Breck nodded in agreement, taking off her cap, the golden Solis sigil on it sparkling as she set it down beside her. “Sexy. As. Hell.”

They were like sisters, the three of them, their bond forged through a past they all wished to forget.

“But seriously. You’re doing good, Gil,” Breck added. “Keep it up, and you’ll be out there in the galaxy soon, shooting Unaffecteds, clearing out the nonbelievers.”

“Do you think Queen Nor will ever come down and visit us?” Gilly asked.

Everyone wanted a chance to see the queen, to kiss her hand or simply gaze upon her. She’d turned Mirabel from a place of hatred and darkness to one of glorious, peaceful light. Under her reign, everyone was united behind one cause.

Lira shrugged. “She’s so busy, ensuring Nexus is built and the plans for Phase Two are set in place.”

“Let’s not forget her efforts to take down Arachnid and his so-called resistance,” Breck added, her face set in a grim expression.

Lira’s blood went hot at the thought of those betrayers. Ever since they’d seen Arachnid’s threat playing across the feeds, Lira had felt even more committed to protecting Queen Nor’s rule. Arachnid and his rebels had no place in this galaxy, and Lira would make sure they bowed down to their rightful queen, even if she had to hunt them down one by one herself.

“They won’t be a problem for much longer,” Lira said. The Unaffected numbers were few, and Nor’s army was many, spanning all the planets across the galaxy.

“I wonder how the queen is feeling about all this. What is she going to do?” Gilly asked. Although Gilly was brave, she was still very young, and she tended to worry about things Lira generally didn’t even think about. Their queen was strong, of course, but with so many factors demanding her attention, Lira hoped she was aided by loyal aides and advisers. All-powerful or not, Queen Nor was still just one person.

“I’m sure she’s doing fine,” Lira told Gilly reassuringly. “Especially knowing how capable her army is. We lessen her burden, and we’ll do whatever it takes to stop the rebels.”

“Right now, there are more important things for the queen to handle, like Phase Two. A few rebel sympathizers are nothing but pesky insects,” Breck added, giving Gilly’s shoulder a squeeze. The small girl smiled.

“What is Phase Two?” Gilly wondered.

Phase Two hadn’t been shared with the grunt soldiers like them yet—the queen needed to keep many of her plans under wraps for now, until the Unaffected threat was eliminated. But Lira knew it would be glorious, and she’d do whatever was asked of her when the time arrived.

“It doesn’t matter what it is,” Lira said. “We’re blessed to be able to serve her together. That’s enough for me.”