as he switched his comm
to 'on'.

"Myra, Drummer, do you read?"

"Loud and clear."

"Adari-Kumiko?"

"Right."

"Kumiko, did you fix our inter-ship comm the way
Zolan told you to?"

"Fixed. They'll have to search and analyze dozens
of scramble channels to find and fix on ours. We
have a private and moving channel."

"OK. Check suits. Batten down and seal up. Now
hear this."

Brad stroked control panel keys, switches and
levers as he talked.

"Call signs: Hodak and I are One; Adari and Kumiko,
you're Two, and Myra and Drummer, Three. The job is
to keep 'em confused and stumbling over each other
for as long as we can, and hope for the best. The
capsule Adari slipped into your computer has the
coordinates and formation we hope they've assumed.
By now they're well into the faked redeployment.
We're dealing in seconds, minutes if we're lucky.

"The deployment we triggered concentrates them in
three sectors: Alpha, Beta, Gamma. Hodak and I will
take Alpha, Adari and Kumiko, you've got Beta; Myra
and Drummer to Gamma. Your sector coordinates are
in the capsule; use standard locks to interface the
coordinates with your ship's flight controls. Go for
command decks, weapons control centers, thrusters
or other vitals where disabling is money. Try for
battle cruisers, but don't ignore other targets of
opportunity. Keep your explosive decompressors
and laser-quads at max. Talk as you work so we all
know what's happening. Go."

The signals from Brad's control panel had their
effect. The rushing sound of escaping air told them
the huge portal was opening. Within seconds the
battlefield stretched before them.

Brad hit the catapult release. The ship lunged
forward. As it cleared the flight deck, Brad maxed
the thrusters. Hodak glanced back over his shoulder.

"Two and Three are clear," he announced.

The three fighters skewed sharply toward their
assigned sectors.

"Two talking. Battle Cruiser Intruder coming up.
Range: 2500 K. Destroyer screen not tight enough.
Ex-decomp at max. Range: 2000 -- 1000 -- 400. Three
second burst. On target, but about 50 meters aft the
bridge. Gotta go around for another try, dammit.

"Back at 900 -- 500. Incoming laser-quads. 300.
Two second burst and breaking port. What do you
see, Adari?"

"Made it this time, kiddo. Bridge collapsed. But
move this baby's tail. I can almost feel their
heat."

"Three to One. Skip to Channel C for a sec and
you'll hear Scarf. They must