Observers Log 2018F: I was assigned to observe an individual. Usually only groups were assigned observers, but his youthful actions marked him.
One company's analysis of the Union of Aligned Planets indicated a civil war within a decade or two. Abernathy was a wily old fox. He built his business using marginally illegal means until he was the third biggest in the UAP. Number one was always watched intensely, and number two also got plenty of attention. Number three, only occasionally. Then he built a super scout ship that was easily upgradeable.
Years before he'd made sure that the military liaison was favorable to his views, and didn't talk about his secrets. Just like in a millennium old entertainment program, he put his liaison in a position where he was in control.
Procuring a few of the best pilots and crews for his experimental ships was fairly easy. When he acquired Filmore and Torrex, he almost lost his control. They found a few of his secrets. Fire and Ice tread the line between honesty, and that of a buccaneer. They enjoyed the marginally legal advantages he offered, but most of all the adventure.