Kressa and Dahl reached the warehouse nearly a quarter of an hour early. Only a few people had arrived before them, but as the minutes passed, the remainder appeared. They sat about the room, singly or in small silent groups, waiting.

  Dahl introduced Kressa to Telsin and told the boy they would be working together aboard the Cheops. Kressa feared Telsin might perceive her presence as a sign that Dahl did not think him capable of handling the task, but the boy seemed pleased to have her assistance.

  As the time for the Patrol raid grew near, Nait went to the front of the room and cleared his throat. In the nervous hush of the room, the small sound seemed as loud as a gunshot. All eyes turned toward him.

  “It’s nearly time,” he said. “Esora wants me to thank you all for coming, and she wants you to know that she hopes we can meet again soon, under better circumstances, when this is all over. For now, she thought it best if I—”

  A series of explosions rumbled from the front of the building, and the room flooded with bright light. White-uniformed Patrol soldiers poured down the stairs and rushed through holes blasted in the doors that lined the front of the warehouse.

  Kressa was on her feet with her gun halfway out of its holster before she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to put up too much resistance. Before she could decide just how much resistance might be considered too much, three Patrolmen surrounded her. One twisted the gun from her hand while the other two took hold of her arms, forced her face-first against the nearest wall, and locked her wrists in a pair of security cuffs. Then they searched her for additional weapons and led her toward one of the demolished freight doors.

  Vel had not lied when she said she would bring an overwhelming force. From the brief glimpse Kressa got, she estimated the rebels were outnumbered at least three to one. Even on board the transport, with the prisoners disarmed and their cuffed wrists locked into the backs of the ship’s seats, the soldiers still outnumbered their prisoners, mute testimony to the importance the Patrol put on getting and keeping the rebels alive.

  During the flight to the Cheops, Commander Vel stood at the front of the transport ship, watching over prisoners and soldiers alike, her expression stern. Kressa wondered what she was thinking.

  Once on board the cruiser, the soldiers guided their prisoners off the transport and placed them in two closely guarded rows on one side of the massive docking bay. After a moment, a door at the front of the bay opened, and a Patrol captain stepped through, accompanied by a grim-faced, dark-haired security officer. Vel stepped forward to meet them.

  Kressa watched the newcomers from her position in the middle of the back row.

  Captain Betz stood only a bit taller than Vel, with a stocky build and rough, nondescript features. Vel saluted as she joined him. He sketched a return salute, then smiled as he took in the prisoners.

  “I take it you encountered no problems, Commander?”

  “Everything went perfectly,” Vel said. “No casualties on either side.”

  “Very good.” Betz walked slowly along the first row of prisoners, studying each as he passed.

  Commander Vel and the security officer followed.

  Nait stood near the end of the row. The captain halted and scrutinized him.

  “This one looks familiar,” Betz said to Vel.

  “I think he’s one of their leaders.”

  “Indeed.”

  He stopped in front of one of the female prisoners next, studied her briefly, then continued without comment to the end of the line and started along the back row.

  Telsin stood second in line, blond head bowed, eyes locked on the floor. Betz stopped and looked down at him.

  “Isn’t this one a little young?” the captain asked.

  Vel shrugged. “He was there when we moved in. I thought it best to bring everyone we found.”

  Betz nodded. “What’s your name, boy?”

  “Telsin,” he said without looking up.

  “What are you doing with these people?”

  Telsin chewed his lower lip.

  “What’s that?” Betz said. “I didn’t hear you. Look at me when I’m talking to you!”

  Telsin glanced up at the captain through pale lashes.

  Betz took the boy’s chin in his hand and forced his head up. “I told you to look at me. Now, what are you—? What’s this?” He reached a hand toward Telsin’s throat and used one finger to hook a thin silver chain that disappeared into the boy’s shirt. He drew the chain forth. A small amulet hung at its end. Betz held the silver disk flat on his palm, then he wrapped his fist around it and gave the chain a sharp tug.

  Telsin flinched as the links bit into the back of his neck before snapping in two.

  Betz gave the amulet another brief glance. “Gendzet?” He looked at Telsin. “Is that what this is, boy?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you know it’s illegal to own one of these? I could have you executed on the spot for wearing it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Yet you wear it anyway.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Betz frowned and passed the pendant and chain to the security officer. “Lieutenant Taler, remember who I got this from.” He turned back to Telsin. “Is any of your ‘family’ here, boy?”

