"So we use this," Pierre said finally. "We turn Valerio's obsession with broken things against him."
Raven pushed away from the window, her cat-like eyes narrowed in thought. "We can't fight our way out. Not directly. Valerio has too many people, too much control. The moment we tried, he'd lock down the entire port."
"And our ship is still half-dismantled," Alyssa added, sitting on the edge of a chair, spine straight as if she were back in her father's Naval office. "Even if we reached it, we couldn't sail away."
Pierre nodded. "So we need leverage. Something that gives us power over him, or at least disrupts his control long enough for us to escape."
"Money won't work." Alyssa's voice carried an unexpected bitterness. "I learned that today. Our Cori is worthless here. Everything operates on his Script."
