Dee entered the last number and pushed the enable button.
Doc shouted, “D, tell me if we’re scanned.” Doc counted in his mind, “One thousand, two thousand…” And normal space disappeared. “D?”
“We were not scanned.”
Dee opened her eyes and stared at Doc. Doc patted her on the shoulder and said, “Way to go, Frick.”
“Hey!”
Doc said, “D, are you holding station?”
“I am and I’m locked on that ship.”
Doc said, “Go to battle stations. D, arm all weapons. Stay out of normal space and let’s see if the warships leave.”
Dee began taking scans as the Slaver Ship entered normal space and moved toward the ships around the planet. She thought, “It’s going to the small ship next to the FTL Destroyer.” There was no way to make that determination from the course the ship was taking but she waited and smiled as it changed course and moved toward the small ship. She slowly shook her head and watched the thousands of ships surrounding the planet. She glanced at Doc and saw him staring at her.
“Admit it; you’re glad I’m here and I convinced you to fly with me.”
Dee smiled and slowly shook her head, “I’m trying not to think that whatever it is I have in my head made you do it.” Doc’s expression showed his surprise at her remark. Her smile grew larger, “Got you on that one.”
Doc stared at her for a moment and then nodded. After a moment he said, “If that’s true, then it’s you that wanted it.” Dee did a double take and Doc smiled as he said, “Touché.” Doc watched her expression and he said, “What’s wrong?”
“You’re still too dangerous for my taste. Why would I ever want to be with you?”
“Maybe you should focus on that and let me know what you come up with. I must confess that I’m extremely curious about that as well.”
“Maybe what I have in my head didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Then why did you mention in front of me that you and Dom were separating?”
Dee looked at Dom and then turned back to Doc, “I have no idea.”
“Just like you had no idea what numbers you entered in the jump drive; you did it from that thing in your head. No, there’s a reason why we’re together but I have no idea what it could possibly be. However, there is one thing you can be sure of.”
“What is that?”
“You are absolutely going to have my full protection. You are more valuable than you could ever know. I’m safer with you around and perhaps that’s why you wanted to be with me.”
Dee frowned, “You’ve lost me.”
Doc smiled and the meaning wasn’t lost on either of them, “When I decide to protect someone, they will be protected no matter what happens.”
Dee stared at Doc and smiled, “Then I have no reason to worry about you harming me.” Doc nodded. She turned around to her scanner console and said, “That changes things.”
“How so?”
“I don’t have to worry about what I say.”
Dom looked up at the ceiling and rolled his eyes. Doc sighed and shook his head, “Oh boy.”
Dee giggled, “You better believe it.”
• • •
“Doc, the ships are starting to form up to move away from the planet.”
Doc stood up and went to Dee’s chair and looked over her shoulder, “D, how long will it take you to hit the planet to ensure its destruction.”
“I’ve targeted a hundred and fifty reactors on each side of the planet. It will take about twenty seconds to hit each side.”
Doc looked up and said, “Forty seconds to complete the firing?”
“Yes.”
“Something’s not right.”
Doc and Dom looked at Dee and she said, “D, do you have a recording of the fleet that left the first planet Abbey and Gary destroyed?”
“I do.”
“Play it on the main display.” The three turned to the main display and watched as thousands of ships began jumping out of the system. Dee said, “If these ships were going to start a search for the union, they would be given a destination to start their search.
Doc shouted, “D, tell me if we’re scanned.” Doc counted in his mind, “One thousand, two thousand…” And normal space disappeared. “D?”
“We were not scanned.”
Dee opened her eyes and stared at Doc. Doc patted her on the shoulder and said, “Way to go, Frick.”
“Hey!”
Doc said, “D, are you holding station?”
“I am and I’m locked on that ship.”
Doc said, “Go to battle stations. D, arm all weapons. Stay out of normal space and let’s see if the warships leave.”
Dee began taking scans as the Slaver Ship entered normal space and moved toward the ships around the planet. She thought, “It’s going to the small ship next to the FTL Destroyer.” There was no way to make that determination from the course the ship was taking but she waited and smiled as it changed course and moved toward the small ship. She slowly shook her head and watched the thousands of ships surrounding the planet. She glanced at Doc and saw him staring at her.
“Admit it; you’re glad I’m here and I convinced you to fly with me.”
Dee smiled and slowly shook her head, “I’m trying not to think that whatever it is I have in my head made you do it.” Doc’s expression showed his surprise at her remark. Her smile grew larger, “Got you on that one.”
Doc stared at her for a moment and then nodded. After a moment he said, “If that’s true, then it’s you that wanted it.” Dee did a double take and Doc smiled as he said, “Touché.” Doc watched her expression and he said, “What’s wrong?”
“You’re still too dangerous for my taste. Why would I ever want to be with you?”
“Maybe you should focus on that and let me know what you come up with. I must confess that I’m extremely curious about that as well.”
“Maybe what I have in my head didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Then why did you mention in front of me that you and Dom were separating?”
Dee looked at Dom and then turned back to Doc, “I have no idea.”
“Just like you had no idea what numbers you entered in the jump drive; you did it from that thing in your head. No, there’s a reason why we’re together but I have no idea what it could possibly be. However, there is one thing you can be sure of.”
“What is that?”
“You are absolutely going to have my full protection. You are more valuable than you could ever know. I’m safer with you around and perhaps that’s why you wanted to be with me.”
Dee frowned, “You’ve lost me.”
Doc smiled and the meaning wasn’t lost on either of them, “When I decide to protect someone, they will be protected no matter what happens.”
Dee stared at Doc and smiled, “Then I have no reason to worry about you harming me.” Doc nodded. She turned around to her scanner console and said, “That changes things.”
“How so?”
“I don’t have to worry about what I say.”
Dom looked up at the ceiling and rolled his eyes. Doc sighed and shook his head, “Oh boy.”
Dee giggled, “You better believe it.”
• • •
“Doc, the ships are starting to form up to move away from the planet.”
Doc stood up and went to Dee’s chair and looked over her shoulder, “D, how long will it take you to hit the planet to ensure its destruction.”
“I’ve targeted a hundred and fifty reactors on each side of the planet. It will take about twenty seconds to hit each side.”
Doc looked up and said, “Forty seconds to complete the firing?”
“Yes.”
“Something’s not right.”
Doc and Dom looked at Dee and she said, “D, do you have a recording of the fleet that left the first planet Abbey and Gary destroyed?”
“I do.”
“Play it on the main display.” The three turned to the main display and watched as thousands of ships began jumping out of the system. Dee said, “If these ships were going to start a search for the union, they would be given a destination to start their search.
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