As the chapter began with a rambling, tangential narration about the solar system, so it must end with one.
This also gives me the opportunity to visit one final indignity on poor Uranin, and also keep all of my defeated space tyrants in one, convenient spot. Which also allows for a heart-to-heart between henchmen, who learn that the grass on the other side of the hill only looks greener – working for any one of those guys is pretty much the same as working for any of the others.
And yeah, the Cluster Destroyer suffered from a seized piston. Of course it’s a…uh…ionic field stabilized anti-matter piston. It’s a well-known problem with those Klimov VK-9010 faster-than-light engines. Especially since Uranin always uses the cheapest fuel and the no-name motor oil. Serves him right.
More on Thursday.