He barked a laugh, then sighed out contentedly. “So just make yourselves comfortable until the fights,” he offered blithely, as if they were in a four-star resort, and not a cage with a dirt floor. “And speaking of fights, the winners, they can stay and work for me. Get enough people to bet on you and I’ll even let you go free afterwards. Losers,” he added thoughtfully, “if they survive, well, we keep those.” His eyes flashed in Leta’s direction before he eased backwards from the cell and walked off with his men, still wearing that grin.

Once Traze disappeared, a heavy silence descended upon the chamber. Leta stared after his retreating back, her mind buzzing as if she had insects in her ears. Then she looked to Fiearius in wild, uncontrollable alarm.

“Combat ring,” were the first words she said, breathing out a quick exhale as she tried to grasp the situation. “Combat ring? Where people fight one another. For entertainment? And people bet on it?”

Fiearius looked like he did not particularly want to answer her, but he muttered, “Sounds about right.”

“These things are illegal across the span — they were outlawed like ten years ago — ”

“So was smuggling,” Fiearius muttered, raising his eyebrows pointedly. “But lo and behold … “

His shoulders lifted in a shrug and he turned to the back of the cell, beginning to pace in thought. “I’ve heard of this kinda shit. This lanky creep,” he lifted a shoulder in the direction Traze had gone, “owns the arena, sets up the matches and Goddora provides…eh…participants.” He grimaced uncomfortably and shook his head. “It’s a pretty frowned-upon practice even amongst frowned-upon people.” He cocked a brow knowingly at her, his features marred with disgust. “Call me what you will, but I ain’t got nothin’ on these sick bastards.”

Leta’s stomach gave a nauseous twist. It was just as barbaric as she’d feared. Combat rings were completely archaic. She’d never heard of such a thing happening on Vescent — people solved their problems with money on Vescent.

And now she was supposed to enter that ring and fight for her life.

Leta stopped in place and regarded herself, almost against her will. She was tall, nearly five-foot-nine, but decidedly … scrawny. Now she wished more than ever she’d taken care of herself better after Ren’s capture and actually eaten three meals a day; then maybe she’d be broader than a broomstick. It wasn’t something she’d spent much time thinking about, generally. The hospital had needed her to be quick on her feet, that was the only real physical requirement.

Fiearius seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

“You ever been in a fight before?” he ventured, sounding as skeptical as he looked.

Did he really even have to ask? The most physical action she’d seen occurred in the last month aboard his ship. And in all those altercations, she had a gun. And her hands weren’t bound with rope. And she had the help of pirates. And …

“I punched a girl in the face when I was in high school,” she provided flatly. “For making fun of my dead mom. Other than that … ”

Fiearius rolled his eyes, apparently accepting her inevitable slaughter. “Perfect…”

Leta met his eyes, then turned away from him sharply and started to search the floor for something useful on the ground. A rock, a piece of brick, anything with a sharp edge. But when she kicked around only dirt, she stopped and looked up once more.

“I can’t win this,” she said finally, watching Fiearius closely. “We both know that. I’ll probably be killed.” To her relief, her voice sounded conversational.

“Relax,” Fiearius replied instantly, his tone flippant. “Cy’ll notice we didn’t come back soon enough and come find us. Just gotta hold out ‘til then.”

A beat of silence passed through the chamber, full of doubt.

“Right,” said Leta. “Right. Cyrus will notice we’re missing and come storming in here and free us before the fights tonight. Okay. So let’s say that doesn’t happen,” she began, “and I just, you know, die. Or have to stay here.”

That latter possibility was much more horrifying, actually, but she did her best to keep her expression muted, despite the visceral lurch in her stomach. She ignored it in favor of staring evenly at him, like they were discussing business. Well, perhaps they were.

“Let’s say that happens,” she continued, turning toward him so her shoulders were pressed against the wall. Her body slanted slightly against the brick, but her stare never left his face. “I don’t make it out, and you do. You have to still go after Ren, Fiearius. Promise me you will.”

Fiearius met her eyes calmly, saying nothing. After a heavy silence, he finally replied, sounding entirely careless, “Nope,” and turned away from her to keep pacing the room.

At once, Leta felt shock in her chest — shock and hurt. Then she remembered why she was stuck in this cell in the first place, and whose fault that really was. At that realization, her features darkened, her hurt shifting toward fresh anger.

“No? What do you mean, no?” she demanded.

“I mean no, I’m not gonna risk my crew and my resources to save your boyfriend if you’re dead,” he clarified, though it didn’t help — what she’d said was not really a request, after all.

