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'The knowledge could prove dangerous for you. The K'Arme already think I know a good deal about their corrupt identities. If they should find out you're aware of any of our plans...'

'I thought you'd be back to save the day long before that could possibly happen.'

'You must understand, Samarn tha -'

Felbaac was raising his voice so Sam raised hers over it. 'Sam. My name is Sam , OK?'

Felbaac's voice descended to its calmer, more convincing level. 'You must understand, Sam. I am gambling all our lives on this deception fooling the K'Arme long enough for my plan to succeed. And if I die -'

'Oh, I know. The tiny candle of hope dies out in the fascist wind blowing through the Outer Worlds.' Oops. There she went again, sending him up.

She may not have had the right to make fun of what he was doing, but God, he was pompous. 'So what would you have done if I hadn't turned up?'

'I'd be forced to show my hand that much earlier. I'd risk a full-pitched battle. Who knows how many would die?'

'Would it be worth it?'

'Now I have an alternative.'

'You want to put me at risk rather than your own men.' Sam shook her head, unsure of what to say.

Felbaac filled in the silence: 'I'm a pragmatist. If a better plan comes along I'll seize it.'

'And I've turned up just in time, ripe for the seizing.' Sam could feel herself flushing. She was feeling scared and confused. How could Felbaac expect her to do this? How dare he lay a guilt trip on her for something she had nothing to do with?

The door swung open, and Tanhith stood framed in the painfully bright rectangle of outside world it revealed. He looked at Felbaac, then at Sam, apparently concerned.'You all right?'

'Tell her, Tanhith.' Felbaac's cool was finally beginning to falter. 'Tell her she really has no choice if she wants to avoid a bloodbath with herself up front in the firing line. I've got to go.' He took Tanhith aside, and whispered hard in his ear.'She must do it.'

He stalked out, and slammed the door closed behind him. It hit the wooden frame and wobbled back open again. Tanhith walked over and closed it more gently. He smiled.'I don't think Felbaac's ever made a decent dramatic exit. Pity, really, in his line of work.'

Sam stared at him, levelly. 'So what's this, bad cop, good cop?' But she didn't object when he crouched down in front of her and took her hand.

***

The Kusk Leader strode through the white door into the shuttle bay lounge, shaking his head in disgust at the humanoid trappings. He led the others, ten Kusks in total, into the corridor leading to the base.

Waiting for them were the two Kusks from the sealed-off section. Each was embraced by the Leader, before moving back and standing to attention.

'You are lost no longer,' said the Leader quietly. 'Now quickly. Let us proceed to the main control chamber.'

'We will require breathing apparatus to enter it, Leader,' said the blue-skirted Kusk, hesitantly.

'The humanoids?' questioned the Leader.

The Kusk nodded. 'There is a male still inside the control chamber.'

"Then he shall suffer for his interference,' stated the Leader.

The humanoids have taken many such liberties, Leader,' rumbled the Kusk in the black skirt. "They have stripped the ship to its bare metal. They have subverted our central computer's functions, seeking to harness our powers for financial gain.'

The Leader paused as he opened the door into the base. 'And you...

allowed them to do this?'

'We were in cryogenic suspension, Leader. The computer was monitoring and stabilising the Prize for us,' said the black-skirted Kusk.

'Our suspension system was tampered with,' rejoined its blue-skirted companion. 'It was a freak power failure that reactivated the cryogenic vats.'

The Leader strode on.'A malfunction in the circuitry?'

The black-skirted Kusk rumbled slowly.'Our craft is dying.'

'How long since you underwent cryogenic suspension?'

'Two hundred years.'

'Since then,' said the Leader proudly,'many further advances in our technology have been made.' He paused