The Star Traders: The Star Traders Series Volume One

by Gary W. Feather

  "And what is this all about a shootout with you and some crazy fake cop?" Lynna asked.

  Erica sighed and told them everything she knew about what was going on and what had happened.

  "Wow! You've had an adventure. To say the least," Lynna said.

  Erica saw Mindy and Jessica enter the sickbay.

  "What's going on?" Jessica demanded.

  "Yeah," Mindy added.

  Erica shrugged her shoulders. She went ahead and told the story a second time.

  "Wow," Jessica said.

  "So romantic!" Mindy smiled.

  "Romantic?" Tilly said. "Are you nuts?"

  "No. It's romantic." Mindy frowned. "She's in love. The love of her life has been captured by evil thugs. Now she must rescue her."

  "Oh crap!" Tilly said. "Don't give her any ideas."

  "I already have them." Erica sighed.

  "You're nuts too." Tilly grimaced.

  "Yes. Even dumb too." Erica smiled.

  "Can I help?" Mindy pleaded.

  "Me too," Jessica added.

  "What?" Erica said with a stern look.

  "Well, just as well add me too," Lynna said.

  "You're all nuts!" Tilly glowed with arms akimbo.

  "Who's nuts?" Keiko walked into the sickbay to check on Erica after her shift ended.

  Erica sighed and told the story a third time. Then she added what Mindy started.

  "Hmmm." Keiko nodded. "I'm going too."

  "Of course." Tilly shook her head.

  "But shouldn't we tell your mothers, Erica?" Keiko asked.

  "Please don't tell them," Erica begged.

  "Okay." Keiko said. "I don't like it, but okay."

  Erica grinned.

  Then Keiko raised a finger to add, "As long as you wait for me to gather some security people to go with us."

  "I guess so." Erica nodded. "It probably won't be easy to find her."

  Tilly told them to go away.

  "So I really do need time to rest?" Erica asked her nurse.

  "Yes. Doctor's orders."

  "Okay," Erica lied. She had also lied about her not knowing where Martha was. Earlier Erica had put a tracker in Martha's hair without her knowing about it. It was small enough to attach to a lock of hair. It should still be on there.

  As Tilly turned to walk away Erica reached for her tablet. Tilly had kindly removed it from her jacket when she taken the jacket off of Erica. Erica turned it on. She brought up a local map app. A line from her current location appeared. It led straight to a building where the bad guys had Martha. It gave directions and different suggestions on the fastest ways to get there. Luckily when Daughter went into orbit around the planet Caroline, Captain Williams was permitted to leave a satellite in orbit. Actually they sort of rented an area in orbit. A good idea considering the trouble they had the last time they were on Caroline. Erica looked them over and made her choice.

  "I hope this works."

  #

  Erica took an elevator down to cargo deck one. She brought up the info on her status as a security officer-apprentice. It said she wasn't on probation and she was scheduled to start work in four hours. Okay I can do this. Borrow a hovercar. Get to the building. Save Martha get back in time for work. No problem. Yeah right.

  Erica had no trouble borrowing a hovercar. It was a smaller one than what they had borrowed for Jessica's welcome home party. Erica hopped in and dropped her heavy backpack on the passenger seat. Off we go. Erica glanced at the backpack. I hope that's enough firepower. I should have grabbed a armored vest, but the helmet will have to do.

  Erica got a call as she was pulling away from the spaceport security checkpoint. It was Keiko.

  "Erica! Damn it! You promised you would wait!"

  "Sorry, cuz!"

  "You stop and wait for us, Erica," Keiko told her. "We're ready to go. I got everyone ready to go. Lynna, Tilly, Mindy, and Jessica. Along with Hilde, Pip, and Amy from security."

  "Really?" Erica asked.

  "Yes," Keiko pleaded. "We're ready to go, just wait for us. We got major weapons and armor to bring to the fight."

  "Okay. Okay." Erica swung her hovercar to the right to park. "I'll wait."

  "Thank you, Erica."

  "You’re welcome." Erica replied. "By the way, did you bring some extra armored vest that I could wear?"

  "Yes, and a helmet." Keiko snickered.

  "I have a helmet and plenty of guns. See you soon, cuz." Erica laughed.

