contact me. Keep this hidden until you can use it. It's four full crowns of Imperial gold. That's more than enough money to buy a ticket from Olympus to the moon. Once on the moon, buy a ticket to the Palace. And this is my identification card. If you're caught with that by your government, it will cost you your life, but if you show it to an Imperial agent after you leave Olympus, you will be able to stay at the Palace until I come for you. I love you, too. See you for dinner."
"Where are you two going? That's a restricted area."
"Work on the alarm system," said Alexander as he handed the guard an envelope. "Papers."
"I thought that was next shift," replied the guard.
"That would be nice. Someone else would be doing it."
"Go ahead. How long will it take?"
"Too long." They waved and walked down the corridor to the Discovery.
"They're wearing full body armor," whispered Eric.
"They're expecting something. That's for sure," Alexander whispered back. They rounded a corner and saw four men, two on either side, guarding the entryway. The guards eyed them closely.
"There's four more inside," whispered Eric as he sneezed. Alexander stopped and looked at a wall. He reached down and pulled out a hand laser like it was a tool.
"Near two are mine," he whispered. He turned and fired. The four guards sprawled unhurt. Alexander threw a neutron grenade as they ducked behind the corner.
"What are you doing? That could kill them."
"If a hand laser won't put them out, they're protected against a neutron grenade. Just make sure you get medics here in a hurry as soon as I get in there."
Another blast knocked them off their feet.
"That wasn't me," said Alexander. "The guys inside are a little nervous."
"And you're not?"
A voice called out, "I don't see anyone out here. I'm calling for assistance."
Alexander rolled back into the aisle and shot the radio.
"Change that. One man with a hand laser."
The guard was knocked off his feet by the laser. Alexander lobbed another neutron grenade into the Discovery's hatch.
"So much for the food processor. Good thing I'm leaving early. Give me a chance to get it fixed."
They dragged the guards out to the hallway.
"Thanks Eric. I couldn't have done it without you."
"You're a real he-man, Alex. Take care of yourself."
"I'll come back alive. That's what I promised."
He closed both hatches and locked them. The reactors began startup and he flipped on a radio.
"Security! Renegades have captured the Discovery. We need assistance. Please include medics equipped with radiation detox." Eric turned the radio off and sat down to wait. It was up to Alexander now.
"Come in."
Aidan and Randolph entered Jonathan Edwards's small apartment once again and sat next to each other on the bunk. Mel Harkins sat on the chair.
"Well, what have you decided on?" asked Jonathan Edwards.
Aidan and Randolph looked at each other, breathed deeply, and said, "We want to get married."
"Kinda sudd'n, in't it, little gal?" asked Mel.
"I'm not a ... yes dad, yes, it is. Far too sudden. But we don't have any choice. We either commit ourselves to each other now, or never see each other again."
"I thought you two would do this," said Jonathan Edwards. "How do you plan to pull it off?"
"The Lord will have to work out the details, but rebelling against my father is out of the question. We must have his permission."
"Admirable! And just how do you think you're going to get it? He is more resolute, stubborn if you will, when it comes to this matter of marrying than anything else I know about him."
"There is only one way. Aidan will have to renounce her heritage and become a citizen of the Space Empire."
"How she gon' do 'at wi'out git'n kilt?"
Randolph did not waver. "I must leave with Michael tomorrow. Aidan will have to come to Olympus on her own and get a ticket to the Palace."
"'LYMP'S! Tha's 6,000 mile! She can't do 'at. Got no money an' no status. Asides, ah want 'er t' finish collige event'lly."
"Mr. Harkins..."
"Please, jes' Mel."
Randolph nodded. "Mel, I have already given Aidan enough money to buy a ticket when she gets to Olympus. She also has my identification card. As a peddler, you know what that means."
"You two is seri'us!"
"As for her education, I promise you that she will not only finish her degree, but it will be a superior quality education. Earth has nothing like it. And she will be able to use her training."
"Z'at true, Preacher?"
"That is true, Mel."
"Who payin' fo' all this? An' how you gonna s'pport my daughter? You says you gi' 'er money, but you hadda trade a watch t' me fer clothes. How she gon' live?"
Preacher Edwards coughed, "Mel I assure you that this young man is wealthy enough in his own right that your daughter could live like a queen if she wanted to."
