"The ship's welcome to go easy on me, first," Alley grumbled, watching the distances shrink as their ship started to close in on an enemy vessel. Her borrowed shield was already bolted to the metal bar that stood in for her left forearm, so she was as ready as she was going to get.

"I hope you're ready to kick some ass," Maker knew she sure was. It was the only upside to having boarded this awful thing.