"Right, sir," the woman said as if she were gulping for air.

"I didn't see what happened," she began at once. "We didn't get any warning-at least not any warning we understood. But I've been running simulations, trying to construct a scenario that fits. This is what I've been able to come up with."

We've got micro-leaks in some of the hydraulic systems, the bosun had told Min when she'd first come aboard. We haven't had time to trace them. We haven't had time to trace them. But she'd already known that: she'd read But she'd already known that: she'd read Punisher's Punisher's reports. And there hadn't been anything she could do about it. reports. And there hadn't been anything she could do about it.

Now she was learning what her decision to take this ship despite the cruiser's condition cost.

The sequence of events, as Bydell reconstructed it, was this. Acid from one hydraulic line and oil from another had drifted together. That should have been impossible, of course: such lines lay in sealed conduits. But if lines could crack, so could conduits. While Punisher Punisher ran in zero g, without internal spin or navigational thrust, the leaks had acc.u.mulated until they formed considerable quant.i.ties of fluid. Then the cruiser began veering and hauling her way through Ma.s.sif-5, ducking obstacles by the hundreds to follow ran in zero g, without internal spin or navigational thrust, the leaks had acc.u.mulated until they formed considerable quant.i.ties of fluid. Then the cruiser began veering and hauling her way through Ma.s.sif-5, ducking obstacles by the hundreds to follow Trumpet. Trumpet. Pools of acid and oil were sloshed and pulled in every direction until they found cracks. And those cracks led to other conduits, more cracks. Pools of acid and oil were sloshed and pulled in every direction until they found cracks. And those cracks led to other conduits, more cracks.

In the meantime Punisher's Punisher's people were still at work on the wiring to one of the main sensor banks. External repairs had been jury-rigged earlier: now the internal lines were being restrung. To do the job, repair techs needed repeated access to a portion of the ship's infrastructure. Unfortunately the bulkhead door they used was sticking. At times its servos cycled for three or four seconds before they built up enough pressure to shift the door. people were still at work on the wiring to one of the main sensor banks. External repairs had been jury-rigged earlier: now the internal lines were being restrung. To do the job, repair techs needed repeated access to a portion of the ship's infrastructure. Unfortunately the bulkhead door they used was sticking. At times its servos cycled for three or four seconds before they built up enough pressure to shift the door.

While they labored they generated heat as well as pressure, more and more heat as the action of the door deteriorated.

Somehow considerable quant.i.ties of oil and acid had come together in the lines around the straining servos. When the fluids caught fire, they exploded with such force that they crumpled the bulkhead, killed two techs, flash-burned two more, and started a blaze which Punisher's Punisher's people, hampered by zero g and navigational thrust, didn't know how to control. people, hampered by zero g and navigational thrust, didn't know how to control.

In the process, of course, the sensor bank was lost.

Captain Ubikwe felt the strain: it showed in one of his familiar outbreaks of irascibility. "d.a.m.n it," he muttered as if he didn't think anyone was listening, "this is too much. I'm starting to believe in curses. How long has it been since any of us were on a ship that actually caught fire?"

No one responded. Min flexed her fingers and counted the beats of her pulse to keep herself from issuing orders.

"d.a.m.n it," he repeated. "We've got decisions to make." it," he repeated. "We've got decisions to make."

Abruptly he changed his tone. "Confirmation on that sensor bank, Porson? It's really dead?"

"Worse than useless, Captain," scan replied. "I can't even get static out of it. The computer has already routed around it like it isn't there."

Dolph nodded. "How are we compensating?"

"I'm stretching the arc on the other banks, Captain," Porson continued, "but I can only pick up a few degrees. The rest is up to helm."

"Sergei?" Dolph asked the helm officer.

"Usual procedure, Captain," Sergei Patrice answered, "if anything about this situation is 'usual.' I'm rotating the entire ship around her core. You can feel the tug-we've picked up a couple of pounds of g. So what we have in essence is a one-second blind spot sweeping our scan field. We can make it shorter or longer, whatever you want.