"We still got no way t' get t' 'Lympus."
"Mel, I can give you as much money as you need."
"Why you trade me yo' watch?"
"I don't have it with me. It's buried not far from our rendezvous point. It's Imperial gold, though that shouldn't be a problem to a professional like yourself."
"Aidan, you really wan' do this?"
Aidan opened her mouth silently. Her jaw worked several times before she whispered, "Yes."
Jonathan Edwards leaned back in his chair and said, "How are you going to get this gold back to Mel?"
"With your permission, Aidan can see us off and bring it back with her."
"You haven't covered all the angles, Randolph."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"You're leaving after midnight and it's a ways down the road. Gold is heavy. Do you want your bride-to-be carrying illegal gold that far at night?"
"No, sir."
"Do you have any other plans for getting that gold back here?"
"Not right now, but somehow I will get it back here."
"I don't want Aidan alone on the road at night with so much money. Does it really matter whether Carl learns about you tomorrow or the next day? You know the government troops will be in here and he'll learn all about you from them."
"Not really."
"Good. He may use my cart. Mel, you'll have a lot of money and some time to think about this. If Aidan doesn't return to college this semester -- and she wouldn't be able to without this proposal -- she forfeits her scholarship."
"Preacher. yo' right. I 'specially like th' time t' think. Randy, they's gotta be a catch in these plans of yourn."
"There is, Mel," said Randolph. "Once she leaves Olympus, Aidan will never be able to return to Earth again."
"Annette's coming with us," Michael announced when he and Randolph were alone after lunch. "What about Aidan?"
"I talked to Jonathan Edwards and her father, Mel Harkins, yesterday. I asked if I could marry her."
"So she's coming?"
"No."
"You're a fool and you'll never see her again alive."
"Jonathan Edwards is letting her use his cart to come with us tonight to see us off. Carl and Sandy are coming too. I'm giving Aidan a dozen full crowns and my ID. If she really wants to marry me, she'll come to Olympus."
"Did you say Jonathan Edwards is letting them use his cart?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"To help Aidan. It will very late when they come back that's why Carl and Sandy are coming too."
"I don't trust that man."
"If I understand Jonathan Edwards, I believe the feeling is mutual. What do Annette's parents feel about this?"
"They're not around. We wrote to them, but we'll be gone before they even know about this."
"Mike, that's not right."
"There's no time for anything else. It's already s
ettled. I hope that you can learn to live with it. Annette's excited about leaving and Jonathan Edwards knows about our plans but hasn't tried to stop us. If he's letting us use his cart, he's tacitly agreeing with us. Besides, she's on a military scholarship. The same thing goes for Annette that I told Aidan yesterday. If we don't take her with us, we'll end up killing her in battle. Not a pleasant choice, but the only one we've got. We'll be married in a royal wedding soon."
"You have big plans, Mike. Was the Lord consulted in any of them?"
"I'm doing what I feel the Lord would have me to do. Yes, I've prayed about this. There are the girls. Let's go. You won't have much more time with Aidan."
The plane taxied down the runway to the terminal.
"Well, Jimmie, I've put it off as long as I could. Give me a brief rundown of this place. Very brief, please, before the welcoming committee arrives." Senator Bill "Jocks" Thurber stretched, yawned, and opened his eyes as the plane taxied to a stop. He grinned at his colleague, Jimmie Jackson.
"This base is the last stop for incompetents and a graveyard for younger officers who never made the grade. There are a few good younger officers, but they don't have the rank. It's a perfect setup, if we handle this right. They're very lax concerning regulations. We need to record violations; there will be plenty."
Senator Thurber's almost imperceptible smile broadened. "Who's the base commander?"
"Name's Carson. Colonel Kit Carson."
"This is too good to be true," Jocks laughed. The two men stepped into the cool night air. The final traces of sunlight had vanished like a will-o'-the-wisp, with no sign of base personnel.
"Slipup number one," Jackson observed. "Maybe we can get this over with quick."
"What's with the all-civilian ground crew? This is an airbase, isn't it?" Jocks queried.
A lone jeep pulled into the circle of light, driven by an officer.
"Captain Bensen, Senator. Please have a seat; I need to take you to the bunkhouse. We'll be seeing some