Talk of the Pirate Guild set Charley’s mind onto matters of administration. As soon as the icebird touched down at Ottova spaceport, Charley was greeted by a lone man standing on the tarmac. He was wearing a plain suit, a wide-brimmed hat, and carried a thin steel suitcase.
“Good afternoon,” the man said. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yolox Starcane. Guildmasters Agent.”
Charley blinked. She hadn’t expected to come across the Guildmasters on Frostfire, but it made sense that they would exploit the new situation here. Frostfire had become a place of importance once again, which meant innumerable opportunities for business and trading. And where there was trade, there was crime. Where there was crime there were any one of the Nefarious Guilds, of which the Pirate Guild was one.
“You setting up shop here?” Charley said with a chuckle. “Let’s do business then.”
It was good timing - Charley felt powerful and confident after reclaiming her pirate gear. Yolox Starcane opened his suitcase and an entire wall of light screens spewed forth to surround him. He dragged pieces of data this way and that, trying to present Frostfire’s assets in some kind of order.
“Congratulations, Miss Silverton,” said Starcane. “You have accumulated wealth since touching down on Frostfire.”
Charley felt a twinge of discomfort. “That wasn’t my intention,” she said. “I chose to assist the rebels, nothing more.”
“Nonetheless,” Starcane insisted, “A number of assets have fallen your way by Right of Conquest.”
Charley nodded, ready to hear how much things had changed for the Pirate Guild.
“When you arrived your portfolio was relatively straightforward,” Starcane said. “Around 200,000 credits, two armadillo class fighters.”
“Are they still intact?” Charley asked suddenly, keen to see her ships again.
“As far as I am aware, yes,” said Starcane. “You also have rights concerning the facility known as ‘Ghost Fort’ and all weapons, vehicles and materials claimed in the Battle of Ottova Spaceport.”
Charley could barely breathe. Such a roster of assets seemed unimaginable to her. “But how?” she stammered. “All I did was- ”
“Lead the rebels with courage and conviction,” Starcane said. “You have been nominated by all possible contenders as the sole claimant in this matter.”
Kovacs. Jack Kovacs had nominated the Pirate Guild as owner of all the spoils of war as a means of keeping her around. She smiled to herself.
“I understand,” she said. “I need some time to digest all of this. But thanks for providing the update.”
“That’s not all,” Starcane said, his head buried in lightscreens. “As a result of leading the rebel attack on Frostfire, the Pirate Guild is now in the top 50 on the galaxy power list.”
Charley wasn’t prepared for her reaction, but tears welled in her eyes. It was silly, but she found she became emotional whenever she was able to progress the cause of the Pirate Guild. It wasn’t about her, it was about honoring the memory of all the wonderful old pirates that had gone before her. To see the Pirate Guild so high in the ranks, like they used to be many decades previously, was immensely gratifying. Harry put an arm around her as she took a few moments to recover herself.
“As for personal ranks, Charley Silverton, Pirate Commander, has shot up the ranks,” Starcane said. “Along with every member of your crew.”
Pirate Commander. The words seemed strange to Charley, foreign. She’d heard once that Commanders achieved their rank by leading armies into battle. She supposed that she had filled that criteria, but that didn’t mean that she deserved it, or felt like an experienced campaigner. There was still so much to learn and she didn’t want things to move too quickly. The worst thing would be to build people’s expectations. Unreasonable expectations she could never deliver on. All of a sudden she felt like crawling into a hole and staying there. Especially when she heard what the Guildmaster had to say next.
“Finally,” he said. “There is the matter of bounties. The Pirate Guild is officially the most wanted Guild in the galaxy. This is due to being in the unique position of outsider to established criminal organizations such as the Bandit Guild, as well as identified threats to the Galactus Empire. The bounty on your head, Miss Silverton has skyrocketed to over a million credits.”
Charley felt deathly cold out there on the tarmac.
“You don’t have to say these things,” Harry said sharply. “Leave the poor girl alone.”
“I mention it as a matter of courtesy,” Starcane said firmly. “It is not always possible to know your enemy’s location, but it is helpful to know their motivation.”
Charley couldn’t breathe. How was she supposed to operate with such a massive bounty on her head? Who was she able to trust now? She knew she could trust her immediate crew, but her dealings with strangers would never be the same again. Worse, she would always be looking over her shoulder. Well, at least until that bounty was reduced. And that wasn’t going to happen as long as Emperor Galactus ruled the core worlds.
“I bid you good day,” said Starcane amiably, closing his suitcase crisply. “If you need me, the Guildmasters intend to set up an office here in Ottova. Until next time.”
Feeling more vulnerable than she did a minute ago, a number of thoughts and considerations ran through Charley’s head.
Where could she go with such a bounty on her head? There would be potential assassins everywhere.
“We need to consolidate your power base,” Harry said. “If I was you I’d establish a physical base here on Frostfire. One that you can trust. Somewhere we can plan the Pirate Guild’s next move.”
Charley smiled. As ever, Harry Teks was the voice of reason. There was only one immediate answer to all of this - the Ghost Fort.
