Address criticisms to [xazqrten@cox.net]
    
******************************

In a hotel room in San Francisco:

   Lyta lay on the bed watching the news. She had used her real name and her 
own credit cards, and she wondered how long it would take for them to find her. 
So far, she was thoroughly unimpressed.

****************************** 

In the hotel lobby:

   "This is too easy Pat. She isn't even trying to hide."

   "Maybe she thinks no one will be looking for her here under her own name. It 
won't be the first time some smart-ass criminal let his or her ego get the best 
of him or her."

   "I don't think this woman is a criminal, at least not in the sense that we 
normally mean. I've done some checking; she is part of the Glenthorian 
diplomatic corps assigned to Earth. She has diplomatic immunity. What we're 
going to do could cost us our careers."

   "Her diplomatic immunity doesn't mean anything to the people who want her 
arrested."

   Pat failed to see his partners interest increase sharply at his statement. 
He continued, "We'll be well compensated for this. The people who want her will 
take care of the rest."

   There was something about the way he said what he did that bothered 
her. "I'm beginning to doubt the legality of what we’re doing," she stated 
flatly.

   "You're working with me as the junior partner. I'll call the shots on this. 
You can make any complaints about the way I'm handling things after the job's 
done."

   "She's sitting up there waiting for us. She wants to be arrested. I don't 
know about you, but something about this whole mess stinks. If she’s so 
dangerous, why don't we have backup?"

   "I've been told we won't need it. Now let's go get her."

******************************

On Babylon 5, in the officer's mess:

   "I'm happy that you could join me, Dr. Balor," said Captain Lochley.

   "What can I do for you, Captain?" asked Cathy Balor.

   "I've been thinking about you and Corwin."

   "There's nothing to think about, Captain."

   "You seem to be very sure about that."

   "I'm a telepath and an empath. I know exactly how David feels about me. If 
he could butcher me on the spot without repercussions, he wouldn't hesitate for 
a moment. You don't understand the depth of his hatred."

   "You could be mistaken."

   "Maybe you should check out his new best friends, Captain, before you 
question my ability to read people."

   "What do you mean by 'his new best friends'?"

   "There is a hate group on the station composed of people who believe all 
telepaths should be exterminated. I didn't think that belonging to hate groups 
was congruent with being a good Earthforce officer. Am I wrong?"

   "About the officers and hate groups, you are correct. I'll have to look into 
his off-duty activities. That kind of behavior can end a career in short order."

   "I really don't care about his activities, personally, Captain. Any feelings 
I had for him are gone. They evaporated when I realized how he really felt 
about me."

   "Enough about the wayward lieutenant. How is your pregnancy coming along?"

   "So far everything is just fine. The fetus development is right on schedule. 
I'm almost five months along. The weight gaining is starting in earnest, and 
I've had to buy some new clothing. Everything must have expansion panels."
   
   Later in her office, Captain Lochley initiated a gold channel connection 
with the Earthforce Department of Personnel commanding officer. The image of a 
lieutenant general appeared on her display screen. "You caught me just as I was 
leaving, Captain Lochley. What can I do for you?"

   "I'm sorry to delay you, General Mitchell, but I need to put a hold on the 
advancement of one of my junior officers."

   "May I ask why?"

   "Of course, sir. I have very reliable information that Lieutenant David 
Corwin has gotten himself involved with a hate group here on the station. Being 
as large and diverse as we are, we have our share of them. I want an indefinite 
hold on his advancement to Lieutenant Commander until I can complete an 
investigation of the situation. If I find what I think, his career will be 
over."

   "Which group is he mixing with?"

   "It's the "A Dead Telepath is a Good Telepath" fanatics. I believe they call 
themselves the DTGT."

   "They are a nasty bunch. There've been a number of rather gruesome telepath 
murders attributed to them, in addition to the members that have already been 
convicted of a number of them. If your information is valid, I agree, 
Earthforce doesn't need him. I'll initiate the hold. Is there anything else I 
can do for you?"

   "No, sir. And again, I apologize for keeping you late."

   "In this case, no apology is needed, Captain Lochley. Goodbye."

   Lochley sat thinking for a long time after the circuit had been broken. Then 
she walked out into C&C proper and looked around slowly, letting her eyes come 
to rest on Corwin, who was discussing something on the screen of one of the 
control consoles. She was saddened. He had shown so much promise in the years 
since she had taken command of Babylon 5.

