Eris straightened, in full general mode. “Clo, get to the bridge. Let’s hyperjump out of here. After that, we’ll tear this place apart until we find the bastard. The last thing we need is someone here still under the Oracle’s influence. If he can’t contact the Tholosians, he’ll try to kill us to take back the ship.”

“Someone better come with me,” Clo said. “I’ve heard enough horror stories to know that the loner always dies first.”

“I’ll come,” Nyx said.

Granted, Nyx was plenty fearsome herself. “Good.” Clo glanced at Asteria. “Eris, can you shift our ship away from the doors and anchor it better? Then I can help Ariadne prep for a hyperjump.”

Eris nodded once, sharp. “Right.”

Eris following orders without question gave Clo a little thrum of power. Even if it was only to feign allyship in front of the other women, Clo would take it.

As Clo and Nyx headed for the door, lights flashed throughout the bay. Metal screeched, the overhead lamps flickering as more power went to the shields.

Clo grabbed her Mors from its holster. “Ariadne,” she called, knowing the girl would hear through the comm system. “What is that?”

“Someone’s opening the exterior hatch.” Ariadne’s breathless voice echoed through the loading bay. “Get out of the loading bay. Now!”

The three women raced for the door.

Behind them, the metal gears of the heavy hatchway whined. That damned gate only needed to open a fraction and the oxygen would be sucked from the room. Seconds later, they’d be blasted out into space. Dead. Gone. All because some brainwashed muskeg in an ugly spacesuit wanted to return to his corrupt Empire.

Nyx reached the bay door first and bashed the button. She swore, low and urgent as the sluggish backup generators failed to respond. She hit the button a few more times.

“Move,” Clo said, elbowing her way in.

She grabbed the powered crowbar still clipped to her tool belt and jammed it into the door. With a grunt, Clo heaved. The metal door only moved an inch. Not wasting any time, Eris wrapped her fingers around the crowbar to add leverage. Nyx slammed the button again, and between the force and that godsdamned generator waking up, the door finally, finally opened.

They all dove through. Nyx twisted to close the door and it slammed shut with a heavy, metallic bang.

Too close for comfort, Clo heard the roar of air leaving the loading bay. “My gods,” she murmured, patting herself. “We almost died. I almost died. That fluming berm almost killed us.”

“Get up,” Eris said shortly, pushing to her feet. She leaned against the door to peer into the porthole. “Oh, son of a bitch.”