"But, Captain-" Helm hesitated.

"Spit it out," Captain Ubikwe rumbled. "I'm already in a bad mood. You aren't likely to make it worse."

"Sorry, Captain." Patrice grinned humorlessly. "I just thought I ought to say-we can't go into combat like this. We can't afford the inertia. At some point we'll have to choose between defending ourselves and being able to see."

Dolph smiled back at him. "I was wrong. You can so make it worse."

At once he thumbed his intercom.

"Hargin," he called. "Can you hear me? Hargin Stoval. I want a report."

The intercom speaker brought distant shouts over a roaring background to the bridge. Then the connection popped as the pickup on the other end was activated.

Stoval's voice shed frustration and alarm like sparks. "We aren't getting anywhere, Captain. The The automatic systems can't handle it And it's so d.a.m.n hot, we can't get close enough to use portable extinguishers. automatic systems can't handle it And it's so d.a.m.n hot, we can't get close enough to use portable extinguishers.

"This g hurts us," he added. "Seems to concentrate the fire. It's hotter all the time."

Captain Ubikwe grimaced. "I hear you, Hargin. Stand by. We need to change something. I'll let you know as soon as I decide what."

He clicked off his pickup and turned to Min.

"Director Dormer." His tone was steady, incisive, but the dull, combative smolder in his eyes made him look desperate. "This is your mission. I have to ask you. Is there any reason why we shouldn't cut all thrust and let ourselves coast while we fight this fire?"

Min allowed herself a sardonic snort. "If I tried, I could probably think of six. But none of them will matter if we let a fire cripple us. Do what you have to do, Captain. We'll deal with the consequences later."

A flicker of grat.i.tude showed in his gaze. He didn't take the time to articulate it, however. Wheeling his station, he began, "All right, Patrice-"

"s.h.i.t!" Porson croaked in sudden dismay. At once he murmured tensely, "Sorry, Captain," running commands as fast as he could hit the keys. Scan readouts on the screens jumped and blurred as he changed them. As if he couldn't help himself, he groaned again, "s.h.i.t."

Dolph growled a warning. But he didn't need to demand an explanation. Min didn't need one. Porson had already put the data which shocked him up onto one of the main displays.

Out of nowhere ahead of Punisher Punisher another ship had appeared. another ship had appeared.

Literally out of nowhere. Scan identified the characteristic burst of distortion-the impression that physical laws were being fried-which followed vessels emerging from the gap.

Counters along the bottom of the display measured lag. That ship had come out of the gap practically on top of Punisher: Punisher: less than sixty thousand k away. She could have opened fire already if she'd known less than sixty thousand k away. She could have opened fire already if she'd known Punisher Punisher would be there. And if she hadn't resumed tard at nearly .2C; three times the cruiser's velocity. would be there. And if she hadn't resumed tard at nearly .2C; three times the cruiser's velocity.

She angled toward the main body of the asteroid swarm at a speed which any human captain would have considered insane.

"Lord have mercy," Glessen breathed from targ as he studied the display. "They're out of their minds."

"Id!" Dolph demanded sharply. "I want id."

Was the vessel friendly or hostile?

She was big: big: scan already made that clear. scan already made that clear.

"She's not broadcasting, Captain," Cray answered. "I don't hear anything except gap distortion and emission noise."

"You've got her signature?" Captain Ubikwe asked scan.

"Aye, Captain." Porson pointed: the numbers were already on the display.

Min recognized them long intuitive seconds before Dolph said, "Bydell, what do you have on that emission signature?"

Fl.u.s.tered, Bydell was slow coding an a.n.a.lysis. "Sorry, Captain," she muttered, repeating herself like a stuck recording as she entered commands, accessed databases. "Sorry, Captain."

Min couldn't wait. "Targ, lock onto that ship," she snapped. "Matter cannon, torpedoes, whatever you have ready. Prepare to attack."