******************************

In Lyta's hotel room, 1100 hours:

   Lyta had become tired of waiting to be arrested and ordered an in-room meal 
through room service. Since it would be the last really decent meal she would 
eat before leaving Earth, she splurged. Even though she didn't really need to 
eat the way she had when she was fully human, she found the idea of possibly 
never again enjoying some of her favorite foods depressing.

   It had been almost thirty minutes since Lyta ordered room service. When the 
knock on the door came, she detected the detectives sent to arrest her. She 
made up her mind that she wouldn't let them interfere with her enjoyment of the 
meal she had ordered. "It's open. Come in."

   The detectives rushed through the door with their guns drawn and swept the 
muzzles around the room. Lyta, sitting up on the bed with her arms around one 
knee and the other leg folded beneath her, asked "What can I do for you?"

   "You can get up and put your hands behind your back. You're under arrest," 
said the male half of the duo.

   "What am I being arrested for?"

   "I have an outstanding warrant for your arrest on charges of treason, 
conspiracy and terrorism during the Telepath War."

   "I see. Well, have a seat. I ordered room service, and I’m going to eat the 
meal before I leave."

   Pointing his gun toward her head, he said, "You don't seem to understand. 
You're under arrest. I would just as soon shoot you as not. Now, put your 
damned hands up."

   "You have the easy part finished. Shoot me if you wish. However, you will be 
responsible for the consequences."

   "Get up off the bed, slowly," ordered the man.

   Lyta stood up and looked at him and smiled. "You're afraid of me, and I'm 
not even armed." She turned around slowly and showed that her clothing left no 
place to hide a weapon.

   "I've heard about you. One false move and I'll blow you away."

   "No you won't. You have orders to bring me in alive." 

   Just then there came another knock on the suite door, followed by the 
announcement, "Room service!" 

   "Come in," responded Lyta.

   A middle-aged man entered, pushing a large food cart in front of him. "Where 
should I put it, ma'am."

   "Set it up on the table over there, please."

   "You! Get the hell out of here and take that damned cart with you!" snarled 
the male detective.

   "Ignore him," said Lyta. "He just doesn't have any manners."

   The female agent, having observed the entire scene, was convinced that being 
arrested was part of this woman's plans, whatever they might be. It was obvious 
that she had no fear of her partner or her. She watched as the waiter proceeded 
to set the table. The smell of the food was driving her almost out of her mind. 
She hadn't eaten anything since the night before, and it was now late 
afternoon, she was feeling famished. 

   The waiter finished his task and departed after receiving a tip from Lyta. 
She moved to the table and sat down.

   "I never told you to move!" snapped the male detective.

   "I didn't ask," replied Lyta, picking up her napkin.

   The man moved quickly and closed the distance between Lyta and himself. He 
reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder, and immediately screamed as his 
hand felt like someone had submerged it in molten lava. Almost immediately, he 
dropped to the floor writhing in pain, but making no sounds. His gun bounced 
once on the floor and came to rest under the table. Lyta ignored the event and 
scooped some pasta onto her plate. Looking at the female agent, she said, "I 
ordered enough for several people."

   "I don't think that's a very good idea, Miss Alexander," replied Detective 
Johnson.

   "I know you're hungry. What I don't eat and drink will be thrown away. Sit 
down and eat with me. After we finish, you can arrest me."

   Johnson sat down and loaded a plate with pasta and seafood sauce. She poured 
a glass of wine then looked at her partner lying on the floor. Shrugging her 
shoulders, she asked, "What about him?"

   "He'll still be there when we finish eating. I took away the pain because he 
was going to crap and urinate all over himself. I have discovered that such an 
outcome smells foul, and would certainly spoil our meal."

   Thirty minutes later, they were through eating and enjoying the last of a 
second bottle of wine. "It's time for you to arrest me, Officer Johnson. What I 
want you to do is walk back down the hallway. As you walk, you will find 
yourselves arguing about how best to arrest me. Neither you nor he will 
remember what has happened here. However, you won't be hungry this time."

   Johnson looked at Lyta and said, "Since we won't remember any of this, I 
think you should know, I actually work with internal affairs. I'm investigating 
disreputable behavior amongst some old timer officers."

   "Actually, Officer Johnson, I picked that up from your thoughts. I had 
wondered about your working with him despite your aversion to his actions."

