Nothing happened. Harrington stared at the gun in disbelief, then pulled the trigger again. Still nothing. Again and again, until with a roar of rage he threw it at Jez. She stepped to one side, the useless weapon missing her head by no more than a couple of inches.

“Looks like you had your turn,” she said, not really surprised. She’d seen where Laura’s bullet had hit the weapon, and she’d bet her life that it wasn’t going to fire. “You know, sometimes I really don’t understand men.”

Harrington stood straight, his back solid, but a line of sweat on his top lip showed he was nervous. Perhaps even just a little bit scared. “Don’t understand?”

“Mmn. You think you can take what you want. That because you have position and power, you’re above the law. I’ve known men like you all my life. Pretending to be all noble and honourable, when inside you’re eaten up with getting what you want, when you want it. All smoke and mirrors ...” She shook her head. “Nobody’s ever said no to you before, have they?”

He sneered at her. “They don't have the right. You don’t have the right.”

“Really? I thought I already had.” She tilted her head, just a little, her gun not moving. “And you’ve failed.”

“I don't fail.”

“Wanna bet your life on that?”

Harrington swallowed. “You don't have the guts.”

“I’ve got a gun on you. What do you think?”

“If you kill me, I can promise you this – the Alliance will hunt you down. They’ll take that ship of yours and turn it into scrap, and your crew will be sent to a penal colony for life. You, on the other hand ... you’ll hang. And I hope it takes a long time for you to die, choking and –”

If he saw the bullet that ended his life leave the barrel of Jez’s gun, he might have been surprised. But in all likelihood he didn’t even notice it until his brains were decorating the wall of the Interceptor.

“My turn,” Jez muttered.

As the noise died away, Laura ran in, ready to do battle. “Jez?”

“It’s okay,” her friend said quietly. “He won't