The seven of them started searching their suits, trying to find an opening. Mitzi was feeling around the neck when a shriek and a flash of yellow light made her jump. She swivelled around to see Ellen stumbling away from the suit’s hand, which was spewing fire.

“Jeeze.” Mitzi jogged towards the flame and quickly pressed the button to turn it off. “You okay, Ellen?”

“Taurun,” the girl corrected, looking mortified. “I’m fine.”

“Yeah, I’m calling you Ellen.” Mitzi sighed and took the girl’s elbow to pull her away from the rest of the crew, who had returned to looking for the suit’s opening mechanism. “Listen, you’re going to be fine. I’m leaving you on the ship. You can go and sit with the pilot, Nic. He’s a nice guy. He’ll look after you.”

Ellen’s eyes widened then squeezed shut. “No. I said I was going to fight the Cymics.”

“Well, you’re not. I’d prefer knowing you’re safe here.”

“I made a promise,” Ellen stuttered. Her eyes opened, and tears began leaking down her cheeks again. “I can do this. I can help.”

Mitzi examined at the girl’s face. Her lips trembled, but her eyes didn’t invite objection. Mitzi raised her eyebrows. “Well, okay, then.”

There was a quiet whirring noise behind them, then Skye yelled, “Captain! I found how the suits open. It’s a button on the palm!”

Mitzi gave Ellen’s forearm a quick squeeze then turned back to the suits. As promised, Skye’s opened. The chest, leg, and arm plates split outwards, showing the padded insides, with a perfect human-shaped hollow for its commander to fit into. “Terrific! Show me where.”

Skye pointed to the small button on the right wrist, and Mitzi quickly found it on her own suit. “Okay, be careful with that one. It’s right behind the electrocution button. The last thing I want is my crew fried before we even leave the ship.”

For a moment, whirring sounds filled the lounge area as the suits opened up, then Mitzi led her team by stepping into the hollow inside.

The intercom above her head crackled, then Nic’s voice came through the speakers. “Just wanted to let you guys know we’ll be touching down in ten minutes.”

Mitzi cursed. She’d been hoping to give her crew at least an hour of practice inside the suits before they had to use them on the battlefield. “Okay, we’ve still got a couple of minutes. How do we close these damn things?”

She glanced at her team, all standing inside the open suits like exposed mummies in their sarcophaguses, all watching her expectantly. Think, Mitzi: if the suit seals around you, you can’t move your hand…

Mitzi’s fingers found a button in her suit’s palm, and she pressed it. The suit whirred again, and the plates started folding around her. She fought against a spike of panic as the sensation of being trapped began to overwhelm her. She’d never been good with enclosed spaces. The plates gradually covered her, moving slowly and gently so that they didn’t pinch anything, until the face plates covered her eyes, blocking out all light.