Chapter 32: Serome Meets Silvan

The crew exchanged tearful goodbyes with Kylee before the Seeker left. They promised to remain in communication with her. At the same time they were sad to part with her they also knew that she was very happy with her new family. Her skills and knowledge of agriculture and management would be very helpful in the transition of the workers in both the farms and factories from slavery to employees. Of course, it would also be very significant to see a human in charge of the operation instead of a Wiggin reptile.

The robots erected temporary sleeping bays in the hanger area for the fifty additional people the Seeker was to accommodate as she accompanied the Silvan fleet back to their home system. The Silvan ships were packed with evacuees also. Almost all of them were Silvans that had just recently been captured. The Seeker had more people on her than she had ever had before. Facilities, food stuffs and the environment were stretched to the limit. The return journey to the Silvan system took much less time although with the crowded conditions it seemed longer.

Once more, the Seeker established orbit above the Silvan home planet. After much jubilant celebration, a group of eleven ships was organized and set off for the Wiggin system. This time the ships were not war ships but merchant vessels whose goals were to establish trade. It was believed that nothing would bind the two civilizations together more than establishing commerce between them.

Bedros and Becka stood before the gathered officers of the Seeker.

"So you wish to join us," Remi said and smiled.

"Yes Ma'am," both of them spoke at nearly the same time.

"Well the first thing you will have to learn should you be accepted is that I am not a Ma'am. I am simply Remi or Captain or Cap," Remi said with a grin.

"So what do your families have to say about this decision you two have made? Becka you first, tell us," Remi continued.

"Well," Becka started and grinned, "You all know my father. You also know that he is very stubborn and used to getting his way. My mother is dead. What you need to realize is that I am his daughter and even more stubborn. In addition," she held up her hand and made a fist with all but her little finger, "I am his daughter and I have him wrapped." She giggled. "So although he does not really like the idea that I will be gone for a long time he knows that he dare not stand in the way because it won't stop me anyway."

Remi and Stan shook their heads and then Remi turned to Bedros. "And your story?" Remi asked.

"Nothing as dramatic as hers," He said and nodded his head toward Becka. "Both of my parents are dead. My Aunt Christina raised me. Although she is not real happy about my decision to leave she is not about to fight it because she knows she will loose the fight," Bedros concluded.

Becka and Bedros were dismissed and the officers began conferring about adding them as crew although it was almost a forgone conclusion that their request to become members of the crew would be accepted. The biggest debate was what section to place them in but that decision could wait for first they had to endure the training and tender mercies of Ziva with Xenos helping. Ziva consulted with Christina and found the most desolate, unfriendly, and harsh environed area on the Silvan planet and with Christina's permission that is where she chose to locate her temporary training camp.

While Bedros and Becka were, being subjected to ten weeks of torture their placement onboard the Seeker was decided. Becka had developed strong navigational skills and so it was decided to place her under Deanna working with the bridge crew. Bedros had a strong mechanical aptitude and therefore he was to be placed under Shane in maintenance.

Remi, Deanna, Christina, and Ruby conferred about Seeker's continuing mission to explore. There was a particular area called Regis Hole that had been mentioned during some of Christina and Remi's conversations. The four of them talked about it in more detail now.

Regis Hole was an area in space that was at the limits of the strongest of Silvan telescopes in distance. There were four stars in the center of a large area that was totally vacant of any other stars. The reason this area was of interest was the occasional burst of radio signals that came from it. Several times Silvan exploration craft had been dispatched to find the source of these signals. Once they had entered the hole all contact with the vessels had been lost and none of the vessels had ever returned. The war with the Wiggins had precluded any concentration of exploratory efforts in fact one theory was that Wiggins inhabited one of the four star systems and that was why none of the exploration ships returned.

The Silvans resupplied the Seeker replacing the vast stores that had been used by the evacuees during their return trip. At the end of the ten-week training period, Ziva returned with Becka and Bedros both of whom were sore and had lost several pounds. After one final orbit, the Seeker left and headed for the Regis Hole. Regis hole was about one-hundred fifty parsecs distance from Siltan, over two months flying time for the Seeker. Becka continued her training under the watchful eyes of Deanna while Shane trained Bedros.