   Pat got up off the floor and followed Justine out of the suite. Halfway to 
the elevator, he said, "I told you we don't need backup. She won't give us any 
trouble."

   "I still don't like this."

   "You don't have to like it, just follow my lead and orders, and you'll be 
just fine."

   Johnson looked at him very doubtfully, but said nothing more.

   Lyta sat at the table slowly sipping the last of the wine. They were at the 
door. Instead of knocking, the two detectives rushed through the door with guns 
drawn and at the ready as they swept the room. Lyta said nothing, but
she watched very closely. Sure enough, the man acted just as before, 
belligerent and insufferable. This time he went even farther than he had the 
first time.

   "On your feet and put your hands behind your back!" he demanded.

   Lyta stood up, put her hands behind her back and turned so the man could 
handcuff her. When he finished, he turned her around and struck her across the 
left part of her face with his pistol. "What in the hell do you think you’re 
doing, Pat?" asked Johnson hotly.

   Without answering, her partner struck Lyta across the face from the other 
direction. She never uttered a sound nor did she go down. This infuriated 
Johnson's partner. He started to strike Lyta again, but froze when she said 
quietly, "The first two were free. Hit me again, and you'll wish someone had 
killed your great-grandfather while he was still a fetus."

   "Threaten me will you!" he screamed, and struck her again. As soon as he hit 
her in the face, his face exploded in blinding pain. Whimpering with tears 
running down his face, he dropped to the floor.

   Johnson looked at Lyta. "What did you do to him?"

   "I let him experience the same pain I felt when he hit me. I haven't 
resisted your efforts to arrest me, and you have no right to abuse me. If you 
or he try to do so again, you’ll not believe the pain I can inflict upon you. 
Do not believe for a moment, Officer Johnson, that you or he are in control of 
the situation."  

   Putting her gun back in its holster, she replied, "I thought it might be 
something like that. What about him?"

   "He'll remember nothing of our conversation. I think he may be more patient 
now. If he isn't, he's in for a really painful day."

   The man got to his feet, holding his face, he said, "Let's get her into a 
cell and let someone else deal with her."

   The remainder of the arrest went down routinely.

******************************

In the unmarked police car and then the maximum security precinct holding cell:

   Lyta, with her hands cuffed, had been roughly shoved into the back of the 
car by Pat Handon, Officer Johnson's male partner. They were well on their way 
to the precinct station when Johnson turned to watch Lyta. To her shock, Lyta's 
facial cuts, suffered when Handon had hit her across the face with his pistol, 
were almost gone. She realized that by the time they reached the station, they 
would be completely healed. However, that wasn't what shocked her. She looked 
at Lyta, and Lyta looked back, only she wasn't handcuffed anymore. She had 
fastened her seatbelt and held the handcuffs dangling from one hand.

   "You don't seem worried by this situation," said Johnson.

   "I'm not," replied Lyta. "There's no reason I should be."

   "That's what you think, Red," sneered Handon.

   "Tell me, Officer Handon. Are you familiar with the concept of payback?" 
asked Lyta.

   "Is that supposed to be a threat?" asked Handon.

   "No. It was a question. Are you familiar with the concept of payback? For 
instance, you borrow a sum of money, and at some point in the future you pay it 
back with whatever interest has been agreed upon. That's payback."

   "Yeah, I know what it is," he replied.

   "Good," replied Lyta. "When you receive your principle and interest several 
days from now, you won't be surprised."

   "That sounds like a threat!" snapped Handon

   "It's a fact, and I'll remind you of it at that time."

   "We getting close to the station," commented Johnson.

   Lyta smiled at her and put handcuffs back on with her hands once more behind 
her back. After pulling into the precinct parking area, Handon roughly tried to 
pull Lyta from the car. "How did this damned seatbelt get fastened, Johnson?"

   "I didn't fasten it. Maybe she did it."

   After parading Lyta around the precinct offices like a prize animal of some 
kind, Handon had her booked and thrown into one of the maximum security cells, 
with her hands cuffed behind her back and shackles around her ankles, both of 
them being fastened to a secured set of chains around her waist which were 
fastened to a ring set into the concrete wall. "You'll play hell getting out of 
here Miss Redhead." Lyta smiled at him, and he felt his blood temperature drop 
about ten degrees Celsius.  

   Handon had called ahead when he had arrested Lyta and there was a news team 
from one of the local television stations waiting to record their arrival at 
the precinct. When she was identified as the terrorist leader fugitive from the 
Telepath War, it caught the interest of the international and interstellar news 
services.

