Ghost of Jupiter (Jade Saito - Action Sci-Fi Series Book 1)

by Tom Jordan

  There were multiple layers in their tactics that would have to fail for her to see any actual combat, and even if she did, she’d be prepared for what they would be facing.

  One point nine million SCU. That kind of money would nearly pay off Ghost.

  It was time to take hold of the future.

  Jade contacted the docking controller and requested departure clearance, which was automatically approved a moment later. Her information menu filled with a timer counting down her launch window, and the holographic HUD overlaying her canopy traced a moving line representing a flight path out of the station. The path arced upward over the other docked starships and disappeared through the corridor at the end of the bay.

  “Ready, Mosso?”

  Jade checked her harness to make sure she was snug in the seat—she wanted to be secure once she lifted off from the station and became weightless. She gripped the stick, engaged her vertical thrusters, and lifted off the deck. Ghost of Jupiter stabilized and hovered ten meters above the ships parked on the hangar floor.

  Jade felt a thrill every time she lifted off like this, watching the floor fall away beneath her. It never faded. Being a pilot was a part of her. She couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

  Jade set her wrist computer to play a list of the most recent songs she’d been working on—music production was one of the hobbies that entertained her on long voyages, and made lonely trips more pleasant. The first track began, and the cockpit filled with relaxed synthesizers floating over a driving rhythm. Jade bobbed her head in time with the beat and looked at the ships docked all around her, held in place by magnetic locks and the artificial gravity generated by the station’s rotation.

  The holographic line showing the path out of Gibson City Station updated in real time and guided Jade toward the hangar exit—a circular portal with lights clustered around its rim. She eased her throttle forward and passed through it, entering the docking corridor beyond. The lights and motion of the hangar bay faded and the corridor streaked by as she followed her line out of the station. She spared a quick glance at the windows to the customs facility, and at the security turrets and other equipment in the corridor. The lighted portal at the end of the docking corridor approached and shot past, and she pushed into the black expanse of open space.

  Jade flew Ghost of Jupiter in a lazy arc toward her destination and took in the external view of the colossal Gibson City. The station’s body, an enormous ridged cylinder, rotated almost imperceptibly, and Jade admired the multitude of twinkling lights shining through the viewports speckling its metallic surface.

  Jade cleared the station, her gaze flicking over the array of ships awaiting their turn to enter Gibson City. She had a straight shot to her target, which hovered as a tiny hologram of a green diamond. The ship’s thrusters pulsed a subtle vibration through the ship as she accelerated toward the waypoint. Her computer counted down the time until arrival, and she watched the brilliant blanket of stars glow behind the entirety of her canopy.

  “Still there, Tommy?” Jade said. She tapped her foot off to the side of her flight pedal in time with the music.

  “I’m here,” said Tommy’s voice through her earpiece. “Just left the station. The other guys are right behind me.”

  “Cool. Yeah, I have them on my map.” Her thumb idly rubbed her flight stick. “Hey, can you tell me about these new weapons?”

  “Sure. I have to say, whoever picked this stuff out for you had excellent taste. You’re gonna love it.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” She couldn’t help smiling at Tommy’s self-congratulatory comment. “So what’d you set me up with?”

  “You have two class-B particle cannons. Those will be on your main trigger. Ideal for draining deflection fields. They emit charged particles that chew them right up. But they’re worthless against hulls. Also, they generate tons of heat, which will dissipate out into space through your hull, so you have to use them in short bursts so the system can manage its thermal load.”

  “Yikes.”

  “Yeah. Triggers two and three on your stick are a micro-rail and shrapnel missiles.”

  “What’s a micro-rail?” she asked.

  “It’s the same thing as a full-size rail gun, just smaller. Accelerates tiny projectiles to relativistic speeds.”

  “I see.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to remember what little weapons information she’d learned in flight school. It was a civilian school, after all, and not a military academy, so most of what she knew came from the combat sims she and Tommy had played for fun—and those weren’t usually built for realism. “I thought rail slugs or whatever weren’t any good compared to energy weapons?”

