Doc Roberts: Space Pirate

by Jay Toney

  "I'll do what I can," The medic said to the acting captain's back. Then he ended the comm and got to work on Captain Thornton.

  ****

  The Queen Anne's Revenge closed to missile range. Natasha launched a full salvo of missiles. Four missiles left the launch tubes and accelerated towards the Ajax. The cruiser's gunners waited patiently for the starship to close the gap enough between the two warships to fire their weapons.

  The Ajax launched chaff and used electronic countermeasures to confuse the missiles. Doc learned early on that the Alliance sold him their rockets in case he decided to go rogue and tried using the weapons against them. The Alliance military is capable of electronically jamming or destroying their missiles.

  The Alliance missiles have greater range and larger warheads than the Commonwealth missiles that he could obtain on the black market. Randolph and Jane came up with a way to adapt the guidance systems used by the Commonwealth missiles to the Alliance missiles. It made the rockets more expensive, but he offset the cost by selling the salvaged Alliance guidance systems on the Antares black market.

  The electronic countermeasures (ECM) that the Ajax used on the incoming missiles didn't work. Three of the rockets hit destroying two of the eight engines that propelled the warship and damaged another. The Ajax fired two missiles from its rear launch tubes and diverted more power to its functional drives. Doc fired four more missiles of his own, and his gunners fired on the warship.

  Jadsia cycled through the ECM frequencies trying to jam the Alliance missiles. The point defense cannons targeted the incoming missiles and prepared to fire. The four missiles that were launched from the Queen Anne's Revenge detonated close behind the Ajax. It was hard to tell if there is any damage to the heavy cruiser.

  "The Ajax is launching escape pods," Jadsia announced. The PDC fired at the incoming missiles. They were hit by a wall of 30mm and 40mm projectiles, destroying them.

  "Those are not escape pods," Natasha announced, "I'm picking up high radiation levels coming from inside them."

  The escape pods exploded each with a brilliant white flash. The intense radiation and the electromagnetic pulse wave from the nuclear warheads hidden inside the escape pods blinded the Queen Anne's Revenge's sensors. Doc's cruiser is blind until repairs could be made. Natasha stopped accelerating.

  Doc pressed the button on his comm panel that gave him direct access to engineering. "How long before we can get underway?" he asked Jane.

  "It will take at least a day to change and tune the sensor arrays, longer if there is more damage."

  By the time the Queen Anne's Revenge could resume the chase, the Ajax would be long gone. Even with the damage it sustained, it could escape to hyperspace. The Alliance warship is safe for now, but they would meet again. When they did, Doc won't let them escape a second time.

  Raid On Antares

  For the last nine years, Doc did whatever he had to do to keep the Queen Anne's Revenge profitable. He still attacked Alliance warships, merchant ships, and passenger ships, but after leaving Captain Thornton to die alone in the countryside on Antares, he lost the fire and hatred that drove him. Most of the credits that he made now came from raiding cities on prosperous colony worlds.

  Doc sat in his cabin with Natasha's avatar. He hadn't used her for sex since he met Elaunae. After her death, he couldn't go back to using the synth. With a human woman, there is an emotional connection that synths can't provide. Doc learned that making love is a lot more than the physical act. It is also about expressing how the couples felt about each other. He still enjoyed having chat sessions with the avatar. "How is Nathaniel's education progressing?" Doc asked Natasha.

  "Haven't you been reading my reports?" Natasha asked Doc. In truth, he hadn't. Natasha's reports are complete, too complete. They are long and boring. Doc only read them when he needed something to help him sleep.

  "Just give me a summary," Doc told the avatar.

  "Nathaniel is either failing or barely passing most of the basic subjects. He is intelligent and should be passing with high scores, but he has no interest in any subject that doesn't have anything to do with piloting starfighters. Somehow, Nathaniel manages to block out all attempts at learning by hypnopedia. He's learned the math that he needs to navigate starships, and he can even set up and perform complex hyperspace calculations, but something as basic as our own language is hardly given any effort to learn. He wouldn't have bothered learning galactic basic if it wasn't a requirement for getting a pilot license."

