From her vantage out in orbit, Zennia’s voice crackled in. “You two need to hurry. It’s getting dicey up here. The EDF is fully engaged but they are taking a beating, and it looks like that command ship is ready to rain down fire and fury.”

Gareth glanced at Leo, eyes round with fear. “If just one of those Djarik missiles makes contact, it’s all over.”

Leo nodded, then felt himself nearly knocked out of his seat once more as their ship took a glancing hit. Kat growled again. “Seriously, Commander Marcellis or whoever the hell is in charge up there, shut down these freaking guns now!” she shouted into the coms, but the turrets continued to fire, seeing anything as a threat.

“Kat!” Leo pointed up ahead. The Icarus’s shields were clearly depleted. A jet of white smoke plumed up from the ship’s left thruster.

“Baz, your engine’s blown,” Kat told him. “Time to cut that wire and get the hell out of there.”

“I’m so close,” Baz replied.

“Then what are you waiting for? Just launch the thing already!”

“Can’t. Targeting system’s busted.” Even through the pounding of Baz’s heavy metal, Leo could make out the Icarus’s alarms blaring, the sound of system failure shipwide. “Besides, this gun’s only got one bullet. Can’t risk having it shot down. I’m going to get right up on top and drop this bad boy straight in. Be just like Beggar’s Canyon back home.”

“You are home, you idiot,” Kat said.

“Yeah. Guess I am . . .” Leo saw the Icarus rock from another hit. Baz cursed again. “Hey, you remember what I said when I picked you up on Andural?” he shouted over the din of alarms and screaming guitars.

“Baz, now’s not the time—”

“Do you remember?”

“Yeah. You asked me if I needed a hand,” Kat replied. “I think you were trying to be funny.”

“And after that.”

“You said some things were worth saving.”

Zennia’s voice cut in suddenly, clouded by static, but still full of desperation. “You’ve got incoming! Multiple warheads. Hundreds of them headed your way.”

This is it, Leo thought.

He looked up, through the wisp of clouds to the bright flare of ships bursting into flames beyond the edge of Earth. He couldn’t see the missiles, but he could hear the roar of the ocean in his ears. He could smell the salty tang of the surf and feel the grit of the sand caked between his toes. And he heard his father’s voice . . . Baz’s voice . . . the two of them muddled by the static and the music and the alarms. But the message was clear enough.

“Bye, Kat.”

In the bright light of the sun, Leo saw the Icarus dive, disappearing into the canyon, leaving only a trail of charcoal-colored smoke in its wake. The music cut out, the drums frozen mid-beat.

“Baz?” Kat mashed the coms button. “Baz, do you read me?”

Leo held his breath, waiting for a response. Waiting for the captain’s cowboy holler or some smart-mouthed comeback. Waiting for the Icarus to come soaring back out of the canyon, rocketing up into the sky like a firework on First Contact Day.