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“Kaylee?” Zoe took a hesitant step forwards, her eyes fixed on the timer flashing zero.

Kaylee looked up from Cho’s embrace into his face, realising she hadn’t just been rendered into her constituent particles. “I don’t …”

He shook his head. “Me neither, Ms Kaylee.”

“We should be dead.”

“Kinda glad I'm not.”

“Kaylee, what the hell’s going on?” Zoe wanted to know, her heart rate still too high for her liking.

“Not sure.” Wriggling from Cho’s arms, she dropped back onto her knees, scuttling under the console. This time, with a recklessness born of the fact that she had so far not been blown up, she used all her strength to lever the tube from the wall. The stanchions gave with a squeal and she backed out, the bomb in her hand. “Help me,” she said, laying it on the work bench.

Between them it was only the work of a moment to get the end off. She peered inside. “ Run tse duh fuotzoo .”

“What is it?” Zoe demanded.

“The detonator’s gone.”

“What?”

Kaylee held up the tube, showing a distinct lack of something. “The detonator. Someone’s already removed it. That’s why it didn’t blow.”

“Who? Who’d do that?”

For a moment Kaylee didn’t answer, then she lifted her head, her eyes shining. “Only one person I can think of ...”

---

Chester blanched, as much as his skin tone allowed. “Is that ...”

Flynn looked at the apparatus in his hand as if he didn’t quite recognise it, turning it first one way then the other. “The detonator. You won’t be blowing up the Empress. You, on the other hand ...”

Now Chester felt true fear uncurling in his belly. “You’re insane. You won’t get away with it.”

“I know. But neither will you. I’m not going to let you do this. Not kill all those innocent people.”

“A mercenary with morals?”

“Gunhand. And I guess there must be more of my mother in me than I thought.” Flynn flicked a switch with his thumb, and the detonator began to hum. “Better say a