While Ilisa and Jenna closed the door behind them, Thurgod, Fastos, Tyrone and the professor were discussing the trip. Lista, Devano, Extsu and the two sergeants looked on.

“Don’t concern yourself professor, we are not going to do anything to upset the mining guild. While this is a minor operation for them, they have enough firepower there to make things difficult for us.” Tyrone assured the academic. Fastos concurred “The mining equipment that they operate could make difficulties for the Legion if they sent a small ship like ours to harry them. You may rest assured that we will not be doing anything to upset them. They also have an extensive intelligence service that I have used in the past. No one upsets them deliberately.”

“Then I am relived.” The professor replied pompously.

“In any case, we will only be there long enough to refuel, about a single standard period. No one other than Devano and I will deal with the miners.” Thurgod was making it clear that he was in charge. Devano looked over sharply, this was of more interest to him than an old story he did not believe in anyway.

“I want the capacitors full and the fuel cells charged to capacity. We will decide where to go on our voyage out.” Thurgod had already decided but he had no intention of revealing his plans.

*********

Bored, Lista Thursta turned away and was having fun with the artifact, moving her hands back and forward to activate the surreal figure. The remainder of the audience watched in fascination. The professor suddenly noticed this, to him, abuse of a rare and priceless object.

“Please be respectful of what you have no concept of.” Snapped the professor as he gathered up the carving and stored it in his case.

“Why professor I wasn’t hurting it.” Lista pouted, then smiled seductively. “Perhaps you can show me it again and we can… discuss it.”

Looking down his aquiline nose, the professor made a motion of dismissal.

Lista was not to be put off quite so easily however. With a seductive smile on her face, mischief in her eyes and on her mind, she swayed towards the professor. “But professor, I really do want to know all about everything that you were talking about. You are so smart!”

Although thawing somewhat, Professor Denner Venkriller remained unconvinced. Indeed he, like some other intellectuals, considered no one even his colleagues, of equal intellect. Lista Thursta, of course did not count at all in this regard. “Miss Thursta, surely even you must understand, that even I have not been able to work out how this artifact works. The most sensitive instrumentation has not been able to detect any power source.” The professor was at his most pontifical.

“But professor, I know that I could feel something. It was, I am not sure, but there was something there.”

The professor frowned, seeming to consider the seductive women in something of a new light. “I will consider what you speak of. Indeed, as there are three females on this ship, I could monitor your body chemistry while you each activate the carving. Hmmm yes I must consider this,” He turned back to his case.

Lista Thursta, stood with her mouth open. Never had she been so cavalierly treated and dismissed. Her hand flashed to her dagger as rage twisted her features. A large hand covered the one on the knife and another lifted her off the floor. “We need him.” hissed in her ear. Tyrone held the wildly trashing girl off the deck while Drista calmed her down, Fastos, the two officers and the sergeants watching in amusement, thankful that they did not have to deal with Lista.

“Can you not control your crew?” The lofty question raised a dark look on Distra’s face as he watched the professor close his case, then leave the room.

Quietly, Thurgod spoke to Lista, “Listen carefully now, we need him until we arrive at the planet where the treasure is supposed to be. There are things that he can tell us and we will need his guidance until the treasure is in our hands.”

Wild eyed, almost frothing at the mouth, Lista Thursta struggled in Tyrone’s iron grasp without success. Thurgod’s hand circled her throat.

Glaring into Thurgod’s eyes, she whispered “I will kill him. I will cut of whatever withered reproductive organ he has and …….” The diatribe was silenced when Thurgod tightened his grip on her throat.

“Listen or I will have you chained in the shuttle bay. Understand?”

This dire threat slowly broke through Lista’s madness. Being restrained as threatened meant that any man who wanted her could take her.

“I still will have my revenge, but I will wait.” She hissed. “You can take your hands off me,” went to Tyrone with venom. At Thurgod’s nod the giant weapon master released Lista.

“Do nothing to him at present, when he has served his purpose, I do not care, but I shall decide when, you understand?” Unable to speak, she nodded. “Get to your post, or somewhere else.”

