The Asking Price of Stars

by John Baeyertz

  The boats were ten meters long inflated. The storm shell covered the first eight meters. Tracey moved to the stern of the boat. The last two meters was open with a control console in the center of the opening. Mark, the big crewman, was standing at the control console. He said, "Ma'm the helm is yours. The commander would like a word with you." Tracey had not seen Kat on board. They were operating under signal silence. Where in all the hells was Kat? She thought.

  A voice called out, "Over here Tracey." She turned and saw Kat standing in the stern of the second boat. Cici manned the control console next to him. The two boats were tied together. Kat asked the status of the boat. She replied, "Boat is undamaged, cargo box is intact. Six of us are on board. Baryic has massive injuries; Spider has a head wound but she should be alright. The rest of us are Ok. What is your status?"

  "Boat and cargo are intact. We also have six on board. Fidelity's forearm is broken. Light is setting it using a medi-pack. The arm is useless, otherwise she is alright. The rest of us are good."

  Tracey asked, "Where is the third boat?"

  "The third boat broke loose inside the glider during the landing. It caused serious damage when it hit Baryic and Fidelity. Shadow, Cici and I tried to pull it out but it was jammed in. It sank along with the gilder and a cargo box. A third of our arms and equipment are gone. Peter and Light got Baryic and Fidelity out.”

  “Tracey, if we going hide inside the storm as it moves toward the Troc base, we need to get moving. The storm is only ten minutes out." Kat instructed.

  "Understood, we are powering up the electro-motors. As soon as you cut the line we can be underway," Tracey said.

  She turned to Mark and said, "Mister Bittman set in our planned course. Keep Kat's boat in site if possible." She picked up the com mike, "Peter, get the automatic rocket rifle into the bow mount. Keep it under the storm cover for now."

  "It's already mounted," Peter replied.

  The rain and wind overtook them eight minutes later.

  *********

  Sandy checked the time for her nightly walk along the lake wall. It was mid third watch. It would be difficult tonight she surmised. Niikia, Artystaar and she were engaged in an orgy with two bound bed boys and Lord Markiii, the son of Count-Viceroy Markiii. They were all high on drugs and liquor. His Lordship was not picky about the sex of his partners. He was enjoying each of them in turn. The bastard also wanted to watch as they did each other.

  Sandy considered, tonight it will be impossible. We have been here a month. I carefully cultivated the routine of mid third watch walks along the lake wall. Now this damn orgy has made a mess of things. I will miss my walk this night and it could be THE night. I must trust Emmelyn to keep her word. Now dive back in and smile at the slimy bastard.

  *********

  The two rescue boats raced across the lake under cover of the storm. Rain pounded down as waves swept over the boats and lightning strikes darted across the sky. They reconfigured the storm covers so that the only space for two of the crew and the control console was open to the storm. Much of the water was being kept out. The twin pumps kept the deck dry. The pounding of the boat made the trip a hell for Baryic. Tracey could only hope the painkillers kept him sedated.

  In her mind, Tracey reviewed the layout of the Trocnavar base. It is built at the tip of a peninsular of land jutting southward into the Lake. The Troc base is a great walled circle a kilometer in diameter. The harbor is a quarter kilometer bite taken out of the south side of the circle. Next to the docks is a landing field for lifters. Around the landing area are warehouses. The center building is headquarters and officers’ living quarters. We are coming in from the west; a wall ten meters high runs along the west side with a walkway on the top. The wall drops directly into the lake. It should be lightly guarded if the information we gained with our probe is correct. We land in the center of the wall, at a point called Alpha.

  Two hours later both rescue boats were half a click off the west wall of the Troc base. The storm still raged around them. The team gathered in Kat's boat except Nirabella who cared for Baryic in the other boat. Kat reviewed the reworked plan. "Peter, Cici, Mark and Spider will take this boat around to the harbor side. Set explosives on the largest boats in the harbor that are closest to you. If you can't get close to a boat then set the explosives in the harbor wall. As soon as you get my signal, blow the explosives and begin firing the auto rocket rifles into boats and the lifters parked on the harbor docks. Within minutes your team should head for the point Beta and wait for the lifter.”

  “Centari, Nirabella and Fidelity will crew the other boat and care for Baryic,” Kat continued. “You will drop the rest of us at point ‘Alpha’ on the lake wall. Then you will pull back and setup half a click out with the last auto rocket rifle and await my signal to come in and pick us up. If you don't get a signal within two hours, head for point Beta.”

  “Tracey, the twins and I will scale the lake wall and see if we can make contact with the major, extract her and head back for pick up at point Alpha. If she is not there we will improvise a new strategy. Is everyone alright with the plan?" Kat asked.

  "Victory, Honor, Ship" all responded.

  Kat found it strange they would use the Battle Cry of the Free Space Force after the treatment the crew received at the hands of the FSF.

