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Some systems legally defined that requirement but for the most part it was a convention followed out of common sense and safety. The chance of running into something was just too high within a system and colliding with another object while traveling above the speed of light produced spectacularly destructive results. You could travel at plus-c within a system, but doing so was a big risk. To actually plus-c knowingly into the middle of ongoing combat was just plain crazy.

"Very risky." Stryler understated.

"Yeah, but often it's well worth the chance. No one ever expects it for some reason. Anything else you want to know?"

"How much does this gig pay?" Stryler grinned.

Loramy laughed, but the deepening darkness in his eyes betrayed that his patience was wearing thin. "For now you get to keep your life. How's that sound?"

Stryler shrugged. "About what I expected." He turned and Doran walked ahead of him, leading him out of the room with his rifle now held in a more relaxed posture.

Doran led the way to the ship's locker room where Stryler watched him remove his armor, helmet first, before stowing it. The crewman was young, barely more than a teenager as far as Stryler could tell, and his face still had a certain innocence to it that didn't quite fit with his chosen lifestyle. If Stryler had first met him without the concealing helmet he would have had difficulty taking him seriously.

Doran straightened out his kahki jumpsuit and looked over towards Stryler. "Come on then, lets find you a spare locker." He smiled openly.

Stryler shrugged and followed him as they looked along the three rows of lockers until they found one that had no name on the small glowing display on the door.

"Here we go. Program it and then we'll get over to the armory."

Stryler nodded and pulled out his handlink, which connected wirelessly to the small computer system that ran the lockers. His name and other details were uploaded and he entered the number of the locker. The display on the locker immediately changed from orange to green and now read his name. He held up his hand in front of the small scanner port on the locker and his handprint was recorded, becoming the key.

He turned back towards Doran. "Ok, done."

Doran nodded. "You don't look too happy. Sorry about your ship."

They began walking out into the hallway. "Oh well. I've had better days."

Doran laughed. "I bet. Don't worry. Loramy is... interesting at times, but he's a brilliant captain. We do pretty well here. Stick with us and you'll probably make enough to buy a new ship in no time, if that's what you want to do."

"I'm not sure Loramy is entirely sane."

More laughter. "Who is, in this business? But yeah, he's a little... um... eccentric."

They climbed a ladderway one after the other and along the dimly lit metal corridor came to a door which opened to Doran's handscan. "Here we go." He walked over to a rack of rifles against one wall, replacing the one which he still carried. Moving across, he took a holstered pistol and wrapped it around his waist, adjusting the belt.