“Ma’am, ‘Sittich’ is transmitting to Hellbarde again. She says we’ve threatened to fire into her if she doesn’t stop.”

“Lying bastards, as well as nervy ones,” Ferrero observed. In a way, she could almost admire the slaver’s captain’s nerve. Of course, given the penalties for slaving, he probably figured he didn’t have a great deal to lose. But not even Gortz could be stupid enough to believe any Queen’s ship would actually fire missiles into an unarmed merchant ship when that merchant ship couldn’t possibly evade her, anyway.

“ ‘Sittich’ isn’t slowing down, Skipper,” Harris said. “Should I go ahead and fire the warning shot?”

“That might not be a very good idea, under the circumstances, Ma’am,” Llewellyn said quietly.

“I am sick and tired of pussyfooting around the goddamned Hellbarde,” Ferrero said sharply. “We are a Queen’s ship, acting well within the letter of interstellar law, and I am not going to let Gortz turn this into one more opportunity to harass us!”

“Mecia.”

“Yes, Ma’am?”

“Record!”

“Recording, Ma’am.”

“Hellbarde, this is Jessica Epps. We are acting within the established parameters and requirements of interstellar law and all applicable treaties. You have no jurisdiction here, and I instruct you to stand clear. Ferrero, clear.”

“On the chip, Ma’am,” McKee confirmed.

“Then transmit,” Ferrero commanded, and looked back up at Llewellyn. “She’s still a good two million klicks out of her powered missile range of us, Bob. But go ahead and send our people to quarters.” She smiled thinly. “You wanted the extra drill anyway.”

“Yes, Ma’am. I did. But I’m not too sure this is the best way to get it!”

“It may not be,” Ferrero conceded. “But Hellbarde has pissed me off one time too many.” She looked at Lieutenant McClelland. “James, I want a least-time intercept course for ‘Sittich’ at her new accel.”

“Already calculated, Ma’am,” the astrogator replied.

“That’s what I like to hear,” Ferrero approved. “Put us on it.”

“Aye, aye, Ma’am! Helm, come four degrees to port and go to eighty-five percent power!”

The helmsman acknowledged the order, and Jessica Epps surged suddenly forward after the fleeing the slaver while the general quarters alarm began to shrill.

“Ma’am, Hellbarde is—”

“I don’t really care what Hellbarde wants, Mecia,” Ferrero said almost calmly. “Ignore her.”

“Aye, aye, Ma’am.”

Ferrero watched the range fall, as her speeding ship began to increase her overtake velocity. The slaver was continuing to yammer away at Hellbarde as she ran, and Ferrero smiled thinly. Satisfying as it would be to liberate the slaves aboard that ship, it would be almost more satisfying to rub Kapitän zur Sternen Gortz’s nose in just who had been attempting to dupe him into saving them from Jessica Epps.

“Closed up at battle stations, Ma’am,” Lieutenant Harris announced, and Ferrero blinked, astonished to discover that she’d been so lost in her thoughts she hadn’t even noticed Llewellyn leaving the bridge to go to his own battle station in Auxiliary Control.

“Very good, Shawn,” she acknowledged. “Is that warning shot ready?”