Jon could see The Analaya directly below as he peered over The Dusty Maiden’s side rail. The other barge evidentially had no idea they were about to be assaulted.

“Hookers,” Niles bellowed as he unlocked the small arms chest.

James rushed past Jon, apparently heading below decks as Jon pulled out his energy pistol. Emma did the same.

“You’re going to fight with those little things?” Niles asked.

“They have more penetration power than those raptors of yours.” Jon thought Niles looked doubtful at his words.

“I’ve got ‘em,” James said, as he came back up to the main deck.

“Mount them up,” Niles said.

Apparently he intended to fire the hookers at The Analaya’s gasbag—an old pirate tactic which, if executed properly, would force the other barge into a slow descent until she touched ground. A high risk tactic, Jon thought. If Niles were to accidentally rip too large a breech in The Analaya’s canopy, they would go crashing to the ground at high speeds leaving nothing left to salvage. “Is this the best course of action?” he asked.

“Don’t worry, Jon. I know what I’m doing.”

“Let’s hope so,” Emma said.

Jon’s stomach was turning. They were about to attack a guardian war barge which was highly illegal and if caught, would brand himself and Emma as traitors to the order. Guardians attacking other guardians... It hadn’t happened in over a hundred years.

“Captain, the hookers are mounted and ready.”

“Excellent. Hold for now,” Niles said as he made his way to Walter who was behind the helm. “Walter, as soon as I give the order to fire those hookers I need you to bank starboard and then drop to an even altitude right beside The Analaya. Can you do that?”

Walter’s eyes darted to Niles, to the helm, and then back to Niles. “I think so, Cap,” he said with a slight hint of hesitation Jon didn’t like.

Niles moved to the center of the deck. “Alright, listen up, everyone. I’d like to pull this off without anyone having to die... on either side. So hold your fire unless they shoot first. Got it?”

The crew murmured their acknowledgement of Niles’ order. “Alright, Walter, are you ready?”

“I’m ready.”

“If there’s more than one guardian on that other barge,” Jon said to Emma, “be prepared.” Then he pulled a black handkerchief over his face.

Emma nodded as she did the same.

Jon knew that if there was more than one guardian aboard The Analaya they would likely attempt to jump over to The Dusty Maiden for close combat. Hopefully, Jon thought, those harpoons will deter such action.

“Okay,” Niles said to James as he aimed one of the mounted hookers. “Fire your hookers, now!”

They fired the harpoons straight down into The Analaya’s gasbag. “Got ‘em,” James said.

“Walter,” Niles said. “You know what to do.”

“Right,” Walter said. Then The Dusty Maiden started moving starboard. The props had been angled slightly upward to keep the barge in the air because of a less than normal furnace burn, but now Walter had them positioned in a normal horizontal position and they were dropping fast.

“Walter...” Niles bellowed.

There was a powerful lurch and the whole crew went flying to the starboard side of the deck. Jon hit the side railing, and so did Emma. His head felt like it had just been slammed against a rock.

“Are you okay?” Emma said, getting back to her feet.

“I’m fine.” Jon said, rubbing the back of his head. Then he turned to Niles. “What happened?”

Niles jumped to his feet and bolted for the side railing. “Walter, fix our altitude,” he boomed, pulling the raptor on his back to his front. “Everyone else, to the port side of the barge.”

Jon dashed to the port railing with his pistol ready to fire. The crew of The Analaya had evidentially experienced the same massive jolt when The Dusty Maiden bumped against them in an attempt to get abreast of the other barge.

The Analaya’s crew was on its feet now, their weapons poised, ready for a fight. But neither side fired their weapons. There seemed to be a moment of indecision from both sides. Then Niles broke the silence. “I’m Captain...” Niles called over to the other barge, but then paused.

Jon thought Niles must have suddenly realized he didn’t want to use his real identity when committing an act of piracy against the order.

“I’m Captain Woodwork of... The Shallow Drift.”

Emma rolled her eyes.

“Then why does the side of your barge say The Dusty Maiden?” called a voice from the other side.

“We captured this barge two days ago,” Niles said.

Excellent! Jon thought. That’s the worst think you could have said. Now the guardian, or guardians, expected a raid.

“Fire!” a voice bellowed from The Analaya. “Fire, fire, fire!”

Suddenly bullets and streams of energy whizzed past Jon’s head. He dropped, keen not to get shot in the face. He looked over to the others. They were poised against the deck as well, a barrage of weapons fire screaming past their heads.

Niles lifted his raptor over the railing and started to fire the weapon blind.

“Emma,” Jon bellowed. “Be ready.”

