Santa Elena flashes a wicked grin as she prowls around behind Swift. “Because we have something she’s interested in protecting,” the captain says, sinking her nails into Swift’s shoulder.

Swift sits up straighter. A bubble of laughter rises from the crew, and a blush starts to work its way into her cheeks.

“You’ve done well, kid. Exceeded expectations, that’s for sure. You kept both Cassandra and the beast alive. And there were … certain bonuses to putting you two together, it seems.” Santa Elena pauses to let everyone savor the implication of her words. “But all things end, Swift, and you’ve reaped the benefits of this opportunity enough.”

If she doesn’t step away from Swift soon, I’m going to do something drastic. My fingers twitch, itching for Otachi controls, and for a second I forget my place on this ship. I forget that the captain has forty people at her back who would kill me if I went near her. I forget that the only thing protecting me is an inbound fleet that’s probably still leagues off. All I care about right here and now is putting myself between Swift and the captain.

I’ve taken three steps before I realize what’s happening, and Santa Elena slips her gun out of her holster, her fingers still crimped in Swift’s shoulder. She doesn’t seem to notice that she’s drawn her weapon until the silence of the room around us sinks in.

The captain snorts. “Cassandra, let me make one thing very, very clear.” She lifts the gun and points it at me. “There’s going to come a time when I ask you to jump and instead of saying ‘how high,’ you’re going to refuse, even with a gun to your head. I know it has its limits. But this,” she says, shifting her aim to Swift. “This doesn’t.”

Swift glares up at me, her eyes shimmering slightly in the low light. Her fists are clenched so tightly that her knuckles flash bone-white. Here, before the entire crew, the crew she’s supposed to be in contention to lead someday, Swift is being strung out like bait. And it’s all my fault.

I shudder, knowing the worst of it. When I get off this boat, when the pursuit catches up and Santa Elena relinquishes me, there’s going to be no one left on the Minnow who’s really on Swift’s side.

“Fail to defend this ship, and I think you know me well enough to guess what happens next,” she says, nosing the barrel into the side of Swift’s skull.