Andi didn’t think the method she’d proposed was too bad. It had always worked for her in the past.
3. Go in guns blazing
Then again, they were just three people against the whole galaxy. Maybe shooting their way onto Arcardius was a bit too unrealistic, especially without her crew. Lon wasn’t exactly one for violence, either. She doubted he’d be of much help.
Havoc, though... Perhaps she could use the creature as a weapon.
Even Nor would run from those claws.
Andi looked down, but Havoc had mysteriously disappeared. She made a mental note to make sure she stuck close to Dex for the time being—he was usually Havoc’s favorite target, which meant she might be able to avoid becoming his next scratching post.
“We’re only three people, with a ship on the verge of collapse,” Dex said, uncannily echoing her earlier thoughts. It was true—the Marauder needed fuel and supplies, and the thrusters desperately needed a tune-up. With the way things were going, they wouldn’t be able to hide out in this nebula much longer.
Andi looked out the window to the dusty expanse beyond. She missed seeing the stars.
Dex continued. “We all want a solid plan that will allow us to rescue the girls without dying or becoming enslaved to Queen Nor in the process. But before we even think about going back to Arcardius, we need to figure out a way to refuel and gather supplies. We’re no good to anyone stranded in a nebula.”
“Or dead,” Lon added.
Dex nodded. “Exactly. We need to get the ship back into shape first. Then we can tackle the rest.”
“As much as I hate admitting this, you’re right,” Andi said with a sigh, glancing at Gilly’s drawings again.
Dex’s jaw dropped. He grabbed the holoscreen and aimed its camera at her. “Can you say that again? I want to document this moment.”
Andi pushed the screen away, rolling her eyes. “Is your brain so addled that you have to document things externally because you can’t store the information up there?” She flicked his forehead.
“If you want to know what I’m thinking, just ask.” He winked. “Just try not to combust when I describe the dirty—”
Andi was saved from hearing the details of Dex’s explicit thoughts when Havoc pounced over the back of the couch, landing on his shoulders with claws extended.
Dex cursed, fighting the creature off and handing it to Lon instead, who allowed Havoc to curl into his arms, its horns poking out from beneath Lon’s thin black shirt.
“I swear to the stars, I’m going to skin you and use you for a pair of boots,” Dex said with a growl as Havoc yawned innocently.
“Fuzzy orange boots?” Andi said, brows raised. “That does sound like just your style.”
Dex was about to backpedal when the holoscreen dinged and the feed projected a new video stream into the room. The face of Nor Solis filled the space, and Andi groaned at the thought of yet another propaganda vid.
The queen smiled down at them, looking every bit like the benevolent ruler she definitely wasn’t. “I hate her,” Andi mumbled.
Memory’s voice cut through the room, pausing the video before it could start. “Fuel supply at thirty percent.”
“Damn,” Dex whispered as Andi’s eyes bulged.
“Preserve energy use wherever you can, Memory,” Andi commanded.
“Command confirmed.”
The room went dark, the only light coming from the holoscreen. Andi tapped on the holoscreen to resume the feed. She might hate listening to Nor address her mindless followers, but they needed all the intel they could get.
“People of Mirabel,” Nor said in greeting. “I come to you as your queen, asking you to join me in working even harder to build the future we all wish to attain. We must be vigilant in our efforts to complete Nexus, and to root out all those who wish to defy our cause. With your help, by moon’s end, we will finish the construction of Nexus, and a new era will rise.”
“Talking about that damned Nexus again,” Andi complained, but before the boys could answer, the feed started to glitch and Nor’s face disappeared, soon replaced by another’s. Andi jolted upright, transfixed by the image before them.
The newcomer on the feed was a veritable giant, clad in bloodred armor marred with battle scars and strange black markings. “This message is for those whose minds still belong to them,” the figure said, its voice sounding distant and strangely mechanical. “You are not alone.”
Andi heard Dex inhale sharply as the feed filled with static for a moment. Then the holo flickered again, and the massive soldier came back into view. Andi leaned forward, utterly transfixed by his words. “Much of the galaxy has fallen to a false queen, but there are still many who have not. To the strong, to those who continue to fight for freedom—I am Arachnid. And I stand as leader for all those who refuse to bow to anyone’s will but our own.
“Find me,” Arachnid urged. “Together, we will build an army. Together, we will destroy the false queen.” He paused, and though he didn’t move, Andi could almost feel the threat of violence emanating from him as he spoke once more. “You cannot compel me, Nor Solis. I know what you plan to do. I know the horrors you will unleash, and I will stop you before it’s too late. Even if I have to drive the killing blade into your chest myself.”
Then the feed went black.
“We aren’t alone,” Lon whispered, but it came out more like a question. The only sound was Havoc’s rhythmic purring as he stroked the fuzzball’s horned head.
Dex slowly shook his head. “By the looks of it, no.”
“Could it be a trick?” Andi asked, wondering if this was all just a ploy to draw the Unaffecteds—as the news feeds called them—out of hiding. Nor wasn’t a fool. She’d managed to outsmart the entire galaxy, Andi and her crew included. Surely she’d do anything to bring others like Andi out into the open, where she could ensnare them once and for all.
“Why would Nor allow uncertainty into the feeds when she’s been pumping them full of propaganda all this time?” Dex said.
He had a good point. Which was almost as shocking as what they’d just witnessed.
“If there is a resistance group of some kind,” Lon mused, looking thoughtful, “then we need to get to them. We have to try, at least. They could help us rescue Lirana and the others.”
“Agreed,” Andi said slowly. “There are two things standing in our way, though.”
“I think there are more than two things,” Dex interjected, but Andi shot him a look that shut him up.
“Two major things,” she clarified. “One is that we are low on everything, and we can’t actually get to the resistance without getting supplies. Which means we have to leave the nebula.”