Co examined the detonator switch she still wore on her robotic arm. It could be used for many explosive devices, universal signals detonating everything from grenades to neutron bombs to incendiary explosives capable of leveling a skyscraper.

As she passed the police officers and security crew eyeing the gamblers on the casino floors, she couldn’t help but revert to her old skills, scanning for criminals. She spotted two cheaters, an unlicensed prostitute, a chemo-vapor, though those weren’t illegal on The Moon, and a gun nearly drawn after a bad craps throw.

She ignored it. Not her problem.

Criminals hadn’t been her problem since Prosper. Several years ago, she’d found out a politician was corrupt, murderous, and had a long list of other crimes Co didn’t bother filing paperwork on. Long story short, he needed killing.

The paperwork would actually hamper her efforts, since this mob boss-style politician, businessman, dealer, etc. had connections with every position of authority. Co didn’t look past the first page of his false corporations and money laundering. He was connected and ruthless, and had gotten out of several crimes in the past, even killed a few police who’d tried to arrest him. Killed their families too. He had to go.

So Co thought the easiest thing to do was just blow up the building he was in. Turned out a lot of his gunrunners and chem dealers were in the still under-construction skyscraper too, turning the plastic-walled rooms between the structural beams into well-ventilated drug labs. Bonus. The weapons and chemicals would just make the demolition easier.

Plywood boards painted with brightly colored cartoon characters hid the construction, promising progress on their too-excited faces.

Co’d placed a bomb on the ground floor, and detonated it.

She would have used more explosives, but there were apartments next to the construction site. As she stared at the towering inferno, Co spotted a shuttle fleeing the flames.

Co found out, just before she had to shoot her way out of the station to escape capture by her fellow officers, that it was Qin she’d tried to blow up.

She didn’t admit it was a mistake, even though she had to flee Prosper. The attack just made Qin look even more like a victim of assassination attempts, allowing him to say his association with illegal activity was all lies. The evidence to the contrary was now ashes beneath molten metal.

She didn’t say it was a mistake. Co just said it was a delay. Qin had escaped her once. He wouldn’t do it again.

Natalya rubbed her head as she walked onto her bridge. She grinned at the prickling sensation of her callused fingers brushing her forehead, realizing that she’d once more come to that perfect quantity of indulgence. If she’d had one drink more, she’d likely have woken up with a debilitating hangover. But she’d stopped, and was now perfectly alert as she strode toward the navigation console on Chimera’s bridge.

Jasper, shamed Prophet of Gold, plugged in the coordinates for their destination. Natalya had no idea how his powers worked. As far as she could tell, they violated every scientific principle in the galaxy. Reds, Golds, Whites, they all could do things that would require an opal-plant’s worth of power. The Sevens Prophets claimed their power came from their colorful martial weapons. Swords, daggers, axes, gauntlets and helms, harnessing a power to teleport across the galaxy, kill with a single blow, or heal oneself from an otherwise deadly amount of alcohol.

Augustus’s smiling, sober presence had nothing to do with an enchanted sword and everything to do with a lifetime of intoxication.

“Morning, Captain,” Augustus said, puffing off his vaporizer as he ran through pre-launch diagnostics.

Co had the same blank expression on her face as she had the night before, and soberly told Natalya that the ship was refueled and rearmed, and that her request for a neutron bomb was still on the table.

“We’ll see,” Natalya countered. “Ptolemy among the living?”

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“Our benefactor arrived on the ship roughly an hour ago,” Jasper answered.

“Good. This time we won’t have to lose Augustus hunting him down.”

Natalya smiled. A hangover was small solace against the man’s manipulations, but sometimes she just had to take what victories she could against Ptolemy. She had a suspicion she’d have to kill the man one day, but these little wins helped sedate that urge.

“There’s still time for brunch, Captain,” Augustus suggested.

“Negative, Auggie,” Natalya replied.

“Ah, nuts.”

“Let’s start pre-launch,” Natalya said, standing in front of the engineering console.

In short time, they got the ship ready for takeoff and departed The Moon’s thin atmosphere, a little bit richer and with another job ahead. It would take just over a day to reach Teal Autonomous System. Jasper found a course that bisected a dual-sun system that cut off a light year or two from their journey and, more importantly, avoided Changyu and Gaozu space.

