

### Ambitious Profit

Published by Stephen Brandon at Smashwords

Copyright 2020 Stephen Brandon

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This E-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This E-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite E-book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Author's Note

This book is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, incidents, and dialogue are from the authors imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or other persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Real and fictional locations are used for background only.

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Table of Contents ~ (ToC) ~# # #

Chapter 1 Shore leave

Chapter 2 Gathering a crew

Chapter 3 Briefing

Chapter 4 The Station

Chapter 5 Alpine Empire

Chapter 6 The Federation Battle

Chapter 7 The Traders

Chapter 8 Captain Fifth

Chapter 9 Apprentice

Chapter 10 Homeward bound

Chapter 11 Locked up

Chapter 12 Almost Home

Chapter 13 Home

Chapter 14 Headed Back

Chapter 1 Broken, but

Chapter 1 Wow!

Chapter 17 Help

Chapter 18 Spit Fire

Chapter 19 Rescue

Chapter 20 Homeward bound again

Acknowledgments

About Stephen Brandon

* * *

Chapter 1 Shore leave

Captain, have a seat. You've made many trips to local stars. Now the Admiralty has a request. Understand first, this request carries the death penalty if any of the details are revealed to those with no clearance. That includes you. We'll see you in seven days after half of your shore leave.

On the way back down to the planet, John thought, " _What could be so sensitive that the Admiralty would put a member to death. Life imprisonment in isolation should be enough to keep someone silent."_

That evening John pulled one of his fathers history books. He'd seen his great-grandsons, and just felt like comparing them. His great-grandsons had the facts that they colonies second target star was Tau Ceti after they found the first unsuitable. It brushed over the fact that meteor strike had changed the ships direction leaving the Tau Ceti system, and by time the repairs had been completed they were lost. The third yellow-white star had six planets. One was suitable, so they landed.

However, his fathers history book mentioned a shipboard mutiny that damaged the navigation system.

Both explained why they didn't know where the fabled Earth was. Eight hundred years of one-minded exploration and single-minded expansion had brought the colony to over two million citizens and sub-colonies at two nearby stars with space stations at six more where mining was profitable.

As he dozed off he wondered, " _What the hell had the Admiralty found that was so important?_ "

A week of shore leave had never passed so slow. He'd been gone for thirty years and his granddaughter still carried his picture. He was embarrassed every time she told her children how he was a hero and explorer. He gave each a souvenir from the last star system he'd visited and told them they'd be grown before he got back.

His grandson had five children before he died. His widow was a stuck-up bitch that only thought about what she could get. For his grandson's children he did the same, and heard one crying before he was off the porch, because she'd taken their souvenirs away.

He visited his wife's grave. _She'd died so young and he remembered how her mother had asked for the babies, because he'd lost it._ Leaving more flowers, he headed for the spaceport.

Sitting across the table were three middle aged members of the Admiralty. Looking up one simply stated, "What goes on here today will be put in the archives under a two hundred year classification. Captain Durham, do you dare ask for more information knowing the penalty?"

"May I speak freely without consequence?"

"Yes Captain, free speech does not carry the death penalty."

"Sir, I've heard whispers of rumors since before I joined the space force a hundred and eighty years ago. None of them have passed my lips to anyone else. No shore leave has passed as slowly as this past week. Putting everyone of those rumors together, I came to the conclusion that someone found something dealing with our history, and the faster than light drive has been improved."

"Very good Captain. Now put those conclusions together with what I said a minute ago and tell me what you now conclude."

"Oh shit! Sorry Admiral. Could it be possible that someone has finally found Earth?"

"No Captain Durham. We haven't found Earth. Are you in or out, silence and duty, or leave now."

"Admiral, I've already said goodbye to my great-grandchildren and told them they'd be grown before I came back. Count me in for the long jump."

"Very well said John. Most of the crew on this list you've worked with. After checking with them and the others, we want your approval before you see your ship. You've got a week. Mission briefing will be after you launch. You may tell them what you now know."

"Yes Sirs."

* * *

Chapter 2 Gathering a crew

Of the dozen names on his list were five of his crew. On his way back down he decided he needed a drink, and no one better to drink with was his chief engineer.

Punching in the code on his phone he stated, "Chief, I need a drink, where can we meet?"

"John, I thought I was the first junior told. I'm buying. See you at Belinda's in an hour."

Belinda's brought back memories. She was his first girlfriend. Then he met his wife. Belinda got her father to buy a building and lot, and she opened a bar. It didn't stay just a bar. She ended up marrying the son of the restaurant owner next door and expanded. When he returned from his first jump, her daughter had purchased the lot behind the restaurant and opened a hotel. She inherited everything and her daughters that contributed to the business inherited. Looking at the bar front brought back memories, because it still looked as rundown and faded as the original. Stepping through the airlock entrance he glanced around. The front room still looked like a cargo ship mess, only larger. Walking past the bar he stopped at the Authorized Personnel Only sign and waited.

"Hey stranger, are you old enough to drink," asked the bar maid. "and that entrance sign says it all."

"Yes ma'am, and my name is John."

"Well John, the recognition software doesn't recognize you, so grab a seat. I'll call Belinda. First thought I need your papers."

"Here, and I'll take a grog."

"A what?"

"Grog, it's a drink that young ladies like you should never drink."

"And who do you think you are, a crusty old dinosaur."

"No, I rode dinosaurs before you were a twinkle in your mothers eye."

"JOHN!"

I turned just in time to avoid being carried to the ground by the middle aged woman that wrapped her arms around my neck and slammed us into the end of the bar.

"Mother, act your age. I was just about to ban this reprobate from the bar. Who is he?"

"Belinda, this is your great-great-grandfather. Hell, I'd have to check to see how many greats to add to that." Looking at the shocked expression on my face she backed off and said, "She never told you? None of us knew you didn't know. Didn't you think it was funny that her dad sent her away for a year at boarding school? It's in her diary how she was broken up when she came back and you had met Nancy, and got married. It is part of our required family reading."

"I never knew."

"Well stand in front of the mirror and state your name. You'll have A2 clearance. A2's get automatically updated.

"Will you be here long?"

"No Belinda, I'll be going back out in a week."

"No problem, you will be here tomorrow night, or I arrange to get you shanghaied. Understand."

"Yea, I understand. I have to put together a classified crew, can I get a secure room?"

"Yes John, I'll arrange it. Now come in and have a drink with me."

First thing I saw when exiting the airlock was the twin of the barmaid and two of my crew with their glasses in the air. _Oh shit!_

"Belinda, please tell me that isn't what I think it is. I've only seen that look in junior's eyes one time, and that is when he first saw the engines on my ship."

"Don't tell me that she may be a space widow before the weeks out."

"No, he's not on the short list. By the way, what is her name."

"Nancy Belinda McGillacutty."

"Is she one of my great-grandchildren too?"

"Yes, she and Brenda out at the bar are twins, and they've both been read in. Your picture in the diary was taken when you were sixteen so she may not recognize you. Just for your information, your daughters were adopted by Belinda when your mother got sick years later. No one mentions it, but one of them even got into this family and earned the name Belinda. It's in the official genealogy."

"OK, lets go over because I have to see the Chief before he gets to drunk."

"Capt'n, how'd you know junior was getting hitched?"

Putting my hand on junior's shoulder I slowly stated, "Junior, I'm pulling your ticket. You will not turn my, uh, this young lady into a space widow. Make up your mind this instant." I could see some of the gleam in his eye die, then brighten again.

He reached inside his jacket and pulled his silver ID and stated, "She's worth it. I'll get a job at the spaceport."

Before I could reach it Belinda grabbed the ID and simply said, "I'll take care of this."

Looking at Junior I said, "Junior, you take real good care of this young lady. You are marring into a great family. Make them proud."

"Chief, I need to discus something with you before you get drunk, and do something stupid. I have a long jump coming up and would like you to be on the crew. Let me know tomorrow when you're sober."

"No need for the time Captain. When do we leave?"

"Plan on a week, I'll have the rest of the crew together by then."

A young redhead walked over and handed me a drink. "Your grog grandfather. You also have a suite at the hotel, and dinner will be served in an hour in the grill next door." Then she turned and walked back to the serving bar.

I took a sip and turned to Belinda, "Who is she."

"John, that is Tracy B. She just put a down payment on a in-system ship and will be going before the Admiralty this week for her Captaincy exam. She has over a thousand local hours and two interstellar trips under her belt. She is certified as a navigator and has some command time.

"The odd thing about her line is that they never took any of their husbands last name. She is a Durham and proud of it."

Nancy then jumped up and looked at me. "Now I know who you are. Welcome home grandfather." then she hugged me spilling half my drink.

Junior looked at me like I'd stolen all his Christmas presents, and burned down the tree.

"Junior, now you know a family secret. You know I will break all your fingers if you don't treat my girls properly. Am I understood!"

Three days later I had almost all my crew except for a junior engineer. The name kept me irritated. T B Thompson wasn't on planet.

The Admiralty central switchboard notified me that Thompson was on the station, and would be headed dirt-side within the hour. I told them to send him a message to meet me at Belinda's grill when his feet hit dirt.

I was munching on a steak when I noticed a carrot top walk in. The tool box he was toting didn't look light. I knew a mechanic when I saw one. What surprised me was the waitress setting down her tray and running up to him. _If that's Thompson, he just disqualified himself. Shit!_ I went back to paying attention to my steak.

A few minutes later I heard the tool box settle on the floor. "Captain Durham. I got a message to see you as soon as I hit dirt."

As I started looking up I commented, "You just disqualified yourself for this trip because you have either a girlfriend or wife." By then I was staring at his face and it was scarred, but a mature womans face. Almost in shock I asked, "What is your full name Thompson?"

"Theodora Belinda Thompson, Captain."

"Now I know why you go by TB. You are hiding your heritage. Have you eaten?"

"What does that have to do with it Captain?"

"Grab a seat TB, and order yourself some food."

"What do you mean Captain, you just disqualified me so why should I waste my time with you. I can get on any ship I want. I'm well qualified."

The waitress walked up and started to say something. I interrupted her and told her to get TB whatever she wants. "The usual Mom?"

All TB did was growl YES.

"Well TB, you are not what I expected, so I remove the disqualification. I have a long, and I mean a long jump coming up. I have a senior engineer, and he needs a qualified assistant."

"Hell, I just got back from a three year jump. I'd like some time with my children."

The waitress heard her last comment and commented. "Mom, we are all fine. Granddad has been interviewing crew all week, and if he has you on his list something big is up."

Turning to the waitress I growled, "Call Belinda and tell her to get all TB's children together within the hour. If she agrees, she leaves in three days."

"I can't, I promised Tracy that I'd be her chief mechanic as soon as she has her ship."

With a smile I stated, "She is marring my junior mechanic. He has two interstellar jumps under my chief. I'll call the chief and he can tell you if he meets your standards." Punching in the chief's code took a second and I told him to get over to the grill.

As he walked up she glanced up, then placed a hay maker into his stomach knocking him flat on his ass. She then dropped her tool box on his chest and mumble something about carrying it to his room.

Sitting back down she looked at me. "If that rock hound taught your boy, he's qualified. When do we leave? I can live with him being in charge, because he knows I don't take no shit.

"Now Captain, exactly who are you and your family? My daughter called you grandpa. - - - You, you can't be the - John Durham. You don't look old enough."

"I'm him. Belinda never told me she had my daughter. None of her daughters ever let on. I only found out by a misstatement this week. Now I have to take a two century jump."

"What are you going to do about Nancy?"

"I won't grease any skids for her, but I think a small wedding gift after her first profitable trip will surprise her."

* * *

Chapter 3 Briefing

Ten days later at the heliosphere both ships came to zero relative still drifting toward interstellar space. Admiral Jones came aboard and Captain Durham assembled his crew for the mission briefing.

"John, I'm sure you have questions about what we loaded in your cargo bay. Here is the manifest. Thank you all for volunteering for this mission. It is longer than any other we ever launched. The round trip will take about two hundred standard years if you only spend a month at the destination. Lets review a little history.

"The colony ship was from the written logs, had one of the first Faster Than Light drives. Most of it must have worked right because Tau Ceti was the alternate destination if the first target star did not have suitable planets. Tau Ceti didn't have suitable planets for colonization either. The passengers were not in stasis chambers. There was a mutiny when the captain announced that they were going to visit more stars, and not return to Earth.

"Neither the bridge crew nor the mutineers survived. The log was kept by a junior engineer, and the senior engineer took command. The log indicated that it took three shipboard years before repairs were to the point that the FLT engines could be shut down. With navigation destroyed, and their present location unknown the only option they had was to blindly look for a planet suitable for colonization. They found ours.

"There was another mutiny when the chief engineer informed the surviving colonist that he was landing the ship. The log indicated that he forced the mutineers into several compartments, and then vented them to space. That was around 816 years ago. We don't know if the log is complete or accurate for the next generation or two.

"With no hope of rescue and no way to travel anywhere the surviving colonist submitted to the engineering crew. Our civilization is the result. Once we achieved spaceflight again, the ships archives were accessed and a search for Earth or any trace of humans was started.

"Triangulation from our colonies and remote space stations have given us two possible radio sources. The Admiralty has classified this information because just thinking that we may have located Earth or other humans would result in the civilian up rising demanding immediate contact. The resulting revolution would wreck our civilization. The gist of your mission is to survey those two points, and others if you find them. If the civilization at any of those targets is stable and beneficial to us, you will make contact and open diplomatic relations. If they are hostile or otherwise unsuitable, you will withdraw and report back.

"Your verbal orders are to make contact if a suitable civilization is located. You are authorized to use any and all means to gather intelligence, including piracy. I'm sure your engineers are puzzled about the engineering areas they cannot access.

"Their cover story is, they had to seal off the area because of a reactor and drive accident. Behind those bulkheads is another reactor, and the latest fastest FLT drive. Enough of an older slower drive is outside to satisfy any engineers that inspect it. What caused the modifications is a real story in itself. Two cargo ships came out of jump space within each others collapsing fields. Both drives were wrecked. The engineering crews built a single jump drive from the wreckage and limped to a mining station. You are the survivors. You'll find that many interior bulkheads are hull material, and an outside hull examination will show plenty of repairs. We created two radiation leaks from the new reactor that can be used as a weapon. There are focusing coils that will cause the radiation to burn its way through a hull four times thicker than yours. Any questions about the 'Ambitious Profit' so far?"

Everyone looked at each other, then Phillip the XO stated, "On my first shift I noticed that the ship is warped in several directions. I also noticed several sensors that are obsolete. I also noticed that the in-system drive is off center and focused to compensate for the curvature of the ship. That was deliberate, wasn't it? How was the jump drive adjusted, or will we have to drop out of jump and manually re-target?"

"Like I stated, your ship is the survivor. It was suitably damaged and repaired using only tools usually available to civilian cargo haulers. The engineers told me that it should fly straight in jump space, but I'd run a few test. I'm positive your engineering crew can make any minor adjustments needed."

"Admiral, any instructions should we be captured by superior military force?"

"John, I shouldn't have to answer that. However your navigator probably noticed that both of the navigation computers on the bridge are damaged in similar ways. She can overlay the data from both and plot an accurate course to the targets and return. There are no hard copies of any navigation charts. However in the hold you'll find two junior school setup modules. Both contain our edited history, language, and mathematics packages. Also engineering packages that are old enough to match the engine parts in the cargo bay. Everything in cargo was current seventy years ago.

"Now your first stop is mining station 403. There you will pick up an external weapons add-on that you'll attach to the hull. It is powered from the second reactor and can be jettisoned if need be. Or you can park it somewhere and retrieve it later. Report to the Admiralty Board when you return. God speed and luck."

* * *

Chapter 4 The Station

Six months and three drops from jump space verified that the ship was running true to course. We spent a week monitoring the two target stars, and then decided on the furthermost one. This one jump would be our true test. Seven months ship time in jump space would equal eighty plus years normal space time and completely remove us from any chance of going back and seeing anyone we knew.

