" Commanders, I hate to tell you this but there still hasn't been any wordfrom Mission Control for the last three weeks," stated Commander Mertz.After...that big meeting we began getting ready. In less than four days wewould be in a stationary orbit, and begin landing the Habitats. We didn'thave time to speculate on the loss of communication with Earth.VQ-1A like the other satellite Colonies had four Shuttles and EightRovers. We were in the 1A1 cargo hold now going over everything, as theRovers. She was wearing high heels, too; shoes that added about four inches to her small height. She looked and acted like a senior executive.Tanner stood and greeted her. They had a few words, and then he introduced her to the executive team. He added, “Nikky Thomas is a new first line manager in our finance group, but she had some ideas that she started to pursue about how we could better accomplish our administrative tasks more efficiently, effectively, and transformationally. She took this on. More to the point, I couldn’t accept the ghost of Allan in the shape of Jamie, his son.Paul has taken Allan’s death far harder than I have. From the beginning I was aware that he and Allan were bi-sexual. That never bothered me. In fact, it added a big dash of spice to our relationship and I enthusiastically encouraged them. While Paul had sex with Allan, Allan would be servicing me. The first time that that happened was an incredibly erotic experience and one which we were to repeat. “That that group of five worlds would dare spy upon the Supreme Power in the Galaxy?” Senior Controller Kli of the Jade Green Path sneered. “Do not be preposterous!”“They are apparently under the protection of that upstart mongrel Empire. They may feel they can be so bold as to test our patience and that of the Autocrat of All under the Firmament of the Stars,” Senior Advisor Menl of the Soothing Rainbow Nebulae countered.“That Empire is as nothing to the might of the Starlit Hegemony,” the.