  “Well, they all have their own uses. Lasers travel at the speed of light. Anything kinetic goes slower than that. They’re still fast, though. You won’t see the rounds like you will the particle cannons, but trust me, they’re there. If your computer can get a bead on your target and you’re within optimal range you’ll tear holes right through their hull. In one side and out the other. That is, if they don’t have a deflection-field projector or reactive hull armoring or whatever. They’re also useful for taking out enemy projectiles like, say, missiles. You can set your computer to target them.”

  “That’s…concerning. How come this is so much more complex than Supremacy?” she asked, referring to the space-combat sim she and Tommy used to play.

  “Yeah, wouldn’t that be nice if you could just fire lasers all day without heat buildup, and pop off the occasional thermonuclear warhead? Anyway, we pretty much only ever use particle cannons, mostly for warning shots, since they emit bright beams and they’re easy to see. We occasionally melt a dude’s field or ping a hull, but people don’t want to fight when they’re outnumbered. Our job’s to persuade them to surrender by showing them it’s in their best interest. With lasers.”

  “Okay. Particle cannons against shields, and micro-rails against hulls.” She nudged her stick to keep the ship on course. “And the missiles?”

  “Shrapnel missiles. You can lock them on and they’ll track your target. The explosion neutralizes pretty much anything. You can also set them to disable a vessel instead of destroying it. The missiles are expensive, though, so last resort. They can also be dropped and set to detonate behind your ship, which will confuse optics and throw off targeting systems. It’s an effective countermeasure but an expensive one.”

  “Okay. This is a lot to take in. I don’t like thinking what would happen if someone shot all this stuff at me. I was hit with energy weapons just a few days ago, and that was enough for my liking. You saw my hull, remember?”

  “I get that, yeah. That’s why d-fields are so important. Spacecraft are made to withstand the extreme environment of space. Particulates at high speeds, extreme heat, radiation…it’s a lot to deal with. But weapons are something else. Weaponry is just so deadly compared to any defensive technology you can build into a hull. That’s why people go out of their way not to get shot at. I would have given you some countermeasures but it would’ve meant some hull modifications. At that point it would be cheaper to buy a new ship.”

  Jade said nothing, leaving the line silent for a bit. She tried to bury her doubts and the small voice of panic that had begun to whisper in her mind.

  “But that’s why we’re in the business of persuading people to power down,” Tommy continued, “rather than being combat mercs or something. Leave that stuff to the pros.”

  Henning’s voice cut in. “Jade, mate, you have to remember that the guys we’re after, they move drugs, illegal tech, even sex slaves.” Jade hadn’t realized he’d joined the comm group. “That’s why they’re wanted by the law. We take those pieces of shit off the field. Let the law sort ’em out, and we fill our bank accounts.”

  “Got it.” Jade cranked up her music. “Can I test fire these particle cannons while I wait for you guys to arrive?”

  “Cool. ETA to your location, three minutes,” Tommy said.

  “In
the corridor now,” Henning said. “Marco’s astern.”

  Jade flipped up her new plastic cover and pressed the button to deploy her weapons. An alert tone zapped her awareness to a holographic green warning that read WEAPON MODULES DEPLOYED. Jade checked the small holomodel of Ghost floating near her thigh and saw movement at the weapon-attachment points. The metal flaps covering the mounts hinged open and a pair of guns glided down on hydraulics.

  Jade squeezed the trigger. Pairs of white-hot beams spat from the guns in a rapid-fire cadence and continued as long as she held down the trigger. Jade stared at the particle rounds, fascinated, as the beams continued to leap from the guns and converge at a point in the distance. She expected the cannons to make some epic, explosive sound, but they merely made a buzzing that hummed through the hull, and caused her holos fizzle while she fired.

  A moment later her fascination was interrupted by an audio alert as the system began to overheat. Jade released the trigger and the beams ceased firing. The meter displaying the weapons’ temperature crept lower as the thermal buildup dissipated through her hull.

