“Right,” he agreed, updating our vector to take a wider path around the vessel. “Everything still looks good.”

  “You’re assuming the Royals will go after us out here,” Leo said. “For all we know, they’re willing to let us get to the surface before engaging.”

  “We can only plan for what we know,” Emerald said around a mouthful of more icing, “and react to what we can’t plan for."

  “You should go get cleaned up,” I said. “You can’t go planetside looking like that.”

  “And Quasar can? She looks like she’s ready to take on the League of Evil.”

  “Is that a Galaxy Man reference?” Matt asked.

  “Yup,” Leo confirmed. “The League of Evil is—”

  “Thanks, but I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know.”

  “She’s right,” I said. “Zar, you need to change too. So do I, for that matter.”

  “I’m sure lots of people on Bushara wear hoodies,” Emerald said.

  “They do?”

  “No. I'm kidding. It’s thirty-two degrees celsius down there.”

  I smiled. “So no bulletproof coat either, then?”

  “You’d look less out of place in my bikini.”

  Grinning at a picture that created in my mind, I let go of the pilot seat to pull the hoodie off, revealing a black t-shirt underneath. “Better?”

  “You might want a lighter color. Black makes you look so serious. And you'll sweat like a pig. Stinky.” She made a face.

  "Actually, pigs barely sweat," Leo offered.

  “Captain,” Matt said. “The other Sentry is on the move.” I glanced at the sensor grid. The Sentry further from us was gaining velocity and coming about, headed this way. “Do you think they saw us?”

  “I don’t know. Why wouldn't the closest Sentry have spotted us instead?” I glanced back at Quasar.

  “Beats me, Cap,” she replied, the Sentry continuing to turn toward us, its main thrusters flaring. “Maybe only one of them has the right software updates.”

  “Matt, angle back in a little closer to the hull of the Sentry,” I said. “Just in case.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” he said, complying smoothly with my change in orders.

  “She stopped turning,” Leo said. “I’m picking up an energy spike.”

  “Going to hyperspace,” I said, the field expanding out from the Sentry. Within a handful of seconds, it vanished.

  Zar blew out a relieved breath. "Our luck's holding."

  “Zar, Em, grab Druck and get yourselves ready to go. Concealed carry only.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Quasar replied, getting up off the sofa.

  “Oh, and Emerald, can you ask Asshole to make me a suitable outfit?”

  “Sure,” she threw back over her shoulder as they exited the flight deck.

  “You seriously just asked Emerald to make you an outfit?” Matt asked.

  I winced. “Yeah, probably not the best idea.”

  Leo laughed. “You’re going to end up in a mankini. I just know it.”

  “She wouldn’t do that to me,” I replied without all that much conviction.

  Head Case shot out past the Royal Sentry without drawing its attention, the ship shuddering slightly as it hit the edge of the atmosphere. Matt cut the thrust, letting the resistance slow us while we burned through the thermosphere. Sparse clouds drifted below us, the edge of Bushara’s primary land mass quickly coming into focus.

  Lapul occupied the bulk of the peninsula. From our altitude, it looked like a web of sparkling silver and green. Having reviewed pictures of the city, I knew it was similar to Atlas, only with a much more ecologically-focused design. Like Kirillia, the city merged with the landscape rather than replacing it. In this case, it looked more like it had melted into the pre-existing greenery rather than rising above it.

  A beach thousands of miles long stretched across nearly the entire outer edge of the land. While Bushara was no Oceania, it was still a popular destination for tourists and travelers looking for a change of pace and scenery a little closer to home. At the same time, it was an important hub for dozens of large corporations.

  “Still clear,” Leo announced, keeping most of his attention on the sensor grid and the additional detail on screens of the augmented reality interface. Ground-based radar and other sensor suites could no doubt track us if anyone were paying attention, but it seemed like they weren't.

