"Copy that, Red Hand Leader. Targeting sensor suites and solar fin. Starting our runs now."

The Y-wing pairs began strafing the Helotg Shackle, firing their turreted ion cannons at the prea.s.signed tar-gets. The bursts from the ion cannons were designed not to damage the enemy vessel's hull, but to knock out all electrical activity aboard ship-including, of course, the engines, the targeting computers, and the bridge systems, Every electrical system aboard would need to be re-initialized before the Shackle would be opera-tional again.

Helotg Shackle fired again and again, but the Y-wings were just too quick and agile for the big ship's weapons to target effectively.

Scant minutes later, the Shackle was drifting helpless in s.p.a.ce, its electrical systems down. Bria cheeked her chrono as the first wave of boarding shuttles moved in. Good. Right on time. One ship attached itself to the large forward airlock, the one the Shackle used to load her eargoes of slaves. The remaining two shuttles grap-pled against the hull on either side of the slaver's ship and began cutting their way in.

Bria listened as reports flooded in from her squad leaders: "Red Hand Leader, Squad One reporting from the eargo airlock on the forward hold on Deck 4. We've made it inside, but we're encountering heavy resis-tance. The crew was getting the slax/es out as we came through, but there are still some in here. The Pilgrims have taken shelter, as have we, behind cargo canisters. We've got a brisk firefight ongoing. We're going to push them back, so we can get to the turbolaser access shaft." "Red Hand Leader, Squad Two reporting in. We've breached the hull forward of the engines on Deck 4 and set up a portable airlock. My troops are moving in now ....

"Red Hand Leader, the armor plating on this section of the starboard hull is giving us some trouble... stand by...." And, a minute later, "Red Hand Leader, we are through!"

Bria watched the progress of the squads through the vessel, weighing when to bring in her second wave. The two squads who'd cut their way in had met with mini-mal resistance. But the forward squad who'd entered through the airlock was meeting heavy opposition from the slavers as they battled their way to the turbolifts. It was understandable that the slavers would fight to the last. Red Hand's reputation was beginning to spread, and doubtless the crew of the Shackle had recognized the symbol of a blood-dripping hand painted on the bows of their attackers' ships.

Bria stood up and addressed the captain of her ship. "Tedris, you're in command of the squadron until I re-turn from the second wave operation. Be prepared to send backup if I contact you, but not until. Have the Y-wings moved out to their patrol stations?"

"Yes, Commander. We'll have at least fifteen minutes warning if anyone decides to join the party .... Of course that's just in case the slavers managed to get a distress out before we jammed their transmissions."

"Good work, Captain."

Bjalin nodded, but did not salute. Discipline in the Rebel forces was far more informal than in the Imperial Navy. It had taken Bria two weeks to break him of the habit of saluting at the drop of a "Sir?' "Good luck, Commander," he said.

"Thanks. I may need it. My people have pushed them out of that forward hold, but they had lots of time to set up strong defenses. I'm betting they've holed up in the bridge and the access corridors and are working on the electronics. I think I'm going to have to be a lit-tle... creative."

Bjalin smiled. "You're good at that, Commander." Ten minutes later, Bria's boarding shuttle had docked with the portable airlock and her reserves were jogging down the corridor of Deck 3 'after her, blaster rifles ready.

In the eerie, wan illumination provided by the emer-gency battery lights, the crippled Shackle seemed de-serted; Bria knew that was an illusion. Dimly, she could hear the wailing of some of the slaves. Probably they'd been herded to the security hold on Deck 4 and locked in. The commander hoped fervently that none of the slavers had hit upon the bright idea of driving the slaves into Rebel blaster fire in an attempt to delay the invad-ing soldiers while they made their getaway. That had happened once, and Bria still had nightmares about it... the pale, shocked faces of the unarmed slaves, the reverberations of the blaster bolts, the screams, the crumpling figures, the meaty sizzle-reek of burning flesh ....

Bria led her troops forward, toward the master's cabin in the bow of the ship. It was located directly be-neath the bridge, and was the key to her plan.

She keyed her comlink. "Prize crew . . . how's it going?"

"Commander, hull damage appears to be minimal. Our Y-wings targeted well. We have people working on repairs now."

"How about the electrical systems and the computers?" "That's going to be harder. We can't start up the sys-tems until you've captured the bridge. We don't want to give them any control over the ship."

