As Nimisha conveyed her mother back to the surface of vega in, she decided that she'd very deftly gotten her mother to take care of screening suitable sires so that she wouldn't have to spend unnecessary time away from the yard to attend to that family obligation.

She had too much scheduled right now to spend time going through bloodlines and gene patterns. Her mother would enjoy the occupation far more than she would. And probably choose a far more suitable alliance. Nimisha's current bedmate would not meet her mother's high social standard, but then, what her mother didn't know wouldn't offend her.

Two weeks later her mother handed her a list of suitable men.

Of the lot, Nimisha decided that lord rhidian farquahar-hayakawa was the most acceptable to her. She was, of course, acquainted with the man. He was an ardent hunter of alien monsters, charming and handsome, though she deplored his hobby as much as he probably disapproved of her professional involvement. But he was known to be an excellent companion on a hunt, never complaining about the dirt or discomfort, and had often caused her to howl with laughter at his sly and clever jokes. She had never once heard him belittle anyone. He had blue eyes, too, so that feature would be perpetuated. When approached by Nimisha for his service, he was surprised but recovered smoothly.

"You're only eighteen, nimi," he'd remarked. "Surely you don't need to rush into maternity yet." "I might as well get it over with so I can concentrate on what interests me. I've the yard to manage, you know." "How's that new long-distance yacht of yours coming along?

I hear it's going to reduce travel time phenomenally," he said.

"Could I make it from demeathorn to canopus iv in time to attend both hunting seasons?" "Only if you learn to handle a spaceship better than you do hunting vehicles," she replied, obliquely reminding him of a near fatal accident while hunting raptors on canopus iv.

"Will you do a shake down cruise with me when the yacht's ready?" "I need the body-heir contract now, rhid, but I'll see what I can do when the yacht is ready for trial runs." "Fair enough," he replied, and then he was willing to discuss the contract for a body-heir. He surprised her by asking for rondymense ship yard stock and added mining concessions from his family holdings as his half of the child's birthright. The agreement was signed, the begetting of an heir was conducted with grace, skill, and such fervor that Nimisha was quite pleased. And just a little disappointed when she became pregnant a scant two months later. Rhidian did not cease his visits, for the contract stipulated a live, healthy child. She didn't object to his company during her pregnancy, since he usually arrived after she had returned from the ship yard. He did once mention that he felt she should suspend her operations at the yard in the last trimester of her pregnancy.

"Why? All I'm doing now is programming the al's on board and that takes very little physical effort on my part. Still, it's nice of you to be concerned, rhidian." "I know you're healthy, and all that, and carrying easily, nimi.

It's just that accidents can-and have ..." he paused, wondering if he should have obliquely mentioned the tragic circumstance of her sire's death. happened at the ship yard and I should not like to see you miscarry. Of course, if you did, I would naturally honor the contract, which requires the successful birth, not merely the pregnancy," he said, his expression hopeful.

"That's most considerate of you, rhidian, but I don't foresee any problems, and no one at the yard lets me overextend myself. I could probably do a lot more than jeska and my other department heads allow." rhidian gave a reluctant shrug. "Well, if jeska's always with you..

"Always," Nimisha said.

When her daughter was born, Nimisha was overwhelmed with a totally unanticipated rush of maternal devotion that put the half finished yacht into second place in her life. Lady Rezalla couldn't believe how the birth altered her daughter, nor could jeska. Fortunately both approved.

"Having a baby is not at all like designing a spaceship, is it?" Nimisha said, smiling fatuously at the dainty girl that her body had produced.

"I should hope not," lady Rezalla said sharply, but her expression softened instantly. She, too, was quite besotted with her grandchild.

Lady astatine was the only relative who retained critical objectivity. "It's well enough," she said. "If it lives and has its health." lady Rezalla's suddenly revived hope that Nimisha would dispense with spaceship design and yard supervision was ruthlessly shattered. Although a registered wet nurse was hired to tend the baby's needs, Nimisha set up an office suite in her domicile, adding vid screens showing the nursery rooms so she could enjoy her daughter's antics whenever she chose. In fact, as cuiva advanced from crawling to an unsteady walk, only jeska knew how often Nimisha totally ignored other pressing professional matters.