  “Right on target,” Matt said, hand steady on the controls. We were falling like a stone, letting air resistance and gravity do the work of bringing us down to the sea. Actually hitting the water would be the trickiest part. We needed to scale back up before we entered the water, but not so much that we created a big splash and a large power spike that would draw attention. We also had to slow enough not to be ripped apart on impact. The timing had to be perfect.

  “Get ready to scale up,” I said.

  “Aye aye.”

  We both stared intently at the forward transparency, watching Lapul fade off to starboard as it increased in size, the ocean changing from flat to rippled as the waves became visible.

  “Ben?” Matt said, getting nervous about our distance and velocity.

  “Not yet,” I replied. “Hold it…” We dropped a few thousand more feet to less than a mile high. “Now!”

  Matt reached up to center the invisible slider, putting Head Case back to regular size. Immediately after, he triggered vectoring thrusters to quickly roll us over and fire the mains. Only moments before he activated the shields, the ions burned away the ocean directly beneath us, sending up a small burst of steam.

  We hit the water with enough force to shove us back in our seats. Matt grunted, losing his grip on the throttle. I pushed against the force that tried to throw me back, remaining upright as the hull shook, popped, and groaned. My quick pull on the throttle shut down the thrusters before Matt could get back to the controls.

  “Shit!” Matt cursed, pausing mid-reach.

  “Leo!” I shouted the forward transparency covered with water, the overhead sun defusing as we sank below the surface. “Damage report.”

  “We’re good, Captain,” he replied calmly. “Just a little flexing. Nothing to worry about.”

  “Kill the shields,” I said as we continued sinking, the ocean floor nearly three hundred feet below us.

  “Aye, Captain,” Matt replied before looking over his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Ben. I—”

  “It’s not your fault,” I replied before he could continue. “We hit harder than I expected. Leo, how are we holding up?”

  “Still good,” he replied.

  “Now we just wait to see if there’s a reaction from Planetary Defense,” I said, eyes glued to the grid.

  It took about a minute for us to sink to the ocean floor. Head Case shuddered again when the chin finally hit the soft sediment. We rocked back and forth slightly before settling.

  “Under da sea!” Matt intoned in his best Sebastian.

  “I don’t think there are any mermaids down here,” I replied, smiling as I watched, through the forward transparency, the return of the fish that had scattered at our entry into the water. Large, colorful, and plentiful, they created a rainbow around us.

  “No activity from the shoreline, as near as I can tell,” Leo said. “No extra chatter on the PD comms. I think we’re good.”

  “Nice work, Matt. Perfect landing. You’ve got the ship.”

  He nodded. “I wouldn’t call it perfect, but I’ll take it. I’ve got the ship. Good luck out there, Ben. Come back safe.”

  “Copy that,” I replied, hurrying from the flight deck.

  CHAPTER 13

  “Gia, you’re out of time,” I said as I made my way to the armory, having accessed the shipwide comm to talk to her through my phone. I didn’t know for certain if she was there, but I had a feeling she could hear me. “Did you find someone?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “His name is Junto. He owns a tattoo parlor on the waterfront, about six miles from Mushari’s headquarters. The name of the place is Eternal Memory Designs. He specializes in holographic imprints and ink of loved ones. He mostly caters to tourists.”

  “He doesn’t sound like a modder to me,” I said as the elevator stopped on Deck Two.

  “He’s not anymore. He used to work for Nobukku as a modder, tasked with getting injured soldiers back into the fight. Military-grade replacement mods, targeting system implants, stim implantation, and the like.”

  “Stim implantation?” I asked. “You mean like synthetic adrenaline?”

  “And other chemical cocktails to temporarily enhance performance.”

  “None of that sounds like it gets installed on top of a person’s brain. Has he ever done that before?”

  “I only had an hour, Ben. Beggars can’t be choosers.”

  “Are you kidding? I’ll remind Quasar of that when she’s about to go under the knife for your neural link."

  I left the elevator and headed for the armory. Druck waited outside with Meg. He wore a pair of white linen pants and a shirt so thin the tats on his chest were visible beneath it. I was sure he had a firearm or two hiding somewhere on his person, but I couldn’t figure out where he might have stashed them.

