"I said I wanted to get away, Rlinda," BeBob said in a strangled voice, "not commit suicide."

"That isn't what I'm doing-at least I don't think so. With that tracer gone, we have the chance to play hide-and-seek. But we're going to have to do a damn good job of it. Those Remora pilots aren't idiots." She rehearsed her words, then transmitted to the pursuers, "Gentlemen, after seeing what sort of treatment the EDF gives its prisoners, we have no intention of being captured by you. We'd rather just burn up right here."

The Curiosity Curiosity plunged straight into the thickening clouds. The Remoras came after them, but slowed their pursuit. No doubt they were double-checking orders from the Manta's commander. plunged straight into the thickening clouds. The Remoras came after them, but slowed their pursuit. No doubt they were double-checking orders from the Manta's commander.

As soon as her ship went deep enough to be invisible from scans, Rlinda altered course sharply. The ship began a tight, low orbit in the thick clouds, scribing a line across the gas giant's equator. The Curiosity Curiosity started shaking and rattling. The outer hull heated up, but Rlinda did not slow. started shaking and rattling. The outer hull heated up, but Rlinda did not slow.

"This is your plan?" BeBob's voice cracked with alarm. is your plan?" BeBob's voice cracked with alarm.

"We went straight in like a bullet going sideways through a fat man's belly." She concentrated on her flying. "I'm hoping they'll assume we burned up in the atmosphere...not to mention the fact that they're probably spooked about hydrogues coming after us in here."

BeBob's eyes remained wide. "I'm worried about that, too, Rlinda." worried about that, too, Rlinda."

"Hey, at this point, they could qualify as the cavalry. From a certain point of view."

"If that's the best we can hope for, then we're really, truly screwed."

Rlinda's teeth rattled from the outrageous turbulence. Sparks flew from a few nonessential systems. No doubt if the Remora pursuers took time to scan all the atmospheric layers, they would spot her ion trail as she screamed through the vapors. But by that time, she hoped her ship would have gotten away on the other side of the bloated world.

One of her stabilizing engines blew out, and the Curiosity Curiosity began to lurch and tumble, but Rlinda's fingers flew, reasserting control. With brute force she plowed ahead with her beloved cargo ship, like an icebreaker through rough arctic seas. A few strong welding joints and persistent rivets barely kept all the components in place. began to lurch and tumble, but Rlinda's fingers flew, reasserting control. With brute force she plowed ahead with her beloved cargo ship, like an icebreaker through rough arctic seas. A few strong welding joints and persistent rivets barely kept all the components in place.

After they crossed the atmospheric layers of the bloated planet, the ship popped out of the far side like the cork from a champagne bottle.

Not willing to give up yet, Rlinda shut down their systems and let the battered Curiosity Curiosity cruise along on its own momentum. All of her gauges and regulator systems displayed danger zones or red lines; some had shorted out entirely, so she had no way of knowing how bad the damage was. cruise along on its own momentum. All of her gauges and regulator systems displayed danger zones or red lines; some had shorted out entirely, so she had no way of knowing how bad the damage was.

"Well, we're intact. I'll say that at least," BeBob commented. The two embraced each other in a spontaneous bear hug.

Even if the EDF decided to follow them and someone was clever enough to determine her plan, they were still hours ahead of any possible pursuit that skirted the gas giant. If Rlinda could find a place to hide, cut their energy signatures, they'd be able to play possum and remain undetected. As the battered Curiosity Curiosity limped along, Rlinda scanned the handful of moons, in particular noticing a large ice-crusted rock. limped along, Rlinda scanned the handful of moons, in particular noticing a large ice-crusted rock.

From out of nowhere, two strange ships swooped in. Rlinda didn't recognize the configuration of either one. One of the mysterious craft fired a warning blast across her bow; the other took a potshot at their engines, causing more damage.

"Hey, watch it!" Rlinda shouted into the comm system. "We've had enough trouble already today."

"Prepare to be boarded," said one of the ships. "It's payback time, and you're facing the meanest group of Roamer space pirates in the Spiral Arm."

Rlinda groaned, remembering Rand Sorengaard. "We've already been through that, too."

The pilots of the two craft transmitted their images: middle-aged men dressed in extravagant Roamer costumes, fully embroidered with clan markings. The better dressed of the two said, "You are our prisoners."

Chapter 105-DOBRO DESIGNATE UDRU'H.

As the rebellious warliner approached Dobro on its mission of conquest, shiing crept through its ventilation system, deck after deck. The stored canisters contained enough of the substance to subsume an entire splinter colony; it was more than enough to unravel the crew from Rusa'h's net.

Still hidden, the Dobro Designate waited with Adar Zan'nh in the cargo decks. Time passed slowly.

