Mike was reviewing the engineering prototype designs in Sam's extensive database when he came upon the plans and specifications for a series of smaller shuttlecraft. They appeared to be a luxury unarmed 'runabout' shuttlecraft that could land directly at landfall location docking sites rather than using space docks.

"What were these ships utilized for Sam," enquired Mike going through the specifications.

"The Empire, with many inhabited systems, used to have smaller ships that the Empire used to carry diplomats around. They were called by different names, from courier ships to diplomatic runabouts. Still, they were used as a luxury VIP shuttle during my time in the Empire, often used to transport diplomats and the wealthy elite between systems. These 'runabouts' are approximately twenty-five meters long and ten meters wide. Our VIP shuttle deck could carry five of them and all the necessary VIP and standard shuttles you would need and still have plenty of room to spare," replied Sam, noting Mike's keen interest in smaller ships.

"We could modify the runabouts with new Aruna generators, modern hyperdrives, and sub-light engines, which would significantly improve the vessel's capabilities. Instead of the previous forty-five light-year jump limit, we could bring that up to at least one hundred and fifty or possibly even two hundred light-years in a single hyperjump.

Sam displayed the proposed new ship design on the holographic display in Mike's stateroom and a proposed internal layout, including staterooms and crew quarters. Mike was suitably intrigued by them and decided to commission five of the new vessels for use by the fleet. They would have to be built from scratch to be VIP vessels," Sam suggested, getting an acknowledging nod from Mike, who was studying the holographic display of the small craft that Sam had proposed.

"I will want these new VIP shuttles built with the latest generators, sub-light, and hyperdrive engines on board," Mike stated. I also want these nimble VIP shuttles to have some surprises up their figurative sleeves, including robust engine capabilities. I want standard shielding and a pair of twin mass driver cannons mounted both port and starboard that will ensure any attempts by criminals to take those shuttles will be in for a very nasty surprise," laughed Mike.

"Acknowledged, Admiral Sam responded immediately. I will send you the designs and specifications for final approval before prototype manufacture. With some of the new generators and a change of engines, you could dramatically increase the efficiency of the shuttles. Most shuttles can barely make fifty percent light. These new VIP shuttles might be able to exceed ninety-five percent light. Only large warships would be able to keep up with them," Sam noted.

Mike could hardly contain his excitement. He had a new pet project!

"We will have to wait for the final number of crew to determine the exact number of VIP and standard shuttles that would be onboard, but with the size of the VIP shuttle bay aboard the Dark Phoenix, there will be more than enough space even with the five runabouts," Sam concluded.

"Please proceed, Sam and advise me when the prototype is ready for inspection at the shipyard," Mike said with a huge grin.

Five days later, Mike was advised that a prototype of the new ship was undergoing basic flight testing and was available for inspection and approval at the R&D section of the shipyard. Mike could hardly wait and immediately took a shuttle to the shipyard to view his latest creation, which was being flight tested within the shipyard boundaries.

Mike watched as the sleek little ship sailed into the construction bay of the orbital shipyard platform being used by Sam to build, repair, and refit ships. The large doors closed behind it, and the air was cycled back into the bay. The vessel was tiny, by military shuttlecraft standards, twenty-five meters long and ten meters wide, but she was beautiful.

The ship had substantial engines aft and the largest FTL vanes Mike had ever seen on a small craft. Most FTL vanes folded backward across the vessel on a single hinge. These vanes folded three times on their hinges, meaning they were enormous for the size of the ship when opened. Part of that was due to the stubby wing-like structures near her rear. The vanes needed to fold to avoid those. From the fit and finish outside, it was clear that the tiny ship was a VIP shuttle.

"Let's go look at her, Sam," Mike said with a huge smile.

Mike stepped into the bay and up to the waiting vessel as the hatch opened. The android crew and Chief Engineer of the Shipyards, Alain Gray, ushered them aboard the ship. He took them around to show them the Shipyards' newest pride and joy.

"The ship could be operated by a minimal human crew of ten. There are living quarters for fifteen. Should you wish to reduce the human crew complement onboard and utilize an android crew, we could reduce the staff complement and increase the size of the living quarters for the human crew while providing additional and more luxurious facilities for the VIP staterooms and guests.

