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DAY 26
The SlipGate bubble slid to a stop in a room so very much like those Jack had seen on every other starship. He took a quick look at his companions. Cassi, Larani, Arin, Vaden and Sarese. Every Keeper who had defected to join the Screw Ups was here. Even the ones Claire had brought with her. He remembered Kaydie Cadanzar from his time on Station Twelve, and unless he was very much mistaken, she had never liked him. They all carried large, metal cases full of meal bars. Even Isara had been willing to pitch in, which shouldn’t have surprised him. He had made it clear to her that she could either lend a hand or be left behind, and the latter meant being thrown into a cell.
The bubble popped.
A middle-aged woman with tanned skin and honey-coloured hair stood behind the console. Sh