  “Cool,” Jade said with a smirk. “Maybe this will be fun, Mosso.” She looked at the stuffed sloth strapped into the copilot chair. “I know you’re not much of a thrill seeker. That’s okay. Me neither. Don’t worry, though. We probably won’t need to fire them. Nothing to lose our cool over, little guy.”

  She saw the others in her group approaching on her radar and thumbed the toggle switch to retract the laser cannons.

  “Jade, hold your fire!” Tommy screamed in mock panic over the comms. His blip approached and merged with hers in the center of her holomap.

  “Are you behind me?” she asked, giggling.

  “Look up.”

  Jade did as Tommy said and saw his ship float into view. He was upside down and only a few dozen meters above, and Gliese Voyager’s mass blotted out the stars behind it. Jade’s cockpit was illuminated by light from the system’s star, but the face of Tommy’s ship was shadowed in pure black. Jade smiled and waved. Tommy waved back, lit by his cockpit running lights and wearing his head-mounted display. Her map had picked up his IFF transponder and labeled his blip as H. Thompson. She switched it to read Tommy.

  Marco’s voice flowed across the comm group. “Are you guys reading me?”

  “Loud and clear,” Tommy said. Jade looked down at her map and saw that Marco was within range. Her computer had also picked up Rebel Star’s IFF transponder and labeled Marco’s blip M. Barreda. She updated his label to Marco <3, adding the heart at the end. She smirked. Such a childish thing to do, but she couldn’t help it.

  What am I? A schoolkid with a crush?

  “Okay. How are you doing out there, Jade?” Marco said.

  She warmed, glad that Marco was thinking of her. “I’m fine. Just test fired these particle cannons. They’re impressive.”

  “That’s excellent,” Marco said. “Good thinking.”

  “You guys are taking great care of me,” she said.

  “I didn’t mention this earlier, but I will now,” Marco said. “Out here we follow my lead. My orders. I want that to be clear. We stick to the plan as I call it.”

  “Um,” Jade said. She blinked, taken aback. “Okay. Gotcha.”

  “Let’s get to business,” continued Marco, his tone clipped and frosty.

  “Down to business, space briefing…” Tommy sang in the background.

  Marco continued, either not hearing Tommy or choosing to ignore his antics. “We have a lead on a target. We picked this one up the instant the local security office posted it. This is a major advantage we won’t squander.”

  “Can’t squander…” Tommy continued singing.

  “Cut the chatter,” Marco snapped. Jade’s eyes opened wide. Was Marco really this firm in his leadership? The change of tone struck her as odd, but decided not to question it. It was obviously working for the team so far.

  “We’re going to intercept the target, who may be unaware there’s a bounty posted on him. That tactical advantage may keep this simple, so we’re going to hit him fast.”

  “What’s the name?” Henning asked. Jade saw Marco’s ship—still in station alignment like she was, so that they were on the same plane—arrive and thrust to a stop in range of her vessel and Tommy’s.

  Marco coolly recited the info on their target, as though this was a comfortable routine. “The dossier says the target ship is called Stormwulf. Registered to Enzo Brake. Charge is piracy, second degree.”

  “I ran a search and I have nothing on this guy,” Tommy said. “Any known affiliations?”

  “Nothing,” Marco said. “I’m sending you all the specs on Stormwulf. It’s a customized Thorsen Hammerhead.” Jade accepted the data transfer and watched a three-dimensional model of the ship rotate in front of her. It looked predatory, with a—

  A message arrived from Tommy. Text only. “Heart, huh?”

  Oh, shit.

  Jade had totally forgotten she’d synced her map and nav systems with Tommy, and that his map would have updated with the text label—and the little heart—she’d assigned to Marco. Her chest tingled in a moment of panic. But why should it matter if Tommy knew how she felt about Marco? Was he just teasing her? What did he mean by it?

  “What do we know about this ship, Tommy?” Henning said.

  “Upper-mid-range Thorsen model,” Tommy said. “Not as maneuverable as Marco’s ship but can carry a higher weapons payload. Crews two. Popular with career pirates, mercs, law enforcement. Military, even.” Did he sound distracted, or was it her imagination? This thing about the heart was going to drive her nuts.

