Enderheim wandered the lower corridors of the station, checking for damage. The Dwarves had things well in hand. He nodded approvingly.  All repairs, except for the main propulsion cradle, would be completed by the end of the shift. Kaymur and a couple others had replated the hole Amok and Stanton put there to extract May Bell and Hagatha.

       The door to his room where he kept his still had been kicked shut, sagging on one hinge. Scorch marks were everywhere, but the still remained mostly intact. Constructed of heavy stainless steel and copper, no significant damage had occurred.

       All of his stock was gone, but, with the help of the dwarves in the cafeteria providing him some interesting new combinations of mash, Enderhim felt his flagging spirits rise slightly. It's not that bad, he thought grimly. With a few pieces of tubing and cleaning up, he would be back in business in no time.

       The jewel lab was another story, however. The door was gone entirely. Enderheim glanced around and didn't see it lying anywhere. Enderheim shook his head, grinning to himself.

       Reaching in a pocket, he pulled out his jewel and held it to his eye. Sure enough, there was an invisible red line attached to a tiny piece of crystal. Enderheim swore to himself. Did Leeki think Enderheim would fall for so simple a ruse? HAH!

       On highest alert for treachery now, Enderheim made a slow, meticulous sweep of everything down to the minutest detail. He spotted something peculiar three decks down, but nothing in the immediate vicinity.

       Enderheim reached in a pocket and pulled out one of his jumping jacks. Without hesitation, he tossed it through the doorway. The red line appeared, and there were a slight sizzling sound and a pop. Enderheim grinned, his estimation of Leeki going up the tiniest of notches. Silent, but deadly. Enderheim had used the same trap himself a time or two, to good effect.

       The trap dissipated, and Enderheim stepped slowly into the jewel lab. He hung his head in sheer disgust at what he found. Not only had Leeki taken every last crystal, but he'd taken a broken chair leg and destroyed all the delicate equipment within.

       Enderheim sighed heavily and exited. However, he found it impossible to develop any more additional rancor towards Leeki. In a way, he felt relieved. If he'd been in Leeki's place, he would have robbed the lab, sure, but he wouldn't have wrecked the site in a petty display of anger and contempt. No, Enderheim would have tampered with the equipment in devious ways to produce disastrous results to anyone who tried to use it again.

       Enderheim swept his jewel around one last time to make sure he hadn't missed anything. He stopped at the same strange reading from before. Peering closer, he saw waves of Power, held carefully in check in almost palpable waves. What was this? Some new machine of Amok's? He stuck the jewel in his pocket and went for a closer look.

       However, the 'machine' turned out to be the new smith Amok and the sisters had fetched from the Homeworld. Enderheim found him crawling between the outer deck and the hull.

       Enderheim pulled up a floor grate and stuck his head down. "Well, hello," he smiled, nodding slightly. "You must be the new smith. I'm Enderheim."

       The face peering back through the gloom was young, looking about 17 years of age by human standards. His eyes were the kind of pale hazel that shifted from green to blue, depending on the light. He nodded once and grunted, "Nice to meet you, Enderheim. I'm Latha Zahn."

       Latha held a socket wrench in each hand, straddling two girders. He was meticulously going through every bolt to make certain they were correctly tightened. When he finished, he took a small hammer off his belt and hit it. It made a pure ringing done that vibrated throughout the station. He nodded at the bell-like tone and nodded satisfactorily before straddling the next girder over. He tapped it with his hammer, and it made a dull, clunky sound. He shook his head and started at the bottom, tightening each bolt to its proper torque.

       Enderheim smiled. This person was prepared to go through every last nut, bolt, washer, and screw to ensure all was well. Amok had picked his man well.

       "I can see you're busy," Enderheim said. "Perhaps later we can get properly acquainted. I was away from the Homeworld when you moved there."

       "Sure," Latha grunted as he strained. "As soon as I'm done. Which should be," he took a deep breath. "About 30 years from now. This place is a mess." he shook his head wonderingly.

       "Yes, well," Enderheim felt slightly put out. "Till later then," he finished lamely and stood up. He turned to grab the grate he'd pulled up to find Travia standing silently behind him.

       "What are you doing?" Travia hissed. "Leave him alone. We don't want him all twisted up like you and Amok."

       Enderheim looked down his nose at her. "If that's the case, he grinned mischievously. "What are you doing here?"

       "I'm going down to help him," Travia replied. She jerked her head upwards. "The others want to see you if you're done acting weirder than usual."

       Enderheim gave her a single, derisive snort and stalked away. They were acting like all this was his fault! What had he done?

       Deciding that seeing the Sisters was the last thing he wanted, Enderheim made his way to the communications room. He locked the door behind him and contacted Major Shaw.

       Shaw was there, sitting at Amok's desk. He told the major that Amok needed to bring his ship and Mr. Stanton back to the station as soon as possible.

       "They're not here," the major shrugged, using his hands. "His ship is just sitting out there. Him and that other guy flew off in what looked like a big dinghy with a sail on it. Damndest thing I ever saw. Amok called it a Ziffer. He said they were going sailing and he would be back yesterday. I tried to call and check up on him, but I can't in touch with him for some reason. I might be getting worried if it were anyone else."

       "Could you please bring Amok's ship here to the station at your earliest convenience?" Enderheim looked thoughtful as he spoke. "The Sister's are all here, and we may need it if something happens."

       "I'll attach it to my Ranger and be there in an hour," Shaw nodded.

       "Before you come out," Enderheim held up a hand. "I need you to bring me some things from my lab in the Library. Have Froop open the lab for you. He's the only one besides myself who can."

       "Yeah, about that," Major Shaw looked down with a sheepish expression. "Froop found Lelanya in your lab playing with the crystals. He said she had dozens of them whirling around her head. When he surprised her, some fell and, well, uhh, kinda broke. I'm sorry. I was going to tell you the next time you came here, but..." his voice trailed off, and he looked away uncomfortably.

