Intrepid

''Kris,'' Nelly said, ''unless they've changed their rotation, I know where the bridge is.''

''Target it.'' A red pipper began to circle the flimsy shield. Not, to Kris's surprise, focusing on the raised digit but somewhere around its toes.

The longer Kris waited, the more the chance that they might change their rotation. Kris mashed Battery 4's firing circuit.

The laser slashed through the spinning cover. Sections spun off into space. There, revealed for all, was the bridge.

But only for a fraction of a second as the twenty-four-inch laser opened it to space, slagging human flesh, instruments, and gear.

''Surrender now or my next laser will hack your reactors' containment fields to bits,'' Kris ordered to anyone who might still be listening.

''What about their prisoners?'' Sulwan asked.

''We have only their word that they have them,'' Kris said, keeping hard eyes on their target.

''You're a hard woman,'' Drago said. ''I hope you're right.''

So did Kris.

Then the cores of the two reactors dropped out into vacuum, and the Compton began to coast along its last vector.

''We surrender. You can board us. We won't fight you,'' was spoken by a new voice.

''I hope for your sake you don't,'' Kris answered. ''We've got a Marine company that could use a spot of exercise.''

That got no reply.

''Captain Montoya,'' Kris called to Jack.

''Standing by,'' he answered.

''Prepare to board the pirate as soon as we come alongside and match their speed and vector.''

''Aye, aye, ma'am.''

''Captain Drago, please place your ship alongside that derelict.''

''Yes, ma'am.''

''Hot dog. More prize money,'' came from the wag in the back of the bridge.

4

It took a half hour for the Wasp to catch up and come alongside the pirate. Once there, Jack launched two Marine squads in LACs. One team would capture the stern, the other the bow. Most of the Marines would storm the amidships gangway.

At least that was the plan.

As Drago completed a perfect match between midship hatches, Kris kicked off from her station, snagged the hatch, and launched herself aft to join the Marines of the boarding party.

And ran into Abby, towing a full set of combat gear.

''Thought you might need these. Just the things for the well-dressed princess,'' her maid drawled.

''Isn't there a bed you need to be under?''

''Got bored there by myself.''

''Where's Cara?''

''At the computer, playing some silly game.''

Kris tried one other tack to duck her mothering maid. ''Didn't you hear? They surrendered.''

''Yeah, right,'' Abby said, and blocked Kris's path aft until she did her own surrender and accepted the first armored piece of what constituted full battle rattle.

''You're not very trusting,'' Kris said, pulling on the bottom.

''Not at all. Unlike some princess I know, I learn from bad experiences.'' So Kris pulled on full armor while others stretched a tunnel between the Wasp and the now-quiet pirate. That could have provided a route for a full assault, but the pirate's main lock refused to open. Kris arrived just as Jack to her, Captain Montoya to his company, concluded his assessment of the situation.

''Strange how nothing much seems to work on the Compton. If I weren't such an optimistic guy, I'd think they were setting a trap for us,'' Jack said. ''Gunny, you got an opinion?''

''Pirates are not known for their adherence to preventive maintenance schedules,'' he growled. ''It could be just what you'd expect from scumbags, sir.''

''So true. Okay, crew, let's get some of the stress and suspense out of our lives. LACs, I want you to seize positions on the forward and aft parts of the ship while we storm the center. We go in sixty seconds.''

''Ah, sir, Staff Sergeant Thu here. Regretfully, LAC One will have to disappoint.''

''What's your problem?''

''We've been checking out both the entrance points forward. One was onto the bridge and has a very big hole punched in it by somebody's misaimed laser.''

''Careful, Sergeant, said aimer is drifting at my elbow.''

''And it was perfectly aimed at the time it was fired,'' Kris shouted toward Jack's mike.

''Well, sirs, whatever it was then, it's ruining my day just now. 'Course, to be honest, even if the hatch opened, it would only take me onto the bridge, and I could walk in there, hatch or no hatch. It's the lower emergency air lock that is the main problem. The inner door is wedged open. We open it, and we could be blowing out all the air forward.''

''So we go to version two of today's orders,'' Jack said, betraying the informality he'd gained as a Secret Service Agent, trying to protect one Princess Kristine Longknife. ''Both LACs will enter by the stern, and we'll take the bow after we secure amidships. LAC Two, what's your situation?''

''We are ready now, sir.''

''We start in sixty seconds.''