“You saved yourself too; don’t forget that. And now seems a good time to ask: what is this fantasy ledger to which everyone keeps referring where people are owed favors for taking actions no one asked them to take? The Earth man did the same thing and I humored him. I’m done playing these games of credit earned for selfish acts. I owe you nothing.”

Now it was clear. Naecia had been playing fair in a game where fairness was irrelevant. She glared at Aptat, sized them up. The stringhunter was strong, but weaponless. And it was Naecia who wore the protective carapace now – even if it lacked its lethal functionality. She’d never have this advantage again. She reached into the toolkit, still affixed to her chest, and withdrew a weighty bolt driver.

“Don’t do it,” warned Aptat. “We were just starting to get along. I was thinking about inviting you to my book club.”

Naecia lit across the floor.

“Come on then!” Aptat laughed as if they were summoning a pet. “That’s it!” Then, unflinching, they rattled off three words as Naecia neared. “Aureate Cicatrix. Disassemble.”

The armor exploded from around her body like a broken shell, clattering to the floor in pieces. She tripped and stumbled forward. Aptat caught her by the neck. Again.

“Oops,” said Aptat, as their face morphed into a terrifying configuration, bearing long crystalline teeth and tiny, angry eyes. A low, click-clicking growl burbled in their throat. They lifted her upright then squeezed. “You fool. You utter fool.”

Naecia’s spiracles fluttered. She gritted her teeth, feeling the sting of the stringhunter’s words because they were true.

“Your neck keeps finding ways to end up in my grasp. Why is that?” said Aptat, flicking the amulet hanging below her chin. “And what is this, anyway? You’re always playing with it. Some bauble imbued by sentiment and nostalgia?”

“Don’t... you,” she hissed, barely able to force words, “touch... it.”

“Here is what will happen. You are going to complete the cheat drive while I salvage that cruiser. Then, we are going to take a trip to some other galaxy in the cluster. I’ll even let you pick the destination.” They released her and she collapsed to the floor, hands to neck. “Cheat drive or no, the next time I will crush your throat and watch you die.”

Naecia cried. She didn’t want to. But it was the only thing left. She wasn’t going to work on the cheat drive only to have it used – should she actually be successful – to escape the Dasma Arm knowing her family, her home, and everyone she’d ever known would be destroyed when the Earth man finally delivered the Chime to the Scythin. Aptat might as well just kill her now, and she was about to say so.

Oush cleared his throat from behind. “Oops.”