If the stranger fired, Punisher Punisher would get no advance notice at all. Light-constant blasts would reach her as fast as scan. Her only hope of warning depended on scan's ability to detect whether the other ship's guns were charged. would get no advance notice at all. Light-constant blasts would reach her as fast as scan. Her only hope of warning depended on scan's ability to detect whether the other ship's guns were charged.

Dolph flashed a look at her; apparently decided not to question what he saw. "Do it, Glessen," he confirmed. "Full alert. Screens and shields on maximum."

A heavy finger on his console set Punisher's Punisher's battle klaxons screaming. battle klaxons screaming.

Then he keyed his intercom. "Hargin?" Without waiting for a response, he called, "We're going to battle stations. Don't stop what you're doing. That fire takes precedence. I'll give you fair warning if we have to hit thrust."

"I hear you, Captain," Stoval answered. "We're doing our best."

"Locked on, Captain," Glessen announced. "We're out of effective torpedo range. Lasers probably aren't powerful enough for a target that big. Matter cannon might take a piece out of her-if we don't hit a particle sink. But at the rate she's pulling away, we're losing her. In another twenty seconds, she'll be out of reach."

Out of reach. Min swore to herself. Right in front of her, an Amnion warship had arrived out of the gap to commit an act of war. But the UMCP cruiser charged with defending human s.p.a.ce was on fire. In another twenty seconds, the Amnioni would be safe.

Fiercely she bit down an impulse to order an a.s.sault. Punisher Punisher was in no condition to engage an enemy. The cruiser wouldn't be able to defend herself against return fire unless she solved other problems first. was in no condition to engage an enemy. The cruiser wouldn't be able to defend herself against return fire unless she solved other problems first.

"Captain"-Bydell's voice shook-"I've got tentative id."

"Let's have it," Dolph rasped.

"According to the computer," Bydell replied as if she were feverish, "that ship is a Behemoth-cla.s.s Amnion defensive. The biggest warship they make. UMCPDA reports say she has enough firepower to nova a small sun. And"-the data officer swallowed convulsively-"she carries super-light proton cannon."

Glessen croaked an involuntary curse. Cray turned away to hide her face.

An act of war. Combative fury scalded Min's palms. An Amnion warship had come all the way here from forbidden s.p.a.ce to stop Trumpet. Trumpet. The Amnion considered the stakes high enough to justify risks on that scale. The Amnion considered the stakes high enough to justify risks on that scale.

Was this what Warden wanted? An incursion to sh.o.r.e up his political position by demonstrating how necessary he and the UMCP were? Was this why he'd chosen Milos Taverner to go with Angus?-to set this up?

How would Succorso react when he learned how much trouble he was in?

"Captain Ubikwe," she said harshly, "we've got to go after that ship."

He didn't look at her. His eyes studied the displays while his hands worked his board. "Is that an order, Director Donner?" His shoulders clenched as if he were suppressing a shout. "Are you instructing me to ignore the fact that we're on fire?"

"Yes," Min snapped, "that's an order." Then she added, "No, I'm not instructing you to ignore the fact that we're on fire."

For a moment Dolph didn't react. He bowed his head: his bulk seemed to shrink down into itself as if his courage were leaking away. He looked like a man who'd been instructed to kill himself.

But he didn't comply. Instead he slammed his fist onto the edge of his console, launched his station around to face her. "Then what do you expect me to do about it?" "Then what do you expect me to do about it?" he roared. "I can't take on a G.o.dd.a.m.n he roared. "I can't take on a G.o.dd.a.m.n Behemoth-cla.s.s Behemoth-cla.s.s Amnion warship if I can't maneuver-and I can't maneuver without killing my people fighting that fire!" Amnion warship if I can't maneuver-and I can't maneuver without killing my people fighting that fire!"

Min held his angry glare. Her gaze was as strict as a commandment; absolute and fatal.

"Captain Ubikwe," she articulated through her teeth, "you have enough plexulose plasma sealant aboard to reinforce the entire inner hull. Pump some of it between the bulkheads onto the fire. Use it to smother the flames."