  Telsin pursed his lips but said nothing.

  “We’ll find out soon enough.” Betz moved past the next several prisoners in line with little more than a glance for each of them, and then stopped in front of Kressa.

  She looked straight ahead and tried to ignore her uncomfortably pounding heart.

  “This one’s definitely familiar,” he said.

  “That’s Kressa Bryant, sir,” Vel said, triumph plain in her voice. “Apparently, she’s the Arecian Guard’s sole contribution to the cause. I guess they didn’t think much of this Esora business.”

  “Maybe once we’re done cleaning up Vsuna, we can use the information she’ll give us to clean up Arecia, as well,” Betz said. “That would be a nice prize.”

  Kressa tightened her jaw.

  “Don’t have anything to say, Bryant?” A crooked smile twisted Betz’s lips. “You will.” He glanced at the lieutenant. “When you begin interrogations, save this one for me.” He made his way past the remaining prisoners to Dahl standing at the end of the line.

  Despite Commander Vel’s suggestion to the contrary, Dahl met the captain’s eyes, but nothing about his agreeable look or congenial nod could be construed as challenging.

  Betz scowled at the older man. “Are you with these people?”

  Dahl scanned his fellow prisoners. “Apparently so.”

  The captain’s scowl deepened. “So much for the theory that wisdom comes with age.”

  “On the contrary, Captain, wisdom can come at any age.” Dahl surveyed the prisoners again, and his gaze rested briefly on Telsin. “All one need do is open one’s mind to different ideas.”

  Betz sneered and turned away. “Lieutenant, get these prisoners to the brig.”

  The security officer gestured for the guards to begin escorting the prisoners from the bay. Vel moved to join them.

  “Where are you going, Dani?” Betz asked her.

  “To oversee the processing of the prisoners. I know this is the end of your shift, so I didn’t want to bother you with it. I’ll have a full report ready when you come back on duty.”

  Betz hesitated, and Kressa feared he would insist on accompanying them to the brig. Finally, he gave a curt nod. “Very well, Commander, but I want that report as soon as possible.”

  Kressa drew a relieved breath, but a final glimpse of the captain’s tight-lipped expression made her wonder if the report could come soon enough to please him.

  * * *

  Kressa sat on a hard, molded plasteel bench in one of the cells of the Cheops’ brig. Five rebels who had been processed along with her—stripped, searched, scanned, forced to state their name, and then given a rough, one-piece worksuit to wear—shared the cell. Beyond the shield barrier, other prisoners received similar handling before being placed in adjoining cells. A few put up token resistance, but whether it was for show or brought on by honest and rightful anger at the rough treatment, Kressa did not know. She suspected a little of both.

  She hadn’t bothered to resist, aware it would do no good. Either Vel was going to get them out, or they had all walked willingly into a very cunningly set trap.

  The main brig door opened, and two Patrol soldiers entered. One guided a null-grav platform containing a large plasteel crate.

  “What is this?” Lieutenant Taler, the security officer, asked.

  “The prisoners’ weapons,” the man with the crate said.

  Taler frowned and narrowed his eyes. “They should be taken to the armory, not—”

  “I asked for them to be delivered here,” Vel said.

  “That’s highly irregular, Commander. Regulations plainly state that all captured weapons are to be processed through and stored in the armory.”

  Vel gave Taler a barely tolerant look. He had been questioning and attempting to contradict her orders ever since they arrived in the brig. She opened the crate and began picking through its contents.

  “Some of these weapons are highly illegal,” she said. “I want to match them to their owners, make sure we know who had what.”

  “That can be done in the armory,” Taler said. “The weapons can be scanned for prints, DNA—”

  “Lieutenant,” Vel pulled Nait’s needler out of the crate and examined it, “when I give an order, I expect it to be followed without question or comment.”

  “Yes, sir,” Taler said stiffly. “But the captain wanted me to—”

  “The captain isn’t here right now. I am.”

  “But—”

  “Lieutenant, shut up.” Vel swung the needler toward him and pulled the trigger.

  Taler had just enough time to muster a surprised look before the drug took effect, and he collapsed to the floor.

