Startled, Billy’s head snapped towards the engineer. “I think we have a ship at the edge of our sensor range. I was just going to run an active scan to confirm. You know, sometimes sensor accuracy ain’t that great at the edge of the envelope.”
Sparky stood up and stepped over to the pilot station. “Negative. Do not run an active scan.” He studied the tactical display and opened two more screens. “If that’s prey, you might alert them to our presence. You’re not a merchant spacer anymore, we’re not trying to handshake with any ships that aren’t ours.”
Billy sighed. Piracy was still new to him. He needed to unlearn many of the procedures he was accustomed to as a standard to a commercial pilot. This might take time, those procedures were thoroughly drilled into him.
Sparky continued to manipulate the two holo-screens at once. “We only use active sensors in battle or when we know they’ve already been tipped off to our presence. You might be surprised how inattentive some bridge crews are. Sometimes we can slide right in and not be noticed until we’re in visual range. But you can’t count on that. Some out there keep a close eye on their screens, some of them even have specialized AIs that will do the job for them.”
Billy nodded. “Sorry, it seems I have a hell of a lot to learn about being a pirate.”
Sparky laughed. “No worries. Very few of us are born pirates… Digg, maybe. Yeah, I’m pretty sure he was born a pirate.” They both laughed.
“No harm done though,” Sparky offered.
“What exactly are you doing?” Billy asked.
“You see, I have a rather extensive bag of tricks. There’s more than one way to check out a ship. Many people just want to ping the hell out of space, not caring that it paints a huge target on their hulls. Me? I take a more pragmatic tack.”
Sparky finished manipulating his screens and with the wave of his hand sent the data to Billy’s tactical screen. The generic Imperial cargo ship icon morphed into a Commerce class bulk freighter, and was now giving particular stats for that ship.
Billy looked confused. “How the hell did you do that with no active ping?”
Sparky smirked. “Trade secret, boy-o. Maybe someday I’ll show you.”
Billy found a new respect for the chief engineer. The data Sparky was able to provide without a ping flew in the face of everything Billy thought possible about sensor diagnostics. As a pilot, he thought he understood the theory and practice of the technology modern starships used.
“Command staff to the bridge, please,” Sparky said into his comm.
Moments later Captain Lex strode onto the bridge. “Report.”
“Our new pilot here has an eagle eye,” Sparky said slapping Billy hard on the back. “Looks like he’s found us some prey.”
Lex’s steely gaze fell upon Billy. He thought he saw the hint of a smile not quite growing, then fading into his stone mask.
“Very good, Billy,” Lex said. He turned to Sparky. “Escorts?”
Sparky shook his head. “Negative, Captain. None yet, but we’re on the edge of sensor range. I have a few scans running and we’ll see if anything else pops up.”
Captain Lex sat down in his command chair, pulling up several of his own screens. “Billy, let’s change our heading. Put us on a parallel course, but keep us in their oblique.”
“Aye, Captain,” Billy said, manipulating his flight controls.
Quartermaster Reznik and Boomer entered the bridge. They each studied the tactical display that now hung in the center of the bridge. Boomer stepped onto the circular dais that housed the weapons console. She brought up diagnostics and ammo count screens in smooth easy motions.
Reznik approached Sparky. “Additional contacts?” the quartermaster asked.
“Not yet. We’ve got our eyes open,” Sparky replied.
Reznik nodded. At least, that’s what it looked like to Billy. The gesture was off time. It didn’t look at all natural, but instead it made Billy want to laugh, it looked so absurd. Billy caught smirks from some the other bridge crew too. It seemed he wasn’t the only one that thought the movement strange.
Bosun Shred bolted through the door. Billy got the impression he’d been sleeping. His hair was wild and his eyes darted about. Billy suppressed another chuckle. It reminded him of waking up late for his watch and rushing in hoping no one would notice.
“This is the real deal? Not a sensor echo this time?” Shred asked to no one in particular.
Sparky addressed him without taking his eyes off his screens. “Yep. She’s real enough. And no escorts, at least none yet.”
