Free Hunter Legacy 11: Home Is Where the Hero Is by Timothy Ellis

debris. The nature of the jump point would expel to
the originating side any debris in the jump point itself, giving warning on the
other side, and allowing strategies to be tried to break whatever was
destroying the ships going through. Eventually, something would work. And there
is a very real possibility the entire structure would suddenly jump to the
other side, if enough debris was crushed together so everything touched the sphere
itself, as if solid."
    "That’s a depressing thought."
    "Especially if after a few years,
complacency and cost cutting stopped or reduced maintenance to the point where
a weakness forms."
    "And once there is a breach?"
    "All is lost."
    She shivered.
    On that somber note, dessert arrived, and
our spirits were restored. Conversation turned to more general matters. I had a
second dessert while she lingered over coffee.
    Jane picked us up at the spaceport using a
Lightning, and we were back on board by midnight.
    Back in my suite, the dress slipped off her
easily, revealing lacy underwear underneath. My suit took longer, and for a
moment I regretted not having been a bit more creative with my briefs. They
didn’t stay on long enough to have bothered about though, and with both our
underwear in a pile on the floor with the rest of our clothes, such things as
what they looked like were quickly forgotten.
    Angel came in sometime later expecting to
curl up next to me for sleep, but left again when neither of us would stay
still for more than a few seconds at a time, constantly threatening to roll on
her by accident.
    Eventually, both of us intensely satisfied,
we went to sleep.
    Miriam was still there when I woke in the
morning, as was Angel. We both made a point of stroking and tickling her to
make up for last night, before showering together. We shared a light breakfast
in my dining room. I was back in 'slinky red', and Miriam was in civvies.
    On the tip of my tongue was the question of
how Aline felt about all this, but I didn’t have the guts to ask it, and I sure
didn’t want to spoil what we’d just shared.
    Jane finally interrupted the conversation
of two lovers, who hadn’t quite finished getting ready for a new day.
    "The Keeper obtained permission for us
to visit Gaia Three this morning. Interested?"
    "Sure," we both answered
together.
    "Small party only, so limited to the
Alpha team and Amy."
    "Good," I said. "Where are
we going?"
    "I thought a quick Lightning tour
around the planet, and then lunch at a Sacred Glade after a dip. The ship isn’t
allowed to land, but there is a place where we can step off a hovering ship,
and there is a lunch spot adjacent to the Glade."
    "I think I've seen it, but never been
there."
    "Part of why I chose it."
    Jane was grinning.
    "When do we leave?" asked Miriam.
    "Nine."
    It was already eight.
    "Can you have Eric and Jessie report
to my Ready Room in fifteen minutes?"
    "I'll need to dig them out of your
Galactica quarters. They spent the night using your game rig. Eric's wife is
not impressed with him not coming home, so he'll probably welcome something
legitimate to do while she calms down."
    I grinned at her.
    "If they have to fake being bright
eyed and bushy tailed, so be it. But I have a job for them which can't
wait."
    "Confirmed."
    I looked at Miriam. She looked at me. Jane
grinned and walked out.
    "See you on the Launch Deck at
nine?" I said to her.
    "Wouldn’t miss it."
    I dragged my gaze away from her, and headed
for my Ready Room.
    I’d been there only a few minutes, when
Walter came in the door.
    "Got a minute?" he asked.
    "Sure."
    He sat opposite my desk.
    "Your Missile Cruiser has arrived
already, and is patrolling the system. The first squadron of Talons will be
here in an hour. A second squadron will be here tomorrow. The squadron leaders
are still largely untested, but I can't see there being too much to do here, at
least until next year. One squadron will live on station, and rotate with the
other who will have quarters down on Gaia