  Before anyone could react, Vel used the needler to take out four of the other soldiers. The remaining Patrolmen began releasing the processed prisoners from the cells, removing the security cuffs from those who still waited, and distributing the weapons. Kressa came out of her cell with a profound sense of relief, retrieved her gun, and checked the charge.

  Vel tossed the needler to Nait and then withdrew two data pads from the crate and passed them to Dahl and Telsin. “Dahl, plug into the security board. Download the access codes and anything else you need, and start working on the weapon sensors.”

  Dahl slid his pad into a receptacle at the brig control station. Telsin stood nearby. Kressa crossed the room to join them.

  Vel continued to distribute weapons. “Remember, people, these are to be used only if absolutely necessary. There are sensors all over this ship that can pick up energy weapon fire and alert security. Dahl’s going to do what he can to disable them, but too much tampering with the ship’s systems at this stage is only going to put our enemies onto us too soon. If you do need to use the guns, remember what I said last night: No killing unless it absolutely cannot be avoided.” She motioned to a group of rebels standing nearby. “Get the uniforms off these five.” She indicated the soldiers she had disabled with the needler. “Give Taler’s to Nait. Find people who can fit in the rest. We’ll—” A low tone interrupted her, and she pulled a commlink from her belt.

  A similar tone came from one of the unconscious soldiers.

  “Here, Commander,” the man who was stripping Lieutenant Taler said. “It’s his comm.”

  “Don’t answer it.” She activated her link. “Vel here.”

  “Commander, it’s Jendo—Ensign deRas,” a young woman’s voice said from the link.

  Kressa recognized her name; it was the woman Vel had arranged to keep Betz busy.

  “I’m in the captain’s quarters,” deRas said. “He came here a few minutes ago, but then he left.”

  “Did he say where he was going?”

  “No, sir. I tried to stop him, but he was acting very distracted. I tried everything you suggested to keep him here.”

  “All right, Ensign. I’m sure you did everything you could. Stay there for a while. Maybe he had something he needed to take care of and will be back.”

  “Yes, sir. DeRas out.” She sounded despondent, and Kressa didn’t think she believed Vel’s words.

  Based on the commander’s stern expression, Vel didn’t believe them either.

  Taler’s comm beeped again.

  Vel looked at the man kneeling beside the unconscious security officer. “Ignore it,” she said.

  The lieutenant’s comm beeped a third time. A moment later, the brig comm chirped.

  Vel scowled and pointed to one of the Patrolmen. “Answer it.”

  It was the captain. “Get me Commander Vel. Now!”

  Vel crossed the room to the comm panel, her features tight. “Vel here, sir.”

  “Dani, is Lieutenant Taler with you?”

  She glanced at the unconscious lieutenant. “No, sir.”

  “Do you know where he is? He’s not answering his comm.”

  “I don’t know. He left here a few minutes ago. Should I tell him anything if I see him?”

  “No. It can wait. Betz out.”

  “Do you think he believed you about Taler?” Nait asked as he began putting on the lieutenant’s uniform.

  “Let’s hope so,” Vel said, “and let’s hurry it up in here.” She locked the brig door from the inside and motioned to Kressa and two of the rebels. “You three, watch the door.”

  Kressa took up a post beside the barrier, pulse gun ready. The two rebels joined her.

  Vel split her people into two teams: one for engineering, led by Nait; the others to help her take the bridge. Kressa would accompany Dahl and Telsin on the bridge team.

  Nait made a final adjustment to Taler’s uniform, tucked the Gendzet amulet he wore under the shirt, and then searched through the pockets until he found the amulet Betz had taken from Telsin. He moved across the room to where the boy stood beside Dahl.

  “Here, Tel.” Nait held out the pendant by its broken chain.

  Telsin smiled up at him.

  Nait looped the chain around the boy’s neck, tied it, and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Take care of yourself. I’ll see you when this is over.”

  Telsin threw his arms around the man’s waist. “Be careful, Nait.”

  “Hey, I’ll be doing the easy part. You’ll be on the bridge. You be careful.” He tousled the boy’s hair. “And take care of the old man.”

  Dahl glanced up. Nait winked at him, gave Telsin an affectionate look, and then joined his team.

