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‘Vaffanculo,’ she whispered, thinking of Signet. ‘Alsofokkthe Lombardis.’

She’d drag their secrets into the light if she found they conspired to arm against her and those she loved.

If she had to, she’d take her evidence to Eugene, the Syndicate Commission, and, hell, to every holo-news stream in the flotilla.

She was done playing defense and waiting for the next knife in the dark.

She was ready to go to war.

6

A Lone Wolf

SAVVINE

The hushed ambiance ofEterna’shospital wing washed over Savvine as she pushed through its swing doors, the lights dimming to a soft pre-dawn glow.

She crept between the beds, nodding to the med techs and offering quiet words to the injured crew fromTheOdalon.

She chanced on its skipper, who was no longer MIA.

Lying in a hover bed and hooked up to a drip, Captain Mike Therros sported a cracked rib and a concussion.

‘I’ll live,’ he grunted. ‘Promise me though, Chief, you’ll get the Lombardis for that shit they pulled. My ship was a fantastic frigate.’

‘On it,’ she promised him. ‘We took out three of their fighters, and I’m hunting down the rest.’

She visited with him, then left when he gave a tired grimace.

His XO, Leo Tucci, a friend of Savvine’s, was half-strapped into a regeneration bed next door with plasma burns down his right arm.

Ever-stubborn, Leo was already trying to sit up, chatting with theEterna’ssalvage crew via a holo call.

His commtab slipped from his hands and almost fell to the ground.

‘I’ve got it.’

Savvine rushed in to catch it before it hit the floor. ‘Rest, or I’ll strap you down myself.’

Leo smirked. ‘Wouldn’t be the first time.’

She rolled her eyes, chatted with the waiting salvagers, and chided her friend.

‘Shut down your device and nap, Leo, and that’s a command,’ she called, with a smile, as she strolled out of his room to visit with the remainder ofTheOdaloncomplement.

They’d only lost three crew members, which was a miracle.

The rest made it out to escape pods, haulers, and cruisers, lighting out before it blew.

Such a freakin waste, she thought as she walked out of the medical center.

Outside, the corridor lights flickered into full daybreak mode as Savvine tapped her neural link and pinged Abby.

.:: Going dark for a few hours. Debris field check. Keep comms clean ::.

.:: Copy. Don’t get blown up again ::.

.:: No promises ::.