  Chapter Forty-Two –

  The Trocnavar Base- 11-08-519

  In the driving rain, Tracey pulled herself over the lake wall and dropped a meter onto the walkway behind it. With no one in sight, she signaled the others. Within a minute Light, Shadow and Kat joined her on the walkway. They pulled up their ropes, hooks and coiled and hid them as best could along inside of the lake wall. There was still no sign of anyone. They could see the fort wall on other side of the walkway. Doors and windows pierced the wall in a few places. All were dark. Shadow pointed to an alcove twenty meters to the south. He signaled them to wait and crossed the walkway toward the alcove. There was a muted thump and Shadow motioned the three of them forward.

  The guard lay dead at Shadow's feet, shot at close range with a compact pistol. The special low power ammo was quiet, hence the muted report. A voice in the darkness said, "It's about time you killed him! We don't have all night." It was not Major Freeborn speaking. They turned and saw a small figure in dark rain gear. The voice was female and human. She instructed, "Dump the body over the lake wall." As soon as Kat and Tracey shoved the dead guard over the wall, the figure motioned the four of them into an unlit doorway ten meters further along the inner wall.

  Inside the door, they walk a few meters down a hallway. The woman opened the second door and inside was a room fitted out as a guard station. That door on the other side of the room must lead deeper into the Troc base, Tracey surmised. The mysterious woman pulled off her rain gear revealing a small thin body perhaps thirty standard years old with short dark red hair. Her large green eyes sparkled with an inner fire.

  She began quickly "My name is Emmelyn. We have very little time but first an agreement. I will help you get Sergeant Sandy out of the base. In return, when you leave here you will take my two children with you."

  Kat responded, "The dangers will be extreme. Your children will likely be killed along with us."

  "How stupid do think I am? Of course, they will probably die! But there is small chance they could make it to freedom. Would you rather live as an Imperial Bound Laborer or risk your life to be free? Do we have a deal; yes or no?” Emmelyn asked.

  "Yes," Kat stated.

  "Tell me your names," Emmelyn instructed.

  She opened a large gray bag and began pulling out an assortment of items. Out came scarves and arm bands in bright colors, a power razor, power scissors, and then spray cans of hair dye in vivid colors. "Let's begin with you," Emmelyn told Light. "Strip off your top, good a black bra, keep the rocket pistol on your belt and hide your other weapons in your utility pants. Next, tie this orange scarf around your left arm." Within minutes she had two arm bands added to
Light's outfit and right side of her head shaved and dyed orange.

  "You’re next," she told Shadow and cut away his right and left sleeves. "Excellent; a black kill dot! This may work. The colored utilities you all wear will blend in adequately." Emmelyn then added blue and green arm bands to his left arm. Finally, she shaved the right side of his head and dyed it blue before moving on to Kat she told Shadow to keep one pistol on his hip and hide the other pistols and the knives.

  "Kat, strip off your top. By the gods, look at those scars on your chest and a red kill dot. You are almost perfect. I will add two black arm bands to your left arm and tie this yellow scarf around your neck. Then I will dye the right side of your head yellow. Keep the sword on your back. Damn, you will look the part."

  Minutes later she turned to Tracey. "Aren't you the tall one? We need to show those legs and your midriff. Get out of your utilities. I will cut them down." Tracey stripped off the uniform. "By the gods, lady you have a red and a black kill dot!" Emmelyn cut the right arm off the utility top then proceeded to cut off the bottom of the top. Tracey thought it was just long enough to cover her. Emmalyn next cut her pants into shorts. She added green arm bands and gave Tracey a green scarf for her neck. Finally, she shaved and dyed green the right side of Tracey head. "Keep the carbine slung on your back” she instructed and then she turned to the whole group.

  She took out two bottles of cheap clear liquor and told them to pour it over their heads and take a drink. They all took a drink. Tracey noted that Kat swirled the liquor in his mouth then spit it out. Emmelyn outlined Sandy's plan. "You are now a group of drunken pirates, act drunk. Today the Trocs revealed the final war plan. There are celebrations throughout the base tonight. Drunken pirates and imperials will be as common as motans in a meat market.”

  “I am going guide you into the central fort. Keep your weapons stored until we have to kill. Here is how we are going into the base. --- ”

  *********

  The boat ran south toward the tip of the peninsula until one of the harbor towers at the entrance appeared on the left. The other tower on the far side of harbor entrance lay hidden in rain. Peter and Cici rode in the bow with automatic rocket rifles. Spider was back with Mark at the helm. In a low voice, she was reading directions and depths out to the com unit. The heavy rain made it difficult for guards in the towers to see anything. It also made it hard to find the harbor entrance. Their boat was four hundred meters out from the shore. Spider noted the depth dropped off and then began to rise. This must be a dredged main channel, she thought. Then she said, "Mark, turn to port and follow the deep channel toward the entrance."

  Mark made the turn to port, slowed the electro-motors and followed the course that Spider whispered. Within minutes they passed the two towers and were inside the harbor. In the rain, Peter and Cici scanned the harbor for targets. They could only see thirty or forty meters. Peter caught site of a shape ahead of them and whispered into the com system, "Something dead ahead. Slow the boat, let's see what it is." A half sunken lake freighter appeared out of the rain. "It's here to block the center of the harbor forcing ships entering close to the harbor sides. We can't go around it. We will be seen by one of the guards on the breakwater. Move in closer, we will see if anyone is on board," Peter said.