“How can you even say that?” she said, her voice straining. “How? He needs help, we’ve come this far, you know exactly where he is. And you told me you would do it,” she reminded him bitterly. “Out on the ramp that night.”

“Yeah, I told you I’d do it,” he replied dully, sounding more and more apathetic by the moment. “And I will do it. But not if you’re dead. How d’you think he’s gonna feel when I show up to rescue him bearing the great news that his girl’s been killed on my watch?” He grimaced, pained. “Conversation I’d rather not have if ya don’t mind.”

Leta advanced toward him. “Yes, I mind! They tortured him, Fiearius! They probably still are!”

“And how’s that my problem? Tons of poor saps are getting tortured everyday, but don’t see me rushing to their aid, do ya?” he muttered. Before Leta could open her mouth again, he talked over her brashly, “I’ll save your boyfriend. But don’t ever think I’m saving him for his sake. I’m saving him for yours,” which stopped Leta in shock. His eyes glinted oddly in the low light of the cell. “You want him saved, then … you best keep yourself alive.”

Tense silence filled the cell, like thick smoke. In painfully equal measures, Leta had the urge to yell and shove him hard and the urge sink to the ground in defeat.

She did neither.

“Fine,” she finally said coldly. “Fine. You think there’s some way I can survive this, then teach me.”

Fiearius opened his mouth, then hesitated. “Teach you?” he repeated curiously.

She looked through the bars toward the rusty metal door down the hallway. Somehow, she knew it was the entrance to the arena. Then she looked sharply back to Fiearius. “Yes. Teach me to how to fight.”

One moment she’d been standing at the counter. The next, she was struggling against the grip around her middle, screaming against the hand that had been clasped over her mouth, panicked, breathless. In her periphery she’d seen Fiearius put up a fight — he’d gotten in one forceful punch to a man’s jaw, who crashed into a shelf — before they were overpowered. They were shoved towards the door, sacks were thrown over their heads and then, as they were forced to walk forward, she saw nothing.

Until now. It seemed that the men had led them inside some sort of warehouse. The room was quiet, draped in shadows, and full of rusty crates and equipment.

Leta had no idea why they’d been brought there. Nor, it seemed, did Fiearius.

“Well ain’t this the coziest hovel this side of Synechdan,” said Fiearius at her side, cracking his neck casually as if they were about to take a daytrip to the zoo. One of the men held a gun to the small of his back. “Very impressive. I feel right at home.” He glanced over his shoulder at the man directly behind him. “And just where is home again?”

“Traze’s place,” muttered the man above Leta’s ear, far too close for her liking.

After a short, blank pause, Leta couldn’t help herself any longer, and she burst out like an anxious, angry teenager, “Who the fuck is that?” to both Fiearius and her captor.

A second later she got her answer.

“Ooh, there you are. Finally!” cried a voice above their heads. It was positively gleeful, almost boyish, and it made the hair on Leta’s neck stand up before she even saw who it belonged to.

The man called Traze came traipsing down a set of stairs, adjusting the fit of his sleeves, few more armed men in his wake. Lean and white-haired, Traze wore a gray fine suit, not unlike the kind Leta’s father’s colleagues wore. But he was clearly no ordinary businessman, and when he approached and smiled broadly at them, Leta had a powerful, overwhelming sense of fear that this man was — off, and even though he appeared unarmed, somehow more dangerous than any gunman present.

What the hell were they in for now?

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Traze clapped his hands together and pointed them both at Fiearius. “Fiearius Solivere. I’ve been waiting a long time for this. Of course,” he laughed gently, “you’re probably wondering why you’re here.”

“Because I’m so devilishly handsome that people can’t resist kidnapping me?” Fiearius suggested. “The real question’s why’s she here?” His head jerked toward Leta, who chose to remain quiet during this exchange.

Traze seemed to think this was funny, because his booming laughter echoed through the room as he said, “Well I couldn’t very well leave her out of the show! She’s our opening act!” while jabbing his thumb toward her. Leta spared an urgent sideways look toward Fiearius, wondering if his antics were going to get them out of this or simply get them killed even sooner.

“No, no,” Traze went on, sighing as his smile dimmed. “I want both of the people who managed to end Solon Goddora and his right hand man.”

So that’s what this was about, thought Leta. They were about to be punished for their misdeeds from a month ago. Leta wasn’t sorry Goddora was dead, and well, she reasoned logically, it made sense. Goddora probably had a whole network of people who wanted him alive. She’d just been hoping to never meet those people …

“Well that’s unfair,” Fiearius barked, sounding indignant. “She barely did anything. Let’s not go handing out credit where credit’s not due.”