Charley wasted no time in taking one of the icebirds to Scantia to see if their ships were OK. She was immensely relieved to see the Surprise and the Phoenix sitting at the small airfield, just as they had left them. The town itself was still largely deserted. Most folks were still holed up at Ghost Fort or had migrated to Ottova to take advantages of the new opportunities there. Already Charley had noticed a huge cargo freighter in high orbit. The people of Frostfire were now being noticed once more. Word of the rebels’ victory on Frostfire would’ve filtered back to the core worlds. What that meant for Galactus’s regime remained to be seen. Charley still didn’t know why the Emperor had come all the way out to Frostfire in the first place. She reminded herself to ask Harry when they had a spare moment.
Charley took a special thrill in piloting the Surprise to the Ghost Fort and landing it in the inner courtyard. Gronko took the Phoenix and found plenty of room alongside its sister ship. Charley immediately felt better having her “armada” tucked away inside the fort. Once she was comfortably installed inside the facility, Charley commissioned a local team of engineers to repair the front gate that was damaged by the first Imperial attack.
The next order of business was to dismantle Kovacs’s command outpost. It wouldn’t be needed in the short term and Charley hoped to set up something more permanent in the way of scanning and communications. Most of Kovacs’s scrappers were still in Ottova with their leader, but one or two had remained at the fort and were very useful for Charley. Finding that there were many talented artisans in the local villages, Charley commissioned a team of sisters to produce a huge hanging banner for the keep. The symbol of the Pirate Guild - an embossed skull over a pair of plasma blasters on a tri-color of red, white and blue - was soon displayed proudly in the cavernous space.
Charley got a shot of pride and adrenalin whenever she looked at the beautiful tapestry.
Over the next week Charley made the Fort less like a makeshift bolt hole and more like a castle fit for a queen. She purchased furniture, rugs, pieces of art to fill the wide, draughty spaces. She engaged a trader from the freighter in high orbit to purchase advanced tech for communications and other systems. There were several rooms deep in the
fort that were suitable for communications and quantum data storage.
Using Harry as her recruiting manager, Charley engaged the services of several young people with an aptitude for quick-thinking and technical problem solving. These new members of the Pirate Guild would be her eyes and ears on Frostfire and beyond. If someone new entered the system or if something unusual occurred, she wanted to know about it quickly. Six new Guild members were inducted within the space of a few days. Charley had red, white and blue uniforms made up with the Pirate Guild insignia emblazoned on the left breast.
Finally, Charley engaged a weapons expert from the roving cargo freighter to upgrade the missile towers and establish a new security protocol controlled only by the Pirate Guild.
All of these tasks made Charley’s life a blur for several days. On Harry’s advice Charley was determined to establish a secure environment around her and strengthen Pirate Guild security. Vanessa, Gronko and Molly, as foundation Guild members, all helped where they could but Charley insisted they take much needed rest and recreation.
As for her own recreation, Charley didn’t take anyone to her bed for this entire period. There were opportunities to find comfort in a difficult time of transition with Harry, Vanessa or even Molly, whose admiration for Charley didn’t look like waning.
The truth was Charley’s mind often drifted to Jack. The charismatic scrapper had been detained in Ottova for well over a week, sorting through logistical matters with other rebel leaders. Charley certainly didn’t begrudge him his passion for the ordinary folk of Frostfire. In fact, his care for others was one of the reasons she felt as thought she was falling for him.
Her need existed on a purely selfish level. She wanted Jack near her. She craved his physicality. He commed her over their wrist pads as often as he could but after a while his descriptions of meetings and people meant nothing to her at all. She longed to feel the warmth of his body. So when he appeared at the renovated fort one cold, clear morning Charley felt as though she was reborn. Their initial conversations were polite and stilted, but both knew what was needed.
As soon as Kovacs had caught up with his friends from the fort, the pair excused themselves straight after dinner and withdrew to Charley’s refurbished chamber. With the door shut and a roaring fire in the hearth, Charley had never felt more hungry for action. The pair undressed each other slowly before the fire, luxuriating in the feel of the other’s skin. Charley caressed Jack’s lean musculature lovingly, relishing every bump and curve. Jack responded in kind, kneading Charley’s breast, unable to resist bringing his lips in close. Charley rode the waves of ecstasy that provided, arching her back and letting Jack roll his tongue all over her breasts. At length Charley grasped Jack’s manhood and drew him inside her. Immediately her entire core radiated with heat, like an empty hearth returning to life.
“I knew there was something missing,” Charley whispered in Jack’s ear.
Jack smiled even as he thrust his hips savagely.
The pair were so in need of each other that they generated more than enough friction standing face to face. Charley climaxed a split second before Jack did, enjoying wave after wave of throbbing pleasure that swept her far away from the real life concerns of Ghost Fort.
After a while she realized she was still standing in Jack’s arms. Both of them were coated with sweat and breathing hard.
Sleep came easily that night, soft and low against the backdrop of the crackling fire.
21
Dawn saw Charley atop the rampart, looking out over the river as heavy snow fell. The weather was thick and oppressive, veiling the plain in villainous grey.