       "Are you serious," Enderheim's mouth fell open. "How did she get in there?" he sat back suddenly. "Oh no," he whispered.

       "Tell no one," he growled low. "Tell Lelanya not to be wandering around without one of her aunties."

       Once Enderheim gave Shaw the list of things he needed, he opened the Tapestry to see if he could find Amok. Frowning, he searched for nearly 15 minutes. A Ziffer was a Dwarven vessel generally used for short runs between Areas. Light and fast, they were more of a pleasure boat than anything else. They had no weapons and minimal shields. There were less than a dozen in Amok's Area now, and they were all docked. Now, where could have Amok taken Stanton sightseeing without Enderheim being able to spot him on their own Tapestry?
                                                                                 .................................................

       Stanton fretted away in the stern of the boat, doubts gnawing at his guts like some rabid beast. To keep calm, he'd nearly emptied his grandpappy's whiskey decanter. Where was he? It'd been almost half an hour!

       He scanned all around him with Amok's telescope. He saw a burst of smoke and debris suddenly flying away from the station, along with what appeared to be a man. But no! He was wearing different clothes. What had happened?

       He saw more movement on the far arc of the station. Stanton had long since thought he was beyond all amazement, but nothing prepared for what he saw.

       Amok was running for all he was worth with his head low along the hull in cold vacuum, carrying his staff, surrounded by his shield's blueish aura. About 200 yards back, behind him ran about a dozen men, also surrounded by bluish auras. They were throwing gold fireballs at Amok.

       Amok spotted the boat and ran full tilt towards Stanton, leaping the last few feet and tumbling to the deck. "Go!" he hollered and scrambled to his feet.

       Stanton was way ahead of him. He gunned the tiny craft, and they sped away. He looked up at Amok, who was straightening his robe.              "That was close, sir!" he cried, laughing uproariously. "For a second there..."

       "Come about, Mr. Stanton!" Amok roared. "We're not leaving!"

       "We're not?"

       For answer, Amok pointed his staff at the pier and the Overlords capering madly shaking their fists at their retreating forms. The loading dock erupted behind them and broke off from the rest of the station. The men leaped wildly back to the remains of the maintenance dock. Amok shouted with laughter.

       "Mr. Stanton," Amok turned to his companion. "We have to destroy the last backup generator. "Where is it?"

       "It's around the other side, sir," Stanton moving the tiller to swoop the tiny craft away for a second and started to turn. "Sir," We're about to get company!"

       "I see them, Scotty!" Amok stomped to the fore. "Steady as she goes! We have to get that teleport barrier down!"

       "There, Sir!" Stanton pointed. "See those three blue lights with the white one just below it? Aim there!"

       Amok staff jewel glowed a bright orangeish yellow. A hole 10 feet across erupt from the hull. Debris came flying and glanced off the shields of the boat.

       Stanton was using the telescope to peer in the hole Amok had just made. "Again, Sir!" he called stridently. "Hit it again!"

       Amok pointed, and another clump of debris came flying out. All the lights on the station suddenly went out.

       "That's got it, sir! Stanton set the telescope down and grabbed the tiller.

       "Hold fast, Mr. Stanton!" Amok shouted. He lifted his voice to a desperate roar. "Fairy!" he screamed at the top of his voice. "We are leaving!"

       A shadow passed over the boat. Stanton looked over his shoulder, and his eyes went wide with terror. "Amok!" he cried. "We have to go now!"

       "Fairy!!" Amok roared. He turned towards Stanton and looked up. His face, already red and angry, blanched and became a mask of pure fury. He dropped his staff and raised his hands as if in invocation. A white light flew from his hands and impacted the battleship coming around to get a shot at them.

       The white light hit and went through the hull as if it weren't there. It traveled the entire length of the enormous craft and flew out the back. The ship shuddered once and began to drift.

       Amok fell back to the deck, unconscious. A light blue creature, shaped like a woman, appeared hovering over Amok. She held a tiny golden sword, covered with blood to the hilt.

       Stanton didn't know what else to do, so he gunned the tiny craft away from the station. More ships were appearing over the station's arc, heading their way.

       Stanton tried to squeeze every bit of speed he could get out of the Ziffer. He grinned savagely when he saw that the pursuing ships were beginning to fall back.

       Amok stirred weakly. "Take us back to the Data Repository, Mr. Stanton, if you would please." he gasped. He rose slowly and clambered awkwardly into his chair.

       "Aye, sir," Stanton stared at the Fairy, who was scrutinizing him a few inches in front of his face.

        In addition to the shimmery green tunic the Fairy wore, she was now accessorized by several loops of shiny yellow rope wound about her tiny waist. One end dangled down around her knee.

       At the sound of Amok's voice, the Fairy flitted from Stanton to hovering over Amok. They stared at each other for several moments.

       "Well done, Mr. Stanton," Amok spoke quietly. "You are the bravest human I've ever met. I will have to include a little something extra in your Christmas stocking this year." he tried to laugh and winced.

       "I'll settle for a proper station deck beneath my feet, sir," Stanton's smiled was forced. "If it's all the same to you."

       "You shall have it," Amok waved casually and looked up at the Fairy. "You may keep the Rope of Recall in exchange for taking this human to the Sister's of Fate."

       The Fairy's eyes blazed, and she smiled evilly. "As you wish," she raised her blood-caked sword and vanished, taking Mr. Stanton with her.

       Amok rose slowly and eased into the now empty seat and took hold of the tiller, his expression dark and grim. "Sorry, my friend," he spoke to himself wistfully, sadly. "But I could never forgive myself if something happened to you."

                                                                            ......................................................................