Arth
Near Restoration City
Biggs Hilsfar didn't retire, he just took a little breather. There was more space to explore. In the meantime, he scrounged up a few shyneum pennies and built a modest bungalow on some beachfront property he'd bought a few years back. The surfing was good.
So was the barbecue. He'd invited his crew to a gathering to celebrate their success and they were all swimming, except for Alowala who avoided salt water like the plague--Biggs had two kegs of thrice distilled water for she and the other Elowan. "Come over here, Grix, you bug! We need an expert on the grill!" Biggs was having a few too many.
When the sun set, they all sat around a glowing fire and listened to the breeze rustle the palms. The stars twinkled invitingly overhead. Ux stood and raised a glass. "To the peace," he said. Boz Grabow and a few members of the Coreward Plowshares project were there. They all toasted and cheered, as well. Boz proposed another toast. "To Biggs Hilsfar and the company he keeps." There was another hoot. Grix was grilling peppers and looked ridiculous in the white chef's hat and apron. Suddenly, a thought struck him. "Has anyone seen Arella or Mack?" Somebody suggested they were surfing.
A Small Universe
The immediate threat receded into the shadows, and a delicate peace drew another breath. The frazzled staff at New Scotland Commerce and Transport finished their Staff-Pythagoras project at long last. Interest in Earth was growing. There were even a few settlements near what had been Boston and Cape Town.
With the passing months, the Thrynn raids into Elowan space lessened in intensity and frequency. Though nobody was holding any breath, a rumbling of reform could be heard across the border. Admiral Hoss'Vnn died shortly after the failure of his crusade. In accordance with ancient custom, his body was lowered into the muddy swamps on Thoss. The Kryssthoggr never returned home. It would have been suicide. Chief Inspector Biv Lugg made some arrangements when the frigate arrived at New Scotland. Yssk and his crew slipped into hiding at the Heaven Colony.
The Eshbullr Colony thrived from the very start, hundreds of young Elowan growing peacefully in the light of a strong, yellow sun. The hope glimmered brightly there. The first headfruit bloomed shortly after Bfeijl arrived, and in time more young would arrive at the nursery.
In deep space, just coreward of the Four Seedlings, there was a ravaged hulk that drifted slowly through the stars. On its hull, the ship's name was marred, but still visible: ISS Myksiddic. A wandering Minstrel passed by, singing the songs of another age.
//*[END TRANSMISSION]*//
----------
Hey, hey, space cowboys and cowgals, I hope you've had fun with
Starflight: Hilsfar & Company over the last few months. I've
had a great time writing it and posting it here at the Nebula Lounge,
and I certainly owe thanks to a number of people.
Adam Schillinger, Kathryn Dotter and Lorin McCaffrey's web pages were key in the effort and I made continuous use of them to hack out H & C. A bunch of other people chipped in as well, including Mike Hughes, Eddy Buhler, HunterZ and everyone who's left messages on these boards.
This obviously neglects to mention the most luminous luminaries who created the Starflight universe--T.C. Lee, Rod McConnell, Bob Gonsalves, Alec Kercso and Greg Johnson--to whom I can only offer my sincerest thanks: Starflight just rocks and I hope H & C did it a small grain of justice.
"Tupelo Honey" was a song written by Van Morrison and released by A & M records. How a copy found its way onto ISS Belfast Windfall is beyond me. Arella Newark is based heavily on Jennifer Bazlinton, a character who appeared in two novels by a friend of mine, Frank Schaeffer. 'Portofino' and 'Saving Grandma' are some of the funniest, most readable and most touching books on the planet. Both books were published by the Berkeley Publishing Group.
"Hilsfar & Company: Because EA Dropped the Ball" /body>