“Really? Where?” Alberta looked at her map screen and then turned to a data screen.
“Its gone now.” Fiona shook her head in frustration. She whispered to her two sensor techs. “Working on it.”
“Maybe I should be in Security Central, captain.” Piper said and stood up. “Keep me posted.”
“Of course, Piper.” Alberta nodded and watched her leave. Alberta turned back to her screens.
“They’ve launched grappling hooks!” Fiona yelled.
#
Unlike before there was no shudder when the hooks struck and sunk in, because the shields blocked them.
“Lock on and fire an aft missile, Tiffany!” Alberta squeezed her fists.
“Missile away, captain!” Tiffany shook her fist in open excitement.
This shot was fired when the enemy was right behind them. The pirate fired a laser that hit the missile and it exploded. An electrical shock wave slammed into the pirate ship. The missile had been an EMP that’d damaged their power circuits or at least for a little while.
“Flip us around, Donna.” Alberta ordered her pilot.
“Yes, captain!” Donna replied and charged at her controls.
Alberta watched the map screen, which showed an image of the rocketship Daughter as she flipped. Instead of turning the rocketship flipped over with the bow ending up where the stern had been. She now had the pirate ship in the sights of all their missiles and their laser. A captain rarely got her ship close enough to an enemy ship to fire their lasers, usually they were so far away that you could only fire your long distance missiles at them.
“Tiffany, fire the laser!”
“Yes, captain!” Tiffany screamed. To Alberta it almost sounded like a lover was pushing her into an impressive orgasm.
Alberta’s map screen showed the laser slice across the pirate ship’s bow. Alberta could see air releasing from the ship and an object that might have been a human being. I don’t like having kill them, but they’re pirates. The lowest of human scum. The things that they would have done to us and our children is hard to imagine. The pirate ship slowly turned away. They were trying to escape.
“Fire the laser across their side, Tiffany.” Alberta ordered and forced away any thoughts of mercy.
The laser sliced across the side of the fleeing pirate ship. The heartless laser burned through without mercy. It killed all it touched and then the pirate ship exploded. A cheer rose up on the bridge. Alberta herself was standing for the cheer a few seconds. She quickly stopped and sat. A captain must have dignity. That’s what mother always said.
“Well done, everyone.” Alberta said and adjusted her visual and data screens.
#
The had been sent their first info dump from the nearest buoy while the battle was going on. Alberta smiled at that and check the local market info. Hopefully this will calm me down. Just working on the usual stuff. Alberta used a visual screen to make a message for the local authorities about what had just happened. She sent it to her communications chief Agatha Gee.
“Agatha, send them our standard recordings of the battle and how it started along with this message.”
“Yes, captain.” Agatha nodded. “Will do.”
“Okay, Donna. Let’s get out of here.” Alberta ordered her pilot.
“Yes, captain.” Donna nodded.
Alberta noticed Linda was crying. “Are you okay, Linda?”
“I saw bodies. We killed them.” Linda tried wiped away her tears.
“I’m sorry you had to see that, Linda.” Alberta walked up to the seated co-pilot. “We had no choice.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’m being such a baby.” Linda turned away. Alberta could see the young woman was partly in shock.
“Its okay, Linda.” Alberta pulled her out of her seat and hugged her. “Why don’t you go to sickbay and talk with a counselor there.”
“Bu-”
“No. It’s okay.”
“I can take care of things, while your gone, Linda.” Donna told her co-pilot. “It’ll be fine.”
“Alright.” Linda wiped away more tears and Alberta walked with her to the elevator doors.
Alberta came back to her command chair and called her sister Doctor Amy Menendez and told her about Linda. Amy promised to get her some help and was sure she’d be fine for duty later. Linda was the youngest member of Alberta’s second shift bridge crew and she’d gone through a number of terrible battles recently. That’d tax any young lady just starting out.
Soon they received a second info dump from a second buoy. Alberta found that she had a message sent for her. What could this be?
