True to her word, the blonde brought in a legal eagle and had a contract drawn up. It was between myself and a party called "Covenant" containing everything she had mentioned. The salary was above what I usually made even as a fairly successful trader before I planeted here. I wasn't going to complain. He asked me details about my legal problems which would not have been in the "official" account. He smiled as he turned to the blonde. "I'll have this cleared or so tangled up in twenty hours that it will take centuries for them to get it prosecuted." He also had my ticket which had been cleared and re-instated. When the lawyer left she tossed a cred chip on the table. "The ship is still in impound. I'm sure you'll feel better when you get it out. Arrange for any service and restocking you think it will need for an extended cruise, Captain." "How long before you want to go cruising?" "No less than a week and probably not more than a month." She tossed me a secur-com. "Call me if there are any problems. And do keep your eye out for anyone other than the normal security people taking an interest in you. I'll want to know about them also." At the impound yard, I got some joy out of confounding the yard monkey in charge. I even got him to have it hauled out to the yard proper. He tried to smile at me. I wonder why his face didn't crumble from the strain. Walking out to her I keyed the combination and the rear loading gate lowered. I stepped up into her and walked slowly forward to the control cabin commanding lights and systems to power up as I went. Behind me the loading gate closed again with a quiet hiss. I was surprised that I felt tears flowing down my cheeks and I scrubbed them away. I had my life back. I had my ship back. All I had to do was get the blonde and her companion to wherever it was they wanted to go and I would be fully my own again. Of course I'd have to survive whatever obstacles would stand in our way. I wasn't foolish enough to believe that the mission would be simple or safe. In the control cabin I rested my foot on the command table display and watched all the systems powering up and self-testing. I noted all the little things that were just slightly out of optimum as the status displays reported. Fuel, of course. Two of the zero-point power-packs were degraded. The guidance systems were due for calibration. I had not activated certain systems. They would have to be checked but not yet. I found myself taking it all in. The ship coming alive around me. A song of efficiency and power. I let it happen as I stood there. I shook myself and made a list of things that needed to be done. I did a check of consumables and other stores. I also sat and opened a page of a brand new log book. I thought for a moment and scribed "Athame" at the top of the title page. I made my initial entries and then went out to make the arrangements for the fueling and service that I needed. While I was making arrangements at the yard office for everything I needed the secur-com buzzed. "Yes?" I answered it. "We may have an additional member of the party. Get done what you need to get done and get back here as fast as possible." I switched off the comm and adjusted my orders to the yard master. Then I went to find a cab back to the "Star of the Universe." Her voice had been calm but I didn't think she was the kind to communicate unless it was necessary. Not the typical hyper-plutocrat in my, admittedly limited, experience. I didn't waste time speculating. I'd find out what was going on soon enough. To be continued........