Lord rhidian was so beguiled by his firstborn that he continued his visits, even missing an important trophy hunt when cuiva first walked. Although Nimisha had not initially intended to take so much time away from the yard to supervise her body-heir's nurturing and development, she found time spent with her daughter a source of relaxation from a long day of programming. She was setting up what she knew would be a revolutionary ferntosecond control system for the yacht. That such a system also required a whole new generation of central processing units-as well as a staggering cost-meant little to her in her search for perfection.

When the mark 2 was completed, she did the test runs, her first major absence from her daughter since cuiva's birth. Rhidian was one of those permitted to come along "for the ride." jeska was another along with an "interested" observer from the fleet design department. That had been a compliment to lord tionel's good standing with the department, though Nimisha had the feeling that commander modesittin was present more as a goodwill representative. While he asked few but pertinent questions, he had evidently been sufficiently impressed; a more thorough investigation of the mark 2's performance resulted in sales of four of this prototype for scout vessels. Nimisha and jeska had found a way around the cost of the necessary c.p.us, so that the navy could also afford to buy the mark 2.

Several of the patents she had registered for improvements in minor control devices were also purchased in quantity and installed wherever they would update existing systems. It was obvious that the fleet was now as interested in her as a naval designer as they had been in lord tionel. She had several very complimentary interviews with admiral levertim gollanch, who had succeeded to admiral narasharim's position after the older woman's retirement.

There was no harm, Nimisha thought, in cooperating with the fleet.

She was amused to be invited to a formal dinner by admiral golanch shortly after the interviews.

"More likely to pick my brains than to entertain me," Nimisha remarked to jeska, who complained when she accepted the invitation.

When lady Rezalla heard about it, she considered such interest only right and just and wondered why it had taken them so long to realize that lady Nimisha was a fit successor to lord tionel.

"They had to be sure of that, my mother," Nimisha said. "They have, after all, continued to buy rondymense units. But I designed some of the systems that tionel never got around to making." "So you've informed me," was her dam's droll reply.

So Nimisha attended a very formal dinner at vega's fleet headquarters in the supreme admiral's quarters. She was the celebrity of the evening. The other guests, gaudily attired in formal uniforms, displaying medals for a variety of achievements, ranged from young to ancient, male and female, and were almost all naval. Two other civilians had been included and she knew both-naval architects, each good in his specialty. But, she reminded herself, not as good as she was.

Well, service to one's federation was part of the duty of a good family, but if she had to have a naval officer or other "observer" checking up on her, she would choose with care. After narrowing down the candidates to a short list and conducting a round of private investigations, she made an appointment to see admiral gollanch. She'd have lieutenant senior grade caleb rustin, she told the admiral, as her fleet spy.

Gollanch pretended astonishment. "Fleet spy?" "That is certainly what last week's dinner was all about, wasn't it?" Nimisha responded, sitting totally at her ease in his impressive office. The wood panelling was supposedly resurrected from the wreck of some ancient and honorable oceangoing vessel. The decor was certainly all naval, including the curious instruments by which ancient mariners had been able to deduce their location and make course corrections. "Let us be honest with each other, admiral." "You have the forthrightness of your dam." I do not. She'd never say anything so direct. My biological father might have." gollanch hid a smile behind his hand but his eyes twinkled. I feel that it is quite likely that we can deal with you as equably as we did with lord tionel." "His understanding was with your predecessor, admiral narasharim." I can only hope that ours-" he paused to make her a half bow. "-will be as productive." "Productive in what way? My sire never spoke of his arrangement with fleet. I knew that there was one, not what it entailed." "This office has watched your handling of his yard with interest and respect. I wish to be more fully briefed on your projects in case we may collaborate." "on my long-distance yacht?" she cocked her head a little to one side.

"The mark two vessels have performed well above the most optimistic criteria and yet you have a new design on the gantries." "There is always room for improvement, admiral." "If there is, this department is very interested. I do not intend to interfere in any way with a civilian installation.

