Shig shook his head. “What is it with soft meat? They think they can just leave the gates unguarded? Soukup isn’t any smarter than Benteen!”

Talina, however, was keeping her eye on the marines. They’d reached the bottom of the stairs, turned and—walking in step—crossed to Kalico’s chair.

Looking nervous, Ituri said, “Board Supervisor Aguila, by order of Board Appointed Inspector General Soukup, you are ordered to accompany us.”

“Like pus-sucking hell,” Talina snapped, instantly on her feet, taking a stand between the marines and Kalico. Down in her gut, Demon was vibrating, the combat urge rising in her blood. “You’re in Port Authority. Corporate has no jurisdiction here.”

From the nearest tables, a cry went up, people knocking benches back as they scrambled to their feet. Looking past the marines’ shoulders, Tal could see pistols, knives, and way too many rifles as they seemed to spring from nowhere.

“Goddam right!” someone cried.

“You’ll take Kalico over our dead bodies!” another bellowed. The rest was drowned in a mayhem of shouts.

The marines, taking it all in, looked both stunned and unnerved. Reflexively, they brought their rifles up, safeties snapping off as they faced the crowd. People were closing in on all sides; the soft meat—looking terrified—were wiggling through the press, trying to get as far as they could from the brewing violence.

“Hold!” Talina bellowed, stepping between the marines and the closing crowd. She had her pistol out, raised it high, and fired. Heard the impact as the bullet blew a hole in Inga’s dome. Well, hell. Deal with that later.

Those in front, obedient as always, pulled up; the yelling dropping to a babble of curses and threats as people crowded around.

Talina turned to the marines. “Ituri? Firiiki? You’re new here. But you’re on our ground. You push this thing? You’ll kill a lot of us, but in the end, you’re dead, too. And when the fighting’s over, so’s Kalico, Soukup, and that toilet-licking Colonel Creamer, you get that?”

Ituri was sucking air, looked on the point of hyperventilating. “Got orders, ma’am.”

“Fuck your orders!” Marsdome called. “That sorry sack of shit, Soukup, abandoned Kylee Simonov and that Taglioni woman! Left them to die in order to save his skin after they’d risked theirs to get him out!”

The roar built, Talina turning, raising her pistol again, and thundering, “Shut it! Quiet! Now, goddamn it, or I’ll bust heads!”

“Bust those marines first,” Hofer cried. A roar went up in agreement.

“Whoa!” Kalico said, stepping forward, her hand raised. She faced the crowd, and Talina saw that old wry grin bend the woman’s lips. “No one’s dying here tonight. We just busted ass to keep Private Aberash alive, so I’m not too keen to see Privates Ituri and Firiiki shot through the heads and killed for no reason.”