Smuggler's Legacy

by Bradford Bates

  “I’ll help you, but we have to play it my way. A little trust is going to have to go a long way.”

  “I’ve put my life and theirs in your hands, Captain Drake. Don’t let us down.” She turned and walked back into the room.

  “Gabe, seal the doors. No one gets in or out.”

  “You got it, Captain.”

  He moved forward to seal the doors. Once they were closed, he spotted one of the women inside and blew her a kiss before giving her a big smile. At least he hadn’t wasted all of his downtime. He was the right man to leave on guard duty. The only way the pirates would get past him was if he was dead.

  “Things are going to get hairy. No matter what, those doors stay sealed.”

  Gabe just nodded his head. I noticed the twinkle in his eye. The man was obviously thinking about what had just been happening in his cabin. I needed his full attention on the job. “Jesus, man. Get your mind out of the gutter. We’ve got at least five ships out there that are ok with making sure you never get to slip in and out of anything ever again.” That seemed to have the right effect on him.

  There wasn’t time for me to check on anything else, I needed to be on the bridge. I knew from experience Gabe would pull his head out of his ass and do what needed doing. He was probably already thinking that if we saved those women that he would deserve a righteous discount. I wondered just how many of them were actually working girls, and how the princess had come up with this cover. There would be time for that later. Now we had to deal with the threat that was in front of us.

  Shaking thoughts of a horrible death by pirates from my head, I burst onto the bridge. Kyra gave Ice a brief kiss and then bolted for engineering. Ice was at the controls so I slipped into the co-pilot’s chair. “Bring up an image of their ships.” Ice hit a few buttons, and then the image came up on the screen. It wasn’t five or six little ships. It was a gigantic ship with three smaller vessels. I had no idea how they had managed to hide their signals that well, but they had, and we were going to have to deal with it.

  “All right Ice, get us lined up to take out those smaller ships before we have to deal with the big one.”

  “Captain, I’m not sure we have anything that can break through the larger ship’s shields,” Ice said as she looked over the data flowing across one of her screens.

  Despite all of the upgraded weapons the Talon possessed, Ice was right. We couldn’t afford to go nuclear, and that was about all that would pierce their shields before they blew us across the galaxy. “Well then, we will just have to go with plan B.” Ice looked at me funny, like she knew there really wasn’t a plan B, and I was just going to do something stupid and dangerous. “We’ll have to blow it up from the inside.”

  That got Ice to give me the kind of look reserved for when you take one lick of your ice-cream before it falls out of the cone. She was ready for a little bit of crazy, but clearly wasn’t feeling the right kind of vibe off of my plan.

  Ice grimaced. “I hate it when you say things like that.” Then she mumbled something under her breath before pulling the Talon into a tight turn.

  It was things like this that would have our names living in infamy long after we parted from this world. “Why so serious? Everything normally works out just fine.”

  “Yeah, until it doesn’t.”

  Now she was just messing with my mojo. “Just get those three ships down before we run into trouble.”

  The Talon banked hard again. “If you haven’t noticed yet, we’re already in trouble.”

  The three smaller ships raced out to meet us leaving the larger vessel trailing behind. Ice worked the controls like a pro, moving the Talon so they all had to attack us from the same angle. This was going to be dicey, but I had no doubt we would come out on top.

  One of the pirate ships tried to bank away to flank us, and I smiled as I heard the tone that told me we had a missile lock. I hit the button, and two missiles streaked out across the blackness of space. This was the best part of our new weapons systems. One of the missiles went out on a slight delay. To be specific, one was exactly two seconds behind the other. It was designed for the first missile to weaken or break through their shields while the second one hit them hard. We hadn’t tested the system in open combat yet, so I was excited to see what would happen.

