Steam came from the oven as Liam pulled out the roast. Setting it on a counter, he closed the oven and turned back to the roast. It was blackened and burnt. Cursing, Liam took the roast and threw it into a replicator, recycling it. Looking at his wristcom, he saw it was nearly 16:00 hours. In five minutes, Lynn would be here; and there was no dinner ready. "Computer, replicate two plates of sliced quail and steamed vegetables, with sliced Dipphian dates. Direct this recipe from database Lexi Five." After a second, two plates materialized. Inhaling the smell of the meals, the captain took them and walked to a small table, setting them there. The meals had been a delicacy created by an old friend of his. He had programmed it into the replicator's menu, to have when he had honored guests.

Walking back into the galley, Liam headed to the back and stopped before a small crate. Liam placed his hand on a DNA scanner and spoke, "Open wide." The crate opened up to reveal four sixty ounce bottles of 2196 Nisem cider, a rare and very expensive cider that hadn't been produced since two decades ago. Even with the recipe, it proved futile to replicate it, because the formula was too complex to input. Sort of like Risan wine. Except that Liam had spent 50,000 credits for five bottles; one had been emptied on the journey to Levo. It was well worth it the price of them, for it was good cider, and he rarely drank any. Taking a slightly full bottle, he closed the lid and relocked the crate. Grabbing two glasses, Liam strode out of the galley and headed for the table.

No sooner then he had finished setting the table, then the mess hall's door opened to reveal Lynn. She was carrying a box which seemed to hold a lot of vidpads. Liam went over and took the box from her hands, and motioned for the table. "I hope you like quail, because the roast I was cooking decided to burn itself. It was the best I could do on short notice, so I hope you like it." Placing the box near the table he turned around to motion for her to sit down. When he glanced at his passenger, Liam nearly fell to his knees. Lynn was dressed not in her usual semi-formal attire, but in a casual civilian's clothing, one that heightened her beauty even more. He himself had dressed in his usual uniform. He had no thought of changing.

Lynn smiled. "It smells wonderful, Captain. It will do very nicely. It's nice to see that some people have some taste in food. I also wish to thank you for your help in this trade deal. I was never really versed in commerce like the people who lived on trading worlds." She headed for the table, and Liam pulled her chair out. Sitting down, she thanked him. Liam then poured them both a glass of cider. Lynn took a drink, then nearly spurted it out. "This is Nisem cider. I thought they stopped making this decades ago."

Liam took a sip from his glass, then replied, "Aye, they did. Twenty years ago, in fact. This is one of the few bottles I have, year 2196. Please, eat. I don't wish to see this meal go to waste."

As they ate, they made small talk, mostly on how Lynn had wanted to study diplomacy since childhood while she had lived in luxury and how this was her first diplomatic mission of importance, and of how Liam had grown up on Zaxted Starport learning commerce and astrophysics while his parents tried to keep together a small business. After a while they were finished and the dished were recycled. Clearing the table of all but the cider, which was by then half-full, they pulled up the box of vidpads.

Selecting a few, they went on with the trade deal. "Unbelievable!", exclaimed Liam, gazing at a vidpad with amazement. "The Empire wants thirty tons of diomrian ore in exchange for twelve tons of dilithium. That's piracy!"

"Why is that, Captain? It seems like a fair deal. We have an abundant supply of diomrian. We could trade such an amount."

"Yes, Griffin Technologies may have an abundant supply, but not many other governments do. The average price for diomrian on the open market is ninety-five hundred credits a ton because of its rarity; Res is the only system known to hold a seemling unendless supply. On the other hand, dilithium is fairly common and has a range of nine-hundred credits per five tons. Not to mention the fact that, diomrian is essential in the building of blockade runners and transport shuttles, because it is a primary component in the hull."

Lynn shook her head. "That would have gained the Empire not only a 275,000 profit, but stronger ship hulls as well..."

"While Griffin Technologies would get only a eleven thousand credits worth of energy crystals, when they can mine it in the surrounding systems," finished Liam. "Consider the thought of offering three tons of dimorian ore for twelve tons of dilithium. It is more then a fare deal for the Empire. They may get a two thousand credit bonus, but Griffin gets much more in resources."

Taking a sip of cider, Lynn took another pad and said, "Yet they have offered us a another deal. Three destroyers for five blockade runners. It seems like a fair deal to most. It gives us a chance of looking at their databases and at their particle beam. It could help us if Freeport were ever assulted by pirates again. And it would give us an edge against other people as well."