Shred turned to the captain. Lex was scrolling through a holo-screen. So the bosun waited, not wanting to interrupt.
Lex finished what he was doing and turned to Shred. “Prepare your strikers for battle.”
Shred smiled. “Aye Captain,” he said then turned and bolted out the door.
Lex opened a comm channel to his captains. He stood from his chair and moved toward the holographic tactical map. Captain Frisbee’s hologram appeared next to him. Then Captain Fitz shimmered into view, and a few moments later Captain Grizz joined the circle around the tactical map.
Lex looked around at his captains. “We have a target. And for the moment it would seem she is without an escort,” he said, zooming the map onto their prey.
“Captain Frisbee.”
The salty old captain turned to face him. “At your service, sir.”
“As usual, the Doxy will hang back and await our call. If everything goes to hell, turn and run.” Lex looked at each of his captains. “If we’re separated, we’ll meet back at Free Port.”
Lex looked at Fitz and Grizz. He manipulated the map to show their ships. “Bane will move in on their portside.” He looked at Grizz. “I want you to take the Inferno high above her on her Y axis and get ready to swoop down.” The 3D map showed their ships moving, leaving behind dotted lines. Lex turned his attention to Fitz. “I want you to take the Carpathian and get on her six, but stay well below the XZ plane. You are our backup. Also, keep your eyes on the long range sensors just in case.”
“Once engaged, try not to cause extensive damage. I would love to have another cargo ship in our fleet,” Lex said, zooming back in on the cargo ship. “As soon as we’re able, the Bane will mate airlocks on the portside, the Inferno on the starboard side.”
The map updated the ships’ positions to show the cargo ship being sandwiched by the Bane and the Inferno. “When we breach, send in the trackers. Once in, the strikers must check their fire. We have a skilled surgeon on board now, but I’d be happy if he sees no patients.”
Grizz cleared his throat. “Captain, if I may?”
Lex nodded his approval. Grizz grabbed the map with both hands and wiped off Lex’s track lines. “I think a more direct approach is warranted here.” The pirate ships shifted to three abreast, with Doxy hanging in the rear. “I think we should charge straight in. Show them an overwhelming show of force.” On the map the three ships moving rapidly to the target in a straight line. “Now, for overwatch we could have Doxy on the high Y.”
Captain Frisbee frowned. His white handlebar mustache curled in on his chin. “Captain Grizz, you understand that the Doxy is lightly armed. Putting us on overwatch is like posting a sentry with a slingshot.”
Grizz’s features darkened. “Do you fear battle, sir?”
Frisbee’s frown grew deeper. “Are you calling me a coward? That’s an easy thing to say as you are burrowed deep inside an assault frigate. My ship is a commercial cargo freighter, my guns are so light I can barely call them point defense weapons,” he said, bristling.
Lex put his hands up to quiet them. “Silence,” he said, giving Grizz a stern look. “Captain Grizz, I appreciate your input, however we want this ship intact. And Captain Frisbee is right. His ship is not meant for battle.”
Grizz scowled. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue.
“Captain Frisbee is no coward. He is a vital piece of t
his team. I’ll thank you not to question his courage.”
Grizz grunted his compliance, only briefly meeting Lex’s eyes.
Lex turned his head towards Sparky. “Anything to report?”
Sparky was working on several different screens while his hands moved in a blur.
“There are no other contacts in range. I’m probing her data firewalls right now. I’ve not sliced in yet, but I can tell you she is a corporate freighter called the Shelton. Her Captain is Thomas Smythe, and she has a crew of twelve.”
Billy’s head snapped towards Sparky. “How the bloody hell can you tell that from here?” he hissed.
Sparky focused on Billy for a fraction of a second with smiling eyes. “Bag of tricks, mate.”
Lex looked around at his captains. “You have your orders.”
Each of them nodded and their holograms dissolved.
“Billy, take us in,” Lex said, settling into his chair.
“Aye, Captain,” Billy replied.
“Incoming transmission,” said Bane and its baritone voice.
Lex sat up at his chair. Sparky glanced at his captain, shaking his head to indicate he had not cracked the Shelton’s firewalls.