Though the facilities are comfortable, the Chief Engineer continued that the human crew quarters and staterooms are tight compared to other VIP shuttles, with most other vessels being considerably more significant. The speed this vessel is capable of is phenomenal. She can one hundred and fifty light-year jumps in a single bound!"

"Theoretically, she could jump across 300 light-years of space in as little as three hours. That far outstrips anything currently available, excluding our current TUSN warships. She is capable of planetfall and is small enough to use shuttle ports as opposed to regular spaceports, meaning she has far more landing options than our Corvettes," the Chief Engineer advised.

"You can leave from a shuttle port and be in space in less than twenty minutes. Ten minutes later, you could be far enough outside the gravity well to initiate a jump. It's a single jump for this ship, the Centaurian System. You could be landed on the planet a little over eight hours after lifting off from Mars. No other ship in known space can do that," the Chief Engineer said with a smug grin.

He showed them around the ship. There were three decks. Two well-appointed staterooms were on the middle deck, more minuscule by the Dark Phoenix standard but comfortable enough. There were three smaller staterooms for guests. Also, on that deck was a VIP comms/theatre room large enough for twenty people and the Bridge. The Bridge was crewed by four, the Captain, two navigation stations, and a comms officer.

There were human crew quarters for fifteen on the lower deck, with the ship's Captain's quarters being the most spacious. The engine room was supported by three, the Chief Engineer and two engineering crew members. The upper deck had the Captain's Ready Room just behind the Bridge, a small but well-appointed gym, and a small briefing room. The mess, crewed by the chef and one crew member, was also on the upper deck aft.

The final crew member was a general-purpose staff, usually cleaning, though there was room for five more crew at the Owner's discretion. She was too small to carry a shuttle but as enough space on her emergency escape pods to serve a human crew and guests of forty-five. She had no weapons as her speed was a weapon, as there was currently nothing in Terran Space that could catch her.

Mike insisted she would be fitted with port and starboard twin 50mm railguns with five thousand rounds of ammunition for each railgun. Defensively she was to be equipped with a miniature version of the TUSN multi-phased shield once he had decided on the crew compliment and approved the interior fit-out. After reviewing the design, he decided that the new VIP shuttle for the TUSN fleet would be provided with an android crew with a human Captain and Chief Engineer aboard, making space for the weapons systems and an additional shield generator.

Mike had a grueling travel schedule for the next few weeks. She realized that her travel time would be significantly reduced thanks to his new ship. Multiple jumps with four to six-hour waiting times between bounds no longer existed for him. The little shuttlecraft would be a godsend, allowing him to travel comfortably.

Mike thanked Sam and the Chief Engineer for the tour and immediately ordered five VIP shuttlecraft to be put into production. Four of which would be for general use, with one being reserved as his transport, choosing a color scheme for the interior and exterior of his ship.

Mike selected brilliant white as a base exterior color with burnt orange trim to the 'wings' and 'tail.' A golden phoenix logo was to be added to the vessel's bow, and a gold phoenix logo to the entrance door. The interior trim was white leather with burnt orange stitching and dark wood finishes with a gold phoenix logo embossed on the seats' headrests.

Five days later, a visual appeared on the viewing screen on the Bridge showing five small ships, identical except for their color schemes, forming together as they slowed to approach the Dark Phoenix. The vessel had a needle-like appearance with stubby 'wings' and a vertical 'tail' aft near the engines. Wings on a spacecraft were unusual, as even planetfall-capable ships did not have them.

"Stand down from alert," the COO ordered to the Dark Phoenix command bridge. "VIP shuttle fleet, you are authorized to use the VIP Shuttle Bays one and two. Break your ships up accordingly. We will see you shortly, Dark Phoenix out."

Thirty minutes later, Mike and his Executive Command Officers, Commander Liam Burns, Commodore Sarah Byrne, Amir Mendoza, and Jade Lewis, together with Captain Demi Allen, Kirsten Williams, and Angela Fischer, were waiting outside of the two VIP shuttle bays, watching as the five small vessels slowly made their way into the bays. The doors closed behind them as the ships settled onto their landing struts, and the bays began the process of pressurizing.