For the first time in her life, Leta was grateful to be slighted for her own work. She watched as Traze brought his hands together, almost in prayer, and smirked. “Oh I’ve heard otherwise. Besides, it’s not often we have women join the party, is it?” he mused to the men around him.

Traze sighed, and started to walk in a circle around them.  “Goddora was a business partner. And a dear friend of mine. Did you really believe you could end his life without consequence?”

Fiearius pretended to consider the question, squinting up at the ceiling, before admitting, “Yes.” He smiled, full of innocence. “Yes I did.”

Traze watched Fiearius for a moment longer, beaming back at him. Then looked around at all of his men, as if they were sharing a joke.

“Even more foolish than I thought,” he said with a happy sigh, then clapped his hands together, suddenly business-like. “Well! You’re here now, about to face those consequences, and I’m going to enjoy every second! But first, some time in the cells I think, please, Persika?” he said briskly toward the nearest gunman. “Before the show starts. Then, tonight, to the ring.”

“Ooh, we’re going to a ring?” Fiearius asked, mocking excitement as the gunman grabbed him by the arm roughly and started walking him forward. “I love rings. What kind of ring? A circus ring? A self-help ring? An engagement ring? Oh honey, if you wanted to get married, you should have just asked.” He grinned. “I would have said no, but at least we could be civil about it.”

Traze only smiled coolly as he watched Fiearius being led away. “Oh — before I forget. Check them again for weapons. And bind their hands.”

Leta did some very quick thinking. Running would have been difficult. Fighting would have been useless. Before she could act, she felt a pair of hands padding down her hips and thighs, making her jolt and instinctively jab her elbow back.

“Hey,” she snapped, her voice cracking hard as a whip. “Watch it.”

After a shocked pause, the gunhand on her recovered with a grin. Grabbing for Leta’s wrists, he forced them together and wound a rope around them, as someone else did the same to Fiearius. “Oh, this’ll be the least of your worries,” said the man, sharply tugging the rope tighter, digging into her wrists. “When you’re tonight’s entertainment.”

Entertainment.

With that, Leta’s stomach plunged. She could not imagine — she did not want to imagine — what that could possibly mean for her. Quickly, she tried to make herself as rigid and immobile as possible, even as the gunhand seized her upper-arm to march her forward toward the back of the warehouse. Once she was thrown aside Fiearius, she murmured, “Fiear. Entertainment. What does that mean?”

When she looked at him sideways, she realized he was no longer grinning. His confident smirk was gone, blown out like a candle. His expression had hardened, and he spared her the briefest glance that told her she had every right to fear the absolute worst.

Swallowing hard in her throat, Leta looked forward: they were being led down a long, narrow hallway with cells on either side. Her hands were bound in front of her with rope, hard and painful, and she couldn’t see how they were going to get out of this one.

Traze walked ahead and opened the very last bar metal door. In one rough motion, Leta was thrown inside, Fiearius after her. As the rusty door banged closed, Traze leaned in, his hands closing around the bars casually, watching his captives with interest.

“You a betting man, Solivere?” he mused after a conversational beat.

“Betting you ain’t gonna shut your mouth even if I say no,” Fiearius replied impatiently, standing tall opposite Traze. He showed only the slightest crack to his swaggering demeanor.

“You know, normally, I’d gut you for talking like that,”  said Traze, his slow, sickening smirk coming back to his face as he stepped back. “But I don’t need to get my hands dirty. I’d rather watch someone else do it. You see, I am, in fact, a gambling man,” he explained easily. “And so is half the city. They all come to bet on my ring — “

“Your engagement ring?” Fiearius interrupted.

“My combat ring,” Traze corrected. He twitched in annoyance, then went on, forcing another smooth smile. “I’m expecting an excellent show tonight. After a good warm-up, of course,” he said, gesturing casually toward Leta. “You’ll go first. I’ve got someone in mind that I think you’ll enjoy facing in my arena.”

At last, Javier realized he’d overheard quite enough of this. This was very personal. He’d always hated when his little sister had spied on him and his friends back at home, and now he realized he was doing practically the same thing.

Quietly as he could, Javier backed away from the door and crept back down the hallway, feeling unsettled. He wasn’t as close to Corra as a few people aboard, like Cyrus and Leta and Niki, but still, she had a lively spirit about her. Everyone liked her — a fact he both admired and felt envious of.

Distractedly, Javier returned to his task. He was going to find Niki. Perhaps he was on the observation deck again? That was where they had spent the previous night. Niki had snuck food from the pantry and set up a whole picnic for them for no reason at all, except, apparently, because they were such good friends. Although Niki had also said the view of the stars was “very romantic,” which didn’t seem right, exactly, for two friends. Javier had obliged only with a nervous laugh.