A large holo-screen opened in the center of the bridge. It showed an imperious looking man with steel gray hair glowering into the camera.
“This is Captain Thomas Smythe of the commercial cargo ship Shelton. Despite your efforts, I have detected both your ships.”
Sparky and Boomer shared a smile.
“Neither one of you are running with active transponders. May I remind you, that is against the law. I advise you to turn on your transponders and reply to me at once.”
Sparky chuckled. “He sure is cheeky.”
Lex opened a holo-screen and toggled the reply. “I am Captain Lex of the Hell’s Bane. You will cut thrust and prepare to be boarded.”
“You bloody bastard. I most certainly will not, in fact…” Captain Smythe was cut off in midsentence when his first officer, Will Claybourne walked up behind him and delivered a solid blow to the Captain’s head with a metal deck stanchion. Blood flew across the bridge in a wide arc as the captain fell to the deck.
The Bane’s bridge collectively stared in shock. They exchanged glances and turned their attention back to the screen when cheers erupted from the Shelton’s bridge crew.
Sparky guffawed. “Now that’s cheeky.”
The attacker stepped into frame. He was tall and lanky with dirty blonde hair and a facial scar. “Captain Lex, I am First Officer Will Claybourne. I wish to surrender the Shelton to you.” He looked around at his bridge crew with a wide grin. “And, I believe I speak for the whole crew when I ask if we may join you?”
Captain Lex looked over to Quartermaster Reznik, who simply shrugged. “Mr. Claybourne, how many on your crew?” The captain wanted check this man’s truthfulness. There was no reason anyone on the Shelton would know that they already knew their head count.
“Twelve souls aboard, Captain. We were bound for the East Star colony with medical equipment, machinery, and foodstuffs.”
Lex nodded. “Mr. Claybourne, I want you and your entire crew, including your former captain, waiting at the port airlock. Bring no weapons and have your hands up when the airlock doors open.”
Will Claybourne smiled. “Aye, Captain.” The holo-screen blinked out.
“This Captain Smythe must have been one hell of a tyrant,” Boomer said.
“Indeed,” Lex replied.
“The Shelton is coming to a complete stop. And someone aboard just granted me full access to her database,” Sparky reported.
“Bosun Shred. Have you been monitoring?” Lex asked.
“Yes, Captain. You gotta love it when these arsehole merchant captains do half our job for us,”
he said with a snicker.
“Proceed with caution. It might be a trick. Go in guns up, but do not fire unless you see a weapon. I want this ship and her cargo intact.”
***
“Affirmative, Captain. Will comply,” Shred said into his comm, then turned to his strikers.“Okey-dokey, you heard the man, no shooting unless they show a weapon.”
Digg frowned deeply. “How do we know this isn’t a trap?”
Hack nodded, then added, “Yeah, fake surrender is not unheard of.”
Shred looked at each of them. “Didn’t you hear my conversation with captain? One more time. We go in guns up, and shoot anyone that resists.” The strikers acknowledged, but were unconvinced.
“Did you see their first officer brain his captain with a metal bar? Did you hear the bridge crew cheer when he done it?” Shred added.
Digg and Hack exchanged a glance and shrugged.
“We should have eleven people standing with their hands up, and the captain lying on the floor.” The bosun said.
Bosun Shred, and five strikers stood in the airlock. There was a gentle bump as the ships prepared to mate docking collars. The strikers were full of nervous energy. They bounced from foot to foot, flexed their muscles, and rolled their heads. Their custom-made power armor showed signs of hard use. Digg thought about shooting up a stim. He decided against it. I’d better wait till shots are fired.
Bosun shred cleared his throat. “All right, engage your nano-cloaks.” Their power armor shimmered then quickly morphed into three undead skeletons, a Cthulhu without wings, a circus clown with a wicked smile, and a gorilla wearing chest armor.
The frame around the airlock pulsed with red lights. Everyone’s ears popped as the atmosphere equalized with the other ship’s. The lights turned solid green, and Shred slammed the release with his fist. The door hissed quickly open.