Four of the VIP shuttles were matt black with red trim and a gold phoenix logo on the bow and entrance door of the shuttle. The other shuttle was brilliant white with burnt orange trim and a golden phoenix logo on the bow and entrance doors.

Mike waited impatiently as the two bays slowly pressurized. "Pressure parity achieved in bays one and two," VIP Shuttle Control announced.

Mike immediately opened the airlock and stepped through into bay one. The doors to the ships opened, and the CEO of the Deimos Shipyards, Commodore Jack Devlin, stepped down and moved to greet Mike with a formal salute which Mike immediately returned.

"Congratulations, Admiral, he said with a huge grin. We are pleased for you to take the first delivery of these fine vessels in a brand new ship class. We have named the ship the 'TUSN Valiant.' It would be my honor to escort you on a guided tour of your new ship," Jack said with a smile, stepping aside to allow Mike a brief glimpse of the beautiful interior.

The group made their way onto The Valiant and was broken up by the ship's crew. Mike, Liam and Sarah, Amir, and Jade followed Jack around the small vessel, the remainder of Mike's party being broken up and escorted around by the delivery crew.

They arrived back at the VIP comms room/theatre and waited patiently for the other members of the tour to finish. Their room saw multiple duties as a VIP comms/theatre/dining facility/briefing room large enough to seat twenty-five. Jack Devlin took center stage as soon as everyone was together and began a small presentation.

"The Valiant Class VIP shuttlecraft is classified as a fast ship," she began. "The ship is built around the lines of the old diplomatic runabouts, but with some upgrades to fit and finish to make it a private launch. The ships are capable of planetfall and, at twenty-five meters, are small enough to use any shuttle port. She can leave directly from a planet's surface and return to another planet's surface almost anywhere a shuttle port is situated," Jack continued, pausing to allow Mike and his companions to react.

"They have a one hundred and fifty light-year bound and can jump every hour with the advanced Aruna generators. The ship can theoretically cross the nine hundred light-years of known space in roughly thirty hours," Jack said, pausing again as Mike and his group reacted.

"A civilian class ship fitted with Marlon generators with a thirty-two light-year leap capacity would take more than one hundred and fifty hours to make that same trip if nothing went wrong. Most ships, however, would have to 'rest' the systems for at least twelve hours after six or seven bounds. That would make the entire trip at least two hundred hours in duration.

"She carries two twin railguns mounted port and starboard for defensive weapons. However, her speed allows her to escape almost anything, avoiding potential threats. She is fitted with a TUSN multi-phase shield powered by an independent Aruna generator as an additional safety precaution," Jack noted, indicating the generator's position on the holographic display in the room.

"The TUSN are the recipients of the new Aruna generators, but we don't anticipate much of a threat to these ships for at least ten years. But even then, there are currently no ships in any other class with the leap capacity these ships do. There are currently five of them. The Valiant was the first of a new line, so the ships now have the class name of 'Valiant Class Private Shuttle,' much to the delight of Deimos Shipyards," concluded Jack to the murmurs and nods of approval by Mike and his Executive Command.

"Congratulations Jack, excellent job, and well done! Mike responded enthusiastically. I can't wait to take her around the known Galaxy. I bet once the SSSN sees her, they will no doubt attempt to create their version," he chuckled, evoking a round of laughter from all present.

Mike decided to appoint one of his newly promoted captains to take command of the Valiant. Based on a recommendation by Sam and a thorough interview process, he appointed Captain Ricca Tyler to command the Valiant. Captain Tyler had graduated top of her class at officer command school and was a respected TUSN officer and a talented tactician. Mike left the appointment of the remaining crew to Captain Tyler but requested that the Valiant be ready for duty within forty-eight hours.

"Sam, please inform Captain Tyler she will prepare my ship for a patrol around the Sol System. I wish to visit each human settlement and space station and TUSN Headquarters on Luna and Earth," Mike requested while finishing his morning coffee.

"I have notified Captain Tyler, Admiral. Everything is prepared for your trip. The Valiant is awaiting your arrival in VIP Shuttle Dock One," Sam replied immediately.

