Rising Star

by Donald Nicklas

  William picked up their bag of gold along with the eight coins he used to pay for the tickets. Tavia took their tickets and they exited the room. Once back in the passageway, the door closed behind them and William smashed the lock. “This should keep people out for a while. It’s time to leave and catch a cruise.”

  They put the guns into their pockets, casually left the passageway, and went into the main shopping area. To avoid attention they still did some window-shopping but they moved a little quicker between stops. They were back at the yacht in about 45 minutes and were in their seats, asking for clearance to leave. Traffic control cleared them and released the docking clamps. They both breathed a sigh of relief as they passed through the force field and into vacuum. Tavia raised the system sails and moved in the direction of the outbound slipstream they needed to use. She looked at her tap node, a communication device both she and William carried. It sends and receives a compressed, burst signal in the Romani code. Though it can carry voice communications, it had been decided to keep contact at a minimum. The fleet had been in system for hours and the tap node light had gone on to let Tavia know they were there. She now pressed the transmit button twice, then twice again. This indicated that contact had been made and the location was known. The fleet would now follow them to the Rising Star. There would be time later to mention the small mess they left behind on the station.

  Tavia turned to William, “I don’t think we’ll be invited back.”

  “Well, Mrs. Marshal, there are plenty of other stations for us to mess up,” and they both started to laugh. Of course, Hatch had no idea what was so funny.

  Chapter 5 – The Rising Star

  The Unicorn entered the Petrous system after three days of travel. Only one event occurred along the way. During transit through an uninhabited system, they communicated freely with the fleet and found out that after they left Dubna station, there was a general alarm concerning some bodies found in a room that should not have been in use. The transmission was picked up by the fleet since it was sent to a ship in orbit near the base. Shortly after the message was received, the ship broke orbit and headed for the same outbound slipstream where the fleet was heading. Since they were several hours behind, it was safe to communicate. Tavia told the fleet what had happened on the station and what they felt compelled to do about it. General Golov was listening in.

  “You did well. It is obvious to me that ship was waiting to screen anyone who bought a cruise on the Rising Star. It is clear to me they are concerned about someone doing exactly what we are planning,” General Golov said.

  “I agree,” Christopher Slone interjected. “You did well. I suspect it was the purpose of the travel agency to alert them to anyone they didn’t know who bought a ticket. Their greed got the better of them, and it cost them and their organization. You have your tickets and when you arrive it will appear you were cleared.”

  Just then, they broke off communication as the tailing vessel came through the slipstream. As it furled its sails and fired its engines, it sent a message to the yacht, since the fleet was between the yacht and the unknown vessel, the message reached the fleet first and still had a half hour before reaching the yacht.

  Tom Gardner reported, “Captain, the unknown vessel is sending a message in the clear.”

  “Put it on speaker.”

  “Attention, unknown yacht, you are ordered by the Petrovian resistance to come about and prepare to be boarded.”

  Slone looked over to General Golov. “Is that one of yours?”

  “No, we would never send any transmission in the clear identifying ourselves as resistance. That is counterproductive for a group wanting to remain in hiding.”

  “I agree,” Slone said. Tom send a tight beam to the yacht and tell them to comply, we will pull in to protect them. We’ll set our own trap. Roger, get me a full sensor reading on that ship. Order the fleet to come about and face the intruder.”

  “Yes, Captain,” Roger Umgabe acknowledged. “Telemetry is coming in now. The ship designation is a corvette.”

  “A corvette? I thought the corporations stopped using corvettes over two centuries ago,” Slone said and looked over at General Golov.

  “Captain Abramov could have helped you more with that one, but we used to use them for star port security. They were all sold to the private sector.”

  Slone gave that some thought. “I bet they’re pirates. If so, that ship is packed with troops.”

  Roger Umgabe suddenly broke in, “The Unicorn just came about and is returning to the area of the fleet. The corvette just sped up. She is very fast, faster than any of our ships.”

  “So, we will have to make sure they have no chance to escape.”

  Aboard the Unicorn, Tavia and William received both messages. The one from the corvette came in first and they maintained course. When the second message came in from the fleet, Tavia pressed a button under her console and engaged the special electronics hidden in the hull. This also opened a hidden panel on the side of the bridge, revealing invisibility controls. Hatch immediately went over to the console and prepared to make the ship invisible.

  “Keep us visible for now, Hatch. I think the fleet has something in mind. Let me know about where they’re located.”

  “Sss. Lady Tavia, the fleet is 12 degrees to starboard.” Ever since Tavia was the temporary World Mother of the serpents, Hatch began to address her with the title given her by the serpent species.

  “Coming 12 degrees to starboard.”

  The Unicorn turned to intersect with the fleet. As this was happening, the corvette was moving closer to a fleet they could not see. Slone turned to Tom Gardner, “Tom, open a tight beam transmission to the Avenging Talon.” When Tom indicated the line was open, Slone said, “Captain Artok, prepare your cohort for a boarding action.”

  “Sss. You honor us, Captain Slone, we will be ready.”

  “The enemy ship is a corvette. Your computer should have a standard layout of a corporate corvette. If these are pirates, as we suspect, it will be tight in there. Send over two centuries first.”

