Still craved it, perhaps as much as Nor.

She’d have to find a way to deal with the two of them. To establish new leaders of the planetary systems, and together, they’d create an entirely new set of fail-safes for the nuclear arsenal. It was staggering to even ponder on such things. To even consider that Andi—a space pirate, and the Bloody Baroness—would have a hand in that.

“Cap?” Gilly asked.

Andi turned back to look at her crew.

Loyal. Honest. Brave.

All of them, waiting on her word.

“It’s actually General now, Gil,” Andi said, surprised by how the word seemed to feel different now as she said it. Frightening, yes. But it wasn’t a role she stepped into alone. She took in all their faces, one by one. Lira. Breck. Gilly. Dex. A family that had faced the very worst and stayed together through it all.

“We’re going to do what we’ve always done,” Andi said. “We’re going to take it one step at a time. Together.”

She had no idea how to run a planet, but she had a team at her side, and together, they would find a way to restart things. To find the right people to put into place.

“But first...” Dex said, turning so that they faced the exit to the satellite. “We’re going to blow this thing to bits.”

The sun had set, the two moons just beginning to glow in the Arcardian sky.

“Can I do the honors, please?” Gilly asked, running past Andi toward the exit, out into the waiting night. The soldiers were already exiting the satellite, walking in a haze as the compulsion wore away and freedom sank back in. It would take time for everyone to regain themselves. To settle back into their own minds.

So many lives had been lost.

Far too many to count.

Still, Andi found herself smiling softly as she watched Gilly rush away. “Breck, make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“On it,” Breck said, following after Gilly’s shadow. “Though I can’t make any promises.”

Lira looked at Andi and Dex and raised a hairless brow. “They say the estate has a very nice Griss cellar. It was Lon’s favorite. In Adhira, we drink for the dead. And I believe there are many souls that need to be honored tonight.”

“Go ahead,” Andi said with a solemn nod. “We’ll catch up soon.”

Then she and Dex stepped out into the night. The wind was cold, giving Andi a sudden burst of energy. Soldiers filed out across the estate grounds, ready to head back to their homes, to find the ones they loved.