  A large explosion filled the screen quickly followed by a much bigger explosion. The signature for the ship disappeared from our radar. One down, two to go. The other ships didn’t seem to like what happened to their comrades, so they split apart and headed in different directions. Ice kept us heading towards one of them while doing her best to keep the other ship from getting a lock on us. I felt the frame of the Talon shudder as one of the turrets opened fire.

  The laser turrets wouldn’t be able to break the other ship’s shields right away, but they would weaken them enough for one of our missiles to destroy them. The Talon vibrated in a slightly different tone as the second turret opened fire. The two ship’s shields were holding, but that wouldn’t last long. The ping sounded from the console to tell me we had a lock on another ship, but I ignored it. Better to let my girls have a little fun.

  The ship Maze was targeting exploded only seconds before Samantha’s. They were always competing, so I was sure that wouldn’t be the last I heard about it. It really wasn’t that different than when Gabe complained about Maze stealing all the fun, except for that rivalry threatened to quickly descend into violence. Competition kept them sharp, something no amount of cajoling from me could do. I laughed at the thought of any man that tried to take on one of the women on this ship, he would be in for one hell of a surprise.

  “Samantha, get ready to get vampy. Everyone else meet me at the weapons locker.” I turned to Ice. “Get us close to that ship and fire a couple of missiles into their shield. When that bastard comms us, make sure to send him to my personal line.”

  “Captain, our missiles won’t even scratch those shields.”

  “I know that, and you know that, but he doesn’t know that we know that. Make it look good, so it’s easier for me to sell this.”

  “Whatever you say, Captain,” Ice said shaking her head in exasperation.

  It was about time someone respected the chain of command around here, even if it was begrudgingly. Standing I grabbed my rifle and headed towards the cargo bay. I knew deep down that Ice was just shining me on and had learned to trust a few of my gimmicks. That and she probably had faith that if I screwed up, Maze would save all of our asses. At least that is what I always counted on when things turned sour. Now we always had better than even odds of coming out on top; that’s what our secret vampire brought to the crew.

  Everyone was waiting for me in the cargo bay when I got there. Maze took my rifle and replaced it with the full auto version. Gabe already had one in hand, and Maze had her favorite rifle slung over her shoulder with two pistols tucked into the vest on her back, as well as a backup on one hip. Samantha had her katanas strapped to her back, and a pistol slung low on each thigh.

  I was about to tell them my plan when my comm beeped. “What, I’m kind of busy here.”

  Laughter rolled through the open line. “See boys, I told you the myth always exceeds the value of the man.” More laughter sounded in the background. “Captain, by now you have figured out that your weaponry cannot penetrate our shields. I have your ship targeted with missiles from six different turrets. Even you could not hope to avoid all of them. My offer still stands. Turn over the cargo you are carrying, and you can scurry back out into the black like the space rat you are.”

  A pirate calling me a rat, now that was fucking hilarious. “I think you can make me a better offer than that,” I said with what I hoped was the right amount of arrogance. The Talon shook as something large slammed into our shields.

  “Or I could just cut my losses and end it here,” Solonos said. The wide smile that must have been on his face was evident with his voice.

  “I have your word that my ship and my crew will be s
afe.”

  “You do.”

  I clearly heard his men snicker in the background of the call. They weren’t very disciplined, but what else did you expect from a bunch of filthy pirates? I couldn’t wait to show them how underestimating us wasn’t going to work in their favor. “Then I agree to your terms. I’ll have my pilot lower our shield and power down so you can bring us in.”

  Solonos chuckled. “I knew that you would see reason. This was the only inevitable outcome, but my boys will be disappointed that they don’t get to have a little fun.” He paused for a moment and then continued. “No funny business or we will blow you out of the sky.”

  “You have my word.” I cut the channel, and then opened a new line to Ice. “Power down the shields and the engines.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Captain. Their ship still has us targeted. Without our shields, we are dead if they change their minds.”

  “I wasn’t asking you a question, just get it done.” They wouldn’t risk taking pot shots at us, not with the princess on board. Turning, I faced the rest of my crew. “Ready to have a little fun?”