  “Sss. We are loading the attack craft now.”

  “Captain,” Roger Umgabe said, “the corvette is in weapons range.”

  “Sound general quarters throughout the fleet and open the combat channel.”

  Immediately the klaxon started to sound the general quarters with the computer stating, ‘General quarters, this is not a drill.’ When all stations reported ready, the corvette was fifteen minutes closer and there was no more escape for her. It was time for an unpleasant surprise. With the battle channel open, Slone’s orders went directly to the fleet. Slone took one more look at the oncoming corvette. It was a small, military vessel, about two-thirds the size of a destroyer. Corvettes were fast ships with little armor. They had only two cannons, housed in a turret mounted just behind the bridge bubble and in front of the frill sail. The turret could only rotate 180 degrees, 90 to port and 90 to starboard from the center front position. It also had two missile tubes forward. It was meant for short runs and could be packed with troops, which is why pirates liked them. To travel more than a few systems was very uncomfortable for the crew and troops, since there was little room once packed the way the pirates did. Pirates made their money by boarding and capturing ships, after killing those aboard their victim. That is why they wanted the yacht. They knew an easy victim when they saw one and hoped the ruse of being resistance in a disputed area would put the yacht crew at ease.

  Slone spoke into the battle channel, “All ships, decloak. Unicorn reverse course and continue on your mission. Open a clear channel to the corvette.”

  “Channel open.”

  “This is Captain Christopher Slone of the Nova Romae dreadnought Invicta detached to the service of the Petrovian resistance. Heave to and prepare to be boarded,” Slone then signaled Tom to close the channel. “Captain Artok you may send your boarding party. These are pirates, they receive no quarter.”

  The Corvette turned hard
to her starboard side to put distance between herself and the fleet. She knew there was no way to win this fight so she poured on the speed, but Slone had let her come in close before decloaking. He now turned to his weapons tech, “Order the forward guns to aim at the engines and fire.”

  There was a slight rumble as the forward guns fired and the cannon shots rapidly traversed the distance. They had the corvette on magnification on the bridge bubble and the threat board showed it as an enemy target. Suddenly one engine flew off and the other three shots penetrated into the engine room. The ship went dead and continued to move on momentum only. The Avenging Talon launched two boarding shuttles and these now appeared on the threat board and the bridge view.

  When the Unicorn left Dubna station, the corvette Mary Rose was waiting outside to intercept her. The old corvette had been ‘liberated’ from a pirate band that had ‘liberated’ her from a private contractor who had bought her as military surplus. She was a few centuries old but still a good, fast ship. She was captained by a colorful pirate captain who called himself Hunter Wilde. No one knew or cared if that was his real name. He had a motley crew of former mercenaries and disgruntled military types from several corporations. The only ones whose loyalty he could count on were his bridge crew. He held his crew together by successes. Wilde cut a deal with an underground travel agency who dealt with trips on a rather mysterious starliner named Rising Star. However, when an easy mark flashed gold around, they relieved them of it and their ship. They never made it to the starliner. When the travel agent pushed the button to call in the goons as the Marshals were buying their tickets, a signal was also sent to the Mary Rose that a mark was coming. Wilde remembered thinking great. His crew was getting restless and he had about two hundred of them, packed into a ship meant for fifty. They filled every area of the ship, but then pirates did not travel far and they did travel light. There was just enough food and water for a few jumps. There were hidden pirate bases throughout human space, so men and materials were always available. A yacht left the base and the Mary Rose was about to follow her when she received a signal from the base to all ships to be on the lookout for that yacht. Apparently, they had found some bodies and suspected the owners of the yacht may have something to do with it. Captain Wilde immediately gave chase and followed the yacht into the next system.

  They entered the uninhabited system one jump from Dubna station and located the yacht moving towards the outbound slipstream. She was a fast ship but the corvette was also built for speed. Nevertheless, Captain Wilde knew they would not catch her unless they could force her to come about. Wilde ordered the communications tech to start transmitting a Petrov transponder code and open a channel to the yacht. He then sent the message he hoped would turn the yacht. It was good to operate in a militarily disputed area. No one knew who was in charge.

  “Attention, unknown yacht, you are ordered by the Petrovian resistance to come about and prepare to be boarded,” Captain Wilde transmitted and was very pleased to see the yacht turn and come towards the corvette. He knew the yacht was small and private. He would board it and take it with his loyal bridge crew only. He would leave people he could trust aboard her with anything he might like to hide from his crew. There would be wealth to divide, but not as much as there was. If there were a lot, he would make sure the crew got their share and drop them off at the nearest base. Through the bridge bubble he could see the yacht approaching, though without magnification, it was just a small white dot still hours away. The corvette was now running at top speed to make sure they don’t change their mind and make a run for it. As he was tallying the value of the yacht, Captain Wilde was shaken out of his reverie with the greatest shock he had ever endured. Suddenly, and without any warning, a fleet of large naval vessels materialized, as if from nothing, between his ship and the yacht. The yacht turned away and a message suddenly came in.

