"How did you make it back? How did they let you go?" Lukas peppered the assistants with questions as the Andromeda peeled away from the dock, moving into the space between the port and open space.

Viktor stepped up, hands wringing. "After you two left, they never seemed to suspect a thing."

He looked over Lukas' shoulder, pitched his voice towards Erin, who stood by the captain.

"Was that you? The alarms? We heard them from outside."

"Yes," she called back. "I'm shocked they let you go."

Viktor furrowed his brow, perturbed. "When they went off, Maddox had a squad of Purists escort us out of the embassy. What was your plan if they didn't, Ademas? Were we meant to just fend for ourselves?"

"If you played your part well, then they would have assumed you knew nothing - there was never any danger. You knew what the priority was when you agreed to this."

The two scientists stared each other down. Lukas, along with the other assistants, edged out of the way.

"Yes, but you barely told me anything," Viktor protested, "and the kids... what if something happened to them? You sent the soldiers we had to the drop off point, to set off that tech disruptor, what about us? We had no protection!"

Ah. So that's what happened. Erin had used her implants to communicate with the soldiers and set up an military-grade EMP at their location. That's how they managed to bust down the prison.

"You and the others were an important part of the cover, Viktor," His mother shot back, drawing him back into the argument. "And nothing did happen. I'm sure my assistants did as well, and my son handled himself fine on our end."

Suddenly, all eyes were on him, and Lukas felt the heat of their gazes melting away at his composure. There was a strange conflict within him at that moment; pride, from his mother's approval - but Viktor's concern was unexpectedly warming. Compared to his concern, his mother felt too cold for comfort.

"You two are covered in bruises," Viktor hissed. "What in Ferrus' name did you put him through?"

"Viktor!" Erin snapped back, her tone suddenly iron-hard. "We don't have time for this. Appreciate that the Purists were kind enough to let you walk out of there, and leave it at that! We have things we need to do right now."

Viktor did not seem like he was about to let things go, but the rising tension was halted, abruptly, by the arrival of Captain Arrum.

"Now, I know I agreed to a certain level of... rule bending," he interjected in his low, smooth voice, "but we are currently faced with the task of breaking out of a space station mid-lockdown. I'd like to think this is the most pressing issue at hand, yeah?"

The scientists went silent; Viktor glowering as Erin turned away, face wiped clear like a clean slate.

"I doubt they have the anti-craft weaponry to stop us," she said breezily. Not with the Andromeda's much-rumored upgrades."

The captain stared at her for a long moment, before breaking out with a wide smile.

"You wanna see what she's got, eh? Sure, let's take the frontal approach then."

He signaled to his crew over the feed. As he did so he gestured, big and dramatic, at the viewing windows.

"Enjoy the show," he crowed at them, spinning away, back towards his controls. "And tell the newcomers I say hello."

Lukas spared a glance backwards, at a far corner of the bridge. That woman with the blinding Factor, Ricardia stood pressed back as far as she could go. Beside her hovered Ito, who seemed just as unsure of his position as she did.

But then the flash of movement caught his attention, and his gaze returned to the viewing window, and the massive pressure shield that they were rapidly approaching.

Normally, drone bots would work in tandem to open a gap in the first pressure shield so a ship could enter. Then they would wait as the energy field closed back up, and the bots opened the second layer - access into the port beyond.

But the Andromeda, despite being a civilian ship, was equipped with far more military grade equipment than was strictly legal. It meant that after surpassing a certain speed, and with its shield plates active, the ship could punch right through the field holding in the atmosphere and keeping the vacuum of space out.

Even if Lukas did know this beforehand, the tactic went against everything he believed in as a kid who grew up on a station. He'd been taught that being safe, and careful was the most important thing you could be - screw something up in a station, and it could be the last thing you ever did.

Thats why, when the Andromeda punched through the first pressure shield with a low thump and a massive shower of electrical sparks, he couldn't help but drop to the floor in a crouch, certain that their own hull was breached, that they were about to lose their oxygen supply. He didn't look up to see the ship tear through the second shield, and push forward into open space.

"Lukas," Anya's voice knifed through his panic. "It's okay. We're safe." He looked up, saw the older girl offering him an outstretched hand and an expression of profound worry.

It was back - the panic, the adrenaline, the thudding jackhammer heartbeat. He felt as though he were about to shake himself apart.

Erin looked away from a viewer that showed a recEdeng, pockmarked Onyx Port long enough to take in his condition.

"He's coming down from a fac-boost high," she said. "Anya, can you help Lukas get to his room so he can lie down?"