"They're probably trying to do a restart themselves up there. Can you block that?" "I think so, Commander." "Good. Concentrate checking out the systems, then, and the engines. Wait for my signal to re-initialize." "We copy, Commander."

Bria and her squads met only one pocket of resis-tance on their way to the master cabin. About ten slavers and one unfortunate slave whom they'd armed and pressed into service were holed up behind a hastily erected barricade in a companionway.

Bria sign'tied her troops to retreat back around the corridor, then addressed them in a whisper. "All right, people. We're going to lay down a suppressing fire while Larens, here---" she nodded at a short, slight, very agile soldier, "crawls under our fire until he~ in range to toss a stun grenade right into the middle of that nest of vermin. Got me?"

"Right, Commander." Larens dropped down, pre-pared to scuttle forward, the stun grenade held in his teeth.

"On the count of three, then ....One... two... three!"

Bria and the other Rebels dodged into the com-panionway firing bursts at the barricade, careful to aim high enough not to scorch Larens' rapidly scut-tling rear.

Blaster bolts screamed in the confined s.p.a.ce. Bria caught a glimpse of an arm with a dagger tattoo, aimed and watched the arm (and its slaver owner, presumably) fall back behind the barricade. She remembered the first time she'd ever shot a blaster, and had a brief, sharp memory of Han that she suppressed. No time for memories... time only for the job at hand ....

Bare seconds later there was a loud whump! and suddenly the returning fire was gone: Bria motioned her people to follow her. "Remember, the Pilgrim will be wearing a tan robe!"

She ran forward, saw the nest of slavers lying sprawled about. Three were 'already dead, one of them from having his arm blown off. The Pilgrim was stunned, moving feebly.

Bria stood looking down at the carnage at her feet, and felt hatred surge up in her. Six slavers still alive... her finger twitched on the trigger of the blaster rifle she held.

"Commander, shall I set up a guard detail?': Larens looked at her inquiringly. He was new to Red Hand Squadron. Several of the veterans gave him impatient glances.

"They're vermin, Larens," Bria said. "We'll just in-sure that they don't represent a future danger. Mecht, you and Seaan catch up when you've finished here. Drag that Pilgrim into a room so when he wakes up he won't be in the middle of anything."

Mecht nodded. He was a middle-aged man who'd been enslaved himself, though he'd been an hnperial slave, not an Ylesian one. He nodded. "We won't be long, Commander."

Larens started to say something, then obviously changed his mind. Bria motioned to her troops, and they moved on.

Five minutes later, the squad was in the slaver cap-tain's quarters. Bria tried not to look at some of the "toys" the fellow had lying around, evidently for use in amusing himself with some of his slaves. She walked over to the center of the cabin and pointed up at the overhead. "People, the bridge is right up there." She glanced at one of her squad leaders. "Squad One, I want a diversionary attack 'along the corridors leading to the bridge up on Deck 2."

The squad leader nodded. "Be ready on my signal," Bria said.

"Right, Commander." He took off, his troops follow-ing him.

Bria addressed her remaining troops. "Squads Four and Five, you'll attack the bridge with me."

A couple of the newer recruits glanced at each other, obviously puzzled. How were they going to attack the bridge from here?

"Where~ Joaa'n?" Bria asked.

A stocky trooper stepped forward, her features 'al-most hidden beneath her helmet. "Here, Commander."

Bria pointed up. "Joaa'n, use your demolition bag of tricks to get us up there."

"Right, Commander." The woman climbed up on a bureau that had been shoved into place, and began us-ing her lasertorch. The new recruits nudged each other and chuckled, as they realized what their Commander was planning.

Three minutes later, the demolitions expert looked down at Bria and gave her a thumbs-up. "Commander, I've rigged a demo charge that will blow us a nice circu-lar hole through the deck."

Bria smiled. "Good." She spoke into her comlink.

"Squad Two... begin your attack on the bridge." The Rebels heard the sounds of blaster fire start up again.

"Renna," Bria nodded at another stocky, muscular woman, "you've got a good arm. You stand by with the stun grenades. As soon as it~ safe, toss them up through the hole to stun most of those vermin." She looked at the rest of her troops. "People, as soon as Renna's lobbed those grenades through that hole, and the blasts have gone off, we're going up. Remember, people, this is the bridge up there. Be careful where you shoot. Too much damage and the prize crew won't speak to any of us for a month. Got it?"