  “Any last-minute questions or comments?” Vel asked. “All right, let’s go.”

  A red light began winking from the door panel.

  “Someone’s trying to force the door,” one of the renegade Patrolmen said. “It could—”

  The door slid aside, and Captain Betz rushed in, flanked by five security men.

  Recalling Vel’s repeated warnings about the use of weapons, Kressa stuck a foot in Betz’s path and swung her gun to cover him as he stumbled into the waiting hands of a half dozen rebels. The security men with him began to fire. Apparently, they’d been misinformed about what they were up against or hadn’t been in a position to see the full extent of the opposition. In seconds, all five were down. Two rebels were hit, as well: one dead, the other wounded.

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  Vel turned to the wounded man. He was nursing a pulse gun burn on his arm. One of the renegade Patrolmen hurried to help him.

  “Will you be all right?” Vel asked the wounded man.

  “I think so, Commander.”

  “Okay. You two stay here.” She pointed to one of the rebels who had donned a Patrol uniform. “And you. Secure this room after we’re gone.” She turned to Dahl. “Did the sensors pick up the weapons’ fire?”

  He nodded. “But the alert never left this room. I got a loop established before the shooting started. As long as no one heard the gunshots, we should—”

  A struggle erupted between Betz and the men holding him.

  The captain glared at Vel. “What in hell are you up to, Dani?! Who are these people?”

  “Olun, would you please shut up?” Vel said.

  He stared at her, mouth agape, and tried again to jerk out of his captors’ grasp. “You’ll never get away with this.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I already have. Now, this is your last warning to keep your mouth shut and—”

  “How dare you threaten me?” Betz’s eyes narrowed. “You’d be nowhere without me, Vel. Nothing!”

  The commander crossed the brig to a supply cabinet, slapped her hand against the scanlock, and removed a collar-like device. Kressa had never seen a vocal paralyzer, but she’d heard them described well enough to recognize the object the commander held.

  Betz glared at her as she approached him. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “No?” Vel said, her tone friendly, then her eyes closed to angry slits. “Try me.”

  Betz clamped his mouth shut.

  Vel watched him for a moment, then turned back to the cabinet and withdrew a pair of security cuffs.

  Betz lurched toward her, dragging one of his captors with him. He shook the man off, but stumbled to his knees and toppled onto the body of one of the dead security men. He struggled to get his arms under him, then pushed himself up using the body beneath him for leverage. His captors grabbed him again and jerked him to his feet. Betz made a final valiant—but silent—attempt to escape before they got his arms bound behind his back with the security cuffs. One of the rebels moved toward him with the vocal paralyzer.

  “You can leave that off for now.” Vel gave the captain a long look. “But if he opens his mouth again without permission…” She met his eyes, and the threat hung in the air between them.

  He clenched his jaw.

  Vel started for the door. “Bring him.”

  “We’re taking him with us?” one of the rebels asked, clearly surprised by the order.

  “We’re going with the backup plan.” She gave Betz another long look. “He’s going to help us take the secondary bridge. We’ll have less resistance that way. Dahl, you won’t have any trouble running things from the backup bridge, will you?”

  He held up his data pad. “Just give me a place to plug this in, and I’ll do whatever you need.”

  She turned to Nait. “Get your team to engineering. Prepare to shut down the main bridge power on my order. The rest of the plan stands. Signal me when you’re ready. Good luck.”

  Nait gestured to his team, flashed a cautious glance out the door, and then led them from the brig.

  Vel turned to her remaining people. “Those of you who aren’t wearing uniforms, hide your weapons or give them to someone in uniform. Keep your hands behind your backs as if they're cuffed and stay in the center of the group when we’re moving through the corridors. Those of you in uniform will act as escorts. We’ll be using corridors that shouldn’t have much traffic, but if someone sees us, I want it to look like we’re escorting prisoners. I’ll be in the front. You two,” she pointed to one of the real Patrolmen and one of the rebels in uniform, “will be responsible for the captain. Keep him in the middle of the group. If anyone gets too close, do what you can to keep him from being noticed.” She flashed Betz a look that promised severe retribution if he did not cooperate.

  He met her glare with one of his own, but refrained from comment.

