‘Energy readings negligible,’ he says. ‘They are d-dead, Canoness.’

Elivia looks at Okash. ‘Hail the cardinal world,’ she says.

Okash nods his head. His skin is sallow, and his lips are split so badly that they bleed anew when he speaks. ‘Aye, Canoness,’ he says, before looking to his vox-officer. ‘Broadcast repeat identification hail on all bands and ranges.’

‘Aye, sir,’ says the vox-officer, before turning in her seat. The woman’s head is bound in old bandages stained with blood. ‘Though we’ll need more power for all bands and ranges, sir.’

Okash settles back in his throne. ‘Cut power to all shields save the forward facing,’ he says. ‘The state we’re in they’ll make little difference anyway.’

A chorus of hoarse, exhausted aye, sirs answer Okash as the vox-officer begins the broadcast.

‘This is Dauntless-class cruiser designate Unbroken Vow approaching Dimmamar high orbit,’ she says. ‘Please acknowledge.’

The only answer is the hiss of static, so the vox-officer sets about repeating the hail. As she does so, the cathedral world grows closer. Larger. Larger in my head. Larger in my heart. It grows close enough for me to be able to see a single, tiny point of golden light between its thunderous, shifting clouds. My scars burn as I step down from the command dais, and approach the viewport slowly. I am dimly aware of Elivia saying my name. Ravara, too. It runs together as it did in the refuge halls and the hospitaller’s ward and the corridors. As it did in my dreams.

Evangeline. Evangeline. Evangeline.

As I reach the viewport I catch sight of myself reflected in the frost-patterned, treated armaglass. My outline is warped and wavering as though I am on fire. Ablaze. Through my reflection I see Dimmamar. I see the single point of light. It is wavering too, like a candle might. I reach out towards the light. Towards myself.

Evangeline. Evangeline.

As my fingertips make contact with the armaglass the burning stops and the world seems to stop with it. All sensation. All sound, save for one. Adelynn’s voice, in my ear.

Are you ready?

‘Evangeline.’

The world returns in an instant. All sensation. All sound. I am still standing, my hand against the viewport. Two more figures are present in the reflection. Elivia, and Ravara. Their eyes are not fixed on Dimmamar, but on me.

‘I saw a light,’ I tell them, turning away from the viewport. ‘Between the clouds.’

Elivia smiles her blade’s edge smile. Ravara’s hand goes to the pendant at her throat. But before either of them can say a thing, the Vow’s vox-officer speaks.

‘Transmission from within the debris field, shipmaster,’ she says. ‘It’s a gamma-encrypted channel. Ident-codes cleared.’

‘Put it over the emitters,’ Okash says.

There is a crackle and a hiss of white noise, but then the channel comes clear and a voice cuts through.