"they merely found them and used them. Then when
The Empire got too close they moved further out. It probably took
one-thousand years to build those things, and they were lived in for a
long, long time."
23 "Perhaps we're not out of luck after all. We haven't found an
inhabitable planet, but once these shells have been filled with air
again, and new solar generators installed, they'll be almost as good."
24 North was thinking of the secret information he had on The Empire's
plans for this sector. These stations would be perfect for his
operations, bringing in raw materials from the surrounding systems he
could set up factories, produce goods, and ship them to the nearby
stations cheaper than they could be produced by factories further in.
25 Yes, and he could also continue his secret explorations from a base
out here. He would make the crew a handsome offer for their shares in
the system, and buy the Government's portion as well, turn this into a
private station. Some of his crew thought North was being extremely
generous, others were quite aware he was being his usual shrewd self.
26 They returned back to their starting point and met Morn's ship. They
had not done very well, either. Two of their suns were empty, and the
other had only three planets, one was little more than a moon close in
to the sun. The second was a windswept reddish desert and a third was a
huge gaseous giant with sixteen moons. Two of them had atmospheres, but
were so far out they would need solar beams to warm them. Perhaps
possible sites for future stations, if the outlying systems proved
commercially favorable.
27 They would not prove any immediate profit to the crews, however.
"Perhaps," one of them said, "they'll bring in some credits to our
descendants who will inherit the rights to the planets."