"Then that isn't why rondymense is situated so conveniently at one edge of your main facility?" "Happenstance. The rondymense yard predates the fleet's veigan base by nearly a hundred years, you know." when she nodded because she did know, he went on. "It would please me personally, not as admiral in charge of fleet design, if you would duly consider recommendations and suggestions from my representative. Since young rustin is your choice, I shall put him on detached service to the rondymense ship yard." "He should get a promotion for accepting hazardous duty," she said with a smile. "And another one if our mutual efforts produce n, results." "Are you well acquainted with caleb rustin?" "Never met him before the other evening. But he has an impressive record---good engineering aptitude, cleverly displayed when he did that mid-space repair to the comcomplex a meteor sheared off the old aegean sea. What he jury-rigged that day had been translated into standard equipment to prevent any similar accidents. And he's obviously being monitored for further promotions.

At least in the design division." somewhat startled by her knowledge of the lieutenant's record, fie covered his surprise with a sly smile. "I'd've lost my bet then," he said.

Oh?" Nimisha raised both eyebrows in amusement, encouraging an explanation by curving her mouth in a delicate one-sided smile that fascinated the admiral. He was by no means immune to the charismatic charm of the young woman with such striking gentian-blue eyes.

"Yes," gollanch said, steepling his fingers and rhythmically bouncing his fingertips together, a reflective habit of his.

"Let me guess," Nimisha said, leaning forward and grinning as shrewdly as he had. "That marcusi captain." "How did you arrive at that conclusion?" gollanch did not yet care to admit how accurate her assessment was.

She leaned back. "He was doing his best-adroitly," she said, raising her hand not to denigrate the captain's performance. "He also seemed exceedingly well informed about my, present design plans." "Hmmm gollanch made a mental note to find out how the captain had been able to access that information. Not even the fleet had the right to invade a family's private enterprise without due invitation. I shall check into that."." "Don't bother. There's nothing I do not intend to share with the fleet when I have perfected what will improve your ships." she dismissed that problem with a flick of her hand. It was an unusually callused hand for a family scion, with a wide strong palm, deft fingers and trimmed nails, unlike the usual elegantly tapered fingers with artificial extensions almost as long again as the finger-a fad that impeded any use of humankind's greatest advantage over most animals. "How can you fault captain marcusl for wanting to succeed? He's really very good at it." "In that case." gollanch ended the subject with a shrug of his shoulders.

" Good, especially as I made my own"-her delightful grin enlivened fine features that tended, in repose, to be sober, if not aloof- "discreet inquiries, since it was obvious my operation is of interest to the fleet. So it is very good of you, really, to be so ... so ..." "accommodating?" gollanch suggested. On consideration, rustin was a very good choice, a better match for this woman than captain marcusi, who had great ambitions for himself-in which he would probably succeed, bar a bad command decision.

Rustin was far more interested in achieving the best results from a project than in making certain everyone knew he had had a hand in it.

The lad had good ideas and, as the lady Nimisha had noted, excellent engineering credentials. Then, without trying to appear rushed, though the admiral had a full day's appointments-a few of them not as pleasant as this one-he smiled at her. "How soon can I send lieutenant commander rustin to rondymense ship yard?" Nimisha rose. "He's waiting at my skimmer. I promised him a tour of the yard at dinner the other night. As soon as I could arrange it." she reached her hand across the table and gollanch shook it with both of his, noticing the workmanlike strength of her grasp. Again that almost gamine grin and the twinkle of her gentian-blue eyes. "He was the only one who didn't hint.

