Page 275 of Commander’s Mate

Zoe looked at me. “Harper.”

“No.”

I did not know whether I meant no to panic, no to death, or no to the universe taking someone else.

A woman collapsed in front of us and saved me from finding out.

Her fingers locked around my sleeve. “Name,” she rasped through mine dust.

“We can get it later. Breathe first.”

“No. My baby. Put name.”

I knelt beside her. “Tell me.”

“Lio Tarven. Four cycles. Lower nursery.”

I entered the name, flagged it priority red, and sent it to command.

Thirty seconds later Zared’s voice came through.

“Registry priority received. Diverting to lower nursery access.”

Alive.

I closed my eyes for one breath and went back to work.

Three hours and forty-two minutes passed in shuttles, alarms, dust, blood, and names.

The last shuttle docked.

Children came down first. One of them screamed until a woman on a stretcher tore off her breathing mask.

“Lio!”

The child twisted free of the warrior carrying him and collided with his mother in a tangle of blankets and sobbing.

On my slate, the record changed.

FAMILY UNIT LINKED.

I covered my mouth.

Then Zared came down the ramp.

His armor was scorched. Blood marked one temple. A black burn crossed his chest plate.

Alive.

I do not remember crossing the space between us. I hit his armor hard enough to hurt, and his arm locked around me.

“You came back.”

“You were waiting.”

“Do not ever make static again.”

His laugh shook against me. “I will add it to mission parameters.”