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again. What with the Jaxdron war and everything, the Federation simply cannot afford to have a vulnerable security system here at Pax Industries. Especially given the sort of thing that happened on Mulliphen.”
    Laura sat up. “Mulliphen? What happened on Mulliphen?”
    “Oh yes, you would not have heard. Terrible business. Jaxdron attack. Just received a communiqué on FedNews this evening.”
    Laura stood. “Jaxdron attack?”
    “Yes, I suppose that would interest you,” the Governor said. “The news release is on that data pad.”
    It did not take long for Laura to find the report that Governor Bartlick referred to.
    She read it quickly, and then she read it again.
    She took a long breath.
    “When’s the next flight out of here?” Laura demanded.
    “Can’t you stay?” the man asked. “I really would like you to speak to the security chief personally.”
    “That’s impossible,” she said curtly. Then her voice softened. “According to this, Governor, the Jaxdron kidnapped one of the scientists working on the project on Mulliphen, someone of extreme importance to me.”
    “But you can’t just break into my computer system and then leave!” the Governor said.
    “Can’t I?” Laura said. “Governor, I’ll work up a full report in transit to Earth. In the meantime, just watch my smoke!”

Chapter Three

    “L AURA Shemzak,” the woman said. “I am Friend Chivon Lasster.”
    “It’s about goddamned time!” Laura said.
    “I am a busy officer, Laura.” The woman stared placidly from behind her desk, her expression and voice cool. “You are fortunate to find yourself an audience with a Friend so soon.”
    Laura slammed her hand on the desk. “Cut the crap, stoneface. I’m getting to talk to you because I’m hot stuff in your damned Intelligence Net, and you bloody well know it.” She leaned over the desk, and if her reach had been longer, or the desk less wide, she would have grabbed the officious bitch by her wide black lapels and shaken her hard. “Now, where the hell is my brother? Tell me what has happened to Cal Shemzak!”
    An eyebrow raised into the blond bangs of Friend Lasster’s pageboy haircut.’ “Was the Intelligence brief insufficient? There was a Jaxdron raid on Mulliphen last week. Cal Shemzak was captured. There are oddments of other facts, mostly irrelevant. But the central fact is that there is simply nothing we can do. The Jaxdron have the man you call your ‘brother.’ “A faint sneer came to Friend Lasster’s lips at the archaic term. “And unless they choose to return him, with heartfelt apologies no doubt, you are not likely to see him again.”
    Laura Shemzak stared eye to eye with the older woman, as though that alone could work her will. After a moment of steely silence she spoke, tersely. “You fit me with a blip-ship, and I’ll find him.”
    The woman behind the desk leaned back in her chair and laughed derisively. She turned and thumbed a control. A holocomp display activated. Pressing appropriate buttons conjured a series of readouts—ghost letters hanging in the air. Friend Lasster’s eyes brushed over these casually, then fixed upon Laura Shemzak.
    “Ah yes,” she said. “I forgot about your specialty. You appear to be quite a unique operative.” Her tone of voice changed to calm respect. “You are to be commended.”
    “I have been, thank you.” Laura said, dark eyes blazing. “And now I want cooperation!” Her face, when less constricted with fury, might be called beautiful, with its perfectly tapered nose, high cheekbones, and thick black eyebrows. Now, though, severity masked any loveliness. High glossy boots added a good eight centimeters to her short stature. She wore a black jump suit, black turtleneck, and black gloves: her usual attire. Her black hair was clipped short. The only color to her was the cream of her face, the specks of green in her eyes, and a blood-red scarf tied casually around her neck. “I’ve been serving you