Freedman stared ahead of him at the smoke darkened walls.
"That would have been tough," he said. "Well, the danger's over now."
He stood up.
"I think the Warrior Patrol is strong enough to protect the tunnel, don't you, Captain?"
Captain Stew looked thoughtful.
"Strong enough," he said, "if the rats will come out in force and fight. Take my word for it, though, they'll make more attempts like the one last night. This isn't the...."
Captain Stew was cut off suddenly by a mighty explosion that seemed to come from directly below. The mother-ship took a quick lurch that sent them both to the floor. Stew, in spite of his size, was the first to regain his feet.
"What the...."
They stumbled out onto the deck. The darkness was sliced with orange and red flame. The entire fleet, it seemed to Freedman, had opened fire at a dark object disappearing toward Vestena.
He watched the object for fifteen seconds, then saw it dissolve in white hot flame.