Kant’s lightsaber thrummed in his hand, batting back shots from the Nihil as he raced toward the large ship that hung in the skies beyond the Nihil camp. They had spotted him the moment he burst from Dee’s building, which was hardly surprising. He was far too distracted to perform a mind trick. It wasn’t the rain hissing down or the battle that was unfurling in the air between Elzar’s lone Vector and the Nihil gun towers. No, it was the presence that was threatening to overwhelm him, a presence he’d wondered if he would ever feel again.

Loden Greatstorm, his Master, was alive.

Bell had known it on Elphrona. He’d known it at the dedication. He’d known it at Cyclor. It was why Bell hadn’t been able to sense him in the Cosmic Force, because Loden wasn’t there. He’d been here on that beast of a ship all this time. The craft was vast, easily larger than the Innovator, but it didn’t matter. He’d search every single deck to find his Master if need be.

The Nihil’s laserfire intensified, but Bell barely even noticed. All he cared about was getting up to that ship.

Indeera’s comlink crackled, alerting Dee to her position.

Great.

The Nihil opened fire, switching her disruptor to automatic mode, the weapon chewing up the walls of the old prison, including the pillar Indeera had been using as a hiding place.

“Indeera, where are you?” It was Elzar.

“Under fire,” she replied, activating her lightsaber as the guards that had flanked Klerin joined the onslaught with overcranked blasters that looked as though they should explode rather than fire. They were actually steaming with every shot.

Indeera swept a hand as if scrolling through data on a screen, plucking the smaller of the two guards from his feet so he slammed into his compatriot. They dropped to the floor in a tangle, but it would only be a short respite before they were back up and trying to murder her, if Dee’s disruptor didn’t get there first.

“Where’s Bell?”

“A good question.”

“And Klerin?” That was the Tholothian, Ty Yorrick.

Indeera looked through her whirling blade, seeing the Kuranu being grabbed by the arm by the Talpini in the powersuit.

“She’s learning that the Nihil don’t negotiate.”

“What?”

“She sold us out.”

Dee was advancing on her now, the ferocity of the disruptor fire forcing Indeera back.

“Can you get to her?”

“Klerin? Sure. Why, what are you thinking, Elzar?”

“Just do it.”

The connection went dead. The man was brilliant, but boy, was he infuriating at times.

Indeera leapt, somersaulting over Dee. The woman tracked the movement, the disruptor fire arcing across the ceiling.