  Meg stood with her hands balled into fists. “Is something wrong?” I asked her. “You aren’t on the away team.”

  “I’m fine,” Meg replied. She turned over one of her closed fists and revealed the contents. Gia’s neural link, the battery still attached and keeping the device powered.

  “She didn’t trust me to bring it down to you without damaging it,” Druck said. “She said I’m a clumsy oaf.”

  “Oaf in a good way,” Meg added.

  “How can you be an oaf in a good way?” Druck asked. "And I'm not clumsy."

  "Debatable."

  “Are Emerald and Zar inside?” I asked, derailing the superfluous goading between the two.

  “Aye, Captain,” Meg answered, wrinkling her nose at Druck.

  “Gia, I asked you if you’re kidding about this Junto guy's experience.”

  “I wish I were. Honestly. I don’t love having to settle for him either, but it was the best I could do. Besides, he said he’s done brain implants on daiki before.”

  “Is a daiki anything like a human?”

  “More like a cross between a scarab and an elephant, with sharper, longer chitinous tusks. Herders pay to attach links to their brains to keep the daiki from trying to eat them.”

  “That doesn’t sound like the kind of elephant I’d ever want to cross paths with, but at least he has somewhat comparable experience,” I added sarcastically.

  “With the amount of electro I offered him, he won’t dare screw it up.”

  “But will he turn us in?”

  “Not if he wants to live past today.”

  “Okay, but I need to run this past Quasar. She should make the final decision about whether to go through with the procedure or not.”

  “Ben, if you don’t have someone take the link, then I can’t help you get into Mushari. Do you have a plan B?”

  “We have a plan V,” Druck said, listening in on the conversation.

  “V?” Gia asked.

  “For violence. We’ll get what we need one way or another. There’s too much at stake.”

  “Which is why I'm sure Quasar will do it,” she decided. “She’s too invested to risk losing everything by backing out.”

  “Eternal Memory Designs,” I said. “On the waterfront. I assume Junto’s expecting us?”

  “Within the next two hours.”

  “Got it.” I tapped my phone’s screen to disconnect.

  “We good to go, Boss?” Druck asked.

  “Yeah, we’re good. I’ll be right back.” The armory doors opened ahead of me, and I stepped inside.

  “There you are!” Emerald said, spotting me right away. She was on my right near the racks of small arms, dressed in a bright floral dress that hugged her hips, the splits on the sides allowing for more freedom of movement. They ran all the way up to bands around the tops of her thighs, suggesting firearms holstered just out of view. “I have something for you," she added. "Close your eyes.”

  “Emerald, we don’t have time for—”

  “Close your eyes!” she said forcefully enough that I compiled without thinking. “Put out your hands.” I did as she asked. She dropped a box into them. “Okay, open.”

  I opened my eyes to a box gift-wrapped in paper decorated with corgis wearing party hats. “Uh, thank you?” I ventured.

  “Go ahead, open it.”

  “Where’s Quasar?” I asked.

  “I’m here, Ben,” Quasar answered from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder. She wore a long sleeved shirt that looked like a rashguard but appeared to be made from the same material as the combat armor base layer. Matching shorts protected her to her knees, leaving her muscular calves exposed. A pair of slight bulges that I was pretty sure weren’t muscles beneath her arms subtly revealed her concealed firepower. I assumed the duffel slung over her shoulder held other goodies she’d assembled for the mission.

  “I need to talk to you about—”

  “Ben,” Emerald complained. “Open it. Then talk.”

  Quasar smiled, giving me the go ahead with a raised hand. “Better open it."

  “Do you know what’s inside?” I asked her.

  “Not a clue. Just want to get it over with.”

  I tore open the paper and discarded it on the deck, suddenly eager to see the contents. I dropped the lid onto the deck, pushing tissue paper out of the way to reach what I knew had to be the clothes I had asked Emerald to make for me. Nevertheless, I loved the suspense of opening presents.

