The Princess & The Privateer

by Peter Rhodan

  “Roger that. Andreas put us alongside. Lothar, pick off any external weapon mounts as we close.”

  “Aye, sir. Lothar gets to fly a desk next op.” Andreas complained in aggrieved tones.

  Karvon smiled and waved a hand while shrugging, neither agreeing nor denying the request.

  On the screen, the pirate ship grew larger as the Kormorant approached.

  “Lothar, Krevis, Corinne, Juxton…” Karvon paused and looked at Gizel “and Gizel, load up.”

  So saying, he led the way from the bridge. Corinne looked a bit surprised and glanced at Gizel, but she shook her head without saying anything and followed the others. Gizel found herself bringing up the rear, not sure what was going on.

  Karvon led them to the armory and all six began outfitting in their power armor suits. Corinne was the lightest armed, carrying only a pistol in a belt holster. As the crew’s medical officer, she was outfitted with medical supplies and a variety of equipment allowing her to address most injuries likely in combat aboard a ship. The sight of her pistol surprised Gizel as Corinne had made it plain she would not participate in combat operations anymore. Not in the role of a combat soldier at any rate. Seeing the query in Gizel’s gaze she shrugged.

  “Never said I was not prepared to defend myself,” she half muttered, obviously defensive about her refusal to engage in active combat.

  Once they were all suited up, Karvon led them to a different shuttle bay than the one used to transport them to the moon for Gizel’s training. She had not been to this part of the ship before and assumed it would be much the same as the first one. Which it was, except for the size of the hulking shuttle squatting in the center of the bay, filling it almost completely. Lothar noticed her look of admiration and nodded at it, clearly proud of the huge beast.

  “Iskander Marine Assault Shuttle Mark thirty-four. Beautiful isn’t she!” he said enthusiastically.

  The ugly-looking beast barely fitted inside the shuttle chamber and there were marks on the walls where parts of the shuttle had scraped the paintwork. Gizel looked from the obviously keen Lothar to Karvon and raised an eyebrow in question, although the fact they had such a serious military shuttle should not have astonished her, she realized.

  Karvon smiled back at her.

  “It was damaged in a training accident and written off. Lothar and I rebuilt her. Took us nearly a year all told.”

  He was clearly rather proud of their achievement if not as in love with the shuttle as much as Lothar appeared to be. They trooped aboard and the others strapped themselves into the hard-looking acceleration seats lining the inside walls, Karvon came over and made sure Gizel was seated properly by checking her restraints himself.

  “I don’t expect too much opposition, at least not before we board but you can never be too careful,” he commented checking the buckles a second time.

  He and Krevis then went forward to the flight deck and silence reigned for a few minutes. Gizel was beginning to wonder what was happening when suddenly the shuttle began vibrating violently and the high pitched whine of grav field motors became audible. She sensed more than felt when the shuttle rose and carefully exited the presumably now open hatch that ran along the side of the bay. From her position inside the blank, metal-walled troop bay in the center of the shuttle, she could not see what was happening.

  After a few seconds of maneuvering, Karvon broke the silence.

  “Approaching their main hatch now. Lothar and Juxton board first. Krevis and Gizel follow. Arm up now.”

  The others started unbuckling and moving to collect assault rifles which Gizel now noticed were secured in the bulkhead over the seats above head height. Somehow she had missed that fact when she first boarded the shuttle. Gizel took the one above her seat down and checked the charge. It read full, so after making sure the safety was on she tucked it under her arm pointing it down to the floor, and moved towards the standard hatch in the side where the others were already assembled. The shuttle also had four broad rapid deployment hatches for when carrying out a full-on assault.

  “Blowing their hatch open,” Karvon announced and the ship shook slightly as its weapons were fired. “Hatch open to space. Stand by. Watch for jagged edges.”

  The shuttle rocked and then there came a massive clunk, more felt than heard and the vibrations stopped. “Safeties off,” Lothar ordered.

