"No. I just want to know how big this op is." And how far he'd have to go to get away from it.

"Yes, sir. It will take some time. I am still not up to full capacity."

"Power cells are first on my to-do list." He glanced at the closed lav door.

"Maybe second." Reene added, "Communications have been reestablished. A message is waiting for you, sir. It is from Rayce Coburne."

"Audio only. Go."

Rayce's voice came over the comm. "Where the hell are you?" Zain smiled at Rayce's opening.

The message played on. "I get half an emergency message from Reene and then nothing. Something about you being stranded on a planet, but no location, no information, and no damn explanation."

This from the man who took more chances than anyone else Zain knew."Then I get no reply from you and no reply from Torrie. Anyone ever tell you that your family has a serious communication problem?"

Zain frowned. Where was Torrie?

Rayce continued, "I know you are up to something big and bad when you won't even zap me a clip. If you're off having fun and didn't invite me, I'm going to be mighty pissed. Contact me. I hate to lose a good gun. Besides, if you don't, Torrie won't be the only one looking for you. Out."

Reene asked, "Would you like to reply, sir?"

"No," Zain decided. Especially now. The last thing he wanted was to bring anyone else into this nightmare. He was still trying to figure out how to get rid of Lacey. Sort of.

"Any contact from Torrie lately?"

"She has been pinging us for the past several days, but nothing in the last twelve hours."

That wasn't good. As much as he loved his sister, she could get into trouble faster than ... well, than he could. Which was already fast enough. He took a deep breath. He had to know if she was alright.

"Ping her," Zain said. "See if you get a response."

"Sir, I cannot guarantee that the ping won't be traced back to this location."

He nodded. "I know. I'm counting on being out of here before anyone can do so."

"Yes, sir." There were a few seconds of silence before Reene came back. "I have issued a ping. No response yet."

"Keep polling and let me know." He headed to the front of the ship and stopped at the lav door. No singing, no sound. He tapped the door. "Lacey?"

"What?" she snapped on the other side.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

He crossed his arms and stared at the door. "You don't sound fine. Open the door."

"No."

"Well, I'm not moving from this spot until you open this damn door." He grinned at the exact same conversation they'd had their first night together.

The door slid out of the way and Lacey's defiant face appeared. She was also fully dressed, much to his disappointment.

"Happy?" she said crisply.

He pursed his lips. "I guess you don't want to talk about last night."She blinked a few times. "There's nothing talk about. I was simply curious about your..." She paused. "DNA."

A slow smile crossed his face. "I see. So how does it measure up?"

She blushed and then pushed by him. "It's the same as any other human male."

He eyed her as she sat in her chair. He knew he wasn't much help last night but he couldn't have been that bad. Next time, he'd get it right. Then he noted her scowl. Assuming there was a next time.

To his surprise, she accessed the system stats and was studying them as they scrolled up the panel. "How did you learn to do that?" he asked, sliding into his seat.

"Reene showed me the ropes while you were out," she answered without looking at him. "I figured you wouldn't, being a control freak and all."

He studied her rigid profile. "Thank you for getting me back to the ship."

She nodded stiffly. "No problem."

"Especially over that bridge."

Her gaze swung to his, and a flicker of trepidation flashed in her eyes. He knew how terrified she was of that bridge, and she had somehow done it alone. She shouldn't have had to. He was supposed to protect her, not the other way around.

"I'm sorry you had to manage it alone. But I'm not going to apologize for the sex. I realize that I wasn't exactly in good condition last night, but you are the one who jumped me."

"You started it," she muttered.

He smirked. "You could have just said no."

She was quiet for a minute. "I know. It's not your fault, it's mine."

"That makes me feel a whole lot better," he grumbled and accessed his own side of the control panel. Apparently, a next time was officially out of the question.

"It was fine," she said softly.

He glanced at her. "What?"

She cleared her throat. "I said, the sex was fine."

"Fine?" he repeated. "Just what every man wants to hear. Why don't we talk about something else while I still have some of my ego intact." He hammered at the console. "You have that information yet, Reene?"

"My search is nearly complete."

"I didn't mean that in a bad way," Lacey countered, sounding a bit indignant.

" 'Fine' is not how I'd like to categorize my love-making skills. In fact, 'fine' isn't how I'd like to categorize anything I ever do again in my life."

She threw up her hands. "Okay, how about 'great'? Is your ego satisfied with 'great'?" He turned to face her. "My ego would be a lot happier if you said, 'Zain, take me to bed again.' "

Her eyes grew wide, and he could see panic.

"I can't do that," she said.

"That's what I thought," he said and turned back to the computer. "You can save me anytime now, Reene."

"Working."

Lacey shifted next to him in a vacuum of silence and then said, "Just how compatible do you think our DNA is, Zain?"

He muttered, "Very, even if you aren't impressed."

"So, I could be pregnant," she said in a wisp of a voice.