   Lyta hadn't been in the least surprised when there was a 'doctor' waiting to 
give her an injection of the sleeper drug. It was large enough to nullify the 
abilities of several dozen P-12 telepaths. Someone was not taking any chances. 
The fact that if could lower her brain functions to a point where she could die 
from heart and respiratory failure didn't seem to be a consideration.

   As she lay there, trussed up in chains and wrist and leg shackles attached 
to a ring in the wall, Lyta asked the cellblock guard, "How am I supposed to 
use the facilities?"

   "That's your problem," sneered the guard.

******************************   
   
In Garibaldi's office on Mars:

   "Mike, what in hell is she up to?" queried Bryson.

   "I don't know, but I want you to get our people down there on to watching 
and following her if they move her," replied Garibaldi. "If they arrested her, 
it's because she wanted them to. There is no way anyone could arrest her if
she didn't want to go."

   "After what I've experienced with her, I wouldn't dare to disagree."

   "Ivanova is going to be very unhappy when she sees this newscast."

   "That's right. You did say they're best friends. Do you think General 
Ivanova will try to intervene?"

   "I doubt it. She knows damned good and well what Lyta can do. She may know 
even better than me."

******************************

In Susan Ivanova's rented apartment:

   "Susan, you should get out here and watch this," said Charley loudly, to his 
wife who was taking her evening shower.

   "Record it for me!" she yelled back.

   Sitting on the sofa wrapped in a very large bath towel, General Susan 
Ivanova watched the video playback of her friend's arrest. "I wonder what she's 
up to. You know she let them arrest her."

   "What makes you think so?"

   "You really don't know anything about Lyta, do you?"

   "I know she’s a very powerful telepath. She never said anything about any 
other abilities."

   Susan started telling Charley all she knew about her friend and her 
abilities. They watched a recording of the shooting that had been recorded in 
San Francisco. At the end of this, Charley looked at her, stunned by the
information she had given him. "My God. Who could imagine anyone having that 
much power?"

   "Charley, I told you what I know. It doesn't mean that’s all there is to her 
abilities."

   "How can a human have those kinds of abilities?"

   "Charley, Lyta isn't human anymore. She's as far above you and me as we are 
above an average, intelligent lab rat."

   "And you still call her a friend."

   "Don't you?"

   "I never had to think about it before this?"

   "What's to think about. Has she ever treated you with anything but respect? 
Hell, you can't even say that about me."

   "You're right. She's always treated me with respect."

   "Then she doesn't see you as little more than a lab rat."

   Charley chewed on his lower lip as he thought all of this over. 

******************************

In the Glenthorian Embassy:

   As he watched the newscast the Glenthorian ambassador remembered the 
dispatch he had received just before Lyta's arrival on Earth. His instructions 
were to lodge a formal protest through the Earth Alliance representative and 
let the red tape do its thing. Lyta didn't want any well-meaning interference. 
He didn't understand what was transpiring, but he knew enough about Lyta and 
her connections to let her play whatever it was out to a conclusion. She had 
clout spelled in very large boldface type. 

******************************

On Babylon 5:

   "Larry, how is this going to impact on Lyta's intention of adopting Cathy's 
baby?"

   Looking across the table at Captain Lochley, he replied, "It doesn't. If any 
thing happens to her, the baby will still be adopted out to a telepath on 
Glenthor. They will send someone to get the child. Lyta has made contingency 
plans for such an event."

******************************

In President Luchenko's office:

   "I thought that everyone not already tried and convicted, except a few rogue 
psi cops, had been granted amnesty for their parts in The Telepath War?"

   "They were, Madam President. That is all except for Lyta Alexander. She was 
the leader of the rebels. She was never proven to have personally killed 
anyone, and it is said she punished wanton killing by her people very severely, 
but she was the leader, so she is responsible for everything they did."

   "If we had a war, would I be held responsible for every act of war crimes 
that was committed by every soldier in the field?"

   "Of course not."

   "What would be the difference between that and what she is charged with?"

   Her aid thought about it for a full minute. "I see your point, Madam 
President. Shall I see about some kind of intervention?"

   "Not yet. I have reason to believe she let herself be arrested," she 
replied, remembering the visit, during The Telepath War that she had received 
from Lyta. She reasoned that anyone who could do that could probably take care 
of themselves. 

