The K-1 looked similar to that of a military DropShip and in some ways, it was used as such. But more often than not, it was used primarily to re-supply JumpShips that were drifting in the black void of space. The K-1's hull was spheroid and had a docking collar that could attach it to a JumpShip's hardpoint. Once it had successfully docked itself, much needed supplies could then be brought onboard.

  When the New Avalon Recharge Station Zenith was informed that the K-1 DropShuttle would make another supply run for the Znutar, they simply logged it in their computers and proceeded to go about the rest of their mundane tasks. After all, traffic was considerable and they had a lot more important things on their minds than to scrutinize one more supply run to a JumpShip that was scheduled to leave the next day for the Star League conference on Tharkad anyway. But if the crew at the Recharge Station had ordered their aerospace fighter wing to make a more detailed visual identification rather then just accepting the IFF-transponder code, they would have noticed that something was not what it seemed.

  First of all, the painted insignia of the Star League on this particular DropShuttle was freshly painted, just over several days ago. Secondly, the IFF-transponder beacon was actually an exact copy of that of a virtually identical DropShuttle that was currently in the hangars of the Avalon SpacePort, undergoing maintenance repairs. And thirdly, that this particular DropShuttle actually came not from the planet, but rather from another JumpShip that had stationed itself at the other Recharging Station located at the planet's nadir. The DropShuttle then took a longer, more circular route that brought it low from the planet's orbit so that the observers from this particular Recharge Station automatically surmised that it had indeed lifted off from the surface of the planet. A coded signal that supposedly came from the SpacePort informing the station crew that a supply shuttle had lifted off from one its landing pads to service the Znutar only served to increase the deception.

  Once the DropShuttle had successfully attached itself to the Znutar, its crew went to work. The Merchant Class JumpShip was virtually devoid of people at this time, it's crew were actually scheduled to be transported to the ship in less than twenty-four hours from now so it had been left drifting in space. Once they had successfully used the forged passkeys to open the airlocks, the maintenance crew of the DropShuttle immediately split into two teams, one heading towards the engineering section while the second team headed for the bridge.

  The team that headed towards the engineering section also dragged a long, rectangular box that was several meters across and weighed several tons. Because the ship's thrusters had not been active, the zero-gravity enabled the team to conveniently position the crate into a far corner where the ship's fusion reactor was located and they had managed to attach some cables in an input panel that was conveniently located at the base of the crate. Once they had run some diagnostic tests that made sure that the box's contents were operational, they quickly lashed it to a rear storage compartment, being careful to hide the wires that trailed from the side of the ship's reactor along with the rest of the wirings that lined the walls of that section so that it seemed to be part of the ship's circuitry. Because so many JumpShips had been customized to the point that jury-rigging was an integral part of any ship, only through careful observation would anyone know that those additional wirings should not have been there.

  As the second team used their forged passkeys to enter the Znutar's bridge, they immediately began to place new programs unto the ship's computer and navigational systems as well as making some adjustments on its IFF-transponder codes. After successfully uploading these programs, they quickly tested them to make sure that the JumpShip crew would not immediately notice these new programs when they would do a standard preflight check. Since the team had rehearsed this process to the point where they could practically do it blindfolded, the entire operation lasted no more than fifteen minutes.

  Within less than thirty minutes, both teams had returned back to the cargo hold of the DropShuttle that then undocked from the Znutar and proceeded back to pass by the unsuspecting Recharge Station before it would go along its circuitous route back to its waiting JumpShip. Just as before, the station's crew logged the comings and goings of the shuttle along with the other small craft that went to and fro alongside of it during this busy day.

  Captain Markus Pym smiled as he saw the pencil-thin silhouette of the Znutar outlined against New Avalon's morning sun as he stared out into the sky from his apartment's window. He had finally achieved the high point of his life; where he was once nothing more than a merchant captain trying to eke out an existence, everything now seemed to drift his way at last. It was only less than a decade ago when the second Star League was formed and he had been one of the first to embrace its message of unity for all mankind. Pym had risen up the ranks quite rapidly; his skills at navigating the farthest reaches of space had won him accolades from his peers. That the money they doled out to him was generous also added to his attraction for the high life.