It was from a man named Jacob Musashi. He said he was an old friend of her daughter Erica. He had trained her in martial arts at the Buddhist monastery that Erica had once lived at. He wanted to meet her at the spacestation and would get in touch with her later. Interesting.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDREDTWENTY-TWO
Jacob Musashi
Alberta had agreed to meet Jacob Musashi at a tea shop on the main spacestation that orbiting the Oki planet Yorichika. Piper demanded to come along and brought two security women for extra protection. They journeyed through the crowded marketplaces of the spacestation where many things were for sale, though this deck was obviously one meant for families. No pornography or prostitutes for sale here. They stopped at the little shop that only had seven table inside for its customers. There were only two customers there drinking tea and eating a snake. The customers were both Suiko men dressed in business suits. They looked to be locals rather than spacers.
Piper went in first and checked the tables and chairs. Top and bottom of them. She had some kind of security scanner in the palm of her hand. It probably had a wifi connection to her tablet. Eventually she chose a table by the wall that was closest to the exit.
Alberta entered the tea shop with her wife’s approval. Alberta and Piper sat down. Followed by the security women. Alberta looked around for a waitress. Piper and her security women moved their watchful eyes around the whole establishment; exit, the other two customers, the empty tables, the cashier counter, and door that probably led to the kitchen. The door opened and a waitress came inside. She towards them with four menus and a smile on her girlish face. She bowed deeply in the polite Suiko manner of someone of inferior status.
“Welcome to Grandma Makabe’s tea shop. I’m your waitress Neiko.” She handed out the menus. Alberta was surprised that such a little shop used human waitresses instead of a robot. It’d be quicker.
Alberta opened her menu and saw a large selection of teas. There were also sandwiches, cakes, and rolls. Nice. Alberta noticed the other women weren’t looking at their menus. They’re not trying hard to look inconspicuous are they? Hey you guys! That’s right everyone I have three bodyguards! See! Oh well. Alberta decided to order them. Jasmine with a hint of honey. Sounds good. I’ll order four. So she did.
“Thank you, ma’am.” The waitress had jotted it all down on her tablet.
“You’re welcome, Neiko.” Alberta gave her wink.
The waitress giggled and trotted off.
Piper gave Alberta a frown.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Piper shook her head in disdain. Piper’s security women was wise enough not to laugh.
A man softly entered the tea shop. He was dressed in the black robes of a Zen Buddhist monk with a simple white obi. He carried a brown hemp bag under his left shoulder. He immediately saw them and bowed to them like the girl did in the manner of someone of inferior status. But there was something different about the bow. Alberta couldn’t put his finger on it. He studied up on Suiko culture for years, because that’s what you did with all cultures that you wanted to trade with. You had to know their ways of doing things. With the girl it was the simple you’re my customer and I am your servant. With this man it was like I’m nothing and you are nothing. Must be a monk thing.
Alberta suddenly realized that the man had stopped beside their table, while she
was daydreaming. The man bowed again.
“I am Jacob Musashi.” The man seemed to have a constant smile. Not a fake one but a genuine caring smile that loved everyone.
“I am Junior Captain Alberta Williams. Mother of Erica Williams.” Alberta gestured to Piper. “And this is my wife and Erica’s other mother Piper Williams.”
Jacob Musashi greeting them and Piper introduced her security women Lace Gee and Hunter Williams. Alberta asked him to pull up a chair and join them.
The waitress Neiko appeared with a tray full of four tea cups and one tea pot. She placed the tea pot down first before she said, “Brother Jacob!”
“Neiko.” Jacob Musashi nodded. “How are you, my child?”
“Wonderful, Brother Jacob. They usual?” Neiko asked as she set tea cups down and poured the tea for Alberta and her three comrades. The girl bowed and left them in peace.
“So Brother Jacob.” Alberta began after tasting the hot tea. Yum. “You that you knew my daughter Erica from the monastery on the planet Buddha?”
“Yes, Captain Williams.” Jacob Musashi nodded. “And I saw her a week ago.”
