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Ashford drew a pistol Alun fired In the tight quarters, the sound itself was an assault Saht red globe shivered in the air, s out from it Violent moons around a dead planet

“Mister Ruiz,” Ashford said “Please be ready to fire in two hours”

For a moment, the wo to come back from a drea the effect he’d just had

“You can go,” he said “Tick-tock Tick-tock”

Ruiz and the three guards pulled themselves back out Ashford put his pistol away

“Would someone please clean this mess away,” he said

“My God,” Cortez said, his voice somewhere between a prayer and blasphemy “Oh my God What have you done?”

Ashford craned his neck Two of the guards moved forward One of them had a utility vacuum When he thumbed it on, the little motor whined When he put it in the blood, the tone of it dropped half a tone from E to D-sharp

“I shot a saboteur,” Ashford said, “and cleared the way to saving humanity from the alien threat”

“You killed her,” Cortez said “She had no trial No defense”

“Father Cortez,” Ashford said, “these are extre his just-too-large Belter head forward

“With all respect, this is my command These are my people And if you think I am prepared to accept another mutiny, you are very much mistaken” There was a buzz in the captain’s voice like a drunk ht Clarissa put a hand on Cortez’s shoulder and shook her head

The older man frowned, ran a hand across his white hair, and put on a professionally compassionate expression

“I understand the need for discipline, Captain,” Cortez said “And even some violence, if it is called for, but—”

“Don’t make me put you back in the drum,” Ashford said Cortez closed hishuh she knew that wasn’t true, Clarissa felt a warm sympathy for hi so someone was different than that, so in some ways, she was ahead of him

“Come on,” she said Cortez blinked at her There were tears in his eyes, floating more or less evenly across his sclera, unable to fall “The head’s this way I’ll get you there”

“Thank you,” he said

Two of the guards rapping the dead engineer with tape The bullet had struck just above her right eye, and a he larger The woht, but the idea had a tentative quality about it Like she was trying on a vest to see how it fit She was the eneh she had red hair like Anna It wasn’t as co as she’d hoped