  Gizel lifted her rifle and clicked the safety off, being careful to keep her weapon pointed away from her shipmates. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach build as doing this really hammered home the fact that she was about to board a real live pirate ship full of armed and dangerous people who would be intent on killing her.

  “Juxton on me. The rest of you hold.” Lothar ordered.

  Gizel saw Juxton take a ready stance with his rifle pointed forward. She gulped as Lothar hit a button on the side of the hatch, which surprised her by clanging down and outwards, forming a sort of bridge to the other ship. The two armored figures at the front stormed across the lowered door then had to jump down slightly into the other ship. The hatch belonging to the other ship had been smashed, a large piece was simply missing completely and the rest of the hatch, painted in a yellow and black striped warning pattern, hung back into the enemy ship in tatters.

  Gizel watched them edge forward into the shuttle bay revealed by the blown-in doors. There was a rough-looking shuttle, now adorned with bits of the former hatch, and they carefully moved around the ends to be sure there was no one there. She was so engrossed in their movements she was startled by Karvon pushing past her.

  “Krevis, Gizel on me,” he commanded and headed over the makeshift boarding ramp.

  Krevis followed immediately while Gizel found herself rooted to the spot. She shook herself mentally and followed. She would be serving in the Imperial Navy herself next year, albeit at the Academy. Once she had graduated this was the sort of mission that she would be doing and she would be expected to act as an officer and a leader. Not that she was likely to be delegated to this sort of risky action herself, given her Imperial rank. More likely she would spend her time like her brother, aboard large capital ships and thus kept firmly out of harm’s way. At least while there was no major war on.

  Her thoughts had distracted her, she discovered, as she was already crossing into the enemy ship before she realized what she was doing. Krevis disappeared inside the shuttle at a hand signal from Karvon while Juxton and Lothar took station at the two hatches that led forward and rearward from the bay they were in.

  Gizel took up a position on Karvon’s elbow while Krevis finished his search. As he exited from his search of the shuttle area Gizel’s helmet lit up with a schematic on her heads-up display.

  “This is the enemy ship, as best I can figure. The blue dots are us. The red dots are assumed bad guys.”

  There were several forward, a couple to the rear, and a couple more scattered about. There was a mass of orange dots just forward and on the other side of the ship.

  “The orange dots are what I believe to be captured spacers being held in the other shuttle bay. The software could not differentiate the bad guys so that will require care in the approach.”

  He paused and appeared to consider matters for a few moments.

  “Right. Krevis. You’re with me for the bridge. Lothar, you and Juxton take out those couple of loose fellows then hit the engine room. Gizel. You and Corinne will check out the other bay and see to the prisoners. Please be careful. There may well be guards so approach carefully and if in doubt hold back and wait till either I or Lothar reinforce you. Understand.”

  “Yes, sir.” she answered firmly, trying to sound military like the others had done since the action started.

  His helmet faced her for a few seconds but he said nothing before turning away.

  “Right. Let’s be about it people.”

  With this comment he headed for the hatch leading forward with Krevis in tow. As they neared the forward leading hatch Lothar did something wi
th the controls and the hatch flipped open revealing what was clearly the inside of an airlock. Karvon and Krevis entered and the hatch closed behind them. Corinne tapped Gizel on the arm. “We should follow them.” she said pointing forward, and they headed for the same hatch while Lothar headed for the other one where Juxton was waiting.

  Corinne hit the button to open the hatch and after only a few seconds delay, it cycled through the sequence. They entered, and after closing the hatch, the compartment was filled with air in seconds. The light over the forward leading hatch turned green and with Gizel on guard Corinne punched the open control. The corridor was empty causing Gizel to emit a big sigh of relief and the two women moved up the corridor a few meters to where another branched off to the right.

  Corinne indicated for Gizel to lead and she took up a port arms stance and advanced cautiously down the corridor. It extended only four meters or so before turning back towards the rear of the ship. Gizel eased around the corner cautiously and found herself looking at two armored pirates pointing their weapons straight at her. All the hours of playing Starmaster came to her aid and she dropped and rolled without attempting to fire, her move taking the pirates by surprise as they fired into the space where she had been, their blasters putting big holes in the wall behind where Gizel had come around the corner.

