The shuttle wasn’t large, but there were only four of us on it as we left the destroyer late the next evening.  The refit yard was in orbit around a moon, which was orbiting a gas giant.  There were no life bearing planets in this star system. 

The Scythe came into view, it was a beautiful ship.  The Stolavii ships looked a lot like a wide stone arrowhead, but with curved sides.  The Scythe was similar, except it was a thinner arrowhead, sleeker in design and form.  Maybe dart-like would be a better description.  The ship was a dark gray, almost black, and the only reason it was easy to see, was the large red Jovian planet in the background.

Vik asked, “What do you think of her.”

“She’s gorgeous, sir.”

Vik said, “Among ourselves, first names will suffice, as long as respect remains.  Just remember to call me captain and sir outside of the four of us, five of us including Jillintara.”

“Okay, Vik.”

Dear god, had that come out as throatily as I think it did?  Down girl.

Vik said, “I know you’re qualified, but we don’t really know each other yet, I’d like to get a late meal with you tonight.”

“Of course, I’d be pleased to join you.”  Very pleased.  Damn, what was wrong with me?  I was a lusty girl at times, but this was ridiculous.  I’d like to blame the health nanites, or alien pheromones, but I truly had no idea why I was so affected by being close to him.

Rilok snorted, but I had no idea why.

Telidur said, “Tomorrow might be better, Jillintara needs to get her settled, and our bridge shift is only seven hours away.  The ship should be loaded by then as well.”

“Loaded?”

Rilok said, “Check the ships status, you should be able to find our current mission, sub-mission, and destination.”

Vik shook his head, “What Rilok means, is as long as we were here in this system, we might as well take on cargo.  The ship’s expensive to run, and I need to make credits to support it.  He is right though, get used to using the interface, Ann or Jillintara can access the ships data net and answer most questions if you can’t find it yourself.  After dropping off the cargo at Vehiri, which is Isyth’s second habitable star system, we can resume the primary mission.”

I checked the interface, and knew about it already, it was in the download.  I just wasn’t used to using it yet.  The mission of course, was to figure out what the hell was up with the Stolavii taking so many humans.  The current sub-mission was resource delivery.  I also noted we’d be taking a route that would be close to Stolavii space, so we were probably playing lure as well.

“Which is to figure out what the hell the Stolavii are up to?”

Vik nodded, “As I indicated earlier yesterday, they’re taking more slaves from Earth than can be accounted for by their known ship counts.  There’s a lot of space out there, and a lot of resource systems to hide things in, and we can only go so long before we have to make another resource run.  The idea they might have a hidden fleet out there somewhere is alarming, but possible.  They have a mercenary culture, usually there’s always a Stolavii willing to sell us information, but our usual informants have been silent on this issue.”

“What about the ship we escaped from, is there a way to access their tactical data-net?”

Vik shook his head, “Security is a given.  With artificially intelligent computers hacking is almost impossible.  The Stolavii themselves are a different matter, and they’ll be questioned by fleet security.  Chances are good we’ll eventually make our break that way, which is why we’re operating alone and using ourselves as bait.  The Scythe is a good ship, better than most.”

That seemed really inefficient, playing merchant vessel I mean, but it was also part of the reason the empire didn’t have taxes.  They didn’t have to shoulder the burden of maintaining a fleet, which would be ridiculously expensive.  It also made the defense fleet merchants, so there was a tradeoff.

The comment, lot of space, was a little disingenuous and a hell of an understatement.  The Isyth empire composed five habitable systems, but hundreds of resource systems with many more than that yet to be explored.  It was about three hundred light years in diameter with the home star system of Isyth in the middle.  Earth was on the edge of it, but inside the border, which meant the Stolavii were sticking their paws in the empire.

Outside the empire, yet still in the borders of their space, were the three independent worlds.  Stolavis where the Stolavii were from originally, and two other species which I hadn’t seen yet, the xenophobic ones, which were the Gionii of Gionus, and the Suaterans of Suatera.  Technically, all three independents existed in empire claimed space, but the Isythians didn’t force other worlds to join their empire, and their home star systems were excluded from the claimed space.

