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“I don’t know what happened,” Panis went on. “Something’s wrong with the escape pod hatches. It took forever to get this one open, and then Siris jumped me, and the captain—“ His voice trailed away as he glanced at the captain lying purple-faced on the deck.

Siris tried a quick heave but the Jig held on. Dupaynil let bis heel settle more firmly on the wrist. The man cursed viciously.

“Don’t do that,” Dupaynil said to him, waving the needier in front of him. “If you should get loose from Jig Panis, I would simply kill you. Although you might prefer that to trial. Would you?”

Siris lay still, breathing heavily. Panis had planted a few good ones on him, too. His face was bruised and he had a split lip which he licked nervously. Dupaynil felt no sympathy. Still watching Siris for trouble, he spoke to Panis.

“Your captain was engaged in illegal activities. He planned to kill both of us.” Even as he spoke, he wondered if he could possibly convince a Board of Inquiry that the entire scheme, including the rewired escape pod controls, had been the captain’s. Probably not, but it was worth considering in the days ahead.

“I can’t believe ...” Again Panis’s voice trailed away. He could believe; he had seen that needier in his captain’s hand, heard what the captain said. “And you’re?”

“Fleet Security, as you know. Apparently that spooked Major Ollery, convinced him that I was on his trail. I wasn’t, as a matter of fact.”

“Liar!” said Siris.

Dupaynil favored him with a smile that he hoped combined injured innocence with predatory glee. It must have succeeded for the man paled and gulped.

“I don’t bother to lie,” he said quietly, “when truth is so useful.” He went on with his explanation. “When I found that the captain planned to kill me and that you were not part of the conspiracy, I assumed he’d kill you, too, so he wouldn’t have to worry about any un-Jhendly witness. Now! As the officer next in command, you are now technically captain of this ship, which

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