The Pirate Guild

by Steven J Shelley

  “What would the old pirates have done in this situation?” she asked in a weak voice.

 

  “Damn straight,” Vin said, returning to the main hall. “We need to upgrade the armor shielding on this bunker for a start.”

  “What about the Surprise?” Charley asked. “Is it safe at the Guildmasters’ dock?”

  “Should be,” Vin replied. “Guildmasters turf is the only sacred ground left.”

  “And the cost of upgrading this bunker?” Charley asked. Part of her didn’t want to know.

  “More than what that scout will sell for,” Vin replied.

  It was all Charley needed to know. There was no point worrying about the bunker until they could afford to properly upgrade it. The silence that followed was glum.

  “Excuse me while I go slash my fucking wrists,” FIGJAM said.

  “We need to keep moving,” said Vin, glaring at the robot. “It’s the only way to deal with these fuckers.”

  “Where do you suggest?” Charley asked. “It’ll be hard to work with five bounties on our heads.”

  Vin looked at Charley with eyes alive with brutal intensity. “I say we run Beluga.”

  Charley blinked.

  “Isn’t that heavily guarded by the Silent Runners these days? I’m all for building the Guild, but that sounds like suicide.”

  “The Beluga Run,” Vin repeated in awe. His eyes had clouded over, as if he was reliving happy memories. “The best run a pirate could hope for. Seven systems in quick succession. A variety of planets and a rich selection of tasty trading routes. Some planets are primitive, where tribes spend their days digging precious minerals from the ground. You couldn’t even imagine the potential riches. The beaches, the drugs, the girls …”

  Vin’s voice trailed off. He was clearly smitten with the memory of his golden years, only remembering himself when he noticed Charley glaring at him.

  “I only ran it once,” he said hastily. “It’s worth it, you gotta believe me.”

  Charley had to admit the Beluga Run sounded amazing. And it would be an explosive way to kick-start her pirating career. But to travel such a long way in one small fighter? The whole prospect seemed unrealistic.

  “Don’t we need more gear? Crew? Ships?”

  The burly man grinned.

  “Let me tell you how a run like this goes,” he said. “The old guys used to start with one ship just to test themselves. You travel to the first system. You aim low. You might land a corvette or somethin’. Some rich, fat cat businessman. You trade in the gold-plated corvette for a second fighter. You hire mercs from the nearest transport hub. Rinse and repeat. If you play your cards right, if your man management is sweet and your ability to pick the right target even sweeter, you finish the Beluga Run with an entire fleet and a hold chock full of treasure. A decent Beluga Run can set you up for life.”

  “So what happened to you?” FIGJAM asked.

  “I wasn’t smart,” Vin said. “I had a chance to walk away quietly and I only got half of that right. I got out but I was too cocky. I failed to protect the one thing I loved the most - my wife. All my riches bled away after I lost her. So here I am, looking for a second chance.”

  Charley felt tears in her eyes. Vin had never talked so much before.

  “I’ve got your back,” she said. “Let’s do this together.”

  FIGJAM clicked his tongue in disgust and rolled away.

 

  Charley grimaced. “That’s OK, Betty.”

  But the AI did have a point - no matter what they decided to do, the Guild still needed the mother of all clean-outs.

  Charley and Vin slept uncomfortably in the corner she’d cleared the day before. Though she woke with a stiff neck, she was excited to find a message on her wrist pad - the Guildmasters had located a buyer for the scout’s spare parts and scrap. 8317 credits was the net profit after the Guildmasters had taken their cut. Charley gave a little whoop for joy and woke Vin, who checked his own wrist pad.

  “Well, that’s a shitload of industrial cleaner,” he said.

  The plumber came shambling into the hall. Charley had forgotten she’d ever employed him.

  “The pipes are mostly corroded,” he said. “I’ve serviced the ground floor but …”

  “Say no more,” Charley said, transferring 1500 into the man’s account. “Hopefully that’s enough for the entire bunker.”

  “I think I can make do,” the plumber said.

  Charley felt a warm glow. It was good to have money in the pocket. With any luck, the bunker would be half functional by the end of the day.

  Vin and Charley wore dust masks as they attacked the main hall. They had more than half of the garbage cleared away by noon. Over a lunch of steamed rice and roasted meat, Vin was deeply immersed in the information streaming forth from his wrist pad. Charley threw him a quizzical look and he switched it off.

