thinking; if the Marines were getting ready to land, the rebels should
be running for cover, not continuing to search for escaped prisoners.

A little after noon, what he'd been dreading happened. Half a decade
rebel aircars descended, and moments later he heard shouts and the
sound of people forcing their way through brush. He checked the
disruptor one last time, then moved back to the side passage he'd
chosen. He wasn't as frightened as he'd thought he would be in such a
situation, even though he was certain he'd be dead soon. He was more
angry at the unfairness of the whole situation than anything else, and
he intended to make the rebels pay as heavily as he could for their two
lives.

Waiting for the rebels to get to the cave entrance, Dave had a vivid
memory of his mother's amused disgust at war holos. "In combat, the
idea isn't to play fair," she'd said more than once. "The idea is to
stay alive while killing your enemy. You don't let yourself be seen if
you can avoid it, and you certainly don't warn your enemy that you're
going to shoot!" Well, he had the best cover he could get, and he
didn't plan to issue any warnings. All he needed now was a target . . .

Light flooded the cave, and someone called out. "They're here! I see
bloodstains--"

That was as far as he got; Dave fired toward the light. It went out,
and there was a sharp "crack" as air imploded where the rebel had been.

There was a brief silence, then someone cursed, and half a decade
blaster-bolts seared past Dave's hiding place, about chest-high. He
dropped to the cave floor and fired back without looking.

The exchange of fire continued for several minutes, with the only
result Dave could notice being that the cave was getting uncomfortably
hot. Then he heard yelling, and the incoming fire stopped abruptly.
Moments later, an amplified voice called out. "You in the cave--this
is Captain Heidi Chiun, Imperial Marines. Come out with your hands
up."

Dave started to obey, then hesitated. He thought he'd seen a troop
lander, yes--but he wouldn't put it past the rebels to try tricking
him, since they hadn't yet managed to kill him. "Send one of your
people in here," he called back. "If you're really Marines, you'll be
safe in power armor, and I wouldn't shoot anyway."

"Hold your fire, then." Dave heard crunching steps, like something
massive moving, then the light from the cave entrance dimmed. "I'm
inside," another voice sa