Free Pegasus in Space by Anne McCaffrey

control, don’t you agree?” Johnny said, gently guiding the admiral toward the nearest exit. “We’ll need the services of our Voice,” he added, beckoning Madlyn to come forward.
We might need everyone in CIC
. “I believe you’ve already met Ms. Luvaro, Coetzer,” and when the admiral acknowledged that with a little bow to her, Johnny went on. “She’s been our Station-to-Earth contact and she’ll be very useful right now. I don’t believe you’ve met Rhyssa and Dave Lehardt. Rhyssa’s …”
    “By reputation certainly I know Ms. Lehardt and her husband,” the admiral said graciously, gesturing for the small knot of psychics to accompany him. “And Justice Havers. Though I haven’t formally met Mr. Baden,” he said, turning to Lance with an extended hand. “Your superb management of the Bangladesh Emergency was a fascinating advertisement for kinetics.”
    “Not as much as today was,” Lance replied drolly.
    On their way to the lift, they passed knots of white-coated men and women now guarded by personnel of Coetzer’s command.
    “Admiral, sir,” Madlyn began tentatively, “you gotta reassure the grunts.”
    “I beg your pardon?” The admiral leaned slightly toward the Voice who was trotting to keep up with his long stride.
    “The workers, down below, they’re terrified of Barchenka and they think she’s still in control. If you don’t tell ’em
you
are, they might do just about anything.”
    “That will be our second task, Ms. Luvaro. You can’t, by any chance, reassure them yourself?”
    “Me? They wouldn’t
hear
me, sir. None of ’em are receivers. It’s
your
voice they need to hear on the audio. They liked you, you know. You didn’t sniff or cover your nose when you visited their quarters.”
    Coetzer’s lips twitched in an effort not to smile as he adapted his stride to her shorter one, taking her by the arm and guiding her into the lift.
    “I’ll see if we can’t improve those conditions, Ms. Luvaro.”
    “They’ll work their butts off for you if you do, Admiral,” Madlyn said feelingly. “Oh, you know they will, Johnny,” she added forcefully as she caught the general’s amused reaction to her candor. “Only I still don’t understand why Barchenka picked such a crazy password. She hated music and wouldn’t let anyone even whistle in her presence.”
    The Admiral chuckled. “What better one to choose than something totally unsuspected. Since
shelkoonchik
means nutcracker, and one figures in the Tchaikovsky ballet, it was relatively obscure, given her habits. Koryakin told me the composer was a famous Russian.” He turned toward the psychics for their opinion.
    “He is indeed,” said Gordon Havers.
Well done, Pete! Neat way to disarm opponents, too. You must tell me how you heated up their weapons
.
It seemed a good idea
, Peter Reidinger replied modestly, but his visible smile was broad enough for two faces.
    You did real good, Peter. Real good
. Madlyn looked up at him so adoringly that Peter edged closer to Rhyssa as the lift doors parted on the Command level.
    “Admiral on the bridge,” said the sentinel at the lift as Admiral Coetzer walked into the Control Intelligence Center, the CIC, of Padrugoi Space Station.

3

    O nce in command, Admiral Coetzer contacted the commandant of the International AirForce to dispatch Earth-to-Padrugoi (etop) fighters to prevent the three shuttles—which did indeed contain Barchenka’s associates—from making good their escape. Scenes of an unconscious Ludmilla, white-coats packed into the Station’s brig, others surrendering, patched through to the shuttles’ screens, were sufficient proof of the mutiny’s total failure. Coetzer repeated his guarantee of safety. Two vessels immediately hove to, awaiting an AirForce escort. The third changed trajectory and, throttles on full, tried to lose pursuers. Coetzer did not hesitate and authorized the etop pilots to use the missiles with which their fighters were armed. The