Pushing the thought out of his mind, he called Midshipwomen Lopez.  “Make sure the Captain gets something to eat,” he ordered.  The entire crew needed food as well as rest; he’d already had food distributed to crews at their stations, even though it was technically against regulations.  But then, the bureaucrats had never imagined having to fight for more than a few brief hours.  Hell, they probably hadn't imagined ever having to fight at all.  “And then get some sleep yourself.”

“Aye, sir,” the young woman said.

Two hours later, when the Captain returned to the bridge, he looked refreshed.  James allowed himself a moment of relief, then gratefully headed back to his cabin.  He needed sleep too – and some time to think.  One conclusion was inescapable.  They had exchanged one trap for another.

And, unless the aliens got very careless, there was little hope of escape.

***

Kurt felt thick-headed as he opened his eyes and glanced up at the timer.  Six hours.  Six hours of sleep in a sleep machine.  He could have scored six hours of natural sleep and woken up feeling better, if still rather shattered by the experience.  Annoyed, he opened the hatch and sat upright, silently grateful that he hadn't bothered to dress before climbing into the sleep machine.  He’d have to put himself on report later, he knew, but it made it easier to climb back into the shower.  A quick check revealed that the aliens hadn't come anywhere near them while he’d been resting in enforced sleep.

Shaking his head, he finished washing himself, pulled on a robe and made his way down to his office.  The list of slain pilots was waiting for him, demanding immediate attention.  As CAG, it was his duty to write a brief note to their next-of-kin, telling them how and why their relatives had died.  But it was a duty he couldn't bring himself to handle, not now.  Instead, he called up the pilot rosters and rapidly reworked the squadrons.  The bomber pilots would have to be permanently assigned to fighters, he decided.  There was no reason to keep them in reserve if their normal craft couldn't be deployed against the aliens.

He looked up as the hatch opened, revealing Rose.  She managed to look disgustingly alert, he noticed, as she stepped through the hatch and sat down on the spare chair.  The dressing gown clung to her body in a number of enticing places ... embarrassed, he looked away.  He was almost old enough to be her father.

“They’re still out there,” she said, quietly.  “They could find us at any moment.”