Dolph's mouth dropped open: he closed it again. Shadows of outrage darkened his gaze.

"Bydell"-his voice rasped like a scourge-"how hot is that fire?"

Data consulted her readouts. "According to the computer, it must be"-she named a temperature. Then, inspired by her fears, she jumped to the point of Dolph's question. "Captain, that's hot enough to set the sealant on fire."

"No." Min was sure. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of everything that went into UMCPED's ships. "Plexulose plasma doesn't become flammable at that temperature until it hardens. The foam won't burn. If Stoval works fast enough, he can smother the fire before the sealant hardens."

"He can't get that close close to it!" Captain Ubikwe protested like a man who wanted to tear his hair. to it!" Captain Ubikwe protested like a man who wanted to tear his hair.

Min faced him without wavering. "Tell him to put his people in EVA suits," she retorted. "They'll be able to work right on top of the blaze-at least for a couple of minutes."

Until the suits' cooling systems overloaded and shut down.

Dolph's mouth twisted as if he were tasting another yell. Gradually, however, the darkness in his eyes cleared. An emotion that might have been amazement or respect pulled at the lines of his face.

"You know," he breathed, "that might work. It's crazy, but it might work."

His surprise lasted only a moment. Then he slapped open his intercom and started issuing new orders to Hargin Stoval.

As soon as the command fourth confirmed that he'd heard, Dolph returned his attention to the bridge.

"Sergei," he instructed sharply, "stop this d.a.m.n rotation. Hargin has enough to deal with. Position us so we can track that ship with one of our good sensor banks. Then give me steady one-g acceleration along her heading."

"Aye, Captain." Patrice was already keying in commands.

"That won't catch her," Dolph explained as if he thought Min might question him, "but it'll keep us in scan range until she starts braking.

"She is is going to start braking," he a.s.serted, addressing his people now rather than Min. "A Behemoth-cla.s.s Amnion warship didn't come all this way just to give us a thrill. She's here to hunt for going to start braking," he a.s.serted, addressing his people now rather than Min. "A Behemoth-cla.s.s Amnion warship didn't come all this way just to give us a thrill. She's here to hunt for Trumpet. Trumpet. That means she'll have to slow down. That means she'll have to slow down.

"Cray," he went on without pausing, "tight-beam a flare for VI Security. Full emergency priority. Tell them they have an Amnion warship on their hands. Give them her position. Tell them to scramble every ship they have out here."

"And tell them to flare UMCPHQ," Min put in quickly. "Tell them to use the fastest gap courier drone they have. On my personal authority."

"Do it," Captain Ubikwe confirmed.

"Aye, Captain." At once Cray went to work.

Dolph considered his readouts, then turned back to his intercom.

"Hargin," he called, "we're about to lose rotation. Instead we'll have one-g thrust straight ahead. That might make what you're trying to do a little easier." Stoval's firefighters would be able to stand-and to trust the surface they stood on. "Brace yourself."

"I hear you, Captain," Stoval answered. His voice had the hollow resonance of an EVA suit pickup. "We're rigging the hoses now. We'll be ready in a minute. Tell Bydell to start the pumps on my signal. We'll be frying our suits that close to the fire. We can't afford any delays."

"Got that, Bydell?" Captain Ubikwe demanded.

Determination clenched the data officer's features. Her hands fluttered and flinched on her board. "Aye, Captain."

"We're standing by, Hargin," Dolph told his pickup. "Pumps at full pressure. We'll give you sealant as fast as the hoses can spray it."

He continued issuing orders; but Min had stopped listening. She was watching the warship's blip recede in the center of the main display screen. The Amnioni was pulling away as if she would never stop.

Min knew better.

A Behemoth-cla.s.s defensive, armed with super-light proton cannon. Hunting Trumpet. Trumpet.

An act of war.

Damaged by six months of running battles in this system, blind in one sensor bank, her core off true, and now threatened by a fire hot enough to gut her, Punisher Punisher was heading for the worst fight of her life. was heading for the worst fight of her life.