Something had to be done before Kriere came in.
Lethla had to be yanked off guard. Shocked, bewildered, fooled—somehow. But—how?
Burnett's jaw froze tight. He could feel a spot on his shoulder-blade where Lethla would send a bullet crashing into rib, sinew, artery—heart.
There was a way. And there was a weapon. And the war would be over and this would be the last trip.
Sweat covered his palms in a nervous smear.
"Steady, Rice," he said, matter of factly. With the rockets cut, there was too much silence, and his voice sounded guilty standing up alone in the center of that silence. "Take controls, Rice. I'll manipulate the star-port."
Burnett slipped from the control console. Rice replaced him grimly. Burnett strode to the next console of levers. That spot on his back kept aching like it was sear-branded X. For the place where the bullet sings and rips. And if you turn quick, catching it in the arm first, why—
Kriere loomed bigger, a white spider delicately dancing on a web of stars. His eyes flicked open behind the glassite sheath, and saw the Constellation. Kriere smiled. His hands came up. He knew he was about to be rescued.
Burnett smiled right back at him. What Kriere didn't know was that he was about to end a ten-years' war.
There was only one way of drawing Lethla off guard, and it had to be fast.