  “Pirate hunt,” Samantha said.

  “Like fish in a barrel,” Gabe said, as he pointed his finger out and mimicked pulling the trigger.

  “Let’s just hope we aren’t the one in the barrel,” Maze said, ending the bravado. “It’s a risky play, Captain.”

  “So is letting them have what they want. Plus, I wouldn’t feel right about leaving them out here for someone else to deal with.”

  Maze smiled. “Look at you being all altruistic and shit. I didn’t know that you had it in you.”

  “Sometimes a man can change,” I said, meaning every word. Samantha let out a little harrumph, and Gabe coughed a couple of times. “I mean if we happened to find something on their ship worth selling, or maybe even selling the ship itself would make all of this worth the effort. Not to mention we will have earned the gratitude of a princess.”

  “A princess?” Samantha asked mouth hanging open.

  “It’s a long story.”

  “Not really, Captain,” Gabe said. “She’s a princess, and her father wants her back.”

  “So saving the princess means incurring the wrath of a king?” Maze asked, eyebrow cocked towards the sky in question.

  “That sounds about right.” There was no hiding from it. Yet again I found myself putting the lives of my crew in jeopardy for a woman, and this time there wasn’t even a chance I’d get laid out of it.

  “Now that sounds more like the Drake that I love,” Maze countered, giving me a warm smile. “Always willing to do the right thing, as long as it also lines his pocket.”

  “Hey, someone has to do it. Now let’s go kill some pirates.”

  Chapter 7

  Samantha

  You had to love Drake’s plans. They had a certain simplicity to them that no one ever saw coming. Not that his schemes always worked out. You spend a few late nights drinking with Maze and asking the right questions, and you learned a thing or two about how many times she had pulled his ass out of the fire. If we lived in a different world, maybe the stories would all be about Maze and how much she kicked ass, instead of the legendary Captain Drake.

  The ship shook slightly as the large vessel tagged us with their tractor beam. Once the beam had us secured, we started moving towards the other ship and the Talon’s previously shaky ride steadied out. I could hear pounding on the sealed common room doors, and someone screaming to be let out. The sheep were starting to panic, which was never good. I tried to put myself in their shoes, to think about what I would do to a person that tried to sell me into slavery. I’d made a horrible decision to get into a car, and that simple act changed my life forever and cost me everything that I knew. So maybe I could find a little more sympathy for the ladies locked in the common room than I previously thought.

  The good news for our passengers was despite what it looked like, Drake had no intention of selling them into slavery. Despite his cool demeanor, he’d gladly give his life to help someone in need. Sure he’d tried to hide his soft and fluffy side with that brash and muscly exterior, but deep down he had a pure heart and a desire to do the right thing, mostly. Sure, that heart might also steal all the credits out of your bank account, but you’d be alive, and he’d at least feel a little bad about it.

  It dawned on me again just how lucky I was to have woken up on the Talon. Anyone else would have just shoved me back in that crate and made the delivery. Drake risked his life to take me in and make me part of the crew. I’d fallen hard for him at first, but I was over that now, at least for the most part. I hadn’t realized how strong my abilities had become during my forced slumber, and being able to read his thoughts had left me vulnerable.

  I hadn’t been treated like a person in so long it caught me off guard. I’d always been a science experiment. Every ounce of humanity had been beaten out of me until I was willing to kill anyone they named just for the chance to live outside of my cell. I’d killed hundreds of people in training, and hundreds more once I’d been unleashed on the world. I was a monster, but Drake had seen me as a person. Maybe it was just that both of us were tainted, but I liked to think he saw the light in me that was fighting to claw its way out of the darkness. It felt good to be saved.

  We would be inside of the other ship soon, and it was my job to get to the bridge and make sure we could get back off the damn thing while Drake and the crew handled things here. The ship shook again as it settled onto the floor of the larger vessel’s cargo hold. It wouldn’t be long now until I got to do my thing or as Drake had put it, “get vampy.”

