"Waking up" after the battle was over was always a little odd. Carter's body seemed impossibly light and responsive despite being a bit past his prime, but thankfully, he was used to the sensation enough it didn't take him long to get back on his feet. He looked over at the kid, who was unstrapping himself from his seat as he spoke. "Well, that wasn't all that scary. Are all your fights that one-sided?"

Carter laughed and answered as the three avatars put in their appearances, John apparently having just made it back to the ship. "Most maybe, but not enough. We've had a few close calls over the last few months. Close enough we almost didn't make it once or twice..."

The kid didn't seem too concerned. The supposed immortality of youth on full display. "Well, this kinda seemed..."

Looking at the pirate, the kid suddenly stopped talking, so Carter finished his idea for him. "Boring? Yeah, most space battles are...until they aren't! And trust me, you don't want to be there when they get exciting!"

John laughed. "Oh, I don't know. I had plenty of excitement on my end! Close calls, dare-devil flying, and lots of explosions! It was everything an adventure-seeking soul could ask for!"

Carter gave him an amused look before responding. "And what would have happened to the kid or myself if we'd been on that small ship with you?"

John stopped, thought about it, then laughed again. "Well, I suppose that would have been the end of your adventure!"

Carter turned back to the kid and winked. "Like I said, you don't want to be where the excitement is!"

The kid smiled and nodded. "You know, you're pretty smart for an old guy!"

That made Carter frown and furrow his brows. "Old guy? Just how old do you think I am?"

The kid shrugged. "I don't know. Fifty or sixty?"

All three avatars laughed with varying degrees of mirth while Carter's mind struggled to catch up. "Fifty or sixty? What the hell, kid? I'm thirty-five!"

The kid shrugged again. "Well, that's kind of old, too..."

Carter turned to the girl. "So, do we have a plank somewhere for when someone had to walk it?"

-

Alen stood on the bridge of the Sybil, looking over the three-dimensional representation of the new destroyer they'd just captured. They'd towed it to a new location so whatever pirates were hunting for them couldn't track them down. He flipped the image around as he was explaining his thought process. "So, instead of just repairing it and getting another destroyer, why don't we mount larger guns like a battleship's?"

Carter seemed intrigued, but the girl shook her head. "I don't know. There's a good reason those kinds of guns are usually reserved for larger ships... Setting aside problems like recoil and structural integrity, there are also problems with ammo storage and maneuverability. All the systems needed to support those guns, not the least of which is reinforced armor for the guns and ammo supplies in case the shields fail, adds weight, and you need pretty powerful thrusters to compensate."

Alen shrugged. "So we scrap a lot of unnecessary systems to run it. If we cut the crew down, we can cut out things like crew brrths, make the mess hall smaller, cut out workstations, etc. The Sybil can provide most of the maintenance since it can effectively act as a mobile ship dock. We could also cut back on cannon armor since this will be a smaller, more maneuverable ship. Focus everything else onto thrusters, point defense systems, and shields to protect the guns and the crew, but the primary purpose of the ship is just to be a large set of guns to pound enemy shields into dust, like a battleship, but without as much need to be babysat since it won't just be a large, slow-moving space fortress. It wouldn't have to hold a ton of shells either since the Sybil can manufacture them on the move. They'd only need enough for one engagement at a time."

The girl looked thoughtful, and the pirate looked giddy as Alan continued. "No other fleet in the void can replicate this because we're the only ones with a mobile ship dock that doubles as a manufacturing hub that can change its specifications on the fly. It's basically the same logic you've been applying to yourself this whole time, but now applied to a fleet instead of a single ship."

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The girl looked thoughtful. "It's not a terrible idea...but what about the crew? Where are you going to get the people to man the ship?"

Alen grinned. "Oh, that's the easy part. Out here in less civilized space, the pirates have become everyone's problem as of late. There are plenty of people looking for revenge. Given our track record of being the one force in this part of the galaxy that can reliably go toe-to-toe with them, we've got no end of applicants. The only trick will be finding a trustworthy captain to run the show."

This time, it was Carter who spoke up. "Well, I've got a few ideas there. Assuming the rest is viable, I can make a few calls."

The girl seemed to stop and think. "Well, I suppose it's worth a try. The Sybil can get working on the retrofit. We'll likely need more supplies, which means more 'raw material.'"