“Where?” Piper tossed them loudly and then blushed when she realized she’d shouted. The business men glanced in their direction for a second before returning to their own conversation.
“The last I saw her was on the planet Jezebel in the Lilith star system.” He said.
“Good.” Alberta nodded. “It’s where I thought she was.”
“She was also with another young lady named Martha Clarke.” Jacob added. “And I sent word to an old friend and teacher of mine to keep an eye on both of them.”
Neiko returned with a tray full of a tea cup and a tea pot. She set down for Brother Jacob and left.
“The woman I left them with was Gladys Donatelli.” Jacob Musashi calmly said.
Piper nearly joked on her tea.
“She’s alive?” Alberta asked. A part of her mind knew her jaw was hanging open, but she didn’t care. “Gladys is alive?”
“Yes. Very much alive.” Jacob chuckled. “She said you two would be surprised to here that. Happy?”
“A little in shock.” Alberta admitted. Piper nodded in agreement.
“I thought that my Aunt Gladys died with my mother.” Piper said when she finally got out the words.
“I don’t know anything about that,” Jacob said. “What I do know is that they’re all on the Yin starship Spirit searching for you.”
“What?” Alberta snapped. “You just said they were on the planet Jezebel.”
“Sorry, Captain Williams. I meant the last I saw your daughter was on Jezebel. But recently I received a message from Gladys aboard the Spirit. I deeply regret and apologize if you thought differ-” He paused in mid sentence. He sent to be listening to something.
#
Two figures leaped into the shop. They were covered head to toe in black clothes and were armed with short straight swords. Ninjas? They’re real? Alberta wondered. A while ago Alberta’s mother and others in the family was killed by a madwoman named Demon, who called herself a ninja. At least that’s what Erica had said.
Piper and her security women reached for their stunners. A ninja cuts one of the security woman’s arm off as she reached for her holstered stunner. The sword went through a centimeter above the elbow. The other security woman yanked Alberta backwards to get her out of the way.
#
Alberta climbed up off the floor to see Jacob Musashi block a sword cut to his forehead by slapping the blade with both palms. He twisted the sword to his right before releasing the blade. Jacob sped forward and struck with the edge of his palm. The ninja collapse like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The second ninja paused to pull a star out of her sleeve. Jacob caught the star in mid air after she threw it. He tossed it away. The ninja raised her sword to strike. Jacob launch forward with a punch that struck the ninja between the eyes. The second ninja dropped. All of this happened in only a few seconds. All three of them had moved at inhuman speed. Just like that Demon assassin that killed my mother!
“How the fuck did you do that?” Alberta yelled. She felt grateful for what he just did and fear that he might do the same to them.
“The ninja are genetically engineered to be quick and fast.” Jacob Musashi said. “The same was done to me before I was born, but I’m not one of them. I swear.”
Jacob Musashi was already down on his knees trying to stop the bleeding of the woman who’s arm had just been cut off. Was that Lace Gee? Agatha Gee’s daughter? Damn it! Jacob had pulled bandages and a bottle out of his bag. He poured some goo on her bleeding stump and wrapped it up. “There you go. That’ll stop the bleeding, until we can get you to a doctor.”
“Th-thank you.” Lace mumbled. Her face covered in sweat. Jacob help her up to a chair.
“We need to get out of here.” Piper said as she watched the exit.
The police show up and take custody of the bodies. They give their side of the story and it matches what the shop’s camera’s show the police. They are permitted to leave.
#
“The police will find no fingerprints on the bodies and their DNA will not be any of the police databases.” Jacob Musashi explained. “The ninja are born with no past, present, or future.”
“Anyone can hire them?” Piper shook her head. She looked appalled. “Even aliens?”
“Yes.”
“Why are they allowed to exist?” Piper asked.
“I don’t know.” Jacob Musashi replied. “No one does as far as I know.”