  "What about basic starship operations?" Doc asked Natasha.

  "Nathaniel is a competent mechanic and has high scores in battle damage repair. If he had a better understanding of mathematics, he could be an engineer, but he lacks the math skills to measure tolerances and make precision machinery."

  Doc already knew about his scores in combat simulations. Nathaniel is a lot like his mother was when it came to flying. He flew more by instinct than by instrument, but he always seemed to know where he is. There is little that he couldn't do behind the controls of a Marauder.

  That gave Doc a problem. He promoted his pilots by merit and ability. No one, not even he could outfly his son. Nathaniel is his best Marauder pilot and probably the best pilot Doc has ever met. "Promote Bill and Angel to Wing Commander and Vice Wing Commander. Have them help Nathaniel with planning and executing raids. He is taking over as Squadron Commander for the Reaper Squadron. Change his areas of study to tactics, strategy, sword fighting, and marksmanship," Doc instructed Natasha.

  "While we are on the subject of education, Nathaniel is becoming curious about girls his age and young women," Natasha informed Doc.

  "How curious?" Doc asked the avatar.

  "So far it hasn't progressed much beyond kissing, but he is starting to explore parts of my body with his hands while we are kissing," Natasha told Doc.

  Doc missed kissing Natasha. He almost felt envious of his son, but he had Jane. She is also very good at kissing. Nathaniel hasn't discovered the relationship between his father and Jane yet, but Doc is sure that his son is curious about why his aunt frequently spends the night with his father.

  "Complete his education tonight!" Doc instructed Natasha. Doc didn't want his son being tricked by one of the crew's young women. He is at a vulnerable age and likely to make mistakes that he will regret later. Being the captain's son and one day the captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge makes him prime marrying material and likely the most sought-after single man on the starship. Doc will have to watch his son closely.

  The next morning Doc summoned Nathaniel to his quarters. It is time to have "The Talk." His son entered his father's cabin, as ordered. He stood nervously avoiding his father's gaze. He looked everywhere but at him. "Am I here because of what I did with Natasha last night?" Nathaniel finally asked his father. His father is a hard man, but he generally treated him fairly.

  "No."

  "Then it must be about the scores in my lessons. I know that I am not doing so well in a lot of my lessons, but I am trying. It's just that they are so boring and have little or nothing to do with starfighters," Nathaniel explained to his father.

  "I know that you are trying. You are a lot like your mother. She was brilliant, but if something didn't interest her, she completely blocked it out. Tell me, what do you want to be in life?" Doc asked his son.

  "I want to be an ace starfighter pilot in the military. I want to be the best pilot with more victories than anyone else," Nathaniel told his father.

  Doc is disappointed. He had hoped that his son would want to follow in his footsteps and become the captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge. Because of Nathaniel's lack of study, he didn't know that the Alliance gave up using starfighters near the end of the 100 Years War. They still use
gunships, but those are mainly used to keep the populations of the planets that the Alliance occupies under their control. His dreams are foolish, but Doc still has hope for his son.

  "We will be arriving in the Antares star system in a few days. I want you to limit your studies to tactics, strategy, and weapon training. Forget about all of your other subjects, they don't matter.

  You are a young man now. It is time to start taking some responsibility and earning your way. You haven't been flying with the Reaper squadron long, but now I want you to take over as their squadron commander. Bill and Angel have been promoted to Wing and Vice Wing Commanders. They will help you with mission tactics and planning, but I want you to present a plan of your own to them before they help you devise a final plan," Doc told his son.

  Nathaniel had a suspicion that last night he crossed a line by doing what he and Natasha did together. His father isn't going to look at him as a child any longer. He answered, "Yes, sir. Is that all?"

