“Dave, Sasha, into the airlock. We’re leaving.”
Joe kept his words steady but his heart felt like a rock. This felt too much like abandoning the Panther, even if he intended to be back aboard within a few minutes. He needed to see his crew though, to make sure they were all safe and to decide who to bring back with him.
“Captain… something’s wrong,” said Sasha.
“What do you mean? And can’t it wait till we get onto the shuttle?”
“That’s what’s wrong,” Sasha replied. “With everything that’s happened, with all the smoke, I didn’t think to try sensing the shuttle or the Grifter. I just tried it. There’s nothing there.”
“What do you mean there’s nothing there?”
“There’s nothing out there. I should be able to feel the Grifter, at this range it should be blazing at me, and I should
