One of the Dominai medical team applied a stasis field generator to Dietrich’s ankle.  The Dominai then activated it.  As the lines of force engulfed him, Dietrich was lifted by the field from the fighter cockpit and lowered into a robot diagnostic table.  The table rapidly exited the fighter hangar.  Earth Forces concentrated on putting out what was left of the fires with hand held foamers.  Damon stood there with his hands on his hips looking at the departing robot diagnostic table with Dietrich firmly strapped to it.  He then turned to survey the charred remains of the fighter.  Damon sighed and mentally chalked up this heap of machinery as total scrap.  Much to Damon’s amazement, the Dominai mechanics would soon prove otherwise to him.

     Torvald continue to spray the hole through the shields with energy bolts, while Amina gained more confidence with every kill of the needle gun.  The enemy was down to five fighters and was high-tailing it.  The war whoops and joyous screaming of Earth Forces in every viewing lounge was deafening.  The obligatory two Dominai in each room had their ears covered and were doubled over in pain as their delicate auditory nerves were being overloaded.   Torvald's gun had badly overheated.  His face was sun- burned and he was drenched in sweat and badly dehydrated.  He caught Amina's eye and signaled for her to evacuate her bubble.  Amina unstrapped herself from the ball turret seat, turned on her heels and exited.  Once he saw that Amina was free of the bubble, Torvald hi-tailed it out of his own bubble.  He had barely closed the combination blast shield and entry hatch when the ship was wracked by the concussion of the exploding gun.  Millions of pieces of the overheated gun radiated out into space.  The Dominai had made the simulation too realistic.  Torvald slumped to his knees; his badly burnt face pressed against the blast-warmed surface of the hatch.  He was barely conscious.

     On the bridge a Dominai navigator began to develop an uneasy feeling.  If he had hair on the back of his neck, it would be standing.  Dolf could feel his uneasiness.  The Navigator swung his chair around to face Dolf.  Dolf pulled back.  The Navigator stared at Dolf with unlidded black eyes.  Dolf knew instinctively that this was trouble.