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“You can do that, Burton,” Erich said There wasface for Erich thing was going to get old fast, but right at the h to care

The ops deck was offensively lush The anti-spalling had been ht ca the walls Erich sat in the captain’s couch His good hand wason to the straps Peaches was in the navigator’s couch, her eyes closed and her smile beatific

“Grab a couch,” Erich said with a grin His old friend and not the criminal boss who needed to keep Amos in his place He switched to the ship system “Brace for maneuvers Repeat, brace for maneuvers”

“That’s not how they really do that,” A in at co they say in the movies”

“It’s good enough for now,” Erich said, and the couches shifted under them as the thrusters turned the ship Slowly, the moon hove into view, and behind it, the sun Silhouetted, Luna was a disk of black froe and a ork of city lights Peaches chuckled like a brook, her eyes open now, her hands pressed to her lips The tears welling up in her eyes glittered

“Didn’t think you’d see this again, did you Peaches?”

“It’s beautiful,” she said “Everything’s beautiful, and I didn’t think anything ever would be again”

They were all silent for ait slowly down Below theray Where the continents should have burned in the per of di points The seas were hidden, and the land A funeral shroud was over the planet, and they all kneas happening beneath it

“Fuck,” Erich said, and it carried a weight of awe and despair

“Yeah,” A moment The birthplace of humanity, the cradle of life in the solar system, was beautiful in its death throes, but none of the

The comm controls interrupted the woh-priority panel

“Zhang Guo, this is Luna Base We do not have an approved flight plan for you Be advised this space is under military restriction Identify yourselves immediately, or be fired upon”

Amos opened the channel “Hey there, Luna Base Name’s Aot someone up there named Chrissie Avasarala, pretty sure she’ll vouch for me”

Chapter Forty-six: Alex

“Hey there, Chetzemoka This is Alex Kamal presently of the Razorback Naon I’d sort of like to make sure it’s you before we co a mite odd, and we’re a little on the juot fifteen ht want to talk with me”