  #

  Two hovercars parked near Erica's hovercar. Keiko hopped out of the passenger seat of one. She had on a helmet and an armored vest. Keiko slid into the passenger's seat of Erica's hovercar. She had an extra armored vest in her hands.

  "Push it, cuz!" Keiko yelled.

  Erica took off with two hovercars full of cousins behind her. Alright you damn assassins. My family is coming for you! Erica handed Keiko her tablet, which showed where Martha was being held. Keiko sent it to her tablet. Then she emailed it to the rest of the family's tablets in the other hovercars.

  "Shit! We're being blocked!" Keiko warned. "I don't have a signal!"

  Erica hit the steering wheel. "Damn it!"

  "Mindy says she's working on it," Keiko said.

  "Come on, Mindy," Erica whispered like a prayer. "You're the best hack in the family."

  Erica turned a corner.

  "She did it."

  "Thank Goddess."

  "Turn left right there." Keiko pointed. "Half a mile straight."

  "Gotcha."

  "And I'm the most experienced woman here in these kind of situations," Keiko said. "So I'm in charge. Right?"

  "Right, boss." Erica nodded with a grin.

  Finally they went through a neighborhood full of warehouses. Most looked empty, including the one that had Martha inside it. At least according to what the tracker signal was telling them. Keiko decided to park the hovercars a few blocks down.

  Everyone got out of the hovercars and Keiko waved for their attention.

  "Listen up!" she announced. "These kidnappers are trained assassins from what I've been told. They have kidnapped Martha Clarke, and we could have a hostage situation once we go in. Tilly, you’re here because you're a nurse. Mindy, you're here because of your computer skills. Jessica, you're here because of your engineering skills. I don't expect you to be in the line of fire and shooting. Mostly try stay down. Got that?"

  The three non-security women nodded with a look of disappointment.

  "Good." Keiko nodded. "Now Jessica what are options in getting into the building without them seeing us before it's too late?"

  Jessica tapped on her tablet for a while before looking up.

  "If everyone would look at your tablet." Jessica glanced up for a brief second. "Main entrance is here. Back entrance is here. Fire escape ladder for the second floor is here. The second floor is more of an attic, added on a decade after the building was first completed. I'm not getting any indications of life signs in the second floor. That might be the best way to go."

  Erica knew that Jessica was able to access the satellite that Daughter had put into orbit around the planet. Caroline's own civilian satellite wouldn't be able to see people inside of a building, though their military satellites could. Even still, Daughter's satellite was constructed by a Yin Confederation company called Erwin Industries, Inc. Basically a six-year-old former military model. Caroline is fairly primitive.

  "Did you check for any bombs?" Keiko asked.

  "Bombs?" Jessica glanced up. "Crap!"

  Jessica went back to her tablet. Erica rolled her eyes at her sister.

  "Oh," Jessica replied. "There's one by the door. The fire escape door."

  "Inside or outside?" Keiko asked.

  "Inside."

  "Thank you, Jessica." Keiko stepped forward and pinched Jessica's nose. Everyone laughed, including Jessica.

  "Oh."

  "Everyone pull down your goggles. Check to see if your infrared is on. Can everyone see? Great." Keiko
signaled. "Hilde you're on point."

  "Right, boss."

  "Move out." Keiko waved them forward.

  Erica followed Hilde.

  "Right, boss," Erica said.

  CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE

  Saving Martha and the Consequences

  Keiko opened the door of the fire escape slowly. Very slowly. She was the most experienced at bomb disposal among their group. Erica watched from the fire escape ladder. The rest of the group was underneath Erica on the ladder or waiting under the ladder.

  "Looks like a mine," Keiko whispered.

  "Is this box big enough for it?" Erica held a bomb disposal box. Just slip the bomb inside, close, and latch. Keiko said it could take a lot. Erica wasn't sure what that was, but didn't really want to find out at the moment by an actual explosion. She could read about it later.

  "Yes." Keiko held a scanner to the mine. "Hush."

  Keiko looked at the scanner for several minutes and then back at the mine. She sighed. She glanced back at Erica and looked at the scanner again. Keiko waved for the box. Erica placed it carefully beside Keiko, who opened the box. She lifted the mine. Erica wiped sweat out of her eyes. Keiko twisted at the waist to bring the mine over to the box. Erica licked sweat off of her upper lip. Keiko lowered the mine. She shut the lid. Latched it.

