long-barreled Ml 1A he held and waving it casually.
"Let them go," said N'Trol.
"Report," said A'Tir, walking past N'Trol without a glance.
"Tower's bedlam," said the tall corsair. "Commandos came in, Security pulled out, then Tugayee infiltrated and took on the commandos. Fighting's concentrated on the upper levels."
"How'd you get out?" A'Tir asked.
"There was a running firefight through our confinement level—commandos and Tugayee. An M32 blast took out the door— along with K'Ona and S'Al." S'Lei waved his hand over the bloodstains. "We came down here, found the guard posts deserted and set your security lock to open."
"Where's the rest of your group?" said A'Tir.
"Right behind me. I sent them to liberate an armory."
As he spoke, more corsairs came into the room, all with holstered pistols on their belts and spares slung over their shoulders.
"Orders, Commander?" said K'Lal, taking one of the spare Ml 1 As and belting it on.
"We're still in Prime Base perimeter—we'll grab a shuttle from the Tower depot, take over a ship and run for it."
"Line will stop us," said S'Lei.
"No," said A'Tir, arming herself. "Line will challenge us. It won't stop us if we're not a direct and immediate threat to the security of the planet. Which we aren't, as we're leaving it."
A'Tir pointed to where Implacable's crewmen stood in a silent knot. "Kill them and let's go," she said. "The engineer's mine," she added, drawing her sidearm and thumbing the beam down to its cutting setting.
"You're stupid, A'Tir," said N'Trol, stepping in front of his crew. "You haven't enough crew to man a ship that will get you past the Fleet pickets. Most you can run is a destroyer. You need at least a cruiser."
"We'll take our chances," said A'Tir. "Hold him," she ordered. Two corsairs grabbed N'Trol's arms as A'Tir took careful aim at his eyes.
"With us," said the engineer, "you can have Implacable."
There was a murmur of protest from N'Trol's crew.
"Let him go," said A'Tir, lowering the blaster. "What did you have in mind, Mr. N'Trol?" she said.
"We're in the same situation," said N'Trol, adjusting his cuffs. "Prisoners for whatever reasons. Our mutual interests lie in escape ..."
"But, sir," protested B'Tul, "to join up with these scum ..."
"What do you want, B'Tul, to stay here and face court-martial for performing your duty? How many times have we saved the fat asses of the ground-hugging slobs? And this, this is our reward." His hand swept the room. "Freedom"—he pointed to the door—"or the Tower?"
There was a brief, whispered consultation, then B'Tul turned back to N'Trol. "We're with you, sir. As long as they put us off at first planetfall," he added, looking at A'Tir.
"Agreed," said the corsair commander. "Provided we take Implacable. Otherwise, you stay here, we'll take up where we just left off, you and me."
"Fine," said N'Trol. He held out his hand.
"Now, if we could have some weapons . . ."
"Not just yet," said A'Tir with a tight little smile.
The distant blaster fire was suddenly punctuated by the dull KRUMMP! of an exploding grenade, the echo rolling through the Tower.
"Let's go," said A'Tir.
Filing from the detention bay, the new allies moved in a quick double file down the empty corridors, past the deserted guard posts and out into the night.
Implacable was a grand sight at night, the winking of her red and green running lights reflecting softly along her silver hull. She sat alone in bright-lit splendor, one of the last of the Imperial cruisers.
"Two guards," whispered K'Lal, ducking back behind the white supply modules stacked next to the cruiser. "Corporal and a private."
"That's it?" said A'Tir.
"Yes."
"Sloppy," she said. "Should have two squads for a capital ship, not two men." She turned to N'Trol. "Still want a weapon, Engineer?"
N'Trol saw what was coming. "Not just yet," he said, mimicking her tight little smile. The light wasn't especially good, but she saw it.
"Here." The corsair slipped the
"Let them go," said N'Trol.
"Report," said A'Tir, walking past N'Trol without a glance.
"Tower's bedlam," said the tall corsair. "Commandos came in, Security pulled out, then Tugayee infiltrated and took on the commandos. Fighting's concentrated on the upper levels."
"How'd you get out?" A'Tir asked.
"There was a running firefight through our confinement level—commandos and Tugayee. An M32 blast took out the door— along with K'Ona and S'Al." S'Lei waved his hand over the bloodstains. "We came down here, found the guard posts deserted and set your security lock to open."
"Where's the rest of your group?" said A'Tir.
"Right behind me. I sent them to liberate an armory."
As he spoke, more corsairs came into the room, all with holstered pistols on their belts and spares slung over their shoulders.
"Orders, Commander?" said K'Lal, taking one of the spare Ml 1 As and belting it on.
"We're still in Prime Base perimeter—we'll grab a shuttle from the Tower depot, take over a ship and run for it."
"Line will stop us," said S'Lei.
"No," said A'Tir, arming herself. "Line will challenge us. It won't stop us if we're not a direct and immediate threat to the security of the planet. Which we aren't, as we're leaving it."
A'Tir pointed to where Implacable's crewmen stood in a silent knot. "Kill them and let's go," she said. "The engineer's mine," she added, drawing her sidearm and thumbing the beam down to its cutting setting.
"You're stupid, A'Tir," said N'Trol, stepping in front of his crew. "You haven't enough crew to man a ship that will get you past the Fleet pickets. Most you can run is a destroyer. You need at least a cruiser."
"We'll take our chances," said A'Tir. "Hold him," she ordered. Two corsairs grabbed N'Trol's arms as A'Tir took careful aim at his eyes.
"With us," said the engineer, "you can have Implacable."
There was a murmur of protest from N'Trol's crew.
"Let him go," said A'Tir, lowering the blaster. "What did you have in mind, Mr. N'Trol?" she said.
"We're in the same situation," said N'Trol, adjusting his cuffs. "Prisoners for whatever reasons. Our mutual interests lie in escape ..."
"But, sir," protested B'Tul, "to join up with these scum ..."
"What do you want, B'Tul, to stay here and face court-martial for performing your duty? How many times have we saved the fat asses of the ground-hugging slobs? And this, this is our reward." His hand swept the room. "Freedom"—he pointed to the door—"or the Tower?"
There was a brief, whispered consultation, then B'Tul turned back to N'Trol. "We're with you, sir. As long as they put us off at first planetfall," he added, looking at A'Tir.
"Agreed," said the corsair commander. "Provided we take Implacable. Otherwise, you stay here, we'll take up where we just left off, you and me."
"Fine," said N'Trol. He held out his hand.
"Now, if we could have some weapons . . ."
"Not just yet," said A'Tir with a tight little smile.
The distant blaster fire was suddenly punctuated by the dull KRUMMP! of an exploding grenade, the echo rolling through the Tower.
"Let's go," said A'Tir.
Filing from the detention bay, the new allies moved in a quick double file down the empty corridors, past the deserted guard posts and out into the night.
Implacable was a grand sight at night, the winking of her red and green running lights reflecting softly along her silver hull. She sat alone in bright-lit splendor, one of the last of the Imperial cruisers.
"Two guards," whispered K'Lal, ducking back behind the white supply modules stacked next to the cruiser. "Corporal and a private."
"That's it?" said A'Tir.
"Yes."
"Sloppy," she said. "Should have two squads for a capital ship, not two men." She turned to N'Trol. "Still want a weapon, Engineer?"
N'Trol saw what was coming. "Not just yet," he said, mimicking her tight little smile. The light wasn't especially good, but she saw it.
"Here." The corsair slipped the
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