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It didn't take long to get the _Red Horizon _on a course for the Allamut System, and after the ship jumped to hyperspace I let Nir take the controls. I left the cockpit and went into the armory, then picked up the helmet that sat on the table. An older T-X4 model that was primary used to scan an area for any faults or damage, which made sense with my engineering history. I turned the helmet to the left and examined the small box that was the flashlight, then looked at the faceplate. It was smooth but scoffed in some places, with a split down the middle where the faceplate separated. I had rebuilt the helmet myself from an older model, adding in the wide faceplate, the flashlight and the area scanner.

I set the helmet back down then picked up the standard handgun that was laying on the table. A black military-issue gun that fired 9mm rounds. I dropped the clip out of the gun and into my gloved hand, saw it was fully loaded, then returned the clip to the gun. I set the gun down beside the holster then briefly scratched my head. I was dressed in my flight jacket and fitted pants, and my well-worn boots tapped the ground as I walked around the table.

On the table was a flat pad that I stopped at and tapped. The pad beeped and the screen turned a light grey color. Images projected by the pad came into the air, and I tapped one of the images. It showed my ship, and as the image grew larger I rotated it with a finger until I was looking at the cockpit.

"Voice control," I said aloud as I started walking around the table again.

A female voice came from the pad and said, "Engaged."

I picked up my P.D.S that was on the table then tapped on it, and glanced the design of my ship as I asked,

"Add a second circle-turbine engine parallell to the first."

A beep sounded and the design of my ship flashed, then disappeared. It reappeared a second later, now with two of the half-circle engines on the back left of my ship.

"Realign the second engines in-between the primary engines," I said. I tapped on my P.D.S as I put down the new designs I was imagining.

"Realigning," said the voice.

I tapped on my P.D.S again as the schematics for my ship vanished, then came back. The seconardy engines were in-between the primary engines now, three circles in a single downward line in-between the half-circle primary engines.

"Show new weight displacement," I said.

Another beep from the pad, then a set of numbers appeared by the ship. I frowned at the numbers, but said,

"Remove the lower deck, and add a room to take up the remaining space on the medical side of the cargo hold."

"Reinitializing design," the female voice said.

I gave my P.D.S a few more taps, the new design beginning to grow on me. I had envisioned the rebuild after leaving the North Sector and mapping my course of the Allamut System. The _Red Horizon _was more than fast, I had chosen a medium-sized ship for this purpose, but I always remind myself she could be faster.

"Finalizing," I looked up as the voice spoke, then saw the ship phase back into view.

Now the bottom half of the ship was gone, and I could see the remodeled cargo area. A wide room that could be set past the medical bay, and the twin half-circle engines. I turned the ship design with my finger, now thinking it looked much better than my current bulky ship, and I tapped a button on my P.D.S. The ship design flashed, then vanished. I ran my fingers over the System before a beep sounded, and I looked at the new ship design that was on my System.

I was about to put the P.D.S back on the table, but paused when I heard Nir's voice overhead.

"Master, were only three minutes outside of the Allamut System."

Stepping away from the table I pressed a button the wall by the door and said,

"I'll be right up."

I heard a beep from the wall panel, and I stepped back to the table.

Walking past the table I stepped up to a rack that was next to where my E.A suit was. The rack beside my E.A suit was where I kept my heavy flight coat, a black coat that fell past my knees and buttoned up to my neck. I took off my flight jacket and swapped it for the coat, fastened the coat up to my neck, then turned to the table and picked up my gun.

Strapping on the leg holster I adjusted the straps, then holstered my gun. I pulled on my belt and checked the four pouches, finding two extra clips for my gun and a handful of Ket's. I ran a brief hand over my short hair, then stepped out of the armory and back into the cockpit.

My timing was good. The _Red Horizon _gave off a whine as it slowed down and dropped out of its warp, and came back into real space. I saw the Allamut System come into view. I saw all six planets at some interval of another; the three planets made of thick green jungle, the twin city-like planets, the sole desert world, and the two moons. The three planets made of jungle were mostly uninhabited, but the planet of Jemnit was home to a race of beings named Domers; tall dark brown aliens with wide eyes, long hands and legs and wide heads. They built their cities in the tall trees, and had large flying creatures called Vrayins they kept as defenders.

The city-like planet was called Ult, a largely Domer-based colony that was also inhabited by Wullars- human-like aliens with slim eyes and pale skin- and the Strovers, a race of aliens with black skin and bright golden eyes. My human father and been a part of Hamond before his death in combat, and during that time he had married my Strover mother, hence my bright golden eyes. I had also inherited my mothers love of reading, and my fathers knack for military know-how. I was fourteen when my father passed, but by that time he had taken two years to teach me almost everything he knew about military technology and engineering.

