Chapter 6

It had been a quiet week, Candy was happily stripping down both engines and making repairs. We had landed next to her father's old Starlight to collect his perfectly useable coolant jacket to replace the one that had started to leak. I would look in on her from time to time and she would be happily humming tunelessly while working, dressed in just some faded shorts while the rest of her was magnificently naked with dirt and grease streaks all over her.

"Everything ok?" I asked.

She just looked up and smiled.

"I don't think I've ever seen her so happy," commented Lila.

I got myself a cup of blend 56, my now favourite of all the 100 blends my food processor could deliver.

"Yeah," I said savouring the smooth but strong taste of my coffee. "You finished?"

Yeah," she said.

We had picked up some ex military items and Lila had installed them. Firstly she had found some almost new gyros that didn't topple the first time you did a gentle turn. Then she found some self setting breakers just in case we needed them in the future. Loosing ones gravity, life support and shielding at the wrong moment could be a little tricky.

"The new breakers didn't quite fit so I had to drill out new mountings," she said. "Anyway they should re-connect after 300m/s."

"And the gyros?" I asked.

"Straight swap," she said, "these shouldn't topple unless we do some mind blowing G's. We have a visitor."

"Captain," said the Commodore, "permission to come aboard."

"Sure and welcome," I invited for it was too late to stop him now.

"God this takes me back," he said looking around. "The Navy had Starlights way back and I did 2 years on one. Can I have a look around?"

The last thing I wanted was for him to noise around but I couldn't think of any good reason to say no.

"We are doing a major overhaul," I said.

"Yeah, I read your report of the action," he said. "Well done by the way, the supplies got through and that's the important thing. 2 engines! So that explains some things."

"This is my engineer, Candy," I introduced a less than happy Candy who was hiding her near nakedness behind the exhaust vents.

"Hi, young lady," he said. "Know your father, I think, great engineer and I've heard you take after him."

"This is Lila my other crew member," I said.

Lila had pulled a shirt on quickly and shook hands with the Navy man.

"I understand you are a Feratian," he said. "It's good to know that some myths are real, I understand you took that slave ship single handed.

"You seemed to know a lot about us," I said.

"Made it my business to know before I offered you the job," he explained. "Didn't know you were a 300 series though, you've kept that quiet."

"Yeah and I would appreciate it staying that way," I said.

"And Captain Todd, what about you?" he said with a smile. "Commander of the 3rd Corp of the 19th Legion."

"That's all in the past," I spat out bitterly.

"The war's over, Captain," he said, sitting down. "It didn't matter what side won, it was a silly war, all wars are silly especially a civil war; best forgotten."

"Best forgotten," I spat, "I lost good men."

"I have a son who lies in an unmarked grave somewhere out there," he said sounding tired.

The silenced lasted a long time.

"So, can we talk?" he said at last.

"Sure, go ahead," I said sitting down. "Coffee?"

"No, no," he said looking at Lila and then Candy who had just emerged from the engine room thankfully with her top on.

"You can talk in front of my crew," I said.

"Ok, well, I wanted to offer you a permanent commission in the Navy," he said in a rush. "We need good men like you. We have many ships just waiting to be put into commission."

For an instant I saw myself on the bridge of a big Battle Star but it soon faded.

"We can offer you a brand new Type 22 Scout ship," he carried on. "Crew of 20 with a top speed of Warp 7. We both know that the outer reaches need policing."

I looked up into the frowning faces of Lila and Candy.

"I have a ship, but thinks for the offer," I said and was rewarded with bright smiles from both of my crewmembers.

"I told them you would say that," he chuckled. "Still, I would like to continue our arrangement for the time being. Even the presence of a old Starlight like this is better than nothing."

"Who are you calling old," said Candy.

"He didn't mean it, girl."

"No, of course not," he chuckled again. "No offence."

He reached out and tapped the bulkhead.

"So, what's the job?" I asked.

"We are installing a new Starbase on the borders of the Delta sector, Starbase 22," he explained. "It's an area that has had its share of incidents, Pirates and Slaver raids, ships go missing all the time. We want you there, find their bases if you can and then call up for something big to destroy them."

"Sound like fun, captain," said Lila.

"Engine will be ready to test in 4 days," pitched in Candy.

"Looks like my crew are all for it," I said with a smile.

"Anything I can get you?" he asked.

"You haven't got one of those new 25 gig phase cannons, have you?" asked a bright eyed Lila.

"You mean the one with the modulating frequencies?" said a smiling Commodore. "I'll expect I could find a spare one. Although a 25 gig one would be too big for this ship."

"What is it?" asked Candy who up to now had been in charge of our 10 gig phase cannon.

"It alters the phasing as it fires, young lady," he said, "it's the latest thing. Zips through shielding like a hot knife through butter."

"A 10 gig one would be great," enthused Lila.

"Seeing that Candy is busy for some while," said a leering Lila.

"Yes," I leered back seeing that Lila was naked and even pushing her chest out towards me.

"I usually get seconds," she giggled.

"Not today," I said and made a grab for her.

It took 2 weeks at maximum cruise to get us to Starbase 22; we docked and I headed off to report. During the flight, Candy and Lila had swapped out our existing Phase cannon and installed our new baby.

"Just need to zero in the IR sights," said Lila.

"Can't wait to fire her," said Candy who lovingly caressed the casing.

"Commander Todd," said the base commander. "Thanks for coming, things out here are a little scary. Ships go missing all the time, mostly slavers we think but we just don't know."

"We love chasing Slavers," I said.

"So I've heard," he said with a laugh.

"We top up with fuel and start first thing tomorrow," I said.

"We are right on the edge here," I said to Candy while gently stroking her satin like skin. "This new Starbase should quiet things down though."

"All quiet out there," said Lila who had wandered into my room. "Any chance of any?"

"Not for some time," Candy giggled.

"Never mind," laughed Lila, "I got plenty back at base while you were having orgasms stripping down those engines."

"I did not have orgasms," she shouted sitting up.

There was a loud bang and the room tripped up violently with the gravity going off for and instant then cutting back in as the breakers snapped closed again.