“Not if we help them,” Vallia said.
“Help them? How can we help them?” Hal’s voice had gone up a few octaves. “We know nothing about spacecraft or Imperial shipyards.”
“Speak for yourself, sugar.” Lettie adjusted her cleavage. “I have a contact at the shipyard.”
Everyone swung their gazes to her.
“What kind of contact, Lettie?” Vallia asked. “Is it as much of an in as with the baker?”
“Better.” Lettie looked up from her low-cut blouse. “It’s my brother.”
Athena’s smile was slow, and her laugh full-throated. “You’re full of tricks, Lettie girl.”
Lettie winked at her. “Don’t you know it, hon?”
“Does your brother work for the Empire?” Skye asked.
Lettie sucked in a breath and recoiled. “Bite your tongue.” She shook her head, and her pile of hair jiggled. “Not everyone at the shipyard is an Imperial soldier. They use locals for fueling and repairs. My youngest brother refuels the ships when they come in, but he has no love for the Empire.”
“How does this help them?” Vallia flapped a tiny hand at me and Skye.
“He works tomorrow morning,” Lettie said. “I can talk to him tonight and arrange for him to sneak you onto an Imperial ship. He’ll know what’s arriving and departing and which have skeleton crews.”
My pulse quickened. If this were true, it would be a tremendous advantage.
I bowed my head to her. “I would be forever in your debt.”
Her cheeks pinked. “I’m sure we could figure out some way for you to show your grat?—”
Vallia elbowed her. “Remember what we said about extorting things from people?”
Lettie rolled her eyes. “Only from Imperial soldiers who deserve it.”
Skye moved closer to me, and Athena grinned.
“Unless I’m mistaken, our Vandar friend is not free to show his appreciation in the ways you’d like,” the actress said.
Skye opened and closed her mouth, clearly surprised, but I took her hand in mine and interlocked our fingers. “I am not.” I gave Lettie another tip of my head. “But I remaingrateful.”
“Don’t mention it, hot stuff.” Lettie flapped a hand at me. “Far be it from me to come between young love.”
“I thought that was your favorite position,” Hal said with a smirk.
Athena walked to us, shaking her head. “Don’t pay attention to their teasing. Lettie may seem fun-loving, but you can trust her. If she says her brother can get you in, she means it.”
“Say she talks to him and he agrees to get us onto a ship,” I said, pointing to the tape map on the wooden planks. “That still leaves a lot of distance between us and him.”
Skye squeezed my hand and looked up at me. “I was thinking the same thing. How do we get from here to the shipyard without being seen?”
Athena thought for a moment, then brushed a black strand of hair off her face. “I think I have an idea.”
Chapter
Thirty
Skye
“Do you think her plan will work?” I whispered to Kolt as we stood in the wing of the stage and watched the actors rehearse.
