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When Fred spoke, his voice was hard Sharp Unrelieved “Mister Patel, what relief ships are in the vicinity?”

“Transponder data shows nothing, sir The inner system’s been pretty much shut down UN order”

Holden rolled to his side and called up a connection to Mfume Music blared out of the console Mixed with the sounds filtering through the deck, it er than it was “Mfume!” Holden shouted, and then a few seconds later, “Mister Mfume!”

The music turned down, but not off “Sir?”

“I need you to take a look at the flight path for the Chetze to take to match orbits with her”

“What ship?” Mfume said

“The Chetzemoka,” Holden said “Just check the newsfeeds It’ll be there Let ure out as quickly as you possibly can Like noould be good”

“I’m on it,” Mfume said, and the music turned off both on the console and from the hatch Holden took a deep breath, then another, then laughed The relief wasn’t an emotion It was too physical and profound for that It was a state of being It was a drug that poured invisibly through his veins He started laughing and it turned into a moan that sounded like pain, or else pain’s aftermath

Fred clicked his tongue against his teeth “So If I were to suggest that we not rendezvous with that ship?”

“I would be happy to let you and your friends off anywhere between here and there,” Holden said “Because unless you’ve decided to turn to piracy and throw ”

“I thought as ree to be careful approaching it?”

Holden felt a little bubble of rage rise up in hi thisit with doubt With the possibility that it was a trap and not Nao sense of release and tried to put it aside and his anger with it

“Yes,” he said “You’re right It could be a trap”

“It may not be,” Fred said “I hope it isn’t But…”

“But we’re living in interesting tiet it I’ll be careful We’ll be careful But if it is her, and she really is in trouble, she’s my first priority That’s just the way it is”