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employed it against Star Watch?”
    “That seems reasonable, I suppose.”
    “If the Wahhabi Caliphate owned such a ship, they would have used it against the New Men. The same holds true for the Windsor League and the Spacers. That Ludendorff clearly knew about the ship and its appearance in this star system—”
    “Wait,” Dana said, sharply. “You’re leaping to far too many unsubstantiated conclusions. I understand the desire to stun the professor, but if this was your reasoning for doing so, I have to say I find it riddled with—”
    “Doctor,” Maddox said, interrupting her. “Gorgon helped my prisoner escape. That is an inescapable fact. The jumpfighter left the hangar bay during the height of the magnetic storm. It seems increasingly likely that Per Lomax piloted the craft.”
    “That seems obvious to me,” Dana said.
    “It’s also obvious that Gorgon did not work alone.”
    “I see. That’s what you’re seeking from me. You desire to know the intricacies of my mutiny in order to judge Ludendorff and his closest aides.”
    “Correct,” Maddox said.
    Dana turned away and folded her arms across her chest. Soon, she shook her head. “I’m not proud of my mutiny. I broke my word to Ludendorff in order to commit it. I found that difficult to do. Stark fear motivated me back then. I was certain we would die. Ludendorff struck me as too reckless. You’re right about his chief aides, though. None of them ever made a move without his leave. If Gorgon helped Per Lomax escape, it was definitely at the professor’s orders.”
    “How do you think Ludendorff first learned about the Adok System?”
    “That’s an interesting question,” Dana said. “I’m sure—”
    Galyan appeared before Maddox. “I am finished with my search, Captain.”
    The doctor turned with a start. Her gaze darted from Maddox to Galyan.
    “Go ahead,” Maddox told the holoimage. “Tell me your finding.”
    “I have searched every nook aboard the starship,” Galyan said. “Per Lomax is not aboard. I also analyzed the outer hull. The New Man is not there, either.”
    “Thank you,” Maddox said. “I’d like you to return to the bridge and inform the lieutenant to head to our Laumer-Point on the double.”
    “At once, Captain,” Galyan said, before vanishing.
    “I’m curious,” Dana said, ignoring Galyan’s interruption. “Why do you think Ludendorff helped Per Lomax reach this ghostly vessel?”
    Maddox began to pace as he ignored the doctor’s question. Per Lomax was gone, freed by one of the professor’s slarn trappers. The New Man had definitely used the jumpfighter in an attempt to reach the gigantic ship. The captain stopped abruptly and stared at Dana.
    “I need your help, Doctor. How could Ludendorff have timed Victory’s appearance near the spatial anomaly?”
    Dana patted her hair. “It seems obvious to me. There must be an override code in the AI.”
    “How would it have gotten there?”
    “Easily enough,” Dana said. “Ludendorff often worked alone when we flushed the Swarm virus from Galyan. He could have installed it then as a form of insurance for himself.”
    “Then we’re Ludendorff’s captives,” Maddox said.
    “I don’t think so. You stunned him twice and left him locked in his room. As long as you keep Galyan from speaking to him again, we should be okay.”
    Maddox became thoughtful. “If Ludendorff had control of the AI, why did he allow me into his room?”
    “Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Dana asked. “Ludendorff’s overconfidence is his weakness. He believes himself so brilliant that sometimes he misses the obvious. It’s how I managed to stage my mutiny against him many years ago.”
    “I don’t understand. Why did he fix the disruptor cannon several weeks ago, helping us defeat Oran Rva’s armada? And now, he aids the New Men?”
    “I’m not sure he did aid them,” Dana said.
    “Per Lomax is no longer my prisoner.”
    “You’re looking at this as a binary