Halogi-Kari screamed as the last of the time-storm left his conjuring mind, panting for breath, his hide barely containing his pulsing, bulging veins. He’d been too slow, weakened by long years of inactivity. He had thrown the Astingir craft out across Peerie Canto’s star system and twisted it hundreds of years into the past, but he knew a significant Astingir force must already be on the ground …

The timing was damnable. Disturbance both within and without – and just as his joining of the Earth-Child with the Wraiths was nearing fruition. Petty unrest among the abductees was something his Ratts could deal with, but the Astingir heavy infantry? They would be wiped out, leaving their master isolated.

Well, then, he thought, a gleam stealing back into the dull black of his eyes. Perhaps those Wraiths restored from the Quantum Anvil have lain in silent dark for long enough. Let them rise again and punish their would-be conquerors. Let their human batteries burn and boil away with the strain of fresh combat. Let the Wraiths sip vengeance – and let their hunger for it grow …

Wheezing with amusement, Halogi-Kari scuttled away to see to it himself.

Graham, Yaz and Ryan had done their best to build a barricade using parts of the dead robot, the jammed door and rubble smashed off the walls with Ace’s supercharged baseball bat. In truth it wouldn’t hold up for long, but it gave at least a bit of cover. Now Graham looked around at the stinking holding area, at the people cowering inside, and felt properly angry. It was bad enough to be told that kids from the streets of a dozen cities were being kidnapped and thrown through space, but when you saw them here, all bundled together in this dump, shattered, dressed up in God knew what …

‘I’d like to get hold of whoever’s done this,’ he said.

‘We will,’ Yaz told him, peering out over the barricade, a Ratt zap-stick in her hand.

‘I’d like to find Ace,’ said Ryan, staring down at her baseball bat. ‘And a nice safe way out of here.’

The zip and blast of energy weapons and metallic whip-cracks echoed from outside.

‘Fat chance of “safe” around here,’ Graham sighed.

‘Robots,’ came the frightened mutter of the crowd.

‘And that’s not all.’ Ryan looked at Graham. ‘Recognise the gunfire?’

He nodded with a neigh. ‘All we need. Our horsey mates.’

But then a proper braying started up from beyond. It sounded like a bigger weapon had been brought into play. The sound of raucous Ratt laughter rose above the whickers and whinnies of the Astingir.

‘I can’t stand this,’ Graham said, grabbing Ace’s bat from Ryan. He scrambled over the barricade. ‘I’m not having it.’

‘Graham, wait!’ Yaz vaulted the barrier to follow him. ‘Ryan, you got things here?’

Ryan held up his remaining capsule of Nitro-90. ‘Covered.’

‘Come on, then,’ Graham told Yaz grimly.

‘And do what?’