Hesperus pulled the wheel, and the ship swung in an arc, rolling toward the wall for three painful seconds before the thrusters pushed her upright. Again, Hesperus shouted for Pine, and this time the engines roared, shoving them back in their seats as the ship drove forward.

Caledonia couldn’t keep her eyes off the wall. They traveled along it now, not four feet away. It would have taken so little to send them careening into it.

“Captain?” Hesperus asked, his hand landing heavily on her shoulder.

When she turned, she found all four of her companions were looking at her. Each of them wore expressions of concern, as though that hadn’t been the first time Hesperus called to her.

She nodded once, swallowing her heart, her lungs, her guts, everything that had jammed into her throat during that terrifying maneuver.

“What about firing capacity?” she asked, ignoring every ounce of their concern. “Your ship damaged our propeller but didn’t take us down.”

“Each deepship carries four dozen stable missiles. They pack a decent punch against smaller ships, but I’ve got my people working on something that will hit harder,” he admitted. “We’re building our stores as we speak.”

Caledonia gazed through the rounded window. So little of the vast ocean was visible beyond it. They would need a clear day, a skilled crew, and some degree of luck on their side to use deepships to their full effect.

Still, a submerged attack was one no Bullet would ever see coming.

“I can fight with these,” she confirmed. “But it’s going to take some time to train the crew.”

“I can give you time,” Hesperus said, solemn. “But work fast.”

Chapter Forty-four

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

It was strange to feel rested. For a week, they’d had regular meals, comfortable beds, and now they had a mission.

Every member of the crew had been given the chance to stay in Cloudbreak or join the fleet. And one by one, they’d come to Caledonia with their support, commitment, and consent.

Harwell had come to her first, his shoulders hunched so even his ears looked nervous as he raised his hands in the sign of consent. Nettle had been next, delivering a commitment that sounded nearly like a threat. And then all the others, filing into her cabin one at a time.

Last was Oran. He stood in the doorway of her cabin, dusk light caught in his dark hair, and with a slight bow said, “I am yours, Caledonia. Whatever you need.”

When it was over, she sat in her cabin and named them all in her head, knowing that after this there might be too many for her to remember. Knowing that after this, she would lead people she might never meet. Pisces had been right to question her fears. Caledonia wasn’t afraid that people wouldn’t follow her. Not anymore. Now she was more afraid that so many seemed ready to do so.