His assessment irritated Re-l's sense of her own skill, but he was right. Like it or not, she was not used to taking care of anyone but herself, and she usually fought with guns that killed. This was not the time to let pride get in the way of survival.

She shot repeatedly, and was comforted only by the knowledge that each shot hit its target. She could still be proud of her aim, at least.

"That plan sounds like it could work," she said, and she glanced at the man beside her again. He didn't look any more impressive than the last time she had looked, but she knew better than anyone that appearances could deceive. "Do you want to have a closer look at your gun? I can cover your shots."

She wouldn't manage it for very long, but she could probably give him five minutes.