  Gizel brought her weapon up and snapped off two shots, hitting both the pirates where the joint between the helmet and the body armor was. Both men went over backward from the force of the blaster rifle and did not move. Gizel cautiously got up and moved forward. Both men had large holes where their necks had been. Looking at the smoking and bloody ruin of the two pirates caused Gizel’s stomach to heave but Corinne saved her by coming around the corner.

  “Shit!” she exclaimed.

  She quickly glanced at the pirates then at Gizel. Her surprise was so evident Gizel forgot her stomach and looked at the hatch the two pirates were guarding. She pulled one of the bodies back, noting their armor was far inferior to the state of art kit she was wearing. Doing a quick think about the situation she squatted down leaning against the wall, rifle at the ready, and gave Corinne the signal to hit the door release.

  The hatch flashed open and another pirate opened fire through the door, although with Corinne pressed against the far wall and Gizel crouching down he hit nothing. Gizel could not actually see him but determined where he was from the angle of the shots coming through the door so fired at the ceiling above where she thought he was. His shots stopped momentarily and she launched herself through the hatch, forward rolling across the room beyond and coming up with her rifle lining up on the startled pirate who she shot through the chest, his armor only resisting momentarily against the military-grade rifle Gizel was wielding.

  Fully in Starmaster mode, Gizel scanned the room for more threats but her gaze only encompassed the frightened faces of twenty or more men and women lying on the floor, their hands behind their heads. Corinne came through the hatch a few seconds later. She checked the downed pirate but needed only a cursory glance to recognize he was beyond her help as well. Gizel meanwhile moved around the bay checking any likely hiding places and then testing the hatchway at the rear which was locked.

  Corinne moved to stand in front of the people still lying on the floor.

  “Attention. We are a rescue mission sent by the Medio government. If any of you need medical attention sit up and raise your hand. The rest of you please remain seated and calm while we secure the ship. The other shuttle bay has been, um, rendered inoperative so we will have to evacuate through this one which means you will have to move out into the corridor shortly while it depressurizes. That can wait till later, however.”

  Just then Lothar’s voice came over their helmet circuits.

  “Engine room secured. No hostiles rear of the shuttle bay.”

  “Roger that,” Karvon replied.

  “Hostages secured,” Gizel said over the suit comms.

  “Roger.” Karvon acknowledged.

  The released spacers were now sitting up and looking very relieved by their rescue. Gizel collected the pirate’s weapons which included a rather nifty pistol which she resolved to ask to be able to keep as a souvenir. She tried very hard not to look at the faces of the dead pirates, trying to treat them as objects rather than people. She was having trouble with her stomach but she held it together. Just.

  To Gizel it seemed like hours but it was probably only five minutes before Karvon’s voice announced in her ear.

  “Bridge secured.”

  Almost immediately Andreas spoke over their helmets.

  “All hostiles dead or secured the ship is yours, Karvon.”

  “Roger that. Gizel we will need to use that shuttle bay to take all those people off. Can you get them out into the corridors so we can dock the shuttle?”

  “Roger that,” Gizel answered.

  She turned to the ex-hostages and toggled her external speaker.

  “Right. I want everyone to move calmly into the corridors so we can bring our shuttle in. There is no need to rush so please move out in an orderly manner.”

  Several seemed surprised hearing her voice and she couldn’t decide if it was because she hadn’t spoken previously, at least not using the suit’s external speakers, or if it was because she was a female. She positioned herself by the door and began waving for the nearest to begin moving out into the corridor. After a second’s hesitation, the first moved past her.

  “That’s it. Keep moving up the corridor please,” she intoned and was soon repeating that phrase as the ex-prisoners slowly shuffled past her into the corridors.

