Welnicki thought about regression. The nine canonical threes vary independently in subspace; when a ship inspaces between the initial and terminal points set up in her computer, she may be anywhere. To find the Fishdollars, _Carlyle_ would have to regress to the tender's breakaway point without changing computer settings. It is a mode of living backwards, and indescribably unpleasant. "Stand by to regress!" Howls of dismay arose. Ensign Welnicki stood at attention and raised his chin. * * * * * Pale with nausea, Ensign Welnicki faced Captain Kravitz after _Carlyle_ inspaced. The tall, graying captain looked shaken also, but his eyes burned. His voice was ironically gentle. "Given the chance, I might have persuaded Fishdollar to take another Carina planet, avoided all this ... four thousand parsecs beyond the frontier of exploration ... dangerous security breach ... you command the search party, Ensign Welnicki ... field-search each system in turn, buoy each as you leave ... I know I can count on you for the last full measure of devotion, Ensign Welnicki...." Welnicki opened his eyes wide. "I shall not fail you, sir," he said as firmly as he could. The captain stroked his clipped gray mustache with two fingers. "I expect you to pursue the Fishdollars to the uttermost ends of the galaxy, Ensign Welnicki," he said solemnly. * * * * * G.P.S. _Carlyle_ had ghosted back into subspace. Welnicki in blue and gold faced his subordinates across a green table in the tiny wardroom of Scout Vessel Two. They wore gray coveralls. Sergeant Chong, dark, stocky, impassive. Chief Quartermaster Rutledge, plump, florid, voluble. Chief Drive Tech Kihara, small, dark, reserved. The ensign cleared his throat. "This is a council of war, gentlemen. Here is our situation...." Five Sol-type stars lay within the tender's range. They would visit and field-search each system in turn, regain control of the tender and its crew when found, then wait for _Carlyle_. Under the treaty they were agents of the settlers' parent system, Sigma-3 Velorum, and bound by its constitution. "So, gentlemen, it is really intersystemic war. Now the enemy population is about fifty--Captain Glover's estimate, he hadn't time to muster the settlers before we regressed. We have twenty marines and nine spacers. We are outnumbered and must attack prepared positions, but courage and imagination--" "Won't some settlers be women?" Chong broke in gruffly. "We may not be so overmatched. How are they armed?" "Body weapons only, sergeant. Nothing heavy. We mustn't hurt women, of course." Chong coughed and subsided. "One thing more. Our inspace separation from _Carlyle_ is great enough so that, under article fourteen of Patrol Regulations, our scout is an independent ship. I now declare this ship in full commission." He took glasses and a bottle of Earth whisky from a bag at his feet and poured drinks all around.