire body. He honestly wasn’t sure he’d ever see her again.

“That’s it?” Kat said. “I remembered it being bigger. And bluer.”

Leo reminded himself that Kat had been gone much longer than them, blasting off when she was a little girl, with little memory of what she was leaving behind.

“No way. It’s perfect,” Gareth said. Leo reached over and took his brother’s hand.

A series of flashing lights indicating an incoming communication. Kat opened the channel to hear Baz’s voice piped in from the Icarus.

“My god, she’s gorgeous, isn’t she?”

In the background Leo heard Skits say, “Meh.”

“There’s quite a crowd out here,” Kat said, doing a quick scan of all the ships in orbit—once she figured out what buttons to push. Leo counted at least a half dozen large vessels on the radar. All of them looked like they could be warships.

A third voice cut in over the coms. Zennia had come out of her jump as well. “My readings indicate the ships are mostly human design. Some Aykari support craft, but mostly EDF.”

“Good,” Baz said. “I’d much rather deal with our own kind.”

“Well, you’re about to get your wish,” Kat said. “Looks like that big cruiser is hailing us.” She tapped more buttons, activating another channel. A human voice addressed them.

“Aykari transport, you are entering EDF-protected planetary space. Please identify yourself.”

Here we go, Leo thought. Time to save the world.

“My name is Katarina Corea and I’m originally from this protected planetary space. We have reason to believe that Earth is in imminent danger of a Djarik attack and request to speak to your commanding officer immediately.”

The channel went silent.

“You request to speak?” Leo marveled. “Since when does Katarina Corea request anything?”

“That ship can turn this ship to scrap in seconds. I’m trying to be diplomatic.”

The voice that came back through the coms was also human, but deeper and lacking any measure of pleasantry at all. “Captain Corea, this is Commander Marcellis with the EDF. Be advised, we have identified two potentially hostile craft among your party. State your intentions immediately.”

Before Kat could answer, Baz’s voice trumped hers, his approach a little more in-your-face. “Our intentions? How about to keep this planet from being turned into an instant asteroid field?”

Kat’s chin dropped to her chest. “So much for diplomacy.”

“Who am I speaking to?” the commander demanded.