Suddenly, the entire crew was all business. Even Veronica checked to make sure the safety on her weapon was off. Eliza smiled at that. Her companion was beautiful, but she still knew her business.

Outside, a substantial convoy of heavily armed and armored hover-vehicles and military jeeps pulled up. Eliza had already put the base's anti-aircraft batteries on alert, and every available man and woman on the ground had been scrambled. A transport craft pulled up and set down, and about twenty armed men got out of the cargo area in the back. Then two additional men got out, carrying a wooden crate.

"Put that over on the pedestal," she...