The single ice planet of Voyar was home to very few inhabitants, mainly because the large beasts and animals that roamed the planet were less than friendly. The most prominent town on Voyar, according to the map, was called Tesh, and was only home to eighty-four thousand inhabitants.

A beeping sound made me look the communicator on the control board, and I tapped it as I sat down. A screen came up and I saw a human male, an older man in his early forties. He stood with his hands behind his back, behind him were three solders dressed in regular Hamond military gear, and the man wasted little time in saying,

"You must be Tebin Luthow."

"I am," I nodded, looking the hologram of the man, "I take it your Jessit Orina?"

"The same," the man nodded, "I've already had you cleared for landing, Tebin, so I hope you'll waste little time in docking in bay C-9."

"Rest assured, I'll be there within moments," I nodded to the hovering screen.

"Good to hear," Jessit retuned my nod, and the screen vanished.

I tapped a button on the control board, then after a dull flash I took a hold the controls, and guided the _Red Horizon _through space and towards the flagship that I could just barely see in the distance.

* * *

My ship dipped as I lined it up with my assigned docking bay, and I kept my hands steady on the controls. The Red Horizon flew closer to the Icoroma, and I could see the workers and soldiers moving here and there. I cut back the engines of my ship as it came up to the docking bay and passed through the containment shield, and I set my ship down to land. I was in a wide box marked on the polished floor of the ship, and from the cockpit I could see a few workers had stopped to look at my ship.

I tapped a few buttons on the ship then left the captains chair, going from the cockpit and back to the armory. I picked up the case with the late Orina's sword inside, then left the armory and went down to the cargo bay. I walked to the bay door, dropped it, then as it tapped the polished floor I walked from my ship with the case in hand.

From my ship I walked across the deck, not particularly sure where I should head to meet with Jessit Orina. I didn't have to walk long though, because when a voice called out, "Tebin Luthow!"

I turned around. Walking across the deck were six men, one of them dressed in finer clothes than the other five, who were dressed as soldiers and carried rifles. The finer dressed man raised a hand, and as I returned the gesture I started across the hanger towards him.

"Tebin," the stranger said my name again when we were closer, and as he held out a hand he introduced himself as "Drenin Shul. Commander of Nova Squadron Six."

"A pleasure," I nodded as we shook, "I'm here to return Captain Orina's sword to him."

"Ah yes, he told us you'd be coming," Drenin nodded. He was dressed in the black military uniform of a Hamond General. He turned and held out a hand, indicating me to to follow him. "My men and I will take you to the bridge now, Captain."

"Many thanks," I nodded as Drenin and I began to walk. His squadron followed behind us, four of them carrying rifles and one who carried a pistol on his hip.

"That's an impressive looking ship," Drenin said as we walked up a ramp.

"You think so?" I replied, "She's a medium-sized modified transport craft that I've worked on myself. The half circle primary engine was my design, and those wings on the sides are used to stabilize the ship."

"Interesting," Drenin said.

"Do you and your men all use the same ship?" I asked.

"One of the medium size ships you surly saw, yes," Drenin nodded, "We're a part of Hamond as well, but we fall into more of the mercenary-type class. Guns for hire, that kind of thing."

"So your not soldiers?" I asked.

"We're trained as soldiers," Drenin said with a nod, "But when our training was finished, our commanding officer sent us into a mercenary division to guard the Surface Breakers that would be orbiting the Allamut System. In the beginning there were four of them. So now when the Icoroma is done with it's business out here, we'll head back to the North Sector and wait there until they give us our next set of orders."

"You like mercenary work?" I asked.

"It suits me," Drenin said with a slim smile, "As well as my men."

"How so?" I asked.

"Freedom of decision," he said, "We don't have to adhere to a strict set of 'go here and do this' orders, like soldiers do," he glanced at me as we came to a lift and he pressed a button, "Like you do, I'd assume."

"I'm no soldier," I said, "Just a trained engineer."

Drenin chuckled as the lift doors opened and we all stepped inside. "Military training is still military training," he said, "And military training means military orders."

"Can't argue with that," I gave him a small smile of my own.

The lift ride up was short, and as the doors dinged and opened Drenin, myself and his squadron of men all stepped off; as we began to walk down a short hall, the mercenary asked me,

"How long have you been working with Carver?"

"How'd you guess he was my CO?" I asked with a glance at him.

"Luck," Drenin said with a small smile, "But in all honestly It's the way you handle yourself. A knowing yet relaxed posture, but the way you speak makes you seem more obedient than you are."