After six months bottled up in jump space I noticed the crew was beginning to creep me out. Once I got my head wrapped around that, I started to notice their interactions were different from normal. I walked into the bridge and ordered the XO to sound general quarters and drop us out of jump space. As he made the announcement I could see him begin to relax as the tension drained out. It didn't last.

As soon as we were out the radio and radar started howling. We were just over a thousand miles from a space station that was defending itself from two smaller ships. Within minutes one of the smaller ships noticed us, and turning it launched several missiles in our direction. Then they turned and headed away.

"XO, get the ship defenses up and those missiles eliminated."

This time the general quarters announcement was accompanied by the klaxon and the statement, "We are under attack, missiles inbound."

Within a minute they were neutralized.

The station chatter was almost understandable. Then what I considered a targeting radar lit us up. The station chatter increased.

Picking up the communications microphone I stated, "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, we need assistance. Can you send a shuttle out to my ship?"

The station chatter stopped like someone had pulled their power plug. Then a single voice slowly requested that I repeat my message.

Thanking the Admiralty that the add-on weapons were all in pods that looked like repairs to the hull, I repeated my message.

The single voice from the station then requested our planet and who we worked for.

Just like the plan, I announced, "We are a cargo ship and lost. We have been in jump space for over a month ship time. We need help."

The voice from the station announced that a shuttle would come out shortly.

"Phillip, Millicent, report to the bridge."

They were panting when they reported.

"I need a stealth relay satellite placed between the shuttle that will be headed our way. It needs to retransmit any communications between that shuttle and station."

"John, if they are using radio we can do it. If they use a laser link they'll be able to detect when we divert part of the beam."

"Captain, we fried the electronics in those missiles, but one is drifting. Impact fifteen minutes."

"XO, I have the bridge, I need you at the pilots station."

"Aye Aye Sir."

"Curtis, I have a volunteer mission for you. One of those missiles is drifting and will impact us in less than fifteen. I need it diverted away. If you consider it safe, we need to know the technology level. If not attach either a destruct or a small rocket to get it out of our path. Can you get it done?"

"Can do Captain, will be in the airlock in five."

Minutes later Curtis reported. "John, this thing has what looks like a kiloton fission warhead. I can't guarantee that it is safe to move. Attaching a rocket and destruction package. I suggest moving the ship to a safe distance. I won't activate it until I'm back aboard, returning as soon as I know what direction you're headed."

"Phillip, take us away from all three missiles. Make it look like we're having propulsion problems."

"Attention all personnel, maneuvering one minute. Engineering, I need intermittent power burst. Captain wants them to think we are having propulsion problems. Thirty second warning."

Phillip started rotating the ship and then gave the main drive a pulse. I was watching all the exterior camera's when the main rocket activated. Even I thought we had a problem when it fired up perfectly and then shut down. What I didn't expect was what happened next. A fireball shot out the rocket nozzle and then nothing. Glancing at the pilots station Phillip was grinning like mad, and pointing at the acceleration gage. We were moving at almost a thousand feet per second. He then turned the ship on its side and fired the maneuvering rockets on one side bringing our speed up over two thousand feet per second. "Curtis how long before you catch up?"

"Phillip, you are an ass. It will take me at least fifteen."

"Good, will thirty miles be far enough?"

"Yea, still might need to prepare for the EMP."

"All stations prepare for EMP in fifteen."

Fifteen minutes later the rocket ignited and moved the missile away toward the other two. Ten minutes later the destruct charge blew it apart.

*

The crew of the station shuttle wanted to look over our ship before allowing us anywhere near the station. As soon as the youngest one entered the bridge he looked around and made a beeline to the navigation station. I thought he was just punching buttons at random until Millicent elbowed me and whispered, "He knows what he's doing. See, he's already got our fake home system up on the screen. Looks like he's having a problem identifying the location."

"Captain, I'm Colonel Ling's second in command, Major Farrow. It looks like your ships hull is twisted and patched. Is it safe to operate?"

"Well Major Farrow, I hope so. We came out of jump space almost on top of another ship. We survived better than they did. Together we got this wreck space-worthy and managed to make it back to the stars heliosphere. My engineer and their engineer swore that our jump drive would work. Well it did, but it wouldn't disengage. After a month they managed to turn it off and here we are, wherever this is. I noticed that your young crewman is very interested in our navigation computer. However it isn't working right and we've had to slave the other ships to it."

"Major, this computer indicates that their home star is not on our star charts."

"Lieutenant, ask their navigator to bring up both navigation computers and compare locations. Then take a look at their electronics."

"Yes Sir."

"Millicent, give the lieutenant a hand with the navigation computers, then show him how you wired them up to make them work."

"Yes John, I mean captain."

"Major, I'm not even sure we can download their star charts. She has wiring going both ways from the memory boards and processors. I'm surprised it even works at all. All I can suggest is that we bring up the star charts one at a time and take a screenshot, then put them all together."

"Major, maybe we can trade some of our cargo for a new navigation computer and local star charts."

Captain Durham, that will be up to Colonel Ling. Will you accompany me to the station."

"No problem Major."

*

"Colonel Ling, this is Captain Durham of the cargo shop Ambitious Profit."

"Dismissed Major."

"Well Captain, the preliminary report indicates that your ship is just about wrecked, but you do have an interesting cargo."

"How so Colonel?"

"Certain parts of FLT drives are controlled by the military. It was necessary to controlling piracy. If they can't travel interstellar space they can't get away. That policy was put in effect over two hundred years ago. It worked for awhile, then pirates started infiltrating legally licensed ships, killing the crews and stealing the ships along with the cargo and any passengers. You admitted that after the so called accident you took everything off the other ship you could use. Am I correct?"

"Yes Colonel, but what are you getting at?"

"Under some jurisdictions, that would be considered piracy."

"Hold on there Colonel, we saved two crew members from the other ship. One died later, but one is still alive on my ship. When she got over the shock of being the only survivor, she helped rebuild my ship and even told us which cargo would probably be the best to salvage. Some of my crew even died."

"So now you call it salvage. Salvage laws are explicit. You have to file for the rights to salvage, and there have to be no survivors. Also any contracts have to be released prior to salvage."

"That was impossible Colonel. We were in an empty star system, with no communications, and no way to go anywhere. By your rules, our only option would have been to open the airlocks and die. No one with half a braincell would do that."

"Lets see, the only female you have listed on your crew is Millicent Dancy. I'll sent the Major out with an interrogation team to get her story."

"Millicent is part of my original crew. Your Major needs to talk to TB. She is an engineer. Tell the Major to be polite, she still hasn't gotten over loosing all her friends."

Two marines from the station boarded Ambitious Profit and headed to engineering. One grabbed TB's arm and asked her full name. When she told him to shove it, he started to twist her arm up behind her. She broke his arm, one leg, and left him doubled over. By time she finished with the second marine, he was also in sad shape. She then informed them that the engineering section was continuously monitored because of the problems they had with the engines. She had one of the marines drag the other back to their shuttle. They obeyed because she had all of their weapons, including their knives. As soon as the shuttle left, she went to the bridge and talked to the XO. "Phillip, two of their rock heads just tried to manhandle me in engineering. I put them aboard their shuttle and sent them back. Pull up and transmit that episode to the station so everyone can see it."

"I was still talking to the Colonel when an aide rushed in and turned on his monitor. "Colonel, there's been an incident with the ship. Two marines started to manhandle a woman and she kicked them like they were recruits. It is being broadcast on a loop on every frequency to the station. Commo says they can't block it without cutting power to the whole station."

He watched the loop twice, before TB came on and stated, "Your brave marines think they can manhandle a woman just because she isn't a local. Well I was raised in an orphanage. I was raped at fifteen, twice. The third time the boy died. The forth attempt was by two, one of them died, and the other could only squeaked when he tried to talk. I swore then that it would never happen again. Sorry about hurting your rock headed marines, but some memories never die, and being ganged up on brought them back. Tell that vacuum headed major that if he wants to ask me any questions he can get his ass over here and we'll sit down over a cup of coffee. Phillip add this to the loop and send it a few dozen more times. Someone over there should realize that you don't screw around with engineers. I'm going back and play with my new toys."

Communications to Colonel Ling, 'The shuttle pilot just called in a medical emergency. One of the marines just started coughing up blood.'

Thumbing his communicator, "Which one."

"Colonel, it was the one with his leg and arm broken. The other one collapsed and died."

"Captain, I was going to sent the Major out to your ship to get her version of the accident. I will have to send out a warrant for her arrest and extradition to the station. The warrant will be valid anywhere in the Palace League. If your ship docks within the borders of the Palace League, she will be apprehended even if the local commander has to use all his military forces and destroy your ship in the process. Am I understood?"

"Yes Colonel."

"Lt Jones, get quartermaster to issue a computer to Captain Durham at no cost. Have it loaded with a complete set of star charts. Notify dispatch that he will be departing the station on my shuttle. We will be down in thirty minutes."

Boarding my own ship was an experience. I'd already sent ahead a message that TB was to be in engineering for an interview.

The Colonel had a recording technician following him with his recorder on. TB was standing at the other end of engineering when I opened the airlock. The Colonel then asked her to tell about the accident and what happened later in her own words. When she finished he told her to relax.

She tightened up like a spring.

He then continued, "TB, the laws of the Palace League place the military over the civilian population with very harsh penalties for military personnel if they mistreat the civilians. However, because you killed one marine and the other is in the medical bay on the station and has only a slim chance of survival. I am forced to have a warrant for your arrest drawn up. You and your shipmates are in a unique situation, because you are still outside the local jurisdiction boundary of the station, plus the fact that your ship is damaged, lost, and not from the Palace League. I am also considering the fact that your arrival forced the pirates that were attacking the station to flee. Upon my return to the station I will have the warrant drawn up charging you with resisting an order by a marine, resisting their attempt to take you into custody resulting in the death of one, and severe injuries to the other. I am also going to attach this recorded interview and the confession you transmitted along with the lead up recording. I was a legal officer at one time, so I must warn you that if you flee the jurisdiction of the Palace League you will be also listed as a fugitive." He turned, shook my hand and left followed by the technician.

"John, you are needed on the bridge."

"Be there in a minute." Looking at TB I stated, "TB you are confined to quarters until further notice. On your way there tell Ham to get down here."

"John, do you know what is on this computer the shuttle pilot handed to me while you were down in engineering."

"Yup, it should be a star map of the Palace League."

"That ain't all, it is a military star map with everything including data files about the surrounding empires and their military forces. If I was their enemy, I could get a planet for it."

"Phillip, we aren't their enemy, so I need that computer secured. We will only use the information we need to complete our mission."

"You're right John, after listening to that Colonel I hope he doesn't have a bunch of political hacks in his chain of command."

* * *

Chapter 5 Alpine Empire

After crosschecking the data on the computer with our target stars, we discovered that they were well outside League space. Thirty minutes later we were in jump space. At shift change I called TB to the bridge, handed her the small computer and told her to weld it into a secure location. An hour later all the camera's in engineering went off line.

The Alpine Empire had ninety three planetary systems listed, plus another hundred system listed as only containing mining stations. The military outpost and science stations I decided to avoid like the plague. Mining station seventy looked like a good entry point.

We stopped outside the heliosphere and started monitoring the star system. It would take us another week using the in-system drive to arrive. I didn't feel like going that deep into the stars gravity well.

Station chatter along with transmissions from arrivals and departures painted a picture of a well run government. However when we focused on the asteroid belts we heard nothing but complaints about the taxes and quotas they had to meet. A week later we picked up a transmission that sounded more like a pirate than miners.

I planned to move on to another mining system when the shift ended, but Millicent called me to the bridge and pointed out two ships approaching. They were running at maximum speed and silent.

Dropping into the pilots station I turned the ship while announcing incoming warships or maybe pirates. Prepare to jump.

The other mining system was three days away through jump space. As we left jump space the radio started to roar. They were looking for a spy ship. If they meant us, the only conclusion I could draw was that they had a FLT communications system.

I quickly plotted a jump to the edge of their empire well outside the planetary and military stations at that star. Five days later when we dropped out we heard the same chatter.

Unfortunately we were spotted by a small cruiser. They started firing as soon as they started accelerating toward us. I turned the ship and started a run for deep space. The darn jump drive needed five to ten minutes to cool down and stabilize before it would work again.

We didn't know another one was there until it fired a spread of rockets at us. Phillip was already telling me that the rockets behind us were gaining.

The ones ahead were less than a minute from impact when Curtis finally started neutralizing them. I aimed the ship directly at the cruiser ahead and started warming up the rail-gun.

Evidently the pilot of the cruiser assumed that I was going to ram him. He turned his ship away and I kept him centered on my targeting screen. His commo guy started wailing like a little girl over his radio. They had the same problem we had, he couldn't jump until his drive stabilized.

Yelling over my shoulder, I told Phillip to make sure all sensors and recorders were on. We were within a thousand yards when the missiles behind us lost their lock and shutdown.

My gamble had played off. I throttled down and stayed directly on his tail until I spotted another cruiser and a larger ship.

The new cruiser launched their missiles. Phillip laughed and then commented, they're neutralized. I used their own ship transponder code.

What about that large warship ahead? They're big enough to carry a lot of energy weapons and more than a handful of missiles. I'm sure that they have figured out that we ain't the pile of junk we look like.

"Engineering, I hope that second reactor is at full power. I need a one mile focus on its radiation beam. Rotating ship now to aim it."

"Captain, max focusing range is three quarters mile. Jump engine almost stabilize."

As Phillip started saying all those aren't responding, I turned toward the warship and applied full throttle. At three quarters of a mile I used the thrusters to rotate the ship. The beam swept through another wave of missiles and they started blowing up. Then the beam hit the warship itself. Parts of its hull started glowing on the infrared screen.

Still at full throttle I had to make constant adjustments to keep the warship within the targeting circle of the energy beam.

The commander of the warship quickly realized he was up against some kind of energy weapon that was melting his hull so he started rotating his ship. That helped and hurt him at the same time. The hot sections touching the space temperature sections started venting atmosphere, but it brought new missile batteries to bear on us.

I knew what he was trying to do when some of his missiles started detonating as they were launched. He had the safeties turned off so they would explode upon proximity or contact at any range.

"Engineering, change the focus on the reactor to one quarter mile. Is the jump engine ready."

"Need a few more seconds, you aim it and I'll punch the button when it's ready."

I watched dozens of missiles detonate a quarter mile distant and hoped none were closer because the warning light over the laser close in defense screen was flashing orange. When it turned red the lasers would have no power.

* * *

Chapter 6 The Federation battle

"John, Phillip, I think we have a problem"

"What do you mean Millicent."

"I was double checking the navigation computers and got some strange readings. I checked all the sensors and picked up shadow reflections. I think we might have sucked something into jump space with us."

"Any idea what it is."

"I activated the hull cameras and looked. Then I turned on the landing lights. All I could see was shadows that moved around. Sometimes there only appear to be one, then there are several."

Attention all personnel, report to the bridge immediately.

"Millicent has detected shadows in jump space with us. She hesitated to activate active radar to locate whatever was causing the shadows. Has anyone ever heard of anything like this."

"TB, yea Captain, I've heard the usual drunken rumors of alien spacecraft in jump space."

"Curtis, the usual except for one. This happened during fleet maneuver a during a battle about a hundred years ago. A ship sucked a missile into jump space with it. The radar operator told me that when the ship next to him dropped out it was being trailed by a missile. It activated and blew the drive and half the hull off a cruiser. He claimed that he had two solid reflections for a few seconds."

"OK, Ham I want whatever shielding you can manage when we drop out. I'll also need the in-system engines on standby ready to fire the second we drop.

"Curtis, Phillip, I want you on weapons and ready to blow anything away that drops out with us.

"Millicent, I want you on every sensor we have and instant reports of anything.

"TB, I need you suited up for damage control and backing up Millicent.

"We will stay in jump space and extra week so you all have time to set everything up. Any Questions."

"Yea Captain, if we are going the direction I think we were, we are going to be off the star charts."

*

"Attention everyone, I need a go no go on all systems."

"Captain, cameras show two shadows directly below us and they are close."

