Page 53 of Last of Her Name

Right. He hasn’t had food in days.

“Come on,” I say. “Hangar’s this way.”

“What’s going on? How long was I out?”

“Four days. I made a friend, Dr. Luka, and he’s waiting for us. I hope.”

Hearing footsteps, I yank Riyan into a maintenance closet, just as a group of soldiers rounds the corner ahead. The space is crammed with machines and pipes, the air hot and stifling. We huddle against the door, listening to them run past. I can just make out Zhar’s voice crackling through their comm patches.

“Can you run?” I whisper to Riyan.

“I don’t think so.”

Stars, he’s barely even standing. There’s no way we’ll make it to the hangar.

Unless …

I turn around and face the machines humming behind us. “All right, what’ve we got here?”

An air filtration system, a water pump, an electrical panel …

“Ooh, what’s this?” I tap a red button on the wall, enclosed in a clear case. There’s a label over it, but it’s so faded I can’t make out the words, just a warning below it.

Riyan frowns. “It says don’t press except in case of emergencies.”

“I’d say this is an emergency.”

“You don’t even know what it does!”

“Riyan, Riyan,” I mutter, unclasping my multicuff to pry open the case. “If there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that Ialwayspress the red button.”

“Wait—”

I punch it.

A holoscreen pops up, with a thread of data. I scan it, then feel goose bumps ripple up my arms.

“Oh. Oh no.”

“Stacia? What did you do?”

I back away toward the door. “We have to go.Now.”

“Why?”

“Because I just set off an emergency distress signal. This asteroid is beaming its location across the galaxy.” Blast! I was hoping it would be some sort of anti-fire system or a power shutdown. This is worse,wayworse.

His eyes grow wide. “The vityazes—”

“Will swarm on this place like snapteeth on a wounded mantibu calf.”

“I don’t know what either of those things are, but I get the gist.”

I throw open the door to see the same soldiers running past us again, only this time they’re heading the other way. Toward the hangar. One locks eyes with me as he runs past, and he looks surprised, but he doesn’t stop.

Because we’re not the main threat anymore.

They’re preparing for battle.