She nodded as she too was now blind firing her pistol over the side railing, as was the rest of the crew now.

If The Dusty Maiden drifted close enough to the war barge the guardians on the other side would surly jump across the threshold to engage in close-quarter combat. If they do, Jon thought. We’re finished.

“Damn,” Walter yelled “We’re pinned.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Niles said in a hoarse voice, working to get a fresh magazine into his raptor. He didn’t raise the weapon back over the railing though. Instead he was looking around, as if he’d lost something.

“What are you doing?” Jon asked.

Niles didn’t answer. “Everyone, stop firing. Stop firing.”

What was he doing? If they stopped fighting back they would be killed for sure.

After several more moments of weapons fire, the crew of The Analaya stopped firing back as well. Their Captain, or guardian senior, evidentially realized the crew of The Dusty Maiden had either been killed or were ready to give up the fight.

Niles stood up, his raptor raised above his head. “We’d like to discuss terms,” he called to the other side.

What? Jon thought. No! Unless it was some trick there was no way this could be allowed to happen. If they were taken in, there would be no chance the aliens would be stopped. “Niles,” Jon whispered angrily. “What are you doing?”

Niles, without moving his head, glanced down with his eyes and said, “Trust me.”

Trust him? It looked to Jon like he was giving up. But then suddenly it dawned on the middle aged guardian. He had forgotten the hookers Niles had fired into The Analaya’s gasbag. The Captain did have a plan.

Jon stood up, his weapon raised in the air like the rest of the crew. The men on the other side were all poised, ready to fire at a second’s notice. Then a tall man came into view. He was wearing a tan leather trench coat.

“That’s him?” Emma asked through the side of her mouth.

Jon nodded just enough so Emma and Niles could make out the movement.

“Terms?” The coated man said.

“Yes,” Niles said, pointing his finger at the guardian. “I demand that you come to my barge for negotiations.”

The man on the other side bent back, laughing. Then he said, “No. I am the victor here. I say what happens.”

Niles didn’t respond to the man immediately. He whispered something to Walter. Then he said, “In case you haven’t realized. I have four hooker shots piercing your gasbag at this very moment.”

The guardian snorted. “We have leather weave, idiot. You can’t tear our gasbag.”

“And that’s exactly why I had my men pierce the very top of your gasbag, sir,” Niles called back with surety. “What? No weave on the top?”

The senior on the other barge didn’t seem to believe what Niles was telling him, even though the ropes from the four harpoons were pulled taut across the empty space between the two barges. “Fine,” Niles said. “Walter, full burn and bring us hard to starboard...“

“No—Wait!”

Niles turned back to the guardian. “Yes?”

“I... I will board your barge, Captain.” Then he turned to his crew. “Lower your weapons... I said lower them.”

Jon didn’t expect things to have gone the way they did. After the crew of The Analaya had started firing he was sure they would have to fight their way onto the other barge and take the senior guardian on board by pure force.

This way is much better, he thought. “Niles, you did excellent,” he whispered as the guardian from The Analaya was lowered out of the pulley they’d rigged onto the deck of The Dusty Maiden.

“Tie him up,” Niles said.

James moved to tie up the guardian when Jon took Niles and Emma aside. Quietly he said,” If I speak to him he’ll recognize me. Someone else will have to do it.”

“I can do it,” Emma said.

“Good,” Jon said. “Niles, back her up and play along to whatever Emma does.”

“All right.”

“Emma, the information you need is the location of the archaeological dig site called ark dig two beta.”

Emma nodded to Jon as Niles said, “Wow, you guardians are real creative when it comes to naming things.”

Emma and Niles walked back to where the guardian was. His hands and ankles were tied now and he was sitting on the deck, his back leaned up against the railing.

“We just need information, that’s all,” Emma said.

“Who are you people?”

“We’ll ask the questions,” Niles said in a dangerous tone.

He’s playing the brute, Jon thought. But that won’t work against a guardian...

He thought Emma should have known this, but evidentially she didn’t. Or maybe she just had no way of telling Niles while in front of their prisoner.

“I need to know the location of ark dig two beta,” Emma said.

The prisoner paused for a moment. Then he said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Niles moved in from the left. The guardian made a loud noise as he belched over. Niles’ fist recoiled. “Plenty more where that came from.”

Perhaps brute force won’t work, Jon thought. It does however solidify the impression that we’re a bunch of thuggish brutes willing to do anything to get what we want without remorse or pity.

“So that’s how it’s going to be?” The guardian said. “You know it’ll never work. I’m trained to resist any form of torture. My gifts even lessen the unpleasant experience.” He sneered.

