Nor smiled. “Because your crew is about to die trying to get to their dear captain. Every last one of them.”

The door to the satellite filled with enemy reinforcements.

They were clad in the crimson, bulletproof armor of the New Vedans, similar to what Klaren wore, but lighter in weight, helmets covering their faces. They filed into the massive satellite, one after the other, at least fifty in number. They far outweighed Andi’s small crew.

“Line up!” Breck shouted from the other side of the rounded space.

Andi saw her crew, fearless as ever, get into their formation, side by side, Dex along with them. Her girls, so beautiful in their freedom, were still here. Why hadn’t they left yet?

But Andi knew. Their hearts were just as loyal as hers.

She wouldn’t have left without them, either. It made her ache even more, for what she would likely have to do.

“Fire!” Breck shouted.

A spray of bullets hit the soldiers, but they rebounded off their armor, useless.

The soldiers turned their rifles to the crew, and Klaren screamed, lifting her arms up as the soldiers fired. A crimson shield of electricity flared to life, holding back the spray of bullets. They pinged to the ground in a silver rain.

Breck moved to stand behind Klaren, supporting her as the soldiers shot again. The shield crackled, but held strong. Lira and Gilly were behind it, safe, Dex at their side.

But for how long?

“They will fall,” Nor said as she lunged at Andi again. Andi careened to the right, slicing out with her blade, but Nor dodged it. “That shield will not last forever, Androma. And when it fizzles out, I will make sure that you watch me destroy them all one by one. So come forward, and give me your title. You’re only wasting time in a battle you cannot win.”

“Never,” Andi swore. “I will never willingly give you that access.”

She’d hoped, oh, she had hoped, that her crew would have been able to fight their way out of this. That they had been able to get to Valen, to kill him before the upload began.

But the plan had failed, had gotten out of hand.

Nor laughed, diving toward her again. Andi slashed out with her knife and sliced Nor’s wrist, a wicked cut that went deep, but the woman didn’t even flinch, didn’t even seem to feel the pain as she paced, circling, ready to attack again at Darai’s command.

My children must live, for the galaxy to be free, Klaren had said to Andi, in their private moments together aboard the ship on their journey here. While the new crew and Dex had slept, they’d met in secret. They’d spoken of their plans to save Mirabel, together, in the midst of a hopeless war. They’d come up with a second plan, should the first fail.

For they would lose.