Smoldering silently Lista stormed out. If it had been possible to slam the rooms’ door, there would have been an almighty crash, Ilisa was temporally forgotten. Leaving the substitute meeting room behind her, Lista stomped to her room. Reaching there, she stabbed at the lock, stamped into the room and slapped the close button behind her. Briefly, she considered killing the professor anyway but decided against it.

“I have come too far to just throw my life away.” She spoke aloud as she threw herself onto her bed.

She did not think over her life, never considered her family, after they sold her she had wanted to go back to them, but only for a while. She had no idea if they were alive or dead and no longer cared. A cold and sadistic smile slowly formed on her face, wiping away the anger and hate. “I can wait,” she said aloud, “oh yes, I can wait. Just like I waited to kill that last pimp, whatever his name was, oh yes, he died slowly, I made sure of that.” The memory brought a different smile, one of a person enjoying a cherished memory, but this one was of a person in agony.

*********

Thurgod glowered as Lista Left. “Watch her.” Went from him to the weapons master. Then to the rest: “To your tasks, make sure we have enough of what we need as we may find supplies difficult to obtain for a while.” The remaining crew apart from Extsu nodded and left.

“Quellar II?” Tyrone asked.

“Later, when we are due for arrival. It will depend if we can find a friend or two there.” A grim smile. “I am sure they will want a bonus for whatever we ask and we do not want to be noticed more than necessary. But to be too easy…”

“Agreed,” Came a rumbling reply, “I may have a contact. My people, we keep in touch.”

After a pause, “Very well, we will try that.’ Thurgod kept his thoughts to himself. The gigantic Weapons Master and Security Chief was mostly open about himself but, as with all the pirates, certain areas were off limits. “We’ll will be there in …. What, Jenna, arrival time?” Thurgod’s saturnine face darkened. He looked around, then hit his comm, “Amard, where is Jenna?”

“Not here. What do you need?”

A pause, “Arrival time.” Came with a snarl.

Keeping his thoughts to himself, Amard replied. “Thirteen point four standard periods.”

Thurgod grunted, then slowly, “You did not say where Jenna is?”

Amard paused, uncertain of the pirate’s mood. “I saw her heading to her quarters.” Not adding where he thought she had gone.

Thurgod paused then; “Very well, in six periods, get your rest, I will see that Jenna finds you. Out.” He turned to the weapons master.

“Tyrone, you kept enough of a landing group for both ship and landing party security?”

“I kept seven of the best, so with Devano, Extsu and the two sergeants along with the five troopers we have plenty.” Extsu agreed then spoke.

“The professor?”

“Don’t worry about him. We will have a talk and I will dispose of him if there is no need to keep him.” Thurgod turned back to the coming arrival.

“Tyrone, take Extsu and two men if you are able to make a contact. Will that do?”

“Plenty, if I am correct, if not?” Tyrone shook his head.

“Then Fastos, you and I and the same team will go onboard or onto whatever reception area they have. I have changed my mind, Devano will have security here at all times, fully loaded for war with the rest.” Again Thurgod was exhibiting all his paranoia. On the other hand, this had kept him alive.

“I do not want any trouble, we will be armed but not with armor. We keep it all nice and happy.” He smiled, “Plus we are heavily armed enough with our ship that a new colony will not want to deliberately mess with us. Even with their power tools.”

“Agreed. No matter who is backing the miner’s it is unlikely to be in a ready state to defend against us.” Fastos paused, “I wonder if they have got all the other news …”

“Will it matter?” The weapons master remained silent.

“Possibly,” Fastos shrugged, “we will just have to wait and see. I will think on this.”

“What could they do? Other than try to take over the ship? I have taken precautions.” Tyrone was seeing possible complications.

“Mining tools have tremendous power and can be reworked to act as weapons in an emergency.” The counsellor shrugged. “Who knows, we will just have to see.” He considered for a moment, looking into space. “I shall rest now. I will see you in eight standard.”

Fastos turned to the professor who had returned during this discussion. “I shall speak again with you professor. The accommodations are spartan but the best we can do for you. But for now, we should both rest.” Nobody knew who or what a spartan was but the term was still used. The two left for their respective rooms.

Thurgod Distra nodded to both then spoke again to Tyrone. “See that all is ready and the men are briefed. Then see that everyone rests.” Tyrone nodded then went to where the mercenaries were housed. ”Now for Jenna!” Thurgod muttered.