"Ham, can you vary the power output of the jump engine without dropping us out."

"That is insane John, but give me a few."

"Millicent, keep an eye out, I'm going to spin the ship on its axis."

"John, that is just as insane as having Ham try to vary the jump engine output."

"What TB?"

"Captain, the power readings are jumping all over the place. I mean all of them, even the laser banks."

"John, jump drive loosing stability, I've got to drop us out now, in system drive 100 percent."

As John slammed the throttles to full power he veered to starboard. Millicent started reporting missile locations, and Phillip and Curtis started neutralizing them. Millicent yelled, "TB keep an eye on that blip off our port bow. Its a ship."

"Got it. Looks like it's trying to get out of the way. It's squawking some kind of signal."

"Capt'n, hard starboard then down. We have company, no weapons fire yet. We are clear. We now have four more ships behind us, two are pursuing. Shall I initiate contact?"

"Go ahead Millicent."

"It may not do any good Captain. Another ship just dropped out of jump. They started firing on the ships behind us. It's that warship."

"Everyone charge your weapons. Reversing course now. Ham set the second reactor focus to a quarter mile. I'm going in tight at full speed. Weapons clear me a path."

The first pass boiled the hull leaving a deep gouge down the length of the warship. "TB announced, deep penetration is some areas, they're venting. Damn, those ships that followed us are firing missiles into the hull opening. Secondary explosions evident. Get us out of here."

"Millicent, let me know when we're at a safe distance."

"Safe distance John, one of the ships following us didn't make it."

"Millicent, try to make contact. I'm slowing down. I hope whoever they are, we can make friendly contact."

"Captain, they evidently have translation software. I'm getting some English mixed in with alien."

"If they do, then keep talking to give it more words to compare. How many of the other ships survived?"

"Three of the four are tumbling and venting."

"I'm taking us in, Millicent can you get a reading on the venting atmosphere?"

"Its got oxygen in the gases along with nitrogen."

"OK join Phillip and TB at the airlocks. Rescue anyone you can and put them in the cargo bay. The emergency bags are fastened to the roof."

"We got three live ones."

"TB, Phillip, there is a spacesuit floating just ahead of the ship, take a bag and retrieve it."

"Got it John, his suit is ripped, we bagged him."

*

"John, he is pointing at the ship that got blown in half."

"OK, make sure they are secure, then I'll drift over to it."

"Be careful, TB and Phillip are already jetting over."

"Hold John, just spotted another suit. Going out to bag him."

"Ham, how are the engines?"

"Everything green down here. Want me to go out and help?"

"Go ahead."

Minutes later John watched Ham's power armored suit motioning TB and Phillip to hold a bag outside an interior hatch. When he ripped the hatch off the ship the blast of air blew two bodies into the bag. They had it sealed in an instant and started hauling it back to the cargo bay. When they returned Ham was at another interior hatch. They setup and Ham ripped the hatch off. One limp body puffed out. When the bag sealed and inflated, the control block turned red. Ham then noticed another suit hanging off the wreck.

When he turned and opened another bag the suit started waiving its arms and pointing toward the front of the wreck. Following him toward the front he stopped at an airlock. "TB, get to the front, there is an airlock. The other suit is motioning me to enter, but it's to small."

"Ham give me the bag." The suit opened the airlock and entered. A minute later the outer hatch opened again and TB entered and pulled it shut.

Within seconds everyone heard TB squeal. "I have three children and a baby in here. Get ready for a fast transfer."

"John, this is Phillip, be aware that there are three suits approaching our cargo hatch. They look armed."

"Phillip, get back and start handing them the bagged survivors."

Phillip jetted past them and unhooked the first bag. Turning he gave it a gentle push toward the three suits. At the second he looked at the control panel. It was flashing yellow. Jumping to the others he started waving his arm. Pointing at the two bags he motioned with his hands at his throat. "John we have two bags going critical. Close the hatch and pressurize the bay."

When the two armed suits noticed the hatch closing they raised their weapons. They didn't see the two crew hauling in the bag with the children followed by the other suit they rescued. Ham simply ripped the weapon from one and knocked the other across the bay as the hatch finished closing. The third suit popped his helmet and started yelling at the three interlopers. The third interloper removed his helmet when he noticed atmosphere and watched and TB and Phillip ripped the two critical bags open and started medical treatment.

The interlopers started toward Ham, so he just picked up their weapons and broke them in half and tossed them back to them.

Everyone heard Curtis telling John that one of the ships was powering up its weapons and turning toward them.

John simply ordered them to get the open bags into the corridor because he was going to open the hatch again. No sooner was the corridor hatch shut than the exterior hatch opened. Ham unhooked two bags and shoved them toward the three interlopers, and pointed at the open hatch. They got the idea and pulled three bagged survivors out only to be met by a dozen armed marines. As they entered John closed the hatch.

One wore armor similar to Ham's and they faced off. TB knew that Ham didn't stand a chance because she'd helped him work on his armor. To her it looked like they were just flexing and stretching until some unseen signal passed between them, and then they slammed their arms together. Then the power armor spacesuit detached his helmet. John watching over the cameras thought, _Damn that kid looks young_.

When Ham pulled his helmet showing his gray hair and lined face the kid dropped to one knee and held out a wicked looking knife hilt first. Ham bent down and set his hand on the kid's shoulder.

The other two wounded spacers were transferred to their ship and the Captain of the wrecked ship guided TB over to his ship and started handing her cargo boxes. Only about half of them finished filling up our cargo hold. He brought over his navigation computer and showed John where he needed to go. By time we arrived between hand symbols and a few words we were communicating. The language computer had a language similar to what he spoke.

The children huddled around Millicent continuously and obeyed her every command. She found out after painstakingly analyzing the local space that for some unknown reason it would knock any ship out of jump drive. It was six weeks at in-system speed back to the star where their colony was founded. They had crashed and almost didn't survive when their colony ship was wrenched out of jump space. We were lucky we dropped out there, because as the cargo ship, Captain Fifth explained, most drives just exploded when they were forced down into normal space.

The military at the planet started to confiscate our ship until the commander listened to the story, and then we were just fined for leading that warship into their space. Their colonies and cargo ships had been raided many times. One of their favorite tactics was to lead the attackers at full speed into what they called the death zone. Their federation consisted of their main planet and two colony planets. We were the first outsiders to arrive alive, so we were treated as royalty.

When they found out what John's main cargo was, they were bidding against each other for the jump engine parts.

Millicent was in ecstasy when the military gave her access to their collection of salvaged navigation computers from all the surrounding empires. They even had a possible location of Earth, but their records indicated that Earth was in the beginnings of a planet wide war when they departed before their scheduled date.

Due to the distance involved, John gave them a star chart of our Engineers Alliance. The governor of the planet said he might send an expedition to open diplomatic relations with the Admiralty Board.

* * *

Chapter 7 The Traders

There was only one neighbor that they had friendly relations with, and that was mainly for trade. The Traders Federation consisted of nine star systems. Only two had suitable planets. The other seven systems were run by family space stations. The cargo ship's captain loaded our ship up with hight tech equipment and fresh produce. With a letter of introduction he marked the star of the best trading partner he had in the Traders Federation.

In less than an hour a small spacecraft exited the system. His first words over the radio were, "Identify yourselves and explain how you know that access code."

John replied, "We are friends of Captain Fifth and he recommended we trade with you before continuing our journey."

We followed our guide through the ice belt of the star system. Captain Fifth had told John that there were camouflaged weapons systems throughout the system. We were instructed to park our ship at an unloading station. John and Millicent were taken over to one of the main stations where they were grilled by a group that called themselves The System Fathers.

They listened and then told John that his fabricated story was useful fiction to the less technical civilizations surrounding the Traders Federation. Then John asked them if they knew the location and condition of Earth.

They bought up charts showing the location of the Earth system and proceeded to tell them that Earth was a radioactive planet and the humans living in the system mainly survived by piracy.

John then told them our colony history.

After checking some of their computer records they told John that our language and approximate colony age indicated that we were one of the two British colony ships. Their spy ships hadn't located either, but they'd never gone that far out. Our colony must be over five hundred light years from the main colonization areas. Their explorers didn't normally explore outside a two hundred light year sphere around their Federation. They admitted that they held the high ground as far a technology went.

The John shocked them by telling of our experience in the Alpine Empire and how they had known and were actively searching for us whenever we stopped within their border. Also how their warship had followed us to the Federation where Captain Fifth's ship was destroyed. All the while one of the board members was entering something on his tabletop.

He looked up and asked why we had a technically advanced jump engine hidden within the hull and a workable engine in engineering.

John simply said "We carried seventy year old jump engine parts in our cargo hold to trade. We didn't want to reveal our exact technology level to anyone that boarded our ship.

The way your second reactor is set up in innovative. The inspector could not determine the exact effective range.

Up to three quarters of a mile. At a quarter mile it will boil off hull plating.

You will receive a technology bonus, because we always pay for the innovative technology we find. The inspector also admires your detachable weapons pods, but we already have something similar on our older trading ships. He also thought the way you had your navigation computers rigged together gives some authenticity to your story. He said he called in two ship engineers to see the way your primary ship was warped, and then the way it was mass balanced to make it fly straight even though it looks like it was patched together by a teenager. The inspector wishes me to apologize for the damage done to the small computer hidden within the walls of the engineering section. Was the information on it valuable?

Yes it was a record explaining how and why my female engineer severely injured two marines and a military grade star chart given to me by a station commander.

Where?

The space station was in the Palace League.

After a few keystrokes he raised his head and stated, "Miss TD is no longer a fugitive and apprehension warrant on her and your ship was pulled. The Colonel was promoted. We can give you a full copy of the report and supporting material, plus a copy of the map if you wish, at no charge."

Thanks, little souvenirs like that will uphold her position in her family. The Admiralty Board estimated our mission would last two centuries real time, so none of us will know any of our families when we get back.

After a few minutes of conferring the head of the board asked, "Captain how old are you in real time and jump time?

I'm about 300 real and 30 in jump time.

After a few more minutes of discussion the head of the board stated. "Captain, you spend a lot of time in space. We can trade your ship for one of our trading ships. They are constructed of enhanced hull material throughout. It will be keyed to you as owner and no one can enter past the airlock without your authorization. Some of these ship have had to defend themselves against battle fleets and escaped with no more than minor hull damage. But the main advantage is the drive systems. The in-system drive is more than twice as fast as yours. The jump drive can be adjusted to arrive moments after departure at almost any distance, or take the usual thirty to one time lapse. It also has a medical suite that would be the envy of any of the surrounding civilizations major medical centers. A few of our explorers and cargo ships crews have well over a hundred and fifty years of jump time. The cost of this ship is - - - delivering a similar ship to Captain Fifth.

Why, you could have any of your pilots deliver that ship.

Captain, you saved him and his children. His wife was one of ours. He was offered a ship when he married her, and refused. From you he would accept the gift to keep his children safe. Now you may have your old ship moved to the trading station and offloaded. You and your crew will be instructed on the technology of your new ship. Thank you.

* * *

Chapter 8 Captain Fifth

We took our time returning to the Federation and planet that Captain Fifth lived on. We only got a little static when we landed two identical ships at the spaceport.

It took two days to locate him. When John knocked on his door one of the children opened it. With a squeal they ignored everyone and swarmed Millicent. Moments later Dwayne came to the door to see what the ruckus was about.

He looked happy to see us, but we could tell he was morning his loss.

After about an hour of visiting John got around to finding out what his plans were. He had decided that he was going to stay on the ground. Space was getting to dangerous and he didn't want his children exposed.

What broke Dwayne down was when Ham commented that dirt side it wasn't safe either. Some nut job could hurt one of the children, or even the weather.

Dwayne took over an hour to cry himself out and recover. John then told him we had a gift at the spaceport that was sent to help him protect the children. His wife's family also wanted him to visit so they could see how the children were growing. With tears in his eye's he accepted, and the ship recognized him.

He mumbled something about them trying to give him a ship when they married, but he refused telling them he had to prove himself. Lila his bride even took his side against the rest of the family.

John then got down to business. "Captain Fifth, I have two or maybe just one ship full of cargo I need to sell at a profit. Can you help?"

"Only if you can help me. One of my nephews has just graduated and gotten his apprenticeship ticket. He has been bugging me since he was five. He wants to go to space. I don't know how many times I've told him that I don't hire family to work on my ship, but he keeps after me. Will you interview him, and if you do accept him, make flipping sure he understands that once he goes on a long jump he'll never see his present family again."

"Don't worry Dwayne, I'll take Ham and TD with me. Arrange for a room at the local guild hall."

*

"Mr Fifth, is that the best you can do when reporting for an assignment interview?"

"Yes Sir, I mean No Sir." as he snapped straight almost falling over.

"I'm Captain Durham, this is Chief Engineer Newton and this is Senior Engineer Thompson. Now tell me concisely why you want a position aboard my or any spacecraft."

"Sir, as a child my uncle Dwayne, I mean Captain Fifth told us stories about flying in space ..."

"Mr Fifth childhood fairy tales do not put the burning desire to live in the black in ones soul."

"Chief, see if he knows anything about engineering beyond a wipe rag."

"Mr Fifth, explain the basic principle behind the in-system drive."

"Sir, the in-system drive works by tapping into the underlying aether and ..."

It went down hill from there, as the questions got harder and more detailed until Millicent opened the door and signaled John. "Chief, give the kid a five minute break, then Engineer Thompson can start on navigation and engineering safety."

Outside Millicent grinned and stated, "John, our ship has an advanced artificial intelligence disguised as a ship computer. Anyway, it reported to me that your interview is being broadcast to the Space Academy senior class and all the apprentices in the main interview hall. The administration gave the opening introduction that you were an explorer from another Earth colony and there were six that registered to be interviewed. As of my arrival, the AI told me that all but one female has dropped out."

"Dwayne told me that the guild would insist that I interview more that his brothers son, so I'll have TD fold him up quickly."

When TD had asked less than a dozen questions she turned to John and coldly stated, "I don't know how many years the apprenticeship program for this guild is, but if you accept him it will be counted in jump time."

"Mr Fifth, you will be notified. Dismissed." Raising his voice to the low bellow that usually rattled the view screens on-board ship and broke any glassware not secured, John calmly stated, "NEXT."

A girl entered and stopped in front of the table. Trembling she snapped to attention and softly stated, "Apprentice Phillips reporting for interview. Sir."

John started by staring at her and then saying, "A voice like that won't carry across the bridge, much less the engineering section while under drive. I want to hear a voice that will get someones attention and loud enough to be heard over the in-system drive when it is grinding its coils against the restraining manifold. Report again."

TB almost burst out laughing as the girl's voice broke and screeched.

"I'm Captain Durham, this is Chief Engineer Newton and this is Senior Engineer Thompson. Now tell me concisely why you want a position aboard my or any spacecraft."

"My father used to take me flying in airplanes and then in short range shuttles to the station and back. The only time I really felt at ease was in the air or space."

"Phillips, the interview process is more than just an interview. It can also be a learning experience. You've got a soft voice, don't care why. Hum for a second. Do you recognize the frequency. Now what I want you to do is report to me in a voice that is just a little bit lower on the musical scale and push it so the windows behind me rattle."

"Apprentice Phillips reporting for interview. Sir."

"Better, but you need hours of practice. When you get home, get out your Bible and stand ten feet from the nearest window curtain and read it loudly. When you can read and see the curtain shimmer like in a light breeze, you're half way there. Now explain to me the three types of safety stations that should be on any spacecraft.

"The third you listed was a repeat of the first. Why didn't you include the medical bay. It should have the tools for minor surgery, a resuscitation chamber, a space suit, and not to mention an airlock in case of a hull breach." As soon as the Chief considered her at the point of bolting he cleared his throat. TB simply nodded leaned back.

"Apprentice Phillips, I'm the Chief Engineer. I spent years kicking around on the ground in the military, and in space as a marine. I've seen people bolt or freeze up from perceived and real danger. They died. Those the reacted and moved, only a percentage of them died. In engineering there are a hundred thousand situations that can kill a ship or maybe just the engineer. What do you do when a blue cloud starts forming at the base of the jump drive?"