The five of them marched through the crowded marketplace of the spacestation. Piper and her two security women kept their eyes searching for danger. Even Alberta felt the need to watch for more ninjas, though she didn’t have the training. But Jacob Musashi just walked along causally. He doesn’t appear arrogant. Its like he’s using senses that most humans don’t even try to use. If we were attacked I’m sure he’d know minutes before it came.
“If you don’t mind, Captain Williams.” Jacob Musashi said. “I would like to join you on your journey aboard Guinevere’s Daughter.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I think I could be a big help to you.”
Alberta glanced at Piper and thought it over for a while. “Okay. You can come with us.”
“Thank you, Captain Williams.”
CHAPTER ONE HUNDREDTWENTY-THREE
More problems!
Guinevere’s Daughter jumped into the Tanegashima star system. Another Suiko star system.
“Shut down the sails, Donna.”
“Yes, captain.” Donna Williams said. “Shutting down the sails. Rocketship is cooling at a normal rate.”
“Launch a probe, Fiona.”
“Yes, captain.”
“Take us to the closest hyperspace laser station, Donna.” Alberta said. “I want to get a little further ahead of that Lorkiiz starship that we saw.”
“Yes, captain.” Donna went to work on her controls.
“Do you really think they’ll try something?” Piper asked, while she sat in Janet’s old XO chair.
“I don’t know.” Alberta rubbed the back of her neck. “I just would feel safer having some more distance between us and the ninjas in the Oki system. And yes I’m still worried about that Lorkiiz starship we saw back in the Boldizsar system. It’s a true starship that doesn’t need sails and a hyperspace laser station to move between stars. They could be anywhere.”
“Yes. I know, darling.” Piper reached over to rub Alberta’s neck.
#
Guinevere’s Daughter jumped into the Sado star system.
“Shut down the sails, Donna.”
“Yes, captain.” Donna Williams said. “Shutting down the sails. Rocketship is cooling at a normal rat-”
“Missile launch! Missile launch, captain.” Fiona shouted from her sensor chief station.
“Shit! Tiffany! Fire counter-missiles and missiles.” Alberta jumped up and then sat back down to buc
kle herself into her chair. She pulled up her map screen and data screens to see what was going out there. The Lorkiiz starship had followed us and somehow gotten here before we did. Damn it!
“Counter-missiles away, captain.” Tiffany replied. “Missiles away too.”
“Fiona, launch two pairs of probes in opposite directions.” Alberta knew this would make their sensor net wider search pattern.
The bridge was quiet as everyone watched their screens. Alberta saw one of their counter-missiles take out the first missile. Then luckily the last two Lorkiiz missiles were destroyed by the other counter-missiles. Tiffany’s three missiles flew towards the enemy through the cold vastness of space. All three were destroyed by the enemy’s counter-missiles.
“Damn it!” Tiffany cursed from her tactical station. “Reading another round of missiles. Our counter-missiles are still ready.”
“And the lasers?”
“Uh, fine, captain.” Tiffany replied.
#
“Good. Donna, full power to main engines!” Alberta ordered.
“Yes, captain.”
Alberta glanced at her screens. Guinevere’s Daughter burst toward the Lorkiiz starship.
“Goddess!” Linda screamed for she’d been permitted to return to the co-pilot’s station.
The rocketship hadn’t burned off its momentum that it had gained from the hyperspace jump. Usually the reverse engines on the front of Daughter slowed the vessel, but now the rocketship zoomed forward. It appeared almost suicidal in its charge at the alien starship.
“Pull us up and over the top of them, Donna.” Alberta ordered.
“Yes, captain.” Donna worked away at her pilot’s station with Linda’s help.
Instead of crashing head on Guinevere’s Daughter rose like a king cobra about strike its prey.
“Fire lasers, Tiffany!” Alberta struck her armchair with her fist.
“Yes, captain.”
Alberta’s screen showed the lasers slicing into the enemy starship as passed over it. The lasers burned into the starship and air burst forth and Alberta felt no compassion when she sighted an alien body flying out of it on one of her screens. Everyone cheered, including Captain Alberta.
The Star Traders: The Star Traders Series Volume One Page 34