  Pym adjusted his Captain's uniform as he strode over to the still sleeping woman lying on his bed. "Jenny, wake up." He said as he sat down beside the bed and stroked her hair.

  The blond made a slight stirring noise as she finally came to consciousness and smiled at him from bright, blue eyes. Pym had met her just a few months before while staying in Tharkad while he was on assignment. He was immediately attracted to her long legs and firm breasts when he first spotted her at a local nightclub. Being a daring sort of fellow, he immediately approached her and was pleasantly surprised when she returned his advances. It seemed that she too was stuck in an unhappy marriage and was looking for a one-night fling just to get away from all the pressures of her vapid, lackluster life.

  After their affair had gone from a casual one into a lust-filled obsession, he quickly declared his love for her and vowed that once this latest assignment was over, he would then divorce his wife and they would live happily ever after. Jenny initially resisted, saying that she wasn't sure whether she had the guts to leave her own husband but Pym's persistence ultimately won out just a few nights ago, when he finally gave her an eighteen-karat engagement ring. He had enough money saved up to handle any sort of alimony demands that his first wife could bring onto him and then some. Although he hated having to leave his two kids behind for he was quite fond of the two tykes, Pym was confident that he could get over them in a few years with Jenny at his side.

  "Come on, get dressed." Pym laughed as he stood up from the foot of the bed as Jenny got up and threw a bathrobe over her naked body. "I'd like to have breakfast with you at the Garden Inn before I have to leave."

  "Okay, okay." Jenny grumbled as she walked into the bathroom. "Promise that you'll get me a fur coat when you go to Tharkad, okay?" She called out to him while the slush of the faucet ran in the sink.

  "I promise." Pym said as he adjusted the collar of his uniform for the umpteenth time. Jenny loved gifts, the more expensive the better, it was fortunate that he had a high-paying salary or else she would have been too costly of a mistress for him.

  After several minutes, Jenny came out, looking wonderfully refreshed in a tight black dress that seemed to reveal more than it covered up. "What do you think? Remember that dress you bought me when you made that jump to Canopus IV? It seems to fit me so well." She giggled.

  "That's because I know every inch of your body." Pym said as he took her in his arms and gave her a long kiss.

  "Okay, buster." Jenny laughed as she pulled away from him. "Let's get to breakfast. I do hope you won't see any more women until you come back."

  "It's a promise." Pym said as he reached for the button beside the door. He wasn't sure whether he could fulfill that guarantee, for his libido was always in full throttle, but at least, he could try.

  As the door opened to his touch, Pym let out a cry of shock as his Doppelganger came through the opened doorway and faced him. Pym could hardly believe his eyes as his exact duplicate stared back at him from a virtually identical uniform. As he turned in confusion over to Jenny and back to his indistinguishable twin again, he failed to notice that his double had pulled out a needler from the folds of his coat and aimed it at him.

  The shots from the needler were virtually silent as several clumps of cyanide-tipped metal shards ripped into the front of Pym's chest and he went down.

  "Help me." Jenny said as she began to drag the still twitching body of the JumpShip Captain back into the apartment. Pym's double closed the door behind him and helped her dump the corpse into the bathtub. As he adjusted his uniform to match Pym's, Jenny took the dead man's wristwatch, leather wallet and wedding ring and handed them over to him.

  "I just received word from the team that all is in place on the Znutar. Blessed Blake is truly on our side." The Doppelganger said.

  Jenny was stone-faced as she adjusted his collar; just the way Pym wore it. "Do not mention Blake again for the rest of this operation, you fool."

  "I'm sorry." The double said. "Just feeling a bit nervous, that's all."

  "Remember what you have to do." Jenny said. "Now hurry up or you will be late for the briefing."

  "Yes, of course." He said as he headed out of the door. "Adieu."

  "No, no." Jenny was angry." He always says Ciao."

  "Ciao." The imposter corrected himself before he finally left and closed the door.

  Jenny frowned as she called the support team from her scrambled communicator to help her dispose of the body. She had hoped that they would have gotten a more experienced operator for this part of the assignment, but things had developed so fast they just didn't have the time to train him properly. But then again, things never go completely smooth in any operation, she knew from previous experience.

  Every mission, regardless of how thorough one's planning or training for it, always had that one intangible variation- luck.