Kentauran date: Centauri 18, 76
KSS Kanto de'l Vento, Kapitano Akciptiro Neĝa komandas.

Leǔtenanto Sub-Ranga Lunumbrulino McDonnell studies the specifications of her new charge, La Sabro, a starship kluged together from the parts of several decommissioned ships. It had been McDonnell's personal nightmare to make the disparate parts compatible with each other.

"Belega!" Komandanto Sørensen exclaims. "It looks like trash!"

"The fastest, most heavily armed and sensory acute trash this side of the Orion Nebula," McDonnell says.  "The biggest problem will be to keep it together. "

"But it looks exactly like what pirates would assemble.  A little bit of this, a little bit of that."

"Well, mostly it's power plant." McDonnell corrects. "The cops will have a difficult time keeping up with us."

"Any problems with life support?"

"No, that's standard. Kluging the parts together caused some interesting challenges in sealing the pressure bulkheads, but we haven't found any new leaks in the last five tests."

"Belega!" Sørensen repeated.

"If you don't mind my saying, moŝto, you seem to be particularly enamorata of this trash."

"Wait until you lay eyes on your first command, Leǔtenanto. You'll find it beautiful."

McDonnell is taken aback, but only momentarily.  "You've been assigned command of La Sabro.  Congratulations, moŝto."

"Thank you, Leǔtenanto.  Are we still on schedule for the first flight test?"

"Jes, moŝto. Three days hence."

"Bona.  We'll be taking on extra crew at Kentaurus to fill out the roster for La Sabro. It's not easy to find suitable pirates among the officer corp."  Sørensen slaps McDonnell on the back. "Carry on, me bucko."