"Incoming missiles. Vectors…" computer was already dividing the information between battle stations.

Kei locked the lasers turrets on the closest threat and after moment satisfied saw the flash of light, when the explosive warheads ended their existence. With a half second delay the computer managed to push out the blast sound that would have accompanied such explosion in atmosphere. If not the computer simulated effects, the battle would have gone into the silence, except for the reports and shouts by the commanders.

Pirates had tried to run at first, but after few jumps, trofarian forces following close by, they found that they could run but they couldn't hide. So they had turned and tried to destroy the followers, before arrival of the rest of trofarian fleet.

"Frigate…"

Okay, one of them may be stretched into that category, but second was pulling for the pocked battle ship, at least into the weaponry. Two light and one heavy, trofarian cruisers suddenly found the odds stacked against them.

"Any reinforcements?" Kei shouted, when her side was clear for a moment.

"Another patrol cruiser in four mins."

"Shit!"

The 'pocked battleship' had tough armour and incredible speed for a ship of his class, plus massive defensive weaponry. His laser batteries were keeping trofarians at a bay, and also dealing with any missiles thrown at him. 'Frigate' possessed weaker defences, and had been hit several times. All cruisers were now circling the pair, mostly trying to delay it and keep out from the way of 'battleship's main batteries that to fight it. Unfortunately, pirates had the exact opposite in mind.

As none of the ships was carrying the light fighter crafts, the battle was now on stalemate, unless one side make some mistake.

Kei had the bad feeling, that it will be her side.

Three min later, great flash nearby announced arrival of the fourth trofarian ship. For pirates, it also signalled their closing defeat, and they stepped up their efforts to destroy followers.

Kei was boiling with the anger. She was supposed to be top gunner, and she could have had good chances, had she been in their own ship, not in the trofarian still-manually lead one. Just one mistake from the captain, or helmsman, or the engine section…

"O, shit!" someone screamed.

Before she got chances to answer, Kei was violently thrown against her safety belts. Ship shook once, twice, third time the lights went out and were replaced by the barely glowing emergency lighting. She stayed conscious.

One quick look at the miracleously still working main screen told the story.

They had turned a second too late, and got full load from the 'dreadnought's' main batteries on the mid and tail section. Glancing blow, it still had done them too much of damage. Hull have been cracked, couple of ship systems damaged or destroyed, nothing irreplaceable, though. About dozen of crew dead, twice that many out of the battle due decompression shock and wounds. Lost quarter of power from the engine room, that was really bad.

Ship was already taking avoiding measures to escape from the attention of the smallest pirate.

Kei looked at the bridge.

Two at communications were still out. One possibly dead, her head turned into unnatural angle. Damage control was screaming orders into microphone. Gunners were concentrating on their defensive perimeters, shooting down incoming enemy missiles. Kei's section was turned away from the battle, so she was still free to look around.

Dumb computer suddenly erupted into terrible explosion imitations.

Kei cursed.

Another trofarian ship had repeated their mistake to letter. Considering them, 'Independence' had got away easy. The other ship was trailing debris and for a second even flaming tail, where the rocket fuel reacted with free oxygen. Then it slammed into the 'dreadnought' and computer again gave out violent explosions.

After that, dealing with remaining 'frigate' was piece of cake.

Kei slowly undid safety belts and crawled out from her post. The medics had carried away poor girl from communications; her partner could still survive. John was still looking straight ahead, while around him the bridge crew turned attention to the task of keeping ship together.

"We won," someone claimed.

"Won?" Kei sharply pulled in air. "Two lousy pirates, four cops, and one ends blown up, other can barely limp around. This is 'we won'?"

"We are still alive."

"Barely. Bet, they WERE using mindlinks, you despise!"

"Kate..."

"I guess, I now know, why you for quarter of century nurtured these pirates! You can't catch up with them with the newest UG technology floating in illegally!"

More that one dark stare turned toward Kei, but she went on.

"Your backwater place just need to be shaken up and livened up! And now that you joined UG, you will be forced to do that!"

"Hey, I voted against joining UG!" one of gunmens shouted.

"Calm down." John's voice was full of pain.

"I wont calm down! Someone has to open your eyes!"

"Miss Sinclair. You will go to your room and stay there. This is order by your superior officer."

Kei pulled in air to object, then took in the situation her temper has got her in. After brief struggle, she decided she better follow his orders.

"Yes, sir." she said bitterly, turned and left.

Two remaining trofarian cruisers were checking the debris for any survivors. Kei doubted, there would be any.

Kei was brooding into her room. It was already two hours and there was no signs of anything changing. Just a few moments ago intercom has spit out warning of space thug taking them in tow.

There was signal from the doors.

"Can I come in?"

John. Kei thought a second, then acknowledged it. "Yes."

Captain entered, the awkwardness of the situation clearly written into his face.

"I had discussion with my first mate over your little 'speech' on the bridge," he said after long silence. "We have no choice that to report it."

"Whatever."

"Once it comes out, you will be taken off the 'Independence', security missions or not."

"I know."

"I asked, if we could destroy records, but there are too many black boxes. Some we won't even find."

*Sure you don't,*, Kei thought bitterly. *Some of them are mine.*

"About your speech..."

"I was right. You of all them, I hope, understood it?"

"Probably you were right," John sighted. "But that's the we are. "

"You by chance aren't darvinian?" Kei asked.

"No, but I know about their ideas. And I can say, they are quite close to mine about the future of man."

"You will be outpaced by the progress," Kei sighted.

"Progress? It was this progress, that caused Nanoclism."

"It was progress that stopped it on Earth as well."

"There are some UG worlds, that also restrain form using of mindlinks."

"None of them are examples of healthy economy." Kei countered. She knew them all. Only Bertram managed to do fairly well, mainly because it was on good location, with UG war base nearby to keep guard over it, and that it was near Earthlike. Krinkos was bankrupt. Two others did only marginally better, struggling to survive.

"You don't have implants, but still, getting one is cheap, considering benefits it gives. In UG it's long ago made the basic option for all kids, like vaccines against all old and most of new diseases. It is available even for adults for a really low prices!"

"That's our choice. We cant change the way we are just because others want us to be like them."

"Why wont you try it?" she screamed in desperation.

"Wont you like to become one of us - with no metal in head?" he countered calmly. "Removing mindlink is as easy as putting one in, I assume."

Kei fell down on bed.

"That hurt," she whispered.

"I know..."

There was another period of silence.

"Even if you are noble, and wise, and fast, and the best daredevils in universe, in the end it won't matter anything. Single UG warship in place of those pirates could have destroyed us all four and went on."

"Lets hope, it would newer be put to test."