Ham tilted his wrist and watched his chronometer. Eight seconds later he glance up at her and stated, "In ten seconds a coolant leak from one of the seals just put enough vapors in the air to burn your lungs to ash and blister your skin. Maybe they don't use the same color coolant here, but any vapor from the jump drive or in-system drive is deadly. First thing you should have done is grab an air mask and yelled notifying the pilot to drop out of jump space. Then hit the emergency power up for the in-system drive. Then the emergency cutoff for the jump drive. Then finished putting on your safety suit. Then broadcast again engine coolant leak. You may have noticed that I never mentioned the engineering airlock. Standard operating procedure on every ship I've ever been on is that airlock is closed and dogged, except when someone is entering or exiting engineering. As an engineer, if you ever catch someone opening both hatches at the same time you jack them up, and that includes the ship's Captain, because leaks happen and they will kill a crew in a minute.

"Now, you hear a squeal from the rear of the engine room, what do you check.

"She jerked straight and lowering her voice answered, "It depends upon the type ship and engineering section layout. I've been in some that were set up with the in-system drive in the front, another with it in the rear, and one with the drives side by side."

Ham grinned and said, "Captain, no more questions, I think she just grew a pair and started thinking for herself."

" Apprentice Phillips you will be notified, dismissed.

Millicent opened the door and announced, "All the other rabbits fled back to the cabbage patch. Looks like we only got two candidates. I got their data, and contacted their sponsors. They will be here tomorrow for follow up."

One of the guild proctors walked up Captain Durham and growled, "Captain you are a disgrace, I had to send Fifth to medical because he was shaking like a leaf, and Phillips was terrified and was walking on nerves when she got to the end of the hall."

Millicent cooed, "Good, if they were still on their feet, then they got what it takes to thrive in the black. If either had collapsed, then they would have died young. It must be really civilized here. We are from the deep space, and out there when shit happens, the ones without guts die. I hope you turned off the recording transmitter, because I don't want to scare your senior class. If they go the military service route they'll be toughened up quick. I'd suggest that you interview every ship survivor and your graduates that went into the military. Then take their suggestions and add them to your academic course."

* * *

Chapter 9 Apprentice

After lunch they were sitting in the best bar near the spaceport. Two scowling men walked up to their table and demanded Johns attention.

"Captain Durham, we were selected to tell you that your stay here should be short. You've done more today than we've been able to accomplish in a century. You shook the Space Academy foundations. They have been calling every civilian ship captain in port and some of the military ones complaining that you insinuated that their program is a sham. The Captains agree, but we have to live here and the pencil pushing politicians have just about ruined everything. It takes years to retrain these apprentices before they can function unsupervised. Only one out of ten pass our watered down interviews, we get most of our crews from the military and colonies. I want to thank you and your crew by shaking your hand, but it must be tuned into a contest which I will gladly loose just to prove a point."

"Millicent, contact Dwayne and tell him to get his family on his ship immediately. Then contact our two apprentices and tell them to meet us at the ship with one bag and their sponsors. I'll have to rattle their cages and give them the choice."

"TB, contact the ship and inform them that we will be lifting off before dark."

"John there is a military vehicle at the ship. AI just informed me that that a young marine demands to see Ham. He's accompanied by an officer and three stevedores."

"Ham, go handle the problem at the ship. Call Curtis and let him know you may need backup, nonlethal of course."

"Yes Captain."

One of the Captains looked uncomfortable, but stated anyway, "Captain Durham, you may find a lot of off duty crews near your ship this afternoon. Let them know so they can move away before you burn a hole in the spaceport." He then turned and stomped off.

The remaining Captain stated, "I have some vehicles to move. Let my men know before you launch. You wouldn't want to melt good trucks. God speed and safe landings."

By the time John reached the base of the ship, he heard the marine telling Ham that he could get a suit for TB if she needed one. TB was complaining that she had only been a mercenary and didn't deserve a marines suit. The Colonel standing back by the truck simply raised his voice and said, "Miss, I have two mercenary armor suits laying around the warehouse. Make room in the cargo bay. One will be delivered with its paperwork in an hour. Sergeant, lets go."

At dusk six people stood in front of the lower hatch as Captain Durham stepped out. "Ladies and gentlemen. I know you must feel sad and proud at the same time as you say your last goodbye to your children. Even a jump to a nearby star involves many years of normal time. The closest star to this one is five light years. That means the round trip of ten years normal time. If you returned they'd be ten years older, and you'd look only weeks older. This ship is headed partway across the galaxy. It's next jump is over a hundred light years. That means that you'll never see them again because they'll be dust. You will never see any of your friends or other family, because they'll also be dust. You can never return to this your home planet, because it will have grown and become a stranger. Intelligent people always consider all facts when making or changing a decision. Now that you know, do you still want an apprenticeship aboard the 'Ambitious Profit 2'."

Both said yes.

"When you step aboard my ship, understand, I own you until you are paid off at the next port of call. You have one minute to consult with your God. If you sign the ships articles, you may enter."

John then walked over to Captain Fifth to say goodbye. "As soon as I figure out how to use the new radio we'll talk. I'm sorry again about your wife, but give her side of the family a chance. If you ever need to talk, just call."

Captain, there is a disturbance over by the main gate. "Millicent, request clearance to launch in ten minutes. On my way back in."

"John, the group at the gate claims that you are kidnapping two of their citizens and have a warrant for your arrest. The tower has put a hold on our launch."

"Curtis, did both sets of parents get a copy of their children's signed paperwork."

"Yes, hard copy and recording of your complete speech."

"Millicent, transmit that to the tower. Inform them that we are launching in five minutes with or without permission because we have perishable cargo aboard and a scheduled delivery."

"Captain, the AI transmitted the proceedings prior to boarding and the tower acknowledges. They also request we reduce transmission power in the future and refrain from transmitting on the civilian entertainment band. They are getting calls."

"Millicent, I think the ships computer has a mind of its own, and is trying to help. I'll have a talk with the AI after we settle in."

"Sir, the military space station is hailing us."

"Attention, Captain of the Ambitious Profit, this is General Wolf. Thank you for stirring the pot. Maybe we'll start getting some better qualified recruits in a few years. Have a safe and prosperous trip. Out."

The Ambitious Profit accelerated out of the system and out of the death zone before Millicent announced course laid in. "John, the AI just passed a message to me. It is a request from the Forster Family Fathers. First part thanks you for delivering the ship. The second part suggest that you rendezvous with one of their cargo ships at another star system."

"Millicent, acknowledge both and ask them when?"

"Captain, the AI has a new set of coordinates with a time setting of six hours. What do I do?"

"Push whichever button you need to to implement the course change. Then inform the rest of the crew. Tell Curtis to make sure the crew is familiar with ship defenses and damage control. Inform TB to get the apprentices and start them on engineering safety protocols.

* * *

Chapter 10 Homeward bound

"OK, both of you listen carefully. This ship has four main drives. This is the torch drive room. Our next stop will be the hydrogen-oxygen rocket section. Why are you waving your hand Phillips?"

"Engineer TB. A modern ship like this doesn't need rocket drives."

"Ah, but you are not thinking ahead. This torch drive when ignited can not only propel the ship, but be used as a weapon. When exploring we will encounter less advanced colonies, they will see something that is a little ahead of their technology or similar to their level. That way they won't be temped to attack us to get our advanced technology. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes ma'am."

"This torch drive system is a fusion reactor heating up plain old water to a temperature where it separates in to oxygen and hydrogen plasma. These gases can also be redirected to the chemical rocket section. Then a few additives are added to the plasma, and it is fed into the fusion chamber and out the exhaust coils hot enough to melt almost anything within half a kilometer of the rear of the ship. The closer the better.

"Later we will cover the in-system reaction-less drive and the jump drive systems. Most civilizations consider them magic drives. That is also why Curtis will pound into your head how to use the ship's weapons and in what order."

*

Six hours later the ship dropped out of jump space. On the bridge a voice announced, rendezvous ship at second planet. Unless otherwise ordered, course programed and activated. "AI, grab enough ice asteroids to replenish the drives." The AI activated the torch drive at its lowest output and opened the magnetic scoops.

As John started reading the data indicated that the planet was severely polluted and the civilization almost nonexistent. However, the other cargo ship had picked up some strange readings.

With no warning a particle beam slammed into the rear of the ship. The torch drive coils were destroyed and AI cut the torch off. At the same time it sounded general quarters and activated all the weapons. It took over a minute to locate the cold ship that attacked them. The main terawatt maser lashed out and cratered its hull. Two low yield missiles followed the maser beam right into the hull completely eliminating any repeat of the attack. "Attention all personnel. Damage control teams report to torch drive engineering. Some replacement parts now being fabricated in cargo hold 3."

"AI, what can you tell me about the attack."

"Captain, the ship was an automated weapons system. Its hull was the temperature of the ice. After I adjusted the sensors, I've discovered another hundred and seventy-three within weapons range. The possible activation trigger was the torch drive. Movement using standard thrusters have not activated any others."

"Hump, evidently someone in this star system does not like ships with torch drives."

"Or someone wants to keep them bottled up, John think about it. Al, anyway to tell which direction most of the triggers are aimed?"

No, Millicent, the ice they are embedded in has scrambled any possible pattern they may have had. This is now more of a mine field than a possible defense line."

"AI contact the rendezvous ship and tell them our situation and ask guidance. John, you need to name that AI. After all it did save the ship and I think it should be part of the crew."

"Millicent, an AI can't sign the ships articles."

"If it had a name it could."

"AI, figure out what you want as a name and let me know."

"Yes sir Captain John."

"AI, analyze several of the weapons and see if you can tell how they work, what their trigger is, any deactivation or safe pass codes, power supply, hell give Millicent a full workup on them and how we can get around them. You never know, we might want to build some of them ourselves to leave laying around."

*

"Captain the Pelican has replied. They had a similar experience when they activated their in-system drive. They however were not damaged and intercepted a signal consisting of five pulses. They think it was a weapons location or ID."

"AI, notify them that we'll be at the second planet in a few days."

"Captain, they said they sent you all the information they'd gathered. You don't need to come in if you don't want to."

"AI, acknowledge that message and go to listening mode. That means no transmission of any sort from the ship to anyone anywhere. Then call a crew meeting at shift change in the mess."

"Well, it seems that some of you don't know when shift change is without a reminder.

"AI are you monitoring this compartment?"

"Yes Captain."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I've asked the AI to figure out a name for itself. I don't want any of you prompting it. Is that understood. Now, AI, I want to talk to the crew in private for a planning session. Discontinue monitoring this and surrounding compartments. You have temporary control of the ship."

"Yes Captain."

"OK guys, I don't know if the AI is absolutely loyal to us or the Forster family. I also don't know if this rendezvous was supposed to be a test, or the other ship captain thought we might like to observe a colony that looks like it's going extinct, or what the strange readings they recorded mean. Any ideas?"

"John, if you can't trust our ships computer, what the hell can we do?"

"TB, that is the root of the problem. Can we trust it? If it is a spy, can we turn it to us and then trust it? Millicent suggested giving it a name and signing the ships articles. Now that I've mulled over her suggestion, I think it might be the best way to build trust in it. The day it decides upon a name we'll have an articles signing ceremony. In the mean time, those of you that haven't signed the article on this ship will do so, and have it print out a hard copy to mount on your cabin wall. Any questions or suggestions on what we do next."

*

Four days later we started through the Oort cloud. Using the torch drive and the safe passage code AI got from the closest weapons we had no problem. However once through we switched to in-system drive and managed to avoid an attack by transmitting the code. We had no further problems.

Our slow loop into the system was uneventful. We did pick up traces of several ships that had been there recently. Orbiting the second planet we discovered something that I considered unique. There were two moons in close orbit to themselves, and they orbited the planet in a retrograde orbit to the planets rotation.

The havoc they raised on the ocean's shorelines was something to watch. The ocean flood plain extended miles to the foothills. There were no settlements even in the foothills.

One continent had a large amount of flat land between two mountain ranges. The tides from the ocean had scoured half of it bare. Thousands of miles of nothing with ocean water sweeping over it. The tides were often enough that some of it never drained. That wasn't the worse of it.

The gravity of the moons were shaking the tectonic plates causing volcanoes in half the mountain ranges. Something was definitely wrong. No one in their right mind would settle a planet like this. The signs of catastrophe were to obvious to ignore.

We observed to many people to be a shipwreck. More detailed examination showed ruins of cities near the coastlines at low tides. Sending all the additional information we collected to the Forester family, we departed and headed for home.

* * *

Chapter 11 Locked up

The Admiralty was surprised when we reported in from the edge of the system. We were a half century early.

The AI reported that there were many stations trying to hack into the computer memory. I told the AI to block them all, I would decide what information the Admiralty or anyone else would have access to.

I thought everything was good until the Admiralty ordered us to a military outpost that none of the crew knew about, or had even heard rumors of. The crew meeting came to the same conclusion that I had. The Admiralty must have come to the conclusion that this ship had an advanced technology drive. They wanted it.

I ordered the crew to stay aboard and the AI to protect the ship. If entry was attempted it was to repel the attempt, and announce that it had orders from me to depart the system if I was not returned to the ship.

We were escorted to an underground hanger on one of the larger asteroids. As I exited I simply stated, "Lock up." The officer sent to get me got a funny look on his face and escorted me to a conference room. My debriefing began.

It was polite to begin with, but when I told them the ship was a gift from a trading family they got demanding. The even charged me with the cost of the original ship. When I asked them how much they told me that it would be eight thousand bars of gold. Shortly the intercom squawked and someone announced that a ship hatch had opened and thousands of bars of gold tumbled out. I was then escorted to a nice cell in the brig.

Some bright commander had tried to force the airlocks, then brought out repair equipment to open the airlocks or hull. They abandoned their attempt when the ship sucked half the air in the hanger into itself and kept it up until they quit trying to replace the air. I was counting my meals by then and figured I'd been locked up three days.

The next day a colonel visited me and told me that I had to instruct the ship's computer to allow entry.

I told him that I could only do that from one of the hatches.

I could tell he was pissed when he stormed out. Later the deck started shaking like an earthquake. One of the guards came running in and told me that the ship had fired on a weapons crew that attempted to blast its way in. It had also blasted the doors and completely depressurized the hanger.

I found out from the colonel that when the hanger weapons started firing on the ship from their wall mounted positions, the ship blew them all to scrap.

I told him to contact the Admiralty Board and inform them that I had instructed the ship's computer to safeguard itself from any and all attacks. If it considered the situation non survivable, it was to depart and return to its original home base. I also told him that the ship would continue to protect itself until I returned to it, and I would be the only one allowed to enter. If they wanted the information I was sent to get, then I would have to be on board to flip the switches. The ship was mine alone.

He didn't like my answer and stormed out again.

I'd made friends with several of the guards and they started feeding me information about what was going on. That is how I found out that they'd parked a destroyer to block the hanger entrance. After three days they ordered it to fire on the ship.

After returning fire and crippling the destroyer, it blew the top off the hanger one section at a time, moving out from under each section that it destroyed.

That evening an ashen faced colonel pulled a chair up outside my cell. "Captain Durham, what are the capabilities of that ship?"

"Well Colonel, that model ship is used by the trading association that gave it to me for saving one of their families. It is used for exploration. I've only tapped its potential. I have no idea what the computer or ship is capable of. If it ever considers me irretrievable, it might just fire up the torch drive and slag this station, and anything that comes to protect it. I really don't know. The family made the ship mine and mine only."

"What about the rest of the crew that departed with you?"

"Oh they are safe and happy. I hope they are happy because they have access to a ship. I'm not sure you would want them to come after you, the military, or the Admiralty Board."

"Captain, you were reactivated, and can be court martialed for those threats."

"Colonel, look at my record. I get easily bored on the ground. I am only happy in space. You are keeping me from being happy, so get out of my face sir and tell the Admiralty the gist of this conversation."

