“Memory’s down. Can’t ask her,” Andi replied, grabbing her sheathed swords from their spot on the back of her captain’s chair. She buckled the twin belts across her chest, looking more like herself than she had in weeks.

“Looks like we’re about to find out.” Dex unholstered his gun. “They’re almost here.”

As if the mystery passengers had heard them, a voice suddenly blasted from the transport’s speakers.

“Come out, weapons down, or we will fire!”

“Think they mean it?” Lon wondered, brows raised.

Dex shrugged. “I don’t plan to find out. Arm up and meet me in the cargo hold.”

“You can’t be serious, Dex. You want to walk into enemy hands?” Andi huffed.

Dex felt a flicker of annoyance. “We don’t exactly have many options. We either take our chances with these people,” he said, checking the clip on his gun, “or we freeze to death in here. You decide, Androma.”

“I have a better idea,” Andi said. “We need a ride to the city...” She looked out the window at the transport, her hands clenching around her sword hilts. “So let’s take it.”

“Where’s Lon?” Andi asked, running into the cargo hold.

“He had to grab something from his bunk,” Dex said, handing Andi a planetary suit and grabbing one for himself just as Lon rushed in the door as well, carrying a small backpack.

It was squirming.

“Nope,” Dex said, shaking his head. “Hell no, Lon. You’re not bringing that thing with us.”

Havoc’s telltale yowl sounded out from inside the pack.

To Dex’s surprise, Andi responded this time. “We have to.”

“You hate that thing as much as I do!”

She shrugged. “You want to face Gilly’s wrath when we free her, and Havoc isn’t in tow?”

Dex imagined the little girl’s classic, mischievous snarl. “No,” he said, sighing and looking back at Lon. “Keep the Fellibrag under control, Sentinel, or I’m putting a bullet through its brain.”

“I’m not entirely sure it has one,” Andi said with a laugh.

They each pulled on their suits, and although the material was thin and light, that didn’t fool Dex. It was designed to protect its wearer from the harshest environments, ranging from lava worlds to frozen wastelands, like Solera. They’d cost him a hell of a lot of Krevs, and while Dex had once been furious that Andi had stolen the suits, along with the Marauder, years ago, he was glad for her thievery now. Without the suits, they’d be screwed.

Dex buckled his weapons belt around the suit, as did Andi. But Lon carried no visible weapons, simply slinging the pack he’d retrieved over his shoulder. Havoc hissed in response.

The only thing left for them to do was step outside and face their fate. Whether that be death, imprisonment or freedom, they had yet to find out.