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And　neither　would　the　ships　of　the　flotilla。

Hodel　buried　the　thought　behind　a　confident　scowl　and　rose　from　his　mand　chair　as　the　zero…line　display　triggered　battle…station　sirens　throughout　the　ship。

〃Order　all　ships　into　attack　formation；〃　he　growled　to　his　munications　officer。　〃Full　ahead；　on　my　mand；　Ntor。　〃

〃Aye；　sir；〃　Ntor　responded　from　her　station。　〃Sekiton　drives　at　maximum　power；　all　systems　enabled。　〃

The　battle　plan　was　a　straightforward　one　now　that　the　safety　of　the　hostages　was　no　longer　considered　a　mission　priority。　Haydon　IV　was　simply　to　be　beaten　into　submission。　The　loss　of　the　five　hundred　or　so　merchants　and　traders　planetside　would　be　regrettable　but　acceptable。

Colonel　Mo'fiint　had　felt　no　need　to　justify　her　actions　when　she　had　given　the　order　to　attack　Haydon　IV。　The　goal；　after　all；　had　been　conquest。

Much　as　today；　Hodel　thought。

〃Planetary　reconfiguration　in　process；　Captain；〃　the　science　officer　advised。　〃Haydon　IV　is　disengaging　from　the　moon。　Weapons　nacelles　retracting。　We　are　being　scanned　and　targeted。〃

Hodel　swiveled　to　study　displays。　The　giant　artifact　was　rotating　to　face　the　flotilla；　its　materiel　transfer　tubes　traversing　local　space　like　twin　cannons。　〃Standard　evasion；　Ntor；〃　he　directed　forward。　〃Close　all　munication　frequencies。〃

〃Repositioning　of　the　labor　droneships；　Captain；〃　the　science　officer　updated。　〃They　are　being　deployed　to　repel　strikes　directed　against　the　surface。〃

Hodel　growled　to　himself。　〃Order　fighter　teams　away　as　soon　as　we're　within　range。〃

〃Aye　sir。〃

Hodel　watched　the　forward　screens。　〃All　right；　Ntor；　let's　clear　a　path　for　them。　On　my　mark　。　。　。〃


Aboard　the　Ark　Angel；　Louie　Nichols　and　his　crew　of　ic…crazed　pjockeys　were　headlocked　into　that　part　of　the　ship's　AI　mainframe　linked　to　the　mo　device　Veidt　had　left　in　Exedore's　care。

The　data　room　was　a　yard　sale　of　consoles；　monitors；　slave　decks；　sensory　boosts；　psi…amps；　and　enhancers；　a　tangled　nest　of　F/O　lines；　power　leads；　and　interface　cables；　with　the　team　members　positioned　about　like　switches　and　relays　some　sprawled　on　the　floor　beneath　tables；　cranial　cyber　ports　studded　with　titanium　plugs　and　alloy　adapters；　others　cross…legged　atop　tables　and　racks；　fiddling　with　tuning　knobs；　keying　input；　fingering　touchscreens；　but　loving　every　minute　of　it；　thrilled　to　be　back　where　they　belonged；　ghosts　in　the　mind　of　the　machine。

Vince　Grant　had　just　sent　word　that　the　Karbarrans　were　making　their　move　and　that　Haydon　IV　was　readying　what　promised　to　be　a　crippling　response。　It　had　been　Louie's　signal　to　mence　an　attack　of　his　own　devising；　not　directed　_　against　the　planet；　however；　but　against　the　psychodynamics　of　its　ruling　artificial　intelligence。　With　luck；　the　Awareness　will　be　too　busy　attending　to　matters　of　defense　to　notice　Louie　and　his　cowboys'　subtle　approach；　too　preoccupied　carrying　out　the　timeless　dictates　of　its　enigmatic　program　to　realize　that　someone　was　toying　with　its　emotions。

Louie；　Gibley；　Strucker；　and　the　rest　were　not　going　in　so　much　on…line　as　they　were　on…wave；　in　an　attempt　to　grapple　with　the　Awareness　where　it　lived；　loved；　and　loathed。　Unified；　the　discorporate　raiders　aimed　to　plant　the　seeds　of　self璬oubt；　to　stir　a　bit　of　regret；　to　suggest　a　path　to　redemption。　To　inject　a　virus　if　all　else　failed。

