They enter the Donati’s cargo hold, and Nyx sees drones carrying supplies to and from the large fabricator to the side as it prints sheets of thick film.

  “Donati, get ready for liftoff.” Cai says as soon as they’re inside.

  The drones skitter inside, then the doors close.

  Twoey rushes in and looks through the supplies, “Nufuud… expired 2312. It’s 2364?”

  Zone looks around too, “Oh! Hazardous materi… Wait… Why do you have anti-matter!?”

  Roxy squeaks, “A… anti-matter?”

  Nyx walks over to the familiar crate, “What the spark is anti-matter again?”

  Twoey runs over, “Magnets go off? Big boom!”

  She makes an explosion sound.

  Nyx pales, “Why ya be havin’ this Cai?”

  Cai walks past, “Later. We’ve got pirates and evil scientists to stop.”

  Twoey rushes out of the cargo hold as soon as Cai opens the door after the cargo hold pressurizes. And then straight up the ladder, “Cow!”

  Roxy perks up, “Cow?”

  “Chickens!”

  Roxy jogs out of the cargo bay and goes straight up the ladder.

  Zone shakes his head, “Girls…” Though he looks interested too.

  Nyx runs after the other two women and finds Roxy hugging the miniature cow and Twoey chasing the chickens.

  She remembers the first time seeing the critters and tries to remember their names, “The cow is bein’ Alice, and the chickens are bein’ Grace and Felicity.” She crosses her arms, feeling proud of remembering the animals’ names. “There’s bein’ a aparkin’ evil cat named Blackie, too. Dum bustud.” She huffs, looking for him.

  Roxy stops hugging Alice and looks around, “A cat? I’ve always wanted to pet one.”

  Cai and Zone join them in looking.

  Cai points up, “He’s probably hiding in my bedroom.”

  Nyx growls, “Spark ‘em. Let the dum thing be bein’ alone.”

  Cai’s wrist computer beeps, “Yes, this is Captain Halley.”

  “Captain Halley, you’re clear for launch.”

  “10-4, control. Engines will be ready in…” He checks something on his computer, “Less than two minutes.”

  “Understood. Good luck.”

  Cai turns to them, “Okay, the table only has four chairs, so I’ll head to the sensor room. Strap in, and I’ll keep in touch, but don’t…” He pauses, “Maybe it’s better if you four get off the Donati. It might get dangerous.”

  Nyx hisses, and her ears pull back and her tail floofs, “You bastud! Yer not gonna be leavin’ me behind in this goddum place!”

  Zone crosses his arms, “I’m going to get Gwen.”

  Twoey is strapping in.

  Roxy looks between everyone and fidgets, “I’m… I’m staying too. I… I want to help!”

  Cai shrugs, “I thought so, just thought I’d give everyone a choice.”

  Nyx takes a chair as she watches Cai sprint up the spiral walkway and disappear above.

  Zone turns to Nyx, “Can’t believe they got pirates helping them. Think the Donati has a chance?”

  Nyx nods, “Spark yeah. Cai’ll probably be jumpin’ in, shootin’ ‘em up, then be jumpin’ out before they can be shootin’ back. And there’s bein’ the other ship helpin’.”

  Roxy is about to speak when they hear Cai’s voice over comms, “Everyone, put your helmets back on, we launch in thirty. Once the animals are in their pens and sealed in, I’m depressurizing. Don’t get out of your seats until I tell you. If we have to do maneuvers, you might get thrown around.”

  An alarm goes off, and the animals rush to their shelters as if they’ve done this many times. Though Nyx also sees three small drones she hadn’t noticed before rushing out and herding them, though she feels the animals would have gone, anyway.

  The Donati’s engines rumble to life, and Cai speaks again, “Okay… depressurizing. FTL as soon as we’re high enough. Charging the mining laser…”

  He counts down from five.

  Twoey and Zone are both ecstatic.

  She and Roxy are both gripping their chairs, and Roxy has her eyes closed.

  Nyx mewls as they’re forced into their seats as the Donati’s engines go to full thrust.

  Zone whoops as the chairs rotate so their backs press into them, and Nyx feels like she’s just gained a million pounds as metal dishes and silverware rattle in the shelves nearby.

