END of LINE: Humanities Last Stand - part 3 (15 page)

“Captain, Connell here. We're free, ease us out of here. Wrenches, I'm heading back inside. Meet me in the lock.” Jon broadcast.

“Do you think it might be a good idea to make another sweep Boss?” Phillie asked.

“I can do that. After all it’s such a nice day for a walk outside. Gentle breezes and all.” Jon joked. “I'd already walked the rest of the ship twice when
I started working that section. If you want me to I will though. She's your ship to keep flying Wrenches. You tell me how you want things handled. I'm
working for you now.”

“Give it one more check Boss, then head inside. Anyplace you haven't already checked twice that is.” she told him. “I'll start getting some repair patches
ready at the rear lock so once you're in, Bendy and I can get to work out there. The sooner we're patched, the sooner were on our way.”

“Good plan Wrenches. Continuing inspection now.” Jon stated and began to slowly walk over areas of the ship he'd not yet checked twice. Who would place a
device like that on a ship already in service and risk the lives of any passengers and crew? Phillie had told him that those things were only used to test
new engines and prevent them from slipping. If it had activated itself while the ship was already in the slipway, it would mean disaster for everyone. Jon
kept trying to determine if the Princess was the target or his company. Or perhaps the real target was him. Hadn't he suddenly had his leave cut short and
been ordered to take passage on this ship from Haven to Lexon II? Hasn't it been him who had spoiled the plans of that corrupt comptroller? Wasn't it
because of his recommendations to his board that three of the best Flight Engineers were flying on his ships now despite each of them having been black
listed by the guild? Perhaps all three were targets and the killer happened upon a way to take them all out at once. Something about this whole thing
screamed out that there was some real power broker behind it, but who? The only good news was that the Pluto had avoided a disaster, this time. Jon
determined that these old ships were too easy to tamper with. It was definitely time for new ones. Finishing his inspections, Jon met Phillie at the air
lock and she brought him inside. After helping to remove the pressure suit, she asked him, “How bad is it boss?”

“Not too bad Phillie.” Jon reassured her. “I had to cut away three panels to get rid of it. It may need four repair patches to fill the gap. One of the panels I had to cut away was extra long.”

“Three panels? That thing must have been a monster! Well, I'll get her fixed up real quick and we can get underway.”

“Phillie, do you know the surplus yards out near Fossthitte?” Jon asked. “The place where they park all the Military hardware that the council bought and
never used?”

“Yeah, there is everything out there from 100 year old ships with maybe 2 hours on their slips to the latest and greatest in the fleet. Its like majorly
off limits to everyone except certified buyers. Even has armed shuttles patrolling the place.”

“I'm going to notify Corporate, but start putting together a list of what you want. I personally want four ships. Remember my plans to have one for myself
in a couple of cycles. They should be armored cargo carriers or fully armed carriers without any fighters or shuttles. I figure either of those hull types
should give us lots of cargo space and their advanced slipdrive engines should be the best on the market. Plus all the extra electronics and detectors
should prevent this kind of thing from ever happening to them. Make sure they are all fully armed. These ships will be supplying the rim planets as well as
our regular inner cluster runs. Once you have the list of stuff you want, forward it to Corporate and tell them to arrange passage for you to go look over
what's out there and select me four new birds. Can you do that for me Phillie?” Jon asked.

“I can try Boss.”

“No Phillie, there is no trying to this. Can you do it or not?”

“Yes Boss, I'll make it happen. BBITCo will be flying pretty new ships by this time next cycle.” Phillie hoped she had not just bitten off her own face.
Jon was asking a lot of her. She already knew what could happen if she didn't come through on something for Jon. Especially something this huge! Replacing
his entire fleet of FTL slipships was a major expense! He'd never trust her again if she did not give him the best ships available. She could lose a lot
and never miss it, but to lose his trust would devastate her.

“Good girl. Phillie, you be careful outside.” Jon gave her a quick hug before stepping away and looking her straight in the eye. “So tell me the truth.
What do you think of the Princess?”

“Does it really matter what I think? You love her. Why would you care what anyone else thinks?” Phillie asked him.

