"The communications-lag time is up," said Denna. "If they'd wanted to reply to your latest message, they could have done so by now." Rhombus had entered a moment earlier, but was content to wheel up to a position next to the ExOps workstation without getting Denna to vacate.

"Thor, if I give the order to get out of here," asked Keith, "can we escape those ships?"

Thor shrugged. "I doubt it. They're blocking the shortcut, so we can't go that way. And see those roedial tings around their engine pods?

Those are associated with Waldahud Gatob-class hyperdrives. Of course, no one can use a hyperdrive this close to the green star, but if we tried to get away, eventually we would be out in space that was flat enough for hyperdrives to be engaged, and then they'd be on us in a second."

Keith frowned.

"The ships are fanning out," said Thor. "I'd call it an attack formation."

"Attack?" said Rhombus, lights strobing incredulously. "Incoming message," said Denna.

Another part of the sky hologram was blocked off by a glowing border.

Inside it a Waldahud face appeared, framed by brown fur streaked with copper. "Lansing commanding Starplex," said the translated voice, "I am Gawst. Mark that name well: Gawst." Keith nodded; to a Waldahud male, credit was everything. "We have come to escort Starplex back through the shortcut. You will surrender-"

"How long for a reply to reach them?" asked Keith.

" — your ship to us."

Denna consulted a readout. "Forty-three seconds."

"Cooperate," continued Gawst, "and no harm will come to your vessel or crew."

"Thor, can we dive toward the shortcut apparently on one trajectory, but at the last moment change direction so that we'll exit somewhere other than where they'd expect?,'

The helm officer shook his head. "Those little scouts might pull it off, but Starplex's volume is three million cubic meters. I can't make it tap-dance."

"How long until those ships reach us?"

"They're moving at point-one-c," said Thor. "They'll be on us in less than twenty minutes."

"Lansing to Gawst: Starplex is Commonwealth property.

"Request denied. Off. Rhombus, let me know when they've received that message." Lianne Karendaughter strode onto the bridge. "I want some options, folks," said Keith.

"Option number one," said Lianne, taking her seat.

"Retreat. The farther we are from the shortcut, the less likely they will be able to coerce us through it."

"Right. Thor, let's-"

"Forgive the interruption, Keith," said Rhombus. "Your message has been received."

"Good. Thor, let's get out of here. Full thruster power."

"I'll take us away at an angle," said Thor. "We don't want to move into the dark-matter field. It's an obstacle course, and small ships will be better able to handle it than we will."

"Fine," said Keith. "Rhombus, see if you can get a watson with today's mission logs through to Tau Ceti. I want to alert Premier Kenyatta."

"Doing so. But it will take over an hour to reach the shortcut from here, and — excuse me: incoming message from Gawst." "Lansing," said Gawst, "Starplex was built at the Rehbollo shipyards and is of Rehbo!lo registry, and therefore is Waldahud property. Let us avoid as much unpleasantness as possible. Once the ship is returned to Rehbollo, we will release all crew members for immediate repatriation to their home systems."

"Reply," snapped Lansing. "Starplex's construction was funded by all the Commonwealth worlds, and its registration is just a formality; all ships require a homeworld of record. Your claim is rejected. If necessary, this ship will defend itself against unlawful seizure.

Off."

"Defend itself?." said Thor, shaking his head. "Keith, this ship has no armament."

"I'm well aware of that," snapped Keith. "Lianne, 'give me a full inventory of all shipboard equipment that can be used as weapons. If anything aboard can discharge an energy beam, or throw an object, or can be made to blow up, I want to know about it."

"Working on it," said Lianne, hands dancing over her console.

"Starplex wasn't designed for fancy flying," said Thor, speaking to a Keith hologram above the rim of his console.

"We'll wallow like a hippopotamus in heat compared to small fighters."

"then we'll fight them on their terms," said Keith. "We'll defend Starplex with our probeships." He glanced at the list Lianne was feeding through to his number-three monitor: geological digging lasers, mining explosives, mass drivers used for launching probes. "Lianne, coordinate with Rhombus on getting as much of that equipment as possible loaded into our five fastest probeships. I want everything aboard in fifteen minutes; I don't care what you have to rip apart to accomplish that."

Denna Van Hausen finally moved away from the ExOps console and Rhombus rolled into place. Manipulator ropes darted across the controls, and Rhombus's sensor web flowed half onto the panel to better interface with the equipment.

"Even with a slapped-together armament," said Thor, "our probeships aren't going to be able to outgun real fighting craft."

"i'm not planning to outgun them," said Keith. "Starplex may be of Waldahud construction, but our probeships aren't."

"Granted they may be reluctant to fire on Ibese craft," said Thor, "but-"

"That's not what I'm thinking," said Keith. "Unlike the approaching craft, our probeships weren't designed by Waldahud engineers."

"Ah — and we have dolphins to pilot them!" crowed Thor.

"Precisely," said Keith. "PHANTOM, intercom with direct holo links: Longbottle, Thinfin, Nickedfluke, Squint, Sidestripe, respond." Drawn-out dolphin heads began to pop into existence above Keith's console.

"Here."

"What happening is?"

"Thinfin, acknowledging."

"Yes, Keith?"

"Hello."

"We are about to be attacked by Waldahud craft," said Keith. "Our probeships are more maneuverable — if dolphins pilot them. It will be dangerous, but so will staying here and doing nothing. Are you willing to-"

"Ship is home ocean now — we protect!"

"If necessary, help will I."

"Ready to assist."

"Okay."

"I— yes, will do it."

"Excellent," said Keith. "Proceed to launch bays. Rhombus will give you your ship assignments."

ThOr looked at his Keith hologram. "There's no doubt that our ships are more responsive — but dolphins have no experience with weapons.

They should each have someone else on board to act as gunner."

Rhombus's web flashed. "Sentients will die if weapons are used."

"We can't stand by and not defend ourselves," declared Thor.

"To surrender our ship is better," said Rhombus.

"No," said Keith. "I refuse to do that."

"But to kill-"

"No one need be killed," said Keith. "We can shoot for the engine units, try to disable the Waldahud ships without breaching their habitats. As for gunners — we're all just scientists and diplomats."

He considered for a moment.

"PHANTOM, consult personnel records. Who would make the five most proficient gunners?"

"Calculating. Done: Wong, Wai-Jeng. Smith-Tate, Helena.

Leed Jelisko em-Layth. Cervantes, Clarissa. Dask Honibo em-Kalch."

"Rissa… ?" said Keith under his breath. "If the object is to fire geological lasers," said Thor, "then why not use Snowflake? She's senior geologist."

"We Ibs have lousy aim," replied Rhombus. "Targeting works better when you have a single point of view."

"PHANTOM," said Keith, "find replacements from other species for the two Waldahudin, and set up an immediate intercom between all of them and me."

"Done. Intercom open."

"This is Director Lansing. PHANTOM has determined that each of you has the training and skill to best operate makeshift weapon systems aboard our five dolphin-piloted probeships. I can't order you, but we need volunteers. Are you up for it?"