Noticing their loss of focus, some of the subverted Solar Navy crewmen responded with alarm, but the inhaled drug rapidly penetrated and soothed their thoughts. Soon the entire crew was disoriented, intoxicated, partially oblivious, and-most importantly-cut off from the mad Designate's enforced new thism thism.

"Even if they are lost, at least their minds are freed," Zan'nh said, his voice muffled through the breathing film. "I only wish Thor'h were aboard this ship. I'd like to see him sealed in my old cell, where he could cause no further harm."

Soon, the air in the warliner had a noticeably hazy appearance, as if a faint mist had arisen from between the deck plates. Released from Rusa'h's web, the destabilized crew was no longer connected to any thism thism at all. Udru'h and Zan'nh now had to reassert control, bring back the loyalty of the crew, and convince them of their folly. It would be a delicate task. at all. Udru'h and Zan'nh now had to reassert control, bring back the loyalty of the crew, and convince them of their folly. It would be a delicate task.

Adar Zan'nh tore off the disguise he had taken from the bodies of the guards, while still wearing the breathing film. Beneath it, the Solar Navy uniform was tattered, rumpled, and bloodstained, but he wore it proudly. "It has been long enough. I want to go back to the command nucleus-my command nucleus." command nucleus."

Udru'h gave him a small, contained smile. "As you command, Adar."

The two men made their way up one deck after another to the warliner's bridge, not bothering to hide their movements. Though they did not want to fight, both of them held weapons, and Udru'h knew they'd be able to kill many of the disoriented brainwashed crewmen, if it came to that. Instead, the Solar Navy soldiers who saw them responded with confusion; the crewmen shook their heads as if they had lost track of their thoughts.

Udru'h mused, "I wonder if Rusa'h is aware that he no longer controls these followers."

"I hope he can sense much more than that," the Adar replied, his voice dark with anger. "I hope he feels his entire rebellion crumbling."

At the threshold of the command nucleus, Udru'h paused. "Our time grows short. According to the projected flight plan, the warliner should be nearing Dobro."

"Then we must do something about that." Zan'nh strode onto the bridge like a victorious general. His voice was powerful enough to startle even the shiing-disoriented crewmen at their posts. "Your Adar has returned to his command! You will follow my orders."

His eyes blazed as he stared at one Ildiran after another, demanding their obedience. Still reeling, the crew could not yet realize what they had done, but the shiing made them easily susceptible to suggestion. They were torn from the corrupted thism thism web now, entirely adrift. Some of the command crew looked woozy and stunned, others showed an edge of panic. They had no guidance from the Hyrillka Designate and nothing else to hold on to. web now, entirely adrift. Some of the command crew looked woozy and stunned, others showed an edge of panic. They had no guidance from the Hyrillka Designate and nothing else to hold on to.

"You will listen to me me." Zan'nh's voice had the strength of a seasoned commander, not unlike Adar Kori'nh's.

Designate Udru'h stood beside him, both of them showing firm confidence. After a long moment, one of the wobbly crewmen stood and pressed his fist to his chest in a formal Ildiran salute. The warliner's captain shook his head as if waking from a dream. He stared at the Adar's insignia, then finally seemed to recognize it. He stumbled backward. "Adar!" He also offered his salute.

One by one, the crewmembers surrendered. As the warliner continued toward Dobro, Udru'h smiled. "That was very good, Adar." Seeing the planet grow large in the warliner's screen, he opened his mind and allowed the strands of normal thism thism to unreel in clear silvery soul-threads. "Since your scan operators do not seem very alert, perhaps you should check the screens yourself?" to unreel in clear silvery soul-threads. "Since your scan operators do not seem very alert, perhaps you should check the screens yourself?"

Zan'nh adjusted the warliner's long-range sensors. His eyes went wide as he detected several blips, then a few more, then a huge cluster of fast-approaching ships.

The Dobro Designate smiled. So! Despite his resentment toward Udru'h, Jora'h had indeed taken a chance and followed his brother's plan!

"Is it the rest of my maniple? Did Thor'h-?" Zan'nh looked at his listless crew, and uncertainty was plain on his haggard face. "I doubt I'm capable of taking this warliner into battle just yet."

"That won't be necessary."

It rapidly became apparent that far more than a maniple of warliners stood against them. A huge force bristling with weapons blocked the single rebel battleship. Three hundred forty-three vessels: a complete Solar Navy cohort.

The Dobro Designate had no desire to hide his presence now. He felt the linkage, pleased to realize how near the Mage-Imperator was. Hundreds of weapons were prepared to open fire on them.

He turned to explain to Zan'nh. "Knowing when Rusa'h would arrive to threaten Dobro, the Mage-Imperator dispatched a heavy Solar Navy force to make a stand here. They intend to obliterate this ship."

