Damn meeting turns into being taken out to lunch and listening to a lot of banter between Wixa and the sellers and, because it's only polite, she'd turned off her Snapper. When she turned it on again, she found the messages, a dozen of them, one after another. She ran. Wixa followed her, but soon fell behind. Maiga didn't wait.

"What's happening?" she asked Jaff.

"Sheni's got him in surgery," Jaff said, his voice choked and tight. "Nurse said it looked bad."

"She did it, didn't she? Bara. She did this."

Jaff nodded. "Bitch was seen in the area. Someone saw her come out of the office apparently."

"I'll kill her."

The words snapped out and amazed her with their ferocity.

"Get in line." Jaff's voice was fierce too. A snarl. "Cowardly bitch has run off though. Trebuchet took off out of here an hour ago." He shook his head. "Cowards. Fucking cowards."

A sound behind her made Maiga glance around to see Wixa arriving, panting and sweating. She leaned on the wall.

"I have gotta sit down. Or throw up. That's an option."

"You didn't have to try to keep up." Maiga turned away again. "How long has he been in --?"

The door opening interrupted her and Sheni came out, accompanied by Anishk. Maiga frowned. What was she doing here? Did Sheni ask for assistance? Jaff and Maiga at once crowded the doctors, wanting answers.

"He will be fine," Sheni said, pulling a white cap off her head, and scratching a hand though her thin hair. "It was a bad beating, he had internal injuries and several broken bones, but he will be fine. We've stopped all the internal bleeding and set the bones. The regeneration therapy will do the rest." She passed a hand over her face and sighed. "The biggest problem was his hands. They were smashed, very deliberately, very thoroughly."

Jaff made a low growling sound in his throat, then turned away and raised a fist at the wall. Maiga closed her eyes and waited for the crunch. And in the darkness, she heard Chervaz scream as the bastards smashed his fingers. One by one? Or with a couple of stamps of a boot?

I will kill her.

"Young man, I don't want to have to operate on your hand too."

Sheni's quiet admonition must have made Jaff think twice about pounding his fist into the wall. No crunching sound came and Maiga opened her eyes.

"We have repaired them as best we can." Sheni gestured at Anishk as she said 'we'. "The bones will heal, but the worry is nerve damage. We've done what we can there and now we can only trust the regeneration therapy to finish the repairs."

"Thank you, doctors," Maiga said, her voice calm now. Jaff though still jerked and twitched, full of pent up rage and Maiga smiled to see it. Because she had started to formulate a plan to use that anger.

Wixa moved past her then, with a chair and Sheni sank into it gratefully. For the first time Maiga noticed how tired she looked, her eyes dark circled and shoulders slumped. She'd already had a busy day and then several hours of surgery. She must be ready to drop.

"You need rest, Doctor," Anishk said, putting a hand on Sheni's shoulder. "I'll monitor him overnight."

"Thank you, my dear." Sheni took Anishk's hand for a moment, a grateful squeeze, thanks for her help. The two surgeons had worked together to save Chervaz's hands and Maiga recalled her question from earlier.

"What are you doing here?"

Anishk frowned at the blunt question, but looked defiant. "I've come back to work for Dr Sheni again."

"She was invaluable here today," Sheni said.

"Returning a favour. And I am a trauma specialist." Anishk smiled at some private joke perhaps.

Maiga smiled too. Cross one more off your list of allies, Bara. Right, the doctors had Chervaz. They'd take care of him. Now she had something to take care of.

"You." She grabbed Jaff's arm and pulled him away. "You're with me. Wixa..." She considered for a second. Wixa might be tougher than she looked, but Maiga didn't want her getting hurt. "Stay here."

"But..." Wixa began, following them out into the waiting area.

"Wixa, I want someone here that I can rely on."

Wixa stopped, a determined look appeared on her face, and she nodded. Maiga and Jaff strode out of the room.

"Where are we going?" Jaff asked, not protesting, keeping pace with her.

"I thought I'd go have a drink," Maiga said. "How about that place down near the docks? What's it called? Dav's?"

Jaff grinned like a wolf. "Oh yeah. That sounds like a real fine idea. Right now, I have a hell of a thirst."

As they strode on, he pulled out his Snapper and tapped away. How did he do that while walking? A couple of times she had to grab him and pull him aside to keep him from bumping into people.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, just messaging a few friends. Why not make it a party?"

Maiga smirked. Oh yes, a party would be even better.

The party guests waited for them near Dav's. Maintenance workers most of them, some still in their overalls, others in civilian clothes. A few aliens among them too.

"Guys," Jaff said. "Okay, long story short. You know my friend Vaz, the one who comes and sits with us in the bar sometimes. Well, Captain Bara had him beaten up, really bad."

"Why?" A woman called, above the angry mutters and protests from the rest of the group. "He's a sweetheart, wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Bara didn't like a story he wrote in his paper," Maiga said, making them turn to her. "Well I don't like her beating up my friends."

"Me neither," Jaff said. "So we thought we'd send her a little message."

"Anyone who doesn't want to spend a night in the holding cells should bail out now," Maiga said. They looked at each other. Nobody bailed out. "Then follow me."

The people moved aside to let her through and she heard them fall into step behind her. Jaff caught up and walked at her right side.

The bouncers on the door of Dav's looked as if they wanted to protest as the group piled in, but Maiga gave them no chance, as she swept past and into the bar. As soon as the group entered, the room fell silent. Oh, this place has changed, Maiga thought. All the customers were human. How strange, near to the docks and the market, the busiest areas of the station, a mass of different races.

After a long, slow stare around the room, she led her unit to the bar.

Dav stood there, his face pale and nervous. He'd lost weight, she thought.

"I... I don't have anything for your... friends." Dav nodded at the aliens in their party.

"You don't?" Maiga said. "Now that's very poor business practice. I mean, you're just turning away custom." She leaned across the bar. "Now why would you do that? I mean you of all people have always been ready to take the money of anybody who walked in the door. Just who told you to change your policy?"

"Maiga." Jaff's quiet voice sounded a warning, but she'd already seen the shape loom behind her, reflected in the mirror tiles, which lined the back of the bar. Her right foot lashed out and a yell came from behind as she connected. The man behind her collapsed, as she spun around.

Chairs scraped, everyone stood now. Ready. Maiga recalled she had her knife, but she had no intention of drawing it. This wasn't a place for weapons, this was a place for fists and feet and teeth if need be. For the pure knuckle-skinning satisfaction of it.

Jaff charged, unable to wait any longer. He yelled and launched himself at a couple of huge men who had a table full of empty glasses. And then both sides followed his example, screaming battle cries and charging.

Maiga reached back and grabbed a fistful of Dav's shirt, pulling him across the bar.

"Pay close attention. I'm sure you'll want to make a full report."

"You're crazy," Dav said. "You know that Captain Bara protects this place."

"And I protect the newspaper. You tell her that."

Maiga grinned savagely, and then shoved away from the bar into the fray.