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(in conjunction with the

Shooting Star*s Crew:

Captain FederiPaean Demonos

Shawn DonegalMindy Adamson

Ryan EastingVirian the MorriganDerrick One-eg

AdamsonOM! Monica"

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Valleylon

Donegal! Furl the sails! Easting! Stall the Salamanca drives!

Adamson! Would you do the head count for me please?

Shawn Donegal grinned as his aptain Free "ypsy Federi

Demonos #alanced the Shooting Star down onto the dus$y oceans

with a finely tuned touch% &he gypsy was at the virtual helm Shawn

and 'yan had installed two days #ac$ replacing the #ul$y manual

(raunschweig emergency helm which had gone #ac$ into its

holding under the #ridge console% Federi had his sinewy olive hand

dar$ened from many years in the sun #efore the mast stretched out

over the plasma sphere controlling it only with his palm never )uite

touching%

Federi grinned #ac$ flashing his flawless white teeth with the

single silver eye*tooth that he+d ac)uired in a street fight as a #oy% ,n

the dus$ he loo$ed rather wild with his long #lac$ mane spilling out

under a #lac$ leather aptain ap% Shawn touched the se)uence

on the console that would retract the solar fle-i*sail into the mast%

&he two lateral wings of the hydroplane were fully e-tended as

was the triangular solar sail% Federi had discovered that the triple

.ovals$i shield that proofed the Shooting Star against missiles also

protected the fragile sail and sheets from the heat of atmospheric

friction%

&he star*shaped space*shuttle that had started out as a /nicate

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0ursuer arced towards the ocean surface of the #lue planet and set

down gently on the water with the help of its magnetic positioningsystem% 1nly three sea*miles from the main port of 2alleylon 34 this

was deli#erate%

&he 0irate aptain intended to sail his ship the last few sea miles

into port%

&here was )uite a #ree5e going down here% &he swells were

impressive% ,t came in handy as Federi reopened the sail carefully to

a close haul feeding it out slowly so that it wouldn+t ta$e damage

from the sudden punch of wind% &he Shooting Star moved forward

and pic$ed up speed4 within thirty seconds she+d 6umped onto her

hydrofoils and was flying with the #ree5e%

A sleepy 0aean appeared on the #ridge un$empt and without any

head gear% She peered out into the dar$ening seas and s$ies%

7uh? she as$ed%

Federi pulled her closer and planted a $iss on her head and $ept

his right arm around her while operating the helm with his left hand%

2alleylon he said%

,s it always dar$ here? she as$ed disoriented%

, don+t $now little luv% 7aven+t seen it in daylight yet% &his

dus$ is not too convincing what do you say?

0lace has no moon she said% "ot to get to port soon%

What we+re doing he agreed%

&he Shooting Star landed in the sea*port a short while later%

Why are we here actually? as$ed 0aean%

Scouting things out replied the man who had commandeered

the Shooting Star for her and re#uilt the #ro$en*down 0ursuer into

something magical% 0aean vanished into the aptain+s 8uarters and

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Earth coin a /nicate dollar% 7e showed it to one of the 2aughhi

traders%&he slant*eared character with the #lue tinge to his s$in loo$ed

up at Federi in surprise and uttered something in the twittering

tongue of the 2aughhi% Federi shrugged and switched to ,ntergalactic

ommon as$ing the 2aughn telepathically whether the Earth

coinage were accepta#le%

&he ne-t moment there were 2aughhi all around them clothed in

dar$*#lue ro#es the colour #arely visi#le against the low glow*lights

that illuminated the merchandise% &hey grasped Federi+s shoulders

firmly and restrained 0aean uttering surprised gasps when they

reali5ed that she was human%

0aean reached into her poc$et and pulled out a small apparatus

Wolf had given her% She activated it and whipped at the 2aughhi that

were trying to immo#ili5e her% &hey #ac$ed away also from Federi

who had in the interim drawn his teleporter% 7e enclosed 0aean

inside the teleporter field and the two teleported #ac$ to the

Shooting Star+s #ridge%

2icious! commented 0aean% What the hec$ do they have

against humans?

What do you have here? challenged Federi% 7is little luv

showed him her electronic stun whip with a grin%

/nicate devilry growled Federi% "ot to as$ Wolf to organi5e

me one too!

7e disappeared into the aptain+s 8uarters for a moment and

emerged with a weapon he had made himself last year at the

&5igany% A handle of wound leather tied together nine long thin

leather strips each at least two metres in length% &o the end of each

strip a small ra5er #lade had #een stuc$ with Federi+s indestructi#le

glue% &he at*o*9ine*(lades% ,t had #een constructed for the Were

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Fol$ of Shrn who didn+t fear death #ut were indeed wary of the pain

this weapon could inflict% ,t was a weapon not to $ill #ut toterrori5e% 7e slung it across his shoulder%

"oing in again he said% Shawn may#e it+s a good idea for

you to come along this time%

7e primed 2irian to hold the #ridge of the Shooting Star and

teleported #ac$ into the har#our town with #oth Donegal si#s%

What are we trying to find out? as$ed Shawn following his

aptain and his sister through the mar$et stalls of the har#our town%

Anything at all said Federi% We+ve 6ust esta#lished that they

have something against Earth coinage% Won+t offer them any again%

7e smiled to himself% 0aean shot him a glance% She $new that

smile%

=et+s find out what they eat said Federi and led the Donegal

si#s in through one of the ornate doorways to where a soft red glow

came from many low ta#les each holding a glow*light amidst food%

7e stopped for a second to study the restaurant%

Steps led down into the dining area% &he ta#les were all

separated into enclaves #y wooden lattices with intricate designs on

them% >uch more of this and his eyes would twist and start seeing

the 2aughhi style frills as nothing #ut straight lines% &he ta#les were

all at $nee*height4 the seating was thic$ cushions on the richly

coloured woven carpets that covered the stone floor% And the place

was full! 9early each ta#le had 2aughhi around it from all wal$s%

Federi discerned some with fine ro#es and some with more ordinary

wor$ing tunics% Some wore ela#orate silver and gold cords around

their heads some wore circlets4 some had a piece of green vine

wound around their midnight*#lac$ hair%

And all of them were young% 7ere and there Federi spotted a

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#lond or light*#rown head of hair% ,t made him turn and loo$ more

closely% &hose all #elonged to humans and were not adorned withany circlets or vines4 and the human clothing ranged from simple

tunics to nothing #ut a hula shirt or loin cloth%

,n the conte-t of the weather this was cruel% Federi guessed that

each human he saw here was a slave%