He also was the first to ask me to dance and converse on suitable subjects." "Ah! I will recommend such tactics should similar strategy be needed." "You are a dear, admiral," she said, releasing her hand and making her way to the door. There she stopped, considered momentarily and then gracefully looked back over her shoulder at him. "Lieutenant commander rustin may never know all I have in mind as design features, but he will be privy to what would improve the performance of the vegan fleet vessels." at such an outrageous remark, gollanch let out a roar of laughter that brought the officer at the worktop in the anteroom to his feet in surprise. "Such condescension is more than we hoped for, lady Nimisha Boynton-Rondymense." "Certainly it's more than you deserve," was her parting shot.

it took lady Nimisha some twenty minutes to reach her skimmer, where caleb rustin was standing, looking bewildered. The long planes of his face were slightly oriental, often giving him a vexingly unreadable expression. He was regarding his wrist com as if it had extruded fangs and bitten him. When he heard her steps she was wearing her usual work apparel, including calf-high boots with reinforced toes and soles-he smiled a little hesitantly. His bemusement was still apparent in his light gray eyes, a contrast to the sallow skin and thick black hair. He swallowed.

"Admiral gollanch's office has just contacted me, lady Nimisha ," he said. And blinked. "I've received a promotion, and I'm not due one yet." "Ah, but you certainly couldn't be the naval attache at rondymense ship yard as a mere senior lieutenant," she replied.

"I'm the naval attache" there was little inscrutability left in the genuine delight and amazement of his expression.

"Yes, you'll suit me ever so much better than that pushy captain marcusi." "Mar-" caleb tilted his head and let out a roar similar to the admiral's, though she did not mention the similarity. She noticed the discreet design of his body-heir tattoo, not common in the navy; she supposed his family had been awarded prize money, possibly in the last pirate attacks. First families had started the convention of tattooing several hundred years before to prevent the kidnapping of heirs.

"What occasions such mirth?" she asked.

"Because marcusi fancies himself as adroit, devious, and charismatic." "He is. Those tactics are useful for a line officer on the fast track to command, but they don't work quite so well on family." "May we speak candidly, lady?" he asked, his expression serious. When she nodded, he went on. "Why me? There were many candidates for you to choose from, some who've had commands and more experience." "You ..." she said, pointing her finger at him, "asked me to dance."

Caleb let a small smile pull at his lips while his eyes met hers with equal candor. "That was only because I didn't know what else to do to get you away from the others." "Ah, but you conversed with me, too." "What else does one do when one dances?" he seemed surprised.

She chuckled. The ingenuous reply did him no harm at all. A man who had the right priorities, training, and certainly some breeding though his tattoo was neither complex nor colorful. She gestured toward her skimmer, indicating they could now leave.

"How does a body-heir become a fleet officer?" she asked.

"When that body-heir's sire is also a fleet officer," he replied.

As they rounded the little spacecraft, the guard came to immediate attention. He wore the gray and silver of Nimisha's yard livery. Now he gave a smart salute to the freshly promoted commander, as if he somehow knew rustin was no longer a mere lieutenant.

"Worrick, this is lieutenant commander caleb rustin, who has recently been appointed naval attache to our yard. He is to be treated with all due courtesies, naval and yard. Secure the hatch for takeoff. We'll just go forward and inform control of our imminent departure. Thank you." as she gave the new attache the promised guided tour of the rondymense facility, she also put him through some general paces, including a short eva. There did happen to be a suit that could have been measured for him, since the eva ready room was equipped with quite a range of sizes in spaceworthy gear.

"put your name on that one when we come back in," she said when they had returned from the inspection of the fiver. At the moment the ship was a skeleton of petralloy rings, tapering to the bow and blunt at the stern: her latest attempt to design the perfect long-distance spacecraft. He seemed totally at ease, automatically clipping on to safety rings with his suit harness and unclipping as they pushed about the skeleton.

His chuckle came over the helmet com. "This fits me better than my navy issue ever did." "You should investigate the other prerequisites that come with an attachs position while you're at it." "Ah, now I wouldn't have thought of that." "Speak sharply to admin," she said. "You'll require specialty pay and an extra uniform allowance." "Should I ask how you know what perks are available to an attache" "I looked them up." she hadn't anticipated a sly sense of humor from him, but it did him no harm. "But you have to sign the authorization." "True.

She activated the airlock controls, and as the lock rolled back, they reentered the yard proper. That was the beginning of their stimulating and inclusive association.