  “When we get to the backup bridge,” Vel continued, “we’ll wait for Nait’s signal and then go in.” She pulled her commlink from her belt and pressed a button on its side. A moment later, the link emitted a series of tones. “I’ve just signaled the rest of our people on the ship. They’re ready to move. Let’s go.”

  They reached the dim-lit corridor outside the Cheops’ secondary bridge several minutes later with no one the wiser. An armed Patrol officer was waiting for them when they arrived, a lieutenant commander with angular features, short brown hair, and pale green eyes.

  Vel greeted him with a friendly smile. “Commander Hartos, how are things on the bridge?”

  “Comfortably normal,” he said. "Why the change of plans?”

  Vel stepped aside and gestured to Betz.

  Hartos smiled. “Captain,” he sketched a mock salute, “how nice of you to join us.”

  Betz gave him a hate-filled look.

  While they awaited Nait’s signal, Dahl jacked his data pad into a wall terminal and started to work. The uniformed rebels and renegade Patrolmen redistributed the weapons. Moments later, Vel’s commlink beeped.

  “Nait here, Commander. We’re in position. Your people were waiting for us when we arrived. Resistance was light. No alarms triggered. Looks like the old man did his job right. Again.”

  Kressa glanced at Dahl and found him lost in his work.

  “All right, Nait, stand by,” Vel said. “Dahl, how’s it coming?”

  “Almost ready,” he said without looking up. “Secondary bridge controls coming online, and… Got it.”

  Vel keyed her commlink. “We’re ready for you to cut the power, Nait. Give us a three count.” As she spoke, she moved to the bridge door and placed her hand near the controls.

  Dahl moved forward to join her, with Telsin close behind.

  Nait started his countdown.

  Vel palmed the opener, and the door slid aside. Nait finished counting, and the lights in the corridor and room beyond winked off. An instant later, dim emergency lighting flickered on, and lights from several of the control boards in the secondary bridge glowed to life.

  Dahl slipped into the room and plugged his data pad into one of the stations almost before the door opened fully. Telsin followed. Vel, Hartos, and the others moved in behind them.

  Kressa joined Dahl and Telsin. The boy had plugged his pad into an auxiliary outlet and was already hard at work. Dahl motioned Kressa into a seat at a dark board adjoining the one where he stood. As she sat down, the control screens came to life.

  “I’m rerouting the main bridge alerts,” Dahl told her. “When the power comes back on, we’ll get them all in here so no one will realize what’s happening. Tel’s taking care of keeping the new reroutes intact, but I’ll start sending you overflow soon. Be ready.”

  “Bridge, this is Commander Vel,” Vel said into her commlink as she and Hartos made their way to the command station and the others took their places around the room. “What’s going on?”

  “We’re not sure, Commander. There seems to be a ship-wide power fluctuation.”

  “Can you tell where it’s coming from?” She glanced at Dahl, brows raised in question.

  “Almost,” he said quietly.

  “No, sir,” came the reply from the main bridge. “Most of the monitor systems are being affected.”

  “All right, bridge, I’m on it. Stand by.” She glanced at Dahl again. “Come on, old man…”

  He kept working, using both the control screen on his pad and those on the board before him. Finally, he nodded. “Go.”

  Vel touched a control on her commlink, switching channels. “Ready, Nait. Return power.”

  The main lights came on in the room, accompanied by the hum of systems powering up. Red lights winked from the command and security boards, and a synthesized voice blared over the room’s comm, “Warning. Secondary bridge has been accessed.”

  The commander flashed a smile at Dahl. “Keep up the good work.” She changed the channel on her commlink again. “Bridge, we’ve isolated the problem in engineering. Power should be restored to all systems momentarily.”

  “Acknowledged, Commander… Sir, we’re picking up non-standard coded transmissions inside the ship.”

  “Try to isolate it. I’ll be there as soon as we can get this power thing straightened out.” She set aside the commlink and began working at the board before her. After a moment, she gestured to the two men guarding Captain Betz. “Bring him here and uncuff him.” She turned back to the board and put her hand flat on the control screen. “This is Commander Dania Vel requesting transfer of all control functions to the secondary bridge. Authorization TF-63791-alpha.”

  “Transfer command acknowledged,” the computer said. “Awaiting additional authorizations.”

