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friend to join him. Immediately, their combined weight made the vehicle pitch precariously at an angle. The two Pharloms staggered, but still managed to stay on their feet. Neither took his attention away from the noisy, lunatic humanoid female standing less than ten feet away.
    The barrels of their guns came up—both pointed in her general direction. Leon noticed they were holding the same projectile-type rifles fired at him earlier. He didn’t want to think what those weapons could do to this beautiful woman. Leon stepped into the open, his own plasma weapon raised. Gripping the pistol in both hands, he fired, then kept on firing. Five plasma bolts ripped into the head of one Pharlom; then five plasma bolts ripped into the other. Leon repeated the same firing pattern, going back and forth three more times. Almost simultaneously, their heads blew apart—two dust clouds hanging in the air. Leon and the young woman instinctively stepped back to avoid the falling pile of rocks.
    She glared at him. “Why did you wait so long to shoot? I thought I was going to die right here in this trash—”
    “Hey, I just saved your life … again. A simple thank you would suffice.”
    She shook her head at him, exasperated.
    “By the way, I’m Leon … Leon Pike. What’s your name?”
    “Hanna … we need to get out of here.”

Chapter 5
     
    Sol System
    The Minian – Open Space
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    After several months away, it felt good to be back on the Minian again. Jason left Grimes on the flight deck—she’d relayed his father’s instructions that both he and Dira were to report to his ready room—pronto. As they exited onto the ship’s twenty-third deck, there seemed to be full crew on board, and Jason found himself returning salutes as he passed crewmembers every minute or so. Being aboard, though, was also bittersweet. So much of the Minian was similar to The Lilly in design. Sure, this ship was substantially larger—with its forward to aft length reaching a little over one mile. It was also much newer—embracing more advanced Caldurian technology. Much of the vessel, the last time Jason was on board, he’d yet to explore.
    The energy-based hatch to the captain’s ready room was open and Jason heard his father’s familiar baritone as he leaned in, knocking on the bulkhead.
    “Don’t be shy, get in here,” his father bellowed.
    Jason, with Dira in tow, entered the ready room and found his father, Ricket and Granger, the tall Caldurian, seated at the conference table.
    Granger had a smug look on his face. As tall as any human, Caldurians were similar in looks to the triangular-shaped headed Craing. With large eyes, they pretty much fit several stereotypical depictions of aliens in movies.
    Each of the integrated displays, situated around the large compartment, displayed a different planetary system. Jason recognized about half of them; others, he was fairly sure, he’d never seen before.
    “Have a seat.”
    Jason and Dira did as instructed.
    “Hello, Captain … it is good to see you again. And you, as well, Dira,” Ricket said.
    Dira replied first, “You’re looking well, Ricket. I like your new uniform.”
    Jason then noticed they were all wearing new uniforms. Gone was the dreary, drab gray one, and everyone was garbed instead in navy blue, with a lighter blue piping around the sleeves and collar. The uniforms also looked substantially more formal.
    Jason, surprised at seeing Granger even wearing a uniform, asked, “You’re officially part of the crew?”
    His father answered for him. “Granger’s officially an Alliance officer. We all are. With the exception of a small fleet being provided for Earth’s defense … about thirty thousand ships, the Alliance fleet has been strategically dispersed throughout the Allied worlds … with no less than one hundred and eighty thousand warships.”
    “That was very generous of you,” Jason said.
    “Not generous at all. Maintaining a fleet that size