  “We’re lacking detailed files on its configuration, but they attached customs scan records,” Marco said.

  “Ya know,” Tommy said, “something shady is happening here. He’s maxed out his reactor and capacitor systems, yet they have no record of the modules necessitating those upgrades. You can bet this guy’s running top-shelf weapons and defensive tech, maybe scanners, probably some other surprises too.”

  “You’re right,” Henning said. “This guy is an unknown. Probably a career pirate or merc with that loadout. He needs to go down quickly. We should wait until we can all be ready to jump on him.”

  “Depends on what happens,” Marco said. “This is our biggest score so far. I won’t let it get away from us. We’ll split into two teams given the potential threat. I’ll take Jade. Tommy and Henning, you two form up.”

  The line was silent for a moment, so Jade said, “Okay,” while looking at Mosso as though he would reveal what to do.

  Marco continued, “One catch. The file says Stormwulf is in possession of wanted cargo. The bounty issuer has included detailed specs on a shipping container. You can bet whatever’s in there is high value. It’s listed as critical. For us to receive payment, we have to recover that crate intact. It's not optional.”

  Silence filled the comm channel again as everyone absorbed Marco’s words. “Tommy, can you give us the two most likely points to intercept this guy?” Marco said.

  “Hang on,” came Tommy’s reply. Jade watched as Henning’s ship, Audacity, floated into view and circled the three of them like a huge shark. The Sakharov Model One was easily twice the size of Ghost.

  “Based on customs records,” Tommy said, “the obvious choice is to set up one team at Evick’s Gate in the Balenos system, one over from here. That’s seven light-years. I think the other team should go to the SFM gate in this system on the far side of Socunda F.”

  Jade tapped her thrusters slightly, moving her ship side to side less than a meter, simply to have something to do. “Can I ask why those gates in particular?” she said.

  “They’re the least frequently monitored gates and therefore the most likely spots for anyone trying to keep a low profile to be passing through,” Tommy said.

  “Okay,” Marco cut in. As she listened to Marco’s voice, Jade stared past her holomenus at the bright stars hanging outside her cockpit. His
voice would be nice to fall asleep to. “Sounds like a plan. Jade and I will jump to the Balenos system. You two take Socunda F. Whoever makes first contact will send a message, and the other team can join quickly since we’ll all be stationed at the gates. Jade, you and I will run a quick patrol of Evick’s Gate and see if he’s docked or if he approaches, then fan out for a sweep.”

  “Uh, copy,” Jade said, not knowing what else to add.

  “Got it,” Henning said.

  “I’m going to run Jade through the basics as we search. Any questions?” Marco asked.

  “No,” Jade and Henning replied, with Tommy offering, “Negative.”

  “Okay, then that’s all. Let’s make some money. Good hunting and stay sharp.” A small click sounded as Marco left the channel, and then a new private message from him popped up.

  “You ready, Jade?”

  Jade stared out the cockpit, watching the tiny, bright stars circle as her ship spun a lazy rotation. “I’ll be honest, I’m a bit nervous. But the bigger part of me is excited to nail this job.”

  “That’s what I like to hear. Head to my waypoint while we talk.”

  “Okay.” Marco’s ship accelerated and shot away, a red dart rapidly shrinking out of her visual range. She targeted Rebel Star with her computer and set her thrusters to bring her ship up to his speed.

  Marco’s voice, soothing and supportive, came back over the earpiece. “I was nervous the first time I went after a bounty. I was unsure of myself, and I was doing it on my own. The guy ran, and my adrenaline took over. But you have the three of us with you, and we know what we’re doing. It’ll go well. I hope you aren’t too worried.”

  She tapped a thumb on her armrest. “I’ll be okay.”

  “I’m sure you will be. Tommy’s first bounty, on the other hand…”

  “Let me guess. He was a wreck?”

  “Oh, yes. He was. But he’s gotten much better at staying cool. His strength is in supplying us data and being backup while Freeborn and I intercept, and he prefers it that way. Some people are better at handling pressure. Such as a beauty named Saito I knew in school.”