bulkhead by the Chief of the Flight Deck, smiled
up at him, eyes wide. Big and chunky, he talked
fast, trying to convince her of something that
he obviously believed was good for both of them.

Seeing Brad appear at the head of the companionway,
Myra pushed the hulk away with one hand and drew
her weapon with the other. Before he knew what was
happening, the fleshy man with the high hopes was
flat on the deck, out of it.

Stooping and pointing, Myra circled toward Brad.

"Two, there, rifles." In another direction. "One,
on the catwalk, rifle." Over her shoulder. "Two in
the control room, sidearms, but they may have
rifles stashed close by. Fighters on the cats,
ready to go but still on control room switches."

Brad snapped out orders.

"Hodak and Kumiko, control room. Switch the
fighters to self-launch. Adari, the guy on the
catwalk. Myra and Drummer, suit up and into
the first ship."

Hodak and Kumiko charged into the control room
before Brad finished speaking. Red and orange
flashes and a clatter erupted through the doorway,
followed by silence. Hodak and Kumiko tore out,
bent low, splitting to right and left. They carried
rifles raised into firing position.

Adari, eyes and gun elevated, skirted the fighters.

"What the hell's goin' on down there?" The shout
came from a guard on a balcony above. "Who're
you guys?"

That's all it took. Shots followed each other
closely. The guard fell slowly in the ship's light
pseudo-gravity.

Hodak ran to join Brad. Kumiko headed for the
fighters to switch the catapults' activators to
internal controls, arm and charge the guns, and
insert into each ship's computer the capsules
Adari had passed to her.

A guard darted by Brad and took cover behind
a line of massive consoles. A succession of rifle
blasts cracked through the air close above Brad.
Crouching, he raised his weapon and fired. The
guards would be difficult to get at.

"Down, Brad, flat."

Hodak's hoarse whisper carried from two meters
behind Brad. As he ducked a soft swishing sound
sliced above his head. Glints of light sparkled
from a curved, shiny object. Seconds later, the
boomerang returned, wetly red.

"Go, Brad."

Hodak wiped and collapsed the boomerang and slipped
it into a sheath along the thigh of his space suit.

Motioning Hodak forward to climb into the nearest
fighter, Brad followed. The others, already in
place, were racing through their checklists.

Brad began his preflight