Second Chances

[Zaphod_the_spacebum 0]

Zaphod sat in his quarters on the QoB thinking about the last few days. He'd always believed in second chances. But, after the Federation and Diklit, he wasn't sure about third chances. The docs in the Verbistule's sickbay had patched him up quite nicely. But with Diklit dead, he didn't know what he was going to do. The colony would go on. But, Zaphod wasn't sure how. He had overheard the doctors getting a call that he would be joining the QoB's crew. That relieved him. His first thought was that the Captain of this old Klingon vessel would throw them all out of the airlock for the attempted bombing of a starship and his crew. Now, he was a member of that crew. A deal struck with that traitor Holstrum released the raiders, but turned over Zaphod to Manning. He had met some the QoB's crew when he boarded. Captain Manning, and his first officer Nickles. They seemed like good leaders. He had met the man who shot him, a curiously emotional Vulcan named Selek, and the Chief of Security who led him to the airlock. He met a very large Nausicaan named Byblos, who took the duffel with his personal items and weapons. He had also met his new engineering chief Shane. Shane did not like titles. Zaphod was glad they all felt the same way about the Feddies as he did. They didn't look like they trusted him though. Zaphod couldn't blame them. He had tried to kill them, all for the misguided loyalty he felt towards Diklit. Well, that was then and this is now. Zaphod swore his loyalty to the Captain and crew of the QoB and he meant it. Captain Manning had seen his way to giving him a second chance. And, he wasn't going to blow it. Things at the airlock were a bit tense. But, Zaphod could see that Manning had a good crew.

He thought about his weapons with a pang of sorrow. They were personal mementos of a past life.

His Caitian claw daggar had been given to him by his father Dracal as a gift on his initiation into adulthood on Cait. The thought of his father and mother brought back painful memories. And, anger for the "mighty" Federation.

Zaphod was only half Caitian. His mother Janine was human. She and Dracal had fallen in love, married, and settled down in New Orleans on Earth. They could not have any children because of their genetic differences, and the geno-phobes in the Federation wouldn't help. So, Dracal and Janine went outside Federation space to find a geneticist to help them. They found one in the Kzinti Hegemony. Janine and Dracal returned to the Federation and had Zaphod in New Orleans. The Feddies immediately arrested them for genetic tampering (crimes against nature). They spent 3 years in a penal colony for their "crime". Zaphod was labeled a "genetic freak" for the rest of his life. Eventually, this led Zaphod to leave the Federation, to pursue his career as a trader after his parents passed away. They never got over the shame.

His bat'leth was given to him by a Klingon named Grath. Zaphod dated his daughter Shara for a while as he traded with the Empire. He spent a lot of time with Shara on Qo'nos. Zaphod even spent a summer on Grath's ship, an old B'rel class bird of prey IKC Da'vI' as a junior engineer. Grath made him the bat'leth for his service and taught Zaphod how to use it.

His personal phaser was passed down to him by his mother. It was a 23rd century assault phaser, sleek, black and menacing. It wasn't as good as the modern phasers, but Zaphod didn't care. It belonged to his mother, his grandfather, and so-on.

Manning had posted him to engineering, a job he knew well. His favorite thing was crawling through a ships works. Some of his old crew mates joked with him that he'd sleep in the plasma tubes if he could.

He awoke from a doze and shook his head. "Must've fallen asleep." he scolded himself. "I have to meet Shane in engineering."

He grabbed his jacket, and headed out the door.

'Don't know what's going to happen. But, for the first time in the past ten years I'm actually happy.' He thought, swishing his tail as he walked down the corridor.

Edited May 16, 2011 by Zaphod_the_spacebum