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chances came his way, however slim, however transient.
    Cursing, Baldy and Blondie hauled Michael to his feet, and they were on the move again, his body dragged along limp between the two men and into a narrow lane. A few meters down, a small cargobot waited for them.
    “Thank Kraa for that,” Baldy muttered. “I’ve had enough of this.”
    The words snuffed out the last tiny flicker of hope left burning in Michael. It was over; the Hammers had him.
    “Me, too,” Blondie grunted.
    Just short of the ramp, they stopped. “You hold him here,” Blondie said, “while I get the ramp down.”
    “Roger that,” Baldy said, dropping Michael to the ground. “You move one millimeter and I’ll blow your leg off. Got it?”
    “Yeah, yeah … asshole.”
    Baldy laughed. “Nice try, Helfort. I’ll tell you this,” he went on as the ramp started on its way down, “I think I’ll enjoy—”
    A soft, wet slap cut the man off. Baldy stood swaying, his mouth open, a look of surprise on his face. He stayed upright for a few seconds, and then with a soft grunt he crumpled to the ground alongside Michael.
    First one and then another and another and another person rushed past, their black jumpsuited figures hung with equipment.
    “About time, guys,” Michael said.
    Saturday, May 25, 2402, UD
Kovak Military Hospital
    “I think I owe you an apology, Lieutenant,” Colonel K’zekaa said, her head bobbing in embarrassment. “You were quite right about those goddamned Hammers, and I was wrong.”
    “Thank you, sir,” Michael said, his smoke-damaged voice a hoarse croak, “and I’m sorry I was so rude.”
    K’zekaa waved the apology aside. “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I did talk to the Jamudans, though, and they told me they’d take the threat seriously.”
    “What happens now?”
    “Your lawyer hasn’t seen you yet?”
    “No. You’re my first visitor. I told the hospital to tell everyone that I was too tired to talk to them. You must be very persuasive is all I can say.”
    “Oh, I am. Anyway, to answer your question, nothing happens until a court-appointed doctor says you are fit enough to appear.”
    “Shit!” Michael said.
    “I thought you’d be happy about that. You know what might be waiting for you?”
    “I do. My lawyer has been telling me the same thing.”
    “So why the rush?”
    “Two reasons. First, I don’t need to worry about the death penalty. The Feds will never execute me. It won’t happen. Ever.”
    “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” K’zekaa said with a frown.
    “What will be, will be. I can’t worry about it. Fact is I cannot go on like this much longer. I didn’t want to be here, I never planned to be here, and I wouldn’t be if Admiral Ja—if I hadn’t been kidnapped. But now that I am, it’s tearing me apart. I want closure, and sooner rather than later.” Michael paused, taking a deep breath to settle himself down. “I know it won’t make any sense to you,” he went on, “but you haven’t been through what I have.”
    “No. But I do know this: I’ve read your file, and I cannot judge you.”
    The silence that followed was broken when a nurse stuck his head in Michael’s room. “Hey!” he said. “What are you doing here? No visitors, so please leave—now.”
    Saturday, November 9, 2402, UD
Kovak planetary defense base
    The door of the holding cell banged open to reveal the substantial figure of Sergeant Habash. “It’s time, sir,” he said.
    “And not soon enough,” Michael grumbled. “I’ve had enough of Jamuda, I can tell you.”
    “So you keep telling me.” Habash chuckled. “We’re sorry to see you leave.”
    “So tell those Fed motherfuckers I’m not coming.”
    Habash looked right into Michael’s eyes. “I wish I could. None of this is right.”
    “No, Sergeant Habash, it’s not. Come on; let’s go.”
    Flanked by two more guards, Michael followed the man out of his cell and down a series of corridors until they reached the