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ex said froht deck “A little impurity in the water supply we should look at, but it’s likely just a seal that’s wearing out A little stray leaching”

“Okay,” Bobbie said She wanted to stay She wanted to spend her hours polishing her ship and fixing every flaw they could put hands to She had thirty-fivein next time”

“Next tireed Because there would be a next ti to pretend there would be She locked down her cabinets, checked thewas getting to her hand ter everything down equally—and pulled herself back down the corridor and toward the lift

“This a Martian ship?” her guard asked

“It is,” Bobbie said as they reached the lift and headed down for the machine shop

“I’ve seen some like her back home First fleet had a lot like this”

First fleetall the ships that Duarte had stolen when he’d escaped to Laconia But also, Bobbie realized,there was a second fleet One with ships like the monstrosity that had killed the Tori Byron

“Must look pretty quaint, eh?” she said, trying toaway But if there had been an opportunity there, she’d missed it

In thea set of safety-approved tools into a small cera herself on a handhold She saw his sign again: YOU TAKE CARE OF HER SHE TAKES CARE OF YOU The words had ht now She’d barely had a chance to take care of the Rocinante, at least not as her captain She hoped another chance would come

“You ready to roll out?” she asked

“Yep,” Amos said

Clarissa and Alex were already in the airlock with their guard when Bobbie and Aot there Clarissa looked more relaxed, and there was more color in her skin Alex would have seemed relaxed to anyone who didn’t know hiered on the bulkhead He kneell as she did that there was no guarantee they’d ever be back

The guards escorted the the nearly empty docks, back toward the transfer point to the druravity, then went back for the next crew to the next ship When they were alone, Bobbie cleared her throat

“All right How did that go?” she asked

“They’ve locked her down pretty tight,” Alex said “But they didn’t get everything Give ”