“Because, I know you refuse to believe me, but its true. You are the very first female other than my own heart-mother who ever allowed herself to be seen
with me in public. That makes you somehow special in ways I can't explain. Your opinion matters to me. Not just for things like how to fix a slipship but
in the stupid stuff like is my hair combed right... you know?”

“Yeah, I think I do.” Phillie said, “Jon, I like her. She's not like the other Royals I've had the misfortune to meet. She's a real person with her own
hopes and dreams just like all of us. When you called me I was in her room inspecting her stuff like you asked me to and do you know what I found?” When
Jon shook his head in the negative Phillie continued, “I found one entire piece of luggage that was nothing but different gowns all in such vibrant colors
I could not figure out whose family they belonged to. She told me that the gowns displayed your family colors and you should have seen her eyes when she
told me! That female is so proud of your family colors I can't begin to describe it to you. She can't wait to be able to wear them at court!”

“Thanks Phillie. It means a lot to me that you like her.” Jon reached out and pulled Phillie in close for a gentle hug and a quick brotherly kiss on her
forehead.

“Jon there is something else I want to tell you.” Phillie had to think how to tell him and she only had a few seconds. “Jon relationships between males and
females take a lot of work. They don't ever just happen. It can't be one person doing all the work either. I know you've been hurt and chances are you'll
be hurt more before you two figure out how to make each other really happy. Jon, all the work is worth it and all the pain forgotten in the end.” Phillie
paused to let what she had said sink into Jon's thick skull. “I once had a mate. He was tall, handsome, and proud. He had a beautiful coat of fine red hair
that covered his body. We loved each other totally. Then his family sent him to live on their farming colony to drive us apart. Our love found a way for us
to be together. He snuck me onto their colony in a crate marked spare parts no less! We were blissfully happy for many cycles. He was killed when one of
the farm machines blew up with him on it. That's when I became an Engineer, so I could see trouble before it took another life.

It was not easy for me, the pampered daughter of a rich machinery broker to be a farmer's wife with two sets of parents who did not want our relationship
to exist. We had many things we had to find our own way through. Sometimes I hurt him, other times he hurt me, but we always figured out a way. You and
Satrina are like we were. She is the Crown Princess and you are the owner of a transport company who is also under contract to the Peacekeepers. You need
to know that things are never going to be easy for you two. You also need to know that if your love is true, it will survive, but only if you are willing
to fight to make it so. You can never give up that fight, no matter what comes at you.”

“All I can do is love her Phillie.” Jon softly whispered. “I may not be strong enough to fight every Royal Guard they can throw at us.”

“You may not have to. You have a very unique quality Jon Connell. People trust you once they know you.” Phillie told him. “There is not a person working
for BBITCo who wouldn't follow you through a black hole if that's where you decided to go. Some of the Royals will be on your side. Just be you and they'll
love you for it. Now I gotta go fix the ship or we're never going anywhere.” Jon helped her secure her helmet and she entered the air lock, cycled it to
the outside and was gone from view as she and Bendy muscled the repair panels over to where Jon had cut away the device from his ship.

He was halfway to the command center when his COM badge called to him. “Wrenches to Connell.”

“Connell here. What's up Wrenches?” Jon answered.

“I just figured out what your radio call sign should be.” Phillie told him and everyone else on the Pluto.

“Wrenches, I swear, if you come up with something insane I'll see to it that you really do burn your butt in the engine room!” Jon admonished her.

“No sir, but looking at this cut job you did on the hull you're a pretty skilled cutter, just like a good Butcher.” Phillie told him. “So from now on,
that's your BBITCo call sign, Butcher.”

“That sounds a little gruesome doesn't it?” Jon replied.

“Only a skilled Butcher could make cuts this clean.” Phillie said. “Putting the new panels in place will be a breeze.”

“Well at least it isn't anything to do with cheeks” Jon kidded her. “It does sort of sound ferocious though. Which I guess is good considering I'm still
under contract to the Peacekeepers. Butcher it is then. Thank you Wrenches.”

“Any time boss.” Phillie acknowledged.