Mike proceeded to the VIP shuttle dock, boarded his vessel, and they soon departed from the Dark Phoenix on the diplomatic trip. Mike was admiring the design and scanning through the agile little ship's specifications and advanced systems in the Owner's stateroom on the way to the Outer Rim mining colonies when the long-range sensors began beeping an alarm of an unidentified contact at the edge of their scanning range.

Mike proceeded to the command bridge, where Captain Tyler viewed the tactical holographic display and long-range sensor data. "Status report?" Mike enquired about the command crew on the Bridge.

"A distant unidentified contact has appeared on our long-range scanners, responded Captain Tyler; no ship identification transponder signal can be detected or verified. We will have to close the range to within 0,5 light-years for a sensor sweep and identification Admiral," Captain Tyler stated, awaiting a confirmation nod or further instructions from Mike.

"Proceed to within sensor range, Captain but let's be cautious until we know what is out there," Mike responded with a frown.

"Shields up and weapons ready, XO. We have no idea what we may encounter out here," Ricca instructed, peering at the long-range sensors, which indicated the distant contact as an intermittent green dot on the screen.

"Sam, can you assist at this range and provide us with any further information?" Mike requested via their communication link.

"You are well within communication range Admiral, Sam confirmed instantly. I will be standing by to render any assistance you require." The speed of the Valiant was remarkable, and within 15 minutes, the navigator advised that they were within scan range.

"Scan the contact, Captain," Mike ordered, realizing that the contact would instantly detect an active scan and could be construed as hostile. Still, he was confident the little ship could rapidly avoid aggressive confrontation at their present range.

"Admiral, the contact is a civilian vessel, has no offensive weapons, and appears stationary. I am reading twelve lifeforms aboard. Scans indicate catastrophic reactor damage and internal explosions," Captain Tyler reported.

"Admiral, the vessel has detected our scan and has activated an emergency distress beacon. One other thing you should be aware of, Captain: the vessel appears to belong to the Valkyrie Royal House and is registered to the Valkyrie Princess!" Captain Tyler said, sounding rather alarmed.

"Very well, Captain, take us in for a closer inspection but remain weapons ready. This could also be a trap," Mike advised cautiously.

The Valiant rapidly closed the range to the stricken vessel while the sensors reported that the ship was heavily damaged. Mike looked at the vessel and had to agree with the sensors. This vessel was beaten to hell. The scans revealed that although there was still atmosphere in the ship, the life support system was failing. Their shields, defensive weapons, and engines were all off-line. Most lifeform readings came from a single compartment at the vessel's rear. The sleek ship's hull was pocked with black scorch marks, and the engines and hull sections were missing. The ship was approximately the size of one of their new Corvettes but a pleasure-type vessel not built to take the kind of punishment it had been recently dealt.

Mike instructed the XO to identify an airlock close to the forward compartment, indicating the life signs, and soon the corvette was alongside the stricken vessel and managed to secure a seal with the identified airlock. Breaching the airlock resulted in a gush of stale air and the acrid smell of smoke. Two android crew entered the vessel, weapons ready, in his armored suit. Entering the stricken ship, Mike immediately activated his enhanced vision and sensor system within the suit as the acrid smoke and damaged lighting made visibility almost impossible.

Mike's sensors detected the lifeforms behind a door at the far end of the corridor. As he approached the door, he could hear muffled groans within the room. Breaching the damaged door using the enhanced power of the suit, he entered the room, where a group of people huddled in the corner. A young female crew member came forward from the group and looked at Mike with awe. She did the last thing Mike would have expected her to do. She ran towards Mike and grabbed him in a fierce hug, which he returned with a smile as she held on around his neck and buried her face in his neck.

"Please help me, Sir," the little girl pleaded, pointing towards a badly injured redhead female survivor in white armor in the corner of the room, supported by two armor-clad female survivors. "Sir, exactly who are you?" the young lady asked Mike with a wide-eyed appreciation for her rescuer. "Let's get to all that once you people are safe aboard my ship," responded Mike with a friendly smile.

The survivors of the stricken vessel were assisted onto the Valiant by Mike and the crew, where they were provided with food rations and fresh water, which lifted their mood aboard the Valiant significantly. Mike immediately requested Sam to send a shuttle with medical personnel to retrieve five badly injured survivors who were directly transferred to the medical bay aboard the Dark Phoenix to receive lifesaving emergency medical treatment, including the redhead female in white armor.

