“You. You’re going.”

She killed all thrust. For a terrifying second, the Skipper was silent, floating in the star’s terrible light. Then the gravity wave hit—a rolling punch that slammed her ship into the Odyssey ’s side. Metal screamed. Sparks flew. The docking clamps bit down with a sound like a wolf’s jaw snapping shut.

Talia’s heart hammered against her ribs as she strapped into the Skipper . The ship groaned, as if sensing its own inadequacy. She punched the throttle, and the familiar, terrifying lurch threw her back. The stars stretched into needles of light.

“ Odyssey , this is Fleet Auxiliary Skipper . I’m coming in,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt.

“Talia. How did you do that?”