******************************

In the home of Lyta's family:

   "I suppose that's that," said Lyta's mother. "Now do you see why I didn't 
want to become involved with her? If it became known we are her family then we 
would be arrested as quickly as she was. That's the way it works."

   "That's still not a reason to deny her, Mom," said her son. "This isn't Psi 
Corps we would be dealing with."

   "The people who arrested her wouldn't be any different in their methods," 
commented their father.

******************************

In Lyta's cell, 0300 hours:

   It had been more than fifteen hours since Lyta had seen the inside of a 
bathroom or used any toilet facilities, and need it or not, she was a bit 
hungry. It was obvious that she had been all but forgotten. They were 
monitoring her using two cameras and sound pick-ups mounted high up in the cell 
where the wall and ceiling met. It didn't require much effort to cause the 
cameras to freeze one image and transmit that image to the monitor displays. 
Since Lyta had not been moving around, the security man observing the displays 
never became aware of the deception. She established a link with the mind of 
the security man and monitored him to determine if he became aware of her ruse.

   Using her telekinetic abilities, Lyta caused the handcuffs and leg shackles 
to drop away. It only took a few seconds to remove the remainder of the chains. 
After that she disappeared from the cell.  

   Appearing in her hotel room, Lyta ordered club sandwiches, French fries and 
a bottle of house wine. Then she ran herself a bath and made her toilet. She 
had finished her bath and dressed in clean clothes by the time her food 
arrived. She put the meal on her hotel bill, knowing that it would be paid 
before she left Earth.

   After the bath and meal, she returned to her cell. Getting back into her 
handcuffs, shackles and chains was considerably more difficult than getting out 
of them. She burned out both monitor cameras to prevent her burning an image 
into them from being discovered. She then shorted out the video cables at a 
place in their lengths and made it look like rats had chewed the cables. That 
the 'chewed' areas were located in unreachable spaces wouldn't be seriously 
questioned. The cables would have to be replaced, and it would take a week for 
the police to get the work done, if this bureaucracy was anything like those 
with which she was familiar.  

******************************

   During the three days, Lyta was in the holding cell she was visited by a 
small number of men and women who looked as if they had been cut out by the 
black-bag cookie factory. They were treated to meeting an apparently heavily 
drugged woman who simply looked at them out of glassy, glazed-over eyes. She 
never said a word to them. The last of the lot, Frank Dorsh, sat down at the 
table in Lyta's cell at 0900 on the third morning after her arrest.

   "I understand that you have been trussed up here for three days now. Is that 
true?"

   Lyta said nothing in response, and lay on her belly wrapped up in her chains 
watching him through drug-glazed eyes.

   "I also understand that they haven't given you any food or water during that 
time, or even let you use the toilet facilities, such as they are."

   Lyta continued to stare at him and say nothing. He began to realize that she 
had been drugged so severely that she was lucky to be alive. She was totally 
unresponsive. He hoped she lived long enough to be transported to Nevada 
Facility Number Four, known in the twentieth century as AREA 51. If she didn't, 
he would be in for some very unpleasant questioning. 

******************************

In the precinct station:

   "Lieutenant Kelly, I don't want anything more to do with this travesty!" 
exclaimed a highly agitated Officer Justine Johnson.

   "You and officer Handon have been issued orders to accompany the Alexander 
woman to this Nevada site. I don't want to hear any more about it. This has 
been a headache as it is. Somebody's been talking to the damned reporters. 
We're getting heat from the Amnesty International people about our treatment of 
her while she's been here," snapped Lieutenant Kelly.

   "Whose idea was it to deny her food, water and toilet facilities?" Asked 
Johnson. "I wouldn't do that to a rabid dog."

   "We were given a list of orders to carry out concerning this woman. Those 
items were amongst them. They gave her daily shots that would have 
incapacitated several dozen telepaths for a week. Someone with clout hates this 
woman," replied Kelly. "Rest assured it wasn't my idea. I worry about the 
people here who enjoyed her predicament. What does that say about us?"

   "Beats the hell out of me, Lieutenant," replied Johnson. [But... I intend to 
find out when I get back.]

****************************** 

Nevada Facility Number Four, early afternoon:

   "Where exactly are we, Mister Dorsh? I know we're somewhere in Nevada, or at 
least I think we are," asked Pat Handon.

   "We're going down two hundred meters, Sergeant Handon. Since you've been so 
helpful up until now, I thought you should see the fruits of your efforts. I 
mean anyone can be paid money, but only those who are truly dedicated are 
permitted here," replied Dorsh.

