unison! Time after time one would get out of sinc
with the others and then shut down. But on schedule she returned to
orbit fully operational and ready to take up cargo pods for the journey
to Hades.
61 The journey almost ended in disaster for on the very day of
departure an atomic bomb was smuggled on board. But North discovered
the weapon at the last minute, stopped Morn from coming aboard, ordered
his crew off the ship while he and another crewman barely managed to
disarm the deadly device.
62 Morn waited in the beaming station, monitoring the nerve-wracking
procedure as the new battleship maneuvered out of system in case the
disarming failed, with a cruiser on its tail waiting to vaporize it if
the worst happened. But the weapon's detonator was safely ejected and
North casually brought his ship back to continue operations as if
nothing had happened.
63 However, North received a severe reprimand from Command for not
leaving the disarming to his junior Officers, and evacuating the ship.
Morn would have not been surprised, however, if the Officer issuing the
reprimand had not privately praised North for his actions.
64 The arrival on Hades was cooled despite the planet's hot climate.
The local Officials did not like the takeover, but their fear of North
kept them cordial at least. And Morn and North didn't care if they
weren't invited to their social occasions.
65 After a couple of years, though, as the old people were gradually
replaced, life became rather pleasant, both North and Morn quietly
performing their duties, Morn gradually making changes, giving the
Hashons more and more control of their own affairs, even permitting
some of them military service in ground troops and non-combat positions
on local ships.
66 These changes sent waves of complaint back to