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aft.
    Loading the ship was far more complex than the unloading process had been. Jeremiah was like a gnat, flitting about to check the balance and plan the next container's position. It took six grueling hours to make the load secure for acceleration before Captain Denise and the Arvantan rep were satisfied and the hatch was sealed.
    Captain Denise was no less wrung out by the process than anyone else, but she announced, "I'm cooking," and vanished into the galley. Soon interesting aromas started everyone salivating, and not long after that she shouted, "Come an' get it!"
    Everyone hurried to the table and found round patties of fried compressed meat and round bread rolls. The usual condiments for “burgers” were present as well, and Silver almost sighed in disappointment. He had thought, just for a moment, that it was going to be beef again.
    Everyone else was grabbing their plates and making their hamburgers hurriedly, and he joined in, though with little of the enthusiasm that the others were showing. That changed with his first bite.
    A new flavor that he'd never dreamed of flooded his taste buds and he hardly breathed as he finished the burger. "What is this?" he asked as he reached for a second burger.
    "Real beef hamburger, like they originally served on Terra. I always get as much as the freezer will hold when we put in here. There are some steaks as well. I told you: this is the only place where we can afford to get beef. I, therefore, being the kind, wonderful captain that I am, get as much as I can. It doesn't last long, though. Damn freezer is too small." She grinned at his expression. "You're hooked. I can tell."
    "Yes, Ma'am!" Silver replied with a grin. He then used his mouth for the far more important function of devouring his meal.

Chapter 3
    T HE TRIP TO GERMANICUS WAS ROUTINE . Once the ship was in hyperspace there was nothing to do but wait until it came out. Changing course in hyperspace was considered a "Bad Thing" and was done only in the direst of emergencies, because if that happened there was no way to get back on course and no way to tell where you were going to come out. Several planets had been found in that manner early on in the era of stellar exploration, but more often than not the ships were lost without a trace. Tragically, there were recorded incidents where later ships had emerged too close to a star and had been unable to avoid it. Their radio messages were required listening in the Navy for all bridge officers and enlisted ratings.
    They had been in hyper for fourteen days when the emergence alarm sounded. "Prepare to transition to normal space," the captain announced and everyone took their seats. "Olaf, drop us out of hyper," she commanded and Olaf deactivated the hyper drive. The transition was as smooth as could be asked for, and they began plotting an intercept course for Fredrick's Station as soon as they had a position fix.
    They had been in normal space for just a few moments when a radio message crackled from the speakers. "-eat, we are under attack. Raider identity unknown. The ship is painted black. No transponder. All ships avoid Fredrick's Station unless you are armed. If armed, please come immediately." There was a pause, and then the message began again. "All ships! All ships! All ships! This is Fredrick's Station Control. We are under attack. Repeat, we are under attack. Raider identity unknown. The ship is painted black. No transponder. All ships avoid Fredrick's Station unless you are armed. If armed, please come immediately."
    "Nav, get us a course out of here!" Captain Denise ordered.
    "Nearest inhabited star system is Duquesne, Ma'am," Silver announced. "Course takes us toward Von Habsburg. Next is system is Westin. Course of six-five-eight by three-six-six."
    "Plot for Westin," she ordered. "Prepare to change course." She pressed a stud on her console and the canned acceleration warning that Silver had first heard echoed through the hull.
    "Captain, may I have