Caleb lent his knowledge and naval expertise to Nimisha's often intuitive ideas. He came to appreciate jeska's precision and practicality. Indeed, he encouraged them to include some of the more radical changes, reveling in their grasp of efficient spaceship design. It was a change for him to work with minds that were not hedged in by bureaucratic shibboleths and antiquated thinking, not to mention fleet budgetary restrictions. Nimisha had the resources to build a squadron of her versatile long-distance yachts if it so pleased her, and jeska kept her to what was possible, effortlessly taking over most of the less spectacular management duties.

It was inevitable that Nimisha and caleb enjoyed some intimacies , the result of long hours of intense, cerebral work that had ended in rather special, to him, interludes. He knew she hadn't taken these incidents seriously: no doubt she dismissed them as the needs of the moment, enjoyed them for that moment, and then forgot them in the face of more pressing concerns as she returned to her overriding desire to perfect an intergalactic spaceship. He had schooled himself to do so as well, fascinated more by her personality and her dedication to design improvement than by her beauty-not that he ever became accustomed to having such a beauty as a companion. With selective breeding and gene control now four centuries in use, no one in her stratum of society could ever be considered ugly; some were simply more beautiful than others. Indeed, beauty was hardly limited to her class, since antenatal gene repair and intelligent nutrition produced handsome folk in every walk of life. Lately, elements of bizarre styles of "beauty" had been introduced, not in the major families, of course, who were more conservative, but in those lesser families who delighted to shock. Some of the variants had been spectacular-but artificial in ways that did not quite come off as something the owner would be likely to bequeath to his or her successor.

Lady Rezalla actually approved of it. Commander rustin, despite his rather modest body-heir tattoo, especially after she discovered from admiral gollanch that he was due for further promotions in his position as attache. She could consider a possible admiral appropriate for any long-term association her daughter might make.

When not even a "friendly contract" ensued after several week long absences with rustin, Rezalla was almost disappointed.

Nimisha did know what was due her family. And to her daughter.

Obviously, Nimisha's passion for naval design far outweighed the need for any legal companionship. The best of all possible worlds, lady Rezalla thought, for she had long practiced the art of "to have and have not" as far as males were concerned. At least, if Nimisha insisted on such an unusual career, she had chosen one of the most prestigious.

Commander rustin was an acceptable escort, so lady Rezalla included him on her special guest list, an honor on which he never presumed.

The mark 3 was built, tested, and put into production over the next three years but, after many severe tests, the perfection Nimisha wanted of it had still not been attained. Candidly caleb rustin agreed with her. Jeska, who spent more and more of her time in her managerial capacity, still attended their design room sessions and felt that the mark 3, sleek and compact, could become claustrophobic for the light-year distances it was intended to traverse.

"Why not go back to the ellipsoid shape and keep it pure in that shape?" she suggested. "There's really no need, especially if you plan to have this a surface lander, to have all the bulges and bumps to contain the necessary storage spaces. We've gone a little too far in the opposite direction. Simplicity, especially with the ferntosecond al's now available, might be the way to go." and so Nimisha called up the shape, dragging in the basic units from other successful designs.

Caleb added a new water-purification system that the fleet had been perfecting, as well as a top-quality catering system, designed to convert pure protein and complex carbohydrate substances into food that not only tasted exactly as the diner wished but provided the necessary nutrients for the maximum efficiency of the human body. Repair units had to operate autonomously should the ship be damaged in any one of the hundreds of scenarios that had to be programmed into the memory banks from those the fleet generously opened for the project.

Civilians-like lord rhidian, who bought the test mark 3 from her and effusively praised it-found it more than comfortable and certainly fast enough to meet their requirements. The rondymense Yard expanded and jeska became executive director, freeing Nimisha to pursue the elusive ideal with caleb. The fleet was attempting to come up with a more economical version, which she and caleb privately referred to as the faulty four, while she refined the satisfactory units of the mark 3 and started from the beginning to conceive further innovations that would make the mark 5 nearer to her ideal. She and caleb spent hours in the design room, dragging and drawing, redesigning, reorganizing components, until the day they asked the all-important questions: would the performance of this design equal Nimisha's optimum? How much would it cost to build? And how long would it take to complete?

