Athena was currently pretending to die an agonizing and tragic death on stage and doing it convincingly. The striking woman was not just a pretty face, although she was undoubtably that too.
Kolt leaned against a wall with his arms crossed over his bare chest, his weight off his injured leg. Even though Athena stumbled and gasped, and the other actors on stage wailed, Kolt did not seem to notice. His gaze was fixed on the floor, and his mouth wasa thin line.
“Do I think us dressing in elaborate costumes and walking through the town with the other performers will get us to the shipyard?” He looked up and met my gaze. “I do not know. I understand it might be the best way for me to go unnoticed.”
“I think Athena has a point about creating a distraction. If everyone is wearing crazy clothes, maybe no one will look twice at the guy taller and bigger than the rest.”
He grunted. “It is not getting to the shipyard that worries me most. I trust that Athena’s plan is the best chance we have.”
“You’re worried about what happens once we’re there,” I said. That worried me, too.
Athena had admitted that her plan and their troupe could get us to the shipyard, but they couldn’t enter with us. The Imperial guards wouldn’t take kindly to a distraction like that, and it would only draw attention to us. No, when we reached the Imperial shipyard, we’d have to go on our own.
Lettie assured us she could get her brother to meet us, but I couldn't imagine how he could get us in without any other crew or guards noticing. I had little experience with shipyards, but from what I understood, they were wide, open spaces. Wouldn’t we be spotted running to a ship?
“I guess we could always hang out here for longer,” I suggested halfheartedly. “Maybe if we wait long enough, the Zagrath won’t be focused on catching us.”
Kolt gave his head a hard shake. “If we wait, the Vandar will be lured into the trap.”
I’d suspected he would say as much, and I agreed with him. It would chafe at me to sit around knowing that the Vandar ships—which now housed my best friend—would fly into atrap. I could no sooner send Jasmine to her death than I could join forces with the enemy itself.
“Then we hope we get lucky.”
Kolt stifled a dark laugh. “Very lucky. Even if we make it to the shipyard and onto a ship, we will be on an Imperial ship.”
A cold shiver slid down my spine. I had no memory of being taken from my planet and transported here, but I hated the thought of stowing away on a Zagrath ship filled with Imperial soldiers and pilots.
“We’ll have to either stay hidden long enough to send a message or take out the entire crew and commandeer the ship.” I swallowed hard. “Do you know how to fly a Zagrath ship because I don’t.”
Kolt worked his bottom lip as he thought. “I do not know. I must know how to pilot a Vandar ship. How different can various spacecraft be?”
I didn’t know the answer to that, but I also felt like being on board a ship would be a bad time to learn that the answer was “very different.”
“Our plan has some challenges.” I tried to make my voice light as I gestured to his leg. “Including your injury.”
“My leg is much better,” he said. “I can barely feel it now.”
“Then that’s one hurdle down.” I forced myself to smile. “What plan doesn’t have challenges?”
Kolt’s expression told me he wasn’t convinced, but just then the actors hurried off stage and different ones rushed on it.
“Well?” Athena’s agonized grimace onstage had left no trace of sadness on her now smiling face. “What did you think of the scene?”
I hadn’t been paying close attention, but I wouldn’t dare admit that. “It was amazing. You were amazing.”
She squeezed my arm. “I’m glad you got to watch our rehearsal because once we prep for the actual performance and open the box office, you’ll have to go back to your hiding place.”
“No problem,” I said for both of us. “I’m just happy we got to hang out with you all for so long and see you rehearse. That secret room can feel small.”
“As soon as we’ve finished the show and cleared out the theatre, you’ll be free to leave your cramped quarters. Then a group of us will be back before dawn to walk you to the shipyard to meet Lettie’s brother.”
“If he agrees,” Kolt said.
“He’ll agree.” Lettie walked up to us in a full face of dramatic stage makeup. “He has no love for the Empire or for the soldiers and guards he works with. They go out of their way to tell him and the other local crew how inferior they are to the Zagrath.”
I scoffed at this. “As if the Zagrath are still as superior as they once were. All that genetic modification doesn’t mean as much so many generations later.”
“Especially when you compare them to other species.” Lettie eyed Kolt and licked her cherry-red lips. “They should have used Vandar genetics if they wanted to make themselves truly impressive.”