It would be another in a long series of quiet days, the gaps between planets with nothing but books and thoughts and conversation to pass the time.

“Captain, I’m assuming you’re aware that the opal-plant on this ship doesn’t match your engines?” Jasper asked.

“I am,” Natalya answered.

“You shouldn’t have this much speed on a craft this size.”

“He’s had a lot of work done,” Augustus said, patting the dashboard with pride.

“Chimera isn’t a spacecraft, Jasper,” Natalya answered. “He’s an assembly of multiple spacecrafts. The bridge you sit in is from a Prosper capital ship, the opal-plant’s from a Changyu frigate, and the weapons systems from chunks of Gaozu vessels.”

“Who commissioned it?” Jasper asked.

“Necessity.”

“Is that a new colony planet?”

“No, but it sounds like one,” Augustus laughed.

Natalya didn’t care to explain how and why she’d crafted Chimera. She wasn’t sure how long the Prophet would be on their ship, and the memory still stung, so she merely said, “I needed to get out of a system, and all I had were pieces of ships. So I made one.”

“You have to kick him every once in a while,” Augustus said, punching his console when a light flickered. A soft hum returned as the opal-plant kicked back on. “But he gets you where you want.”

“The left wing exploded last week,” Co noted.

“I fixed it.”

“We had to fire off half our payload to minimize the explosions.”

“Yes, I’m sorry we weren’t able to bomb more orphanages due to shooting our rockets into space.”

“Why not get a new ship?” Jasper asked.

Augustus gasped, putting his hands over the controls as if he were covering the ship’s ears. “Don’t listen to him, Chimy, he doesn’t love you like I do,” he said.

“Because even though it’s held together with glue and tape, it’s still got better tech than what a shipyard would make for a vessel this size. Plus, it lacks any sort of tracking number or registered planet,” Natalya added.

“Technically it has twelve registered planets. One of which no longer exists.”

“No longer exists? Like Farbind?” Jasper asked.

“Augustus, is the course locked in?” Natalya stated.

“All dressed up and ready to dance,” Augustus replied.

“All systems ready, Captain,” Jasper announced, eyeing Natalya and wondering why she hadn’t answered his question.

“Then let’s go,” Natalya said.

“I thought about you all night, Chimy,” Augustus said. “You know it’s always best in the morning.”

With the compression of a black walnut wood-handled lever, space split around them and Chimera leapt forward.

“Impressive,” Jasper said, with what sounded like relief.

Natalya was always relieved Chimera didn’t tear apart every time they went super-light.

“This bridge, it wouldn’t happen to be the bridge of the capital ship Ranger, would it?” Jasper asked.

“Why? Do you remember the Ranger?” Natalya asked.

“I saw a painting of it once. Never mind.”

“Ranger was on Farbind, Jasper.”

“Yes, that’s what I’m told.”

“What else were you told about Farbind?” Natalya asked, cocking her hips to the side as she crossed her arms.

Jasper lowered his eyes.

“Hey-hey. I know my baby blue leggings are stylish and practical—” Natalya said.

“And you rock them,” Augustus exclaimed, exchanging a fist-bump with Natalya.

“But I need your eyes on mine.”

“Apologies,” Jasper said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been part of a crew.”

“You’re not part of a crew, not yet. You’re here because our investor wants you here. And while we had lots of fun last night, now we’ve got a lot of time to kill.”

“I’m going to make stuffed runner eggs. It takes twelve hours to simmer but totally worth it,” Augustus pointed out.

“Then while we’re waiting for dinner, I’d like to know more about you, Jasper. We might be pushing through some thick stuff on Teal. If you’re gonna have my back, I need to know I can trust you.”

Jasper blinked, but kept his eyes on Natalya’s. He nodded, and said, “Despite what others say about me, I assure you my trust is valid.”

“We’ve all got false allegations we’re ashamed of. Except maybe Co.”

“I make no apologies,” Co noted.

“So why do they say you assassinated Xia?” Natalya asked.

Jasper licked his lips, and began the tale.