  “This is Captain Christopher Slone of the Nova Romae dreadnought Invicta detached to the service of the Petrovian resistance. Heave to and prepare to be boarded.”

  Wilde sprang into action. “Helm pivot 180 degrees and flank speed away from that fleet,” he then turned to the bridge crew. “Where did that fleet come from and why didn’t we pick them up?”

  The sensor tech was as confused as the captain, “I have no idea, captain. They just appeared.”

  “We need to get out of here.”

  “One of the dreadnoughts is opening its front gun ports,” the tech’s voice suddenly raised with fear, “Incoming, four shots.”

  The words were hardly out of her mouth, the shots rocked the corvette, and the lights went out. Within a few seconds, the auxiliary power came on. The engineering tech reported the total loss of the port engine and three hits on the engine room that shredded the generators. The ship was defenseless and not going anywhere. Wilde had never seen military gunners that accurate.

  “Captain, one of the dreadnoughts is launching boarding shuttles. There are two on the way.”

  An odd enemy, Wilde thought, they must suspect we are pirates and could turn us into dust, yet they send over two boarding shuttles that should contain an equal number of troops to his crew. Moreover, why were they not detected until it was too late? As he watched, the boarding shuttles were getting closer. “Sound battle stations. Prepare to repel boarders. Remember, these are corporate hacks from Petrov corp. Fight hard and show them what we’re made of.”

  The Klaxon sounded just as the first shuttle reached the hangar deck opening. Since the corvette was smaller than a destroyer was, they used boarding sleds and had little room in the hangar for ships as large as boarding shuttles. The shuttles would have to drop their troops and dust off quickly to let the other shuttle in. Wilde and his pirates were counting on that. For a brief time, there would be only half the boarding party against the full complement of pirates. It was their best chance to survive while their engineers worked feverishly to get the ship going again. The engines were trashed, but if they could get one generator going, they could use the sails. The corvette was small enough to be propelled by the system sails. Captain Wilde left the bridge to lead his men and women. He prided himself in picking the best crews and his band was one of the most successful in this part of corporate space. He quickly arrived in the hangar area and ordered the troops to pull back and let the enemy land.

  “Hold your ground. These are corporate lackeys. Give them a bloody nose and they’ll beg for quarter.” He decided not to tell anyone there was a fleet out there that could blast them into bits. “Here they come.”

  The first shuttle arrived and they expected the turreted Gatling gun to soften up the area. This is the reason Wilde made sure his troops were well protected. To his surprise, the shuttle came in quickly and landed. Instead of the doors bursting open and corporate troops pouring out, there was silence for a few seconds and then the side of the shuttle opened and the pirates were confronted by a wall of shields, two shields high. Wilde had heard the stories about a mysterious group rescuing the Balin Corporation from a Petrov invasion. He also heard they used body shields and swords. Indeed, the boarding force was using body shields with some kind of rod extending between the shields. There was also something odd about the way they stood there and something flexible was pointing over their shoulders. “Open fire,” Wilde ordered and the pirates did, but to no effect. Some kind of barrels began to poke through the shield wall and fired on the pirates. The first slugs went through the crates the pirates were hiding behind and took out several of Wilde’s troops. The barrels then disappeared and there was suddenly a loud whistle and barking that sounded like animal noises. The troops then surged out of the side of the boarding shuttle and the pirates were momentarily frozen in fear. In his mind, Captain Hunter Wilde was a great pirate captain, but what he now saw caused him and many of his crew to lose both bowel and bladder control. Out of the shuttle came a mass of shield carrying lizards who wielded short spears with long conical heads. The noise was deafening. These creatures whistled and barked,
but what was most disconcerting, they hissed. Wilde and his bridge crew ran back to the bridge and locked the doors. They could hear the human screams over the noise the creatures were making and now there was pounding on the door.

  “Open a channel to that fleet.”

  “Channel open, captain.”

  “This is Captain Wilde. We surrender. Call off those creatures you sent against us.”

  Slone smiled as he received the transmission. He was hoping for the shock to work to their advantage. He wanted to give the serpents a feel for boarding actions but he also knew they would come as a very unpleasant surprise to the pirates. Before responding, Slone looked at General Golov, since the pirates were operating in her space. She shook her head. Slone spoke into the combat channel. “Captain Artok. Inform your troops that the pirates are to be executed on order of the Petrovian government.”

  “Sss. Yes Captain Slone.”

  The serpent centurions told their troops there would be no quarter for the pirates. The serpents surged forward and soon had killed all of the pirates, except for those locked on the bridge. Serpent techs forced the doors and surged onto the bridge. Captain Wilde and his bridge crew tried to surrender, but were rapidly killed by the serpents. They were shown the same mercy they had shown countless victims they left in a trail of destruction. Mercy is never shown to pirates.

  The entire boarding action had only taken fifteen minutes. Making the serpents part of the Romani military was definitely justified. Slone left the cruiser behind with an engineering team to attempt to get the corvette operational and send it back to Nova Romae. They would also clean up the carnage. Slone felt he had enough of a fleet to handle the Q-Ship. The fleet returned to its course before the yacht reached the slipstream, but they were now two hours more behind the Unicorn.