TAPS RECOILED AS the nearest mountaintop erupted in a sheath of flame. Most if not all the tanks below were destroyed or damaged beyond reasonable repair, but Taps had caught a glimpse of a Sovereignty bomber as it made a pass on one of the rocket teams across the valley.

"Dammit!" said Derick, dropping the binoculars and fumbling to don his parachute. "We have to get off the mountain!"

"No!" Taps said, shoving the binoculars back into his hands and loading another ...