ugh
the open gate. They dropped, crawled, and returned his fire. Very few
shot at Jason's running form.

The scene in front of Jason cranked over in slow motion. Kerk standing
at the top of the ramp, coolly returning the fire that splashed all
about. He could have found safety in an instant through the open port
behind him. The only reason he stayed there was to cover Jason.

"Thanks--" Jason managed to gasp as he made the last few steps up the
gangway, jumped the gap and collapsed inside the ship.

"You're perfectly welcome," Kerk said as he joined him, waving his gun
to cool it off.

A grim-jawed ship's officer stood back out of range of fire from the
ground and looked them both up and down. "And just what is going on
here?" he growled.

Kerk tested the barrel with a wet thumb, then let the gun slide back
into its holster. "We are law-abiding citizens of a different system who
have committed no criminal acts. The savages of Cassylia are too
barbarous for civilized company. Therefore we are going to Darkhan--here
are our tickets--in whose sovereign territory I believe we are at this
moment." This last was added for the benefit of the Cassylian officer
who had just stumbled to the top of the gangway and was raising his gun.

The soldier couldn't be blamed. He saw these badly wanted criminals
getting away. Aboard a Darkhan ship as well. Anger got the best of him
and he brought his gun up.

"Come out of there, you scum. You're not escaping that easily. Come out
slow with your hands up or I'll blast you--"

It was a frozen moment of time that stretched and stretched without
breaking. The pistol covered Kerk and Jason. Neither of them attempted
to reach for their own guns.

The gun twitched a bit as the ship's officer moved, then steadied back
on the two men. The Darkhan spaceman hadn't gone far, just a pace across
the lock. This was enough to bring him next to a red box set flush with
the wall. With a single, swift gesture he flipped up the cover and
poised his thumb over the button inside. When he smiled his lips peeled
back to show all of his teeth. He had made up his mind, and it was the
arrogance of the Cassylian officer that had been the deciding factor.

"Fire a single shot into Darkhan territory and I press this button," he
shouted. "And you know what this button does--every one of your ships
has them as well. Commit a hostile act against this ship and _someone_
will press a button. Every control rod wil