The Second Book of the Alienbutt Saga. The Rise of Mr Fluffy. Part 13.

Alienbutt sat in his room. The news he had obtained from Stoney of a way home had raised his hopes, but the old man had refused to take him. There was also the fact it was a twenty year journey; by the time he got back the war would be over. He was stuck here or doomed to arrive back far too late. The trader would be leaving the frog planet later that day and had offered to take Alienbutt with him to start a new life as a trader. Knowing that the frog people didn’t really want him here, he had accepted. He stood struggling to fasten his belt one-handed when Isme walked in. Without a word she walked over and fastened the buckle.
“How will you ever manage when you can’t even fasten your own belt?” she asked, turning around and picking up the handguns from the bed to pass to him.
“I’ll have to learn, Princess,” he said with a smile.
“I’ve been thinking about what Stoney has said about your way home,” she said with a shy smile. “The two of you have overlooked something.”
Alienbutt looked at her blankly. “And what would that be, my Princess?”
“Neither our people nor Stoney has a ship that can travel at this light speed your ships do. You have two damaged ships that, once repaired, can travel that fast.”
Alienbutt stood without moving as her words sank in and then he grinned. “And Frank and Kirk had almost repaired Wickede’s ship while we waited to leave.”
“You should go talk again to Stoney and offer a trade. I’m sure even a damaged light speed drive could get you a map to this temple you seek.”
“And the weaponry on that Federation ship will be enough to kick open the doors when I get there,” Alienbutt added with a smile.

Stoney sat and looked at Alienbutt as he finished making his offer. The possibility of a light speed drive was one worth thinking about, he decided. Still, he was a trader and needed to haggle to get the best deal.
“The trouble with your offer is no one here knows how to fix the drive or even what is wrong with it.”
“But Frank left his workshop intact; industrial replicators, spare parts and a diagnostic computer to tell us what to do. He said the jump had burnt out all the C.P. relays and master control switch,” Alienbutt pressed excitedly.
“There is still a little problem, Alienbutt,” Stoney said, and looked pointedly at Alienbutt’s missing hand. “How much can a one-handed warrior do?”
Alienbutt smiled. “I’ve been thinking about that too, and I’m going to ask my dad to give me a hand with that particular problem.”

To be continued.
All images are mine.