There were chuckles from her squad.

"All right, it~ set," Joaa'n said. "Get back and cover your eyes, friends. Thirty seconds."

Hastily, Bria~ troops retreated to the cabin~ perime-ters. A couple of soldiers pulled down their blast gog-gles, the others just looked away. Bria, Joaa'n and Renna stood back behind a heavy ornamental screen.

Moments later there was a fizzling sound, then a m.u.f.fled thud. Something heavy hit the bureau, slith-ered off onto the deck. The reek of smoke touched Bria~ nostrils. She nodded at Joaa'n. "Good job."

The demo specialist and Renna were 'already mov-ing, scrambling back up on the bureau. Renna lobbed three stun grenades up through the hole in three differ-ent directions. The ssss-whump! of the grenades and the resulting eries and thuds told the commander that they were doing their work.

Renna pulled herself up with a boost from Joaa'n, then disappeared. They heard her blaster.

Bria swarmed up the bureau, and was next through the hole as someone grabbed her rear and gave her an undignified, if efficient, boost.

The bridge crew was lying around, mostly stunned, but there were a few slavers scrambling out the door. Bria sighted on one huge RodJan and took him down with a blast between the green-skinned being~ shoul-ders. Another slaver, a Bothan, turned to fire at her, his blaster beginning to stutter with a low charge. Bria ducked, rolled, came up with her sidearm in her hand, and shot him in the face. The vermin was standing in front of the navicomputer, and she didn't want to risk killing him with the blaster rifie's greater power.

Moments later, it was 'all over. Silence descended, broken only by the moaning of the wounded. Bria took a quick status check... six of her people were wounded, and one might not make it. Quickly Bria a.s.signed a spe-cial team to rush the wounded back to Retribution for treatment.

Minutes later, the prize crew reported that they were ready for the restart. Bria watched tensely, heard a whine, then, suddenly, full illumination replaced the emergency lighting on the bridge. The tactical screens glowed, the navicomputer chirred softly to itself.

Bria left her troops to deal with the vermin and walked out to the turbolift. She keyed her comlink. "Hyx... you there?"

"I'm here aboard Retribution, Commander," the medical officer reported. "The wounded have been transported over, and everything is looking good. Ex-cept for Caronil... he didn't make it. Sorry. The medic and I did everything we could .... "

Bria swallowed. "I know that. Are you still needed there, Hyx?"

"Not really. The reed droids have things under con-trol here. I'm taking the shuttle back to the Shackle."

"Good. I'm going to need you soon. Come straight to the Security Hold. That's where the slaves are locked up. I'll meet you there."

Bria took the turbolift down two decks, then Started aft. She was nearly to the locked portal when the scuff of a foot behind her made her whirl around, sidearm in hand. Behind her, brandishing a blaster, was one of the slavers who'd somehow escaped capture.

Tile woman's eyes were glittery, her pupils dilated, her hair a greasy halo around her face. "Stop right there or I'll shoot!" she bellowed, holding the blaster in two trembling hands.

Bria stopped. Trembling with fear? Maybe... but that ~ not all ....

"Drop your weapon? the woman howled. "Or I'll kill you!"

"I don't think so," Bria said, calmly, letting her blaster hang down in her hand, muzzle pointed at the deck. "If I'm dead, I'm no use to you as a hostage."

The woman frowned, obviously trying to puzzle out her captive's words. Finally, she elected to ignore them. "I want a shuttle!" she cried. "A shuttle, and some slaves to take with me! You can have the rest! I just want my fair cut, that's all!"

"Not a chance," Bria said, steel underlying her quiet tone. "I'm not a slaver. I'm here to free these people."

The woman appeared completely baffled by this. She c.o.c.ked her head. "You don't wanna sell 'em?" she asked, skeptically.

"No." Bria said. "I'm here to free them."

"Free 'em?" Bria might as well have been speaking Huttese for 'all the slaver understood her. "They're worth couple thousand credits apiece, some of'em." "I don't care," Bria said.

The slaver's brow furrowed. "Why not?"

"Because slavery is wrong," Bria said. "You're wast-ing my time, vermin. Kill me or let me go-but you'll get nothing from me."

