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That’s when he heard the fracas.

He ripped the pad from his neck and blinked into a nightmare: gunfire and screams as plain-garbed women – insurgents of some kind – swarmed over Farr’s soldiers with scimitars and soft-projectile guns. The soldiers replied with their own weapons.

The coralled technicians dropped to the floor on instinct, spreading out in all directions, and over against the far wall a large figure was crouched over a glowing cutting tool. Another woman, not quite as big but with equal purpose about her, held anyone who might interfere with the cutting at bay with her gun.

‘Stop them!’ Farr screamed at Petalu Mau.

Mau moved across the IN towards the two women.

The armed one cocked her weapon.

‘Stay back!’ she yelled.

‘Petalu Mau. It’s Thales, Bethany’s friend. We have to close the shift sphere; otherwise the Post-Species will annihilate the planet.’ This shrill shout came from the hatchway of the IN where a lean young ’esque stood.

Balbao knew the face, the scar and the fine features, the cultured voice; this ’esque had spoken at the summit meeting on Intel station.

Mau stopped, momentarily confused.

‘Thales Berniere. What in—’ Lasper Farr didn’t bother to finish. He snatched a gun from one of his soldiers and fired across the room. It took the armed woman in the shoulder and she went down.

‘Janne!’ Thales Berniere started into the IN.

At the same time Balbao became aware of Ra. The Godhead had removed his pads and was standing, fists clenched.

Balbao rose automatically. ‘What?’

‘It’s him,’ muttered Ra. ‘He’s the disruption.’

‘Who? What do you mean?’

But Ra moved without answering, lunging towards Thales Berniere.

His movement snapped Balbao from his daze and he made a quick and unalterable decision.

‘Petalu Mau!’ he roared in full Balol battle voice. ‘Sammy says the time is now! THE TIME IS NOW!’ The huge bodyguard jerked his head towards Balbao, who nodded vigourously. ‘I’ve been in the ship’s containment with her.’

As the meaning of the message seeped in, Mau changed direction. He swung at Lasper Farr as the Commander raised his weapon to shoot the woman cutting through the wall. The teranu threw out a powerful jaw-breaking sideswipe that sent Farr down without a sound. He seized the scimitar from Janne’s bleeding hand and hacked into the Commander’s neck. Violent chopping motions splintered his backbone in a gush of blood.

Balbao wrenched his horrified attention back to Ra. The Godhead was advancing on Thales Berniere. Though not much bigger or heavier than Thales, Ra had a burning intensity about him, a feverish unholy energy. He waved a knife with eager but inexpert hands.

Thales stepped behind a workstation and stumbled over a body.

‘We’re in!’ roared the woman with the cutting tools. She kicked in the wall panel, calling the insurgents with her. Mau followed as well.

The knot of technicians lying on the floor scrambled to their feet and ran for the hatch.

Suddenly, only three people were left alive and on their feet in the IN: Thales, Ra and Balbao.

‘Ra!’ bellowed the Balol chief. ‘Stop!’

THALES

Lasper Farr is dead. The notion stunned Thales. As did the sight of the Commander’s savaged body.

‘We’re in!’ shouted Fariss.

Her voice delivered Thales from his shock. He saw the Feohte and Mau follow her through the wall panel, and the comm technicians rush for the hatch.

Then he was alone with the dead and two ’esques he’d never seen before: a Balol who stood behind his workstation as if rooted there and a Lostolian with strange multi-faceted eyes. The latter advanced on Thales with a knife in his hand.

Thales backed towards the direction the technicians had fled, but the Lostolian cut him off from the hatch so he crouched down and looked around for something to defend himself. He spotted a gun partially covered by a body.

‘Ra!’ bellowed the Balol. ‘Stop!’

Ra? The name meant something, but fear prevented him from being able to remember.

‘He’s the disruption. His death will be the repeller,’ hissed the Lostolian.