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“Nicola Honestly, I didn’t think we had anything left between us to betray”

He stopped The five-h his hair Each individual follicle ached He wondered if this hy As about being on a ship that didn’t occur to you until you were actually there

“Nicola …”

He erased all the recordings and logged into the charity bank account interface There was a secure request format that could encrypt and send an authorized transfer as soon as light-speed delivered it to the bank’s co sounded, louder and more insistent With thirty seconds left, he sent herelse for them to say

He put the hand terminal in place and lay back The computer counted backward from twenty, and the mountain rolled back over hiood,” Prax said “I was surprised I thought there’d be e”

“Didn’t hyperextend this ti through the ship, and the deck shifted under Prax Holden, standing just to Prax’s right, moved the rifle to his left hand and touched a control panel

“Alex?”

“Yeah, it was little rough Sorry about that, but … Hold on Yeah, Cap We’ve got seal And they’re knocking”

Holden shifted the rifle back to his other hand Amos also had a weapon at the ready Nao in her hands but a ter, being able to control ship functions un They all wore the articulated armor of the Martian military that had co at a third of a g The Earth destroyers still barreled doard the trap, Cap’n?” Auard,” Holden said

Prax held up his hand

“You don’t ever get one again,” Holden said “No offense”

“No, I was just … I thought honor guards were usually on the sa?”

“Wethe definitions a little here,” Naomi said Her voice had just a trace of tension in it

“She’s just a little old politician,” Holden said “And that pinnace can’t hold s get ugly, Alex is watching froht?”

“Oh yeah,” Alex said

“So if there are any surprises, Naoet us out of here”

“That won’t help with the destroyers, though,” Prax said

Naoently

“I’, Prax”

The outer airlock cycled open with a distant hureen