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“Nope Whatever they’re doing, this here is the product of conscious choice”

“I think—” A hard burn rit her teeth Then the float “I think they’re trying to shake us around like bugs in a can”

Hard burn, and the float “That’s goingto slow us down?”

“Until they can get back to port” Hard burn, and float Herback to the docks made the most sense if the Stor heavier fire froet back to reinforcements, she wouldn’t have a chance And if she didn’t, no one else would either

Two more cycles of float, turn, and slae her froain, she could hear the effort in his voice “That could be a problem”

“That’s what I was thinking”

Another round of gunfire pressed its way through the radio “Not sure I’”

“All right,” Bobbie said “New orders Don’t die until I say so”

“If I find a way to kill this bird?”

“Then act like I said so, but don’t stick your head out just to look for it”

“You got a plan?” Amos asked

“That’d be generous,” she said, “but I’ve got so to do”

The ship kept doing its stuttering bounce like one of the first-generation exploration ships that exploded nuclear bombs as a propulsion system Even for the crew that made it to crash couches, it was a miserable way to travel She took a deep breath, felt the rhythm of it, and on the next float, pulled herself out to the lift shaft Two good handholds, two good footholds, and suddenly she weighed five times her usual

Her fingers and toes screa The float ca up Just one set of handholds before the weight came back But she was closer

If she fell, it was a long way to the botto this, and they didn’t think she could cli With every round of release and spin and high-g burn, sheback to see whether her team ith her She needed all of her focus for this