The empire and independents were surrounded by two other empires that were much larger, which were thankfully peaceful and mostly left the Isyth Empire be.  The Alirann and Kruterran Empires.  Which meant wherever the humans were, in a hidden fleet or not, they were somewhere in Isyth Empire space.  It would be beyond foolish of the Stolavii to provoke an empire which could squash their fleets and planet without really trying.  Compared to the size of the galaxy which was a hundred thousand light years in diameter and composed of an estimated half billion to a trillion stars, a three hundred light year diameter sphere of territory sounded like a relatively small spot to search. 

Relatively was the key word there.

Within that three hundred light year diameter, there were close to six thousand star systems.  The Isythians hadn’t been to nearly all of them yet, they’d only searched the G type stars in their area for habitable planets.  So far, they’ve only found one planet that was habitable and not already taken by another sentient race.  Suddenly, three hundred light years of area to search was a hell of a lot more daunting.  Space being big was an understatement, even at FTL speeds.

Vik added, “Also, Telidur is right, we’ll do dinner tomorrow night, after the bridge shift.  Take tonight to get settled, check over your gear, and get some sleep.  Jillintara will take care of inserting your new plasma weapon and will show you to your quarters.”

Thanks to the download, I knew the location of my quarters, and everyone else’s for that matter, as well as the bridge and engineering.  Everything else too.  I hadn’t seen it yet, but with the knowledge download it was like I knew the ship as if I’d walked the corridors my whole life.  Still, I didn’t argue, I was curious to meet and talk to Jillintara.  Curiously enough, she had quarters as well.

Telidur said, “I’ve got dibs on the next night.  We’ll also get to know each other better on the bridge, but never forget everything that is said and done on the bridge is recorded for posterity, and can be reviewed by our superiors.  We tend to keep a more businesslike tone on the bridge.”

“Sounds good, I’m sure I can clear my schedule.”

Telidur laughed.

Vik cleared his throat, and glared at his second in command.

Rilok rolled his eyes, “Fine, I’ll take the night after that.  I still think…”

Vik interrupted, “I know very well what you think commander, now shut it.”

Oh good.  And I meant that in a way that isn’t good.  Why was Rilok such a dick, and what did he think?  I mean, obviously he thought I was a risk or threat, or unsuitable in some way, but which one, and why?  Vik seemed to have a mostly serious personality, but had laughed a few times and was friendly, and Telidur seemed relaxed and fun.  I guessed in the end, blue aliens or not, they were just people.  And Rilok had the position of asshole on the crew completely locked up.  Maybe I’d figure out his problem with me three nights from now, only time would tell.

The shuttle flew into the landing bay and set down.  There were two other shuttles, and several fighters on the deck.  Since there was no flight crew, I wondered if they were Artificial Assistant controlled, or if they were simply there for show or regulations.  I looked up the data, and found out it was the former.  They were controlled by Jillintara directly, no wonder she got overloaded in battle, if she was fighting this ship’s weapons and controlling fighters at the same time.  Not to mention directing repairs, shields, energy, and everything else involved in the ship.

The landing bay took a few moments to cycle and fill with air, and the shuttle door opened.  We got out, and headed for the hatch.  When the hatch opened, Jillintara was on the other side with a smile on her face, and looking right at me.  I couldn’t help but smile back.

I was right about the beautiful part, except maybe it was an understatement.  She had the same light blue skin, midnight dark blue eyes, and light blonde hair.  She was also voluptuously curvy, but obviously well-toned at the same time.  Her face was heart shaped, and adorably attractive, but her body screamed sexpot.  I’d have felt jealous, not that I had anything to complain about that way, but my body was more athletic, although in this tight uniform my C-cups were quite pert and noticeable.

Point was, the look on her face was so pleased and welcoming, that I could hardly help but feel completely disarmed in her presence.

“Hi Jill.”

She beamed, “Nice to meet you finally Lori.”

Then she added, “Two days for an artificial life form is a damned eternity.”

I laughed, and we walked off together like old friends, and totally ignored the shocked looks on the men’s faces.  I didn’t know how things would go with Vik, or maybe one of the others.  I wasn’t even sure if it would go anywhere past professional, no matter what my body wanted.  But… in Jill I felt welcomed, and for perhaps the first time in my life, I felt the first sparks of a connection with another.  I already knew then, we would be close friends, and over time I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Pathetic right?  I was nineteen after all.  But I was also raised in a lab and training center until I was sixteen, and told not to make any connections or else.  That had put a damper on any possibilities of friendships or more, but Jill was nice, genuinely so, and artificial or not, she was the first true friend I’d made in my life, but that moment back then was just a tenuous but promising beginning…