And though Alfie’s chip was now tucked away in Dex’s holoband, they hadn’t yet been able to resurrect the AI by connecting him to the galactic feeds. He’d remained as useless as ever, and likely would until they left the nebula, when he was able to get a real connection.
Andi snatched the holoscreen away and undid Dex’s action, saving the document. But even as she did so, Andi couldn’t help feeling that Dex was right—the more she looked at their ideas, the more she wondered if any of them could actually work.
1. Dress up as Xen Pterran soldiers, sneak onto Arcardius and kidnap the girls.
Andi thought this plan of Dex’s could potentially work—if they had clearance, which they did not. Plus, she had a faint inkling that he just wanted to don a disguise, like the top shows on the social feeds. Those were all gone now, Nor having erased the social aspects of the feeds, replacing them with her propaganda.
Dex was always one for theatrics. But she knew better than ever now that theatrics rarely worked in real life.
After all, playing the part of the Bloody Baroness only ever got people killed.
Then there was Lon’s all too reasonable idea.
2. Negotiate
If they had something to bargain with, it could work...but all they had were a few guns and her ship, which was not up for negotiation. She would even go as far as to offer Nor her life for those of her crew, but she doubted Nor wanted her dead that badly. Andi was no one. Just a ghost lost to the stars, as far as the galaxy was concerned. Valen, on the other hand...
Andi didn’t think the method she’d proposed was too bad. It had always worked for her in the past.
3. Go in guns blazing
Then again, they were just three people against the whole galaxy. Maybe shooting their way onto Arcardius was a bit too unrealistic, especially without her crew. Lon wasn’t exactly one for violence, either. She doubted he’d be of much help.
Havoc, though... Perhaps she could use the creature as a weapon.
Even Nor would run from those claws.
Andi looked down, but Havoc had mysteriously disappeared. She made a mental note to make sure she stuck close to Dex for the time being—he was usually Havoc’s favorite target, which meant she might be able to avoid becoming his next scratching post.
“We’re only three people, with a ship on the verge of collapse,” Dex said, uncannily echoing her earlier thoughts. It was true—the Marauder needed fuel and supplies, and the thrusters desperately needed a tune-up. With the way things were going, they wouldn’t be able to hide out in this nebula much longer.
Andi looked out the window to the dusty expanse beyond. She missed seeing the stars.
Dex continued. “We all want a solid plan that will allow us to rescue the girls without dying or becoming enslaved to Queen Nor in the process. But before we even think about going back to Arcardius, we need to figure out a way to refuel and gather supplies. We’re no good to anyone stranded in a nebula.”
“Or dead,” Lon added.
Dex nodded. “Exactly. We need to get the ship back into shape first. Then we can tackle the rest.”
“As much as I hate admitting this, you’re right,” Andi said with a sigh, glancing at Gilly’s drawings again.
Dex’s jaw dropped. He grabbed the holoscreen and aimed its camera at her. “Can you say that again? I want to document this moment.”
Andi pushed the screen away, rolling her eyes. “Is your brain so addled that you have to document things externally because you can’t store the information up there?” She flicked his forehead.
“If you want to know what I’m thinking, just ask.” He winked. “Just try not to combust when I describe the dirty—”
Andi was saved from hearing the details of Dex’s explicit thoughts when Havoc pounced over the back of the couch, landing on his shoulders with claws extended.
Dex cursed, fighting the creature off and handing it to Lon instead, who allowed Havoc to curl into his arms, its horns poking out from beneath Lon’s thin black shirt.
“I swear to the stars, I’m going to skin you and use you for a pair of boots,” Dex said with a growl as Havoc yawned innocently.
“Fuzzy orange boots?” Andi said, brows raised. “That does sound like just your style.”
Dex was about to backpedal when the holoscreen dinged and the feed projected a new video stream into the room. The face of Nor Solis filled the space, and Andi groaned at the thought of yet another propaganda vid.
The queen smiled down at them, looking every bit like the benevolent ruler she definitely wasn’t. “I hate her,” Andi mumbled.
Memory’s voice cut through the room, pausing the video before it could start. “Fuel supply at thirty percent.”
“Damn,” Dex whispered as Andi’s eyes bulged.
“Preserve energy use wherever you can, Memory,” Andi commanded.
“Command confirmed.”
The room went dark, the only light coming from the holoscreen. Andi tapped on the holoscreen to resume the feed. She might hate listening to Nor address her mindless followers, but they needed all the intel they could get.
“People of Mirabel,” Nor said in greeting. “I come to you as your queen, asking you to join me in working even harder to build the future we all wish to attain. We must be vigilant in our efforts to complete Nexus, and to root out all those who wish to defy our cause. With your help, by moon’s end, we will finish the construction of Nexus, and a new era will rise.”
“Talking about that damned Nexus again,” Andi complained, but before the boys could answer, the feed started to glitch and Nor’s face disappeared, soon replaced by another’s. Andi jolted upright, transfixed by the image before them.
The newcomer on the feed was a veritable giant, clad in bloodred armor marred with battle scars and strange black markings. “This message is for those whose minds still belong to them,” the figure said, its voice sounding distant and strangely mechanical. “You are not alone.”