The woman pondered Bria's words, obviously taken aback by the commander's response. It was plain to Bria that the slaver was under the influence of some powerful stimulant. Carsunum, probably. The woman was shaking .all over. The muzzle of the gun was practi-cally vibrating in mid-air. Bria's eyes narrowed as she watched the muzzle of the weapon waver, waver . . . then drop fractionally as the drugged woman struggled to comprehend a being who cared nothing for personal profit.

Bria's hand moved in a blur as she brought her weapon up, at the same time throwing herself to the side. The slaver fired, but she was shaking so violently that the bolt didn't even singe Bria. The Rebel com-mander's shot struck the slaver just below her chest. The woman went down with a scream and a gurgle.

Bria walked over to her, kicked away the blaster from the outflung arm and limp fingers, and looked down at the slaver. There was a gaping, charred hole in her abdomen. The woman stared back up at her, pailting shallowly. Bria aimed her sidearm at the slaver's fore-head. "Want me to?"

The woman shook her head, side to side, then strug-gled to speak. "N-no..." She wheezed in agony. "I-I want... to... live .... "

Bria shrugged. "Fine by me. You've got maybe five minutes, I figure."

With her sidearm in her hand, Bria stepped over the slaver and continued down to the hold.

She had to use her blaster on the lock. Inside, she heard screams of panic. The portal swung open.

The stench hit the Corellian the moment she stepped through the door. Human and 'alien, the effiu-via rolled out, almost visible, it was so thick.

Bria looked over the crowd of wailing, moaning, wretched Pilgrims who were cowering away from her, even as they held out their skinny, talon-like hands, pleading, "Bring a priest! Need the priests! Take us home!"

The commander felt her gorge rise, and it took her a moment to control herself. That would have been me... almost ten years ago, now, that~ how I would have been... if it hadn't been for Hah ....

A step came from behind her, and Bria whirled, sidearm ready, only to relax when she recognized Daino Hyx. He raised an eyebrow at her. "A little jumpy, Commander?"

Bria smiled sheepishly. "Maybe just a tad."

"That got anything to do with the dead woman out there in the corridor?"

"Not really," Bria holstered her blaster, realizing dis-gustedly that now she was the one doing the shaking. "More to do with them." She jerked her head at the agonized Pilgrims. "They're all yours, Hyx. Looks like you've got your work cut out for you."

He nodded, studying them with a healer's kindly de-tachment. "How soon will the Shackle be ready to ren-dezvous with the transport?"

Bria glanced at her chrono. "I 'allowed thirty-five minutes to take this ship and get her working again. It's been thirty-nine. I expect to hear-"

Her comlink signaled, and Bria smiled and answered it. "Red Hand Leader here."

"Commander, this is Jaee Paol. We have secured the ship, and the prize crew reports we are now hypers.p.a.ce capable. Proceed to our rendezvous coordinates?"

"Copy that, Jace. I'll advise Retribution. Tell Lieu-tenant Hethar to take her out. Deliverance is waiting for us to transship these Pilgrims." "I copy, Commander."

Bria keyed her comlink. "Captain Bjalin, Helot~ Shackle is ours, along with her eargo. Prepare to ren-dezvous with Deliverance at our a.s.signed coordinates."

"I copy, Red Hand Leader. We'll meet you there.

And... Commander?"

"Yes, Tedris?"

"Congratulations on a smoothly run operation."

"Thank you, Tedris."

One month later, Bria Tharen, on a rare visit back to Corelha to meet with her commanding officer, walked quickly into his office. Pianat Torbul, a short, dark-haired man with intense eyes, looked up. "Welcome home," he said. "You're late. I was expecting you two days agO."

"Sorry, sir," she said. "I picked up a last minute call to help the Pride of the Rim out with a couple of Imp picket ships. Retribution took a hit that damaged sub-light engines, and we had to lay up for a day." "I know," he said, and smiled-his quick, irresistible grin. "I received the report from the Pt/de. Don't be so defensive, Tharen."

She smiled back, then, at his gesture, dropped wearily into a seat. "So, did you get my report, sir?" "I did," he said. "Seems your friend Hyx is reporting great progress in turning those Pilgrims you rescued off the Helot~ Shackle back into normal citizens. Congratu-lations. Your faith in him and his new treatment seems to be paying off."