Seated in the command chair of his vessel, Upchuck watched the long-range radarscope. From every direction, tiny blips were converging on his ship. And some way off, a somewhat larger blip waited, at unawares.
An inner retinue of command staff surrounded Upchuck, working feverishly.
"The fleet is ready?" asked Upchuck.
One of his staff looked up and saluted. "Fifty-three ships have arrived, Upchuck sir. We expect thirty more in two hours."
"That will be quite sufficient," said Upchuck. "Open the address system."
A few buttons were pressed. A sleek black microphone rose from the desk, and Upchuck spoke into it. "Pirates," said Upchuck, "you know our plan and you know our objectives. We have allowed Pael, and all the other corporate-funded spacestations, far too much freedom. This ends today. Today we are going to completely destroy Pael. Leave nothing but spacedust. Reclaim the space that is rightfully ours. And so, on my word-"
Upchuck paused. There was silence around him, his command staff not daring to breathe.
"Attack."
One of the men in Pael's main security room glanced at the long-range
radar, and froze. He blinked, and tapped the screen with his finger. When
he spoke up, his voice was uneven.
"Large group of ships detected, sir."
"What?" The security staff all clustered around the man. "How many?" said one.
"Thirty... no, forty. Wait... got it. Fifty-three, and they're all fighter class ships."
Elaine's blood ran so cold she felt dizzy. She grasped the bench behind her to avoid falling over. The long-range radarscope was on the main viewscreen, and she could see the invasion force for herself. It was a cluster of white dots, speeding straight toward them.
This was no feint. There were so many ships they could only have one purpose - the utter destruction of Pael.
Or maybe - this thought made Elaine even dizzier - maybe this was a feint. Maybe they knew about the red rock.
Maybe they were already inside...
Elaine remembered Glen Williams, and she flushed with anger. Trading his ship, was he? She knew she shouldn't have trusted him...
The security staff weren't doing anything, and Elaine gradually realised they were all looking at her, waiting for orders. Why were they doing that? They were all trained for these situations. She shouldn't even be here!
Elaine swallowed, and tried to steady her voice. "Okay. One, ready all fighters. Anything we've got that can shoot, get it out there. Two, prepare for evacuation."
"Sir, are you sure? I think we can fight off this fleet-"
Elaine glanced at the long-range radarscope, and shivered. Instinctively, she knew there was no chance. Pael was doomed.
"Prepare for evacuation," she repeated. "You all know the procedure." Then she turned and headed for the door.
There were protests and shouts behind her. But Elaine ignored them all. She had to get that red rock, and do it fast...