Fastest Ship in the Galaxy

"The lead ship is the Dark Blade," said Kester, scrutinizing a small screen on his control desk. "The ship's database has matches for the larger escort ships. The destroyers Integrity, Executor and Resolution. Those are all fast ships."

"Will we be able to outrun them?" asked Ogilvy, looking towards Astra.

Astra said nothing. She sat slumped against the arm-rest, with her chin supported by right hand, her fist clenching and unclenching.

"Somehow," said Kester looking at his screen, "somehow we are outrunning them."

Ogilvy pressed some controls on his control panel and looked at his screen. "He's right. And it's no contest. In this ship there's now way they can ever catch us."

Kester looked at Astra. "I'm sure we'll find a way."

"I don't undestand," said Ogilvy.

"We will run for now," said Astra. "But one day soon, when we've worked out how this ship works, we'll fight." Astra watched the faint dots that were the pursuing ships. They faded away, left far behind, and then Astra got up and left the flight deck.

"What was all that about?" said Ogilvy.

"She doesn't like to lose," said Stacy.

"I still don't get it, " said Ogilvy. "We've got the fastest ship in the Galaxy. We can go anywhere we want. If this is losing then I can't wait to find out what winning feels like."

"What I don't understand is this ship," said Kester. "It's very existence is an enigma. It's faster than any ship known and yet it contains data files on Solidarity vessels."

"Why don't you ask Zen?" suggested Ogilvy.

Kester shrugged. "Zen, how did the ship come to have such a comprehensive a database of Solidarity ships?"

"Information is unavailable," said Zen.

Kester slowly smiled, making him look disturbingly shark-like. "That's what I thought. I'll have to reprogram this computer at some point."

1. The crew plotted their next destination

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