  Twoey is making funny noises as the ship vibrates them and is laughing as if she’s playing the best game ever.

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  Then, before they know it, the engines cut out and they’re weightless.

  Cai comes over comms, “Okay. The engines did not like that without the nozzles, and we got Martian dust in places, but otherwise we’re good to go. Currently, we’re meeting up with the Michael’s Hammer.” The holo table flares to life and shows them several feeds, “Live video, radar, and the Donati’s status. Nyx, get your toolkit ready. The drones should be enough, but an extra set of hands will help.”

  Nyx grins despite her growing nerves. She’s been in many engagements where the Gaper had holes punched into it as their victims tried to stop them, so she knows how dangerous things can get, “Got it, Cap’n!”

  Roxy fidgets, “Can I help?”

  There’s a pause, “How about Vice Captain Roxy? You’re in charge of the crew while we’re in combat. Twoey, you’re the gunner.” A hologram of the mining laser’s power levels and its camera feed appears in front of her. “Zone, you want to be in charge of damage control? Nyx will need someone to tell her where to go.”

  Roxy looks overwhelmed, but is smiling, “Vice Captain Roxy reporting for duty!”

  It annoys Nyx that Roxy got to be vice captain, but fixing things was her blood, not corralling people, “Chief Engineer Nyx reporting for duty!”

  Twoey giggles at the gunnery window and starts fiddling with the holographic controls.

  Zone shrugs, “Got it, Cai.”

  Cai’s voice returns, “Jumping in ten. Only unbuckle if you need to.”

  Roxy is shaking, “Y… yes… C… C… Captain!”

  Nyx wonders if Roxy will be alright, but Roxy’s always pulled through everything so far.

  “Jumping! Prepare for combat. Lieutenant Twoey, prepare to fire on the nearest pirate’s FTL. Vice Captain, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

  Nyx’s heart enters her throat, and she pulls her ears back as they jump to FTL.

  The video feed changes to show them nearly point blank next to the ships. They see the lab’s ship docked with a pirate ship, and there are repair drones along the FTL array welding and replacing the damaged parts.

  The second pirate ship is further away from the others, but closest to them.

  All three have their weapons deployed.

  “Firing now, hubby!” Twoey yells and presses buttons.

  The Michael Sandel comes out of FTL, its railgun immediately opening fire at the other ship.

  The turrets on the ships point towards them.

  They jump to FTL as soon as the Donati’s laser tears through the FTL emitter of their target ship, and the Michael’s Hammer does the same for the other.

  Twoey whoops, “Spark yeah!”

  Roxy smiles and takes a deep breath.

  Zone actually looks bored, “That was easy.”

  Nyx turns to Zone, “That was just bein’ the FTL.”

  Roxy nods as she looks at the holograms, “They’ll be ready next time? Oh! Twoey, maybe shoot the guns next!”

  Twoey nods once, “Got it, Vice Cap’n!”

  Roxy turns to Nyx and Zone, “Get ready for damage!” In a lower voice, “But hopefully not.”

  Cai laughs, “Good job, Vice Captain. Prepare for the Donati to do a turn.”

  Their chairs re-angle, and they’re pushed into their chairs.

  The turn isn’t as violent as lift-off and takes only a few seconds.

  “FTL in five! Get ready, because they will be!”

  Nyx puts her hand on her tool pouch and knows that even a single round from a railgun will kill a person. She’d seen it before. Had to patch the holes and clean the guts off the wall. She hated the guy who’d gotten splattered, but that still hadn’t made it any easier.

  The screen lights up again, and Twoey immediately starts pressing buttons, “Die!”

  The Michael’s Hammer is there an instant later but much closer than the first time, and its railguns start tearing into the pirate ship furthest from the other two.

  They fire back as soon as their turrets can turn.

  The Donati’s laser is longer range than the railguns, so they’re further away than the Michael’s Hammer.

  Streams of rounds fly from the four ships. The Michael’s Hammer and Donati’s opening volley shreds their target’s weapons.

  The second ship’s engines are untouched and burning hot.

  A grappler shoots from the magnetic launcher and spears the Michael’s Hammer.

  Nyx growls, “They got ‘em!”

  The lab’s ship and pirate one continue firing. The Michael’s Hammer’s armor deflects none of it, and the rounds pierce from one side and out the other.

