Hero in Exile
Captain Starlock swung the sloops tiller hard to port and the stars wheeled around him. Solar wind charged the sails taut, thrusting the ship like an arrow through the field of space.
Starlock wore a long vermillion waist-coat and a black scarf at his throat. With one hand he held the tiller of the ship, the other rested on the hawk-headed pommel of his dueling saber. He called down to his men.
Look alive Star-Dogs! The Emperor's gold-freighter hides near. She hopes to lose us in the rings of planet Apsu. The Baron Basteph's golden signet to him that spots the fleeing ship!
With this Captain Starlock reached into his coat and withdrew the bauble. He also drew a dirk from his sleeve with which he pinned the purloined ring to the rail.
Keep your ring, said a dark man from the deck, I spotted the whale while you still spoke. The man had grim eyes that were as colorless as diamond but he grinned slightly as he spoke.
Captain Starlock laughed.
I should have known better than to challenge the eyes of Kesh the Farfarer. Tell me, in all the time you've been my Aleph -my first mate-- is this the first time you've won the prize?
Starshock flicked the ring to the dark man who caught it deftly and placed it on one of his already well-bejeweled fingers.
No Captain.
Nor will it be the last, I'll wager. said Starshock. Come Kesh, let the hunt be joined. I see the fat fish leap from Apsu's rings. We shall all win gold today!
The captain's long blond hair waved wildly about his head as the sloop snapped into action, diving towards the silver rings of the blue planet Apsu. Ahead of them the huge freighter labored to escape. The keel of Starlocks ship carved into the rings sending a rooster tail of spray miles high into space. The freighter was shaped like a huge pyramid traveling point first. As the sloop drew near the emperors ship rocked back onto its base. From the side of the freighter large guns swiveled to bear against the smaller vessel. There was a rising note, audible to the men on Starlocks ship as the huge magnetic guns charged their shells.
Might be a fight after all muttered Kesh.
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