He caught a reflection of himself in her implanted optic lenses: a man running to fat, swathed in a heavy silk and brocade gown, dark skin sheened with sweat, a gun that he was not sure how to use hanging in his hand. The contrast with the woman who guarded his family was so stark in that moment that it might have made him laugh.

‘Are they safe?’ he asked.

‘In the captain’s quarters with Nikal and Coba standing guard. It might be too much to hope that they sleep, but they are quiet at least.’ Aksinya gave a small smile and the wrinkled skin of her face creased beneath the black lenses of her eyes. ‘Oh, if we all had the strength of the young.’

‘Thank you, Aksinya,’ he said, and heard the crack reach into his voice. ‘For everything.’

Aksinya gave a small shake of her head, still smiling.

‘It is my life and my service, sir.’

He nodded, not sure what else to say. She was the reason he, his daughter and his son were alive. It had been her who had picked up the threat alert on the habitat’s command comms channels before the alert sirens were triggered. That had given them enough time to alert the Antius and reach the dock. Barely…

‘How many…’ he began, his eyes pulled back to the gun in his hand.

‘About a thousand made it onto the ship,’ said Aksinya, replying to the question as it caught on his tongue. ‘Most of them are in the cargo holds. I took the liberty of ensuring that the bulkheads to the rest of the ship were sealed. They are in shock for now, but that won’t last, and shock and grief can change to anger as reality sinks in.’

He nodded. People had swarmed towards the docks as the sirens had wailed, driven by raw terror. He could remember, years ago, when the news of the Warmaster’s rebellion against the Emperor had arrived. There had been riots. Peace enforcers had been brought in. There had been deaths, arrests. After that, the hand of the Praetorian had fallen firmly on everything and had not let go. Harsh order and unforgiving rule had settled on them – uncomfortable at first, but then familiar. Vek had seen some of his assets seized, stores of metal ore requisitioned under edict and two of his family’s hauler-ships pressed into service as troop transports. Others had suffered worse, too, but discomfort was not loss.