Andi heard Dex inhale sharply as the feed filled with static for a moment. Then the holo flickered again, and the massive soldier came back into view. Andi leaned forward, utterly transfixed by his words. “Much of the galaxy has fallen to a false queen, but there are still many who have not. To the strong, to those who continue to fight for freedom—I am Arachnid. And I stand as leader for all those who refuse to bow to anyone’s will but our own.
“Find me,” Arachnid urged. “Together, we will build an army. Together, we will destroy the false queen.” He paused, and though he didn’t move, Andi could almost feel the threat of violence emanating from him as he spoke once more. “You cannot compel me, Nor Solis. I know what you plan to do. I know the horrors you will unleash, and I will stop you before it’s too late. Even if I have to drive the killing blade into your chest myself.”
Then the feed went black.
“We aren’t alone,” Lon whispered, but it came out more like a question. The only sound was Havoc’s rhythmic purring as he stroked the fuzzball’s horned head.
Dex slowly shook his head. “By the looks of it, no.”
“Could it be a trick?” Andi asked, wondering if this was all just a ploy to draw the Unaffecteds—as the news feeds called them—out of hiding. Nor wasn’t a fool. She’d managed to outsmart the entire galaxy, Andi and her crew included. Surely she’d do anything to bring others like Andi out into the open, where she could ensnare them once and for all.
“Why would Nor allow uncertainty into the feeds when she’s been pumping them full of propaganda all this time?” Dex said.
He had a good point. Which was almost as shocking as what they’d just witnessed.
“If there is a resistance group of some kind,” Lon mused, looking thoughtful, “then we need to get to them. We have to try, at least. They could help us rescue Lirana and the others.”
“Agreed,�
� Andi said slowly. “There are two things standing in our way, though.”
“I think there are more than two things,” Dex interjected, but Andi shot him a look that shut him up.
“Two major things,” she clarified. “One is that we are low on everything, and we can’t actually get to the resistance without getting supplies. Which means we have to leave the nebula.”
“But Nor’s forces are out there,” Lon said, blue eyes full of worry.
He’d expressed many times before that he felt like it was only a matter of time before their theory of being Unaffected was tested on him, if and when Nor’s soldiers found them.
“Which brings me to my second issue,” Andi replied. “Nor has control over the galaxy, and we don’t actually know where the resistance is hiding out. Any attempts to find them will probably be riddled with obstacles, so... We need to be smart about what we do. No acting rashly, no arguing on missions. And nobody gets left behind.”
Both Lon and Dex nodded in agreement. They’d all been affected, in their own ways, by the loss of Andi’s crew.
“We can’t hide in here forever,” Lon admitted. “The last month has already depleted us more than I care to admit.”
“So, Captain, what do you propose we do?” Dex asked, arms crossed, as if the answer were obvious.
Hell if I know, Andi was about to say. But then her eyes fell on the holoscreen before them. She pulled up the map of Mirabel, scanning it for what felt like the thousandth time in the past few weeks.
“We go to Solera,” she answered suddenly, tapping the ringed, frozen planet.
Dex’s brow creased. “Why Solera?”
“It’s the closest planet to us, for one,” Andi said, pointing out where they were on the map. “And it has a fairly small population, but since Solera’s a capital planet, we have a good chance of finding the supplies we need.”
“It’s also the farthest away from Arcardius,” Lon added, moving forward to study the map for himself. “Far from Lirana and the crew.”
“True. But it’s probably the worst possible planet for us to land on with a battered ship and limited food reserves,” Dex pointed out. “We’d have to land pretty damn close to a populated area if we want to survive the tundra long enough to stock the ship and then track down this so-called resistance.”
“Not great odds,” Andi agreed. “Look, I’m not saying it’s going to be easy...but we have a lead now, and we should follow it. Or else we’ll just wind up becoming space junk.”
It was something Breck would have said. Andi frowned, thinking of her head gunner, so far away from her now.
“And if it’s a trap?” Dex asked. It was so strange to hear him, of all people, being the voice of reason for once.
Andi glanced between him and Lon, her gaze falling once more on the subtle reminders that the girls were gone. The empty seats, the absence of Breck and Gilly’s laughter, the untouched stack of Casino cards that Lira used to love betting on. It could be a trap, but if they didn’t make some kind of move, the girls wouldn’t ever fill these empty spaces again.
“Then are you boys ready to be on the opposite side of the law again?” Andi asked.
“If we’re going to infiltrate Arcardius, we do need to take some risks,” Lon reasoned.
Dex’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Risk and reward.”
“I’m beginning to see what my sister enjoyed about this life,” Lon said with a grin, setting Havoc down. The creature yowled before scurrying away, almost as if it were in agreement with the plan.
Andi smirked. “Okay, boys. Let’s go get our girls.”
CHAPTER 6
LIRA
Lock. Load. Aim.
Fire.
Lirana Mette stood with her arms crossed over her chest, listening to the sound of organized destruction. A beautiful melody, really, for Lira had always loved chaos.
A firing squad stood around her, their synchronized motions a cadence in perfect time.