  Corinne came through last with a woman who was clearly in a bad way and Gizel closed the inner airlock hatch, exited the airlock into the corridor, and pressed the button that closed that outer door as well. The controls were the standard spaceship type, or near enough and she had no problem using them. She turned back to the waiting people and at this point remembered the two bodies on the floor. Oops. Someone had pushed one over against the other and then both to one side so people could pass without stepping over the still forms. Of course, that did not prevent the blood oozing out of them from where Gizel’s shots had penetrated their armor, and this dark stain was now tramped up the corridor by the many feet that had been unable to avoid it.

  “Karvon?” she said into the comms.

  “Karvon. Go.”

  “Shuttle bay sealed and evacuated. Am opening outer lock now,” she said.

  She had to put her rifle down as it required two hands, one to release the safety catch and the other to pull the lever down. No simple button pressing for such a dangerous maneuver. Emptying the entire shuttle bay was something to be done carefully. There was a loud hissing sound then came a clunking sound accompanied by a steady vibration. After a seemingly interminable time, the lights on the panel in front of her, marking the shuttle doors went red, indicating the bay was open to space.

  “Shuttle bay open,” she announced.

  “Roger that. Approaching now.” came Andreas’s voice over the comms.

  There was a pause then Gizel felt rather than heard the thump of the shuttle landing on the deck inside the bay.

  “Shuttle docked. Close the doors and pressurize.” Andreas ordered.

  “Roger that,” Gizel answered, and pushed the lever back up, closing the locking device over it.

  The red light went out after a bit and then first the door light and then the atmosphere light both turned green.

  “Shuttle bay is pressurized.” she notified the others.

  “Right. Wait one until we get there,” Karvon said.

  He must have been close as he soon appeared, his huge armored form easing its way carefully through the released prisoners. The slightly smaller form of Krevis trailed him. He noted the dead pirates but said nothing merely nodding to Gizel and hitting the button to cycle the airlock.

  “Krevis here will guide you onto our shuttle. We can take twenty on this trip, the rest of you w
ill have to wait until the second flight. Unfortunately, we did too much damage to the engines in the engagement to make this ship operable.” he said over the external speakers of his suit.

  He motioned for the people closest to the airlock to go through behind Krevis who was already inside cycling the inner door open. Gizel simply stood on her side of the doorway and watched the people file past. Eventually, Karvon put up his hand.

  “That’s all this trip.” His voice said using the suit's external speakers. The released prisoners stopped readily enough which surprised Gizel a little but then she guessed spacers, even cargo ship spacers, were far more used to discipline than civilians.

  He switched over to their suit comms.

  “Krevis. Button up when all are ready. You go with them to keep an eye on them aboard the Kormorant. Drop them off as quickly as you can, Andreas.”

  “Roger boss,” came the laconic-sounding reply from Krevis.

  This was followed moments later by Andreas’ reply with a nautical “Aye aye, skipper.”

  Gizel counted eight more ex-prisoners plus the rest of their crew remaining. In twenty minutes they were all back aboard the Kormorant, standing in the cargo bay with all the released spacers. Not being told otherwise, Gizel stayed in her armor along with Lothar and Krevis. Gizel was puzzled at this and asked Lothar over the internal channel why they were still suited up.

  “Could be one or more of zese prisoners are pirates in disguise trying to avoid justice. Another trick zey often pull is to have one of zeirs put in with the prisoners to act as a spy, making out he is fellow captive. So, we take no chances till we get zem off.”

  Gizel had not considered that and thought it unlikely, at least in the sense that she felt the released prisoners would almost certainly have fingered a pirate trying to hide amongst them, unless, of course, they were a plant from the start. Hmm. Lothar organized them into a three-person rotating shift with one of them always on duty as the ship wound it's way back to Medio. That night, or at least when her guard shift had finished and she was finally able to get some sleep, she kept seeing the face of the last guard she had shot, leering at her. Despite her fatigue, she tossed and turned for what seemed to be hours before she finally nodded off.