“Then humanity is still in trouble.” She leans forward and engages something. Myria climbs out of her ship, all glinting metal and radiant synthetics and dark armor.
Even Poppy gasps at the sight of her. “Like an obsidian BloodCypher. Fuck me. Solcrue are building those?”
Myria stalks down the ship, pries free a unit that looks like a tracker and throws it overboard. “This isn’t over. I will see you soon.”
She drops back into her ship and closes the hatch, then gives me a hand signal.
“Devil’s horns!” Poppy growls.
I smile. “That’s my big sister. She’s on our side.”
“No, she’s not!” Poppy warms her guns. “She captures and tortures Titans!”
I give Myria the hang-loose gesture like I always did as a kid. She slides closer, almost smiles at me, then moves her ship overhead so we can see the Titans she’s collected.
“Last load. But I will scan for more.” Myria switches off the magnet, and the Titans fall to our roof. “I will find you, Esthielle. Count on it.”
Her engines roar and blast with green light. Myria darts off at twice our speed.
Poppy frantically ignites grav beams to hold the dark Titans in place on our hull, then banks us back toward the BlazeStar. “I do not know what the fuck that was. You will have to explain your strange behavior sometime.”
“All you need to know is that KillStar is not out to destroy us.”
“She was.”
“So was Evo. But you have accepted him back into your ranks.”
Her jaw cocks to one side. “Fair enough. For now.”
Poppy gets on coms as she guides us inside the BlazeStar’s opening hangar. “Incoming injured Titans in need of immediate medical care.”
Titans and women rush over the moment we land, directing hovering gurneys to us.
Clamps secure the ship for transport as Poppy, and I climb out. When I get down, I look for Armor but can’t find him anywhere.
I stop a Titan who is helping unload his dark Brothers. “Where is Armor?”
The Titan’s eyes flash. “Left the ship. They went dark.” The kind-faced Titan rests a hand on my shoulder. His digibadge reads Coil. “The units that went dark all at once likely did so because they’re on a stealth mission. You cannot reach them. I’m sorry.”
“Damn it.” If Armor’s gone, I’m going to need my own back online. “Where can I charge my suit?”
Coil directs me to a wall with cells, some filled with suits, others empty. “Step in backward. You can request to be released or stay for the charge.”
“Thanks.” I rush across the hangar floor and climb into the cell. Hoses and cables clip into the suit, bringing it back online and raising the power level.
Amp comes over my helmet com, not just in sound, but in a visual. He crosses his arms, which are decked in radiant green tracework. “Hello, Esthi. So your sister is KillStar? Poppy just reported in.”
I sigh. “I didn’t know until we encountered her. She’s gone now. Returned the last of our Brothers. I think she went after Joey and Lenarro.”
He makes a noise I can’t decipher. “Ours?”
I realize my slip. “I don’t claim ownership, just that you all feel like Brothers to me. I miss my blood brother. But I can’t bring him back. I can only protect the family I have left. Right now, that’s all of you.”
Amp looks away. “Joey and Lenarro, huh?”
“A-firm. Joey has blood trackers. General Erdox is apparently his father. I don’t think Leah knows that. Erdox held Leah’s life over Lenarro’s head. It’s why he’s stuck guarding Joey. But I think he’s on our side. Sounded like he was leaving to fuck some shit up.”
Amp nods and looks behind him. “Your mate, Armor, is with Commander Savage. I am aware of the mission. I will let you know the end result.”