His gaze shot to hers. Her face was drawn and distinctly worried. Like being pregnant by him would be such a bad thing.

"I was sterilized shortly after I joined InterGlax."

Horror registered on her face as she focused on him. "Oh, my God. Did InterGlax make you?"

"It was voluntary. My choice."

She shook her head, looking appalled. "Why would you do that? Don't you want children?"

He shrugged. "I was young. The thought of being trapped in a relationship with a mate and children was a fate worse than living with my parents again." He looked hard at her. "So don't worry. You are safe from bearing my children-unless I get it reversed. But why would I do that?"

She regarded him with disbelief, and something like sympathy. As if his ego wasn't battered enough.

"As soon as Reene gives me some information, I'm heading below to pick up the other power cells. Once they are installed, the VirtuWav will be operable and you can go home," he told her. There. That should make her day.

Her eyes lit with interest. "What information?"

He realized with a flicker of hope that she hadn't reacted to the going-home part.

"Who IG hit, and why."

Reene chimed in. "My search is complete, sir. Would you like the results?"

Zain kept his gaze on Lacey. "Go."

"Intercepted communications from their planet confirm your report. I also have found reports of random attacks on several planets in this sector that match the coordinates from the dome. In all cases, attacks were unprovoked, deadly, and swift. The planets targeted were juveniles, and could not immediately identify their assailants. However, the execution is identical to your description of the attack on Maadiar."

Zain told him, "Bring up the star map of this sector and mark the systems that InterGlax has attacked."

A grid appeared on his console, spun, locked, and a hundred or so stars illuminated. He hadn't expected so many and so close. Zain studied the map with growing unease. They were sitting right in the middle of InterGlax's operation. "Show me the juvenile planets identified on the dome that have not been attacked."

Hundreds more stars flashed on.

Lacey said, "I don't get it. Why is InterGlax attacking all these people?"

He shook his head. "I've never seen InterGlax work this way. They are not aggressors." He leaned on the console. "Reene, what kind of contact does InterGlax have with the planets they attack?"

"None. In all cases, the Avakurians have invariably come to the planet's aid, offering assistance, trade, and protection from InterGlax-for a substantial fee."

Disgusted, Zain said, "I'll bet. Since when have the Avakurians ever been humanitarians?"

"I'm lost," Lacey said. "Who are they?"

Zain crossed his arms. "Trade-mongers from the planet Avakur. Mostly pirates and thieves. They are known to sell their own family members for the right amount of credits. The last people you want making first contact with a juvenile system."

"They don't belong to CinTerr?" she asked.

"No, they quit about sixteen years ago. Didn't like anyone giving them rules to follow. Planets are not required to join CinTerr. But the fewer planets who participate, the weaker the cartel becomes."

He asked Reene, "Where is CinTerr during all these attacks?"

"By the time CinTerr discovers that the Avakurians have made contact, it is too late. Avakur has already secured their place. And once the juvenile finds out InterGlax works for CinTerr, they decline membership."

"That must be making CinTerr pretty ticked off," Zain noted.

"Yes, sir. In fact, there is significant friction between InterGlax and CinTerr at present. InterGlax denies any involvement, of course."

The pieces made no sense. Why would InterGlax jeopardize their relationship with CinTerr? It would be professional suicide. Both organizations needed each other.

"Earth," he heard Lacey whisper next to him. He turned to find her staring at the dome, her expression etched with horror.

"Reene," she said softly. "Is Earth a coordinate in the dome?"

"Affirmative."

Zain closed his eyes. Damn.

"Earth is a target," she uttered.

He pursed his lips. "Perhaps at some point. There are a thousand targets here. Chances are slim. Just because they have coordinates, doesn't mean Earth is in danger."

She swung around to face him. "Bullshit. You know damn well it's only a matter of time before they hit Earth. I saw the circle on Maadiar; just like Earth's. Another henge. That's a portal receptor. They will come right through Stonehenge in England."

"Earth has weapons," he reminded her.

"We don't have anything that can handle surprise attacks like the one we witnessed. Earth is fragile enough as it is. An alien attack would cause mass hysteria." She crossed her arms. "You are so worried about protecting me? Then you better save me from InterGlax, because if you don't, my planet is going to end up just like Maadiar. This is your organization-you know how they work. Figure out a way to stop them."

As if it were that simple, he thought. He gave her a hard look. "Do you have any idea how big InterGlax is? How much territory they cover? Hundreds of thousands of operatives. Thousands of stations. Millions of weapons. What would you have me do? Walk in there and ask them to please cease and desist?" he asked. "How far in the door do think I'd get?"

"We," she corrected him. "I'm in this too. It's my planet."

A growl rumbled from his gut. He'd love nothing more than to bring InterGlax to its knees. But he wouldn't sacrifice Lacey to do it. "Then, if InterGlax catches us, we're as good as dead."