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CHAPTER 1

Dying isn’t like living; it requires no effort at all

I just have to sit quiet and let it happen But I can’t Like a fish with a barbed hook caught in itsuished meat I left in the cockpit with Hit She has no way home without me, and if I don’t succeed in this, the consequences will be far worse than two lost ferimspace and the scintillant colors, I must live; it’s never mattered so much before

I have to get back I have to warn theain

Since the Conglout fleet, I had to reprogram the beacons; it was the only way to slow theht have been lost But no impulsive act, however well intended, comes without consequence I know that better than most

As I draw closer, the pain ramps up At least I have the assurance that the nanites will repair the dae, so whatever I’ve done to myself, I won’t wind up trapped in my own body If March were here, he’d help anchor me, but Hit lacks his Psi ability, which means I’m on my own Instead of the door in the far horizon—that place of passing through—I focus on , I can hear ht now no h

With each thud, I pull rasp with ghostly hands Each pound of sas the one that tore me loose, I fall back in My handsYou back, Jax?

Sickness boils in ht in my own head, as if I’ve come back sh The consequences from this point on are mine alone

Yeah, I reply, tio home

I don’t knohether I’ve been gone ardless Grimspace is a bitch mistress, ill drain you dry and leave the husk without a second glance—and without my implants, this suicide run would’ve killed et us out; I have thatrimspace swells within me, and it feels as if a door opens in my head Thanks to the neural blockers, I can’t feel the associated pain; the ship shudders and sails through

We e, io anywhere at all Not really Not in the sense of distance, but this is the nature of paradox My hands tre, then the scene unfolds before me

Lights twinkle in the dark, but they are not stars Mary, no We weren’t fast enough So h; they dim the constellations Their shapes are alien to my eyes, like creatures that caes and stranger designs Because we’re so sistered on their sensors yet; there are too natures clustered in a small area for our numbers to leap out at anyone But it’s only a matter of time, and we have no weapons

The Morgut have left their ho to colonize other planets, lomerate held They treat us as livestock, food for the feast, and it’s all I can do to containon the dreadnaught hull, to give us a chance, and bought tiut fleet could arrive at Venice Minor

But they’re here now Not the whole force, certainly I accomplished what I set out to do—I dih

Sweat cools on my forehead as I study the scene With soet ships up here, we have a chance in this final battle It looks as if they’re positioning to bouns powerful enough to take out entire city quadrants As yet, I don’t see anyup and perfor repairs down below

I hope they weren’t sending reinforceht in griate, but neither can the Conglomerate—or any other ships for that overn my actions That’s not , but we’re close enough to the Morgut fleet that they’ll catch the transh the risks and decide the e can wait until we land; if I die here, then I’ve set hu the beacons to navigate Still, I don’t feel good about the call At this point, every second counts

“Do we make a run for the surface?” Hit asks

“We can’t do anything up here”

No weapons, no shields So that’s the answer She offers a brief nod in reply, and we start the insane journey home As we approach the ates shots co in hot on our stern One successful strike, and we’re done But she flies like other people dance, and even negotiating the burn as we fall planetside, she e I can only watch; I’ve donele and take care with the ship hardware, so I watch the ground sail toward e to closepast us toward the ground Ha Missed

The clouds whip past, and the tiny dots on the ground resolve into lines, then trees; the green-and-brown patchwork sharpens into the lines of limpse the blue shine of the sea, but several alarms flash red, and a lohine fills the cockpit The sht break apart entirely I do shut my eyes then

Our vessel goes into a low roll as we near the ground; is me forward, but the harness catches me I’ll have bruises to show for this h dae I should have new scars I risk a look and find we’re upside down, but ar I don’t knoho’s rin and a high sign