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With a tremor in his hands, Balbao reached for the interaction pads. Ra’s sarcasm had jolted him. He’d taken the tyros far too lightly, concerned as he’d been with collecting empirical data about the Entity. But a bifurcation device – a device that can predict futures – surely not! ‘So you’re trying to re-create the same thing? Here?’

‘That’s not possible without the Entity’s assistance. And as you may have noticed, Sole seems to have deserted us,’ Ra replied softly.

‘Then what in Crux’s name are you doing?’

‘I’m searching for a repeller, something to destabilise the dynamic system of the universe.’

Balbao’s frill stiffened to the point of pain. ‘What?’

‘A repeller will disrupt whatever changes Tekton has set in place with the DSD.’

Tekton? Balbao sucked in a deep noisy breath. ‘If this bifurcation device really exists, then a repeller – in theory – risks causing a dysfunction that could have any number of catastrophic results. You would do that simply to thwart your cousin?’

Ra gave a small and wholly unpleasant smile. ‘No more catastrophic than what we currently face. It may even disrupt the final outcome of the invasion.’

‘May? But you don’t know that.’

Ra turned his multi-faceted eyes on Balbao. His thin skin concertinaed into a frown. ‘If you say that any louder, I will kill you myself.’ He slid a thin knife from inside his robe and rested it on his knee.

Balbao felt a surge of uncontrolled fury. He glanced over at Lasper Farr. The commander watched their whispered conversation, as he watched everything, with suspicion. Ra had convinced the Commander that he could somehow deter the Extros’ invasion. That was why Farr had bought them here.

Balbao looked for Petalu Mau, who’d taken up a position near the lab hostages. He wanted to deliver Sammy’s message to him, but something other than the knife on Ra’s knee held him back. Not yet, he thought, not quite yet.

Instead he clenched his teeth, slapped the I-pads on his neck and entered the virtual patterner.

THALES

‘The commander’s here,’ whispered Fariss.

She brushed past Thales and crouched close to Janne and Magdalen. Getting this far had been harder than they’d anticipated; the station was frenzied. They’d travelled in small groups so as not to attract the attention of the red robes, who were scattered among the crowds. Linnea knew the way to the information node and had given precise instructions to the Feohte.

Now they’d reassembled a corridor away from the IN and Fariss had just scouted the last stretch. The news she had to give was the last that Thales expected to hear. He joined their huddle, anxious to know exactly what she’d seen.

‘There’re a bunch of soldiers at the door. Some mercs have got station sec baled up against the wall. I’ve seen the mercs before. For some Crux-damned reason, Commander Lasper Farr’s in the IN.’

Magdalen and Janne stared at her.

‘Commander Farr,’ said Magdalen. ‘Of the—’

‘Stain Wars. Yeah.’ Fariss turned to Thales. ‘Ideas?’

Thales shook his head. He couldn’t imagine what had bought Lasper Farr here at this time. What could be so important that he would risk his ship by coming to Scolar station?

‘We could go through the front door,’ said Janne.

Fariss shook her head. ‘They’ll have more Robes at

Shift Command than anywhere else. It’s this way or none. We’ve got surprise on our side. Don’t imagine the Commander’s expectin’ to see us either.’

‘Will the mercs know you?’ asked Thales.

She thought about it for a moment. ‘Yeah, but that might not be a bad thing. A little reputation, you know …’

Thales’s stomach clenched even tighter. ‘Fariss, please—’

She ignored him and spoke directly to Janne. ‘I’ll get close enough to deal with two or three. When I make that move you need to get down the corridor quick. Take the mercs first. Station sec won’t know what the fuck is going on. My guess is they‘ll run.’

Janne nodded.

Both women were bright in a way that brought a bitter taste to Thales’s mouth, but he set his jaw and swallowed. His idea had brought them here.

Fariss’s large hand descended on his shoulder.