"Hello Penelope." was all Shoanna could muster at the sight of the massive purple and white Type 10-Defender looming before her. She was so stunned she couldn't think. The fact that this was her ship just baffled her mind.

She walked around and underneath just taking in the shear size of the warship. "Now I don't even think I want to know where all of these credits came from." she said to herself.

Inside the behemoth she was just as lost physically as she was mentally. Shoanna couldn't even imagine what she would find inside. Walking through the maze of storage compartments and modules she stumbled into the cargo hold. It looked full, crates packed neatly up against each other. "No labels. I wonder what's inside all of these." she said absently.

Slowly, she finally found herself at the cockpit door. Placing her hand on the bio scanner "beepbeep boop" the door slid quietly open.

Carefully, so as not to step of the edge, she walked up to the pilot's chair. Placing her hand on the throttle to keep her balance she looked all around out through the canopy. "Dear Gods this thing is big." she said in wonder. "How am I even going to fly this thing out of the dock? I'm surprised it even fit in the first place!"

"What am I doing? I've never done anything like this before." She said a bit shakily as she sat down in the seat. Looking at all of the buttons, gizmos and a blank holo-pad, she placed her hands on the controls. Immediately the cockpit started coming to life. Buttons started flashing all around her. Beeps and clicks could be heard in distant hidden places. Fans started whirring inside panels behind her. Then smack in front of her the holo-pad flashed on and Penelope spoke.

"Hello Shoanna Dane Pearl. Welcome home."

"Home? Please, call me Shoanna." She asked not quite understanding.

"Yes. I am your new home." Penelope said simply. "Your uncle can explain better than I. Place the data disk into the slot on the outside of the throttle."

Finding the slot she slid the disk in. An old mans head popped up on the holo-pad in front of her.

"Hello Shoanna. My name is Dane Charles Whitmore III. I'm your great uncle. I'm sure you don't know much about me if anything at all. But that's neither here nor there. I'm your father Drew's uncle. In fact I introduced your father's to each other. Your dad Ben was apprenticing under me. Bright man your dad. He was very attentive to my lessons. One day Drew wanted to go with me on one of my forays into the black. It was a short eight week trip to the Formadine Rift. I had a small ship back then. Just enough space for the important stuff. We slept in hammocks in the cargo hold. There was a lot that we couldn't map, the gap was too big and we would have run out of supplies by the time we found a way across. Anyway, your dad's fell in love on that trip. Every chance they got they would go out onto the hull and hunt for Sol. That was a beautiful thing those two. Ahh but I digress. I have left you Penelope for the simplest of reasons. You are a dreamer. I love you and your fathers, Gods bless their souls. I am giving you an opportunity to live your dream. To go and be amidst the stars that you wish to explore. And so to help you with that I have registered you and Penelope in the Pegasus Run expedition. It launches September 28, 3305. Don't be late. One of the best parts is before the jump! Always know that I love you more than you can ever imagine. Take care Shoanna. May the Gods meet us amongst the stars."

The image winked out as Shoanna sat there, tears running unchecked down her cheeks.

September 26, 3305

Shoanna arrived by public courier at Hilmers Gateway She had heard whispers in Ceos of this place. Outlandish tales of thousands of bounty hunters, heartless pirates and greedy, angry miners.

She even hear tales of someone jumping a SRV from one planet to another without a ship. Preposterous she thought. Tales do get taller the further from the bubble you get.

She had received an encoded message from an attorney to come to this station ASAP to receive a package. There was even a credit chip enclosed to cover the fare.

Curious she thought. Why would I have a package all the way out in 59 Virginis? I don't have family there or anywhere else for that matter.

She didn't really think more of it during the grueling flight onboard this tiny Sidewinder. This was here chance to get out of Ceos, her chance to explore.

That has been her dream since she was a little girl. Explore the galaxy, find what no one else has found. To see a sunrise on an undiscovered world around an unknown star. To be the first person to walk on a brand new inhabitable planet.

As she stepped off the landing pad in the docking bay she was greeted by a tall thin woman. "Shoanna Pearl?" she asked. "I'm Deera Swanson. I represent the law firm Dewy, Phukyu & Howe. Please come with me."

"I'm guessing this has to do with this mystery package?" Shoanna said. "Why wasn't it sent to Ceos?"

"I'm not at liberty to say at this time. This way." she said.

Grumbling under her breath she followed. Deeper they went into the station. Beyond the shops and cafes, the parks and rest areas. She saw husbands walking hand in hand. Wife's enjoying each others company. Children playing along the corridor. Into the business district she followed.

Finally they arrived at the Firm of Dewy, Phukyu & Howe and she felt uneasy at the sight of the lavish decoration. She was escorted up to the 5th floor to the conference room. She had never seen anything so grand. The amount of credits it cost just to furnish the room was mind boggling. "What a waste of credits." She thought to herself.

At the far end of the ridiculously long wooden table sat a portly man with sandy blonde hair that was severely balding, a bulbous now and a ruddy complexion. He was wearing lavish robes that looked absolutely gaudy on him. "Miss Pearl. Please do come in and have a seat. I am Sir Alfred Rentoc, the overseer of the estate. Please scan your thumb before we go any farther."

"Estate? What estate?" she said as she pressed her thumb against the lighted pad on the table. "Shoanna Dane Pearl bio metric scan confirmed." the table stated

"Your great uncle's estate of course." he said.

"My great uncle? I don't have any great uncles that I know of. Neither of my dad's mentioned anything about them having an uncle." she said perplexed.

"According to our estate records, he was the uncle of your father Drew Morgan. Dane Charles Whitmore III." he said.

"I do vaguely remember my dads talking about a person named Dane but they were always hushed tones." she said remembering her childhood.

"Yes, well, you are the only lineage spoken of I'm afraid. Now as the estate is writ I hereby declare the you, Shanna Dane Pearl, are the soul receivership of the estate of one Dane Charles Whitmore III. Effective immediately upon death all property, private accounts and Penelope are to be transferred in whole for the amount of 342,823,671 credits. Shoanna Dane Pearl, on behalf of the firm Dewy, Phukyu & Howe, do you accept in whole, ownership of said estate?" said Sir Rentoc in a stately manner.

She stared blankly at Rentoc and slowly bobbed her head up and down. "I need an audible response along with your thumb miss Pearl." he stated flatly.

She blinked quickly as if snapping out of a trance and placed her thumb on the lighted pad again. "Y-yes I accept."

"Estate ownership transfer complete." said the table.

"Congratulations miss Pearl. Madame Swanson will escort you to you property." he said dryly.

"This way Miss."said Deera waiting by the door.

As she was shuffled out of the conference room she couldn't even imagine what property could be worth so much.

Shoanna and Deera arrived at deep storage hangar #312. As Deera handed Shoanna a box with a bio metric scanner on it she says "She's all yours." Then turning she walks away.

Dumbfounded Shoanna asks "Who's all mine?"

Deera says "Why Penelope of course." and walks around the corner.

"Penelope? Who is Penelope?" she thought as she placed her hand on the box. "Owner recognized." as the box pops open. Inside is a data disk. Completely at a loss for thought she turns and opens the door to the hanger. As the hangar lights flick on a pair at a time down the spine of the ship her eyes fill with tears.

"Hello Penelope." As she stare in wonder.