Harry led the way down to the engine room. He used his bees to clear the halls and

random rooms. He left the ones that had closed doors alone. Closed doors meant the

grunts hadn’t come through.

He had his pistol and a spare magazine from John. His weapon and the weapon he

had given his friend outside of his school were virtually the same. The problem was

if he used the armor-piercing, or high explosive, in the engine room, he might cause

the disaster he was trying to avert.

“We’ll send in the bees to help clear the room,” said Harry. “Then we go in and

search to make sure we got all of them.”

“Got it,” said John. “Don’t get killed.”

“You have more to lose,” said Harry. “Stay behind us and let the boys go to work.”

The boys buzzed in readiness. They were ready to cut xenos to pieces.

The contractor stepped inside the engine room. He ignored the smashed-in door.

Grunts couldn’t use door handles, or inserts. His bees spread out to look around.

Particle beams sliced out. Screams of pain filled the room. Small clouds of ash blasted

across the control services.

“It looks like they cleared the xenos out,” said John. “The mana tracker says the

room’s empty.”

“See if there are more,” said Harry. “We need to get Damage Control in here to check

the engines, and everything else. We don’t want to crash now that we are on top of

things.”

“Tell me about it,” said John. “Jordan, any xenos inside the ship?”

“There is traces near the landing bay,” said the Jordan’s computer brain. “All other

sources have been terminated.”

“I’m going down there with the boys and look around,” said Harry. “Look after Cat,

and the other contractors. I will clear the grunts out, and then we will finish repairs

to the ship and try to get to orbit with the flying monsters trying to stop us.”

“Be careful,” said John.

“You have more to live for than I do,” said Harry. He started down to the deck

ladders. He wasn’t going to use the elevators with grunts running around loose.

He slid down the ladder to the bottom of the shaft. He opened the door with his

hands. His bees stormed the hall. They didn’t have targets to shoot.

“All right,” said Harry. “We split up here. Half come with me. The other half keep the

halls clear, and make sure nothing gets by to reach the rest of the ship. We have to

keep the others safe so I can win that money.”

The second group of drones searched the halls and kept an eye on the straight lines.

Harry looked for broken doors so he knew where his enemies were. He held his pistol

ready in case he needed to shoot.

“We need to talk, Harry,” said Nick. “The review board is a little angry.”

“I can’t right now,” said Harry. “I’m looking around the Jordan for xenos. I can’t do

anything for them. Tell Columbo I will be with him when we make sure the ship

doesn’t crash and take us with them.”

“How long with this take?,” said Nick. “I can ask for a pause.”

“I have no idea,” said Harry. “The bees are helping me with my search.”

A winged thing came out of the nearest air vent. Harry snapped a shot off and missed.

His guardians sliced the xeno to ash before it could touch him.

“Good job, guys,” said Harry. He went into the launch bay. He found his helmet, and

checked it. He put it on his head when he was sure it was empty.

“Guys,” Harry radioed out. “Be aware the smaller xenos are in the air ventilation. I’m

sending in the bees to try to root them out.”

“Most of the major repairs are done,” said Guy. “Damage Control has sealed the

hull.”

“The main deck looks clear too,” said Howitz. “Some of the flying things are trying

to catch up with us.”

“We’re safe on the bridge for the moment,” said Cat. “Xin says he can send in drones

to keep the upper decks clear of xenos until we figure out our next move.”

“I’m sending in the bees,” said Harry. “Send in the birds, Xin. Maybe we can catch

them between the two of us.”

“Sparrows are inside the ventilation system,” said Xin.

“The screens up here say the xenos are close to you, Beekeeper,” said Hei. “Within

five meters.”

“I have an eye out,” said Harry. “Once we’re clear, I have to go back to my review

board.”

“You should let the others finish the job,” said Nick. “You are not needed here,

savvy?”

“Give me five minutes,” said Harry. “If these things stay loose, they could potentially

wreck the Jordan and kill all of us. That would suck after all the work we did not to

let that happen.”