If that revelation was a shock to her, Anya didn't show it. Instead, she looped an arm around his shoulders and pointed them in the direction of the bridge's exit.

Shaking slightly, Lukas twisted around for one last look before leaving the bridge. He saw his mother's back, ramrod-straight, and past her the single viewing panel with the image of the dark, shriveled-looking husk that was Onyx, growing smaller and smaller. Then the doors slid shut behind them and he saw nothing more.

...

Ricardia had watched with trepidation as Erin's kid had fallen to the floor, seemingly overwhelmed by the Andromeda's escape. Her and Ito were silent spectators as he was helped off the bridge - not by his mother, but one of the younger aides.

"You saw them fighting, right?" Ito muttered, hovering beside her. They were still standing off to the side, watching their escape from Onyx. The station had fired a few rounds of ammunition at them while they were still in range, but the Andromeda was clearly more than a typical civilian ship. The crew were unperturbed by this last act of aggression as the ship managed to slip away into open space.

"What are you talking about?" Ricardia was only half-listening to the doctor.

"Something's off here. They were fighting," he repeated. "You see those pins on her shirt?"

Ricardia followed his gaze to where Erin stood. He was referring to the gleaming metal pinned to her coat, somehow undisturbed by their fight though the station.

"She's an officer in the Rete military," Ito continued, "but this isn't a military ship. And they don't seem to be agreeing with each other."

"What's your point?" There was execution, bone-deep and heavy sinking into Ricardia. She wanted nothing to do with puzzles at the moment. "We were just saved by these people, and you're, what? Paranoid?"

Ito backed off, raising his hands. "Look, this might be a good thing for you, but I don't think this is some simple rescue mission. That's all."

The doctor went silent, but Ricardia picked up a new message on her feed.

I'm not safe here, Ricardia. They want something from me - I need someone on my side.

Malachite Ito

Ricardia didn't answer immediately, despite the doctor's searching eyes. She wasn't exactly on the sturdiest of footing at the moment; for him to cling to her with this strange offer of alliance was both confusing and a little unwelcome.

Why was he so against their rescuers anyway? Ricardia raised a hand to wave away the message, respond with a noncommittal statement, but something caught her eye and she paused.

She'd been thinking about the man as Dr. Ito ever since they met, but that wasn't his full name. It was Malachite Ito, and there was only one place he could have been given a name like that.

Ito, who had been watching her expectantly, blanched at her reaction.

"Look," he said, risking an out-loud conversation again. "I tried to stand by you in the prisons, yeah? She knows-"

"-That you're Saisekan?" Ricardia cut him off. "Then you should be thankful this isn't a warship." She'd let that detail about him slip from her mind, during her ordeals at the prison and the subsequent breakout. Saiseki was the enemy, worse even than the Purists.

They were conquerors.

"Hello."

Both Ricardia and the doctor whirled around to see that Erin and the ship's captain had approached.

The third member of their trio, the older man, hung back, a scowl on his face.

"I'm Domini Aurrum," the captain offered his hand. "Captain of the Andromeda. Tall and pale-skinned, with hard, angular features, he was a clear native of the Rete capital planet. Ricardia clasped his hand with a measure of surprise. She recognized the family name. Aurrum Corp. was a big player in the colony process. Huge swaths of development had been sponsored by the company - including her ancestral city.

This was the hand of an economic titan, and she was shaking it like a limp fish.

If he noticed how intimidated she was, he was polite enough to ignore it.

"Erin here told me about you," the captain said. "I'm truly sorry to hear what you'd been subjected to."

Ricardia nodded mutely.

"I also wanted to thank you," he went on. "Apparently, you were a surprising asset to our little extraction mission." His face broke out into a smile. "Ademas here was confident she could take it on herself. Good thing you showed up, eh?"

Erin said nothing to acknowledge the jab. The only thing she had eyes for was Ito, who shrank under her gaze.

Then he turned to Ito, and the grin on his face slipped a little.

"I trust you made it all in one piece, doctor?" His tone was still light, but the atmosphere had definitely shifted.

"Yes, I'm fine-"

"We need to ask you some questions," Erin said, interjecting. "We held up our end of the bargain. Now it's time to do your part."

"You're military!" Ito had lost his composure. "How do I know you won't just turn me over to the Rete after you get what you want?"

