Andi leaned her head back against the rocky wall. Dex offered her his shoulder instead. She hated the thought of leaning against him, of being like any other couple, when they were so clearly not. But as she shifted closer to him, accepting his comfort, she knew that Dex was simply another part of her story. He’d stuck with her through battles and blades, and they both had the scars to show for it.

So why wouldn’t he choose her side now?

“You know, I never wanted to be a space pirate,” Andi said. She could feel Dex’s soft breathing as his shoulder rose and fell beneath her. “I just never wanted to be someone else’s lackey. Running around the galaxy, doing their bidding. So I did it, originally, to survive. But it wasn’t until I met the girls that I fell in love with taking care of them. Being their captain. And it didn’t matter what I had to do to see them sleep soundly at night, to give them a home with me on the Marauder.”

She glanced sideways at him, so close she could see the deep scar on his neck that she’d once given him.

“That hasn’t changed, Dex. No matter where it leads me, no matter what I have to do... I’ll protect my girls, at all costs. Even if it means losing my life in the process.”

Dex closed his eyes suddenly, pinching them tight as if she’d just stabbed him in the chest all over again, as she’d done all those years ago. “Do you not care about your freedom, Androma? Do you not care about your own life?”

“Not without my crew,” Andi answered at once.

“Don’t you want to know what I think about all of this?” Dex asked, eyes flicking open to fall on hers.

No, she wanted to say. But the word failed her.

“I think,” Dex said, not pulling away from her gaze, “that you love your crew so fiercely, and with such loyalty, that sometimes you forget about yourself.”

“I...” Andi’s words trailed away.

Because he was right again.