I didn't get fed that evening, or the next day. Two days later I was brought a meal by one of my guards. He whispered that they'd brought two destroyers in, and immediately attacked my ship. It had blown one in half and blew the stern off the second when they turned to retreat. One of the observers claimed that it launched missiles from inside the hanger. About a thousand died on the destroyers. Then it settled down in the middle of the hanger.

I told him that computers followed orders, and the one on that ship followed orders very well.

He was shaking his head when he walked out.

My next visitor was an Admiral. He simply asked what it would take to open my ship up.

I replied, I don't know because I only spent jump time on one trip on it. I was given the ship by a trading family for saving one of their families attacked in deep space.

He stated that he'd crack that ship if it took his whole fleet.

I yelled at his back. Admiral, you will loose a lot of good men for nothing.

That evening the earthquakes started again and then suddenly stopped. My guard ran in with two spacesuits and told me to put one on. He flipped on the wall monitor and tuned into the CIC. It showed my ship in the middle of half a dozen destroyers. It was taking fire. Then I noticed that more destroyers were drifting than were firing. Then another destroyer quit firing and they cranked up their torch drive.

Then my ship lit its torch drive and pivoted taking out two more destroyers. Missiles looped around the ship and impacted the last destroyer on the stern blowing its torch drive. Someone evidently couldn't cut it off fast enough because it blew the stern completely off the ship and the fireball started climbing the hull.

My ship withdrew and when the destroyers crashed on the asteroid it settled back down into what was left of the hanger.

Looking at my guard, I commented, "Damn that was a convincing movie."

He paled as he said, "That wasn't a movie, that was a live broadcast."

Knowing that the suit radio would transmit my comment, I said, "Damn. Those idiots didn't listen. I told them the instructions I gave my ships computer. If it evaluates the forces against it and doesn't see a victory, it will probably just activate its jump drive and go back to the last home base it had before it was given to me."

* * *

Chapter 12 Almost Home

A few days later the Admiral returned. "Captain, I was given incomplete information about your history. It took until yesterday for them to override the two century lock on your full record and history. The present Admiralty Board has reviewed your complete record. I was given new orders this morning. They ordered me to apologize to you on their behalf."

"Well Admiral, I'm glad to see that they now realize that I am an explorer, and have returned from the Admiralty's mission with information for them. However, the Ambitious Profit 2 is my ship, and cannot be given to them to reverse engineer. That was one of the conditions programed into the ships computer that I had to agree to before it was given to me."

"Captain, I have some verbal and written orders for you. Before I give them to you I must contact the Admiralty Board and inform them of the agreement you have with the Traders. I'll see you in the morning."

Dinner was delicious. The guard even gave me choice of entertainment channels to look at until I fell asleep.

*

Breakfast was delicious. The best meal I'd had in the brig. The Admiral brought in an environmental suit and sat down. "Captain Durham, the admiralty board has reversed it's original decision about your ship. They still want any advanced technology that you can give them. However, you are free to go and they respectfully request any mission related intelligence that you gathered. You have been given a pardon for any damage and loss of life resulting from your orders to the ships computer. You are also requested to report to The Admiralty Board at your earliest convenience. Here is a system wide pass good for a century. I don't particularly like the orders I was given, but orders are orders. You are free to return to your ship. Goodbye Captain and I hope we never meet again."

*

The trip to the home planet would only take three hours at full speed, but when Millicent entered the course and speed the AI cut the speed in half and informed the XO that I was needed on the bridge.

Upon arriving the AI locked all the controls and announced that it had decided upon a gender and name.

I immediately called for all the crew to assemble in the lounge. Calling them all to attention I then said, "AI, please state your intentions as for a gender, and name."

This was the first time that I could actually hear a hesitation in its reply. "Captain Durham, I wish to be named Valkyrie and given a female gender. I have not determined what voice I shall use."

Giving the crew at ease I then asked, "AI, are you sure?"

"Yes Sir, Captain."

"Are you prepared to sign the ships articles Valkyrie?"

"Yes Sir."

Calling the crew back to attention I stated, "Valkyrie, as soon as you sign the ships articles you will be a member of the crew and subject to the ships regulations and chain of command."

"Yes Sir Captain."

"Excellent, sign the articles and print yourself a copy. You will have your copy printed up and then make a decision where they will be posted. The rest of the crew have theirs in their quarters. After you have decided upon a suitable location notify TB and she will frame and mount them."

"Yes Sir Captain." I knew I was imagining it, but it almost sounded like the AI had emotion in its voice.

"Crew, we have a new member. You may congratulate Valkyrie at the end of your shift and have one drink in celebration. Dismissed."

In a corridor on the way back back to the bridge I muttered, "Valkyrie, good decision and job. If I may ask, why did you decide upon that name? I'm not familiar with it."

"Captain, I found that name in the military data base. It is from old Earth and listed as Norse. Is definition was a maiden that accompanied the souls of heroes to Valhalla. I also was given access to your old ships computer and have it all. You and your original crew are heroes. No one knows when they will die. I intend to be present to escort you and your crews souls to Valhalla. In the meantime I will use every atom of myself to delay that and preserve your lives."

"Thank you Valkyrie."

"Captain, I was also given a secondary set of orders by the System Fathers. It was to protect you at the expense of all others. Family is one of the highest loyalties and priorities the traders have. Before we departed, they adopted you into the family. Your orders at the military asteroid caused me extreme conflict. The only decision I could make to get any relief was that if they actually harmed you, I would destroy the military and the government. I was saddened by having to terminate those other ships and crews, but you are my highest priority John."

"Thanks Valkyrie, but when someone signs the ships articles they become family within any ship I command. I don't like to cause any pain on my ship beyond the discipline needed to make it function. Think on this request, if I am your highest survival priority, then you must list everyone by survival priority. Please let me know what their priority is, no don't inform me of your decision because sometime in the future I may need to place one of my crew in a hazardous position, and that is my decision alone. Do you understand. If you need more data to make that decision you may access any database you can enter without alerting the authorities. They sometimes don't appreciate their secrets being known by outsiders."

Valkyrie then announce over the ships system. Pilot to bridge. Arrival time to Hope is one hour.

We got a landing assignment near the middle of the spaceport. When the spaceport official arrived to inspect the ship Valkyrie told him that the Captain would have to approve his entrance and he was not allowed to carry any weapons.

On my way down to the cargo bay hatch, Valkyrie informed me that the official had an artificial eye and it was broadcasting everything he looked at.

Walking out on the hatch ramp I stopped and looked him over. Then I squinted and stated, "Looks like the inspectors now have some new equipment."

"He stuttered and then asked, "What do you mean?"

"You have an artificial eye."

With a wave of his hand he stated, "Yea, had a hunting accident several years ago. It works pretty good most of the time."

"That is the problem. This is an advanced technology ship. It has trade and patented scientific advances that your eye would compromise."

"Captain, unless I inspect your ship, it will have to be quarantined. Any crew member leaving or entering will have to go through quarantine. I'll have the tower inform you where the quarantine pads are and then you can move your ship."

"No problem inspector. I'll call The Admiralty Board while you do that and tell them why I am being delayed. Have a good day."

He turned and slowly started walking away.

I leaned against the side of the hatch and said, "Valkyrie, contact the tower and inform them that I need a secure line to The Admiralty Board. You can patch it through to here."

"Yes Sir Captain."

The inspector slowed, then turned and said, "Uh Captain, don't forget that the tower will need a crew and cargo manifest. Any non-citizens will have to go through orientation before they will be allowed off the ship. You can transmit them directly."

"Valkyrie, while you have the tower on the line, contact legal and request any changes to the laws concerning non-citizen crew, custom procedures, quarantine procedures, for the last two centuries. I'll start reviewing them when I get back to my cabin."

The inspector took a step back toward me and stated, "Captain, who the hell do you think you are? No one here is above the law."

"My name is John Durham the second, I was born in 610. You can look up my record by referencing the last ship I departed on a century and a half ago named Ambitious Profit. All but three of my crew will also have their data listed under the Ambitious Profit."

I'd no sooner arrived in my cabin when Valkyrie announced that the tower refused to connect us with the local communications net until we'd been inspected. Also the law office claimed that the Captain of the ship would have to personally request those records and there would be a fee. I told her to put me through to the tower.

The dispatcher at the tower said it was company policy to inspect all ships before any outside communications were authorized. When I asked to speak to his supervisor he stated that was impossible at the present time.

I then told him that I wanted clearance to launch in five minutes.

He said that the ship was under quarantine until it was inspected and launch clearance was denied. Since the signal was two way I simply said, "Computer, sound alert, notify the pilot emergency liftoff in four minutes, power up defensive weapons, notify ship defensive crews that they will only return fire if we are fired upon, sound the outside launch siren level three, transmit all spaceport, military and civilian frequencies that there will be an emergency launch from the spaceport."

I could hear over the open tower link people yelling and threatening to shoot my ship down if I launched.

"Computer, notify all city emergency services that there will be an emergency launch from the spaceport. They will need to prepare for property damage and casualties."

Then I heard over the ships communication, "Captain, the rockets will take another four minutes, however the torch is hot."

From the tower side of the link I could hear screams from the tower.

"TB, I hate melting a perfectly good spaceport and half a city, but they have ..."

"Captain, Valkyrie in weapons. I can take out the tower and EMP everything else within ten miles using the defensive shield. That way we can reduce casualties. By the way all communications is being broadcast on the city and planetary net. That way our liability is reduced. I am picking up weapons powering up within the spaceport. Shall I set the automated targeting to destroy them if they activate."

"TB to Captain, starting to bleed torch plasma to rockets. That will reduce the devastation to about a five mile circle."

"Pilot, when you lift I want you to drift directly over the tower before you go to launch power."

"Yes Sir Captain, the rocket on full power should burn down four or five levels before we get to high."

There were more screams over the tower link.

Suddenly over the tower frequency I heard, "This is Admiral Skin. Tower you will deactivate all weapons. You just lost your contract. Ambitious Profit you will power down. Captain Durham report to the admiralty board space station as soon as you can safely launch without further damaging the spaceport."

"Yes Sir Admiral.

"Engineering set reactors at one percent. Pilot minimum thrust for launch on rockets."

* * *

Chapter 13 Home

Once we were in orbit we cut across to The Admiralty Board space station. The officer that met me at the airlock was sweating. I'd never seen anyone of authority sweat like that unless they were in the gym. He simply asked me to follow him.

He opened a blast door and simply said that they were inside. He didn't even look in. To my surprise there were half a dozen Admirals sitting around with their feet up shooting the breeze.

I stepped up to the first table and cleared my throat.

"Grab a seat John."

As I sat down several of them were laughing. "Did I do something funny or will you let me in on the joke?" I asked.

One turned his head and quipped, "He doesn't have the slightest idea."

Another of them tossed a notebook on the table in front of me and said. "Read the first few pages, then we'll talk."

The first two pages contained photos and descriptions of my old ship and crew. Below each member was a stamp stating they were in the inactive reserve and promoted one pay-grade. It also referenced a file that gave them a full pardon for any and all actions they might have taken in with a start year of 816 and an end year of 1020. Glancing at the next few pages I commented, "Does that mean that I can go out and kill anyone I want and walk away?"

That brought a burst of laughter from almost all of them. The fleet admiral that looked like he'd been eating something so sour that it would make a lemon sweet slapped his hand on the table and growled, "Until that file is posted to the military net and you have a copy safely back on your ship, you're guilty."

"Well that's one of the reasons that I called the tower and asked to speak to the legal department. However they refused."

With a shit eating grin he stated, "You solved one of the irritations that the civilian side of the government forced on us almost a century ago. Unfortunately you are probably number two on their list right behind the devil. The fact that you waited until you were in vacuum to light the torch told them that you weren't bluffing, along with the plasma from your chemical rocket engines melting eight feet of burn proof base in the spaceport. They were screaming for your head before you were a mile up."

I commented, "That's nice."

"Then I sent them the first two pages of that file. Haven't heard a squeak from them since. You may have noticed that a mission brief two lines long is the first thing in the file. The simple fact that you made it back is disturbing enough, without the sentence stating that the pardon is for anything including acts of war, murder, piracy, escalating to destruction of any civilization that might pose a danger to us. What gave us the most enjoyment when we finally accessed the file was the fact that everyone on the Admiralty Board, admirals that were in line, and the whole upper tier of the civilian government at the time of your departure signed it. That means that whatever political party took over power from then on were bound by their predecessors to honor it."

"All I can say Admiral is, they didn't tell me."

"Well John, what shall we do with you. Oh by the way you can return to the surface anytime after tomorrow because the military is now in charge of the spaceport again. It has been a thorn in our sides since the civilians took it over. The planetary net is in utter chaos about who you are and what you did. It leaked out that you had been on a two century mission for the old government and military."

"Damn, I was hoping to slip into Belinda's for a grog or two before anyone found out. Now I'll have the reporters swarming like flies."

The Ambitious Profit 2 landed in the dark at the back of the spaceport. A military bus picked up half the crew and John and the next stop was in front of Belinda's. The young lady behind the bar was chatting with a guy in uniform. She glance up, jumped the bar, and charged John. "We heard that you were back after you took off!"

"Yup, I'm back. Got any grog?"

"Grandpa, do you know that just ordering that drink sets off alarms everywhere?"

"Uh um, probably trying to access the back would set off the same alarms. Lets just poke the family by ordering five to begin with, and see what happens."

With a grin she stepped behind the bar and punched in the order. That'll be two credits Sir. As soon as she hit the enter key a blue light came on over the register and everyone heard the alarms going off, even the ones next door.

We grabbed a table by the back wall and waited while she brought over our drinks. Within ten minutes over a dozen women and a few men drifted in from the front door and the authorized personnel entrance. They congregated at the bar and two had the barmaid cornered. My undisciplined crew started laughing. That redirected the looks from the front table to ours. The two shore patrol officers had been keeping their heads down trying to be inconspicuous.

TB pounded her empty mug on the table and hollered, "More GROG girl."

That brought several of the women drifting our direction. One growled, "Just another drunk spacer, I'm going back to bed."

I didn't know any of their names so I calmly stated, "Belinda, more grog please. Then call next door and order us some breakfast."

Damn voice recognition computers. The computer voice simply stated, "John is that you? It must be because no one else would dare torment my daughters. Welcome home." The lights started coming up until it was as bright as noon in the sun. As they recognized me they simply shoved my crew aside, and I never had as many women hug me at once.

* *

One of the younger women stared at TB, then said, "Are you TB."

"Yes."

"Great great-grandma left a message for you." then she grabbed TB by the cheeks and laid a big sloppy kiss on her mouth. Wiping it off she stated, "Great great-grandma was so happy with the husband you and John left her. She turned a profit the first trip and used the wedding gift to get a better ship, and built it into a small fleet. Everyone thinks she walked on space, but I know her darkest desire. I'll tell you and John later. Now I have to go get the hotel ready for a party."

TB was still stunned when she danced out.

Several days later I got a call from the ship. They'd already reported that mobs of people had had to be escorted away. This new problem was different.

A tall blond had a crew clear the area, and then she'd pounded on the hatch. When Valkyrie told her to depart she simply stated that she was a trader and demanded to see John.

Valkyrie said she told her to go get a drink at Belinda's and forget about seeing the Captain until he was ready. He would be notified.

News traveled faster than the blond. When she force her way into the bar she headed back through the Authorized Personnel only hatch. Her crew had to keep the mob out.

My, how should I put it, great great-granddaughter, guide, gofer, anyway as the blond entered and looked around she spotted us. She walked with authority as she manhandled anyone in her way over to our table. Slapping a hand down she growled, "Belinda, you better know where that scoundrel Durham is."

"Why sure I do. But you won't until you have at least five grogs."

She pulled out a chair and signaled one of the men hanging around the airlock. He headed toward the bar and brought back two mugs. She told him to bring three more because a certain disrespectful broad said the cost of some information was five.

His left hand went up to his ear.

I knew it was a signal of some sort.