Charley clutched a steaming cup of citron chai like it was the only thing that could keep her alive. She let her thoughts drift, first to Jack, then to Frostfire, finally to the notion of Fate itself. She wasn’t an overly superstitious person but she felt drawn to this place, as if it had been calling her for some time now. She was pondering the preposterous notion of ruling Frostfire as some kind of figurehead when a hazy yellow light pierced the cloud. At first Charley thought it must be lightning but it was too slow, too graceful. She realized it must have been a vessel behind the cloud bank and promptly forgot about it. Until a gloved hand touched her on the shoulder.
Behind her stood Vinnie Teks, looking stern but strangely calm in black leather from head to toe. His skin was still as pale as Charley remembered it after the incident with the monolithic jellyfish on Bonesse. His veins seemed swollen somehow, and closer to the surface of his skin. His eyes were disturbingly bereft of human understanding. There was something alien in Vinnie now, that much was beyond doubt.
Behind Vinnie stood a tiny ship of some kind. It was shaped like a capsule standing on its end. It barely looked capable of taking Vinnie ten yards let alone across the northern skies and neatly astride Ghost Fort’s upper rampart.
“Vinnie,” Charley breathed. “You gotta stop creeping up on me like that.”
Charley felt far less playful than her words might have suggested. Seeing Vinnie before her made her feel slightly angry. She’d only just begun feeling more secure about her new situation when who should show up but a man horribly altered by an ancient lifeform at the bottom of a lake. A man who had once been her lover. Charley yearned for just two days of normalcy in bed with Jack but she had a sinking feeling that was never going to happen.
“I want you to come with me, Charley,” Vinnie said in a voice more gravelly than she remembered. “I promise to return you by lunch time.”
With that, Vinnie chuckled. Loud and sustained, it was nothing like the old Vinnie. Charley was loathe to go with the strange, other-worldly ex-pirate, but what choice did she have? She’d seen Vinnie lay waste to an entire space station with no weapon to speak of. Charley was terrified of the man and struggled to conceal it from him.
“Considering that you’re not really asking, I’d better come along,” Charley sighed. “I’m gonna hold you to your word, though.”
Vinnie beckoned to his ship, a complacent gleam in his gaze. Charley stepped over to the small vessel and climbed into the tight space. Vinnie stepped in after her, facing Charley at very close range. Embarrassed, Charley could only look away.
“Launch,” Vinnie said crisply.
The capsule surged into the air unlike any ship Charley had encountered. Noiselessly the capsule soared through the thick cloud bands of the lower troposphere.
“What technology is this?” Charley found herself asking.
“The Master has learned how to shape rock,” was Vinnie’s enigmatic reply. His eyes bore straight through her as they stood facing each other in the small capsule. Vinnie didn’t seem to be exerting any control over the capsule at all.
“Do I make you nervous?” Vinnie asked with the hint of a smile. Charley didn’t know how to answer. This Vinnie was light years away from the Vinnie she knew. She realized she had no hope of pinning any human expectations on him - to do so was pointless. He was clearly past the point of no return.
Instead, she looked out the clear hull and tried not to panic. The capsule split the atmosphere like a tracer bullet, breaking orbit with minimal disturbance. On a technical level Charley was amazed at the ship’s performance. It was treating the normal physical restraints of travel with contempt.
Once the capsule had broken orbit it actually accelerated, entering some kind of warp speed with minimal preparation. The only clue that they were traveling at immense speeds was the way the background patina of stars became slightly distorted.
Charley wasn’t even sure if they were still in the Mandavar system or if they’d passed beyond it. Her answer was forthcoming - a small moon hove into view and the capsule slowed down with incredible control.
“Where are we?” she asked Vinnie breathlessly.
“You people call it X567,” Vinnie said complacently.
X567. Charley knew enough about system naming protocols to suggest that this system had yet to be explored by humans.
Wi
th a cold chill she realized she was far beyond the known galaxy.
The moon was grey and rather unremarkable. It was lit on one side by a distant red dwarf. The capsule settled into a gentle orbit that took them around to the night side. Here Charley could make out some kind of base. There were buildings and support structures circled around one of the most beautiful structures Charley had ever seen. It was a golden spire, an obelisk that seemed to shimmer against the dull grey of the moon. One thing Charley knew for sure - such a construction was not designed by humans.
“What kind of tower is that?” Charley asked, suddenly obsessed by the object.
“It’s not a tower,” Vinnie said. “It’s a warship.”
Before Charley could answer, the capsule had passed round the moon’s night side and was accelerating again. The glittering panoply of stars swooned as the vessel reached the same scorching speed as before.
Charley could only assume they were heading back to the Mandavar system. Vinnie remained impassive throughout the entire return journey. Charley couldn’t get the image of the golden spire from her mind. She had a thousand questions but none seemed a logical starting point to what she had just seen.
Frostfire appeared in the distance, safe and familiar.
Charley was content to say nothing as the capsule approached. The image of the golden spire wouldn’t go away. It haunted the edge of her vision like a disturbing dream.
The Pirate Commander (The Space Pirate Chronicles Book 3) Page 12