The Adar reacted with surprise. "But we are both on board!"

A thin smile crossed the Dobro Designate's face as he nudged aside a transmission operator and began to focus the warliner's comm system himself. "Your father is finally seeing the necessity of certain terrible decisions."

Chapter 106-MAGE-IMPERATOR JORA'H.

As the overwhelming force of Solar Navy battleships approached the lone warliner, Jora'h could not sense its crew anywhere in his thism. He feared the worst, and was prepared to do what he must. Regardless of the cost, the Mage-Imperator would stop them here.

For a full day, the cohort of warliners had lain in wait near Dobro. According to the ultimatum Udru'h had been given, the Mage-Imperator knew that the rebels would send their might against the colony, whether it was one warliner or the whole maniple. He had to be ready for anything.

In the meantime, he waited with the fastest courier ships on standby, both hoping and dreading that he would receive word from Osira'h that she had brought the hydrogues to Ildira. If that happened, he would have to race back, and leave the battle here despite the bloodshed, without his hoped-for resolution.

Too much all at once. But it couldn't be helped.

How had the Dobro Designate answered Rusa'h's demand, in the end? Jora'h wished he could be certain. In spite of Udru'h's assurances, Jora'h did not trust him to operate out of anything but his own interests. It was even possible that the Dobro Designate would try to play both forces against each other. Would Rusa'h himself be among those who came to conquer the splinter colony? Would Thor'h?

He had hated to leave the Prism Palace, especially while Osira'h attempted to communicate with the hydrogues. So many other crises were causing turbulence in the Spiral Arm. But he had to end this sickening rebellion and restore control to his own Empire.

Finally, Tal O'nh, the commander of this cohort, had relayed a message from the fringe cutters on sentry duty. "One ship incoming, Liege. A single warliner."

One warliner. Perhaps that would minimize the unnecessary casualties.

"Proceed," Jora'h said. O'nh had his instructions, and the Mage-Imperator would not interfere with the commander. He knew it was possible that Udru'h had actually attempted to carry out his unlikely plan, but even if the Designate had been true to his word, Jora'h held out little hope that he had succeeded. In all likelihood, Jora'h would have no choice but to stop the rebel warliner and then go after Hyrillka itself.

Adar Zan'nh had somehow lost control of his maniple, and Rusa'h had used those warships to spread a bloody insurrection. But Jora'h was stronger than the Hyrillka Designate. Much stronger.

"All quls and septars acknowledge," Tal O'nh said. "Ready weapons against that warliner." The deadly offensive systems thrummed, ready to annihilate the rebel vessel. Jora'h braced himself. Although they were all disconnected from his own thism thism web, he feared he would still feel the pain of their deaths. It should never have come to this. web, he feared he would still feel the pain of their deaths. It should never have come to this.

If the Mage-Imperator gave an order to massacre all those Ildirans-even though they were rebels-the race would no doubt be scarred forever. The records in the Saga Saga would damn him. He hoped there was another way. would damn him. He hoped there was another way.

He sensed the emptiness in the thism thism from the warliner; it seemed like a ghost ship, but he knew it carried a full crew. Then he felt two others, like tiny candles in a vast darkness-the Dobro Designate and Adar Zan'nh remained on board! But had they succeeded? from the warliner; it seemed like a ghost ship, but he knew it carried a full crew. Then he felt two others, like tiny candles in a vast darkness-the Dobro Designate and Adar Zan'nh remained on board! But had they succeeded?

The warliner's comm system transmitted the words that Jora'h longed to hear. "Liege, this is Udru'h. The Adar and I have reasserted control of this vessel. The entire crew is currently under the influence of shiing. I believe they are ready for you."

Smiling with relief, Jora'h acknowledged. "Thank you, Designate. I will lead them back."

In the command nucleus of the cohort's flagship, he stood rigid, his braided hair twitching and thrashing as he closed his eyes. As Mage-Imperator, he had control over all the soul-threads and the correct pathway to the Lightsource. Now he sent out his thoughts, grasping the skeins of thism, thism, smoothing out the tangles and reconnecting every once-rebellious crewman aboard the stolen warliner. smoothing out the tangles and reconnecting every once-rebellious crewman aboard the stolen warliner.

With the sheer force of his will, he brought them back into his fold, one by one. All of them.

His eldest son, the Adar and acting Prime Designate, was in the command nucleus of the rebel warliner. He had believed everything was lost, but now that the Mage-Imperator had recaptured the minds and hearts of all the corrupted soldiers, he was confident the Adar could unify them into a single crew again.

