applications.
When
the repairs were made the engineer took a break to rest and noticed additional
guards and the captain. Defender brought up the audio of the conversation. “I
want him off my ship. Now. Preferably spaced,” the captain said coldly but
quietly. Irons frowned but continued to study the readouts.
“Cap
after all he's done? Destiny is right, he's an asset!” O'Mallory said in
despair.
“Let
them deal with him then,” the captain growled.
“They
can't. They are almost to the jump point and out of range. By the time we get a
call through to them it would be too late. Besides, he wants to go on to
Antigua.”
“We
have a duty to carry him Cap. He held up his end of the bargain.” O'Mallory
glanced his way. “I say he more than held up his end of the bargain.”
“I...”
“Cap
there is more. He's my godfather,” Warner said gently but firmly. O'Mallory's
eyes went wide as the captain turned on the exec. “Yes, that's right. My
parents named me after him,” he indicated the still seated Admiral. “He did a
great deal for my family. I owe him. We owe him. We pay our debts. I pay
my debts.”
The
captain went to retort but was interrupted by the hatch opening. He turned and
paused when his wife and daughter pass through. Behind him were the rest of the
ship's senior officers and half of the ship's council. He pursed his lips,
easily reading his wife.
Cora
ran her hand through her curly blond hair and looked around in confusion. Her
daughter Toni pointed to the unfamiliar man seated at a console.
The
captain watched as his daughter and wife made their way with stately grace over
to Irons and bowed. Irons looked up amused. The two ladies were obviously
mother and daughter from the way the older woman seemed to hover over the teen.
Both were lookers but for some reason they didn't look alike. The mother was
thin, built like a china doll with short curly Shirley Temple hair. The teen
was more closely aligned with Terran normal, about one hundred and fifty
centimeters; she towered over her mother by a good twenty centimeters. While
her mother's skin was china white her's was much more of a golden hue. Her hair
was blond at the roots but with black tips and streaks. Either it was a dye job
or she had the genetic change that allowed her hair to change color every year.
That had been a big fad back in the mid twenty first century apparently.
“On
behalf of this ship and it's passengers I'd like to thank you for saving our
lives Admiral,” she said proffering a fine delicately boned hand.
Irons
stood and took the hand and shook it gently. “Thank you ma'am. It is part of my
duty to help ships in distress ma'am,” he said bowing over it slightly.
“Even
if you are on the ship?” she asked, cocking her head and smiling a little.
“Especially
then ma'am,” he said with a snort. She laughed softly as their hands
disengaged.
“My
name is Cora, Cora Chambers. I am the captain's wife and in charge of our
passengers. I apologize for not meeting you sooner but I was otherwise
engaged.”
“Understandable
ma'am. You have quite the passenger compliment to deal with. I don't envy your
work load,” he said.
She
sighed and brushed her blond bangs out of her eyes. “Yes it can be strenuous at
times. All the different personalities to deal with. It is a challenge but I
feel I am up to the task though,” she smiled politely.
“I
don't doubt it ma'am,” he said politely.
“I'll
try to make your stay more comfortable from now on Admiral,” she said firmly
and loudly, glancing at her husband. The captain's jaw set.
“Thank
you ma'am.”
“What
are your plans if I may be so bold to ask?” she smiled when she asked that.
“I'm
still forming them ma'am. Things are well, sort of complicated,” he said with a
shrug.
“I
understand,” she said, patting him on the arm. She could hear and feel her
husband's almost subsonic growl of disapproval across the room. She turned to
her daughter with
When
the repairs were made the engineer took a break to rest and noticed additional
guards and the captain. Defender brought up the audio of the conversation. “I
want him off my ship. Now. Preferably spaced,” the captain said coldly but
quietly. Irons frowned but continued to study the readouts.
“Cap
after all he's done? Destiny is right, he's an asset!” O'Mallory said in
despair.
“Let
them deal with him then,” the captain growled.
“They
can't. They are almost to the jump point and out of range. By the time we get a
call through to them it would be too late. Besides, he wants to go on to
Antigua.”
“We
have a duty to carry him Cap. He held up his end of the bargain.” O'Mallory
glanced his way. “I say he more than held up his end of the bargain.”
“I...”
“Cap
there is more. He's my godfather,” Warner said gently but firmly. O'Mallory's
eyes went wide as the captain turned on the exec. “Yes, that's right. My
parents named me after him,” he indicated the still seated Admiral. “He did a
great deal for my family. I owe him. We owe him. We pay our debts. I pay
my debts.”
The
captain went to retort but was interrupted by the hatch opening. He turned and
paused when his wife and daughter pass through. Behind him were the rest of the
ship's senior officers and half of the ship's council. He pursed his lips,
easily reading his wife.
Cora
ran her hand through her curly blond hair and looked around in confusion. Her
daughter Toni pointed to the unfamiliar man seated at a console.
The
captain watched as his daughter and wife made their way with stately grace over
to Irons and bowed. Irons looked up amused. The two ladies were obviously
mother and daughter from the way the older woman seemed to hover over the teen.
Both were lookers but for some reason they didn't look alike. The mother was
thin, built like a china doll with short curly Shirley Temple hair. The teen
was more closely aligned with Terran normal, about one hundred and fifty
centimeters; she towered over her mother by a good twenty centimeters. While
her mother's skin was china white her's was much more of a golden hue. Her hair
was blond at the roots but with black tips and streaks. Either it was a dye job
or she had the genetic change that allowed her hair to change color every year.
That had been a big fad back in the mid twenty first century apparently.
“On
behalf of this ship and it's passengers I'd like to thank you for saving our
lives Admiral,” she said proffering a fine delicately boned hand.
Irons
stood and took the hand and shook it gently. “Thank you ma'am. It is part of my
duty to help ships in distress ma'am,” he said bowing over it slightly.
“Even
if you are on the ship?” she asked, cocking her head and smiling a little.
“Especially
then ma'am,” he said with a snort. She laughed softly as their hands
disengaged.
“My
name is Cora, Cora Chambers. I am the captain's wife and in charge of our
passengers. I apologize for not meeting you sooner but I was otherwise
engaged.”
“Understandable
ma'am. You have quite the passenger compliment to deal with. I don't envy your
work load,” he said.
She
sighed and brushed her blond bangs out of her eyes. “Yes it can be strenuous at
times. All the different personalities to deal with. It is a challenge but I
feel I am up to the task though,” she smiled politely.
“I
don't doubt it ma'am,” he said politely.
“I'll
try to make your stay more comfortable from now on Admiral,” she said firmly
and loudly, glancing at her husband. The captain's jaw set.
“Thank
you ma'am.”
“What
are your plans if I may be so bold to ask?” she smiled when she asked that.
“I'm
still forming them ma'am. Things are well, sort of complicated,” he said with a
shrug.
“I
understand,” she said, patting him on the arm. She could hear and feel her
husband's almost subsonic growl of disapproval across the room. She turned to
her daughter with
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