  "No. I have one more thing that I need to discuss with you. During sleepovers, off of the ship, no one cares who you share your bed with. But when you are home, aboard ship, things are different. People will not respect you if you sleep around outside of a relationship. Women will be seeking you out to become the captain's wife. One day you will inherit the Queen Anne's Revenge and be its captain. They know that and will do anything, even tricking you by becoming pregnant, to become your wife. It is best to marry someone from another starship, preferably someone of equal status. Continue using Natasha's avatar for your needs, at least, until you are in a proper relationship," Doc explained to his son.

  "I think I understand. I will be careful," Nathaniel promised his father.

  "You are dismissed," Doc ended the conversation with his son.

  It had been two years since the Queen Anne's Revenge last visited Antares. Doc's raids, smuggling, and salvage operations kept him away from their home for longer than he liked, but it couldn't be helped.

  Some of the star systems that the starship visited knew what he is. They have a bounty out for his capture dead or alive preferably dead. Most of them call him the Dread Pirate Roberts after his reputation for leaving no survivors from the Alliance freighters that he captured. Other star systems, where Doc spent his money lavishly, knew about his history but didn't care. Doc revisited those star systems frequently.

  Doc's last job was a weapon delivery to a planet undergoing a civil war. The war drove up the price of weapons and armor. Doc sold every blaster, rifle, energy sword, personal shield, and set of powered armor that he collected over the last few years from the starships that he captured and salvaged. It wasn't his highest paying deal, but because he didn't have anything invested in the weapons, it was one of the most profitable ones.

  The Queen Anne's Revenge exited hyperspace in the Antares star system. They are nearly home. Doc is looking forward to a long deserved shore leave on the fourth planet of the star system. Jane agreed to spend her shore leave with him. She is looking forward to visiting the health spa and hot springs that Doc frequently bragged about. Doc also wanted to take the time to visit Captain Thornton's grave, that is, if his body was found and buried. He wants to pay his last respects by taking the time out of his vacation to piss on Thornton's grave. He owed the Alliance captain that and much more.

  "Captain, we are not alone," Jadsia announced. "At least two Alliance warships are orbiting Antares Prime."

  We are still a few days out from the planet, decelerating at 12 gees. The deceleration is consistent with what a freighter might do, and the Queen Anne's Revenge is broadcasting the super freighter Goliath's transponder codes. They have time unless the Alliance becomes suspicious of them. There is no reason that they should, but to be on the safe side, Doc told Devon, "Announce General Quarters, prepare for battle."

  Doc was violating the agreement between his family and the Alliance government, but they didn't know that. He kept meticulous records of payments, even those he never paid, to prove his loyalty to the Alliance. Coincidentally, his navigation data showed that he was working in other star systems and nowhere near any of the Alliance starships that disappeared. The only Alliance warship that could prove that he attacked an Alliance starship is the heavy cruiser Ajax. It was pure luck that they survived.

  Doc isn't worried about the crew of the Ajax reporting the fight to Alliance Command. The report would show that the Alliance military was violating the agreement that he and his father had with the Alliance government. The letter of Marque that Doc kept safe aboard his ship is signed by both the Lord Admiral and the Vice Admiral. Doc was justified in killing Captain Thornton for the assassination of his wife and attacking the Ajax. It shouldn't have been anywhere near the Antares star system.

  It took six hours for the first comm signals to reach the Queen Anne's Revenge. A recorded message filled the viewscreen. Two Alliance officers stood side by side on the viewscreen. Both men wore highly polished platinum eagles on the epaulets of their uniform shoulders. Both men have short cropped hair. It is the most common hairstyle among Alliance military officers. Doc preferred wearing his hair long in a ponytail. One of the officers spoke, "Cargo Ship Goliath, we have no records showing your ship arriving for a scheduled visit. Explain your arrival in this system."

  The Antares leaders knew that Doc used this transponder signal to conceal his true identity. The Alliance shouldn't be here, and the government isn't volunteering the Queen Anne's Revenge's true identity. Something terrible had happened in Doc's absence. He thought about letting the officers listen to static for an answer, but Devon answered, "Antares control, our apologies. An unexpected change in the cargo we were scheduled to transport has caused us to deviate from our normal trade route. We picked up a shipment of urban assault vehicles (UAVs) that our captain is sure the Antares regulars can use. We expect to be in orbit in two days."

