Chimera occupied a position in space several million kilometers from Farbind. The planet’s surface roiled, its crust breaking apart as Duke turned its core into a ticking time bomb. From this far away, however, it seemed like nothing was happening on the broken, debris-strewn world.

Ptolemy’s sources had informed him of the location of the Gaozu fleet. They had occupied Puqi since taking it, what seemed like years ago. The fleet had been repaired and was ready for a fight.

The Changyu fleet, however, had been stationed near its home bases, falling back after the loss of Puqi. They were spread out, but had assembled once reports of Gaozu ships entering the Farbind system had been received.

Qin’s trap was set, and Ptolemy knew the time and place where both fleets would come out of opalescent. Just like Qin planned, they’d meet a distance apart, then close to engage far enough away from Farbind for Qin’s fleet to remain hidden on the other side of the planet.

“Is that the last of them?” Natalya asked as the Prosper fleet hid itself between Tether and the cracked side of Farbind. They’d arrived a short time ago, Shihuangdi and Butterfly at the center, transmitting as colony ships before hiding in the debris of the broken planet.

“All Prosper ships now lost to scanners,” Ptolemy answered.

“They’d better not run,” Pul said.

“Qin won’t pass up this opportunity,” Natalya said as she watched the man’s capital ship disappear on the bridge viewscreens. She doubted the damage they’d done would keep Qin from using Shihuangdi in the battle, or keep it from being a major threat. Butterfly’s massive cannon posed an even greater danger, disappearing along with the rest of the hidden starships.

Ptolemy had the defense probes shut down completely. His signals would scan as a freighter from The Moon. The Prosper fleet would assume Chimera was a pirate or scavenger ship, and that he’d flee at the first sight of Changyu or Gaozu ships. Only once the colony fleets arrived would Ptolemy flip the signal and broadcast as a Prosper capital ship. That universal transmitter they’d stolen was proving to be infinitely valuable.

“Critical mass of Farbind’s core twenty minutes away,” Sisi announced.

“Captain, I’m getting a reading on Changyu ships—” Ptolemy began.

“In opalescent?” Natalya asked.

“Coming out of opal. Here.”

Ptolemy had the viewscreens zoom into the sector of space ahead of Chimera. The Changyu fleet had arrived in the exact spot as predicted. The problem was, they were early.

A mass of cylindrical capital ships twinkled with the lingering effects of opalescents. The fleet assembled in a long arm. Smaller fighters and frigates with wide wings and missile tubes were spaced between massive, cannon-topped capital ships. In the right center was a hexagonal, revolver-like vessel with six enormous cannon surrounding a thick fuselage.

“They were quicker than my sources led me to believe,” Ptolemy noted.

“Open fire?” Co asked.

“No,” Natalya ordered. “We don’t want them to chase us until the Gaozu arrive. Ptolemy?”

“The Gaozu fleet must still be in opal,” Ptolemy replied. “And the Changyu are closing.”

“Start broadcasting as Prosper.”

“I thought you said we didn’t want them to chase us yet,” Sisi said.

“We’re not going to start the chase, we’re going to stall. Signal the Changyu flagship that we’re sending an ambassador to discuss turning over Farbind to the Changyu Confederation. Jasper, Co, prep the shuttle.”

“That’s our last lifeboat,” Co noted.

“And they won’t let you board,” Pul added.

“I know. That’s why we’re putting a bomb in it,” Natalya explained.

“I like this plan,” Co said, and left the bridge.

“You’re pleading for peace then sending a bomb?” Jasper asked. “They won’t take that dishonor lightly.”

“I’m counting on it,” Natalya said.

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“They’re responding,” Ptolemy announced as Jasper assisted Co with putting explosives inside their last remaining lifeboat.

“Let’s hear it.”

The viewscreens displayed a woman in a green uniform, the yellow rankings of an admiral on her shoulders. She wore a wide-brimmed, green hat emblazoned with a yellow sun, her black hair in a bun. She was skinny and angular, her body like a dagger, and she glared out the viewscreens with her arms behind her back.

“I am Admiral Chen of the Changyu Confederation. The Gaozu Hegemony has violated the demilitarization of Farbind brokered by Prosper. If Prosper wishes to cede this territory, it will only do so once we have confirmation that Gaozu ships have vacated the area,” Admiral Chen declared, her expression hard and blank. The admiral’s glare froze on the viewscreens as the recorded message ended.

“She’s the fleet commander. Her flagship is the revolver-looking one, the Yellow Sun. Response?” Ptolemy asked.

“Tell them we’re sending a shuttle with an ambassador. Text only,” Natalya replied.

“Sending.”

“We’re all ready down here,” Jasper said over the bridge loudspeakers. “Co put a can of tomato sauce onboard, too.”

“Fake blood,” Co reasoned.

“I told her it wouldn’t matter, but she insisted.”

“That’s fine, put whatever you want onboard, so long as it explodes,” Natalya said.

