The Nathan Daniels Saga: Part 1 Read Online Free PDF

“What do you think?”
    Nathan examined her closely, since he had been asked.  The jumpsuit fit her nicely, tight in all the right places.  She had zipped it to just above her cleavage, leaving an excellent view of her caramel neck and upper chest.  She had tied a lavender scarf around her waist.  She wore Dangling earrings of the same color.  They were rather plain; definitely something a modest trader would wear.
    “ You look like the perfect apprentice!”  Remini dropped herself into the co-pilot's seat with a practiced ease which was every bit regal.  “Engines idling at ninety-eight percent efficiency, Captain,” she said reading off the indicators.  She could tell her outfit had precisely the desired effect on Captain Daniels.  He had watched her movements with intense interest, and obviously struggled to return his attention to the pre-flight.
    “ You fly?”  he asked.
    “ A little,” she replied.  “Nothing like this, mind you, but I am completely certified for both space and atmo.”
    “ You continue to surprise me, Princess.”
    “ You should probably lay off the 'Princess' thing, wouldn't do any good to attract attention planet side.”  Nathan hadn't even considered that.  “Call me Remi, it's what mother calls me, and it's never been used outside the palace.”
    “ Remi it is then.”  Just saying it sent a warm flush through Nathan's body. 
    “ Retracting cargo ramp, sealing hold,” Remi said as she flipped the appropriate switches.  “Switching to internal life support.  Indicator shows three weeks plus of oxy.
    “ Three weeks?”  she asked.  “I thought it was only a week to Rhadasia”
    “ First rule of flying across the galaxy on your own: never skimp on the essentials!  Always lift with fuel, oxy, and water tanks full.  You never know when a trip is going to take longer than you expect.  As it is, we are going to have to restrict ourselves to short hops only, about one third the distance Max and I can go on our own.”
    “ Max?”
    “ My cat, I'll introduce you later.”  Daniels explained.  “Shorter trips mean we have to be more selective about our cargo.  As a general rule the further you haul something, the more you can get for it on the other end.  Luckily, I had already decided on cargo for only a week's trip, otherwise we'd have to spend a day dumping and reloading.”
    Nathan snapped on the intercom.  “Hey Omany,” he said, “Better strap down, old man, we're about to take this bird up!”  He flipped the intercom off and turned to the Princess.  “Want the honors?” he asked.
    Remi nodded reaching for the accept switch that would download the takeoff information from spaceport control to Nola 's flight computer.  Nathan stopped her mid-motion.
    “ It doesn't take a pilot to do an automated take off,” he said.  “Besides, nothing beats the comfort of real live human interaction when it comes to take off and landing.  Can you handle it manually?  Or was that not covered in your training?”
    Remi gave him a sly grin and donned the co-pilot's headset.  “Kurufet control, this is Imper...  er private spacecraft Nola , registration number .  .  .  “ she looked at Nathan.  Daniels slapped on his own headset “two-five-five-bravo-tango three-four-six-niner” he said into his microphone.
    “ En-route to to Rhadasia,” Remi continued.  “Requesting taxi authorization and take off vector.”  She sounded like a pro.
    The headsets crackled to life.  “Roger Nola , proceed to taxiway three-alpha.  Take off vector is twenty-nine point five-seven-four.  Keep below four hundred knots while in atmo.  Have a safe trip, and out.”
    Remi flipped the release levers for the docking clamps and there was a slight shutter through the ship, now that she was free.  The Princess toggled the switches that released the umbilicals.  Nola , like her pilot, were ready to go.  Remi programmed in the take off vector, and eased the throttle