Minutes later, they had re-sealed the airlock with everyone safely aboard. Mike contacted Dark Phoenix to arrange for standby medical assistance and accommodation for their guests. The Valiant returned to the 'Dark Phoenix' in record time, surprising even Mike with its ability to race through the vastness of space. Medical personnel and service crew teams met them in the VIP Shuttle Bay of the Dark Phoenix, providing food, water, and blankets to the survivors.

One of the survivors, a man named Jax, was requested a briefing with the 'Dark Phoenix' crew on the events leading up to the rescue. Not wanting the de-briefing to seem like an interrogation, Mike requested the de-briefing to take place in the VIP Shuttle Bay meeting room. When Jax arrived at the meeting room and was introduced to Mike, he once again expressed his gratitude for the rescue of the passengers and crew of the "Maru," which, according to the transponder, was the ship's name but was cagey on details and identities of the persons aboard. Jax proceeded to tell the story of the events leading up to the rescue by the Dark Phoenix.

"Most of us are from a planet called Xanthea in the Draco Constellation, approximately 100 light-years from the Sol System, a beautiful paradise, abundant in resources and its natural scenery. About five hundred years ago, a hostile civilization, the Draco, invaded our planet. The planet was finally subdued and turned into a slave world. No one was spared. All who resisted were put to death. Their civilization has been built on the backs of enslaved people and stolen resources. When they first attacked, they were using rather primitive technology, and we were confident enough that we could continue to repel them indefinitely. Our confidence was our undoing.

What they lacked in technology, they made up for it in sheer numbers. Thousands upon thousands of ships and soldiers crashed into our defenses. For everyone we killed, three would take their place. Our defenses eventually crumbled under the relentless assault of their forces.

They used our superior technology to improve their own and used our people as they saw fit." Jax stated that the look on his face showed the amount of strain and anguish relating to his people's tragic tale was inflicting. He took a deep breath and continued his tale.

"The Empire is now nothing more than a few weak federations with strained alliances with each other. It all started with Emperor Shinzo's expansion program. He already had one-third of the Galaxy but was greedy and wanted more. Some groups found this could have been a better use of money, resources, and people.

These groups began sabotaging ships meant for colonization and exploration, hoping to curb the Emperor's thoughts of expansion. That only made him more determined.

Over a thousand ships disappeared, with all hands presumed lost, in little over two hundred years. The saboteurs eventually got frustrated with the Emperor and started a civil war that engulfed his entire Empire. Billions died during the war and later from starvation or disease.

That was the first time the Empire fell. It was re-established two hundred years after infighting among the scavengers trying to piece together enough power to conquer the Galaxy as warlords. Over the last several centuries, the Empire has risen from the ashes only to be destroyed by greed. All sorts of information have been lost during this time, including technology for ships, energy generation, communications, and weapons.

Five hundred years ago, the Empire fell for the last time and has not risen again as small groups gathered the ships and supplies they could muster and carved out independent quadrants of the Galaxy.

Compared to the ships and technology that existed in the time of Emperor Shinzo, our current vessels could be powerful tugs. It was rumored that the old Empire ships had cloaking devices, powerful shields, and weaponry capable of destroying entire planets, but who knows if that was true.

The Draco came from a different quadrant of the Galaxy and took over vast territories when the last Empire fell. Many have fallen victim to their slave holds and were never seen again," Jax said solemnly, appearing to be done talking.

This information would need to be discussed with Sam and his Executive Command. Mike had no further questions for these formerly enslaved people who appeared tired and severely traumatized. Later in discussions with Sam and his Executive Command, Mike had to decide what to do with the enslaved people, several suggestions were made, but only a few seemed practical.

After debating the pros and cons, eliminating the least practical options, they agreed on three options for the formerly enslaved people. The opportunities offered to the enslaved people were the following:

1. Have their ship repaired and sent to any chosen destination.

2. Settle on the nearest habitable planet as free men and women.

3. Join the crew of the 'Dark Phoenix.'

A few hours later, Mike glanced at the time and enquired whether their guests had agreed on an option. He asked Sam to get the Med Bay ready for visitors and to unlock some crew quarters for the potential guests as he headed down to the VIP Shuttle Bay.

