"So, you killed Hardy and Trane instead?" Jackson asked.

"I was on a tight schedule." Trapp shrugged in her restraints. "I knew I'd overplayed my hand when you changed the access codes to your quarters. I'd tried to regain your trust by giving you the Feng-class stealth ships but, in hindsight, I think that sealed my fate."

"You're right about that," Jackson said. "It's why I changed the parameters you laid out. I was pretty sure you were sending Captain Risher into a meat grinder."

"I figured I could take out a couple Super Valkyries while earning some points with you at the same time," Trapp said. "Desperate and sloppy on my part."

"So, what's the main plan? I get coming here to try and take Bluebird, but what is the point behind all the Alliance ship movements lately? You've sent a force deep into Fed space but not nearly big enough to take key systems."

"Admiral, we've just been talking over things you've already figured out for yourself," Trapp laughed. "You won't get anything of use from me. I've been trained by people who were willing to cross lines you Federation types never will, so nothing you can threaten me with particularly frightens me."

"We'll see," Jackson said, standing up. "Our Agents have been pretty open to crossing lines lately."

"You had one rogue lose his shit and blow up a taskforce. We both know he's probably sitting in a cell at the same place I'll be going. Pike is the most ruthless Agent you have, and even he's not willing to take it past a certain point. He has a known weakness when it comes to women." Trapp smiled and leaned back. "As I said, there's little you can threaten me with."

"We'll see," Jackson said, standing up. "I hope you're not mistaking our code of conduct with weakness. Everyone has limits. You have a limit to the amount of punishment you can take, I have a limit to the amount of risk to the Federation I'm willing to tolerate before I try to find out just how tough you are."

"Then I guess it's a race to see whose limits are reached first, isn't it?"

"So it is."

Jackson walked back out of the room and nodded for Munoz's people to lock it back up. They ensured Trapp was still secure, turned the lights out, and slammed the hatch closed. There was a monitor on the wall that had been hastily rigged up that showed a split-view from six thermal imagers installed in the room, each sitting at an angle to make sure she couldn't try anything without being observed. Jackson had at first thought it was overkill, but he imagined the precautions he would take if he were trying to hold Pike captive while still conscious. Odds were decent that Trapp had received similar training.

"She's not bluffing, sir," Munoz said. "If I didn't know better, I'd think she was almost daring you to try and make her talk."