  She looked at Betz standing beside her. “One way or another, Captain, I’m going to get control of this ship. You know I can do it eventually with the people I’ve got here and in engineering, but you could make it so much easier,” she drew her gun and placed its tip against his temple, “and live to tell about it.”

  “What guarantee do I have that you won’t kill me afterward?”

  “None, other than my word. I trust you know that’s worth something. Right now, you have my word that in ten seconds I’m going to pull this trigger if you don’t put your hand on that scanplate and give your transfer code. Ten. Nine. Eight…”

  His face paled.

  “Commander,” another call came from the main bridge, “the computer’s reporting unauthorized tapping.”

  She glanced at Dahl.

  He shrugged. “I’m doing the best I can.”

  “Sir,” the bridge officer said over Vel’s comm, “I think we should call the captain.”

  Betz started to say something, but Vel shook her head sharply and pressed the gun harder against his temple.

  “Don’t bother him yet,” she told the bridge. “That power spike seems to have caused all sorts of erroneous readings. Stand by.” She looked at Betz. “Three. Two. One—”

  With a snarl, he slapped his hand onto the screen and gave his authorization. Hartos followed suit.

  The computer acknowledged the commands, and Vel holstered her gun.

  “Olun, you’re a dear,” she said to the captain, and then glanced at his two guards. “Cuff him, and take him to the back of the room. Computer, this is Commander Vel. Secure and lock down the main bridge. Transfer all functions to secondary bridge. Nait, she’s ours. Cut power to the main bridge.” She glanced at Dahl with a smile. “Do your magic, old man.”

  Dahl worked for another long moment before replying. “Fleet computer online.”

  Vel’s smile grew as the Cheops’ computer linked passively into the other ships in the fleet.

  “Got ’em all, Commander,” Dahl said moments later. “Ready to transmit false sensor readings on your order.”

  “Go ahead.” Vel looked at the woman at the communication station.

  “Rebel channels open, Commander.”

  Vel glanced at Betz, and then switched on the comm at her station. “Attention all units, this is Esora. You’re clear to move.”

  The control screen at Kressa’s station began to display the red spheres and three-dimensional lattice-work of Dahl’s rerouting program. She tore her eyes from the satisfying look of consternation on Betz’s face and turned to the screen.

  “Kressa—” Dahl started to call out to her.

  “I’m on it.” She studied the screen briefly as the first loops formed and the computer-spheres began searching for different routes. New loops appeared, and Kressa worked to stay ahead of them. At this level of activity it took only a portion of her concentration; she kept the remainder of her attention on the activity in the room around her.

  “Get me a channel to the fleet,” Vel said.

  “Ready, Commander.”

  “This is Commander Vel aboard the Cheops. We’ve been attacked by hostile forces. Captain Betz has been wounded. I am in command. The attack on us may only be the beginning of a move by the Vsunan rebels. Increase sensor sweeps and activate fleet computer access.”

  An instant later, the activity on the screen in front of Kressa increased dramatically as the Patrol vessels began actively linking into the fleet network and Dahl started rerouting the ships’ control systems. In less than a minute, the lattice of computer nodes and comm lines had doubled in size, and the activity had grown to match one of the higher levels of Dahl’s simulation. Kressa narrowed her attention to the task at hand. Time and place ceased to have any meaning; there was only the screen, the spheres, and the ever-changing lines.

  For how long she worked like that, Kressa could not say, then she caught a quick movement out of the corner of her eye, and a pulse gun flashed from the rear of the room. The shot exploded into the board in front of Dahl. Kressa drew her gun and spun toward the back of the bridge.

  Captain Betz stood before an open doorway, a pulse gun in each hand. He fired shot after shot into the room as he backed through the opening.

  Kressa brought her gun to bear on him, but shifted her aim minutely when she remembered Vel’s no-kill order. Her shot burned into Betz’s right arm. He dropped the weapon in his right hand, fired a wild shot at Kressa with his other gun, turned, and dashed through the opening.

  The door closed, blocking the shots of those who had reacted an instant after Kressa. They dashed toward the door. As the first of them reached the barrier, Betz’s voice came over the ship’s comm.

  “Attention crew, this is Captain Betz. Rebel forces led by Com—”

  Vel’s comm officer cut the channel, and the soldiers at the door charged into the room beyond.