Alen grinned. "About that. At our last job, we were offered a bonus. I think it's time we collected it."

-

Carter looked at the other man. "So that's the gist of it. You won't own this ship like you do your current one, but you'll still be running a new destroyer class vessel that dwarfs your current one."

The Captain smiled, but Carter could see the smile was more formal than friendly as he answered. "I got into the shipping business to make a living, not to fight pirates. From the sounds of things, that'll involve a lot of the latter."

That was something Carter could understand. "Fair enough, but you've heard and seen the same things I have. Being a merchant out here is getting more and more dangerous. Cargo insurance is going through the roof, so you can't hardly make a profit, and more ships are disappearing every day. At least this way, you'll have the backup of the Sybil and the Laughing Comet, and you've seen what we can do!"

Captain Olson looked thoughtful but still skeptical. "And why did you pick me for this lofty new position? We barely know each other."

Carter shrugged. "Because after we got ambushed, you were there when it counted. I know you're a man of honor who'll not only keep his word but also go above and beyond when it matters, but you're not some hothead who will dive into a suicidal situation, either. You'll wait and strike when it means something."

The Captain considered this for a moment. "What about my crew?"

Carter shrugged. "Bring anyone you trust. You might be part of a fleet, but it's your ship to run. All crew choices will have to be approved by you."

If Carter was any judge, Captain Olson looked tempted as he answered. "I'll have to get back to you if that's alright."

Carter nodded. "Go ahead and take a day, then get back to me. Any longer than that, I'll start looking into other candidates." The two shared a few more pleasantries and then ended the call.

Done for the day, Carter walked over to his bed and lay down. The girl had offered him a larger suite, complete with its own office, but he didn't need anything that large or spacious. It just made him feel even more alone on the ship. Combining the office and bedroom into one suited his needs just fine. After all, it wasn't often he had to entertain any guests.

Shortly after closing his eyes, Carter was mildly surprised by the flash of light that meant he had a guest. He figured it was probably the girl bringing something to his attention, but when he cracked his eyes open, Carter was surprised to see the vixen sitting at his desk.

Carter sat up a little but stayed seated in bed. "You know, normally, I'd enjoy having a beautiful woman alone with me in my bedroom, but somehow, I doubt this is a social visit."

The vixen rolled her eyes. "Even if I were willing to entertain the affections of a cockroach, you couldn't handle what I have to offer!"

Carter shrugged. "Probably so. I was on the receiving end of your attention once, and it's not something I'd like to repeat."

This time, the vixen laughed. "Oh, when you first boarded the ship? That was barely a taste of my affections! I hadn't even gotten warmed up!"

With a shake of his head, Carter relented. "Fair enough, I concede this time. But then that begs the question, why are you here? It's not like you're not welcome, but while us trading barbs isn't exactly new, you usually don't seek me out for it."

The vixen hesitated, and Carter got an odd impression of vulnerability from her that he hadn't expected before she finally answered. "I suppose I just wanted to make sure you're taking this seriously. All our lives are on the line, yet you're speaking to merchant captains you barely know?"

Carter laughed. "Mine too! I know the life of a short-lived organic like me might not seem important to someone who's lived as long as yourself, but I promise you, it's important to me!" He paused a moment to change the mood, then continued. "That being said, yes, I chose a merchant captain because I already know everything I need to know about him. We almost died back when the pirates ambushed us that first time, and at the key moment, this guy turned the tide in our favor one last time. He didn't have to. He chose to. That's the kind of man you want at your back."

The vixen shrugged. "I suppose. I guess I'm just not used to...trusting other people. It's just been the three of us for a long time, with the occasional Captain passing through. The idea of depending on other ships is...unsettling."

Carter nodded. "Yeah, depending on other people is new for me as well. But I've learned to trust you all, and you've learned to trust me. We just need to find other like-minded people."

This time, the vixen laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't say I trust you yet! But I suppose you've got a point..." She then stood up. "Well, I suppose I'll have to leave it in your hands then, not that I have a lot of choice, but if you fail us, I'll make sure your last moments are filled with terror unlike anything you've ever known!"

Suddenly, Carter sat bolt upright in his bed. He was alone in the room, and glancing at the clock told him a lot more time had passed than he'd realized. He shook his head. Had it all been a dream? With a sigh, he decided it wouldn't change anything either way and closed his eyes to fall back asleep.