  The Michael’s Hammer turns its turret to pirate one as it uses thrusters to evade.

  Roxy’s squeals, “Twoey! The hook thingy!”

  Twoey licks her lips, “Nope! Bad angle!”

  Roxy points to pirate one, “Okay… Oh! Shoot its gun! Hurry!”

  “Got it, Vice Captain!”

  The Michael’s Hammer’s turret goes silent as it breakes the grapple, then disappears into FTL, leaving debris trailing where it was a moment before.

  Zone pumps a fist, “Yeah, they got out!”

  Roxy breathes a sigh of relief.

  The lab’s ship appears next to them, its duplicate disappearing a second later as it jumps to FTL. Its FTL emitter is arcing electricity, and Nyx suspects they burned it out.

  It opens fire on the Donati.

  Nyx and Twoey hiss as they realize what is happening as they feel the Donati’s thrusters burn, trying to evade the weapons fire.

  The first volley sends alarms at the front of the Donati and alarms showing several sensors going offline blanket the screens.

  “Cai!” Nyx hisses in fear for him.

  Twoey’s already pointing the laser at the ship’s railgun, “Piece ‘o shunk!”

  The enemy ship’s turret rakes the Donati, and they notice holes puncture and shatter the Donati’s covered windows, several hydroponic capsules, and the walkway, before it grinds to a halt as the Donati’s laser melts it.

  Nyx looks at Zone, “Where ya needin’ me to be goin’?”

  She unbuckles as Zone checks the damage, “Uh… Drones are already on the worst damage! Crap! There’s too much stuff! There!”

  Nyx’s helmet lights up with a display of the Donati and an area flashes: ‘Power relay, moderate damage. Potential fire hazard in atmosphere.’

  Nyx pushes off her chair as the Donati re-enters FTL, “Got it!”

  Cai comes over comms, “Everyone okay? That volley got us good. They were aiming for the FTL like we did, but the Donati had just enough time to dodge out of the way.”

  Roxy replies, “We’re okay. Um… Captain! Are you okay?”

  “Had a close call, but it’s a mess up here. Won’t be able to use several sensors for a while.”

  Nyx uses her suit’s thruster to boost herself across the room. She notices the attack has obliterated a plant, and pieces of it and its container floating on her way to a drone hatch she’s going to, “They were gettin’ a poor plant too.”

  Cai chuckles, “Better it than one of you.” A pause, “We’ve met up with the Michael’s Hammer. They got hit worse than we did. They’re requesting we let the surviving marines on board before we head back to finish the attack. From what they’ve just told me, they lost their nav computer, so can’t plot a jump back, just blind jumps.”

  Nyx reaches the drone hatch, “You’re gonna be lettin’ ‘em on the Donati? What if they be stealin’ it?”

  Roxy’s voice, “I don’t think they would, would they?”

  Cai’s voice, “No. They’re going to stay in the airlock because we’ll immediately head back and try boarding when we take out the last railgun. Twoey, you got it?”

  Twoey lets out an excited noise.

  Nyx reaches the drone hatch and opens it.

  There aren’t any drones that she can see so she enters.

  To her surprise, she can see everything clearly, even though there is no light after the drone hatch closes behind her. This makes her remember Dr. Yang and the things he’d done to her eyes. As much as she hated to admit it, his injections worked. She was seeing in total darkness. Or what would be total darkness to others.

  The Donati moves and she falls, so she has to catch herself as the Donati’s maneuvers and acceleration make moving much more complicated.

  It stops, and she continues on.

  Cai’s voice, “We’re docked. We’re entering FTL as soon as the soldiers board. The last pirate ship has two railguns, but we have better range, so if we don’t have any more surprise FTL jumps, we should be safe. At least until we have to board the lab’s ship.”

  Nyx reaches the damaged power junction and peers through the hole that clipped it. She can’t see the Michael’s Hammer, but it reminds her of how little there is between them and space, keeping the air inside and keeping them safe.

  “Cai, I’m gonna be turnin’ off the damaged junction.” She studies it, “It’s needen a shiny return, but I can be makin’ it sparkin’ less.”

  “Got it. It’s not critical, but it’ll help.”

  Nyx pulls out her tools and gets to work.