Her voice was beginning to get a little thick and strained… ‘Now, place your hands on my bottom and spread it open,’ she instructed. ‘Then, pl...ce your face into the crevice… ready?’ I spread her open as directed and my heart leaped in my chest as gazed on the pale, pinkish-tan eye staring back at me. It was so delicate and tightly twisted that I wanted to tease it open with my tongue but I did as I was old and just lowered myself forward into her. ‘Inhale deeply again,’ I heard her say. Dear. I felt around on the captain's neck until I was sure that he had no pulse. I looked at Gill then and shook my head."The Captain's dead isn't he?" whined the muscular guy. I nodded."Oh this is just great," he whined. "How the hell do we get home now?"I looked around and noticed that the boat was actually aground. I climbed over the side and noticed that we were on a fairly large land mass that we'd somehow run into during the storm. The others also got off of the boat and followed me. We were on. Pinarets sweeping to the ceiling, wafting dune hills that seemed to be just in the distance but were merely back drop. Bells and wind chimes giving the touch of the exotic. The punch table was taken over by samovars serving punch. Full metal dinner trays with exotic meats and fruits. Even the band was Persian. They played top 40 on regular equipment, then out came the sitars and flutes for traditional Arabian music This must have cost a fortune. I didnt remember authorizing any of this! It. We can see several weapons systems that are live, including missiles, and an Ion cannon that is on standby, but not targeted. I cannot give you a positive ID at this time."Helios exchanged a glance with Kat. These were probably three of the six missing ships. If so, they had been refitted with newer, more powerful power plants and, evidently, scanner suites as well. The old ships would not have been able to intercept them if they were not already in n-space, but these had surrounded the.