Chapter Two

"Holy frack!"

Starbuck let out the breath that he abruptly realized he was holding, as his head slowly stopped spinning, and his equilibrium began to return. Sagan's sake, using the Clavis to travel through time and space was like drinking a dozen Empyrean ales too many, and then following it up with a line of ambrosa shooters . . . or maybe a few shots of asteroid whiskey.

Or both.

He shot up out of his chair in the Duty Office, taking a step forward to reach for the telecom. Yeah, they'd apparently made it through the whatever-it-was in one piece, but he still didn't know where exactly they'd make it to. Then abruptly, his vision blurred, and the Endeavour flipped over.

"Starbuck?"

Luana's voice called him back from the mist of blanketing greyness that covered him. When he opened his eyes, she was looking down at him in concern. It was a welcome change from the night before. Jolly and Lia were leaning over her shoulder, looking a little too amused for Starbuck's liking.

"What the bloody Hades hole . . ." Starbuck muttered, as between them, they pulled him into a sitting position. He rubbed the back of his head, where he'd apparently landed when he dropped to the deck like a hundred-kilon tylinium weight.

Jolly chuckled. "The last time we energized, about ten percent of the crew were light-headed afterwards, Captain. A few passed out cold. Remember?"

"Uh . . .no." He tried to stand, but the room suddenly banked to the left, and his astrum impacted with the deck. "I, uh . . .I think maybe I was unconscious, at the time."

"Yeah, he's okay again," said Jolly, laughing softly. "A lot of guys did pass out last time, though."

"Starbuck did too, he's not kidding," Luana reminded them. "Although, I suppose we thought it had more to do with Eirys and the Oculus at the time."

"Guess we were wrong," Lia added cheerfully.

"Just great . . ." Starbuck groused. Third in command of the Endeavour, and he became giddy when his Base Ship energized. Okay, it was weird, mysteriously obscure alien technology, but still . . . "If any of you tell Dayton, I swear I'll have you seconded to Waste Recycling Management when we get back."

"An empty threat, if I ever heard one," Lu grinned at Jolly and Lia, as she sniffed theatrically. "How do you like my new perfume? I call it Excreta."

"Oh mong!" Jolly enthused. "It's just . . . wonderful. Takes me back to those carefree days of my youth. In the dairy barns, on the Agro tracts!"

"Perfect for those romantic occasions with your husband." Lia winked at her sister. Lu's smile lost some of its radiance.

"Ups-a-daisy," Jolly said, gripping Starbuck's arm and hoisting him to his feet. "Okay now?"

Starbuck sucked in a deep breath, feeling himself weave slightly. "Lords . . ." He clutched Jolly's arm like a lifeline. "Get me to the telecom, will you?"

"Aye, Captain," Jolly chuckled, draping the warrior's arm over his shoulder, and supporting him.

Microns later, Starbuck's equilibrium was beginning to return. With a grateful nod at the others, he punched in the code for the Control Centre. "Control Centre? This is Captain Starbuck. Where are we?"

"Stand by, Captain," Cadet Pierus told him.

Starbuck blew out an impatient breath, as he felt the others' eyes on him. Lu looked a little suspicious. Leave it to her to realize his anxiety. He pasted his trademark smile on, seeing them all relax under its power. "I have a bet with Dayton about how close to Sedna he could get us," he professed. In a milli-centon, he realized that he was misleading them to spare their anxiety, just as Dayton had done with him and Apollo. The difference being, Starbuck would get away with it.

"You never change," Jolly chuckled, shaking his head, and draping an arm around Lia.

"Some things in the universe are immutable, Jolly," Starbuck grinned and shrugged, while on the inside his stomach was churning. Then the telecom crackled to life.

"Dayton here. We're smack in the middle of where we wanted to be, give or take a smidge or an iota. Possibly an Astronomical Unit, or two. Officially, that will put us in Sedna's orbit. Soon."

Starbuck grinned. "Well, thank the Lords for that. Congratulations, Commander."

"Congratulations to us all," Dayton replied. "Get your tail up here, Captain. I have a solar system I'd like you to meet."

"Yes, sir."