WHAT THE UNHOLY fuck is that?” Sabira’s mouth dropped open.
The commander chuckled ruefully. “—Sounds like you’ve been a bad influence on our guest, Adept.”
“Come in, Shishiguchi. Come in. We need your assistance.” The view of Abomination Zika widened to reveal their machine-infused body inside a translucent bubble. The space battle’s harsh colors smeared across the bubble’s surface. Fiery trails arced through the blackness beyond. They were riding the godsdamned snare satellite through the void like a grank through a battlefield.
“But she’s dead,” Sabira gasped.
“Mostly,” Orion said, “but not quite.”
“—This is the same Slaver that accompanied Spear at Loshan Bastion?” Arkrider asked.
“Grandfather Spear slagged her as she was about to crack my head open.” Sabira rubbed her armored chest. “This can’t be right, a warseer would never become a cyborg.”
“—Some of my best friends are cyborgs,” the commander said.
“Looks better on Djeli than it does on her.” Sabira’s lips twisted in disgust.
“Come in, Shishiguchi. Come in. We need your assistance. Come in, Shishiguchi. Orion, it’s me, Subaru Hanada. Your father.”
“No drilling way,” Sabira whispered.
“That’s unexpected,” Orion said. “Let’s see what they have to say.”
“Has to be a trap,” Sabira said.
“Possibly. Let’s see what happens if we poke it. Godsfall satellite, this is Adept Orion Hanada va Atara’han of the Shishiguchi receiving your transmission. Be warned, any act of aggression will be answered.”
“I don’t like this,” Sabira muttered under her breath. “Not at all.”
“This is Adept Subaru Hanada va Atara’han of Godsfall. We've commandeered this body and come seeking assistance,” Abomination Zika answered. “Not aggression. We want to stop this attack, too.”
“—We?” Arkrider asked quietly.
“Aren’t you and Daggeira in control of Godsfall?” Orion responded.
“No longer. Our bodies are still inside and integrated with its systems. But it’s High Godseer Atu Madzo who controls Godsfall now.”
“So that’s why you finally recognize me?”
“That was a different me. My prime iteration is under the sway of the Final Masters. He managed to spin me off and keep me out of their dominion before they took him completely. We need you, son—I need you—to get free of Atu Madzo and the Final Masters, once and for all. Please, come with us back to Godsfall.”
“Exactly what I’ve been trying to do. Lead the way and I’ll follow.”
“The Shishiguchi will never make it. Only a snare satellite can slip through its defenses. You’ll have to come with us.”
“Don’t trust her, Orion,” Sabira urged. “It’s another one of Subaru’s traps.”
“Drilling hells.” Abomination Zika’s tone changed from sincere to disdainful. Their three drooping eyes quivered. “She’s with you?”
“Daggeira?” Sabira gasped.
“The agreement was for your son and not her,” the abomination insisted.
“I have no idea what game you’re playing, Daggeira, but if Orion goes, I go.”
“Don’t need or want you, apostate. Just him.”
“It is a scheme. Orion, don’t trust her—them—whoever is inside that godsdamned awful thing.”
“Sabira and I have an agreement of our own,” Orion said. “We go together.”
“We don’t have time to waste.” Abomination Zika’s tone was once again low and intent. “Soon the High Godseer will be done here and will begin ahns drive into the Constellation proper. We must stop Atu Madzo now.”
“Sabira comes with me.”
Abomination Zika’s slack face twisted. Their three eyes blinked and rolled, then finally stilled. “Agreed. The girl can come. She may even be of some use.”
“—Well, if everyone else is going,” started Arkrider.
“No. My son and the girl only.”
Sabira gave Tauro as much of a shrug as she could, strapped in and covered in armor.
“Rendezvous at the hangar’s personnel airlock,” Orion said. “I’ll temporarily lower shields once you’re in range. Ending transmission.”
The display returned to the vast, brilliant carnage of the space battle.
“—Sabira’s right,” the commander offered. “Trap.”
“Perhaps,” Orion said. “But they have what we need: access to Godsfall. If Daggeira or my father wanted us dead, we would be already.”
“—How much do you trust your father?” Arkrider asked.
“Considering the first time I ever met him, he hijacked my ship and forced us into a deadly contest, the amount I trust him can only go up.”
“You’d never seen your blood-father before that?” Sabira asked.
“I have to get something. Meet me in the hangar.” Orion-lem’s feet disentangled from the floor, and he strode out of the observation deck.
Tauro’s head craned to watch him go, then snapped back to Sabira. “—Touchy subject?”
“Until we got trapped, he’d never even mentioned family before.” She unfastened her restraints. “I’ve never met my blood-father, either. Or my blood-mother.”
“Well, my mom and pop are on the planet the superweapon is probably headed to next. I’d very much like to stop it from getting there.” The commander undid his restraints while Sabira removed her blade and stick from the smart-foam. They headed to the hangar and Orion-lem joined them shortly. He wore a heavy laser rifle molded to his back. Four metallic nodes swarmed over his head. Orion made a small gesture, and one of the nodes hovered near Sabira.
“That’ll help keep you safe,” Orion said.
“Can’t Subaru or Godsfall or whatever shut them down like last time?”
“Not like last time. I’ve taken care of that. They’re also loaded with the biomech feedback instructions Jiddu sent. If you can get close to one of those implants, it knows what to do. You ready?”
“Let’s go clean up our mess.”
“Good. I just let their satellite past the shields. They’ll be docking in a minute.”
“—I’ll wait here until you’re both safely aboard. Just in case,” Tauro said. “You sure there’s not a place for me on this mission?”
“Not this time,” Orion said.
“Thank you, Commander, for getting me here safely,” Sabira said. “I wish you were coming. We could use the firepower . . . and another eye on Abomination Zika. That’s no lie.”
“—When you get back, I expect a full debrief this time. In detail. Everything.”
“Aye, sir.” Sabira imitated Lieutenant Djeli’s intonation.
Tauro responded with a lopsided grin as the airlock alerts sounded.
“Our ride’s here,” Orion said. “Once we’re aboard the snare, the Shishiguchi will follow as far as it can.”
“—Well, then.” Commander Arkrider clasped his hands behind his back, standing at attention. “Adept Hanada, I hereby request gunnery access. If I can’t go with you, the least I can do is shoot something.”