Free AMP Blitzkrieg by Stephen Arseneault Page B

signal was found to remain. The remainder of our trip home was uneventful.

Chapter 6

    When we arrived back at the Suppressor I turned the plans over to Gy and Rita. They would work on updating the Wren while we scouted the Pollus sector. If the Milgari were planning any new attacks it was in our best interest to know. Before leaving I made my way over to talk to George.
    "Don. I wanted to run something by you. I have been in conversations with several of the lesser worlds in this sector. They are becoming increasingly alarmed at what they consider the growing Milgari threat. Even with the recent lull in activity, they are fearful of what may come."
    "I have been thinking about how we might be able to make use of their resources. Between them there are three more automated docks and they certainly have the manpower to perform any construction tasks that we might have. Our ships have components that are not high security items such as the bulk of the inner plating, the environmental systems and most of the wiring and what not."
    "We might be able to greatly speed ship production by giving them contracts. At the same time, it would not hurt to have alliances with other worlds as our secret existence is bound to become known soon. Your Durian friends are sure to be sending ships to every corner of this sector. They do not like being in the dark about anyone or anything."
    I gave George my blessing to broach the subject before our Council of Governance. He immediately got to work on what he would suggest. I returned to my office for a few minutes rest.
    As I stood looking down at the clouds over Jarhead, Frig walked into the room. "I believe we are about ready to depart Sir. Gy wanted to get started on immediate updates to the Swift. I thought we might co-opt the Hammer from Barg and give him a holiday from the possible hostilities. I have Jarrod loading it into the hull of the Helix as we speak."
    I continued my gaze down towards our planet. "It might be strange going out and not being in the Swift. She has saved our hides more than once. I'm sure you have taken the time to load all of your own software on her, and our gear." Frig replied, "Yes Sir I have. Other than the few cosmetic updates that Barg has made to the interior, we should be right at home."
    An hour later our parade of Raiders lifted off from the docks alongside the Suppressor. Our journey would take 16 days after which we would divide into teams for gathering as much data on the Milgari ship movements as we could. I looked forward to the thrill of watching our enemy from an unseen location nearby. Milly would be joining us in the Frost for our run to the Teldaki home-world. I hoped for a full accounting of the fleet the Milgari had positioned there.
    I sat in the mess hall with Jarrod, talking over a cup of coffee. I wondered if it at all tasted like that which was listed in the archives. Our coffee came from a plant with a bean shaped seed. It had no natural caffeine so some prior genius had seen to it that it was blended with a plant that grew on the Grid that did. The result was the coffee that I knew and loved.
    Jarrod spoke, "Don, where do you think we will be in two years, or even five? I've been thinking, that if we continue to progress like we have been, we will be able to push the Torrians back far enough that they will decide to just leave us alone. And it's kind of a scary thought as I don't know what I would do with myself if that time comes."
    I toyed with the handle on my mug, "The possibilities will be wide open then. Start a business, retire and hunt wild beasts on uninhabited planets, hang out with my friends and shoot the breeze or just do nothing. It won't matter when the time comes because whatever we are doing we won't likely be under the constant threat of death. Sometime I think it would just be nice to "be", you know, to just have a simple existence."
    Jarrod sat back in his chair and looked up towards the ceiling, "Hmm. Do nothing... I