“Got it.”

“Got it!” Co said. After a few moments, she announced, “Set for launch!”

The shuttle burst from Chimera’s side and flew toward the Changyu fleet.

Co and Jasper rejoined the others on the bridge, a wide grin on Co’s face.

“They’re sending a response,” Ptolemy noted.

Admiral Chen once more appeared on the screen.

“Not only will I not entertain a supposed Prosper ambassador who refuses to show her face, but I will not allow such a craft to dock with my flagship,” Admiral Chen said, eyes narrowed but her voice calm. “Turn that shuttle around.”

“Response?” Ptolemy asked.

“Tell them to bite me,” Pul suggested.

“Transmitting.”

Pul frowned. “You’re no fun.”

“What do you mean? I just told the Changyu Confederation’s fleet commander to bite me,” Ptolemy replied.

“Yeah, but if I knew you were going to actually transmit that, I would have said something much more vulgar.”

“How’s this for vulgar?” Co said, and switched the viewscreens to show the interior of the lifeboat. She’d placed a communicator inside for this very reason. The viewscreens showed a can of tomato sauce sitting atop a massive battery, and Pili the stuffed penguin strapped to a blinking detonator.

“You put Pili on the shuttle!” Sisi accused.

Co laughed. “He’s our ambassador.”

“Pili is not an ambassador, he’s a penguin!”

“And his sacrifice will be noted,” Co said, and pressed the detonator.

“Pili!” Sisi shouted as the viewscreens showed the penguin, along with the rest of the shuttle, explode in a blue burst of electro-magnetic discharge.

The shuttle had reached the edge of the Yellow Sun, but the explosion wasn’t enough to do more than flash on its shields.

“Co…” Natalya began.

“What? You said put anything onboard,” Co replied.

“You big meany! What did Pili ever do to you!” Sisi said.

“He volunteered. Someone had to pilot the shuttle.”

“It was on autopilot!”

“I thought it was funny,” Pul noted with a grin.

“Funny or not, it got their attention. Incoming transmission,” Ptolemy said.

The viewscreens showed Admiral Chen, face contorted with rage as she said with biting words, “You dishonor yourself, Prosperite! Lower your shields and prepare to be taken into custody!”

“Captain, I’m detecting ships coming out of opal directly in front of our drone line,” Ptolemy announced. “It’s the Gaozu fleet!”

The ruse with the shuttle might have been dishonorable, might have been foolish, but it had bought them the time they needed. The two fleets had arrived.

“Tell the Changyu we’ll defend Ambassador Pili’s honor to the death, and that they’re worth less than stuffed penguins,” Pul said. “Sorry, Sisi.”

“Thanks,” Sisi said. “Pili would like that.”

“I’m not sorry,” Co noted.

“Honor your penguin’s sacrifice by keeping us alive. Start transmitting probes as Prosper ships and fire!” Natalya ordered.

The viewscreens showed a distant scan of the incoming Gaozu fleet. The fleets formed a triangle, with the Changyu fleet at one point, Farbind at the second, and the Gaozu ships at the third.

Natalya recognized the snake-headed Gaozu flagship, the Progenitor, with its massive cannon beneath its fang-like bow.

Progenitor formed the spearhead in a wedge of ships. The capital ships were in the middle, fanning out in a triangular pattern with frigates and fighters on the flanks. They moved fast, intending to deliver a piercing strike at the long line of Changyu ships.

In between the two fleets, however, waited the thick cluster of defense drones. All at once, the tiny launch pads lit up, flashing transmissions like that of a Prosper fleet before firing missiles and cannon in a cloud of ion drive exhaust.

“For Pili!” Co shouted with a laugh, and fired Chimera’s cannon, sending ballistic particles hurtling toward the Yellow Sun.

Cannon-slugs lit up the capital ship’s shields, doing no more damage than the explosive shuttle. The volley of drone missiles struck the Gaozu wedge like a wave upon rocks. A cloud of explosions hid Progenitor from view. When the viewscreens once more showed the massive capital ship, it changed course, turning toward Chimera.

“Augustus, take us to Farbind,” Natalya ordered.

On the other side of the planet, Farbind and Tether hid the Prosper fleet from all but close-range scanners. Hidden behind a curtain of broken ships, the Prosper fleet was also unable to scan the battle they thought was commencing on the other side of the globe.

Shihuangdi waited in orbit between Farbind and its moon, along with hundreds of ships of the Prosper fleet.

It could be that Qin got a reading of Chimera approaching. If he did, it would make a foolish sight, one ship cutting through the wreckage straight at the Prosper fleet.

The lone charge didn’t last long, however, as Progenitor and Yellow Sun burst through the debris field alongside the entire Gaozu and Changyu fleets.

What started as a chase turned into a head-on collision, as the three fleets converged in an orbital brawl.

“Kiss my ass, Qin,” Natalya said.