st I heard, sir – which

his file. If I have to take him aboard my

lowed. "

his attention b

their lo

ek outside the Herm

ourse – best p

rsion drive at the moment

– d'you think I'

The young helms

st possible sp

s,

g to happen in engineering! Lt. Nordyke – answer the call; tell this d'Angelo feller we're o

s s

ommander Nore

s s

y, "When you're done with all that, you can

ently in his element – was

calls while he did so. Considering the possibility of this being his last meal – or one of his last, he didn't let the use of a little extra power bother him. What was half an hour one way or the other in the

g surprise on the other side of his cabin door for later. If he was going to die, then Mykl d'Angelo was determined that it should happen on a full stomach. For the time being, he was satisfied with enjoying the after-taste of scrambled eggs on toast over a steaming mug of coffee. It wa

rcom in the galley just suddenly started beeping to indicate an incoming message! He sprang up from the table, and knocked over a bottle of tomato sau

he I.S.S. Antares… We have your position and a

ho would likely do the same. But a Space Fleet ship! The six years he'd spent in the service came back to him with unsettling clarity. They were busy, event-filled, hectic years – especially the parts that persuaded him to leave the

He said, a relieved smile breaking the tension in his face muscles. He ran a han

self, Pegasus." The m

o… Owner and skipper."

ble to establish vi

been putting out fires!" Mykl lied. "If you give me a few m

asus – ten

, fairly nondescript officer appeared on the small screen in the console. He could tell from the position of the camera pick-up, the officer was

d, giving what he hoped