Massive spire-like fins bisected a huge ring at various intervals around its circumference. Their top points leaned inward over the center point of the ring, while the far ends opened wide at their nadir below. They were set into a large gouge in the outer edge of the ring, suggesting to Naecia that they were movable, able to slide into different positions around the circumference. Inside the ring was a central spindle, whose shape mimicked the larger profile, with smaller spire-fins and all. The base of the spindle twisted to a jagged point far below the rest of the ship. It was easy to guess that this was the business end of the vessel – the lance, as it were, in Timelance.

In light of its appearance, the fact that it also had a dilation cloak – an artificial gravity generator with the ability to pull the background starfield into the foreground for the purpose of concealment while somehow managing not to crush the ship itself – was hardly shocking. They were here now, showing themselves. Defiant. If there was a God of Armageddon, this was its ship.

Place the Stringer inside the voidscull.

Aptat watched the display intently. “Voidscull on the way, guys. Suit up.”

Oush went to where they had laid out the Vortu voidsuits, modified in anticipation of conflict with various armaments. Naecia counted off the steps of their plan in her head. Oush would be the bait. He’d go across in the voidscull and hopefully dock somewhere near to where they were keeping the Earth man. Location was important. She would need to know where to focus her mind when she tried to put the Silent Child inside the Timelance.

Oush donned his voidsuit and Aptat helped Naecia into hers, which was tailored to fit her smaller frame, while retaining its potent fragrance. They’d taken out some excess length and changed the locations of the utility mounts so they could be accessed by her smaller hands from within the suit. It was still baggy. Catching her reflection in the ship’s polished steel walls, she looked like a shriveled medji fruit. She did not smell like fruit.

Naecia and Oush each carried a blunderbuss at their hips and a dozen Vortu grenades over their chests. The only other weapon – the only real weapon – they had was Aptat, fully back in deadly carapace.

The voidscull arrived, settling into the bay just below the deck. Aptat triggered the console, which then split apart to expose the fairing-end of it. “Oush, your ride is here.”

“We’re really going to do this?” said Izairis, though it sounded more like a statement that one says only to see how crazy it sounds when spoken aloud.

“No matter how it goes,” said Naecia with forced confidence, “we’re sure to give the Scythin a surprise.”

“Yes, maybe they will simply faint from shock,” said Aptat.

Oush climbed up and wedged himself inside the voidscull.