  Confident they were well on their way to stopping the captain, Kressa glanced to where Dahl was working to see what damage Betz had done.

  Instantly, she wished she had ignored Vel's no-kill order.

  Dahl lay sprawled across the control board. From where Kressa stood, she could see where one of Betz's shots had hit the controls, but there were at least three hits on Dahl's back. Amazingly, he was still breathing.

  Telsin leaned over him. His hands hovered near the man’s body as if he wanted to help but was too frightened to touch him. One of Betz's shots had burned into Telsin’s side, but the boy seemed oblivious to the injury.

  He looked at Kressa, blue eyes brimming with tears. “Help him,” he begged.

  Kressa glanced around, searching for Vel.

  The commander stood in the middle of the bridge, a stern expression on her face as she watched three rebel soldiers drag Betz back into the room. Despite his wounded arm and a fresh pulse gun burn on one thigh, he was doing a valiant job of resisting his captors. Then one of them struck him on the side of the head with the butt of a gun, and he slumped in their grasp.

  “What happened?!” Vel snapped.

  One of the men holding Betz glanced to where his two former guards lay dead from pulse gun blasts, an open pair of security cuffs and a soni-key abandoned on the floor beside them.

  “He must’ve had the key on him and used it to open the cuffs.”

  Kressa remembered Vel in the brig, approaching Betz with the cuffs, then Betz struggling and collapsing onto one of the dead security officers.

  “I think he got the key in the brig,” she said, “when he fell on the dead security troops.”

  Vel snarled. “Cuff him!” she said to his captors. “And watch him this time.” She cast a meaningful look at the bodies of his former guards.

  “Commander, Dahl’s been shot,” Kressa said.

  Vel turned to the weapons control station. “Hartos, get the emergency medkit. See what you can do.”

  Hartos started for a cabinet at the back of the bridge.

  Kressa frowned. “That won’t do it, Commander. He needs more than a medkit.”

  Vel returned her frown. “Do what you can, Hartos.” She turned her attention to the communications console where the comm officer was working frantically.

  “What is it?” Vel asked.

  “I’ve got calls coming in from every part of the ship wanting to know what’s going on.”

  “Clear all channels, and get me a ship-wide circuit.”

  “Ready, Commander,” the comm officer said after a moment.

  “All crew. This is Commander Vel. Everything is under control. Mind your stations and keep the comm clear for essential communications only. Sickbay, send a trauma team to the secondary bridge.”

  Kressa turned back to Dahl and Telsin. The boy had placed one hand on Dahl’s shoulder, head bowed, eyes closed, his Gendzet amulet grasped tightly in a fist. A pale, blue-white glow surrounded his hands. Kressa blinked hard to clear the strange sight, and then realized she was not seeing it with her eyes. Rather, she was sensing it with her mind.

  Something inside her reached out to join the pale illumination. Surprised, she placed her hand on Telsin’s where it rested on Dahl’s shoulder. The light expanded to surround her hand, and a tingling ribbon of energy flowed along her arm.

  Telsin’s eyes snapped open. He stared at her for a moment, then his lips twitched in a hint of a smile, and he closed his eyes again.

  The ribbon of energy grew, and Kressa turned her full attention to it. She caused it to ebb and grow with a thought, and she believed she could stop it, but she wasn’t sure how to start it again, and although she knew the energy could not heal Dahl, she sensed it was helping him hold onto life.

  “Is everything all right, Commander?” Nait’s voice came over Vel's commlink, full of worry.

  “Everything’s under control,” Vel said. “Mind your post. I’ll let you know if we need your help with anything.”

  There was a brief pause, and then Nait’s voice returned, the concern in his tone undiminished. “Commander, I’m certain I felt Telsin--”

  “Mind your post!” Vel switched off the link.

  But Nait’s concern could not be so easily dispelled, Kressa realized as she sensed his presence enter the remarkable psychic link that bound her and Telsin to Dahl. In her mind’s eye, she saw the dark man’s hand wrap around his Gendzet amulet. His presence surged through the link, taking control of the power within it and channeling it to Dahl. After a moment, he seemed to sense the extent of Telsin’s injury and stopped drawing energy from the boy.