  Erica sighed. Keiko handed the box to Erica. Erica handed it down to Hilde. Hilde handed to Amy. Amy handed it down to Pip. Pip walked away from everyone and set it down. Pip returned to the ladder below Amy.

  "Follow me, everyone," Keiko whispered.

  Erica relayed it down the line. Jessica was the last to come up the ladder.

  "As soon as Mindy turns off the cameras and sensors, they will know something is wrong. So remember what I told you," Keiko said, "when the shooting starts, things could get real crazy, so stay in your group. Amy, Pip, Lynna, and Mindy follow me. Hilde, Tilly, and Jessica follow Erica."

  "Okay." Keiko motioned to Mindy. "Do it."

  Mindy tapped her tablet. "Done."

  Erica gripped her blaster rifle. The rifle felt wet and slick in her hands. Probably from the gallons that I'm sweating out my pores. Erica had a grenade in a pocket of her armored vest. Keiko had five. Can we do this? We're not military. Certainly not special ops. She felt her heart beating like an old fashion machine-gun. Erica breathed in and blew out the frustration.

  Keiko opened the door. She led her group in first. Erica and her group followed. Keiko went east. Erica wandered west. Martha was west, or at least that was what the satellite said.

  For some reason, the warehouse smelled like violets. Focus, girl! Focus!

  Erica crouched behind some barrels with her group behind her. "Jessica, where is Martha?"

  "Near." Jessica was focusing deeply on her tablet. "F-fifteen meters on the other side of that barrel." She pointed. Her hand was shaking. Erica took her younger sister's hand.

  "Just stick with me," Erica whispered. "It will be okay. Just breathe."

  Jessica grinned. She nodded. She held the tablet to her chest and breathed in and out for a bit. Then she nodded again. Tilly patted her on the shoulder. Tilly had a blaster handgun in her right hand. Hilde had a blaster rifle. There was an explosion toward the east. This was followed by four more explosions.

  Erica gestured for her group to follow. They ran around the barrels toward a metal room with a door. It was obviously a makeshift cage for a prisoners. Most likely Martha. As they ran across the open space towards the cage the door opened. A girl with blue hair walked outside with a blaster rifle in her hands. She fired at them.

  Erica heard a scream behind her. It sounded like Jessica. Erica fired. Somebody else behind Erica fired their blaster. Blue girl went down.

  "Stop shooting, Tilly!"

  Erica glanced back to see Tilly run past her. Tilly fired upon the corpse a dozen times.

  "Tilly, stop it!" Erica snapped.

  Tilly lowered the blaster. She ran back to where Jessica had fallen.

  "Jessica!" Erica screamed.

  "Hey out there!" someone called from the cage.

  Erica could almost make out someone inside the cage or room. Whatever you wanted to call it.

  "That explosion you heard was probably the death of the rest of your friends," Erica shouted. "Surrender! Hand over Martha. We'll let the rest of you go."

  "That's nice of you, dear,” the woman yelled back. "But we would like to negotiate for a better option."

  Goddess! Goddess! What am I going to do? Is Jessica dying? Can Tilly look after Jessica or has she gone nuts? O merciful Buddha!

  Erica sat there frozen and wondering what to do.

  "Is she okay?" Erica looked back at Hilde and Tilly for an answer.

  "What?" Hilde was trying to stop Jessica from bleeding.

  "Tilly! Tilly! Snap out of it! Jessica needs you."

  Tilly blinked her eyes. "Oh my Goddess!" Tilly grabbed her med bag.

  "Hilde, get over here."

  "Okay." Hilde crawled over to Erica.

  Erica was looking at her tablet. "I think this is Martha." Erica pointed.

  Hilde watched.

  "Where back." Erica heard Keiko say. "How ar—Jessica? Oh shit."

  "Keiko, I need your help," Erica said. "We've got a hostage situation."

  "Damn." Keiko waved over Amy and Pip.

  "Mindy, can you get those lights? Turn them off," Erica whispered.

  "I've tried," Mindy replied. "For some reason it was easier to turn off the cameras and sensors. I tried to cut off the electricity, but nothing happened."

  "Damn," Keiko said. "You might have to do it manually."

  "I would have to be able to find the power box," Mindy said.

  "Well."

  "What?"

  "Why can't you?"

  "I'm scared, Erica." Mindy cried quietly. "Jessica might be dying."