"Thank you all for taking the time to ponder your choices. Deciding your fate like this is difficult in so little time." There was a pleased murmur rippling through the small gathering. But what is your decision?" asked Mike.

The silence was the only sound throughout the flight deck. The formerly enslaved people looked at Mike apprehensively until a formerly enslaved person named Xavier hobbled forward. When he reached the front of the group, he looked at those gathered, waiting until each formerly enslaved person looked him in the eye and nodded.

The older man turned at last towards Mike and cleared his throat. "We have discussed your proposals, Admiral. They are indeed generous, thoughtful, and more than we could ever have expected to receive, as Mike smiled faintly, waiting for Xavier to continue, as he appeared to be the spokesperson for the entire group. We have decided that we would like to accept your generous offer to join your fleet, Admiral, to assist you in any way possible." Xavier concluded, waiting for Mike's response. Mike walked forward and offered his hand as a sign of friendship to the aging man. Xavier's' smile was a mile wide as he clasped Mike's forearm like warriors of old would do at the meeting of an old friend.

"We'll gladly accept your help, Mike replied with a smile. We'll have you escorted to Med Bay for a medical screening. It's just a precaution to ensure you are healthy and handle any problems before they get serious."

"Sam, could you prepare the Med Bay for our new fleet members? We'll be there within five minutes," requested Mike with a smile.

"Acknowledged, Admiral," Sam replied to the murmurs and surprise of his guests, who could not understand with whom Mike was conversing. Mike and Xavier led the startled formerly enslaved people to the VIP Shuttle Bay airlock doors. When they arrived, Mike ushered them through the sliding doors and into their new lives as the crew of the TUSN fleet.

"Tell me about this ship. In all my life, I haven't seen one like this before," Xavier mumbled, staring wide-eyed at the prominent technology and sophistication as they walked toward the Med Bay.

"Well, about three thousand years ago, this ship was sabotaged and has been stranded in this system ever since. From data we've recovered from the computer core, it was part of Emperor Shinzo's expansion program," Mike replied. Xavier was staring in disbelief at Mike the entire time he spoke.

"According to the information that Jax had provided, this may be the last ship from his advanced Empire," Mike said thoughtfully. Something within Xavier's eyes changed like the embers of a dying fire suddenly returning to life.

"By the Gods, in all my life, I never thought for an instant that I would be standing on one of the last of Theras Class Capital Ships. On Xanthea, stories concerning ships like this were told to children at bedtime. Since the fall of the Empire, the technology these ships possessed has become almost mythical. No one could be certain exactly what these ships could do," Xavier said reverently.

"Well, I guess you're going to get to find out firsthand exactly what this ship can do, Mike said as they walked. By the way, how are the rest of your people adjusting," asked Mike.

"Most were a little unsteady at first, but they all started walking about, trying to get accustomed to your gravity," Xavier replied. A few days later, Mike decided to check on their guests now that they had a chance to rest and settle in and arrived at the newly occupied crew accommodation, where he bumped into Xavier.

"Would you like to join me for a mug of coffee," asked Mike with a grin. Xavier readily agreed and followed Mike to the Crew Mess, where several Xantheans enjoyed the breakfast the Dark Phoenix crew had prepared. Jax joined them at the table just as they finished their meal.

"So, Xavier, what specialist job would you want aboard the Dark Phoenix? Mike enquired after they had finished their coffee and light breakfast. Just keep your mind open and let me know if there is anything specific you would like. How about you, Jax? Anything that strikes your fancy?" Mike enquired, looking at the pair of older Xantheans.

"I'm too old for anything strenuous like a fighter jock or an engineer Admiral. I am not sure what I would prefer, Admiral. I could certainly assist with navigation, weapons control, or communications," Xavier replied thoughtfully.

"No problem, just keep an open mind and let me know when you have decided your preference. For now, you could join the Command Bridge crew and see if something that is something you would like to get involved with, Mike suggested.

"I think I would like to be a security officer. I want to protect others from what happened to me and help protect the others," Jax replied quickly, glancing at Mike, who nodded approvingly.