True to their word, the crew of the Shelton stood with their hands up, most of them grinning. Six ungodly creatures surged from the airlock. The crewmembers all took an involuntary step backwards, their eyes widening like saucers.
“Everyone keep your hands up and hold still while we scan you,” Bosun Shred said in an inhumanly enhanced voice.
Three seekers shot out from the Bane and circled the crew, then split up, each shooting down a different corridor.
The captain began to stir. He lay in a pool of his own blood. He brought himself up on one elbow, and felt the back of his head with his other hand. “This is mutiny,” he growled. “I’ll see you all hung in New Trafalgar Square with the rest of the reprobates, and…”
Will kicked him hard in the chest. The captain flopped onto his back, gasping for air.
Will looked at the strikers, his hands still in the air. “Permission to put this dirty old, piss pot dictator out of the starboard airlock.”
The strikers all cackled in their subhuman voices. Bosun Shred waved at his comm. “Captain, did you copy that request from the first officer?”
Captain Lex’s frown broke. He guffawed. “Permission granted, have Digg and Hack escort him. Sparky reports the seekers have found no other crew members, and the cargo is as he described.”
“Mr. Claybourne,” The bosun said. “You may space him.”
Will grinned maniacally. The captain started to fuss, and was quickly silenced by Will’s fist to his mouth. The captain groaned and stayed silent.
Shred gestured to Hack and Digg to follow Will and his captain to the starboard airlock.
“Anyone want their licks before he breathes vacuum?” Claybourne asked.
The ships medic, May Suzuki, a petite girl, swiftly approached the captain and kicked him in the mouth. Teeth and blood sprayed out. “You filthy swine.” She bent down and put her finger in his face. “You had this coming.” Then she spit in his face.
Digg smiled to himself. Frontier justice, at its finest.
A few others added abuse. The captain groaned, but said nothing. Will grabbed him by the shoulders and started dragging him. He left a trail of blood behind him.
Digg and Hack fell in line, escorting the captain and first officer down the corridor. Shred would have watched their signals blink out on comms as the
y switched to a private channel. Digg didn’t care.
“Get a load of this guy,” Digg chuckled. “I think we should talk to Reznik about making him a striker.”
Will dragged his ex-captain into the airlock, and kicked him in the stomach one more time for good measure. Smythe sputtered and coughed up blood. With great effort, he got to his feet and pressed the comm button. “Will, please... I have a family.”
“Do you now? Well, my family are my crewmates. And you’ve been a right bastard to them, and me.”
Will sneered, his hand slowly headed for the outer door release.
“For the love of God, Will... Please, I beg you,” Smythe said as he sank to his knees, his hands clasped together.
Will smiled madly. “This is how you die. On your knees.”
The captain’s screams were muted as the air evacuated and he was blown into space. Will turned to face the strikers. He was gleeful. He reached out and grabbed Digg’s hand, shaking it firmly. “Thank you, thank you so much. I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to do that.”
Will released his grip. Digg gestured back towards the other airlock. “Think nothing of it,” he said in his suit’s modified voice.
Digg and Hack spoke again on their private comm as they strode back to the port airlock.
“Yeah, we definitely need to get this guy,” Hack said.
“You know, he looks familiar to me,” Digg mused.
“Yeah, I was thinking he could be the brother of our new pilot, Billy.”
Digg snapped his fingers. “That’s who he reminds me of. A bit taller perhaps, his hair is lighter, and that scar on his cheek makes me think he’s seen some action.”
The Shelton’s crew stood waiting. Shred let them lower their hands. Will cackled as he rejoined the group. He pumped his fist in victory. “It’s done. He’s unsuccessfully trying to breathe vacuum at this moment.”
Boomer and Reznik emerged from the airlock. Reznik took an appraising view of his new crewmates. “I am Quartermaster Reznik. Please follow me.”
Most of the Shelton’s crew looked relieved or excited. Nobody was scared or frightened in any way.
Digg and Hack turned off their nano cloaks and opened their helmets. “That’s a first. I’ve never seen an entire crew gladly join pirates.”
We Happy Few: The Leviathan Universe 2138 Page 12