Caledonia continued, “You’ve all worked hard and well. We are not the same crew we were at the beginning of this journey, and I am grateful to have you all fighting by my side.” She smiled and raised her glass. “To the good fight and to this fine crew!”

The cheer that rose from the crowd was even better than the wine. They slipped into their chairs and began filling their plates with meat and vegetables and bread. Even Far joined the line, and it was a delight to see her taking her fill for once.

Caledonia’s head was light from a few sips of wine, her stomach roared and her mouth watered, but she waited until everyone had a full plate before them. Then she piled her own plate high. Even after filling her mouth three times, there was still food on her plate. She was reminded so sharply of the few meals she’d taken in Slipmark, but where there had been plenty of food in the Bullet camp, each bite had been a reminder of Aric’s power. This meal was different. This was food he didn’t control, and it was food that would fuel resistance.

The sun rose in the morning sky, adding warmth to their gathering. There was teasing and negotiating and trading, and in the end, Nettle appeared to announce that there were sweet breads for everyone.

“You get one!” Nettle shouted. “And if you take more than your fair share, I’ll take your hand in return!”

The breads were distributed, more wine poured, and soon the stories began. They started quietly, one group of Blades swapping tales with some of the crew of the Mors Navis, but it wasn’t long before the group leaned collectively toward them, their ears eager. The Blades told stories of their magnificent hunts and the girls of defeated bale barges. These were the kinds of tales that would build a network between the two crews, and before long, their stories would overlap, weaving them into the same fabric.

“Tell us how you met the captain!” Tin called out, swept up in the spirit of things.

There was a pause as the Blades turned toward Sledge. He nodded to Pine, who sat up tall and began to tell the story.

“We kept our distance from the conscription ships, but we always watched them.” Pine spoke in a voice Caledonia had never heard; he spoke the way someone might when they enjoyed telling the story. “One morning, a conscription ship sailed into the bay and was attacked by a ship skinned with gray and sleek as a shark. The battle was a beauty to behold—a force of girls foiled Electra’s tech and stormed the ship, besting every Bullet on board. They fought well and then they left, all except for one.”