  Mark slowly brought to boat up to the side of the wrecked ship. The top of the railing was three meters above the boat. Moments later Cici tossed a soft hook over the railing and began to pull herself up the attached rope. Peter, Spider, and Mark watched as she disappeared into the rain. Minutes later she called to them, "No one is on board but she is overrun by motans. Watch out when coming on board.”

  Peter told Mark, "Up you go, drop a rope and we will send up the explosives; then one of the automatic rocket rifles with the ammo. Spider, you go next and I will follow you."

  They were soon gathered in the rotting plasticine deck house. Cici reported, "The rain slowed and I saw what appears to be large military lake ship anchored 300 meters inside the harbor. Only a few lights are showing. I can't see if anyone is on deck. Maybe the rain is keeping them inside. There are other ships in the harbor but the military ship is the closest. Blowing it up would cause the maximum distraction for Kat and his team. What's the plan Peter?"

  Peter squashed a motan who made the error of biting his boot and said, "Cici, Mark and I will swim over to the military ship and set explosives at the water line near the Motor Room and the magazine. Well, at least where we think they are."

  Mark interrupted, "I know where they are. I spent a summer on military boats back on Freehome before they duped us into going to Pangerbar."

  Peter continued, "Good, Mark. Spider set up the auto rifle in position and if anything goes wrong, blast the ships and lifters hidden by the rain on the dock."

  Spider looked at Peter and said, "May your children be born without color." The comment was the worst possible Trocnavar curse; however, Spider said it in Noble Trocnavar -a language only the two of them spoke. In Common Com, she said, "I will have you covered." She crushed a motan into the deck. She wanted to be with the action and not a backup.

  A hundred meters out Peter realized how cold the water was. His envirosuit was not keeping the cold out. The heat his body generated by dragging kilos of explosives toward the target kept him from freezing. Keep on swimming, keep on swimming, his mind chanted as he pushed forward. He saw Mark and Cici swimming on his left keeping pace with him. The swim distance was daunting in the cold; two hundred meters out, then three hundred back to the hulked lake freighter. Ax told you he chose you for Green fleet because you never give up. Keep on swimming, Peter thought as he pressed on.

  Minutes later they were floating at the water line alongside of the military ship with no sign of a guard on deck. Whoever was supposed to be the deck guard had better hope he or she was killed in the blast. If they lived, the Trocs would turn their life into ten living hells. Mark signaled them to plant two explosive charges where he thought the engine room was and one charge near the magazine. Each of charges was attached to the hull with a plastic adhesive which was also an explosive. The remote-control detonators were set deep in charge.

  Duty completed, it was time to go. As they turned to swim back Peter saw that both Cici and Mark were worn out and suffering from the cold. On the return swim, a hundred meters from the military ship, Mark passed out. He was overcome by the cold. Cici reached Mark and inflated his safety vest. He was now floating with his body only partly submerged. Peter thought the risk of being seen in the rain was at minimum. He looked at Cici. Her beautiful dark eyes were beginning to glaze over. "Inflate your vest and hang on to Mark and I will pull you both," Peter said. He wondered how much trouble were they in. Both Cici and Mark were extremely fit. If the three of them was in major trouble and might not reach the boat, Spider had a remote-control detonator and she would ignite the charges on Kat's signal.

  As he pulled Cici and Mark toward the wrecked ship he kept chanting in his mind, never give up, never give up, never give up.

  *********

  Shadow made an excellent drunk pirate. He danced his way down a main hallway and swilled beer from a plasticine squeeze bag. They passed a larger group of pirates of which two of the wildest women tried to drag Shadow off with them. Shadow kissed them both and sent them on their way. The team walked with Shadow in front and the three others in a group behind him. As a servant, Emmelyn walked just behind carrying as case of clear liquor in a back sling. She whispered directions to Kat. So far there had been no trouble. As one of many groups of drunken pirates, they passed through three pirate check points. The check points were poorly manned and the guards half-drunk themselves. This night a bottle of liquor was the best pass card.

  Down the hallway, Tracey saw a check point manned by Tri-Star Republic shock troops. As the group staggered forward, they could see the details of the shock troops. There were four guards, a big blonde sergeant and three others.

  Fifty paces later, the group was face to fa
ce with the guards. They were not that drunk. The big blonde asked for their pass cards. Kat told him, "We traded the cards for this case of liquor. It's a party night, you motan brained fool. Here, have a drink." He pulled Emmelyn close to take a bottle from the case on her back. She said, "Two bottles sir?"

  Kat said, "Yes, two bottles" The sergeant looked at him started to draw his pistol but stopped. He then reached out and took the two bottles.

  "Leave the tall woman and short cute boy," the sergeant instructed.

  "Ok, but they’re running the Queen's Black Drip," Kat said.