It was time. I wasn’t ready. But with my father’s mercenary numbers down and what remained of them all up on A Deck, we knew we couldn’t hold off any longer.

Hugo had given his senior officers and those civilians who wanted to work with them the night to recuperate. Lieutenant Wilson had stopped shaking his head. Commander López had some colour back in her face. And Mandy was her usual gung-ho self.

We also had twelve armoured units.

“You should be wearing one of these,” Hugo said quietly as he looked down at me. He hadn’t put his helmet on yet. He held that under a large, shiny, alloy arm.

“My father won’t recognise me in armour,” I said for what had to be the hundredth time.

Hugo scrubbed his jaw and then realised he was wearing armoured gloves. He scowled at his hand. He was so funny when he was angry about something.

He sighed. “This is not how I pictured falling in love,” he said.

“What?” I stupidly replied.

“I pictured roses and maybe some chocolates, and evenings at a local fair. Restaurant dinners, there were definitely restaurant dinners in my imaginings. And not disposable plates made by a food synthesiser. Adi,” he said, looking down at me with such sad eyes, “you deserve better than this.”

“You think I dreamed of all those things?” I asked. He looked puzzled. “Maybe I dreamed of adventure and saving the world. Maybe I dreamed of being something I was not. Restaurants and fancy dinners mean nothing to me. This…” I reached up and placed a hand on his chest armour. His gloved fingers came to rest over mine protectively. “This is what I dreamed of, Hugo. Someone who would stand up to my father. Who would do what was right. Who’d save the world.”

“The world’s already lost, and I’m no hero,” Hugo murmured.

“This is our world now,” I said. “And you’re definitely a hero.”

“Adi,” Hugo said, just as Commander López stomped up in her armour.

“Damn you’re small,” she said through her helmet speakers. Her faceplate at least was clear.

“Good things come in small packages,” I replied smugly. “Take Ratbag for instance.”

“Can’t argue with you there, Adi,” López said. “I swear Johnson and Armstrong had a ten-minute argument over who would get to hold that dog this morning. I had to break it up before it came to fists.”

Hugo snorted.

“Laugh it up, Captain. I’ve made a mention of it in my log with recommendations for discipline, on your orders.”

“You are an evil woman, Commander,” Hugo said.

She grinned toothily at him.

“So, you two lovebirds ready?”

“Andrea!” Hugo sputtered.

“Come on, sir. Everyone knows it. They’re all rooting for you.”

Hugo looked at me with a severely put-upon expression on his face.

“This is what it means to be a commanding officer onboard this ship,” he said.

“No,” López offered quietly, but resolutely. “This is what it means to be the captain of a ragtag group of civilians and a few AU officers fighting to take back our vessel in the depths of space. There are no rules here, sir. Just us and a crazy computer and a leaseholder with visions of grandeur. No offence, Adi.”

“None taken.”

“We make do,” the commander went on, “with what we’ve got. And what we’ve got is a good bunch of people willing to go that extra mile to get the job done. Led by you.”

She looked directly at Hugo and said nothing for a moment. Letting that sink in.

“We’ll do all right,” she finally said and turned to walk back to the others.

“I think I just received a pep talk from my first officer,” Hugo mused.

“Did you need it?” I asked, smiling.

He turned to look at me, face softening.

“I needed the pep talk from you. Andrea’s was just a kick up the backside.”

I laughed, making Ratbag let out a little bark of delight. How could he make me laugh when we were about to face my father? I shook my head at him, feeling emotions I’d only ever read about.

I was past falling for this man. I had fallen, and he had caught me.

“That look on your face,” he said softly. “I want to ask what you’re thinking, but if it’s what I think it is, we’re never going to get out of here. Promise me something?”

I nodded my head. I’d promise him anything right now.

“Promise me you’ll tell me what you were thinking right now when this is over. When we’re alone in my cabin. Just you and me and maybe Ratbag. I wouldn’t mind the little guy curling up at our feet. As long as he doesn’t demand your attention. I have plans for that.”

“My attention?” I asked, ashamed to note I was a little breathless.

“I don’t intend to share,” he said seriously.

“So noted,” I said, feeling like I was walking on air.

How strange to feel so elated when we were about to mount what could turn out to be our hardest battle. It would be mine when I faced my father. I had no doubts of that.

I wondered if that was why Hugo was joking around like this. Why López had been less formal with him; why she’d taken a few liberties. Was this what they did before something dangerous happened? Was this the way they relieved stress?

Was Hugo trying to relieve me of mine?

“Now, that look, I’m not sure I like as much,” he whispered. “Go back to thinking what you were thinking before.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re very bossy.”

“Hey,” he said, lifting up his helmet to don, “I’m the captain. Haven’t you heard?”

I shook my head at his back as he sauntered away from me toward the others. If anyone could accomplish sauntering in armour, it would be Hugo. I stifled a laugh.

“All right, big guy,” I whispered to Ratbag. “You’re staying here while I go deal with the monster.”

Ratbag whined. He knew that word. I’d called my father a monster for years. He’d been a monster to me since Ratbag appeared in my life. Ratbag didn’t know him by any other name.

It was a strange realisation.

I fussed over my dog for as long as they all let me, and then López quietly said, “It’s time.”

She wasn’t looking at me, but she also wasn’t using her commander voice. I knew her words were for me and no one else.

We weren’t using the tunnels. Not with that number of people dressed in armour. This was never going to be a surprise attack like the habitats were. They’d see us coming. Maybe they’d even come out to greet us. We could only hope to cull the numbers more before we made it to the bridge.

But this was it. This was the moment I faced my father. Even the thought of not having to deal with the mayor did not make this any easier.

I had so many things I wanted to say to my dad. So many questions, forefront was “Why?”

Why did he kill my mother? Why couldn’t he have just let her go?

Why did he think taking over the ship was acceptable? Why did he have to kill so many people to do it?

Why did he change Aquila? Why take one of the few friends I had away from me again?

Why couldn’t he have loved me for who I was?

Why?

I knew I’d get nowhere near the number of answers I wanted. I knew there was a chance he’d simply shoot first and dismiss questions afterwards. Just as Aquila was not the AI I had befriended, my father was not the parent I had wanted.

That knowledge was a solemn weight on my shoulders as I made my way out of the computer core with the others. Surrounded on all sides by armour. The lone civilian in amongst the warriors.

I could do this. They were counting on me.

But I was pretty damn sure that I wouldn’t be able to reach my father as they hoped I would.

This was a walk to meet death. And nothing more.