for Tripoint, Tom returns voluntarily to the ship and is no longer treated as a prisoner. He learns the ship's secret: they are illegally trading with the renegade Fleet. Austin justifies this by maintaining that supplying the Fleet means it won't have to raid merchanter ships. Sprite arrives at Pell Station shortly after Corinthian's departure and takes off again in pursuit. During Corinthian's jump to Tripoint, Capella is aware of Sprite and a Mazianni spotter following and performs a premature system-drop near an abandoned freighter, causing the other ships to overshoot. Corinthian immediately starts frantically offloading to the freighter, a Fleet drop-point. As the spotter and Sprite approach, Tom and Christian activate the freighter's weapons and destroy the spotter. Tom tells his mother he is staying with Corinthian because he is more at home on his father's ship than his mother's. Marie, having taken the captaincy of Sprite from her weak brother, does not expose Corinthian's illegal trade because of Tom and because Corinthian outguns Sprite. Austin realizes too many people know about his connection with the Fleet and decides to leave Alliance-Union space for good. As amends for the past, Austin offers Marie the access codes to the hulk at Tripoint and the opportunity to take over Corinthian'''s profitable trade, but she declines and the ships part company. During Corinthian's next jump, Capella tells Tom about a new drop-point she discovered that leads to a habitable planet with forests. The Mazianni are building a new secret colony there and Corinthian is now part of that future. Main characters Merchanter ship Sprite Thomas Bowe-Hawkins – junior computer technician Marie Hawkins – cargo chief, Thomas' mother Mischa Hawkins – captain, Marie's brother Merchanter ship Corinthian Christian Bowe-Perrault – officer, Thomas' half-brother Austin Bowe – captain, Thomas and Christian's father Beatrice Perrault – pilot, Christian's mother Sabrina Perrault-Cadiz – officer, Christian's cousin Capella – second chief navigator on loan to Corinthian from the Fleet See also Alliance-Union universe Jump (Alliance-Union universe) References Cherryh, C. J. Tripoint, Warner Aspect, 1994. External links C. J. Cherryh's home page. Alliance/Union Chronology''. . American science fiction novels 1994 American novels 1994 science fiction novels Science fiction novels by C. J. Cherryh Military science fiction novels Alliance–Union universe Novels set in the future Warner Books books