"A projection of its performance capability is twelve percent higher than the mark four" the designer replied. "It would take no longer to build than the four, since much of the same basic design has been refined and can now be utilized. Based on current prices for top-grade materials." have I ever economized on them yet, designer?" the cost would take precisely sixty-two percent of the credit currently on deposit." caleb whistled.

"I'd've expected a higher cost, considering the complexity of the AI units you've specified and the other refinements on our mark four designs," jeska said, knowing how much Nimisha depended on her opinions. "But I have new contracts just in that will recoup thirty-one percent of that credit within the next two years.

Plus the usual maintenance contracts that come in regularly-and I suspect the zynker-deltoid shippers intend to accept our tender for their fleet additions. In short, it's doable," she finished, "without you having to invest much of your own money." "That's a lot better than I thought," Nimisha said, surprised.

"And lady Rezalla will be pleased that I don't have to touch my capital."

"So, do we build?" caleb asked, aware he'd been holding his breath.

"We sure do," Nimisha said. "Designer, let's have one more look at those main ai circuits. They have to be in the most shielded part of the hull."

meanwhile, cuiva grew from a toddler to a graceful young girl who obediently did ballet training with her grandmother and was every bit as handy with a soldering tool or construction fastener as her mother had been at the same age.

"How many generations -is that wretched yard going to consume ?" lady Rezalla demanded when she found cuiva about to set off in the space skimmer when she had planned to take the girl to a new anti-grav ballet that had been sold out for weeks. She had had trouble enough obtaining tickets and was exasperated to find her treat preempted. Cuiva might be content enough to keep her grandam company when her mother was busy, but Nimisha had first call on the child's loyalties.

"Tionel's family had it for nine generations, so cuiva's only the second for us," Nimisha said.

"Which would you-" lady Rezalla began, bending down to the child.

"Mother!" Nimisha interrupted, so abruptly that lady Rezalla stared at her body-heir in amazement. Nimisha forced a smile as she dropped into old terran language that cuiva ought not yet understand. "Let us not descend to competition for her preference.

I apologize if I neglected to inform you that I was taking her with me today and for your disappointment. Perhaps you can exchange the tickets." lady Rezalla confined her response to a curt nod and, pivoting on one heel, walked stiffly to where her driver awaited her at her skimmer's door.

Nimisha never told her dam that today she, caleb, and jeska were taking cuiva on her first space walk. Nimisha had had a special suit constructed, and cuiva was going to be able to go over the exterior of the now petralloy-clad nlark 5. Nimisha had promised the child that treat for her scholastic achievements. Cuiva was a better mathematician than Nimisha. leska. or caleb. She was therefore also a better programmer. Nimisha wondered how long she would have to wait until cuiva was old enough to work on the artificial intelligence programs that would manage the elusive ideal she was herself chasing.

The four of them had a marvellous time and cuiva showed no problem at all with inner ear dysfunction in the vacuum of space.

She obeyed every order explicitly and the naval eva trainer who attended the sessions remarked that some of his novices did not show as much confidence as the child did.

"we must see that she doesn't become overconfident," Nimisha said.

"Oh, next tine she's lip, we'll give her a little problem to solve," caleb suggested. "Nothing to frighten her, nimi, but certainly something to remind her of the dangers inherent in an eva." "Cuiva's sensible," Nimisha said firmly.

"Of course she is," caleb agreed, wondering if perhaps he had been out of line. But he was as fond of cuiva as if she'd been his own offspring, and she, in turn, was certainly at ease in his company. "She's your body-heir, and lord rhidian is a fine hunter but not a chance-taker like lord vestrin is." lord tionel's body-heir had had a shattering accident in a hunt ffjei stampede. Body sculpting would be needed, and even with the recent strides in the replication of body organs and bone replacements he would not be active for a while. Meanwhile he lived in seclusion with his dam, lady vescuya, who attempted to amuse him during the process of revision.

"By the way, nimi," caleb said, as much to change the subject as to seize an opportunity to remind Nimisha that she'd promised to think the matter over, "have you decided on rejuv?" Nimisha glanced at him out of the corner of her eye so that he could not see her expression. "Rejuv would not have saved vestrin when he insisted on being a carpet for a whole herd of altairian antelopes," she remarked. "But I've made the appointment.

