Sweet Starfire

standing over her answered. “Didn’t you look at my certificate? We’re port security. We have bypass plates for all registered mail ships. Now sit up very slowly. You from Clementia?”
    She nodded. Fred scuttled down into her lap as she sat up cross-legged on the bunk. Her hand brushed past the small switch that could activate the Screamer, but Cidra hardly noticed. She was watching Fred bare his teeth. He didn’t appear to be smiling this time.
    “Good. That should make things nice and simple. We won’t have any trouble with you, will we?”
    Obediently Cidra shook her head. “Of course not.”
    “Fine.” He glanced at his companion. “We won’t even need to put a tangler on her, Des. She’s a Harmonic. She’ll stay out of trouble.”
    “But what do you want? If you have business aboard, I would have been happy to open the hatch. I don’t understand what this is all about.” Cidra turned an unwavering gaze on the armed man. “Whatever it is you’re after, you should consult with the master of the ship.”
    “We’re not quite as formal here in Lovelorn as you folks are in Clementia. We don’t always have time for good manners. What we’re after is in the cargo bay, and on this kind of ship it can only be unsealed through the command console.”
    Cidra kept her hands carefully folded in front of her. “Then you should definitely speak to Teague Severance.”
    The safeguard grinned. “He’s not likely to be very helpful under the circumstances. We’re here to remove some cargo he picked up in Port Valentine.”
    “But the shipment from Port Valentine is scheduled to be taken to an outpost on Renaissance.” Cidra kept her voice very clear and polite. She betrayed nothing of the uneasiness she felt, realizing that her best defense right now lay in maintaining the impression these men had of her. They couldn’t have dealt with many Harmonics. In their line of work they simply weren’t likely to encounter people from Clementia. Her appearance and dress had led them to mistake her for a Saint, so she would play the part.
    “Don’t worry yourself about it, Otanna. This isn’t Harmonic business. This is a matter of port security.” The man holding the weapon spoke to the silent figure by the console. “Find what we need, Des?”
    “It’s here. The bypass is working through possible code combinations now. We’ll have the bay opened in a minute or so. What about her?”
    “She’s not going to give us any trouble.”
    The first man holstered the Immobilizer and smiled again. He smiled a lot, Cidra thought Too much. She didn’t like him, and neither, apparently, did Fred. There was a curious humming sound coming from the vicinity of the three rows of teeth. Automatically Cidra reached out to stroke the rockrug.
    “We’re all set,” the man called Des announced with cool satisfaction. “The bay’s open. Let’s get the stuff and get out. I don’t want to be hanging around here when Severance returns.”
    “I couldn’t agree more.” The first man started for the rear of the cabin where the inside cargo hatch was located.
    The valuable shipment lay undefended. It was COD , Severance had said. He would get nothing for it if it wasn’t delivered. With a kind of stark clarity Cidra realized that she had to act. In Severance’s absence she was in charge of his ship. “Guard the castle,” he had told her.
    Yet these men were official representatives of Lovelorn law. The law was one of the few formalized institutions Wolves had. It was to be respected. Harmonics knew it often fell short of the ideal, but that was no excuse for failing to honor it. Still, she felt she had to do something.
    “Wait,” Cidra called urgently as the first man was about to step into the cargo bay. “I must protest this action. I insist you wait until Teague Severance returns. This is his ship and his cargo. You must discuss this with him.”
    “Why don’t I just go ahead and put her out?” Des unholstered his weapon and calmly pointed it at Cidra.
    “Forget it. She’s not going to get in our way. Give me a hand, Des. I knew we should have brought a servocart. This thing’s heavy.”
    “Please,” Cidra said, “I’m asking one last time that you wait and take this up with the ship’s master.”
    “Shut up, lady. You’re beginning to annoy me. Why don’t you meditate or something?” Des started to follow his companion into the cargo bay.
    Fred suddenly leapt from Cidra’s lap, undulating