“Fine,” Emma said. Then she turned to Walter. “Rip their gasbag in two.”

That might get his attention.Perhaps Emma did know what she was doing. She was obviously using Niles’ façade to her advantage.

“You’d commit murder to get what you want?”

“Of course,” Emma said casually. Then she nodded the silent order to Walter.

Jon saw Walter glance toward Niles who didn’t make any move or sound of protest, so Walter began to slowly throttle up the props.

The crew of The Analaya began panicking. Niles said, “I think I can hear a ripping noise,” as if he couldn’t figure out where the sound was coming from.

“I told you,” The guardian said. “I don’t have whatever information you’re after.”

“I know you have it,” Emma said.

“How would you know?”

“I’m a guardian as well,” she said.

The prisoner’s eyes widened, then they turned into slits. “You’re lying.”

“Am I?” Emma asked? She turned to Niles and put her hand out. “Knife.”

Niles handed Emma his knife. She levitated the blade. It shot forward and hit the deck with a vibrating thud between the prisoner’s legs.

“Guardians assaulting other guardians?” The prisoner asked in astonishment. He seemed bewildered and Jon understood why. The last time guardians had knowingly attacked one another was nearly a hundred years ago during the Benerus crisis. It nearly irrupted into a civil war within the order.

“Tell me where the damn dig site is,” Emma bellowed. “Or I’ll send The Analaya off before I toss you out this boat.”

“Please,” the prisoner said. “I would tell you if I could.”

Emma had her back to the prisoner now, her hands on her hips. “How do I know that?”

“Because, I’m a guardian,” he said frantically. “I’ve sworn to serve and protect. I haven’t betrayed my oath...” Then, disdainfully he added, “Unlike you.”

Emma swiveled around. “Captain Woodwork,” she said in a solicitous tone of voice.

Niles moved up to the prisoner and punched him in the head.

The guardian was telling the truth. Jon knew he was. He could feel it and he had had plenty of experience to back up what his instincts were telling him. He decided to motion for Emma and Niles to come forward. “He doesn’t have what we need.”

“Are you sure?” Emma said.

“Trust me. I can tell when a man is lying.”

“What do we do now?” Niles asked.

Jon shrugged. He was not going to execute the crew of The Analaya by tearing their gasbag in half. “We have no choice. We let them go.”

Niles nodded slowly. “All right.”

As soon as their guardian prisoner was back aboard his barge, Niles ordered that the four harpoon lines be cut. Then he moved to the port side of The Dusty Maiden and called out to the crew of The Analaya. “Sorry for the inconvenience, but we can’t have you trying to intercept us.” He butted the stock of his raptor against his shoulder, took aim, and then fired his assault rifle at The Analaya’s starboard prop. “That should do it,” he muttered as smoke billowed from the engine.

“Cap,” Walter said, his hands trembling. “I nearly botched the whole thing...”

“Walter,” Niles said. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not...“

“Walter, it’s fine. You did the best you could and we still pulled through.”

They did finish their task, and Jon felt surprised at the efficiency of Niles and his crew. In another life the Captain could have made a dangerous pirate, he thought.

Emma said, “Except we didn’t find out where the control room is.”

“We’ll have to swing around and cut off The Breabooth as she makes her way back to Daura,” Jon said.

Niles stepped forward. “No.”

Jon hoped what he’d just heard was wrong. If they didn’t capture The Breabooth there would be no way to find the control room.

Unless, Jon thought, they go with the alternative... the only alternative.

“What are you talking about?” Emma said.

“We’re going to Norbridge,” Niles said. “Walter, take the helm.”

“Niles,” Jon said urgently. “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting our pilot back. What does it look like?”

“Niles, there’s no point,” Emma said. “By the time we get to Norbridge and pick up Andrea—even if she’s willing to come back aboard your barge...“

“I know that,” Niles interrupted, “which is why we’ll have to find another way.”

Niles was being foolish. He wasn’t thinking straight. But why not? What was Andrea to him? Could it be that he was in love with his former pilot? That certainly was one reason to act so contrary to the current status quo. It was what Bryan had done when he’d married a woman outside of the order. Even though Niles’ father never showed any signs that he had regretted his choice, Jon understood higher priorities, especially now that he was no longer in his youth.

“I’m the Captain,” Niles said firmly. “My barge. My rules.”

“Niles,” Jon said in a low pleading voice. “I have no other way to get what we need. We need that barge.”

“Find an alternative,” Niles said in a final kind of tone.

Now there is no choice but the alternative, Jon thought. It was his last plan—the most dangerous, and his least favorable.