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“They’re notdoinganything yet,” Morwong insisted. “We don’t know how long it’ll take for them to start whatever they’re planning. It could be one year—two years—more. That’s plenty of time for you to harden back up.”
Caligher looked at Zoramia. “What do you think?”
“We don’t know how long it’ll be before the conflict starts. If you’re not strong when it arrives, you’ll have to sit the fighting out.” Her eyes said everything. Caligher had destroyed more human ships than anyone in that room.
Morwong tried again to impress his ideas on Caligher. “If you molt now, you’ll meet the humans head-on in a working ship, with a shell thatfitsyou. You’ll be stronger. You’ll have better control over your spark.”
“Whatever you choose, you have to decide now,” said Zoramia. “Put it off any longer, and you might as well stay like this.”
Caligher downed his remaining drink in a single gulp, reclining against the chair and glaring at them both. At least the alcohol was burning his nerves to a numbing warmth. He set his cup on the table with a clink.
“I’m keeping my shell. And we’re finding those humans.”
His eyes were drawn to the throng of patrons, where a female human emerged in the company of two Eruleans—a rare sight. Stragglers remained from before—shipless, unarmed, abandoned by their captains on previous voyages.
Theirs, now. All humans belonged to the Ternetzis. But there was something explosive in the air. Caligher’s own attack senses were wired up and barely constrained—but he wasn’t the only one on alert.
Morwong cut him off before he jumped out of his seat. “Don’t.”
He stared at the punishing grip Morwong had laid on his forearm. Caligher didn’t feel it.
No, he felt the tension crackling in the air.
Above their heads like a live wire, forming a network.
It was Caligher that Morwong kept his eye on. He didn’t trust the bounty hunter not to blow the place up.
“This is my complex, Caligher. My protection applies toeveryone. If you make trouble, I’ll put a bounty on you.”
“Really?” Caligher asked. The idea intrigued him. Thrilled him, almost. Why not take a turn on the other side? Who would hunt down pirates then? “You can try it.”
“I’ll impound your ship, Caligher. Maybe I’ll shove you in a molting chamber while I’m at it.”
Caligher’s hackles rose. “Try that and I’ll blow up your asteroid.” If he truly had to spend all of a month on this outpost, he might just do it anyway.
Explode.
Quite literally.
Zoramia suddenly snapped at them. “Will both of youstop?This is fucking obnoxious.”
Their attention pivoted to her, all three of them flashing erratically.
“You fucking idiots! Morwong, you know you can’t force your advice on him. Give it up. And Caligher—you’re being a giant dick right now. You have something you need to get out of your system?”
He nodded sharply.
“Then let’s do it,” she said. “You and me. Fighting ring. I’ll beat the shit out of you.”
She downed two shots before barging through the crowd. He followed her dark glow until they reached the ring. The musicians detected their impending duel and changed their tempo, matching the agitation that had been shredding into him lately. It was perfect.
Zoramia’s eyes locked on his as her spikes slipped out—five wicked black barbs hanging from each forearm. The crowd recoiled and even Caligher felt a visceral twinge of defensiveness. Even with a carapace harder than diamonds, she could gut him if she tried.
Her tail spike emerged. Caligher kept his put away but mirrored her stance, letting the danger center him. They flew at each other until his fire irradiated everything else.
* * *
Caligher pushed into his hotel room with a heavy gait. Steadying himself against the wall, he wiped his forearm over his face. His stinging skin grounded him, burning off the constant, gnawing, crawling sensations of his ill-fitted carapace. All in all, he didn’t feel too bad.