"You're not in a position to negotiate," Erin said. "The danger of being turned over is a possibility if you don't comply-"

"Hey!" The other man finally spoke up, voice cutting through. "Why don't we give these two a moment to recover before we start asking questions. It's been an incredibly... long day for all of us. A fresh, rested mind couldn't hurt. And also, you're causing a scene." He added, the last few words coming out in a low hiss.

Erin eyed the crew members working the bridge all around them.

"Fine." She said, after a moment. "Viktor, find him a secure place to rest. I'll take the woman."

Appeased, Viktor hurried the still-panicked Ito off the bridge before Erin could rip either of them apart.

The captain caught her eye as they left, smirking and raising a single eyebrow as if to say, can you believe these people?

"I'll let you go, then," he said, already walking away. "I hope you enjoy your time on the Andromeda, Ricardia."

"Thank you," she offered, but her voice was weak. She doubted he heard her.

...

"This is his ship," Erin said as they walked the halls of the Andromeda. "Nicest damn craft I've ever stepped foot on."

"I'll agree with you there," Ricardia said as they skirted yet another balcony. The ship boasted gaps in its structure that formed open-air, tiered pavilions. They were on one such platform, and if Ricardia looked over the edge, she'd be able to see the four or five other levels of the ship. The whole ship was opulent and designed to be looked upon. Even Yigera's official ambassador craft paled in comparison.

Erin allowed her a moment of sightseeing before pulling her along again.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"There's a lot of empty suites on the ship right now," Erin said.

"No, I mean - where are we heading right now?"

"Ultimately, this ship will be returning to Ferrus. But since we're traveling under the cover of a research trip, we need to make another stop beforehand to keep up appearances. If you'd like, we can return you to your home as we pass through."

Ricardia stayed silent on that topic. Deflecting, she asked, "is that really something I should know?"

Erin glanced at her. "I think you're already quite compromised."

They came to a stop then, standing in the middle of a hall. They'd climbed to get here; this seemed to be the passengers' quarters of the ship.

Erin pressed an inset mechanism in the wall, and one of the doors slid open smoothly. Inside was a simple, but fully furnished suite. Ricardia spied a bed and dresser pushed up against the far wall.

When she followed Erin inside, the space further revealed a small kitchenette nestled within a crook in the wall.

"You can stay here for the time being," Erin said. Then her brusque tone slipped for a moment. "Thank you," she murmured, glancing away. "You got us out of a tight spot when we needed it."

"I was just in the right place," Ricardia said. "When I first found myself in Onyx, there were people who helped me. I thought it was only right to pass the sentiment along."

Erin nodded. "I would imagine that you were not on that station willingly." Her eyes narrowed, then, and some of the ice in her tone came creeping back. "You wielded your Factor on off-planet with no trouble at all. The strongest Caedish Factor I've seen in a long time, actually."

"I think I'll try and get some rest now," Ricardia mumbled. "Thanks for showing me the way."

But Erin didn't budge. "We'll help you, Ricardia. But you're a curiosity. I'd hope you'd be willing to answer a few questions."

Her eyes bored into Ricardia's own.

"Sure," Ricardia managed to choke out the words. The walls suddenly felt too close, as though the two of them were standing in a closet. Her throat tightened up, skin growing clammy. This suite was the smallest space she'd been within since her cell, and the idea of spending another moment in there was horrid.

"Hey, hey." Erin held out a hand, steadying Ricardia. "I'm a planetaelogist by trade - I didn't mean to insinuate anything."

Seeing Erin's features arranged in an expression of pure bashfulness was almost startling enough for Ricardia to forget about the space around her.

"No, it's just..." She hesitated, considering. "Look, I'm not doing great with closed spaces at the moment."

"Ah," realization dawned on the other woman. She stepped back. "I'll give you some space. And I'll leave the door wide open, in case you need some more space."

Then she slipped out of the suite without another word.

The implication of the gesture wasn't lost on her. She wasn't a prisoner here. Erin was grateful to her - and was simply a curious Planaetologist. They were not planning to turn her over to the Caedish authorities. She forced herself to believe this, to somehow sooth her frayed nerves.

What happened to Ito was not her problem, Ricardia decided. She'd helped enough, hadn't she? Now she needed to focus on her own issues. Onyx was long gone, but she was in unfamiliar territory.

Despite her rush of claustrophobia, she forced herself to sit down on the bed, forced herself to lie down across the memory fabric. With a pang, she realized it was a Standard-Space model, the same line of products that Dani had used to outfit her office.

She focused her vision on the open doorway, a tangible reminder that she was free now, trapped no longer. But sleep did not come easy, and when it did, her dreams were filled with dark, cramped spaces.