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The other three must be from Law Enforcement. The Empire always sends three triads to apprehend those on the Kill List.

Good.

If those three ships have just Orb-Shifted in, it means their Orb-Drives are still recharging. Dantus and his own triad are in our former vessel – the Orb-Drive of which is still offline.

We, on the other hand, have enough juice for a jump.

We won. We fucking won!

We’ve rescued Allie. She’s been reunited with her sister. We’ve demonstrated to her that our devotion to her isn’t slavery…

Quite the opposite. We can offer her a freedom she’d never imagine before.

Allie is going to love us. She’s going towantto be with us. I swell with pride.

If we survive, that is.

I grab the controls and begin to dip and dodge through space, avoiding the missiles and laser fire. So far, the Reavers have avoided using their Orb-Beams – trying to disable, rather than destroy us.

"Prepare to Orb-Shift," I bark triumphantly, slamming down my fingers on the controls.

Reality suddenly shifts us out of existence.

Nothing happens.

The ship creaks. I peer in astonishment out of the view port. We’ve snapped back right into the same position we’d tried to leave from.

"She betrayed us!" Hadrian wheels around to look at Allie. My eyes are elsewhere, though.

Now those other Reavers have caught up to us. The four vessels surround us – and before I can maneuver, they disable our Reaver with blasts of their ion cannons; temporarily knocking out our controls.

We hang in the emptiness of space as the Reavers approach. Within seconds, they’ll have docked with our disabled vessel, and the Law Enforcement agents will swarm in – Orb-Weapons armed and ready.

Wecouldfight…

…but it’s four to one. We’d die trying to take them down.

I slump into my seat.

"We lost her,” I gasp. I turn to look at Allie, a well of despondency swelling up inside of me.

“Do we fight?” Hadrian demands. His hand is already reaching for the hilt of his Orb-Weapon.

I hold up my hand.

“No!”

There’s been enough death already. There’s been enough betrayal. We betrayed our Empire for the sake of our Fated Mate. Apparently, she then betrayed us.

I take a ragged breath.

“No,” I repeat. “If this is the way the Gods will it – so be it. Let us at least gain back one small piece of our honor. We’ll surrender, and accept our punishment. Put away your weapons, men."

As I say that, the bulkheads of our Reaver burst open.

Armed Law Enforcement agents swarm in. I can see they’re prepared to kill us on sight…

…they don’t expect the sight of us on our knees, weapons lying on the steel deck in front of us.