Dawn of a new era on Freeport 9

[Pennyfield]

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Bob had reached the MFE Academy in Omicron Theta last Friday, following a brief stop at Freeport 9 to deliver supplies. He always had a liking for Theta, and not just because his niece, Jill, ran the academy there or because he loved seeing her daughter, his grand-niece. There was something about the system—the lighting, the relative peace—that appealed to him. Despite the occasional Nomad threat, it was a place he found comforting.

The sight of Freeport 9 still bearing the scars of battle wasn’t a pretty one, but Bob felt reassured knowing that the Corsairs, with the help of OSI, were making an earnest effort to rebuild it. From what he had seen during his supply drop, progress was swift.

As always, Bob was up early. He rolled out of bed in his guestroom at the academy, stretched his arms, and muttered to himself, “Another day, another station to inspect.” He took a quick shower, got dressed, and made his way to the cafeteria for breakfast. Over a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs, he recalled his conversation with Jill the night before.

“I’ll be late tomorrow,” he had told her. “Got a meeting with Lucas Garmendia over at Freeport 9. He’s giving me a tour, and we’ll be talking about the construction and upcoming upgrades.”

Jill had simply nodded, familiar with her uncle’s work ethic. Now, as he finished the last of his meal, he retrieved a small satchel from his room—containing a datapad, a flask of strong tea, and a few personal notes—and headed toward the hangar. His ship, a sturdy gunboat he affectionately called "Whatchamacallit", stood waiting.

As he boarded and ran the pre-flight checks, he chuckled, shaking his head. “Another meeting with Lucas… Hope he’s got some good news this time!”

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