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To say the last two months has been lucrative would be an understatement. Snaking through the Outer Antares Spur on a newly charted slipstream route, the Vanilla Skyline had re-appeared far behind the main Qyngur defensive lines in a lightly patrolled sector. The fool xenos were busy relocating their industrial base here, thinking the region safe, but now Terran fire was once again hot on their heels. Freighters, tankers, passenger liners, waystations, even freshly-impressed patrols sent to investigate recent disappearances, all were reduced to ashen husks. On several occasions, the small marine platoon attached to your ship even assaulted and ransacked isolated settlements. A handful of the fastest liners were already sent back to Liteia, their passenger bunks filled with the most valuable loot while still slick with the ichor of previous occupants. Even though prize crews were running low, you could still turn a healthy profit simply destroying shipments thanks to the open bounty placed on all Qyngur industrial equipment.
If there's anything less than fortunate, it was that this lucky streak has not cemented the men's trust in you. Although Silas and Johnson made clear credit for planning should go to you (it should not), they could not hide the fact that they alone did all the actual commanding on this ship. If this situation was allowed to continue, you might as well hand over the yoke to Silas (as if it were ever in your hands) and comfortably retreat into an early retirement...
"Hmmm... I suppose you make sense, Commander. Just putting on a pretty show hasn't worked out so far." Silas' face resolves into a toothy grin, "At least you are learning fast. From tomorrow I and Johnson will be handin' the mundane work back to you. Maybe when we catch an easy prey you could even get some proper dancin' experience." Johnson nods with a slight smile. Come to think of it, he was rather evasive whenever you tried to make small talk with him, and you never heard Silas called him by any of the nicknames he's so fond of sticking to people. Silas would probably give you a tongue-lashing if you bring up the matter with him, however, so great was his trust. The paranoiac in you thinks him foolish, but you hope yourself better than that.
