Mutiny! by Jim Ladd

the pale, baby-blue tricorn hat with lace edging and smiled happily.
    â€œBless his frilly pants, he looks so pleased with himself,” said Comet, taking a sip of grum.
    â€œAin’t he going to be disappointed?” laughed Pegg.
    â€œIt’s just a pity we haven’t got any sound,” said Sam. “I wish I could hear what he’s saying.”
    Gravity’s Revenge
was fast approaching the asteroid where it was meant to meet the
Jolly
Apollo
. Things were getting so exciting that Jonjarama let out a squeaky little trump. On screen, confusion flashed over Black-Hole Beard’s face as he caught sight of the asteroid.
    â€œThere he blows!” Pegg crowed as Black-Hole Beard’s face turned redder and redder.
    â€œBring up the asteroid please, Sam,” said Comet.
    â€œAye, aye, Captain,” Sam replied.
    He swivelled the telescope towards the asteroidthat they were currently speeding away from. On it cowered Goldstar. Black-Hole Beard’s younger brother was marooned there wearing only his gold cape, his pants and a look of extreme embarrassment. As he stared at his big brother he mouthed the word, “Sorry”.
    Sam swivelled the telescope back so that it focused on the
Revenge
. As the delighted crew watched, Black-Hole Beard snatched the baby-blu e admiral’s hat from his head and screwed it into a tight ball. He let out a bellow of rage, which Sam could have sworn he heard even though they were twenty space-knots away.
    The crew rolled round the deck, roaring with laughter. Sam laughed until he cried, and his stomach ached more than it had after he’d had second helpings of Barney’s Stovacian Surprise Stew.
    Finally Captain Comet wiped tears from under his eyepatches and flicked off the screen, where Black-Hole Beard was jumping up and down and hitting his brother with his ruined hat.
    â€œRight-ho me hearties, that’s enough,” said Comet, beaming at his crew. “All we’re going to get now is Captain Fancy Pants prancing around in his frilly knickers, and frankly, I’m in too good a mood to see that hairy old party-pooper! Piole, would you be so kind as to find somewhere to store our treasure?”
    Comet passed over Goldstar’s solid gold bowling ball.
    â€œBest give the old treasure chest a clean first,” Comet continued. “It’ll be a bit dusty, no doubt.”
    Sam glanced round the crew and felt a surge of happiness. “What next, Captain?” he asked.
    â€œIt’s no good hanging around.” Comet patted his hat as if to check it was still there, then nodded to his first mate. “Mr Pegg and Mr Legg, please set the wheel hard to starboard and plot a new course. We’ve still got a planet to find. The
Jolly
Apollo
is back on its way to Planet X!”
    â€œAye, aye, Cap’n,” both of the first mate’s heads replied.
    â€œBut first a toast,” said Comet, rising tohis feet. “To Planet X and success!”
    â€œTo Planet X and success!” the crew cheered and each took a long drink of grum.
    â€œCaptain, with your permission I’d like to make a toast, too,” said Sam. He raised his glass high in the air.
    â€œTo Captain Comet and the best crew in the entire Universe! The
Jolly Apollo
!”
    â€œTo adventures and excitement!” Barney added as they clinked their grum glasses.
    â€œAnd to Black-Hole Beard’s frilly pants!” Sam laughed.
    â€œHear, hear!” everyone shouted. “Hear, hear!”

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Chapter One
BREAKFAST AND WORMHOLES

     
    S amson Starbuck leaned on the rail that ran around the crow’s nest of the pirate spaceship, the
Jolly Apollo
, and looked at the endless stretch of the Universe around him. The deep black of space was scattered with colourful clouds of gas, the short, bright tail of a slow moving purple comet and countless