  UAVs are a cargo that the Alliance military would be tempted to commandeer. Most likely, they will be waiting for us patiently in orbit. That, or they will be in a hurry to intercept us. Either way, we would be ready for them.

  It was a little over ten hours before we got our first reply. During that time we traveled 45 light minutes, shortening the transmission lag. The message contained a welcoming video from the Alliance, not Antares, giving us course and speed information for our approach, and local system traffic information.

  Doc ignored it. This time Devon didn't reply to the Alliance's comm messages. A ship like the Goliath couldn't afford to waste time on trivial chit-chat. Doc monitored the tactical display paying attention to the two red icons orbiting the planet. According to their transponder information, they are destroyers, the Triumphant, and the Vigilant. Both warships are newer models having lighter armor, but better and more gun turrets. They still have two forward missile tubes with their change of design and a single hangar for the captain's launch and shuttlecraft. As far as Doc knew, they only carried a few gunships, used primarily for ground assaults and troop movement.

  The Alliance sent messages at shorter intervals. Devon recorded them but didn't bother playing them back on the viewscreen. After a day and a half, the Alliance captain's gave up trying to raise communications with the Goliath and left orbit to intercept Doc's starship.

  Doc hoped that the Alliance captains would follow standard protocol. Next the captains... The Triumphant's captain appeared on the forward viewscreen and demanded, "Shut down your engines and prepare to be boarded." Doc laughed.

  Natasha took the captain's laughter as a signal to begin calculating missile trajectories and opened the launch tubes in preparation for the upcoming fight.

  "Stop decelerating and bring our speed up to .2c," Doc instructed the Natasha. The Queen Anne's Revenge stopped decelerating, rotated on its axis, and then its main engines fired at full power with a 30g accelerat
ion. No freighter or super freighter could do that.

  Doc thought, whoever the sensor operators aboard the destroyers are, they needed retraining, that or the Alliance captains both ignored their reports and didn't care. Either way, it works to Doc's advantage. He is accelerating towards the Alliance warships at over twice the rate of acceleration that any civilian starship could possibly do.

  Their initial engagement would only last for a couple of minutes before the starships would have to turn and accelerate back towards each other. Hopefully, that is all the time Doc needs to disable the destroyers. They are equally matched, but Doc has the element of surprise. He also intends to attack before the Alliance captains figured out that they are being duped.

  "Launch the Nighthawks, and have the Reapers standby," Doc ordered Devon. The scramble siren sounded throughout the starship, and the pilots raced to their starfighters. As soon as they reported in, Natasha depressurized the shuttle bay and opened the hangar doors. The Nighthawk pilots launched their starfighters and headed to intercept the Alliance destroyers.

  The goal of the Marauder squadron is to take out as many of the destroyer's defenses as possible while the Queen Anne's Revenge pounded them with her weapons.

  The three warships closed to missile range, Natasha fired a full salvo of missiles then fired the reverse thrusters at full power to slow the cruiser. It isn't as effective as using the main engines, but she needs to keep the missile tubes on target for the next salvo.

  The Alliance destroyers returned fire, launching four missiles of their own at Doc's starship. Now they realize what they are up against, but it is too late. The Alliance capital ships fired their gun turrets at the Marauders, but they are too small and too fast for the gunners to track. The Nighthawks concentrated their weapon fire on the destroyers gun turrets and PDC arrays.

  The destroyers managed to either spoof or shoot down the incoming missiles. The Queen Anne's Revenge isn't as lucky. The cruisers ECM and PDC engaged the Alliance missiles. Two missiles lost their tracking and flew off course into empty space. The ship's PDC engaged the remaining two rockets. One of them was destroyed, the last missile got past the Queen Anne's Revenge's defenses and detonated amidships.