Lock.
Fifty soldiers slammed their mags into place.
Load.
Fifty rounds, swiftly chambered.
Aim.
Each soldier steadied their breath, squared their shoulders.
Fire.
Lira had never been particularly adept with a gun, always inclined to raise her fists above anything else. But when Queen Nor’s reign began, she’d quickly discovered that her accuracy as a pilot served her well when aiming for a target. A deep breath, a rush of air from her lungs, and she imagined her hands were not holding a rifle, but delicately aiming a ship toward its destination as she squeezed the trigger. Her bullet shot straight through the center of the target across the warehouse in a single, glorious explosion.
Their mission was simple: keep the planet under control while recruiting new followers to Queen Nor’s rule. Any Unaffecteds they rooted out—their presence like a choking weed that dared to defy Mirabel’s rightful monarch—were to be shot with the silver bullets supplied by Aclisia, the queen’s head scientist.
“Again!” the soldier in charge commanded.
Lira chambered another practice bullet, remembering when she herself had been shot with the real thing. It was terrifying, at first. A moment of pain, then darkness as absolute as anything she’d ever felt before. She hadn’t wanted to go there, to be surrounded by nothingness. But in that dark place, she’d felt herself calming as another presence washed over her, almost ancient in its power. Otherworldly.
It commanded her to understand the truth. To believe it, with every fiber of her being.
Nor Solis is the one true queen.
Lira had spent her entire life running from truths. In Adhira, she’d run from the truth that her mother had abandoned her. She’d run from the reality that her brother, Lon, and her aunt Alara wanted her to stay and rule from a cold, spiraling mountain that hardly saw the light. And when she’d joined a starship full of lady pirates...she’d run even then, flying the Marauder as far and as fast as she could away from Adhira.
But in that moment after she was shot, when she heard that command and was cast back out into the land of the living again...
Lira rose to her feet in the ballroom on Averia and looked up at the brightest light she’d ever seen. Queen Nor stood upon the stage, a pile of dead Mirabellian leaders at her feet, their blood drying in colorful rivers down the ballroom steps.
She’d smiled at Lira, at all the people standing around her.
And in that moment, Lira knew that she worshipped the queen. That the silver bullet had been not a curse, but a blessing meant to save her, to show her that when she followed Queen Nor, all would be as it should. For the first time in her life, she was at peace.
“You alright, Lir?” A voice drew Lira from her thoughts. She looked to her right, where one of her oldest friends stood, rifle clutched in her large hands.
“Fine,” Lira said, a small smile on her lips as she thought of the queen. “Perfectly fine.”
Breck was a giantess from New Veda, a natural warrior who’d spent her entire life behind the sights of a gun. She was the perfect soldier for Nor’s army, one who would give her life to serve the queen if she was asked.
“Again!” the commanding officer barked out, and Breck winked at Lira as she lifted her rifle and shot. A perfect bull’s-eye in the target.
The other soldiers scrambled to follow Breck’s lead. Lock. Load. Aim. Fire.
Lira’s next shot hit close to her intended mark, but she couldn’t yet match Breck’s accuracy. Shooting was still so new to her. She’d always preferred to use her own body as a weapon, but there were a lot of old preferences she’d once had that had melted away beneath the weight of Lira’s desire to please her new queen.
She’d spent the past two years of her life aboard the Marauder, a glass starship where her piloting skills were used to gallivant
across the skies, following the lead of the Bloody Baroness, a space pirate notorious for raising hell.
Lira could see Androma’s face now—those metal cheekbones, the bloodlust in her eyes. What waste Lira had once laid to Queen Nor’s precious planets at the Baroness’s command.
Sometimes, when she thought of her past life, Lira still felt the ghostly heat of her scales warming on the surface of her skin. A lifelong struggle she’d tried to harness, her emotions getting the better of her far more often than they should. Those out-of-control emotions had hurt people, ruined her relationships, left her feeling like a weapon always on the brink of a misfire. But now, with a deep breath, a mere thought of Queen Nor...
Lira felt nothing. As if she were a hollow shell, blessedly free of the stresses she’d spent so many years trapped beneath.
A soldier groaned suddenly as the butt of his rifle smacked him in the eye. Horrific form.
“Not good enough, Krisson!” their commanding officer shouted, stomping closer to the line of soldiers clad in black, the Solis crest stamped on their backs and chests. Lira wore it on her own chest now, and it was displayed all across the city, waving from flags, brightly flickering on holoscreens across the glass towers that made up much of Arcardius. “Tighten up your grip. Deep in the shoulder. Fix your form, or I’ll tell the entire barracks that bruise on your eye is from Gilly!”
A small redheaded girl turned around from the line, a wicked grin on her youthful face. “Who’s to say I didn’t beat the shit out of him already?”
“Language, Gil,” Breck huffed under her breath, but she smiled as all the soldiers laughed, men and women alike, when Gilly turned back around and fired three consecutive shots dead-center in the target, three hundred yards away.
Lira smiled. Gilly knew her way around a weapon, and it was with the greatest joy that she got to watch the youngest member of her old crew serving the queen in such a spectacular fashion.
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