Every once in a while, they glimpsed people moving from one ship to another, pulling themselves along guide ropes and walkways, wearing a variety of space gear, all blazoned with a bright red stripe on their helmets.

“It’s a trick,” Niko said in answer to Atlanta’s question. “Coming aboard, they all have those, but it’s mutable paint. Word spreads on the invaded ship to look for the red stripes, and as soon as they do, everyone takes theirs off. Confuses people—they think they have a system figured out and then they don’t. They should know better, though. Red’s a color not every species perceives, and even some humans can’t see it. Unless you’re screening your crew to make sure they see red, and that seems more organized than any pirates I know.”

“They were organized enough to create all of this,” Atlanta said, pointing out the window at the massive structures.

“That’s accidental organization. Get enough people in the same space, and something will inevitably happen like that. But as soon as you start trying to impose any sort of central rules on it, things fall apart. That may look like the Sprawl back in TwiceFar, but it’s very different and much more dangerous. There’s no tests twice a solar to make sure things are still airtight. There’s no requirement that there be a fail-safe in case a system gives out. Maybe there is, but probably there isn’t. It all depends on the person that built it.”

“That seems like chaos,” Atlanta said. She was fascinated despite all the danger. Palace life had not prepared her for this sort of journey. She thought uneasily that perhaps things had been pretty smooth so far. It seemed likely that the situation was about to change.

“Chaos and pirates, they go together like salt and vinegar,” Niko said. She glanced at the door as a gentle lurch announced that they were docking. “Atlanta, remember. Tell them who you are right away. They’ll separate you and keep you somewhere safe.”

“I don’t want to go somewhere safe! And there is no real safe! I want to go with you.”

Niko hesitated; Atlanta could see it.

“Captain,” Dabry said, his tone warning.

Niko shook her head. “It’s too uncertain, my lady.”

The unexpected formality convinced her not to argue, more than anything else could have. She subsided and waited with the rest of them.

Lassite crept away while they were waiting. He knew better than to try to arm himself, but he also knew that his belongings would be searched and looted by the pirates at some point.