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including Burak； on the firing line； Gnea and Bela had abandoned their traditional weapons in favor of automatic weapons。
Tesla； Garak； and Pye cringed in the furthest corner of the elevator； making no move to either interfere with or break past their captors。
In that first onslaught the team threw the mand center into plete chaos and irreparably cut the Invid chain of mand。 Explosive armor…piercing bullets could penetrate vulnerable spots even in Enforcer alloy at such short range； the unarmored Invid were targets assigned to Burak； the ursinoid Karbarrans； and the foxlike Garudans。
And the vital equipment that made the Invid nerve center function was everybody's bull's…eye。
ponents exploded and clear…polymer indicator faces blew apart； power connectors shorted and splintered housing became deadly shrapnel。 Invid who had been calling for mass execution of hostage…slaves only a moment before died； clutching terrible wounds。
〃Fire in the hole！〃 the amazons yelled； as per REF training。 With their teeth they had yanked out the pins of the stick grenades they held in each hand。 Now they lofted them off in assorted directions as the rest of the raiders hugged the floor。
The Praxians had been careful to angle the throws so that the pylon/elevator would shield the party from the blast and shrapnel。 The Sentinels clapped their hands to their ears and opened their mouths to reduce the effects of the explosions。
The world seemed to jump； and there was a whirlwind of shredded tissue and equipment outside the elevator doorway。 When Jack looked up； he saw the dead and dying and heard the moans of the injured…but that was mere background。 Tottering toward the elevator was an Enforcer； its armor pitted and lead…smeared by impacts。 It was lurching； and Jack could see green Invid soupy stuff leaking from its right knee joint。
〃LAW！〃 he yelled； even while he was emptying his chattergun magazine at the thing； lead…smearing it some more。 But the Enforcer was bringing its rifle sights into alignment with the elevator car。
Janice Em shouldered Jack aside； out of the doorway。 She peered through the sights of the light antitank weapon； fixed the Enforcer in the reticle； and pulled the thumb…trigger。 The Enforcer took the shaped charge in the middle of its abdomen and swelled； its armor cracking open like a hard…boiled egg with an expanding yoke。 By then Jan was on the floor with her head covered。 The blast went toward the ceiling； but left all of them partly deaf。
Jack shook his head in an effort to stop the ringing。 〃Everybody on your feet！〃 Bela was shouting。 〃Move it！〃
The raiders rushed out into the mand center to find that secondary blowups from the systemry had done even more damage than the bullets and the grenades had。 There was smoke everywhere； and the stench of the cracked…open armor； a few small fires still burned。
〃If you see any Protoculture weapons； grab 'em！〃 Jack called out。
Gnea looked around at the devastation。 〃This equipment is useless！ Janice Em； you said you would be able to find out where Arla…Non and our other sisters are being held！〃
〃And I shall。〃 Jan didn't seem to need direct physical connection to Haydon's Awareness now that she had interfaced with it once； instead； she went straight to a small terminal and punched up a schematic。
She studied the glowing displays for a moment then switched off the terminal。 〃There： that's our route。〃
She pointed toward a column on the far side of the mand center； an even bigger one than they had arrived in。
The raiders hurried over toward the column。 Lron and Crysta had Invid rifles now； and Kami and Learna pistols。 The Garudans were still keeping a wary eye on Tesla； Garak； and Pye。 Jack himself never let Burak stray from his sight。
Some unseen manipulation of Jan's caused the second column to open and reveal another elevator whose existence the Invid had never suspected。
〃Other Sentinels are already in the plex； and battle's begun；〃 she said。 〃But the Invid are rushing reinforcments here。〃
〃Everybody in；〃 Jack said； standing by the doors of the second elevator。 When the three Invid captives hesitated； Gnea and Bela prodded them with still…hot rifle muzzles。
〃Why can't you just release us？〃 Pye wailed。
〃We might still have use for you； worm；〃 Bela said； ominously guttural。 Her whole world had died； she had no forbearance with the Invid anymore and would just as soon kill them。
〃The suffering you've endured is nothing pared to the suffering you've inflicted； so do not try my patience！〃
Jack got them all boarded； even Burak； who seemed to be in another of his strange； inmunicative moods。 The elevator dropped toward the subsurface levels。
Rick led his group at a fast walk； stopping himself whenever he found that he had broken into a trot。 Stumbling into an ambush wouldn't help anything right now； even though he felt each ticking second as a possible loss of Praxian lives。
Just before they had started down； they had heard the distant firefight； realizing that Zibyl's bunch had armed themselves and were keeping the Invid busy。 But it would still only be a matter of time before the Regent arrived with fresh troops and mecha； enough to crush any resistance the escaped slaves could put up。
Lisa had yielded the point position to her husband； but continued to conduct herself as overall mander of the contingent。 Rick； Max； Vince； and Jean accepted that； as they accepted the fact that Veidt and Cabell were determined to e the whole distance despite the fact that the Haydonite couldn't…and the old sage wouldn't…use a weapon。
Their path led down through a plex refurbished in Invid style； feeling more like a walk through a living organism than a raid on a prison facility。 But on the third level below the surface； they encountered the first of the cages。
The Praxian slaves were being kept in big ironwork affairs suspended from the ceilings； more like captured birds or sideshow exhibits than prisoners of war。 When Rick spotted the first cage； the women crowded into it looked at him listlessly for a second or two； then suddenly realized what they were seeing。
One dragged herself halfway to her feet； fists clasped on the bars。 〃Sisters！ Look here！〃
It was easy to see that the women knew something was up； the cold evercrete floor below their pens was littered with twisted and broken slave headbands。 Evidently the Praxians had lost no time getting rid of them once the bands were deactivated。
In another moment the prisoners were murmuring and exclaiming to one another； but there were no shouted greetings or hails。 The Sentinels were unknown to the Praxians； and this just might be some new Invid ploy。 Still； the amazons jostled to see what was going on； making their cages swing and turn。
Someone made her way through the press of captives to the bars of the first cage。 She was one of the tallest there； powerfully built； with a long leonine mane of sun…bleached hair。 The colorful rags of her fighting costume were faded and threadbare； and her high； soft hide boots were worn through； yet she had a regal manner； her head erect。
〃Who are you； and why have you e？〃 she demanded。 〃Are you allies of the Invid？〃
Lis