“The transmission isn’t done,” I pointed out.

“So one person stays behind and monitors it while the others get the ship,” Tamara said. “We dock as close as we dare—I assume the Viper can force dock?”

“Yeah, we’ve got gripping arms and a chute,” I confirmed.

“Do we have a way around the traps on the hull? The Republic told me that the hull around here is rigged with explosives, just like the walls.”

“I can shut down those traps the same way I remotely disabled and re-enabled that bomb in the door earlier.”

Tamara didn’t ask me how. I don’t think I realized until just then exactly how much she trusted me. “So we have a way to shut down the bombs,” she said. “One person stays behind. Two others get the Viper, dock as close as we dare, and whoever’s monitoring the transmission can stay with it to the last minute, then get on the ship.”

“Lantern-Eyes,” I said, pleased. “With the plans.”

“Thanks,” she said.

“The explosion of the sun is not precisely timed,” Indigo said. “It could happen sooner than anticipated. It’s possible that the team going to get the Viper won’t make it back before the radiation becomes too strong for a human to stand. I’ll remain behind.”

“I’m the one who can read Ameng,” I told him.

“And I’m the one who can survive a solar flare,” Indigo answered. “You’re the one who knows how to fly the Viper. And Tamara is the only one who knows the Nameless well enough to get to the Viper quickly.”

“Don’t look at me, he’s right,” Tamara said, when I turned to look at her.

“You know we’re not just going to leave you behind, right?” I said, while Indigo began to undo the straps holding his ever-present gauntlet to his wrist. “We’re going to come back.”

“I know.” Indigo handed the gauntlet to Tamara. “In case of emergency: this produces the hull seal. Press that button there, and aim from that nozzle.”

She nodded, studying the shape of it. Indigo placed it on her forearm and started to close the buckles for her.

The computer in front of me beeped plaintively, and I had to turn back to press Continue again. “Do you think we’ll need that?”

“Take these also,” Indigo said, addressing not me but Tamara, and when I looked back around he was pressing One’s two slender knives into her hands. “I don’t recommend using the heated function, but if you need to, you must tap this pattern against the handle. There will be a pinch in your palm as the blade connects with your bloodstream; this is normal, it is drawing metabolic energy. It will exhaust you quickly, so be ready. Sean.”

“What now?” I asked, but Indigo was already holding out Number One’s removed collar-light to me.

It still glowed, separate from her body. I remembered Indigo telling me that a collar-light would illuminate for some time after the wearer’s death—seven days or a few hours depending on brightness, right? One’s corpse was dark and unrecognizable without her gleaming violet collar.