She edged closer and peered in the small frost rimed window. "They look like coffins."

"They just may be. Our first guess is that they're sleeper units; they're very similar to the technology we used two centuries ago. But power levels are barely detectable."

He gave the hatch a solid kick, all his remaining strength would allow. The mechanism growled and the door began to slide open, but it stopped halfway.

The uloran trilled like a nightingale and leveled its blaster at Van. "I believe she said..."

"Yeah, I get the picture," Van quipped, cutting his companion off.

The pounding roused him from oblivion. It paused, but picked up a few seconds later and his headache kept tempo. The door. The door was the source of the obscene racket.

He ran for the door, but it shut with a resonant clang. "What did I tell you about watching where you stepped?"

His steel-gray eyes assessed the valley. "That smoke isn't born from a welcome hearth flame. We must ride!"

A face -- her chancellor's -- appeared in her mind's eye. "Yes Malik?"

"They're back, my Queen," his voice purred over the mental link. "They wish to present their proposal. Again."