A TIME TO CASTLE

                                    by Enad

The Cantible drifted helplessly in the void. Debris from the attack floated off on different vectors. Enad held Megan in his arms to comfort her. The attack was very striking. Enad never really thought that his own blood would try and kill them. He thought a horrible thought; what if the missiles had struck a vital area in the ship. No one ever knew the layout, hence they knew not of vital areas and systems design.

"I'm sorry, Enad. I meant to discharge the weapons, not lower the defense shields." Megan depressed her face upon Enad shoulder, crying at the thought of being stranded forever.

"It is all right, the damage is only confined to the drive systems. We are, however, more than close enough to Phoebe for transfer." Enad held Megan up by the shoulders and wiped a few tears from her face.

"I know I should really be stronger, but life is so different now." Megan sniffled a bit and turned slightly away from Enad so as not to let him see her tear-stained face. Each walked to the center of the ship where the AMTU had been constructed. Enad carefully plotted the landing coordinates in Phoebe. Together Enad and Megan held hands as their mass disappeared from the hulk of the ship.

Planet-side, or shall I print, moon-inside, the two figures developed from the unseen energy source. "What if Bronson blows up the moon?" Megan asked more worried than not.

"Not to worry, there is a universal law. A major character can't be destroyed."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking." Enad carefully looked at Megan to insure against a certain comment. "Earlier when I was down here, I was able to gain access to almost every system. If you help me with a few things, total override can be easily attained." Within hours, the whole system was in the grasps of our heroes.

"How will we ever get out of this hell-hole?"

"Mind your vocabulary. I'm not quite as incapable as you seem to think I am." Carefully operating some of the controls, a tractor was activated. After minutes of tedious control, the Cantible was lowered into one of the many moon's air-locks. "Repairs shouldn't take too awfully long. This place is well equipped. If you will commence the task, I'll take care of certain business." Megan walked off in the direction of the ship. Enad flipped the now fimiliar switches on the communication console. Within a matter of seconds, Enad had made contact with

"Iffley, this is Enad the Encephalon. Your attention, I feel, is urgent."

"Am I to assume you are of relation to Enad the (ahem!) Great?"

"Only slightly. But that is of little importance now.

It is in your best interest to disregard the message sent by a certain Bronson. He is a threat to you as well as me. I am sure you picked up the attack upon a vessel near the perimeter of Phoebe. The attack was upon my vessel."

"Straight out, how am I to believe you? As far as I know, the attack was a mockery. Your background is not exactly roses."

"The part of my background in which you are referring to is the same as that of Bronson's. The underlying evil in that human blood is sure to have affected him as well as Enad the Great. However, a certain variation in my bloodline exempts me from those consequences. I have some proof. If you analyze some of this moon's systems, its main function is for the destruction of Titan. Previous control was maintained by Bronson. I now, however, have taken complete control of all systems, shutting down all offensive military equipment. It may well be noted that I was incapable of such a mass project as constructing this base on Pheobe."

"You could be trying to attack me when my back is turned. However, your evidence is quite convincing and probably even capable of being confirmed. If what you say is true I will take the necessary precautions."

Enad turned it off. He was slightly upset at not being able to fully convince Iffley. "Ah well, it was for his own good. Maybe he will even owe me one in the near future." He made a few fine adjustments on some of the controls, then headed of to help Megan.

"Hello there. Everything going all right?"

"Yep. It is just some of the magnetic field deflector generators. Nothing that couldn't be fixed with the parts here on Phoebe."

"How long will it take?"

"About that long," Megan said giving her most accurate answer. And in 'about that long,' it was fixed. "I can't say that it is perfect, but effect of damage is now too small to really be taken into account. If we go on, Andromeda can be reached in about 273 hours.

"No, business at hand is here. I imagine a few more days won't kill too many more of my mother's race."

"Enad, I suggest we rest. It has been a long day, one that I am not rather used to."

"Agreed." Together they walked into the plushness of their ship. Enad immediately went for the gravity controls. His night was going to be comfortable at least.