  Maze and Gabe had taken positions on either side of the cargo bay doors and were ready to attack. Drake was moving behind a large crate that he had set up when Richard entered the cargo hold. Drake stopped what he was doing and moved quickly towards the man taking him by the arm and trying to turn him around. Richard shook off his grip and stared defiantly back at him.

  “I want to help,” Richard said.

  “Doc, I don’t have time for this. Things are about to get hot in here real quick. If you want to help, go to the bridge and make sure Ice has everything that she needs.”

  Richard’s face bristled with frustration. “You don’t understand. This is something I need to do for my family. For Miranda and Sarah.”

  “Killing a few pirates won’t bring them back, Richard,” Drake said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “And I’m not ready to let you go back to them just yet.”

  “I can do this. Just give me a chance,” Richard pleaded.

  “Having to watch out for you makes it harder for us to do what we need to.” Drake was using his lecturing voice now. It was the same one he used every time he told me to stop flirting with him.

  Maze walked forward with an extra rifle in her hand. Obviously, I wasn’t the only one listening to the conversation. She handed the rifle to the doctor and pointed towards her spot on the right-hand side of the cargo bay doors.

  “Nothing gets in from the right unless you put a hole in it first,” Maze said with authority.

  “Thank you,” Richard exclaimed, taking the rifle from Maze. He didn’t wait around to see if Drake would stop him. Instead he jogged to the spot Maze had indicated and started to check his rifle and the best angle to shoot from.

  “Wait just a damned minute,” Drake shouted, freezing everyone in place. Richard winced, knowing that his time to kill a few pirates might not actually be today. Drake didn’t take any notice of the reactions happening around him. It was almost as if he was ignoring everyone on purpose as he moved toward the side of the ship. He paused there for a moment and then as if coming towards an internal decision about what was going to happen next, he hit a button and entered a code into the hidden panel that emerged.

  Drake slipped into the armory only to come out a moment later carrying a vest and a few extra energy cells. “You’re going to need these. I was serious about what I said earlier
, Doc. We need you on this ship, so don’t get all heroic and wind up dead and shit, ok?”

  Richard slipped on the vest and tucked the extra energy cells into it. “You have my word.”

  Drake ran a hand through his hair. “Good. Now help me get another one of these crates up here for Maze.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” Maze pointed towards the walkway above the cargo bay. “I always liked being on top better anyways.”

  Drake’s mouth fell open, and I let out a little giggle as Maze turned and walked past me. Maybe I was a bad influence on her. I thought dropping sexy innuendos was my thing, but maybe it was a universal trait all women shared. Drake collected himself and moved into position behind the heavy steel container he had set up in the middle of the floor. I was standing beside him as he turned around.

  “You ready for this?” Drake asked.

  “Yeah, just don’t go and get any more holes blown in that pretty little body of yours while I’m away, ok.”

  “Can’t make any promises,” he said with a cocky grin.

  “Just try your best not to disappoint me,” I said with a laugh, stepping around his crate and moving into position by Gabe.

  Drake opened his comm and started talking with the pirates. I tuned most of it out just waiting for him to give me the signal to open the hatch. His hand came up, and I hit the button and waited for all hell to break loose.

  A group of ten pirates was lined up just outside of the hatch with another twenty or so behind them. They weren’t expecting trouble, but they also weren’t taking any chances. As soon as the cargo bay door hit the ground they started moving up the ramp. Drake gave another signal, and Gabe and the Doc started shooting. The first ten men went down in a second. Maze’s rifle started to ring out, and men in the group of twenty started falling. The pirates started to scramble out of the line of fire, and that’s when Drake opened up. Another ten men fell under his assault. Not all of them were dead though. Some were just holding bullets for later. Others were calling out for their friends to save them. The chaos Drake and company were making was just the distraction I needed to slip inside before anyone noticed.