Louie　could　feel　the　cyber　surge　as　he　punched　into　machine　mind；　the　hands　to　which　his　thoughts　were　now　only　remotely　connected　hovering　over　the　console's　directional　cross　and　touchpad；　his　hands…on…trigger…and…stick。　The　cyber…surge　was　the　rush　of　a　crimson…tipped　stimulant；　a　kick　clear　out　of　the　world。　He　could　feel　Stirson　and　Shi　Ling　headlocked　into　the　same　vibe；　telepathic　twins　flanking　him　like　recklessness　and　daring；　an　upside　Scylla　and　Charybdis。

Machine　mind　was　dimly　lit；　boundless　but　crowded　with　the　color…coded　spires　and　sentry　towers　that　guarded　Ark　Angel's　mainframe　cores。　Below　was　the　network's　familiar　grid　of　pulsating　lights；　data　highways　for　the　grounded　and　uninspired。　Louie　laughed　as　he　soared　above　bridges　and　constructs；　executing　flyboy　rollovers　between　mainframe　pillars　and　pyramids　as　he　closed　on　the　access　link　to　Veidt's　device。

Exedore's　puter　construct　was　over　the　horizon；　stuck　in　the　real　stuff；　blazing　a　trail　for　the　team。　Louie　thought　he　could　almost　detect　the　Zentraedi's　fingers　hammering　overhead　like　thunder　in　that　weatherless　domain。

Down　the　link　into　the　device；　a　jump　fueled　by　thought　from　ship　to　reconfigured　world；　into　a　much　smaller　space　a　foyer　of　a　kind；　an　antechamber　defined　by　the　dark　maws　of　derezz　gates；　the　looming　shadows　of　security　fences。　Gibley's　construct　slid　to　a　halt　nearby；　freaked　by　the　sight；　wavering　like　the　filament　in　a　shaken　bulb。　Exedore　was　giving　it　his　all；　hacking　away　with　mands；　but　there　were　defensive；　mands　beginning　to　line　up　behind　the　walls：　retaliatory　icons　ordered　in　by　executive　decision。

Louie　steeled　himself；　hands　set　for　play　in　the　Ark　Angel's　dreamscape。　Gibley；　Strucker；　Stirson；　and　Shi…Ling　were　eager　trotters；　panting　at　the　start　of　the　course。

An　access　window　suddenly　flashed　transparent。　Exedore　had　punched　through。

Gibley's　construct　took　the　point　as　the　Awareness　deployed　its　net。

Time　to　fry；　Louie　thought。


〃I've　found　a　way　in！〃　Exedore　announced；　hands　raised　above　the　keyboard　in　surprise。

〃Yeah；　and　I've　found　a　way　out；〃　Dana　told　him　from　the　front　threshold　as　repeated　blasts　shook　the　room。　The　laser　fence　disabled；　the　Praxians　had　already　gone　through　to　lend　support　to　the　Karbarran　revolt。

The　ursinoids　had　streamed　out　of　their　cells　only　moments　before　at　the　sound　of　the　first　surface　explosions；　stacking　bodies　in　the　thresholds　until　the　lasers　were　overworked；　then　flooding　into　the　central　confinement　area　armed　with　everything　from　furniture　parts　to　sheets　of　alloy　torn　from　the　walls。

Most　of　level　four　was　pure　chaos。　The　Haydonite　jailers　had　trained　their　forehead　weapons　on　the　mob　and　successfully　decimated　the　Karbarran　front　line。　But　like　the　lasers；　the　hovering　guards　were　soon　overwhelmed　and　felled　by　body　blocks　and　staggering　paw…hand　swipes。

Dana　ventured　that　the　Awareness　itself　was　being　overwhelmed　by　coordinated　strikes　launched　by　the　ships　of　the　Karbarran　battle　group。　Haydon　IV's　big　brain　could　not　effectively　oversee　confinement　zone　security　when　it　was　busy　feeding　off　plasma　bolts　and　safeguarding　the　spherical　ships　its　factory　had　been　spitting　out。　The　laser　fences　had　been　the　first　to　go；　control　of　the　jailers　had　been　relinquished；　and　Exedore　was　telling　everyone　that　he　had　secured　a　route　to　the　heart　of　the　central　puter。　It　was　a　sure　thing；　then；　that　Louie's　team　would　be　able　to　follow　Exedore　in　and　loose　their　poisons。