One reason why I've spent the day with cuiva." then she gave an exaggerated sigh. "All these delays in getting what I want make me think in the long-term." caleb laughed. I don't think it's going to take that long for you to get the long-journey yacht you're aiming for. Design's estimate is proving accurate from the work-reviews jeska keeps filing." he paused and then grinned roguishly. "Of course, I did rejuv long ago." "You never told me." "Admiral gollanch required it. That's where I spent my last leave." "What? You weren't dancing and dallying with tropical beauties as I so fondly thought?" caleb appeared to think. "Well, there was one..

Cuiva approached them just then, waiting like the well-bred youngster she was until there was a pause in adult conversation.

"Yes, cuiva?" he said, seizing her presence to leave the fuller answer dangling.

"Is ballet fun, mother?" cuiva asked.

"Ah, I see your grandmother will keep you from missing me," Nimisha said, giving her daughter a hug and a kiss.

"And," cuiva went on, clinging shyly to caleb's hand, "would it be possible for you to take belac and me out together, too?" "If lady Rezalla permits." Nimisha knew how well cuiva and caleb's son got on despite a three-year age difference. She also was aware that one of the reasons caleb liked his present assignment was the extra time it allowed him to spend with belac. "I'll make sure of that," she said.

Nimisha went for the week long rejuv procedure of which lady Rezalla approved. She'd been trying to get Nimisha to take it, if only to protect cuiva. The ballet was but one of the many activities she had planned, but it was the one that cuiva enjoyed the most.

The child was delightfully appreciative and talked quite excitedly about the various scenes she had particularly enjoyed. All that week she applied herself to her morning exercises and even reviewed vids from her grandam's extensive ballet library. But the moment Nimisha returned, she was once again the center of the child's universe. Cuiva greeted her mother as ecstatically as if she'd been gone far longer. And lady Rezalla sighed with regret. It wasn't as if the little girl hadn't been given all sorts of toys to play with from the very feminine to the same scaled-down toolkit her grandsire had given Nimisha. Nor had Nimisha influenced the child in any obvious way, except by her own example of dedication to her chosen profession.

Therefore, lady Rezalla was more pleased than concerned when Nimisha said she was going to solo her new mark 5 prototype for an extended test run. Her absence meant cuiva, now a charming eleven-year-old, would be available to her grandam for the duration of the six weeks' trial run. All three were satisfied with that arrangement.

it was a great day for the rondymense ship yard when the mark 5 prototype was freed from the last gantry umbilical and moored at the naval base station. While the fiver looked small in the company of the battle cruisers, even destroyers, she had the sleekness of a stellar racer combined with the toughness of a military craft.

"Dangerous," lady Rezalla said, with a delicate shudder. "Why can't spacecraft be ... pretty ... like oceangoing yachts?"

"She is," chorused Nimisha, caleb, and cuiva, who was considered old enough to take part in the celebration.

Cuiva never told her grandam just how well she knew the fiver, inside and out. She did have to try very hard not to hang on to her mother, but she maneuvered to stay close behind Nimisha as the designer did the rounds of the invited guests and accepted official, and personal, congratulations on her achievement.

"Let's not be too optimistic," Nimisha said, dismissing the more ardent comments. "I'll be more sanguine when I've seen the results of the shakedown cruise." the naval contingent nodded sagely at that remark. Caleb tried hard not to look smug, because he had no doubts himself that the fiver would pass with flying colors. Then it came time for Nimisha to say farewell to her dam, to jeska who would capably deal with problems during her absence, and to her beloved cuiva.

Despite the number of people surrounding them, Nimisha raised her bodyheir into her arms, hugged her tightly, and kissed her six times before giving her into lady Rezalla's keeping. She waved to them all until the hatch of the fiver closed.

A week later, Nimisha brought the fiver out of warp space at precisely the coordinates she had designated in the delta quadrant.

She was pleased but not surprised. If she'd been a degree, off, she would have been upset.