"Sounds good to me. Just go to the Training Center and have Sam assist you with the TUSN Security learning program, and you will be assigned to the Dark Phoenix security detail," Mike said with a smile.

"All right, I guess I'll see you guys later." And with that, Jax walked off the Bridge and headed towards the Training Centre. The XO, Commodore Rachel Voss, has already chatted to the remainder of the formerly enslaved people, and they decided what positions they would like. Two went to security, not including Jax. One asked to join the science officers, and two went to engineering, medical, and flight operations.

That only left Xavier and the three female survivors in battle armor, still in Med Bay. Only the attractive redhead female was severely injured, with her companions suffering minor injuries, but who had refused to leave the injured female's bedside despite protests from the medical staff.

Mike paid a visit to the patients in the Med Bay and was pleasantly surprised that all of the Mara survivors had fully recovered and had already been discharged and taken up crew appointments within the fleet.

One patient that Mike was particularly interested in was the redheaded female in white battle armor he had rescued. There always appeared to be two escorts near her, even in the Med Bay. When Mike arrived at Med Bay, he was surprised to see that the bed she had occupied was now empty.

While he was querying this with the medical staff, an attractive 6ft tall, redhead female dressed in a form-fitting fleet-issue uniform entered the Med Bay from the restroom area, accompanied by two stunning female escorts.

"My apologies for asking, Mike stammered. I don't think we have been introduced?" he said, approaching the redhead with a charming smile. His approach immediately drew a reaction from her female companions, who moved to intercept Mike's approach.

"It's fine, Adana," the redhead said, glancing at her female companions, who seemed to back off slightly but remained guarded.

"Good morning, Admiral. I am Kadra, and I am, or rather was, the Owner of the 'Mara,' she said with a beaming smile that seemed to light the entire room. My companions are Adana and Thova," she said, motioning to the two female companions to her left and right.

We are pleased to meet you finally, Admiral, and I wish to offer my sincere appreciation for the assistance and hospitality that you and the crew of the Dark Phoenix have afforded my companions and me, together with our guests aboard the 'Mara' after our unfortunate incident," Kadra said with a smile.

"My pleasure. Please let me know if there is anything else I can provide you during our stay with us," Mike replied with a smile.

"Well, Admiral, could we have a private discussion? There are a few things I need to attend to as soon as practically possible now that I have fully recovered and been discharged by your medical personnel," said Kadra, glancing at her companions.

"With pleasure, Kadra, Mike replied with a smile. How about we meet this evening? We could meet in our VIP boardroom. I will have our supper delivered there, as I have a few questions of my own," Mike said, appreciating the friendly smile and nod he received from Kadra.

They agreed to meet at 6 pm after Mike had completed his daily routine. Mike looked forward to meeting with this somewhat mysterious, attractive woman who could shed more light on the 'Mara' incident, whom he suspected was not enslaved.

Mike and Kadra, accompanied by her two escorts, met at the VIP boardroom at 6 pm, and after a light meal and casual pleasantries, Mike enquired who Kadra was and what had happened with the 'Mara.'

Kadra smiled at Mike's direct question and decided he could be trusted sufficiently with the entire story.

"Our ship, the 'Mara,' belonged to the Valkyrie Royal House, as you have no doubt already established, Admiral. The 'Mara' was my transport. I am Princess Kadra, only daughter of King Elron and Queen Kaitlyn of House Valkyrie and heir to the throne of the Valkyrie Empire, Kadra said solemnly, smiling at the surprised look on Mike's face.

"We were on a diplomatic mission to the Centaurian Home World on Centauri B, in the Proxima Centauri System, when we made an unscheduled stop at Centauri C for additional supplies. While on Centauri C, we heard stories of a slave market at one of the moons around Centauri B and decided to investigate. We found the slave market and attended one of the auctions to identify the enslaved people and the source of the enslaved people being auctioned.

Perhaps we asked too many questions of the slavers, who we discovered were working for the Krixx. We took pity on the enslaved people at the auction. We managed to purchase as many as possible in the 'Mara.' Our questions must have attracted the unwanted attention of a local group of pirates working with the slavers in the system.

