The Privateer/Returning Home

"Don't worry, I know a place we can hole up." I wasn't sure if I really did, though. I'd been AWOL for almost six years, and now that I might or might not have been declared an accessory to terrorism, my old comrades might not like seeing me now. About that point, the "Cotillion" - named apparently for an old electric organ that Lucia had used as a child - pulled out of its worm-cloud-induced hyperspeed. The navigation system told me that we'd just reached Europa. What actually awaited was the same old barely-working shell of a colony ship that I expected, with maybe some more welds, but it was still the same old ship I served on. "Lucia, welcome to the Orenomah."

"The Orenomah?" She clearly had a lot of questions, especially about the SLC insignia still just visible on the sern, but I'd already picked up the push-to-talk from the console and dialed up the frequency for Ops.

"Cotillion to SLCN Orenomah, do you read? Ingram, you there?"

"Ingram here...Boss, that you? Jesus Christ, why'd you come back? I thought you were done with this place!"

"Long, long story. But I've got a ship needs docking, and I'm sure you've got a place for us to land, so could I get some clearance?"

"Uh, hang on." Ingram hadn't done this in a while, it seemed. "Right, you've got a space free on...bay 43. No, 42. Nice and easy, boss."

"'Boss'?" Lucia elbowed me. "The bloody hell else are you keepin' under your hat? First you're a colonel, now you're tellin' me you were a base commander? And you never deserted?"

"I did desert, though. The Coalition just never knew or cared. I'll tell you all about it later, alright? Just know that the Coalition has no reason to look for us here. And if they do, it'll be as if I never left here in the first place."

"So you're only an SLC Colonel when it's convenient for you. A'ight, I see how your mind works."

I didn't have much to fire back at her. At least, not without provoking her into firing yet another tranquilizer dart at my face. I'd long since caught up on beauty sleep, and she was probably running out of ammo for that thing by now. How much did those things cost, anyway? ...man, private piloting must have really messed with me if I'm worrying about //her// finances more than mine...