<Wait,> signaled Gagnon, just as the rangers came near the wide open entrance to the docking bay.

He reattached his bubble emitter so the three could breathe.

<The docking bay was full of security turrets,> Gagnon signaled. <So I doubt there will be any soldiers left alive but that just means we'll be the only viable targets for whatever turrets remain.>

<What do you suggest?> asked Decker.

<We'll need a plan of approach.>

<I've got this,> signaled Ophelia. <It's my ship. I just need to get close.>

<You'll be shot before you get to within range,> signaled Gagnon.

<It's too dangerous,> agreed Decker. <There's got to be a better way.>

<There isn't. And the way I see it, all I have to do is be quicker on the draw than some half-stupid Old One AI. Back during my aspirant days they used to call me 'quick-draw Ophelia'.>

<Literally no one called you that,> signaled Decker.

<I guess they'll have to start now,> replied Ophelia.

Before the other two could object Ophelia pushed forward swimming into docking bay as fast as she possibly could.

Their only hope now was that Ophelia could get close enough to the ship to take control before the turrets acquired her as a target. If the jamming field was still in operation she was as good as dead. If she died they'd have no way to activate the ship from the outside.

Ophelia came into view of the turrets. In the blink of an eye they checked her against their list of friendlies. As no such list existed any longer she was immediately identified as a hostile and sanctioned for termination.

At precisely the same time Ophelia reached out with her mind to retake mental command of the Don't Tempt Me, powering up both the shields and mass drivers.

Just as they were adjusting their aim to fire the security turrets detected weapons powering up. The Don't Tempt me was checked against the list of friendlies and was found wanting. An armed hostile took precedence over an unarmed one, and so the turrets switched targets.

The turrets fired at the ship, causing explosions of first green, then blue, then violet. The Don't Tempt Me fired back, taking out the turrets one after the other. The last turret exploded just as the ship's shields were threatening to fail.

Ophelia opened up the Don't Tempe Me's systems in her mind. She rebooted the communications network.

<Comms are up,> she said. <Bob's alive.>

<I sure am! It takes more than a simple hopeless situation to stop Bob the dolphin.>

<Where are you?> asked Ophelia.

<I don't know. In a lab? They've been scanning my mind. Can't make sense of it, I reckon. I'm just too clever.>

<We're running out of time,> signaled Gagnon.

<I hate to keep doing this, but we might have to try another wild displacement,> signaled Ophelia.

<In the middle of this mess?> signaled Decker. <If you just want to kill him there are easier ways.>

<Fine, what's your plan?>

<You two go into the Don't Tempt Me and give me the emitter. You can ping his location with the ship's computer and guide me to him.>

<Sam...>

<There's no time!> insisted Decker.

<He's right,> signaled Gagnon. <Breath.>

Ophelia was able to fill her lungs just in time, as Gagnon removed the emitter and passed it to Decker. He and Ophelia swam for the Don't Tempt Me's entry ramp. Decker swam off in the other direction.

* * *

Decker swam deeper and deeper in the Old One space station, carefully managing to avoid the sporadic fleeing Old Ones. So far so good, but eventually they were going to regain control of the station and once they did they'd be coming for him. When that happened he was as good as dead. Dead if he was lucky.

<Just ahead you should see a tube connecting to the deck above you. Swim up it,> advised Ophelia.

Decker removed the emitter from his neck, once again popping the atmosphere bubble, and swam up the tube as fast as he could.

<At the next intersection turn at 3 o'clock then go straight until you see a doorway above your head. The lab Bob is in should be just above you.>

Decker found the place Ophelia was talking about and swam up. The door's iris cheerily opened to accept him.

Inside the lab was the scattered wreckage of two Old One battlesuits and four security turrets. Just beyond this floating debris was a transparent dome with an air-filled top and surrounded by thought projectors. Inside the dome, grinning like an idiot, was Bob.

Bob motioned his head, indicating the wreckage around him with his snout.

<I did that,> he signaled.

<Brag later,> replied Decker.

<Controls are over there,> signaled Bob, waving his nose to the left.

Decker swam over and reactivated his emitter. He panted, catching his breath. 

The controls were designed for an Old One manipulation field. Decker had no idea where to even begin.

<Do you know how these work?> he asked.

<Do I look like an Old One?>

Pouring over the controls Decker thought he saw a physical toggle he might be able to flip if he really worked his index finger into the gap. With no other option he jammed it in there and wriggled it around.

"Ah!" he yelled, as one of the bones in his finger snapped. Turning off the pain he continued to bend his finger, trying to snare the toggle.

Finally he was able to flip it. He pulled out the ruins of his finger and couldn't help inspecting it for a moment. He was glad he turned the pain off.

The dome started to raise into the ceiling. Bob took one last gulp of air before the rest of it spilled out into the open water.

<Grab on!> Bob signaled. <And make sure you keep my blowhole inside the air thingy.>

Decker grabbed Bob's dorsal fin. The dolphin shot off like a rocket.

Bob dove out of the lab, through the tube to the next deck down, and made his way back to the docking bay in a tenth of the time it took Decker. Bob let out a happy series of clicks when the Don't Tempt Me came into view.

A blue-green explosion detonated just in front of them as the Don't Tempt Me's shields ate a blast from a kinetic lance that only just barely missed them. A team of Old One soldiers had regrouped and made their way back to the docking bay. They fired wildly, filling the water with kinetic bolts.

The Old Ones had been expected. The Don't Tempt Me's mass driver turrets adjusted themselves ever so slightly and then opened fire, obliterating shields and blowing the Old One battlesuits to pieces. The weapons may not have worked at full effectiveness underwater but against an Old One-sized target they were still complete overkill.

<Open!> signaled Decker.

The entry ramp lowered itself and Bob swam straight in, beaching himself. It immediately closed behind them.

<Hold on,> signaled Ophelia.

She adjusted the angle of the ship's weapons again and fired a volley at the docking bay's permeable force field. It exploded in a burst of purple and black. Water instantly rushed out into open space.

Riding out on this wave was the Don't Tempt Me. It pulled itself free of the water, engaged torch drives, and blasted off into hyperspace.

* * *

<Hey Decker?> signaled Bob.

<Yeah Bob?> asked Decker.

<I didn't really kill those Old Ones.>

<I know you didn't buddy.>

<It was the security turrets. I just wanted to impress you.>

<It's fine.>