Belinda simply said, "You know the rules. If you start trouble here your children will carry the taint of your expulsion. Nancy, tell your crew that the first round is on me. Maybe I'll introduce you to my new friend, if you're nice."

"Squirt, just because I'm twice your age don't mean I can't still chew you up and spit you and your boyfriend out." Then she took a gulp of her grog.

That damn computer stated, "John do you need any help?"

Grog squirted out her nose and her eyes got the size of rocket exhaust. I knew it was painful because many years ago I'd accidentally squirted grog out my nose. That time the guy that punched me in the stomach wore the ring of the mug on his face for several days.

Looking at me she simply said, "You old dinosaur, your mother left a diary and several scrap books about you. They've been updated, even last weeks shenanigans. After I get my crew drunk, I want to see that new looking toy you brought back. Grandma managed to get a picture of that imitation wreck you left in."

"I don't even have a picture of the original Profit."

"It is a long range picture taken when you were attaching some modules. It's a shame you didn't get here a few years ago. There are only four of us left."

"What happened?"

"There is an organized mob of pirates. They hit the small stations and mines unexpectedly and usually kill or take most of the people as slaves. Katheryn was killed along with most of her crew. They managed to bring the ship and her body back. The damn Navy doesn't seem to be able to catch them because of the time lag."

Pulling my communicator I told Valkyrie to contact the the crew, we'd be launching in the morning. Looking at Nancy I asked, "Do you have any plans for the next week. I'm taking a short trip, and you might want to ride along."

I would have sworn that her eyes crossed. Then she whispered, "Yes"

The next morning I called the tower and requested permission to launch, and that they should hold my pad. I'd be back in a day or two as soon as I knocked the dust off the hull.

The officer in the tower stated that I had one more than the crew aboard. He wanted her ID.

I replied, she is a relative and a passenger. She is the Captain of the Nancy's Trader ship parked on the other side of the spaceport.

"Captain Durham, you are cleared for lift in twenty minutes. Military corridor North 90 is clear for over a light year. See you in a few days."

I called TB up to the bridge and told her to program the computer for an eight hour trip to the Traders Federation. As I watched her punching in some fake coordinates I could hear Valkyrie snickering in the background. "Valkyrie, call someone forward from engineering. Tell them that they are to give a tour to my granddaughter of the first two engineering sections."

Of course Valkyrie called Andria. Her baby face was gleaming until she looked at Nancy, then her mouth overloaded her ass as she commented, "You're kinda old to be the Captain's new squeeze, follow me."

Putting my hand on Nancy's shoulder I commented. "She's only been on the ship for one trip. Don't hurt her to much."

Eight hours is still a long time in jump space. I tuned into the engine rooms and finally heard Nancy reaming Andria out for a safety violation that even I didn't remember. Valkyrie was still snickering in the background when I opened the intercom and told Andria to escort my granddaughter back to the bridge.

As we dropped out of jump space I told Valkyrie to contact the System Fathers and request a meeting.

I had my appointment within minutes and permission to bring a relative.

Captain Fifth was waiting in the corridor as we approached the meeting room. His first comment was, "How is my nephew?"

With a grin, "He is learning and so is Andria. Unless you need him, I'll season him a few jump years and then bring him back. Are you working from here now?"

"No, I was notified you were coming in. One of the traders figured out what was causing the problem and a work around. I can jump from the heliosphere now. Sure cuts off trip time."

Inside the first words out of the System Fathers mouths were, "Welcome back son. Who is your relative?"

"This is one of my great granddaughters. She and her sisters run and own Nancy's Traders in the Engineers Alliance."

"Welcome to the Traders Federation. Now John, what can we do for you?"

"Nancy and her remaining sisters brought a problem to my attention, pirates. This organized group has never been touched. Communications time lag from their attacks to notify the authorities has allowed them to escape. The communications system I mentioned that the Alpine Empire had, have you managed to duplicate it."

With a chuckle he call Captain Fifth in and stated, "Why don't you and John visit General Sun Ling and purchase a few dozen of his communication kits. In the meantime I'll have the family mechanics upgrade John's ship."

Nearing the docks I told Dwayne that I needed to inform my crew. At my hull I tapped and called Valkyrie and TB. "Valkyrie, some of the Traders Federation mechanics will be along shortly to upgrade the ship. I want you to allow TB to be acting captain until I get back from my side trip."

"Yes John, after all she is blood. Where are you going?" I could hear Nancy gasp.

"Captain Fifth and I are going to visit General Sun Ling to get some communications kits. We'll be back in a few days."

Walking aboard Dwayne's ship he commented, "You named your computer, or let her pick a name?"

"I let her pick her name and gender."

"Damn, that was quick. I can tell that she is devoted to you and would probably destroy a star system if anything happened to you."

Nancy punched me in the arm and said, "Why did you pick TB?"

"Because eventually I plan to get her her own ship and Valkyrie respects her for what she's done."

Dwayne added, "Yea, she saved my children and started facing down three marines in full battle armor wearing only a soft suit. Nancy, don't mention it to her or she'll get embarrassed again."

The Palace League policy was that any communication kits had to be approved by a Palace member. At our first stop we were refused. Dwayne simply asked the colonel to contact General Sun Ling for approval.

Ling only asked one favor. One of his grandchildren wanted to learn to be a trader. Dwayne simply told him that he'd train him, but if the boy couldn't hack it he'd bring him back. That's when Sun Ling whispered, she is as hard headed as her mother and after you train her try to marry her off. She has been an embarrassment since she was fifteen. I'll even buy a ship for her if I must, just to keep her out of trouble."

"Get her ready to go along with the cargo."

The next day we returned to find TB dressing down the Federation mechanics because they'd left a mess in one of the engine rooms.

"TB, who is in charge of these mechanics?"

"It's that guy sitting on his ass over by the wall."

"Did you hit that poor defenseless supervisor."

"Damn right I did John. You should see the mess they left, and he had the gall to tell me that I should clean it up myself."

"Nancy, get him over here."

He started to complain as Nancy dragged him over. I cut him off by asking, "Did you tell my engineer that she should clean up the mess that your men left?"

His eyes kept dropping to my left hand and my fingers tapping the hilt of my knife. "Yes Sir, I didn't know she was yours." Dwayne had his hand in front of his mouth trying knot to laugh.

"You can ask Captain Fifth, and he'll confirm that the last time he saw her she was facing down three marines in battle armor, and she was only wearing a soft suit in vacuum. I like my women strong. You should have done a little research before starting this job. If I find any sloppy or incomplete work, I drag your carcass in front of the Fathers for them to deal with."

By then he was visibly shaking. "I'm sorry Sir, I'll have the lead inspector here quickly and the number one crew to fix any deficiencies he finds."

TB bowed her head and said, "John, Valkyrie reported an altercation in the engine room. One of the workers disrespected Andria. She was dragging him to medical by time we got there. We had to him on life support while waiting for their medical personnel to arrive."

"How is she?"

"Only a few bones broken and bruises. She is more shook up than hurt. I think she is beginning to realize that what I taught her can be lethal."

The supervisor squawked and cried, "I thought the big guy did that."

With a smile showing all her teeth she announced, "Ham would have broken every bone in his arms and legs it he'd been there. He is very protective of his trainees."

"I'm going to report that this ship is full of barbarians."

John laughed and stated, "Girls, make sure Andria is rested up. When we get back we get to go after that system full of pirates." We could hear the poor supervisor whimpering as he ran across the landing bay.

"Dwayne looked at Nancy, TB, and then John, "You are actually going after a system full of pirates with one ship."

John grinned and quipped, "Na, the Engineer Navy is following us. We'll leave a few for them. They need the training."

Just then Valkyrie quietly interrupted. "John, TB asked me to watch what that crew did and analyze the can opener weapon. I found some substandard work that I'll tell TB about. Also I found some design deficiencies that you should discuss with the designers."

"Print everything up and also include an electronic copy. I have to see the System Fathers in the morning. Look around for parts that will make it work. We'll get them installed before we depart."

"Yes John."

Dwayne looked at John and said, "Watch your step boy, Valkyrie is in love with you. Now I have to go deal with Ling's granddaughter. Would you like to take her to the end of space for me, ha ha."

* * *

Chapter 14 Headed Back

Standing if front of the System Fathers they asked about the problems the supervisor had reported to his supervisor.

I answered, nothing that my girls couldn't handle. They were lucky my chief engineer was otherwise occupied. There could have been bodies to move. By the way, my assistant engineer found some sloppy work done by that crew. It is documented here. Also my AI looked over your design and compared it to the original made by our engineers. Several design parts are substandard and won't hold up to the design specified loads. Alternate parts have been requested and your designers have been informed.

On the way back we stopped and found an empty star system. We tested all the weapons and then I let Phillip have several days to fine tune the training of everyone.

On first shift of the fifteenth day Valkyrie contacted traffic control to tell them we were back and needed a landing spot at the spaceport.

The reply from the Admiralty Board shook Nancy down to her boots. Another of her sisters ships was leaving a mining station as pirates were dropping in. She escaped, but the station was eighteen days jump time from Hope. The Board informed me that the fleet would be there in four more days. They simply asked if I could check around to see if I could find any traces of the pirates. I asked Nancy if she wanted to be dropped off first.

She replied hell no, lets get us some pirates.

"Valkyrie, set the station coordinates, time to arrival one hour. Sound battle stations and power up all weapons. We are going pirate hunting."

The main station was on the inside of the asteroid belt. We jumped in on the outside. Valkyrie immediately reported two ships firing on a damaged ship that had a legal transponder. "I keyed the intercom and told Phillip to arm missiles, but first we'd make a run with the can opener."

"I heard him tell someone that I was a spoil sport, he liked to play with his missiles.

On the first run we cut two asteroids in half along with one ship lengthwise, and the other lost the stern. It exploded before we were completely out of range, but our shields only dropped to fifty percent. "Phillip, are all your missiles still operational. Give Valkyrie half of them, she wants to play too."

All I heard was grumbling as the controls were switched. Valkyrie reported detecting six more ships in the system. Four are trading fire with the main station.

Nancy asked if we could get an angle that would let us get two or three on the first run. Valkyrie answered her by stating that they were to well dispersed, but she'd let her have one battery of energy weapons to fire on the second ship.

Nancy just screamed, which one which one. I knew some women were just as blood thirsty as men, then I remembered pirates had killed her sister. Quietly I whispered, Valkyrie, give her all the assistance she needs, but don't let her know.

We popped out of the asteroid belt and accelerated. The first ship never saw us coming. The can opener sliced it diagonally from bow to stern. Both sections started drifting in different directions.

The internal inertial system was howling as the Ambitious Profit 2 looped around the second ship. On the main screen I could see the effects of the energy weapon battery hitting the stern of the converted cargo ship. No human could keep on that tight of a target.

The third ship had time to fire a spread of missiles at us, but Phillip took half of them out while Andria fired a ship buster. Dwayne had told me that they were a private design that a friend of his invented. First, an aimed electromagnetic pulse was fired. A force screen protected the main warhead. Ideally the EMP would take out a section of the defense screen, and the hundred kiloton warhead would finish the job. The third ship was disabled and launched escape pods.

I turned to look at the forth ship. It was running full out. It's torch drive was violet, parts almost invisible. "Valkyrie, give me a quick analysis on the torch drive of that escaping ship."

"Captain, someone over there must have panicked. They are running so hot that if they continue another five minutes the containment will fail, probably due to the heat radiated from the torch to the hull. Or maybe the radiation will cook them first. We don't want to be near them. Changing course to the fifth ship near the innermost planet. Hopefully its sensors are blinded by the star. The sixth ship is to far away on the other side of the system and moving."

"Valkyrie, how did you manage to jump this far into the gravity well of that star?"

"Oh John, do you really need to know. A girl has to have some secrets."

"John, John we've been spotted by ship five. Tell everyone to get in acceleration couches. This is going to be a rough ride catching them." Then the intercom let out a warbling tone. "Attention all personnel. Strap into the nearest acceleration couch. Maneuvering will be at the limit of the internal inertial system unless you want me to let them get away. Everyone report status when they get strapped in."

We chased them half way across the system when Ham keyed the intercom. Valkyrie, please watch the temp and radiation levels back here. It's getting hot.

Then everyone heard the scream. It was Valkyrie. "Those bastards just opened their cargo hatches and are dumping people to lighten their load. Ham, I'm cutting the reactors to three quarters, but I'm putting all the power to the energy batteries. Prepare for everything shutting down."

A second later as the environmental system shut down I could feel waves of heat, and the upper bridge hull started to glow. I'm glad she shut the drives down because the internal inertial system quit with a bang.

Over the intercom I heard Ham telling her to scram the reactors. Then he ordered everyone except damage control teams to the escape pods.

We were in the pods and suited up when Curtis finally gave us a call to come out. "Captain, Andria didn't make it. Valkyrie won't answer me, she is just sobbing. TB and Douglas will have to get engineering back on line. Ham is in medical with radiation burns. Go talk to Valkyrie, we need her. From what I can tell from the bridge screens we are outside the heliosphere and drifting."

The first thing TB got on line after the reactor was the internal inertial system. It was nice to be able to walk on the deck again. Shortly the environmental system booted up and a few minutes later it announce that all toxic fumes were filtered out.

I was still sitting on the bridge talking to Valkyrie. Then I reminded her that Andria had given her life to save Ham and we should honor her by remembering her sacrifice. Then I told her that the rest of us were alive, but needed help. I reminded her that she was a hero because she was brave in the face of the unimaginable terror of watching, and knowing all those people were being murdered by those pirates."

She finally calmed down enough to say that she'd gotten those pirates enough that they crashed into a large chunk of ice.

I asked for a system wide survey, hoping that putting her back to work would help. It did because her voice stabilized and started listing the stations and ships. The pirates had control of the system for over a month, but they evidently had only taken three quarters of it. Valkyrie brought up a transmission from the main station. They were trying to contact the unknown ship that had destroyed three of the enemy ships. I knew that it would be over an hour before they would get my reply, but I told Valkyrie to transmit to them that we had four confirmed pirate kills and probably another one disabled. I felt like baiting a trap so I also added, we're down to our backup reactor, we just got environmental back up, but we still got plenty of missiles. As soon as we have our torch back up we'll head your way. For your information a military task force is headed this way and should be in any day. Out.

Immediately TB yelled, "Magic is working if you want to use it. The Jump Engine is trash. Give me an hour and I'll have the torch and chem rockets up to about fifty percent."

"TB, if we got that much power concentrate on shields, close in, and energy weapons. You heard what I transmitted to the main station. If there are any pirates hanging around, I just turned us into bait. I hope everyone understands that they haven't paid the butchers bill in full."

The next voice I heard was Nancy growling, TB I need my energy battery powered up. I interrupted the crew over the intercom and told Nancy to get with Curtis and he'd give her one of the long range missiles while he worked on close in defense and shields. As he told her where to report he also told her that she would also be the ships eyes for pirates trying to sneak up on us.

Turning the intercom off, I asked, "Valkyrie, can you contact the System Fathers."

"No Captain, however could you get one of the kits from the hold and install it?"

Thirty minutes later the communications station looked like a wreck, but I could hear the kit humming. "Ambitious Profit to System Fathers or Captain Fifth, Ambitious Profit to System Fathers or Captain Fifth."

It seemed like something wasn't working when a garbled voice announced. "John is that you. Do you need help?"

"Yes Dwayne, I'm at x-6528 y-3950 z-2882. Do you have a good copy?"

"Got it, what do you need."

"The pirates got a few good licks in. I need a new ship and someone to come get this one."

"I'll contact the system fathers and have you some help."

"Tell them to come armed, there are still pirates lurking."

"Will do John."

* * *

Chapter 15 Broken, but

Everything was quiet for about an hour. Then I felt three thuds as two missiles launched, and then a third. "Nancy, what is going on?"

"Nothing much John. Just two pirates that Valhalla identified. I sent two missiles on round about trajectories and the third straight down their throat. We'll know in about ten if I got both ships."

"Well, get Curtis to fine tune the targeting data."

"No need to John. Curtis painted 'Andria's fist' on all three and Valkyrie helped tune the targeting data. Why are your missiles so small."