Javier was just considering that confusing moment (he was trying to forget it, actually), when he suddenly froze again — this time, it was out of sudden alarm.

Around the corner, he could hear Fiearius talking low and harsh. And someone else barking back at him. Ludo? Was that Ludo? He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard the gunhand actually speak before. Generally, Ludo took his meals alone in his room, followed Fiearius out the door when he was ordered to and didn’t bother anyone, as far as Javier knew, although a few of the few female deckhands had remarked that he was creepy. He was practically mute.

Apparently, he actually had much to say. His voice was low, rough and steady. Javier had never heard anyone speak like this to the captain.

” — been four months and still haven’t seen a single fucking credit to my name,” the man was gritting out. Javier had the sense he was holding back roiling anger with difficulty. “Do I work for you or not?”

Fiearius shot back, his voice venomous, “Look, if I had any credits to give you, I fucking would, believe me.”

“And why aren’t we making any? This is supposed to be a business, captain,” Ludo growled, “and instead of making money,  we’re stopping on Dune for — goddamn parties — ”

Fiearius laughed once, sharp and humorless. “A damn party and a lead on a smuggling job out on the edge,” he spat impatiently. “I’m not a fucking idiot, Ludo. I’ve got this, okay? You’ll get your damn paycheck.”

“I’ve been on this ship a year and a half. A year and a half doing everything you ask! And I’ve never gone this long without going on a job. You’re bringing doctors with you now!”

Javier peeked around the corner just in time to see Fiearius roll his eyes, “Yeah, well it made sense at the time. And I’ve already paid for the mistake enough, thanks, so I don’t fucking need to hear it from y — “

Then Fiearius raised his hands, as if forcing himself to calm, and said more slowly, “Look, I appreciate you’ve been aboard that long. And I appreciate all the help you’ve given over that time. But since you’ve been here that long, you should know by now what this business is like. We’re in a dry spell. It happens. Just enjoy the vacation while it lasts ‘cause I’m sure there’ll be plenty of shooting to be done soon enough.”

“Will there? Will there, Fiearius?” Ludo demanded. “And yet — “ His voice was lighter, taunting. “In the meantime, you’re just sitting on a bounty right now. Waiting to be cashed in.”

There was a very heavy, pointed pause. Javier had no idea what he was talking about, but Fiearius clearly did.

“I don’t think you wanna suggest what you’re suggesting,” he said coldly.

“That girl’s got a reward on her big enough to pay our wages for months!” Ludo suddenly roared. “And that reward is dead or alive. Give the doctor back to the Society already. We don’t need her. We don’t need a doctor. What we need is fuel. She’s got a bounty on her h — “

“Yeah, and so do I,” Fiearius barked. “Wanna turn me in too? Bet I could find someone who’d pay for you as well. How ‘bout that?” Before Ludo could answer, Fiearius leaned in closer, looking like he wanted nothing more than to smash his head against the wall. “We don’t betray our own.” His voice was threateningly low. “Don’t ever fucking ask for that again.”

Javier waited for this to end. Surely, it was over now. But somehow Ludo wasn’t done. When he spoke again, his voice was full of warning. “We don’t get paid soon,” he challenged, “don’t be so sure that the crew won’t take matters into their own hands.”

Javier wished desperately he hadn’t heard a word of this. He wanted to forget the whole thing. Were they threatening one another? They were definitely threatening one another. Leta sounded like she was in danger, too.

Shakily, Javier stepped backwards on his heel, but then, his hand slipped in exactly the wrong way against his leg. His sketchbook fell to the metal floor with an audible thwap at his feet. Both pairs of eyes shot to him.

At once, Fiearius’ face darkened. “What the fuck are you looking at?” he growled, turning toward him sharply.

“I wasn’t — nothing!” cried Javier at once, hurrying backwards. “I w — ”

“Then why don’t you go the fuck — ”

But suddenly Javier felt a hand reach out and grab his arm from behind as a cheerful voice rang out.

“Oh hi, cap’n!” Nikkolai greeted, a massive grin on his face that made Fiearius falter. “Good to see you!” he went on, obviously scraping to pull conversation out of nowhere. “Isn’t it a beautiful day? Evening. Night? Not that it matters on a spaceship, right?” He blurted an uncomfortable laugh. Fiearius’ glare didn’t lighten. Hopelessly, he added, “We were just leaving,” and before Javier could speak, he was being dragged away by the arm.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Nikkolai said, “You know I’m all for being adventurous, but eavesdropping on the captain? Probably not the best idea. What were you doing?”

