Amera groaned, rolling over to turn off the alarm above her bed. Her hand landed solidly against the button. Silence followed her expletives. No bird calls. No grumpy protests from Ineika that not even animals should be so chipper so early. The Caelestis, a breathing ship with its own biomes, was never quiet. Thinking of Ineika made Amera jolt upright. She threw off the thick regulation covers.

At the same time something shoved aside their sliding door. Metal scraped against metal. Each...