   "I noticed a number of aircraft coming and going and a lot of people getting 
off of them. That seems a bit odd for a high security base," commented Officer 
Johnson.

   "I'm not sure what the whole story is with them, except that they all have 
been closely involved with programs started by the Clark government. They've 
made numerous contributions to our cause.  The regular personnel who normally 
run this facility and the base have been replaced by our most trusted troops. I 
believe there will be about twenty-five hundred guests here for the conversion 
of our honored guest. That would be you, Miss Alexander," said Dorsh to the 
drugged Lyta.

   Unknown to Dorsh and the two officers, Lyta had been scanning everyone on 
the base. She had detected some people watching the base from nearby hills. To 
prevent killing innocent people, Lyta caused them, and certain pilots who were 
strictly legitimate transport service providers, to leave the immediate area in 
haste. They would keep moving away from the base as fast as possible until they 
were at least a hundred kilometers away. She had also detected the presence of 
three Drakh, and she wasn't surprised. It would be the last mistake they ever 
made.

   Lyta actively searched for and located the Drakh whose minds she had 
detected. She immediately began a surreptitious scan of their minds. She was 
surprised to find that all three apparently knew that the Drakh Entire had 
plans for the destruction of Earth and the Human race. That they knew meant 
that the plans were well underway. The fact that they knew none of the 
specifics only meant that they were not very high up in the command hierarchy. 
It was information, but without particulars it was virtually useless. The Drakh 
were vaguely aware of their minds being touched, but they assumed it was simply 
a byproduct of being so close to a number of former Human psi cops. There were 
a number of them present to help control Lyta, if it became necessary.

   Sergeant Handon and Officer Johnson were given a tour of the lower level, 
where Lyta was being kept until time for the demonstration scheduled for later 
that evening. Dorsh was proud of the modifications they had made to the level. 
There was no way on or off the level except by using the elevators.

******************************  

Bryson's office at 1800 Nevada time:

   "Accept," said Bob Bryson, to the announcement of an incoming call.

   "They moved the Alexander woman, Mister Bryson," said the image on the view 
screen.

   "When and where?"

   "She was moved this morning. They transported her to a place called Nevada 
Facility Number Four. It is a disestablished CB warfare facility. We have a 
person on site. Actually he is a military man we pay for any information he 
passes on. It seems that a few weeks ago someone had the self-destruct device 
reinstalled. We have been observing a lot of shady people arriving there during 
the last twenty-four hours. Most of them have criminal connections and some are 
leftovers from the Clark regime and a few are former high level psi cops that 
escaped prosecution. I’m sending photos of the Alexander woman being moved. It 
looks like they doped her up pretty good."

   "Keep me informed of any changes. There is nothing we can do for her, but 
offer moral support."

   "One other thing. They’ve been moving the regular cast and crew of the 
station out and replacing them with special personnel for the last three days. 
Our inside man said that before they made him and the last of his group leave 
that they began experiencing mounting levels of unexplained fear, and along 
with it a feeling that they had to get away from the base. He can't explain it, 
but he says the feelings of foreboding and fear lessened as they flew away from 
the place. I don't know what to make of it, but it is interesting."
 
******************************

On the lowest level of the facility, 2000 hours:

   The room was set up as a large operating room. Lyta had been wheeled into 
its center. She had been given massive injections of anesthesia in addition to 
more large injections of the sleeper drug. The Gurney was a type that tilted so 
that whoever was strapped to it could be stood up at a decent angle of about 
sixty degrees with the floor. Lyta's head lolled about as if she had no neck 
bones or muscles.  When they set her up at an angle her head hung lifelessly 
from her shoulders.

   "I want to start this demonstration tonight with a simple bullet wound to 
show what prompted the capture of this woman. Some of you have come to fear her 
because she is a strong telepath. As you can see, there is no reason to fear 
her. Pump enough sleeper drug into her, and she is no different from any other 
telepath. The telepaths present have scanned her and find that she is 
completely under our control. Now, if one of our security personnel will lend 
me a handgun, I will get started," said Dorsh.

   Taking an offered pistol, Dorsh stepped fairly close to Lyta and took 
careful aim on the center of her chest. Without hesitation, he shot her in the 
heart. The impact of the slug made Lyta's body quiver for a moment. "You will 
note that her eyes, even though they are glassy and unresponsive have not 
closed and her breathing is still regular and deep. The bullet had no real 
effect. The doctor will use a hand scanner to show that her body is already 
repairing the damage inflicted by the bullet."