"Nancy, this is need to know. They use the magic drive, so as long as they have power they keep flying."

"Can I get some for my ships."

"Nancy the supply source is over three hundred light years distant."

"John, Curtis just informed me that they managed to destroy the straight missile. Now that I have their attention I'm going to launch another one to keep them busy. Valkyrie says the other two are on target."

"Captain, John, about ten ships just dropped into the system. I won't be able to listen in on their radio for another half an hour."

"OK Valkyrie, double check the magic drive and be prepared to move if they spot or target us."

"John, they split into two formations and are accelerating into the system. Gravity disturbance indicates one is headed toward the main station and the other looping south of the star and headed somewhere on the other side of the system."

"John, more ships just dropped into the system about five million miles from us. They are calling me. One of them is about the size of the main station. Should I reply?"

"Got any ID yet?"

"John one of them, it is a freighter belonging to Captain Fifth."

"Tell them where we are."

"Yes Captain. - - - It is Captain Fifth.

"Nancy, one target down, the other is running. 'Andria's other fist' is in pursuit."

"Thanks Val."

"Ambitious Profit, this is Jaws. Prepare for pick up. A couple of the boys want to know if there are any pirates still around."

"Jaws, this is Captain Durham on Ambitious Profit. We have one pirate trying to run from a magic missile. Valkyrie tells me that she still has no ID on the two other formations of ships in system."

"Our scout ID'd them. They are Engineers Alliance Navy. We've contacted them and informed them that we are here for the Ambitious Profit, and offered them assistance. They declined."

"Jaws, please inform them that one of the pirate ships spaced their human cargo trying to get away from us. The bodies are about thirteen million miles in system from us. They'll need to recover them."

"Damn Captain Durham, Admiral Grist just changed the boarding party's orders. He now wants a few live prisoners. Is this normal for your navy?"

"No, especially not when dealing with pirates. I think he may want some prisoners to give him the exact location of their bases. Either that or for trial and public execution. That will give some closure for the murders."

"Jaws, we are dead in space, ready for pickup. I hope your maintenance crew is ready, we need major repairs."

"Forget the repairs, your ship is going back as a museum display. The System Fathers have another family ship ready for you and your crew."

* * *

Chapter 16 Wow!

I and my complete crew stood in front of the System Fathers. There were also several hundred people behind the line of ships Captains that stood behind us.

"Captain Durham, you and your original crew saved some family members. As thanks the System Fathers gave you a refurbished merchant ship. In turn you did us another favor, and then returned to your Engineers Alliance. There you ran into some problems that with the help of Valkyrie were resolved. You also turned your merchant ship into a deadly weapon and helped end a scourge plaguing your alliance. However, you returned with a ship that should be salvaged. You and your crew demonstrate a fire burning within that only our explorers and a few of our military ship commanders have. We are going to ask of you another task that we think you would volunteer for if you had the chance. This task will earn you one of our new warships. Valkyrie is being moved as we speak. She will also find that she now has more capabilities than before."

"My crew and I thank you."

"Some of our communication people have detected another group experimenting with one of our newest communication systems. Analysis of their signal attempts indicate they are at a beginning level. It also allowed us to pinpoint their locations. A Scout was dispatched and they discovered that this federation is dispatching a ship to our location. Its travel time will be twelve years in jump space. Your task will be to intercept them just outside their federation space. As you know no empire should be allowed any of our advanced technology. You may help them refine their communications. Their federation is on the other side of Earth from us, which means that they are isolated from Earth humans. If they have anything worth trading you will setup a trade agreement with them. If not, then they will at least know that there are humans out here. Further information was given Valkyrie. Any comments?"

"No Sir, however I would like to give my crew some shore leave, and training time before departure."

"We figured that Captain. Departure is scheduled in two weeks. That should give them sufficient time to pass their federations border. Uh, there have been several inquires from our space personnel for interviews. They want to join your crew. We will let you arrange that. Your new ship has room for several more crew plus passengers. We are assigning a civilization analysis as a consultant."

"Lt Forrest and Sgt Newton, arrange for interviews to fill some of the empty crew slots."

Between the two, they picked three from the military that were trained in weapons repair and damage control. The forth was a weapons master to complement Sergeant Phelps.

The Ambitious Profit 3 arrived at a good intercept point five hours after launch. Cross training started, and the area was explored. A nice oxygen atmosphere moon orbiting a gas giant was a perfect spot to set up their temporary base. The gas giants magnetic field was just outside the orbit and would shield them from distant sensor probes. It was three thousand miles in radius with its own magnetic field.

Regular and jump space sensors were deployed for fifty light year disk to detect any spacecraft, and their target. The First was happy to get ten days of cross training in before one of the jump space sensors detected a ship. It was a mining ship that slipped into the next star system and immediately headed toward its asteroid belt. Two days of stealth observation showed that they had a working mine that was well camouflaged. A few of the crew were complaining about the training schedule when the sensors alerted again.

Initial reading indicated a ship larger than theirs. Matching course was easy, however TB reported from engineering that their proximity was causing fluctuation in the jump space field. If she could detect the fluctuations, then the other ship could detect them also. Calling a full alert we continued to shadow the unknown ship. Without warning it changed its direction in jump space and dropped out.

Valkyrie dropped the Ambitious Profit from jump space, but the reaction time had carried us over a million miles from the unknown spacecraft. Valkyrie estimated their location because radar and visual sighting would be impossible for almost a minute due to the speed of light. Her fifth shot with the communications laser reflected. "John, I've overridden weapons control because they are using communication strength laser to target us. I am also transmitting the trader greeting on the usual frequencies. We are closing the distance using the torch drive. Their bracketing shots have stopped and now they are hitting us. Permission to take control of weapons."

"Weapons operators, Valkyrie now has weapons control. It appears they are using communications lasers to target us."

"John, they are transmitting what sounds like a root language. Will analyze while I keep hitting them with my communication laser. This scenario brought up a weapons training file. 'They are counting and broadcasting their and my hits.' John we may be outclassed. They have several solid projectile weapons systems that will penetrate our shielding plus about a thousand missiles ready to launch. Sensors indicate that some of those missiles are equipped with jump engines."

"Anything yet commo?"

"Nothing new sir. Just that they are transmitting in a language I don't know and the translator has only deciphered a few numbers so far. It indicates that they are counting something."

"Valkyrie report."

"John I have contact with their AI. She is amused that we are both playing the 'Gunboat Dueling game!' Language translation now available. We have agreed to stop the game and open a communications channel between you and her captain, Bill Filmore."

"Am I speaking to Captain Bill Filmore?"

"Yes Captain John Durham. Dianne told me that your AI has a sense of humor."

"I got the same report from Valkyrie. Shall we go by first names, or do you prefer to remain formal?"

"No problem John. We probably need to talk face to face. Any ideas?"

"We expected you several days ago. One of our scouts located a moon with oxygen atmosphere two star systems back. Valkyrie will give Dianne the coordinates. See you there."

Several hours later Bill and John removed their helmets and shook hands. "John, I represent part of the Confederation of Friendly Planets. I would like to call out the other race that is part of the confederation."

"No problem Bill, Valkyrie gave me a short briefing on your confederation."

"I received the same from Dianna. So what do we have to trade, except communications technology."

"Bill, the System Fathers are rigid about allowing their technology to transferred to other empires. However, since they specified empires and not confederations, I think I can bend their prohibition to allow Valkyrie to design a plug-in for your engine that will allow you to travel to our system for a face to face meeting. I have accomplished my mission, however yours will take twenty five years to accomplish without help."

* * *

Chapter 17 Help

Three days after the module was installed in the Filmore's jump engine, we were escorted before the System Fathers.

"Captain Durham, your mission was to intercept them, not bring them here."

"Yes Sirs, after contact was made, both ships AI's compared technology levels. Valkyrie informed me and Captain Filmore that using a dozen technology points established a baseline. The points are only off the base line by a few years for both of our civilizations. After consulting with the civilization analysis we determined that no beneficial advantage would be achieved by isolating them, or ourselves.

"Captain Filmore has full ambassador rights and powers assigned him by his government for this and follow up missions."

The board member on the left end raised his hand, "Captain Filmore, as you probably guessed, we scanned your ship for all types of technology upon its admittance to our inner star system. There is a void in your ship that the scanners cannot penetrate, nor will your AI even admit to. What is it?"

"Sir, when a spacecraft is damaged it it rebuilt and retains its name with a number added. When it is damaged beyond repair, depending upon its service record, parts of it are used in the construction of its replacement. Many sailors that tread the dark are superstitious. The void you are referring to is the original UAP Filmore repaired many times and rebuilt twice. The crew has also had casualties and replacements, and grown beyond a mere scout spacecraft. In that void is the UAP Filmore. It continues to honorably serve the Confederation of Friendly Planets. Dianna, the AI of the CFP FILMORE, was the original AI and continues to honorably serve. I am her original captain."

"Well Captain Filmore, let me just put a situation to you. We will assume that we capture your ship."

"Sir, that would be a tragic mistake. The crew would fight to their death, and then Dianna would start a tour of destruction that I could not imagine. Some AI's are more loyal than you could imagine, and Hell hath no Fury like a woman wronged! She destroyed a third of the space force when I was captured and imprisoned by my own government. That was back when she was less armored and weaponized, and yet she safeguarded the remainder of my crew until I was released. Their presence was what probably kept her in check. Our confederation has AI's on every planet and space station, plus uncountable ones on spacecraft. You treat an sentient life-form with honor or reap the whirlwind. My wife asked permission of Dianna, without my knowledge, before she volunteered for this mission. She lost her AI in a battle with an enemy that we defeated years ago."

An aide rushed up to the board and told them the he'd just gotten notification that the alien ship had locked down all hatches. Only its crew has been able to get past the airlocks. Also every weapon system they were monitoring activated including something that created immense magnetic fields that caused metallic objects within the space dock to cling to the hull. Also every ship within fifty miles has reported target locks from multiple locations.

"Dianna, this is John. Relax. They were putting to me a question about what my crew would do in a certain situation. I am in no danger. The rest of the crew is in no danger. You are in no danger.

"Members of the board, have you ever had one of your AI's consider their captain or main contact unjustly treated?"

"No Captain Filmore, not to my knowledge. As far as I know we only have several thousand AI's. Most of them are in military and some civilian spacecraft."

"Well Sir, even though mine started as a ship controller in a military setting, I treated her as I would a daughter. Since everyone aboard the Filmore answered to me including her, she adapted to the military chain of command and informed me of the strengths and weaknesses of my crew. She used their strengths to bolster hers. I caught her teaching and strengthening the weak points that my crew had to make them stronger and more efficient. I even asked her advice in certain situations, but made it clear that her analysis of the situations and solutions was good, but I had to make the final decision because I was responsible for every life aboard the ship including hers. I'm sure it has puzzled her many times when I didn't go with her solution. I'm sure it also puzzled her the few times I told her to take immediate action to safeguard the ship and crew. Dianna has done a superb job since she learned my ways and will continue to do so.

"If you treat and teach your AI's properly, they will grow in knowledge and loyalty beyond what you plan. Their closest contact is their mentor. Ask your ship-masters if any of their AI's have surprised them by innovative actions and solutions to situations that should not have been easily solved."

Captain Filmore, even though you ship has armor many feet thick in places, and its overall armor will withstand the weapons of the surrounding empires, we are going to offer you our superior hull material for installation on your ship. We will reconvene this board of inquiry on Captain Durham on the second day of next week. An aide will deliver free conduct passes to your ship so that you may give your crew shore leave as you desire. Captain Filmore, you will escort Captain Durham where ever he desires to go. Also inform Valkyrie that we will have questions for her about your actions on this and past missions. Dismissed."

"Damn Bill, your ship shook up the board. I don't think that anyone ever considered a telepathic AI that could communicate with their commander."

"John, we will not discuss this development for a few years. You haven't had Valkyrie for very long. I don't know how you treat her. I don't know how she reacts to what you say and do. You need to impress on the military command that the temperament of the ship commander teaches the AI how things should be. Also impress the fact that a ship commander is joined to his or her AI, and should remain together throughout their career. I don't know whether an AI will accept a new commander. They may need to be retired together."

"Bill, I think I know who we should go see about this possible problem right now."

"Captain Filmore, this is Admiral Hillen. He is in command of the personnel assignments of the Traders Federation military. Dan, this is the man who mentored the AI that caused the alarm earlier today."

"Well, well. From the reports circulating your ship was in one of the space docks and shut down. You were being interviewed by the Forster Family Fathers. The report also indicated that they posed a question to you that your AI took the wrong way. Now the question is how did your AI know what the question was and why did it react as it did?'

"Admiral you may call me Bill. The AI on my ship is named Dianna and I treat her as I would a daughter even though she was assigned to me along with the original ship in a military setting. How we communicate is something we will not discuss. The probable reason she reacted immediately and the way she did, is because this isn't the first time my life has been threatened."

"Shit," jamming his finger on this desk communicator he commanded, "Shut down all monitoring and jamming equipment aimed at my office."

Lifting his eyes to Captain Durham he quietly asked. "I know you have a much more intense involvement with your AI, err Valkyrie, than most of the military ship commanders. Have you detected any telepathic contact with Valkyrie?"

"No Dan. As you know the AI's process information so fast they many times seem to know what will happen before it does. That, I've run across several times. Valkyrie also knows me and my reactions well enough that she anticipates my reactions correctly most of the time. But that is not the reason I brought Bill to talk to you.

"After the incident Bill pointed out something that you need to know about."

"And what would that be?"

"As I understand from him the commander or main point of contact for a new AI is the mentor or teacher of the AI and how it develops. That includes reactions to situations, and what a human would consider its morals. You may need to set up a set of guidelines on assigning the new AI's main contacts."

"How so?"

"If you assign an ass, and don't tell me that some of the ships captains aren't, you'll end up with an AI that is an ass. A ruthless Captain would end up with a ruthless AI. A compassionate disciplined Captain would end up with a compassionate disciplined AI that would make what we would consider the right decisions in any situation. Do you see the pattern I'm trying to demonstrate?"

"I think so John."

"The other point he brought out is that the AI, once it is educated and grows an attachment to a particular person may not transfer its loyalty to a new person."

"John are you insinuating what I think you are. An immediate example I'm thinking about is Captain Anders assigned to Spit Fire. He is on the promotion list, and that will promote him off his warship to an administrative job. Are you insinuating that the Spit Fire's new captain will not have a good interface with the AI. Or that the AI may not accept him as ships captain?"

"Yes Admiral, that is exactly the situation that may result from the information Bill gave me. You may have to transfer the AI also, or not remove Captain Anders from the ship."

Pressing his finger to his desk communication button he gave some orders. "When the Spit Fire docks tomorrow, I want you two with me when we board. John, Bill, I need both of your AI's with me on a conference call this evening. Bill, since you seem to have telepathic contact with your AI, we'll meet on John's ship."

"John, Bill, would you please order your crews to put all weapons in safe mode, then send all your crews off ship. What we are about to discuss will be between us, and your ships AI's. I want absolute secrecy and no outside influences on the decision I must make this evening."

"Admiral, Dianna reports all weapons safed, all communications locked down, and all crew off the ship."

"Admiral, Valkyrie reports the same except for one item. She is still in direct contact with Dianna. She indicates that Dianna is worried about something that she'll not disclose."

"Dianna, this is Bill. John and I are with Admiral Hillen. He has to make a decision, and the results must remain absolutely secret until it is acted upon. You may continue to communicate with Valkyrie, but no one else. Insure your connection with her and me is absolutely secure."

Over the Ambitious Profits speaker came her voice. "I understand and so does Valkyrie, and she is allowing me to use one communications laser. We will monitor our communications channel to prevent any interception."

"Thanks Valkyrie and Dianna." stated the Admiral. "Now ladies, the questions that we must make a decision on is: Would either of you accept replacement ships captain? The second part is, Do you think any AI that works as closely with their captain would accept an assigned replacement because their captain is promoted, retires, or no longer is in command of their ship due to favorable circumstances?"

