The next morning, Naomi and Rim Zap hit the scrapyards, digging through mountains of junk for parts to patch up the Grim Reaper. Rim Zap was clearly well-known there; shopkeepers hollered at him like an old friend, sometimes even dragging him aside to ask about busted equipment.
They wandered from one stall to the next, buying what they needed and setting up delivery back to their dock. Cassia trailed behind, muttering over the running total like she was reciting a curse.
At one stall, Naomi noticed some shady-looking guy chatting up Cassia. She frowned but held back. She looked too much like a kid to strangers; butting in would only get her ignored. She stuck with Rim Zap, digging through bins of parts.
"Looks like we're swapping the whole engine," Naomi said.
"Yeah. Too old, no spares," Rim Zap muttered. "But—new one's stronger."
"Right. With the new drive, we'll get a huge boost. I wonder if ships our size can even handle that power—feels more like battleship class."
"Normally no. Not enough power juice. Naomi... heavy-class power juice."
"Oh, right. I've been wondering—do battleships really run off just one person's power juice?" Naomi asked.
Cassia rejoined them, slipping smoothly into the conversation.
"Allow me to explain. Larger ships always require several people feeding energy together. Those with the highest reserves are usually assigned to the biggest vessels. Which means you, piloting a cruiser alone, Naomi, were... quite the exception."
"Whoa, seriously? Then how many people run the Abyss?" Naomi asked.
"Typically three, four during battle. With six energy operators rotating in shifts."
By the time they wrapped up their shopping, they were back at the temporary dock.
"Welcome back," Baroque called. "Cassia, did the money hold out?"
"Well... let's just say we spent enough to buy a used destroyer," Cassia sighed.
"Damn. Figures though—main engine, backup engine, turrets, armor plating. Aside from the brains, we're rebuilding the whole ship."
Cassia lowered her voice. "More concerning: I heard one of the outposts, Angersia, has gone silent."
Baroque's face darkened.
"Anyway," Naomi cut in, "the shipment comes tomorrow. Let's strip the busted engines and plating tonight."
"I'll bring my crew," Rim Zap said. Soon, ten mechanics from the Abyss arrived to help.
"Thank you all so much!" Naomi beamed.
One of them grinned. "Aw, look at this little lady—wait, she's the captain!?"
After the surprise wore off, they all got to work.
The dock looked like a giant metal beehive: hexagonal frames covered with translucent sheets that sealed the air inside. From within, it felt like working inside a balloon. Mounted arms and welders whirred along the frames, automatically peeling off broken armor panels and stacking them away.
"Incredible," Naomi whispered. "It's stripping panels on its own... even hauling away the main gun."
"Outside only. Inside's on us," Rim Zap grunted, grabbing a giant cutter and attacking a warped panel.
Naomi sighed. "So he's wrenching off the bent plating... guess I'd better start tearing down the engines."
In the engine room, crews were already dismantling the smashed backup drives. Naomi joined in, her hands practiced now on the power tools. Piece by piece, the engine and its mounts came free. But when the last base was removed, she froze. Instead of insulation behind it, there was open space.
Deathcallion's barrage had punched straight through the hull.
"So that's it," Naomi muttered. "It blasted the backups and took out the main engine in the shockwave. If not for that last shot, we'd have made it."
A mechanic nearby grinned. "Captain, rumor is you crippled that monster ship with this cruiser alone. What kinda trick did ya pull? Our Abyss would've had to ram it to even scratch the paint."
Naomi blushed under the attention.
Another worker leaned in. "Thing is, the Imperial fleet's got recon drones sweepin' all over. Huntin' pirates. Odds are they're lookin' for the Grim Reaper."
"Then it's only a matter of time before they find this place," another said grimly.
"Wait—I thought the Army didn't even have the local maps?" Naomi asked.
"They didn't," the mechanic said. "But if the hunt heats up, someone's bound to sell 'em out. Wouldn't be the first time."
Naomi asked what they'd do if the Army came. Every answer was the same: run. And the merchants in the junkyard towns? Same thing—they'd grab their valuables and flee.
"This whole place lives off pirates," one explained. "When the hammer comes down, anyone dealin' with us looks guilty of helpin' criminals."
Naomi winced. "So many people caught in trouble because of us..."
"Don't sweat it," another said. "The real villain would be whoever sells out the charts. That'd be betrayal of the worst kind."
Together, Naomi and the mechanics stripped the Grim Reaper bare. Rim Zap ripped off plating until the ship was nothing but exposed frame and insulation. It looked less like a warship now than a wreck.
"Alright everyone, that's enough for today," Naomi called. "Tomorrow the new parts arrive—we'll be up early to install. Thanks again for your hard work!"
A cheer rose up from the crew, their voices echoing through the dock.