  Once I'd dispensed of the wrapping paper and opened the box, I stared down at the shirt neatly folded on top of the other clothes. A long-sleeved, silk button-down. It was an exact match to the dress Emerald wore.

  “Well?” she asked nervously. “What do you think?”

  “I…love it,” I said. I tried to sound sincere, but didn't quite accomplish it.

  “I’m so glad. There’s more underneath,” she said, smiling and clapping her hands despite my lackluster enthusiasm as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

  I grabbed the shirt and draped it over an arm, looking down at the khaki pants . Picking them up to unfold them, I couldn’t help noticing the two big Teddy Roosevelt pockets puffing out on either side. The outfit was ridiculous.

  “You can put a pair of blasters plus extra cells in those bad boys,” Emerald said, offering a functional reason for the huge bloused pockets. "Plus they're big enough for Shaqadoodle to hide in."

  “I’ve never seen anything like it,” I replied, though I was starting to feel like I was retiring to Florida, not going to meet a modder before breaking into the headquarters of a major starship builder. I half-expected to find sandals at the bottom of the box, but thankfully she had left me to my own devices on the footwear. Sneakers it was.

  “Go ahead and change,” Emerald said. “I’ll wait.” She opened her eyes wider instead of turning away.

  “Stay here,” I said, dropping it all back into the box and moving over a couple of rows, out of view, to replace my hoodie and jeans with the clown outfit.

  “It’s perfect!” Emerald exclaimed when I returned to her and Quasar. “Here." She handed me the two blasters and a couple spare cells.

  “What do you think?” I asked the Royal Marine, stuffing the large handguns and reloads in the pockets.

  “It’s not as bad as I expected. And you’ll probably blend right in with the tourists. You two make a cute pair.”

  I could feel the blush rush up my cheeks. Thankfully, my beard covered it.

  “I wish I had something to get a picture of us,” Emerald said. “Ben, does your PAD do selfies?”

  “No,” I lied. “Zar, I was talking to Gia. The guy she found to do the implant, he’s—”

  “By your tone of voice, I assume you’re concerned,” Quasar said before I finished. “Whatever it is, I’ll take my chances. My allegiance is to the Royal Family. I need to help Prince Hiro in any way I can.”

  “I thought that's what you'd say. I just want you to be sure."

  “I'm positive.”

  “Okay. Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER 14

  I surveyed my away team—Emerald, Quasar, and Druck—as we gathered at the front of the hangar near Head Case’s currently closed mouth. They weren't quite as lethal as when I had Ixy and Shaq, but it was still a team I had confidence in. Merton had only proved how tough and resilient all three of these people could be.

  Tapping on my comm badge, I reached out to the flight deck. “Matt, Leo, we’re in position in the hangar,” I said. “I’m wrapping us up now.”

  “Copy,” Matt replied. “I’m going to seal you—”

  “Hold up.” I frowned at the elevator doors as they unexpectedly parted. I didn’t see anyone immediately, confusing me until Shaq leaped to the upper deck railing. He clung there, looking down at us. “What’s up, bud?”

  “Wait for me,” he buzzed. “I want to come.”

  “We already talked about this,” I said. “You need to stay behind. You’re more recognizable than I am, and I have no way to disguise you.”

  “No one will see.” He said something else I didn’t understand before leaping from the railing and drifting across the hangar. He descended toward me, landing smoothly on my shoulder. “Left you before. Not leaving again.” He rubbed his head against my neck.

  I looked over at him. We had been parted an awful lot since we’d first met. Alter had told me once that when a jagger bonded, it was tough for them to be too far away from their partner, especially if they believed that partner was in danger. He knew everything we did from here on out was dangerous, not only because of Sedaya and Blorb, but also because of the bounty on my head. It could convince even random joes to take a shot at me. Literally. Of course, Shaq’s bounty was nothing to sneeze at, either. Twenty million was on the table for the capture of any known member of my crew. Thanks to someone on Windfall, the authorities knew about Meg, Leo, and Ixy, too.