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In a conversational tone, A here?”

“Nope,” Holden said He clicked the rifle to autofire and felt a faint nausea rising in his throat

“All right, then,” Ahtti to hold the bay under hostile fire, it would seeo bay entrance flashed yellow three times, and the hatch slid open

“Don’t shoot unless I do,” Holden said quietly Arunted back at him

A tall blond woman walked into the bay She had an Earther’s build, a video star’s face, and couldn’t have been uns pointed at her, she raised her hands and wiggled her fingers “Not arrin Holden tried to i for hi back at her

“Who are you?” Holden said, keeping his gun trained on her

“My name’s Adri Are you James Holden?”

“I can be,” Amos said, “if you want” She smiled Amos smiled back, but his weapon was still in a carefully neutral position

“What’ve we got down there?” Naomi asked, her voice tense in his ear “Do we have a threat?”

“I don’t know yet,” Holden said

“You are, though, right? You’re Ja toward him The assault rifle in his hands didn’t seem to bother her at all Up close, she smelled like strawberries and vanilla “Captain James Holden, of the Rocinante?”

“Yes,” he said

She held out a slim, throay hand terminal He took it auto with his name and his UN citizen and UN naval ID numbers

“You’ve been served,” she said “Sorry It was nice h”

She turned back to the door and walked away

“What the fk?” Aun to the floor and rubbing his scalp again