Chapter 9

"What's that?" asked Candy, when I picked up an item from a vendor's table.

We had docked at Starbase 19, so that Candy could buy new inlet manifold couplings. One of ours had cracked on our last trip, and Candy had put a temporary patch on it.

"This, ladies, is the famous (or should I say infamous) Sex Pistol," I said holding up the yellow plastic object. "What?" asked a confused Candy.

Candy didn't really want to go wandering through the market square with us. She wanted to get on with installing her new couplings. She had insisted on buying the more expensive ones, the ones with the built in flow adjustment, but what did I care? We still had plenty of money in the bank.

"So that's what they look like," Lila said, taking it out of my hands.

"Yeah, we had one in my company, during the war," I said, and instantly regretted it.

"So what is it?" asked Candy.

"Well, before the war, these were peddled all over the systems," explained Lila. "Then they were banned."

"So?" she asked.

"You zap your female victim with it and it makes them feel frisky," I said taking it back from Lila grasp. "Mind you, this one's got no power unit."

"Only twenty credits," said the market trader who sensed a sale.

"Twenty credits? And its got no power unit?" snapped Lila who took the pistol back from me.

Candy and I wandered off but I could still hear Lila shouting at the trader.

"Why did you have one in your unit?" asked Candy, but I ignored her.

"So tell me again why we bought these expensive couplers?" I said, changing the subject. So she did, not that I understood of course.

Some time later, after we returned to the ship, Candy began working on the couplers. She was in her element, now. She was half naked, with dirt covering her face and torso.

"It means I can minutely adjust the flow through the inlet manifolds, and thus increase the balance of the engines," she said trying to explain to me again, but this time her voice was slightly muffled, for she had a tool between her teeth. "The standard units just have a fixed aperture hole."

"Oh," I said.

"I'm going to replace both," she said.

"Good idea," I agreed, well if one could go then the other would be not far behind. "How long before we can leave?"

"The sealant needs an hour to set, and twenty to cure," she said.

"Ok, I'll go see if I can find us a cargo," I said.

It wasn't hard to find a cargo, what with mail for home piling up all the time.

"So what do you think?" asked Lila, brandishing the sex pistol under my nose. "I knocked him down to five credits."

"Great and just what are you going to do with it?" I asked.

"I thought I'll take it a part and see if I can get it working," she said.

"And just what prey are you going to test it on?" I said.

"Well..." she said.

It was obvious she hadn't thought of that. Anyway the last thing this ship needed, was a sex pistol. Trying to keep up with my crew's sexual appetite was a constant task.

"Picking up pulses," snapped Lila.

This part of space wasn't the safest around, so her words brought a sharp intake of air from us all.

"Picking up his warp trail now," she said. "Candy, come here please."

"Check that trail for me, will you," she asked when Candy arrived.

"Oh, yes, I see," she said, her pretty head deep inside the scanner hood.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The engine is running hot," stated Candy. "They're not likely to get where they're going."

"Let's hail them," I said.

"Starlight 299, calling unidentified ship," I called.

There was a degree of static before a male voice came back.

"Hi," he said, his voice slightly strained. "Didn't see you there."

"Do you require assistance?" I asked.

"Yes, with grateful thanks," he said sounding relieved. "My engine's playing up, and I have no idea what's wrong."

"Heave to, and my engineer will take a look," I said.

'They' turned out to be just a 'him', traveling alone. He came aboard, and made a small bow. He was short, dapper man of about five four. He looked like he was in his mid-thirties.

"Captain, I'm very grateful to you," he said taking my offered hand. "My name is Totus, and I come from the planet Toto."

"Nice to meet you, Totus, but I'm afraid I don't know your system," I admitted.

"Not many do, Captain," he said with a chuckle. "We like the quiet life, and rarely go out of our own system. Me, I'm a throw back from our exploring days.

"Captain," came Candy's voice over the radio link. "Bad news, his engine housing is cracked."

"Oh my," said Totus.

"Needs a Starbase to fix it," she said. "I've shut her down, you were lucky she didn't blow."

"Oh my!" he said again.

"Don't worry, we'll tow you back to Starbase 19," I said.

"Captain, that's very kind of you," he said.

"No, no," I said. "There's no price too high to pay to make a new friend."

"That sounds like a quote," he said.

"Yeah. An old commander of mine use to quote it all the time, but I don't know where he got it," I said.

"So how does it end?" he asked.

"Something like, 'the price is always higher, if you make him your enemy, '" I said.

"Sounds like wise words," he said seriously.

"We were in the middle of a civil war at the time," I said as some sort of explanation.

"It's a long trip back," said Lila with a sexy smile. "Let me show you where you can rest."

"Where is he?" asked Candy once she was back on board.

"In your room, with Lila," I said.

In the quiet between our words, you could just hear the bed squeaking.

"Getting some rest, then?" she said with a giggle.

"Sure sounds like it," I said. "I could do with some 'rest', myself."

"Me too," she said, as she pulled her top over her head.

As always, she wasn't wearing much. She'd just thrown something on as we had visitors. I slipped deep inside her with practiced ease, and together we made our bed squeak, too.

A few words from me to the Base Commander, and he was happy for his men to do the repairs.

"Do we know them?" he asked. "Where's their system?"

"No idea. First contact, for me at any rate. He said his home world is called Toto, but he didn't say where it was," I admitted.

"Well lets see if we can copy his star charts," he asked.

I didn't see Totus for a few days, as Lila was keeping him busy. When I did, I asked about his star charts.

"My star charts?" said Totus. "Sure, happy to. That will make me feel I'm paying you back for the wonderful service I'm receiving. And captain, here's a gift for you."

I didn't recognize it at first. In his hand, was a small pistol.

"I've had this little stun gun in my ship, for years," he explained. "Never used it. I haven't even got any weapons aboard my ship. I installed that Sex Pistol's flash tube into it, and with a few modifications, it works fine."

"My Sex Pistol! You know these things are banned, here?" I said taking his gift.

"Yes. They are banned on my home system, too," he admitted with a chuckle. "But since when did a little thing like that stop us."

"My thanks, Totus," I said with feeling.

They made short work of welding his engine casing and together with the girls, we waved him off, homeward bound. Hopefully, with good stories to tell his friends about us.

"So how was he?" asked Candy in a loud whisper.

"How was what?" she replied.

"You know, how was he in bed?" said Candy.

"A lady never tells," she said, "but mind you I still can't walk straight."

I sipped my blend 56 and smiled at their banter.

We left space dock, and continued on our interrupted journey to Sol.

Then, two days out, I was just dozing after a nice if exhausting session with Candy.

"Captain," shouted Lila. "I'm picking up debris... Oh, no!"

Both Candy and I rushed to the cockpit.