In　the　meantime；　Dana　thought　she　might　be　able　to　assist　both　Louie　and　the　Karbarran　flotilla　by　opening　up　yet　another　front。　At　her　insistence；　Exedore　had　ferreted　out　the　whereabouts　of　the　power　management　terminals　that　controlled　production　of　the　sphere　ships'　stardrives。　Readouts　indicated　that　a　few　of　those　drives　had　already　been　installed；　but　most　were　still　under　construction。　The　way　Dana　saw　it；　Haydon　and　his　hibernating　brethren　were　not　going　thrilled　to　learn　that　someone　had　crept　up　the　beanstalk　and　made　off　with　the　golden　goose；　or　in　this　case；　one　of　ships　built　to　whisk　them　off　to　their　planned　retirement　munity。　But　if　she　could　arrange　it　so　that　the　drives　never　reached　the　ships；　the　Ark　Angel　crew　would　be　long　gone　before　Haydon　figured　out　what　had　happened。

Of　course　it　would　have　been　better　still　to　incapacitate　Haydon's　alarm　clock；　or　at　least　set　the　wake…up　time　forward　a　couple　or　three　centuries；　but　Exedore　had　not　had　any　success　in　zeroing　in　on　that　part　of　the　Awareness；　much　less　in　divining　just　where　Haydon　was　sleeping　it　off。

〃So　who's　joining　me？〃　Dana　asked；　wielding　a　table　leg　in　one　hand。　〃We　got　some　labor　droids　to　demission。〃

〃It's　important　that　I　remain　here；〃　Exedore　said　without　taking　his　eyes　from　the　monitor　screen。〃

〃You　keep　doing　what　you're　good　at；　Exedore。〃　She　glanced　at　her　parents；　standing　side　by　side　behind　the　Zentraedi。　〃What　about　it？　Mom？　Dad？〃

Aurora　stepped　forward　while　the　Sterlings　were　casting　uncertain　looks　at　one　another。　〃I'll　go　with　you；〃　she　told　Dana。

Dana　adopted　a　dubious　look。　〃That's　good　of　you；　kid；　but　I　don't　know。〃

〃Remember　the　spores；　Dana；〃　Aurora　said；　reminding　her　of　the　mindlink　they　had　once　shared　across　a　near　arm's　length　of　galaxy。

Dana　nodded。　〃Glad　to　have　you　aboard；　sis。〃

Max　and　Miriya　adopted　determined　expressions。　〃All　right；　Dana；　you　win；〃　Max　said。

She　quirked　a　smile　at　them。　〃Yeah；〃　she　said；　〃now　I　remember　you　guys。〃


〃Fools；〃　Vince　said　under　his　breath；　〃crazy　fools。　It's　a　suicide　run。〃

Spherical　bursts　erupted　in　the　darkness　outside　the　bridge　viewports。　The　Ark　Angel　had　removed　herself　a　safe　distance　from　the　battle；　but　even　so　it　was　apparent　that　the　Karbarrans　were　sustaining　heavy　losses。　Their　strafing　runs　across　Haydon　IV's　split　hemispheres　had　succeeded　only　in　riling　the　planet's　defensive　arrays；　which　were　responding　mercilessly。　Fortunately；　the　Karbarran　mander　had　had　sense　enough　to　keep　the　factory…produced　sphere　ships　between　his　own　flotilla　and　the　artifact's　in…close　plasma　cannons。　That　at　least　had　assured　that　the　Awareness　would　fall　into　a　push…pull　dispute　with　its　own　programmed　imperatives？to　protect　the　planet　from　attack　while　at　the　same　time　safe璯uarding　the　ships　it　had　assembled　from　the　metallic　stuff　of　its　host/captive　moon。　As　a　result；　Haydon　IV　had　been　forced　to　be　uncharacteristically　circumspect　with　its　initial　retaliatory　salvos；　and　many　of　the　Karbarran　dreadnoughts　had　survived。

Close…up　cameras　revealed　planet　and　flotilla　in　a　savage　dance　around　the　production　ships；　each　searching　for　openings。　But　the　Karbarrans　were　having　a　difficult　time　maintaining　formation　in　the　face　of　such　maneuverings。　As　an　added　irritant；　the　Awareness　had　directed　most　of　its　labor　droneships　against　the　flotilla's　defensive　fighter　groups　and　was　scoring　he