We were followed and attacked by a group of pirates outside the security zone of the Centauri System. The pirates must have placed a tracking device on the ship while we were docked at Centauri B. The 'Mara' was severely damaged during the attack but jumped beyond this system. The pirates initially attempted to board the 'Mara.' Still, with the help of my companions Adana and Thova, we proved a fierce quarry, killing all of the attempted boarders and barricading ourselves you found us in and rescued us from what would have been certain death as the life support system was failing.

I was injured in the final fight with the pirates and woke up here on the Dark Phoenix, Admiral," said Kadra with a smile.

"Please call me Mike, your Highness, Mike said respectfully, smiling at the Princess. Now that I have heard the complete story of the 'Mara,' things make more sense. I had noticed that there seemed to be two distinct groups of persons aboard the 'Mara,' and you and your companions never appeared to have been enslaved, especially when I discovered the three of you wearing armor, which would be unheard of for an enslaved person, he grinned thoughtfully. Now that you have clarified some of my concerns and questions, how may I assist you, your Highness?" asked Mike.

"Firstly, please call me Kadra. I despise the 'Your Highness' title reserved for my mother, she laughed. Well Mike, firstly, I need to urgently contact the Valkyrie Empire and advise them that I am alive and well, as I have now been out of contact for a few weeks and my parents would have become concerned for my safety, you know how parents are, responded Kadra with what appeared to be a pained smile. I would also like to advise them of the current situation regarding the Krixx and the slavers."

"Speaking of my Executive Command..., Sam, would you mind joining us for a moment," Mike asked in what appeared to be an empty room. A tall, attractive blonde holographic image suddenly appeared in the boardroom to the shock and gasps of surprise from Princess Kadra and her companions.

"Princess, I would like to introduce Sam, a vital member of the Executive Command who ensures the operation and functionality of this entire fleet," Mike said with a warm smile.

"I am honored to meet you, Princess Kadra of House Valkyrie," Sam said formally with a curtsey and a disarming smile at the shocked guests.

"Pleasure to meet you, Sam. These are my companions, Adana and Thova," responded Kadra, still with a look of disbelief. Sam smiled and greeted Adana and Thova, who cautiously returned the greeting.

"You have a holographic AI aboard this ship Admiral?" asked Kadra with shock and surprise.

"Yes, Kadra, Sam is part of the Executive Command and the AI of the Dark Phoenix," Mike responded with a grin.

"I must apologize for my surprise Mike, but that technology has not been seen in this Galaxy for thousands of years...said Kadra softly, appearing deep in thought. We used to hear stories of these huge Empire Starships with advanced Artificial Intelligence, cloaking devices, and advanced weaponry, but they were just stories...?"

Sam called Mike aside and enquired as to the accommodation for the Princess. They decided the Princess would be accommodated in the Executive Command accommodation, with adjourning rooms on either side of the suite allocated for the companions. A personal android assistant was assigned to the Princess to cater to her every need to the Princess's surprise and her companions' dismay, as they had not realized that 95% of the personnel they had encountered aboard the Dark Phoenix were life-like androids.

Eventually, after much persuasion, Adana agreed that as head of security, the Princess's safety was her primary concern, and when the fact that 'Personal Assistant' offered an additional layer of protection for the Princess, the offer of the droid was welcomed. Mike requested that Sam allow personal communications from the Princess's accommodation via the two-way, tight-beam video communication system for her to contact the Valkyrie Empire.

According to strict security protocol, Sam would retain access to all communications, with access to the communication records for the Admiral's eyes only. Mike escorted Princess Kadra and her companions to their luxurious VIP staterooms aboard the Dark Phoenix, and the three were overjoyed at the luxury accommodation provided by Mike.

The stunning Princess spent the remainder of the evening laughing and smiling, enjoying the company of the Executive Officers of the Dark Phoenix, who were all enthralled by the elegant, gracious young heir to the Valkyrie Empire throne, none more so than the young Admiral of the TUSN Fleet. The following morning, Princess Kadra sent a tight-beam video communication to the Royal House of Valkyrie, advising them of her safety and her accommodation as a guest of the TUSN Fleet, together with a recount of the situation and events surrounding the encounter with the pirate slavers.