“All right,” said Nick. “But don’t expect the board to wait forever.”

“It is what it is,” said Harry. He listened as his soldiers buzzed through the vents. The

crackling of burning air came to him. His mana tracker cleared within a few seconds.

“It looks like we’re all clear,” said John. “Howitz, please do a visual inspection of the

hull before you come in. Hopefully, we’re clear to establish orbit without having to

worry about trouble.”

“All right, guys,” said Harry. “Keep an eye on things in case we missed some. I have

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to go lay down so I can take my medicine.”

The bees circled around him before they flew off to keep an eye on the separate parts

of the ship. He smiled as he watched them go.

“I think it’s time,” said Nick.

“I have to clear the deck so Howitz can come in,” said Harry. “I should have built

something like what he did. That thing has eight gun arms.”

“Which he can’t use in an urban environment unless he wants to kill a lot of the

people he is supposed to protect,” said Nick. “Savvy?”

“Why do you always look at the negative?,” said Harry.

“It’s my job to look at the negative,” said Nick. “Flouting authority like this is only

going to get you put back on Earth with nothing to show for all of this.”

“I’ll have my ten million dollars to help ease my retirement years,” said Harry. “I

think that will do wonders for me. I might even be able to help the kids pay off the

bills they have.”

“You haven’t created a firebase,” said Nick.

“But I have,” said Harry. “Junior will be the greatest firebase known to Bernies

everywhere.”

“Do you really think he qualifies?,” said Nick.

“All I need is someone to buy a gate, and he is open for business,” said Harry. “I

envision a strip mall for tourists, maybe a hotel, possibly even safaris.”

“Safaris?,” said Nick.

“Yep,” said Harry. “Guides take armed civilians to shoot xenos, or be eaten

depending on how things go.”

“I know what safaris are,” said Nick. “I have a problem understanding why anyone

would want to go on them.”

“It’s the thrill of the hunt while being safe because the guides are protecting you,”

said Harry.

“Been on many of these, have you?,” asked Nick.

“Not really,” said Harry. “I don’t like hunting animals I’m not going to eat.”

“I doubt the review board will look favorably on charging fellow contractors for the

privilege of killing their sworn enemy,” said Nick.

“But I won’t be a contractor,” said Harry. “I will be an innocent civilian who doesn’t

know how dangerous these safaris can be.”

“No one will believe that,” said Nick.

“You’d be surprised at what people will believe,” said Harry.

Their talk carried Harry up to his quarters. He put his helmet and pistol down within

reach before laying on his bed. He closed his eyes and felt the mental jerk to the

thought rooms used by the agents.

“You could set these up as mental vacation things,” said Harry. He scanned the

bubbles of contractors going about their businesses on their planets.

“Who would we set that up for?,” said Nick. He examined his facade. “Contractors

are contracted to work, not watch others work.”

“Just a thought,” said Harry.

“We’re going before a review board on the use of forbidden technology,” said Nick.

“I think mental vacations for tired contractors should not be the thing you should be

worried about right now. Savvy?”

“I can do both,” said Harry.

“Just do me the favor, and keep the safari strip mall idea to yourself until this is over,”

said Nick. “The last thing we need as your defense is that you are a greedy monster

who only works for high pay.”

“I already told you,” said Harry. “I’ll kill a human for free.”

“And don’t say anything like that either,” said Nick. “Matter of fact, don’t say

anything other than yes, or no.”

“How many reviews have you lost?,” asked Harry.

“A few,” said Nick. “Which is why I am asking you to keep the crazy to yourself until

you are back on the Jordan.”

“I’ll do what I can,” said Harry.

They walked into the review board room. The same three Bernies were waiting on

them. More agents had crowded into the room. Bubba, Steve, and Lora were at the

front of the crowd as the defendants took their places in the box.

“I’m glad that you had time to rejoin us,” said Judge Columbo. He frowned down at

Nick and Harry.

“I am glad to be back,” said Harry. “I do have one question before we start.”

“Go ahead,” said the judge on the left.