   The doctor used the hand scanner and the results were shown on a large 
viewing screen that had been set up for that purpose. As Lyta's body finished 
repairing the damage to her chest cavity, Dorsh fired four more shots in rapid 
succession. The damage seen on the screen was horrendous, but within three 
minutes her body had repaired itself. "We believe this is why the little girl, 
whom we have been unable to find, and the man with her, were not killed in the 
San Francisco incident. I need a PPG for the next demonstration."

   A guard handed Dorsh his PPG and stepped away. Dorsh, without hesitating, 
fired three shots into Lyta's body and looked up at the screen. "As you can 
see, the PPG did no damage. Her body absorbed the energy the way a dry sponge 
soaks up water. There is one demonstration left, and the doctor will perform 
that one," said Dorsh. Stepping over to his boss, he asked, "How was that, 
Kyle?"

   Kyle Ford looked at Lyta and responded, "Very impressive. I have to wonder 
how we caught her so easily. Your man Handon said he didn't have to fire a 
shot. I don't think I like this, Frank. I think we've been had." With that Ford 
left the room and headed for the elevators. When he arrived there were a number 
of people milling about and talking in frightened voices. Ford stepped up to 
the elevator and was horrified when he saw that the doors and frame were now 
one solid piece. The doors couldn't be opened. He hurried back to Frank's side 
and whispered, "We’re trapped down here." He looked up at the screen and saw 
that Lyta's belly area had been cut open by the doctor. It was already healing 
itself. "Frank, something is wrong with the elevators. The doors and frame are 
now a single unit. They won't open."

   A gasp went up from everyone in the room as the restraints fell away from 
Lyta and she stood up in the center of the room. "I hope all of you enjoyed the 
show. Now it is time to pay the piper that would be me, for the evening's 
entertainment. The three Drakh, will you come out here? Let these people see 
who they've been allying themselves with," said Lyta looking around the 
room. "The lot of you here, and those above on other levels and in the 
buildings on the surface have been a fine source of information. I'm only sorry 
that your Drakh friends," she said, pointing to three aliens who walked into 
the room from a darkened area, "don't know exactly how their leaders plan to 
destroy the Earth and humanity with it." Looking at the Drakh, who were now 
only a meter away, she said, "I was engineered to destroy the Shadows and all 
of their allies, that would include your race, but Lorien took me off the hook. 
You won't be able to tell anyone, but if your people attack the Earth, I will 
make it my life's work to exterminate every last member of your race. I can do 
it, too, and nothing can stop me. Do you doubt me?" All three Drakh shook their 
heads "no".

   "You allowed yourself to be captured. Why?" asked Kyle Ford.

   "How else was I going to get so many of you treasonous bastards in one place 
alone with a thermonuclear device. The Earth Alliance justice system could 
never touch you. I don't respond to legal technicalities, and there is no 
appeal. Telepathic scans aren't permitted in a court of law. However, they 
allow me to know that I haven't mistakenly allowed any innocent people get into 
this scenario. You didn't really believe that sap of a police sergeant could 
capture me did you. Jeez, what a bunch losers," replied Lyta.

   "What are you planning to do?" asked Dorsh.

   "I plan to detonate the device that was installed here recently and blow up 
all of you and the base too," answered Lyta.

   "I see a flaw in your plan, Miss Alexander," said Ford.

   "Really. And what might that be?"

   "If you blow us up, you’ll blow yourself up. You know we won't stand around 
while you leave."

   "Believe me, you will stand around, and I will leave."

   "How?"

   "Watch and learn, for all the good it will do you. Miss Johnson, please get 
the gloves and insignia from the psi cop standing next to you. Also, take his 
ID. He won't resist. Then bring them here." Lyta looked like she was 
concentrating for a moment, then looked at Ford. "I've armed the device. It'll 
detonate in just under three minutes."

    Johnson stepped up to Lyta and handed her the gloves, insignia and ID 
card. "Stand where you are Miss Johnson. You’ll be leaving with me."

   "What about me?" asked Handon.

   "If you try, you'll remember that I asked you if you understood the concept 
of payback. You're going to get your reward, along with those who employed you. 
Enjoy your reward. You now have about two and a half minutes."