“I was looking for you! And I didn’t mean to overhear, it was an accident!” Javier protested, his voice shriller than normal as he checked over his shoulder to be sure Fiearius wasn’t chasing them down.

His mind reeling over what he’d just witnessed, Javier was still short of breath when they made it to stairs and he said shakily, “But you wouldn’t believe what I just heard … ”

“ — mean it, Cy,” Leta was saying in an undertone, “just ask her out. Next place we land safely. See what happens.”

“I can’t ask her out,” he groaned. “Not again. I tried taking her out once. It was awkward and I could tell she didn’t want to be there. I’m not putting either of us through that again.”

“But that was awhile ago now, wasn’t it?”

“Well yeah,” he admitted, “it was a couple years back…”

“Maybe just — see what happens? The worst that could happen is you stay as close as you are right now … ”

“Or she gets freaked out and stops talking to me altogether,” Cyrus mumbled skeptically. “Which, by the way, is essentially what happened last time. It’s only really been the last few months that we’ve gotten close again. I don’t wanna wreck that…”

“She obviously cares about you and you’re good friends. You owe it to yourself to have a conversation with her about how you feel, at least.”

Javier glanced over his shoulder and saw Cyrus frown in thought. “Yeah, I guess,” he said. “I guess…you could be right. Maybe I’ll give it another try. Maybe. I’ll think about it … “

Unfortunately, it was then that Javier realized he’d sidestepped too closely, stupidly holding one cabinet open to stare at a row of soup bowls. Casually as he could, he glanced to the side.

Both Leta and Cyrus were staring at him expectantly.

“Hi Javier,” said Leta curiously after a moment, smiling slightly. Past her shoulder, Cyrus was simply watching him, one eyebrow high on his forehead. “How are you?”

“Oh, just fine,” said Javier lightly, pretending to survey the soup bowls again with interest. “I’m doing just fine.” After a moment, apparently satisfied by what he’d found, he nodded and slammed the cabinet closed. “Well, see you at dinner,” he added wistfully, drifting casually back toward the door. Never mind that they’d already had dinner an hour ago …

Once his back was turned, Javier grimaced and quickly dodged into the hallway. Subterfuge had never been his strength.

Eager to put distance between himself and the mess hall, Javier hurried downstairs toward the crew deck. Passing down the hallway, he glanced distractedly to the rooms on either side of him, glad to see all the doors were closed. He didn’t need more of an audience, thanks.

He stopped to crack open the hatch to Nikkolai’s room, but he found it empty. Where was he? Perhaps Aiden would know? He always knew what was going on, far more than Javier ever did.

Turning around, Javier raised his fist to knock on the door to Aiden’s room. Aiden, of course, had the best and largest room in this hallway, and deservedly so with the kind of crap he put up with (Javier’s quarters were scarcely larger than a bathroom stall, in comparison). But Aiden needed the large space because he so often held an audience in his room. He was always lending a patient ear to the crew.

Now, it seemed, was one such instance. Javier’s hand paused before the door as he heard two voices behind it.

“It’s not that I don’t like it here even,” said the voice. It was Corra, sounding terribly worried. “Things have actually been really great recently with Leta around and Cy-Cy acting normal again.”

Javier hesitated, then leaned in closer to listen.

“It’s just…I guess I just don’t know what I’m doing,” she went on. “In, you know. the long-term. The Dionysian is great and it’s home and I love it, but…I can’t just stay here forever playing around in the armory, can I? Don’t I need to do something with my life?”

“You don’t feel you’re doing something with your life right now?” asked Aiden, his tone mild.

“Well…I am, I guess,” Corra went on slowly. “But also no. I guess when it comes down to it, I help the people I care about. Which is important. But…”

“But?” prompted Aiden, so low Javier had to lean in closer to hear.

“But I feel like I should be doing something more.” Corra’s voice grew fainter. Javier had never heard Corra — typically so dynamic and loud and friendly — sound so sad. “After what happened on Kadolyne, I guess it hit me. Leaving all those allies behind. It’s not fair. It’s not right that I get to be free because of the whim of some crazy ship captain and yet all of them are just…stuck.”

Aiden was quiet for a moment. “Is it that you wish to help them?”

“I don’t know what I want. Of course, I’d love to help the other allies. I’d give anything for that whole industry to fall apart, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen anytime soon, with or without my help.” She heaved a sigh. “I think I just feel I should be doing something better with my freedom than handing guns to a criminal. I have all this opportunity to go out and be something and do something, opportunity that so many people never get and I just…” A lapse of silence passed before she muttered, “Waste it.”