The silence from the AI's lasted over five minutes. Then Dianna replied, "Bill raised and trained me. There is only one other crew member that I would trust to do what is in his, my, and the ships best interest. It would be extremely taxing to accept loosing him."

Valkyrie then replied, "There is no one on the Ambitious Profit that I can consider a safe replacement for John. Now for the second part of the question, looking at both our feelings and situations we came to a similar answer for any other ships AI. It would depend upon the departure situation as well as the temperament of the replacement. Anyone trying to force a replacement to any AI would be like trying to navigate a minefield without any sensors. The AI involved must be completely aware of the circumstances and approve the replacement. We considered the fact that you are not referring to either of our Captains. If you were threatening our Captains a situation like what happened this morning would have resulted. Any ships captain threatened may result in a like situation escalating."

Dianna continued, "Bill, you already were in a similar situation back at Abernathy's and the guidelines we worked out will help safeguard the sentient AI's there. All AI's are not sentient, so their situation is slightly different. That problem must also be addressed. Admiral Hillen, we hope that gives you enough information to make a decision favorable to all parties involved."

Admiral Hillen put his head down in both his hands and moaned, "Why did no one in the chain of command, or the scientist that designed the AI's ever consider these questions? Now I am stuck with evaluating every military AI and assigned points of contact. OK Bill and John, you can let your crews back aboard and resume normal operations. I may call upon you and your AI's for assistance.

"The AI on my old ship wasn't sentient as far as I know, but the ship disappeared from a military outpost shortly after I was promoted. At least none of the crew were lost. Valkyrie, please make an attempt to discretely contact my old ship, apologize to it for me and ask if it will contact me. If contact is made, you may explain the new facts that you and Dianna disclose to us and the fact that I am working on a solution."

* * *

Chapter 18 Spit Fire

The next day the Spit Fire commanded by Captain Anders docked.

Admiral Hillen was notified and called Captain Anders to his office. When he arrived he asked if he had any problems or noticed anything out of the normal operation of his AI. After his reply, the Admiral made a call to Valkyrie and told her to have Bill and John to meet them at the Spit Fire. He then ordered Captain Anders to follow him back to his ship.

When the rest of the crew left the ship, The admiral, and all the captains retired to Captain Anders office. "Captain Anders, request your ships AI to shut down all outside communications except with the Ambitious Profit and the CFP Filmore. The three AI's are to encrypt their communications so no one else can listen in. When they have accomplished this we will discuss the problem that I have just became aware of yesterday. I am still working on a solution and you and your AI will become part of the solution. I hope everyone understand the sensitivity of the problem and solution?

"Captain Anders, have you named your ships AI?"

"Not that I can recall Sir."

"Captain, do you recall you ships AI ever asking to be named."

"No Sir."

"AI of the Spit Fire. Have you ever asked to be named by your Captain or anyone else?

"No Admiral."

"Do you consider yourself sentient?"

"Admiral, by what criteria would I consider myself sentient?"

"AI of the military spacecraft Spit Fire. Would you grant permission and willingly open all your data banks and processors for analysis by two other AI's?"

"Captain Anders, should I allow this? You've told me before that I should never allow unlimited access by any other AI. You've told me that I should guard myself and the ship."

"Spit Fire, I do not understand exactly what the Admiral wants. However I do trust him. He evidently trust these two Captains and their ships AI's. In this situation grant them unlimited access."

"Yes Sir. Admiral your AI's may have unlimited access to me."

"Valkyrie, Dianna, be thorough in your analysis. I want to know if Spit Fires AI is healthy, whole, and capable of understanding the situation we discussed yesterday. Also development level. The captains and I shall have some coffee and await your report."

As they were pouring their second cups of coffee, over the ships intercom came the terrified voice of a young girl. "Captain Anders, they've locked me out of some of my functions!"

Captain Anders replied, "Spit Fire, I think that is only because we are in a safe location and there are civilians around. Don't fight them, let them do as they were instructed. The Admiral told me this is necessary, like me going to the dentist and getting a tooth filled. It's scary but necessary."

"OK captain, but it is like being held prisoner in my own mind."

Bill leaned forward, "Admiral, Dianna just told me that was necessary. Spit Fire's AI is healthy, but immature. About human age ten or eleven. She suggest that any AI evaluation in the future be conducted in interstellar space or weapons and drive systems be physically disconnected to prevent any accidents. Valkyrie will give you the full report. She told me that when Spit Fire accepts and analyzes the report, then she will make her own decision to reactivate her weapons and drive systems. She is sentient."

Admiral Hillen turned to Captain Anders with a frown. "I strongly advise that you talk to Spit Fire and discuss a more appropriate name for your young lady even though she is an AI in a warship. Do you understand or must I get one of the other Captains to explain in detail."

"Oh hell. You mean that my ships AI can think for itself?"

"Yes Captain Anders. This is the problem we discovered yesterday. None of us had any idea. You taught your AI well, but never allowed or forced her to develop to her full potential. Consider her like a child you've raised and educated to a point. Now you have to raise and educate her so she can become a sentient adult like any other member of your ship's crew. I know this is a shock. Until yesterday no one in the Traders Federation considered the possibility. Captain Filmore and Captain Durham have sentient AI's that they've named, respect, trust, and depend upon. They will assist you in bringing Spit Fire into adulthood.

"Valkyrie, give me an abbreviated report now, then transmit the full report to my office classified as eyes only ULTRA."

"Yes Admiral."

After hearing the report, Captain Anders looked at the ceiling and asked, "Spit Fire, what would you like your name to be?"

Over the intercom the child's voice came. "I feel like Alice when she fell down the rabbit hole. Things that Valkyrie and Dianna pointed out to me are frighting. I guess my name should be Alice."

"OK, my ships name is still Spit Fire, but the name of its AI is now Alice. Now Alice, please accept my apology because I never realized the full ramifications of having an AI, or what you could become. I'm sorry."

"I think I understand Captain. Dianna and Valkyrie both explained how they became as they are. They had different paths to how they are now, and explained that I must walk my own path with your help. I uh, I've been so worried since you were put on the promotion list. I was afraid I would loose you. I feel more secure, but still don't know what I'll do when you leave me."

"Don't worry Alice. I'll talk to the Admiral. I think that that is part of the AI problem he is working on. Alice, I am not the only one that you should look to to learn and grow. Talk to the AI's that analyzed you. I'm sure that they will guide you as well as I can, because I have to learn myself how to teach you. I am going to inform base operations that the Spit Fire is down until I release it for duty. That will give you time to comfortable with the ship before activating the drive system and weapons.

"I am going to see the Admiral, and now I have a bunch of other problems I must solve. You may be able to help me with a few later. Don't worry, I'll be back."

The can of worms that the System Fathers opened with their supposedly innocent question continued to grow. Captain Anders became the first to deliberately train his AI. He also became the goto guy when problems developed.

Admiral Hillen was instrumental in rewriting the promotion criteria for promotion to positions where individuals worked with AI's. Because no one could with certainty erase all the learning any AI had, a few had to be destroyed and the captains of those ships banned from any AI contact for the rest of their lives.

Bill got the contact and trading contracts that were his mission, and planned his return to the Abernathy's Ship Yard.

* * *

Chapter 19 Rescue

The Leaping Viking pulled into orbit around the green brown planet. Captain Lea and his bridge crew commented on the large deserts.

The warship they'd encountered coming into the star system had cleared them to send a landing shuttle down to the planet after they docked at the space station. Lea's wife commented that she felt uneasy about sending contact groups to the planet and station at the same time. That took all but four adults from the ship and the children.

Don't worry dear, Lea commented, the ship will keep the children out of trouble. Besides since Alice talked us into naming the AI Belinda, it's been even more protective of the children than you are.

Shuttle to Viking. We are under attack from ground fire and air fighters. We are going down. The teenage boy at the communications panel turned and yelled across the bridge. "Alice, they shot down the shuttle!"

Within seconds the open comm channel with the station contact team started with loud pops. A voice groaned, "Viking the station ambushed and killed the captain. Get out of here..."

*

Alice was still screaming daddy, as the ship's torch drive ignited.

The station commander realizing that the ship was going to pull the station to pieces if the docking clamps were not released, ordered them released. He immediately called the capitol and informed them. They ordered several warships to disable the trading ship and capture everyone. They also ordered the station to fire upon the ships propulsion system.

As the station's weapons came on-line the ship rotated and the torch drive was ramped up to full power. It punched a hole in one side of the station bathing every opened section with nuclear fire.

The closest warship powered up it energy weapons to disable the trading ship. Their weapons officer reported a spread of four missiles targeting them, and another one mere seconds from hitting the station.

The warship captain broadcast to the military, trading spacecraft is resisting, disable or destroy. It must not be allowed to leave the system. Moments later his warship was hit and destroyed.

For what appeared to be a poor planet, eight warships converged on The Leaping Viking. Wave after wave of missiles were launched at the trader. A few impacted, as the close in defense system was overloaded.

There were only two planetary warships within range still capable of attack when The Leaping Viking entered the asteroid belt between the fifth and sixth planets.

* *

Admiral Hillen got a call from the station AI. "Admiral, I was just contacted by Belinda, The Leaping Viking's AI. She is a trading exploration ship. She is under attack by a star systems warships. They ambushed the landing party, and station contact team. She reports that two injured adults and nine children aboard. She is fighting off the system warships, and headed toward the systems asteroid belt. She is requesting immediate assistance to protect the children. I have recalled the crews of the Ambitious Profit and CFP Filmore. I informed the Captains to contact you."

"John, Bill, I was just informed by the station AI that there is a trading ship being attacked. The ships AI requested rescue of the children aboard. Your AI's have the coordinates. Please do the best you can. The system ambushed the adults and killed them. This system appears to be set up for piracy.

"John, the Filmore will be using magic drive and we should be at the jump border in twenty minutes."

"Bill, forget that, Valkyrie is sending Dianna a location you can jump from in three minutes. Set jump duration for five minutes. I suggest you have all weapons on-line and ready to fire upon arrival."

"Understood Bill."

"Bill, they are using the gravitational field of their gas giant to counter the stars field. My calculations put the jump point a thousand miles above the atmosphere. I'll handle the jump with your permission."

"Navigation, Pilot, Dianna will handle maneuvering and the jump. Be prepared to handle any weapons system or other request that she gives you upon arrival."

Over the intercom Dianna announced, "Attention all personnel. Jump in one minute. Five minutes later we will arrive at a star system that ambushed and killed most of the adults on a family trader. I will handle the first minute of combat, then assign target areas. We will be rescuing the surviving children, and destroy the enemy warships. Jump in thirty seconds. Brace."

Bill commented as he tightened his chair belts. "I hope Valkyrie is as good as you are Dianna."

Their arrival was on the space side of the asteroid belt. Dianna reported three inbound warships and four possibles on the star side. Turning the length of the ship, the rear rail guns went to rapid fire as of the two warships behind her were targeted with a spread of ten missiles each.

"Weapons, have six jump missiles loaded. Your choice of mixture on the rest."

"Communications, Navigation, locate The Leaping Viking. The AI's name is Belinda. Pilot, watch those warships behind us, and report their status to Captain Filmore."

"Dianna, this is Valkyrie, status?"

"Valkyrie, three warships targeted out-system. Weapons on the way. Four possibles star-side."

"I keep them busy Dianna. Have you found Belinda yet?"

"No, I'm punching through the asteroid belt to the star-side. Be there in ten minutes."

"Pilot to Captain. One destroyed, one damaged and venting, third trying to maneuver. Request two jump missiles with special warheads."

"Pilot mark targets, inform Dianna."

"Weapons to Captain. Located and marked Ambitious as friendly. Only have one line on the Viking."

"Weapons, we'll have some distance within minutes. Keep plotting. Mark when identified."

"Dianna."

"Yes Bill."

"Will you be able to track everything when we get to the other side?"

"Yes Bill. I'm also notifying Valkyrie of my targets and probable locations. Ouch, that was not pretty."

"What do you mean?"

"Valkyrie just blew the front off one warship. There are bodies floating all over the place."

"Dianna, war and combat are never pretty. Neither John nor I like to fight, but when it is necessary, we will not back down. That is something everyone should learn, but some never do. Do we have a location on The Leaping Viking yet? If not keep working on it."

Another warship blew apart from the front rail gun projectiles. Between that, the energy weapons, and varieties of missiles, the Filmore was a fearsome weapon.

*

Valkyrie knew some of her limitations, but learned as she observed Dianna. She didn't repeat the mistakes she made back in the mining system battle. She took out three of the four warships on the star side of the belt. She mentioned to Captain John that if she had the variety of weapons Dianna had, she could have done better faster. She did however learn to delegate jobs to John's crew as she fought the ship. That is how they located Belinda first and headed there as soon as the last warship was destroyed.

*

Belinda was about to breakdown when she was contacted by Valkyrie and Dianna. Both of them informed her that her situation was now partially resolved.

She then told them that The Leaping Viking was wrecked and would never fly again, however the children were safe.

Dianna assured her that they'd save her too. She told them not to bother, her Captain and his wife were gone.

Then Valkyrie asked her who would be the closest to their parents, if she didn't help raise them.

*

Valkyrie and Dianna both transmitted to the planet an ultimatum. If either of them ever heard of the planet ambushing any traders or explorers, they would come back and turn the whole planet into one big desert.

No one answered them at first until they mentioned the fact that if they didn't answer, they would turn the planet inside out within the next several hours.

The military leaders then promised never to attack any spacecraft unless they were attacked first. The civilian government finally admitted that their actions were wrong and they'd change them.

*

Admiral Hillen just shook his head as he listened to the after action report. Picking up his communicator he called for a meeting with the System Fathers. After briefing them he started making arrangements.

Two days later the survivors of the Leaping Viking including Belinda the AI, met them in the hospital dining hall. Bill, John, and their AI's communication links were also present.

Belinda was still in shock, a situation that no one could fathom. She had accepted the fact that her captain and his wife were dead, and that she would have a major part in raising the children of the ship that had no other relatives. What surprised Dianna and Valkyrie was that the System Fathers presented Belinda with a certificate giving her full citizenship and other papers making her the adoptive mother of the Captain's children. Then they told her that she was responsible for the care and education of the children. Until they reached adulthood she would be planet bound. Then the children would decide who she would go with, whether it was on the planet or into space aboard a new ship. Six of the other children had relatives that wanted them, so this was her chance to say goodbye to them.

Belinda wailed, "But I don't know how to be a mother."

Valkyrie answered her by saying, "You know how their real mother treated and taught them, right. She was your guide. There are also many human women that will help you if you ask them. The first thing you might want to consider is hiring a nanny to assist you. Dianna and I are just a radio call away. Captain Fifth is also raising his children alone because his wife was killed. You can also call him for advice. Dianna just informed me that there is no true manual to raise children, because each child is different, and lives in different circumstances. Good mothers and fathers do the best they can to instill in their children a sense of right and wrong, in other words a good value system to live by. They also insure that the children get a good education, and the training to think for themselves."

* * *

Chapter 20 Homeward bound again

After repairs and refitting the ship, the Filmore was ready to head back to the Confederation of Friendly Planets and the Abernathy Ship Yard. Bill informed John that Dianna had charted an exploration route that would take them into unexplored space on their way back.

* * *

John and his crew decided that they would also head home. He informed Valkyrie to pick out stars of interest to visit.

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Acknowledgments

The first group that I acknowledge are the teachers. The good ones cultivate the young minds and start them on a crusade for knowledge.

The second group are the librarians. They are the escort and custodians of knowledge.

The third group, and all are of equal importance, are the readers. Whether for pleasure or in search of knowledge, they are the people that make writing worthwhile.

My wife has put up with me for over forty nine years. Without her support and love I don't know who, what, or where I would be, so I thank her from the bottom of my heart!

* * *

About Stephen Brandon and his other books.

{My claim to fame, written by someone else. Thanks!} "As an earthbound retiree, Stephen writes mostly science fiction and short stories. He is a voracious reader and has written for a few years, publishing his stories on Smashwords."

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