  "Then she needs you to find it right now, Mindy." Erica reached out and held Mindy's chin in her hand. "Please. Please, Mindy."

  Mindy nodded. She choked up her tears and went back to her tablet.

  "Found it,” she said a few minutes later.

  "Amy, go with her," Keiko ordered. The two women took off to get to the power box.

  Erica peered at her tablet. "She's still alive."

  "Jessica is stable now," Tilly said. "But I need to get her back to Daughter."

  Erica nodded. "Almost ready."

  Keiko, Hilde, and Pip acknowledged the comment. The four of them held up their blaster rifles.

  The lights went out, but Erica and her cousins could see with their infrared goggles. Erica started to lead the way into the room, but one of the assassins inside tackled Erica somehow. It was a major surprise to her. Erica hadn't thought that either of bad guys inside could see in the dark. Or at least enough to run out and attack her.

  Erica's rifle was gone. She felt a knife slash her face. Erica wrapped her legs around her attacker's body. She saw with her goggles her enemy. Erica reached out for the knife arm with both hands. She caught. Her attacker pounded her in the ribs. Then she slammed an elbow into Erica's neck. Erica held on to the arm. She pulled her enemy down closer to her. This might keep her from striking. Erica felt around with her mouth. She found an ear and bit it. The girl screamed. Erica flipped her over.

  I'm on top now. Erica pushed down with an elbow as she still held on to the knife arm. Erica kneed her attacker in the ribs a couple of times to loosen her up. Her attacker dropped her knife and slipped out of Erica's grip. She kicked her in the chest and reached behind her back. Erica saw the gun coming out. She fired at Erica and missed. Erica reached for the blaster in her jacket. The one Martha had given her. The other woman must have seen where Erica was from the light the blaster shot gave off. She opened fire.

  "Erica, are you okay?" Mindy screamed.

  "Yes. I'm fine." Erica was breathing hard. "Martha!"

  Erica jumped up. She ran. Inside she found Keiko, Pip, and Hilde. There was a dead body. Martha was leaning on Ke
iko.

  "Martha!"

  "Erica!"

  They hugged. They kissed.

  #

  "You idiots are lucky that she's still alive!" Captain Alberta Williams screamed at the top of her lungs.

  Erica, Keiko, Hilde, Amy, Pip, Lynna, Tilly, and Mindy all stood facing both of Erica's mothers and her aunt Janet Williams the XO.

  Goddess, I wish I'd died back there. Erica cringed.

  "You are on suspension,” the captain snapped. "You are confined to the ship until further notice. Is that understood?"

  "Yes, captain!" they all replied.

  Captain Alberta Williams turned to Martha Clarke. "And you! Whoever wants you dead probably wants them"—she pointed at Erica and her cousins—"and maybe my whole family dead from what those idiots did for you. So it might be in my family’s interests to keep you alive and close by."

  "I get to stay on your ship?" Martha smiled. "Uh, captain?"

  "Yes," Captain Williams replied, “but don't think this will be a pleasure cruise. We'll find you plenty of jobs to do here and there on Daughter and later Guinevere when we rendezvous with her. Right Janet?"

  "Yes, captain." Janet smiled. "I can think of a number of chores."

  Martha stopped smiling.

  #

  Erica stumbled into her room that she shared with Tilly Zhou. Tilly wasn't there. Erica flopped into a couch. What should I have done differently? She stared at the ceiling. Things are going to be a lot worse for me on his damn ship. Erica cursed out loud. She had just been in sickbay checking on her sister. Jessica was doing better and would make a full recovery. I talked my little sister into going with me and she nearly died from a blaster wound.

  Buzz! Buzz!

  Someone at the door. Erica got up.

  "Computer, open the door."

  Piper William walked into the room. Erica looked at the floor. The carpet was blue. She felt her mother's hands on her shoulders.

  "Look at me."

  Erica slowly obeyed. This was her mother. O-female mother. Birth mother. She who gave birth to her and Jessica. The chief of security.

  "What is wrong with you?" Mother Piper shook Erica violently. "You almost got her killed! You almost got yourself killed! You almost got your cousins killed! For what? For what?"

  Her mother had stopped shaking her. She was crying. Erica found herself crying too. What do I say? I'm sorry. I was an idiot! I won't do it again.