Liam gave a sad look. "The Empire may have offered you Faralon destroyers, but I had a friend who once made such a deal. Six hundred tons of uridium for eight destroyers, yet when they were first field tested days later, the particle beams seemed overloaded and three of the ships were destroyed by pirates. The Empire sabatoged them, even though my friend had hired some of Antiodia's top egineers. Besides, the Colonial Navy erases all but the simplest of data and the computer core is ten years old. And the Empire gets in return five top-of-the line ships that have amazing cargo space and speed which could be converted into superb warships. Try three blockade runners for two missile crusiers. They can't be sabatoged without leaving behind evidence and they were built to perform on newer AI systems only."

"Ok, that might work," said Lynn, her voice tinged with a bit of annoyance. Griffin Tech. had been wanting the last deal, had been oblivious to sabotage and it had taken a mercenary to point out its flaws. Picking up a third datapad, she glanced at it. "This is one my government proposed. We are willing to give the Terran Empire our formula for making tetromite-alloy in exchange for the specs on their neutron beam and the specs for a neutron fighter as well. It doesn't take a guenius to figure out that it's a good and fair deal."

Liam nearly spurted out his drink at the words. "Who made those deals, the Head of Janitotial Duties? Tetromite is one of the strongest alloys, known to withstand even close proximity to a star for minutes. All you're asking for is plans for a glorified flashlight and a oversized fighter. Besides, even with a few ships equipped with that alloy, the Empire could do some serious damage, even to the extent of taking the Non-Aligned Worlds. This deal is like a child asking for a piece of candy while giving away the secret of eternal youth. Why not ask for the plans for their heavy crusier or neutron crusier. At least then they'll take Griffin Technolgies seriously."

Lynn's eyes blazed. This was as far as she was going to take it. Standing up, she leaned against the table and said, "What would you know. These records were thourghly read over by some of the best skilled merchants on Freeport. They say they are sound and reasonable. The only reason why I asked you to help me with this was to make some modifications. I think I made a mistake, as you know little when it comes to deals like this."

Liam's face turned read with anger. Standing to his full height, four inches taller then Lynn, he stated, "Well excuse me for trying to help correct the mistakes made by some greedy but clueless merchant. And its not my government who decided to help the Terran Star Empire and the Colinial Navy to become stronger and to dominate and enslave more worlds, or to send a novice diplomat on a deal of great import."

Lynn's face when red then. "Your government! You don't even have a government to call your own! You're a mercenary, selling yourself to the highest bidder to carry out God knows what. You are just a wild card, loyal to no one but yourself That is probably why you've no crew, because you cannot trust anyone."

Liam's face turned redder with the insult and he had to grip the edge of the table to keep his temper. "Lady, you don't know what is like to be someone like me. Why you were living on Freeport in the lap of luxury like some spoiled brat, my family could barely support me and a shipping company that was looked down on by every other major corpartion like Starbound or ConEx. If hadn't been for the support of the Merchants' Guild after they died in an attack by PriCon ships, I would not be here today. You wouldn't know what it's like to never know when your next meal is or how to get credits. I'm the only member of my family left, and the only one in two generations to accomplish something beyond a simple business.

I never excepted a mission where my job was to kill innocent people or assinate government officals. My jobs included cargo hualing and running passengers across the galaxy. The only time I ever took life was to defend myself or other ships that couldn't defend themselves or when I hunted pirates who dared try to take neutral worlds.

I never had the benefit of money or powerful family. All I had was my family name and the clothes on my back. Remember that next time you eat in a classy restaurant or by fancy artwork, that what some people have, earned it through hard work. I have made many rich friends, but I never once asked them for credits when I was down. All I earned, all that I have today comes from hard work, not from family money!"

Lynn paled but didn't back down. She was a diplomat, trained since she was thirteen to know her opponent and his hand. She had one more card to play. "At least my family line wasn't one who spoke of rebellion and insolence. At least my family wasn't the one who helped spark the Mars Revolution and aid such insurgents over a measly tax problem. My family prides itself on its trading and diplomacy. Your family were no more then rouges and rebels, insurgents in Mars. The only thing the Ares' pride themselves on are the fact that did not bow down to the Terran Senate, causing many lives to be lost on both sides."

In his seven years as a pilot, merchant and mercenary, Liam had been shot, stabbed and even blown from the sky, he had never felt such pain. His family lineage was something he prided himself on. He had never expected something like that from a diplomat. Liam relaxed visibly, hurt showing in his eyes, and he spoke in a voice that could stop even a Sauridian in its tracks, "Ms. Harding, I hope you have a nice evening, because this dinner is over. We have six days until we reach Clotho Prime. There, we will part company and I will go on my way. In the mean time, let us try to avoid each other as much as possible. That is all I have to say to you. Good night." Before Lynn could say a word, Liam was out the door. As the doors closed behind him, Lynn felt tears streaming down her face, but she didn't care. What he had said had hurt her beyond doubt.

Outside the ship, nothing but the blue swirls of hyperspace knew what happened.

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