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computer's death count, "but we need another senior officer to implement destruct."
    "Let's not be hasty," said a new voice. D'Trelna stood behind the command tier.
    "Commodore!" cried K'Raoda. "It—"
    "I know," said D'Trelna as the count reached thirty. "Picked you up at rendezvous point. I've been listening on the tactical band."
    He turned to the comm officer. "K'Lana, give me broad band linkage to that horror."
    "Linkage established," she said at twenty.
    "Commodore D'Trelna to mindslaver," he said, dropping into the flag chair. "Acknowledge."
    "We hear," hissed a cold whisper from chair and wall speakers.
    "Fifteen," said the computer.
    "Here's a hideous poem you should like—Necropolis School—Late Empire:
    "Sad-eyed S'Hra laments no more. For as the metra petals drift down from Q'Nar's rough hills ..."
    D'Trelna paused, fingertips pressed expectantly together. "Six," said the computer.
    "Proud Death slips gently to her side," came the cold whisper. "Welcome, Commodore. Proud Death is at your side. We are the last dreadnought of R'Actol, Alpha Prime— your navigation beacon."
    "Zero," said the computer. Outside, the shield died even as the mindslaver ceased fire.
    "We have a commwand for you, Commodore," said the mindslaver. "We will await your courier."
    In a single fluid movement, the engineering tech rose from his console, drew his blaster and fired through the back of D'Trelna's chair.
    The briefing ended abruptly as the battle klaxon's awooka! sparked a rush for the door.
    John and Zahava were just behind D'Trelna and L'Wrona, running for the lift as the battle klaxon continued.
    Zahava grabbed John's arm. "T'Lan," she said, pointing to where a door marked Ladder Access 17 was sliding shut.
    "Maintenance and emergency use," John shouted above the klaxon. "Goes to every deck." Crew members ran past them, heading for battle stations.
    The Terrans pressed against the wall, moving toward the access door. "Think T'Lan's battle station is on the ladder?" said John.
    "No."
    The battle klaxon stopped as they stepped through the doorway.
    They were on a round apron of gleaming duralloy. A ladder of the same material ran as far as they could see in both directions, narrowing to a distant smudge. A warm air current tousled their hair.
    There was no sign of Commander T'Lan.
    John touched the communicator at his throat. "Computer. Advise if any doors from the access ladder seventeen have been opened in the last three t'lars."
    "Deck seven twice," said the machine. "And hangar deck once, one z'lin later."
    The two Terrans looked at each other. "That's five decks in about a minute," said Zahava. "What'd he do, fly?"
    "Let's get to hangar deck," said John, stepping onto the first rung.
    D'Trelna and L'Wrona burst onto the bridge, then halted, staring at the frozen tableau: Colonel R'Gal, in engineering white, standing with his weapon pointed at the charred, empty ruins of the flag chair, half a dozen blasters leveled at him; the great black bulk of the mindslaver filling the main screen; K'Raoda looking uncertainly at D'Trelna.
    "What's going on here?" said L'Wrona.
    Animation returned. Everyone tried to speak at once.
    "Silence!" snapped the commodore. "You first, R'Gal." He pointed to the intelligence officer. "And put that thing away," he added. He looked around the bridge. "All of you, back to your posts."
    Nodding, the colonel holstered his Mil A. "I was manning the bridge engineering station. A person we believed to be you entered the bridge, assumed command and saved us from that mindslaver, using an authenticator only you, I and L'Wrona know. As a Watcher, I felt a growing conviction it was a S'Cotar transmute. I allowed it to save us, then drew on it. It flicked away as I fired. I'll need a force of commandos to scour the ship. It's probably—"
    D'Trelna cut him off, pointing to K'Raoda. "Next."
    The commander gave a succinct report, adding, "What's happening, Commodore?"
    "Good question," said D'Trelna. "We were sent