  Beneath Kressa’s hand, Dahl stirred and raised his head.

  “Lie still,” she said.

  “Bryant, how are the reroutes holding?” Vel asked.

  Kressa looked at the commander, dumbfounded. How could she worry about such a thing when Dahl was dying? Didn’t she—?

  Kressa cut the thought short as she recalled what she’d said to Dahl about the difference between what Vel was doing on Vsuna and what Kressa was used to doing on Arecia. Vel was not about to abandon her plans because of the death of one of her people, or even half of them. This was too big for that, too far reaching.

  Kressa eased her hand from Dahl’s shoulder, severing the link with Nait and Telsin, and returned to her board. The reroute loops were disappearing as the computers failed to verify the orders. “They’re dropping off fast, Commander.”

  “I’ll take care of them.” Telsin staggered to his chair.

  “But your side—” Kressa started to protest.

  “Someone’s got to hold them.” He began working to reestablish the broken links. “If we don’t do it and Dahl dies, what was it for?”

  “What’s it for anyway?” she asked. “Without him running the rest of the programs, we can’t— Wait… Dahl went over all of his programs with my ship’s computer. Maybe she can do it.”

  “She can,” Dahl whispered.

  Kressa glanced at him. Hartos had arrived and was trying to keep him still, but he pushed himself upright and turned his pain-clouded gaze on Kressa.

  “Connie can do it,” he said.

  Kressa turned to look for the commander.

  She stood at the command station, directing what remained of her control of the fleet.

  “Commander Vel,” Kressa said, “call my ship, the Conquest. She’s at the Tranur commerce port. If we can establish a link with her, I think we can keep this going.”

  Vel’s brow furrowed, but she signaled to her comm officer. “Get a link to Bryant’s ship.”

  “Route it here,” Kressa said, and then looked at Dahl. “Are you sure…?”

  “She can do it,” he said, and then slumped into Hartos’s arms, unconscious.

  “Bryant,” the comm officer said a moment later, “I’ve got your ship.”

  Kressa keyed the comm at her station. “Connie, this is Kressa. I need your help.”

  “Unable to comply,” the computer said. “Authorization required.”

  Kressa pursed her lips. Years ago, she had ordered Connie to answer any call from a Patrol channel like that in case the Pattys ever tried to force Kressa to use the ship or computer for their own ends, but she had also set up an override.

  “Connie, authorization CT-5593-delta.”

  “Acknowledged. Awaiting command.”

  Which meant she knew it was Kressa. What Kressa said next would tell the computer to either do as Kressa ordered or use her best judgment to the contrary.

  “Azano was right,” Kressa said.

  “Understood, Kressa. What do you need?”

  “Connie, remember what you and Dahl were working on earlier, about controlling the fleet computers? If I got you a link to the Cheops’ main computer, could you do that on your own?”

  “I could. However, the programs I reviewed were written for specific scenarios. I would require guidance when to deploy them.”

  “We can do that,” Vel said from nearby.

  Kressa glanced up to find the woman standing beside her.

  “Is that your ship’s computer?” Vel asked. “The one Dahl helped build?”

  Kressa nodded.

  “Tell it we’ll get it whatever it needs.” She turned to her comm officer. “Get a secure link to that computer, first priority, and then get me a channel to the fleet.” She cast a concerned look at Dahl and then returned to her station.

  While the comm officer established the link, Kressa checked on Telsin.

  He was pale, his breathing shallow, but he continued working.

  She touched Hartos on the shoulder and nodded toward the boy. “See what you can do for him.”

  “Ready, Bryant,” the comm officer said.

  Kressa turned to the comm pickup on her board. “Connie, do you have the link?”

  “I’ve got it, Kressa. Beginning rerouting.”

  Kressa looked at the computer board and watched in amazement as Connie began to reestablish the broken routing loops. She returned to her task of helping Telsin keep the loops intact. Behind her, Vel gave orders to the fleet.

  “This is Commander Vel. The Cheops experienced a second attack by rebel forces. They attempted to break into our control systems, causing us to lose many of the fleet links. We are working to reestablish those we lost. Once the links have been reestablished, I will issue new orders. Until then, continue to act on previous orders and report on activity in your sector. Vel out.”

  Kressa turned her full attention to the work at hand.