    Everyone in the room except Lyta, the Drakh, and Officer Johnson rushed 
toward the hallway that leads to the elevators.

    Lyta looked at the Drakh and said, "You're taking this rather well."

    {In two minutes this place will no longer exist. Even if we were in an 
aircraft sitting on the runway, we couldn't get far enough away to survive the 
blast. Running is useless. However, it will be interesting to see how you 
leave,} sent the leader of the Drakh.

    Just under two minutes later, Lyta put her arms around Officer Johnson. 
Johnson had tears in her eyes. "Is he that bad?" she asked through her tears.

   "He would have destroyed you to get what he wanted; remember that he 
threatened you several times during the last week or so. It's time to go."

   As the Drakh and a number of others watched, Lyta with her arms around 
Johnson, started to glow like a cold white light and both she and Officer 
Johnson faded from view. {Our race is doomed. She is even more powerful than 
our dark masters.} It was the last thought the Drakh ever had as the self-
destruct device detonated. The entire base was blasted to dust in the explosion 
and, where there had been a military base, there was now only a hole in the 
landscape almost five kilometers in diameter and three hundred meters deep. 

******************************   

In Officer Johnson's apartment:

   "Take a shower and go to bed. You have a long day tomorrow. If you tell 
anyone what happened, they'll probably lock you up in a padded room and throw 
away the key, Officer Johnson."

   "Why didn't you just kill me with the others?"

   "You didn't deserve to die. You're a good person. Enjoy the remainder of 
your life," said Lyta, putting the folded gloves, the insignia and ID card on 
Johnson's night stand. Even though she had experienced Lyta's abilities first 
hand, Johnson couldn't believe her eyes when Lyta first glowed a cold white 
light and then faded from her view. She broke down and cried, then took her 
shower and went to bed, thanking whatever Gods had smiled upon her this 
night.   

******************************

In Lyta's hotel room:

   Lyta ordered sandwiches and wine, then took a shower and put on clean 
clothes. She discarded her damaged clothing and packed her travel bag. After 
eating her sandwiches, she checked out, but the desk clerk never saw her.

******************************

At the hotel's front desk:

   "Miss Alexander left me instructions about checking her out and paying her 
bill."

   The desk clerk tabulated the bill and took the man's credit card, "She was a 
pleasure to have as a guest, Mister Diamond. I'm sorry she had to cut her stay 
short."

   "Being arrested will have a tendency to cause those results," replied the 
man. He was black haired, about thirty- five years old and medium height and 
build. He would not be noticed in a crowd.

******************************

In Bryson's office 2400 hours, Nevada time:

   Bryson was waiting for the call and accepted instantly when it came 
in. "What's on your mind. This better be important. They called me at my 
apartment for this call."

   "We were monitoring the Nevada site, Mister Bryson," said the man on the 
view screen, "When we detected the images I'm about to send."

   Bryson watched the images. "Exactly what am I seeing here, major?"

   "This is a thermonuclear explosion, somewhere in the multi-megaton yield 
range, Mister Bryson. The Nevada site was completely destroyed. As you can see 
in the later pictures, the Nevada site is now just a big hole in the desert 
landscape. Nothing got out alive, not even the cockroaches."

   "Lyta Alexander was down there, major. That's why I had you watching the 
place."

   "I'm sorry, Mister Bryson. I liked her. She was my kind of woman, kick-ass, 
take names, and take no prisoners."

   Bryson chuckled, "She was certainly that, major."

   The Major broke the circuit, and Bryson pondered Lyta's statement of a few 
weeks ago about leaving Earth in a manner that couldn't be missed. She 
certainly had done that. After taking part in their first trip to Earth, Bryson 
didn't doubt for a minute that Lyta wasn't there when the device blew the base 
into dust particles. 

*****************************

At the Mars Spaceport on Mars:

   "Everything is just the way she wanted it, Mister Diamond, and since 
everything has been paid in full, and your papers are in order, it's all 
yours," said the company representative who had seen to the modifications to 
Lyta's shuttle.

   Diamond boarded the Shuttle and was towed out of the building. As soon as 
the tow truck was disengaged, he fired up the shuttle's engines and began to 
taxi to the end of the runway. As he began his take-off roll, he punched the 
engines to full output and lifted the shuttle about a meter off the runway. The 
company representative had turned to answer his phone and missed seeing the 
shuttle vanish.

******************************

END PART 9

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