A day later, Sarah and Ulquonar had not seen any contact on the sensors since they escaped the Tletans, and they were closing in on the Imperial border. After crossing it, Sarah would have to contact ISOD to come pick them up and help to get rid of the ship. The plan was to blow it up and leave on the ISOD ship, returning to Andarion with none being the wiser about their undertaking. ISOD operatives were used to secret and unexplained operations and would keep silent. Ishaan would have many questions, but there was no way Sarah would tell anyone the whole truth of what they found and what happened. The humming of the engines was as monotonous as ever, making Sarah drowsy and spaced out. Space travel was the epitomy of boredom. In a car, there was the landscape to look at. Even on a ship, there was the water, the sun, maybe a dolphin. In any case more than darkness and void or the vortex of FTL, itself getting boring quickly. The only way out was to bring a good book, a game or a movie, but after watching two movies and playing games for six hours, even that became tedious and exhausting. Sarah had rid herself of her headphones and gone to the engine room for a change of scenery. The engines were working fine but generally sounded creaky. An oily stench was ever present, owing to the previous owner's less than stellar cleanliness. On the other hand, all the spare-time and paradoxical freedom offered a nice change from pirates and politicians, worrying husbands and foreign interference. It still left her stuck with Ulquonar, though. She had mixed feelings about him. He was well-mannered and friendly, but had revealed a goal-driven, even ruthless side, fervently accepting that he had to omit and distort to get to his goals. Sarah felt fine now, but the memory of this thing crawling inside her head sent shivers down her spine. One usual shake later, they had left FTL-Space and Sarah sent her message to Admiral Laurent. They weren't in any system currently and sublight traffic here was going to be zero. Now it was all about sitting around and waiting for the ISOD ship to arrive. Sarah sat on the copilot's seat, doing nothing. Ulquonar did the same on the pilot's seat. The silence between them grew more uncomfortable until Sarah felt she should say a word:676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgkJYZlrK5
"So, once we're home, you'll just sit down in your armchair again, happy you succeeded and screwed a girl over?" Sarah asked.676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yT2Da1LWL
"Not at all. I will have lots to do with analyzing my data and I do not intend of leaving you alone with dealing with your experience. If I can help and you want me to, I will."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWsAbJtXZH
"I don't want you to. Once was enough."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhNsTfrczL
"I can understand that. However, I don't deem it smart."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4FjD9KeJO
"What do you presume to know about what's smart from my perspective."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoLBs5PrBP
"Probably my age and experience in life and war."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNB174R99eW
"Not everyone is willing to entertain an old curmudgeon."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzquJDQjnr
"Now where did you get the impression I am a curmudgeon?"676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJogkRDVYq
"I just know."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4ee8Spi2h
"Hmm. You're a very driven person, Sarah. You think you're destined to greatness and you would do whatever is necessary to achieve it."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNkAjeJIXn
"And if that was so?"676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAghK2lX1El
"You should be careful that you don't overstep and fall."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxB7MS36rj
"I've always been able to take care of myself."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nL8yY4LUA
"But you've never been able to deal with things in healthy ways. You are driven by your ambition and if something impedes your way, you push it out of the way in anger. It leads you down a dangerous path."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGGwGVOU7X
"Your path of perpetual war was all bright and shiny then?"676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxaqOa3EyX
"Quite the opposite, which is why I recognize the signs so much. You can see it in my face. The wrinkles, the scars, war does not leave you unscarred on the surface nor within. Your conflict with the pirates is a war in all but name and you have already suffered setbacks."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAyBNJl9wM
"I will crush them. I promise."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTFehpfOva
"Don't promise that to me. Promise it to your people you seek to protect."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxb820o3pFu
"I have the day that I accepted the position."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPES2uGw2s
"People who try too hard crushing something have been known to hurt themselves."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoO8orPByd
"And I said I wouldn't. I will plan, I will execute, they will fall."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5VW2WYKxw
"There are a lot of 'I's in there. Did you consider teamwork?"676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESZIDC17o7
"Of course. It will be teamwork. By necessity."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcCL2ClTxG
"So you would do it alone if you were able to?"676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTs7D96abK
"Yes. If you want things done properly, do it yourself."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQL8OMugZp
"Even the parts you would be able, but ill-equipped to handle?"676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfc77oE8TVL
"Well..."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqKRsUQkyV
"Yes, where to draw the line between doing it yourself and leaving it to someone else is anything but clear."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sGe4Vls3E
"I will find a way."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByf6OsSwCS
Ulquonar nodded. "I'm sure you will."676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjk43B7gq3
Sarah got out of her seat and left the cockpit. She was upset. She needed to be in control and hated every moment of not being in control. She would always decide her own destiny and would always ensure her survival. Right now, all she wanted was to return home and expunge the pirates from the empire for now and always.676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSxkd20LO4
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