'But… she said as her father helped her to her feet. 'Of course, I'm sorry.

'You should be, but we can save that for later. Now let's get to the shuttle before we lose our lead'

At last, thought Brielle, as the three charged up the tread boards to the shuttle pad. They had, after what seemed like hours, but no doubt was less than one, reached the spaceport. Having dealt with the guards, the remainder of their flight had been swift, and no one, thankfully, had challenged them.

As they gained the top of the ramp, she saw her shuttle standing proud where she had left it, silhouetted against the honey-golden sky of Mundus Chasmata. She had harboured a nagging doubt throughout the chase to the landing pad that Luneberg might have had it tampered with.

'Is everything in order? Lucian called to Brielle from the steps behind. He was covering the rear, one ring-festooned hand raised as Korvane came in beside her.

'It is' she called back, hardly able to believe it herself. They would make it after all.

'Don't be so sure' said Korvane, pointing across the pad to a figure standing at its far edge, its features invisible against the glow of the sky. Brielle followed his gesture, raising her hand to her eyes to shade them from the glare.

'A friend of yours? asked Lucian, arriving at his daughter's side.

She looked closer, realising that her father was correct. 'Yes, yes I think so.

'In that case move it, girl! said Lucian, and started towards Brielle's shuttle, Korvane following close behind. She hesitated a moment longer, her gaze lingering on the hooded face of the figure. It was Naal, she had no doubt, fulfilling her request for aid.

She ran after her father and stepbrother.

CHAPTER NINE

'Full charge, all drives! Prepare to make way with all haste'

Sirens wailed and the lights changed to flashing, deep red, as Korvane leant forward in his command throne, the bridge of the Rosetta a riot of activity below him. 'I want all weapons batteries operational within fifteen minutes'

The bridge filled with shouts of 'Aye sir', junior officers, deck crew and dozens of servitors going about the business of getting the Rosetta under way and clear of the space station — the Chasmata Orbital. Korvane, his father and his stepsister had raced from the surface aboard Brielle's shuttle, each rendezvousing with their own vessel. No one had pursued them, a fact that Korvane put down to the laxity of Mundus Chasmata's security forces. Furthermore, they had gambled that the staff of the orbital would be lax in their security and would not to attempt to intercept them. To Korvane's huge relief, such had been the case.

The cargo lighters dispatched, what seemed days before, to offload the goods collected at Q-77, had still to complete their task, but had fled for the orbital as Korvane had ordered the Rosetta to general quarters. He gave them no more thought, because getting clear of the orbital was likely to require all of his attention.

'Disengage, all points. Korvane ordered.

A deck officer stationed nearby looked up from his console, concern written across his face. 'Sir, the umbilicals aren't made fast, we'll lose-

'I said, Mister Taviss, "disengage all points". Do so now or I will order you left behind'

The man nodded, before speaking into a fluted horn at his station. He gave the order. The rogue traders had no time to waste in the protracted process of breaking dock, his father had made it clear to Korvane that they should disengage with all haste, regardless of the consequences. A shudder rumbled through the vessel, her bow thrusters awakening. Any moment, they would clear their throats, and the Rosetta would move slowly sideways, clearing the orbital's docking arm.

'Thruster burn in thirty seconds, sir' called the helmsman, and a brass-rimmed clock face mounted above the forward viewing port began to count down the seconds.

Korvane watched the clock's hand as it moved, knowing that even now men on the lower decks would be racing for the safety of the inner chambers. Not all would make it, some would suffocate as the outer chambers depressurised, and a few would be sucked out into space through the unsecured outer portals, as the umbilicals were tipped away from their mountings.

He gave them no more thought. The clock hand reached 30.

The port bow thrusters coughed into life, their power staggering as they laboured to move the vast bulk of the cruiser. For what seemed an age the Rosetta wallowed, unmoving despite the vast energies unleashed. Then, inexorably, the scene outside the viewing port shifted, the docking arm receding as the Rosetta slid gracefully to starboard. Once moving, her speed increased, and a moment later a terrible grinding sound travelled along her decks, the unsecured umbilicals, and by the sound of it, several mounting plates, being ripped free.

A moment later and the helmsman called, 'We're free sir, full speed ahead?

'Full speed ahead, Mister Ellik. Form us up on the Oceanid.

'Sir' the Rosetta's Master of Ordnance called, 'augurs are detecting a power surge from the orbital! I believe it iS-

Before the officer could finish his report, a blinding flash filled the forward viewing port. Korvane held his breath, but the impact he expected did not materialise.

'Report! bellowed Korvane, suddenly filled with anger at the thought of someone daring to fire upon his vessel.

The Master of Ordnance bent over his console, his hands working a multitude of dials and levers, his screens filled with scrolling gibberish. 'The cogitators can't identify sir. It was extremely high powered, but left no etheric wake'

Deciding not to risk a second volley, Korvane ordered, 'Shields to full capacity. Helm, get us moving right now, at full speed. I want to put some distance between us and that orbital'

Once more, the bridge filled with shouts of "aye sir", as the crew hurried about its tasks. Korvane scanned the viewing screens crowded around his command throne, seeking any clue as to the type of weapon the orbital had employed, if indeed it was a weapon at all.

'Sir, a second power surge!

This time Korvane glanced across at his screens as the surge spiked, reams of machine code language screaming indecipherable warnings.

A second flash, but this time accompanied by the unmistakable sensation of the Rosetta's shields absorbing an impact. The bridge lights flickered and dimmed as every last kilojoule of available power was diverted to the screaming shield generators. A patch of space, a section of the field projected in front of the vessel, glowed white-hot at the point where the weapon had struck.

Fear stabbed cold in Korvane's chest. What by the Emperor, had the orbital just fired at them? Whatever type of weapon it was, it had, a quick scan of the cogitator screens told him, stripped the Rosetta's shield arrays to less than half of their capacity.

'Helm. Korvane shouted. 'Use every unit of power not required for the shields to get us out of range of that weapon, now!

'Aye sir' called back the helmsman, sweating at his wheel and labouring on a mighty lever, feeding as much power to the main drives as he dared.

'Shields?

A servitor at the shield control station turned its head towards him, spitting a ream of parchment roll from its rictus mouth. A nearby rating passed the paper to Korvane. A cursory scan confirmed what he had feared. 'The shield arrays were severely damaged, he doubted they could take a second impact.

'Sir? the Master of Ordnance called. 'The cogitators observed the second discharge in full. They have formulated an analysis. The weapon fired some form of hyper-velocity projectile. It was solid, not energy based. Our shields absorbed its force, but are not configured to convert such high-velocity particle impacts.