"Around six years," I said. We'd come to a wide door now and as we came up to it slid open, revealing the command bridge.

"My men and I have been working with Carver and Hamond for almost eight," Drenin replied.

Through the wide door we were in the command bridge. A wide viewport gave a good view of the planet ahead, Voyer. The bridge was flat and surrounded by control terminals and various lights and quiet hums; near the front of the bridge was Jessit Orina, and three other uniforms.

"Captain Orina," Drenin took a few steps head now as I slowed down.

Jessit, his light brown hair swept back from his head, turned to face Drenin, then stepped away from the other uniforms as he greeted the squadron leader.

"And you must be Tebin," Jessit looked from Drenin to myself.

"The same," I nodded. Jessit stepped to where I was and we shook.

"Good to finally meet you," he said with a nod.

"Likewise," I returned his nod.

"That must be my fathers sword," he glanced at the case in my hand.

"Yes," I held it up now, and Jessit took it with a small nod.

"My thanks for bringing it back," he said, "I know you may not understand its worth like I do, but I'm grateful to have it back."

"I'm just following orders," I said with a small shrug.

"Like a good man should," Jessit nodded. There was a second of quiet, then Jessit turned to face the bridge, handed the case to one of the other uniformed men, then said, "This strange rock, that Carver sent you to come get."

"What about it?" I asked.

"When you go to get it from the dig site, I'd like for you go take it back to Carver, as opposed to checking back in with me."

"That was my current plan," I said. I stepped up to where Jessit stood near the bridge window, and looked at Voyar.

"Good," Jessit nodded. "And while it's not my place to tell you what to do and where to go, I'd think that Carver would like to have the strange artifact back sooner rather than later."

"Well in all honesty, I'm intrigued to see what it is myself," I replied.

"Does Carver normally send you to pick up whatever strange artifacts he finds deep within the reaches of space?" asked Jessit.

"Normally, yes," I nodded. "He's got his network of spies and informants as I'm sure you know, but aside from his soldiers, other engineers, and his workers, he's only got about a handful of others who can pick up the signals that get sent out."

"I see," Jessit nodded, still looking out of the bridge window. There was another moment of quiet, then the Captain said, "Well with respect, Captain Luthow, I'd ask you to go and find out what this mysterious rock is all about."

"Yes, sir," I nodded, and turned to leave the bridge.

"Speed to you, Captain," Drenin said as I walked past him.

I nodded, walking from the bridge and back to the lift. I lifted my gauntlet to my mouth and tapped a button, then said,

"Nir, get the ship ready to go."

"Yes, master," was my immediate reply, and I stepped into the lift as the doors slid open.

* * *

From the docking bay I had Nir guide the Red Horizon down to Voyar. I went back to the armory, and swapped my flight coat for my E.A suit. I pulled on the under suit, buckled on the chest plate, and readjusted the fit of my gauntlet. I swapped my normal boots for a heavier, insulated pair, then turned to pick up my helmet. I pulled it on, pulled down the neck cover that was attached to a locking ring, and snapped it into place on the neckline of my chest piece.

I doubled checked my gun, taking it out from its holster and checking the clip, then re-holstered the weapon, and stepped out of the armory and went back to the cockpit.

In the cockpit, the Red Horizon was just coming into Voyar's atmosphere, and I took the captains chair as my ship began to descend. I watched the cockpit window as the distant, white plains of the planet swam into view and painted my vision to pure white, and as a beep sounded I looked over to the temperature reader to see it dip down.

"Nir, are you picking up any life readings down there?"

A beep was my immediately reply, then I heard the bodiless robot reply with, "No master, I have detected no such readings."

"Keep me posted," I said.

"Yes, master," was my reply.

I watched the planet draw closer, then glanced at the height meter that was displayed just above the mapping system. Fifty, and going down. Still watching the planet come closer I put a hand to my helmet's mouthpiece, and gave a small nozzle a twist to the left. I heard a tiss sound, then tasted the cool air that filtered into my helmet.

My ship set down with a light thump on the planet surface, I assumed Nir had used the onboard computer to set us down somewhere flat, then dismissed the thought when I remembered that my ship had just been landed by a bodiless, AI robot.

I left the captains chair and stepped to where the cockpit would slide back, and heard the all to familiar tiss sound when the glass slid back. I felt the immediate chill swarm into the cockpit, and shivered despite my insulated gear. I tapped my helmet, then looked at my gauntlet. On the gauntlet was a pad that synced with my ship, and I saw the symbol for long-range communication appear on the gauntlet. I heard a beep inside of my helmet, and as I lowered my arm I walked up the ramp, then onto the top of my ship to survey the cold, bleak planet.