“Wait!” Ana cried as the woman wound her fist back. “Viera, it’s me!”

The woman froze. She looked down at her for a moment as if she didn’t know her. Then, slowly, she lowered her fist. “. . . Ana?”

Ana shimmied out from underneath her, not quite believing her eyes. “You—you’re alive?”

Slowly, Viera’s eyes widened with the same mystified look, as if they were two ghosts seeing each other in a world where ghosts did not wander. Then Viera, coming back to her senses, quickly doubled over and pressed her forehead against the ground. “Your Grace.” Her voice shook. “Your Grace, please forgive me. I did not know it was you—”

Alarmed, Ana quickly pulled them both to their feet. “No—no don’t. Stop.”

“But Your Grace—”

“How’re you alive? How’d you get here?”

Surprised, Viera looked from Ana to the bot, and then back to her. “I—I was imprisoned, but I cannot remember for how long. They were taking me somewhere. Then the lights went out and I decided to try and escape. What are you doing here? How did you survive?”

“It’s a long story. Come on—the docking bay isn’t far—at least, I think.” She grabbed Viera by the wrist and pulled her down the hallway toward the elevator.

But there was someone already there.

The stranger turned around, finally hearing their footsteps, a moment before Viera launched herself at him, grabbing him by the throat, and pinned him against the closed elevator doors. In the harsh red emergency light light, Ana made out the unruly curls of brown hair, the stubble prickling against his chin. And Valerio blue eyes.

“Mercy!” the stranger wheezed.

Ana blinked. “Robb? Viera—it’s Robb!”

He slapped at Viera’s wrist to get her to let go of his throat, and she did. He gasped for breath. “Goddess’s spark— Vee?”

Viera blinked at him a moment before she responded, “Robbert. You are . . . taller.”

“And you’re alive?”

“If you’re here—Siege sent you?” Ana added, hopeful.

He shot her a wounded look. “I sent myself, thank you—”

“Then where’s the captain?”

“She’s on her way. We need to get to the docking bay and out of here—Jax is going to meet us there,” he added, glancing back over his shoulder. “Assuming we make it there.”

As if on cue, a patrol of Messiers came down the farthest end of the hall. Two in the front carried egg-shaped lights.

“We should probably get moving,” he added, and she agreed.

Together, they pulled open the elevator doors. Starlight spilled in through the crack like a beam of light after a long nightmare. It was so bright she winced. The outward wall of the elevator shaft was made of thick glass and looked out onto space to—

. . . a fleet of schooners marked with the royal crest making their way toward the dreadnought. There were dozens of them—too many to count. And she had the worst feeling that they had come to make sure she didn’t escape.