“Why do you all look like famous actors in their most famous roles?,” asked Harry.

“We don’t really look like this,” said the judge on the right. “We don’t even remotely

look human. This is a way to make you more comfortable while we talk to you about

your behavior.”

“I guess that is reasonable,” said Harry. “So the effect is random?”

“Yes,” said the judge on the right.

“You agent will explain all of this if you remain a contractor,” said Judge Columbo.

“Our questions are about procedure and the fact the weapon that you used could be

used for warfare on your planet. And we don’t want that to happen. And we don’t

want to abandon the defense of your planet over that.”

“We already have nukes,” said Harry. “I admit I wouldn’t trust most humans with a

bomb like that, but I doubt we would bomb ourselves back to the stone age.”

“That kind of behavior is why we are here,” said Columbo. “Other societies have

done the same thing based on what their contractors could build for them.”

“How many?,” asked Harry.

“Excuse me,” said the judge.

“How many have destroyed themselves over things bought from the quartermaster?,”

asked Harry.

“Seven,” said the judge on the right. “Their agents misjudged them, and the

contractors decided to make their worlds safe by taking over and running it their

way.”

“You’re afraid I’ll do the same thing,” said Harry.

“Very much so,” said the judge on the left. “We have your paperwork here. You’re

the only contractor who has maxed out his points three times, you have killed millions

of the enemy with your weapons, you have formed a theory on why and how the

enemy attacks certain planets, and how they can keep sending recruits into the field.

On the other side of this, you have killed normal humans, and one of your weapons

attacked a normal human in a hospital. You are more aggressive than any other

contractor we have, more aggressive than any other contractor that we have ever

contracted. The worry is you will go bad and start thinking you are the ultimate

authority.”

“The normal humans were attacked in self-defense,” said Nick. “They were

aggressive toward my contractor, and his ally.”

“Other contractors did not kill their enemies in similar situations,” said the judge on

the left. “This contractor kills any that get in the way of his objectives.”

“I feel that is not true,” said Nick. “He has only been working for six weeks. Some

of this behavior has only been seen when he has been attacked.”

“We don’t want to let a mad dog loose on his society,” said Columbo. “You shouldn’t

want it either.”

“Harry?,” said John. “What’s going on?”

“I’m back in front of the review board,” said Harry. “What’s going on up top?”

“The Jordan is clear,” said John. “We’re holding orbit next to the gas giant for the

moment. Both of those temples were destroyed thanks to the rocks we threw. Junior

says everything is optimal from his end.”

“Captain Stuart?,” said Columbo. “What is your assessment of the situation on

Delgas?”

“We can maybe clear the planet with the docks that Harry approved so that we

have automated ships striking the surface,” said John. “His Bolo is holding a spot

that we can use for ground force insertion any time. Whatever went into Junior

was a stroke of genius as far as I can see. Keith Laumer would be proud.”

“How long do you think it would be to clear the planet?,” asked Columbo.

“I don’t know off the top of my head,” said John. “Our mana trackers are still picking

up billions of ground and air forces still trying to stop Harry’s automated army. They

will have the advantage of the landscape since it has coverages in places where

contractors and the automated forces will have to go into to clear them.”

“What do you think of Contractor Jordan as a person?,” asked the judge on the left.

“As a person?,” said John. A wariness of a trap was in his voice.

“As a person,” confirmed the judge.

“Your honor,” said John. “I have known Harry Jordan since I was a kid. He has not

been the smartest, or greatest, person I have ever known, but he never gives up and

he always looks out for others. You wanted someone to join in and save your system

and the other systems you are protecting. Harry might be the type of lever you are

looking for to do that. I wouldn’t be out here with the Jordan if I didn’t think he could

slow the tide down in some way.”

Columbo looked down at Harry.

“We’re going to put your review on hold,” said the judge. “Don’t disappoint us.”

“Thank you,” said Harry. “I will do the best I can.”

“Come on, Harry,” said Nick. “Let’s look at what we have to do.”