Jora'h opened his smoky topaz eyes and took a deep breath. When the communications channel opened, Zan'nh's gaunt visage appeared before him. "Liege, we are in your debt. I despaired of ever being so close to the thism thism again. I feel as if I have been falling for many days, and now you've caught me." again. I feel as if I have been falling for many days, and now you've caught me."

Behind his son, the soldiers at their stations looked dazed, but their thoughts were returning. From his own warliner, Jora'h could feel them like tiny lights winking back on in the thism thism after a long and uncomfortable darkness. He could guide them, strengthen the bonds that tied them to the correct mental safety net. But he did not want any of these people to forget their loss and recovery, not for a long time. after a long and uncomfortable darkness. He could guide them, strengthen the bonds that tied them to the correct mental safety net. But he did not want any of these people to forget their loss and recovery, not for a long time.

The Dobro Designate stood beside Zan'nh in the command nucleus of the rebel warliner, wearing a secretive smile behind the breathing film. "Thank you, Liege. We are already purging the shiing gas from the ship's ventilation systems. Before long, order will be completely restored."

"As it should be," Jora'h transmitted. "This crew is yours again, Adar Zan'nh. They have tasted the poison of Designate Rusa'h. Now use them to help me regain control of what my brother has corrupted."

Zan'nh placed his fist against the center of his chest in a formal salute, then lowered his gaze as he answered. "Liege, Thor'h has taken the rest of my warliners to conquer other worlds, while Rusa'h sits in his facsimile chrysalis chair on Hyrillka and extends his web." Now he looked up and his eyes shone. "However, without the warliners, Hyrillka itself Hyrillka itself is militarily vulnerable." is militarily vulnerable."

Jora'h nodded. "Adar Zan'nh, I will personally accompany you, but this cohort is yours to command. We go to Hyrillka immediately. And we finish this."

Chapter 107-DD.

The damaged black ship spun out of control, spiraling away from the system. The reactor explosion had knocked out their engines, and the robotic vessel careened into empty space without guidance or propulsion.

DD thought they might drift forever, cut off from any hope of rescue. Unfortunately, even with Sirix out of commission, and even after so many reanimated machines had been vaporized in the intense reactor meltdown, the little compy was certain the Klikiss robots' plans would proceed unhindered. The human race was about to encounter an unexpected enemy that intended to cause far more death and destruction than the hydrogues had inflicted so far.

As the ship drifted dizzily, DD adjusted his balance and reacquired his perspective. Beside him, a stunned Sirix came active again, tested the controls of his ship, and assessed the damage. The black robot refused to communicate with DD as he completed his evaluation.

Finished, he turned his optical sensors toward the Friendly compy. "You will accompany me outside the ship, DD. Together, we will complete the necessary repairs on the hull."

"Is that possible? Do we have the required spare parts?"

"We will fabricate whatever we need."

DD couldn't imagine how they could perform any complex reconstruction while the ship spun and tumbled far from the sun. But Sirix had commanded him, and he had no choice but to follow the black robot to a damaged doorway.

From a sealed container, Sirix produced a cluster of tools, metal patchwork, and repair epoxies. "These should be sufficient for your portion of the labors. I will provide you with simple instructions. Your compy programming does not extend to intricate tasks, but I will guide you where necessary."

Sirix used brute force to pry open the damaged hatch so they could emerge into the empty vacuum. DD dutifully followed, keeping his balance on the scarred hull of the Klikiss ship. His reinforced compy body had endured great extremes, from the impossible pressures within a hydrogue gas planet to the current cold emptiness. Environment was never the problem.

Moving carefully on fingerlike legs, Sirix scuttled across the buckled hull. He instructed DD to remove twisted plates for repair, while he himself worked on more major damage, disconnecting unwieldy engine shafts, stripping away a destroyed sensor array, scanning for deep fractures in the structural frame.

While they worked, the robot transmitted to DD. "Now you see the destructive abilities of humans. They caused this damage. You must acknowledge why we need to eliminate them. They are all our enemies."

But DD did not follow. "What I observed, Sirix, was that Klikiss robots Klikiss robots annihilated a human base down on that planetoid in order to 'acquire' materials. Considering what your fellows did, the humans were acting in self-defense." annihilated a human base down on that planetoid in order to 'acquire' materials. Considering what your fellows did, the humans were acting in self-defense."

"Humans should not have been on our planetoid in the first place. They meddled where they were not wanted."

"How were they to know this? They received no warnings from you, no notification."

"You argue about irrelevant things."

The black robot used his claw arms to disconnect the ruined lump of a rear engine, while DD moved to complete the next task Sirix had given him. Always observant, the compy noted that the plate holding the external engine component was loose, that the Klikiss robot's balance was precarious as their ship continued to drift drunkenly.