Page 14

On the ballroom floor, dancing partners whirled, glasses were tipped, couples kissed, and music swelled.

Abby leaned in, her breath hot against Savvine’s ear as she whispered, ‘An attack. Don’t look now, but it’s blazing through the starboard view.’

Savvine froze. All sound became distant as static buzzed at the edge of her senses.

‘Where now?’ she muttered.

‘Mid-sector. OnTheOdalon,which just got bombed inside the perimeter. Tis the Lombardis. I just received a distress call from our comms officer on board, who claims the bastards used aHades-level shield-piercing kinetic detonation. The hull is cracking like a walnut.’

Savvine’s body locked, her breath hitched in her throat.

‘The crew?’

‘Evacuating as we speak.’

‘Damn.’

‘The blast wave’s coming,’ Abby continued, voice tight. ‘The explosion’s shock front will reach us in five minutes. It won’t break the dome, but it’ll rattle us hard enough to send people flying if they’re not ready.’

Savvine swore, then took a deep breath.

Fokk, the gunship she chanced on earlier, must have been a scout for the bigger attack.

‘It appears that the wedding of the year was the distraction our enemies used to creep closer and take out one of our most weaponized vessels.SanteAbby, I’ll make the general and Eugene aware.’

‘One more thing,’ Abby whispered as Savvine’s eyes focused on the blooming inferno in the distance.

Abby didn’t smile. ‘I hacked the Lombardis’ comms arrays. Pulled some deep-cored archive from last week. Pull up a bar stool, you might want to sit for this.’

‘I’m wearing a tight and strapless bridesmaid dress. Not ideal for collapsing. We don’t have the time for it either. Speak, woman.’

Abby snorted, but it was humorless. ‘I’ve got footage of a clandestine meet between a Lombardicapoand a high-ranking Signet operative. One of their strong guard. Possibly Kaal Essen or Santiago Alvarro, but it’s grainy as hell. I can’t even be sure given those Signetfokkerskeep their IDs secret and locked down.’

Savvine’s heart punched her ribs. ‘That bomb on theOdalon.’

Abby nodded grimly. ‘Might’ve come from Signet. Money was exchanged. Plus packages.’

‘Do we have proof?’

Abby shrugged, her expression dark. ‘Not hard. Not yet. But a parcel handed off less than a day before this explosion? I don’t believe in coincidences, and neither should you.’

Savvine stared past the holo, into the sea of candlelight and joy behind her. Her stomach turned cold.

She bit her cheek, confident that Eugene would make her a scapegoat for the security breach.

Perhaps even attempt to make her pay for the slip-up, even if she was not the one who orchestrated the hit.

She glanced up at the dome above, shimmering with gold decorations, casting the illusion of serenity. Beyond it, the frigate burned.

She cursed, hoping its few hundred crew members all managed to get away.

Her soul felt gutted, as she was again reminded that on this flotilla, every moment of joy had to be guarded with a blade.

Laleh and Dorian danced on, oblivious, while laughter spiraled around the tables.

She inhaled, set her worries about Eugene aside, and prioritized ensuring the entire ship and her extended family remained safe.

‘I need to make sure everyone stays calm,’ she said, turning to Abby while tapping into her neural link and dispatching silent codes to her team. ‘I’ll get Leiko and the team to handle the doors if anyone panics, then I’ll brief the General. Meantime, get me a direct line to Captain Therros onThe Odalon, if he’s still breathing.’