They had come through the slipway five hours ago without any trouble for the rest of the three week trip. Everyone was breathing a lot easier. The Princess had been met by a contingent of Royal Guards who promptly escorted her to a waiting shuttle for the trip down to the surface. She and Jon had managed to spend several days together
because of the secret doorway between their rooms and had already said their good-byes before the Pluto docked at the orbital station. He had managed to
catch her eye as she walked through the corridors and waved to her. His heart felt totally filled when she smiled and winked those gorgeous emerald green
eyes with the tiny golden specks at him. He had treated the entire crew of the Pluto to mid-meal at Jamie's Place and now he was sitting alone on a bench
near the entry hatch waiting for the transport to take him to the Peacekeeper training center when his tablet announced that he had a call incoming from
Haven. “Connell here, go ahead.”

The screen came alive and the faces of BBITCo's Chief Commander and his new Financial Officer came online. “Hi Jon. We received your order for the new
ships and everything is all set up. The surplus yard is even willing to buy our ships. Seems there is a demand for those tuned up engines Wrenches has
designed. I can't wait to see what she does to the new ones. Anyway, Pluto is on route to the yard with Mars and Venus due to arrive two days after the
Pluto. We're planning to salvage the old ships but keep the names for the new ones. Some kind of company ties back to the old Earth system where the humans
came from. We decided on Mercury for the fourth ship. Legend says it was the planet closest to their sun and traveled the fasted in its orbit. Maybe the
name will influence the actual ship's speed. For what it's worth, the legends say Mecury was the messenger of the gods. Lets hope the ship lives up to its name sake. Wrenches has her instructions on what the company needs given what you've asked for. We're getting four, fully armed Nova class carriers minus the attack craft. They are bigger than our old FTL ships, but smaller than battle carriers. These are more the size of a destroyer. They are still considered top of the line combat boats and a lot of them are still in service. We were lucky enough to get all four of them that were being offered at auction. Aside from having zero hours on their drives each ship will have one surface shuttle in case we need to drop to a planet's surface faster than the public system can get us planetside and back up. They also have functioning transport plates to help make loading and unloading even faster.

No status yet on who sabotaged the Pluto or why. We're still working on that and will let you know what we find. Whoever did that is guilty of attempted murder of a Royal. Its one of the few crimes that still carries a death sentence.

Save this message link, it will let us communicate across the galaxy if something comes up. By way of us being thankful to you for adding from your
personal accounts to cover the cost of the fourth ship, we've decided to officially authorize you as that ship's Captain with the call sign Butcher.
Wrenches will be your Flight Engineer and will have full authority to hire a crew. Mercury will be a productive ship once we get her outfitted, crewed and
on the roster of BBITCo vessels. We've got everything under control here Jon. You be careful out there. Its getting dangerous along the rim. They didn't
even blink when we told them we wanted the ships fully armed and loaded ready to fight if they needed to. BBITCo. Out”. - End of Message.

A young Lexonian male wearing dress whites had sat down unnoticed next to Jon as the message played. When the message ended he started a conversation. “That sounds interesting,
you own your own combat ready carriers. Why are you waiting to board the transport to Peacekeeper advanced training?”

“What I own or don't own is really none of your business.” Jon told the youth. “I'm going to training because I'm a certified FTL pilot who just happens to
be in the Peacekeepers Corps.”

“Sorry if I got off on the wrong ground, asking about your carriers and all. Its just you wouldn't think that a guy heading for shuttle training would be
buying combat ready ships.” The male apologized. “Let's try this again. My name is Zeprik. Lieutenant Zeprik. I'm heading to the same training camp but I'm
a grub. Not a certified pilot.”

“OK. I enlisted to satisfy a court case. Had no idea where I'd end up but by the time I finished basic combat, they had figured out that I was already a
certified FTL pilot and assigned me to flight training. I'm just hoping they don't bore me to death. System FTL is exciting when you're under the gun to
meet a delivery schedule. One screw up in the calcs and you slip inside a planet or the system's star. This thing I'm going to now is a complete unknown
for me. At least you know what you'll be doing. Drop in, subdue, lift out. Name's Jon. Call sign Butcher. Pleased to meet you.”