  “We need to talk,” he said.

  “I don’t like the sound of this.”

  “Petyr Fallon has been spotted at the Purple Sands Casino on Mina IV.”

  Charley shrugged. “Should I know who that is?”

  “One of the highest ranking Night Runners,” Vin said. “Rumor has it he’s there to protect the gateway to the Beluga Run. If we wanna make that trip, we need to get through him first. He’s coordinating all bandit activity in that area.”

  “How do you know this?” Charley asked.

  “Betty’s been helping me,” Vin said. “She opened a data jack into the casino’s AI a long time back, when some of the older pirates used to stay at the resort.”

  “That’s good intel,” Charley admitted, thinking the situation through.

  If this Fallon character was controlling the Mina system from his little perch at the Purple Sands Casino, it made little sense to try and take the bandits on in space. The Surprise would be annihilated. It made far more sense to make a surgical strike at Fallon himself at the casino. Hopefully in the chaos and discord that followed, the Surprise could make its way through to the next system.

  “You thinking what I’m thinking?” Charley asked Vin. The big man grinned.

  “Yep,” he said. “Seems to me we need dinner wear.”

  “Incognito,” Charley said, deep in thought. “A civilian paint job on the Surprise. A low-key visit to the casino. If we need hired muscle there, I’m sure we can find it.”

  Vin nodded. “We’ll have to leave immediately. The Guild Hall can wait, and we don’t know how long Fallon will be at the casino.”

  Charley stood, feeling energized all of a sudden.

  “Betty, can you suggest a standard civilian color scheme for a ship the size of the Surprise?”

 

  A projection squirted from the ceiling. It showed the Surprise decked out in racing red, white and blue.

  “Perfect,” said Charley. “Send that to the Guildmasters and pay them whatever they quote you.”

 

  Charley blinked. The Guildmasters were nothing if not efficient. She went to freshen up and check her gear. Underwear and a spare utility suit were top of her shopping list, but she could buy clothes on Mina IV. Once she’d splashed a little water on her face, she ran a weapons inventory. Twin plasma blasters - check. Targeting computer - check. It was a good habit to wear that at all times even if it was slightly uncomfortable. Scimitar - check. Charley slotted it neatly into a scabbard at her belt. Pellet cannisters - check. She’d arranged them by color and stored them in a series of belt cannisters. Who knew, one day she might actually find out what they all did. Weapons checked, Charley went to see Vin, who was sharpening his old-school combat knife on a whetstone he kept
in his utility belt.

  “Betty has cleared us for departure at sundown,” he said. “I got her to order some fuel and have the Guildmaster engineers to run a diagnostic on the warp drive.”

  “Travel time to Mina IV?”

  “A few days,” Vin said. “We can either take warp drugs or find a way to fill the time.”

  The particular arch to the pirate’s eyebrow that told Charley all she needed to know. She felt a tingle down her spine but didn’t give anything away. Sometimes a little mystery was useful.

  The rest of the afternoon was spent on light cleaning. The Guild Hall would still need plenty of work when they returned from their mission. For starters, the ceiling was filthy. Charley dreaded what she’d find in the nooks and crannies of cracked plaster. More corpse spiders were not out of the question.

  “Ahem,” came a digital coughing sound. It was FIGJAM.

  “Of course you can come with us,” Charley said. “Just don’t antagonize Vin or you’re scrap metal.”

  FIGJAM said nothing, muting itself and tipping over onto Charley’s foot. She chuckled and hooked the robot into her belt.

  31

  As darkness fell over Galveston, Vin called in a flyer and showed Charley the service ladder that admitted to the bunker’s cracked roof. There was more than enough space for the flyer to land there. Charley inspected the space with interest, picturing some kind of vessel elevator that would allow them to land the Surprise on the bunker and lower it inside. The cost would be astronomical, so it was perhaps a dream for another time. The flyer ferried the pair through the dusk. The lights of Galveston retreated to the north as they flew over thickets of yew and oak. Before long, the cool green docking bays of the Galveston port facility stretched before them. The flyer landed in a designated dropoff zone and Vin keyed his wrist pad to transfer funds. It was nice to travel by flyer, a luxury Charley certainly wasn’t used to.

  Vin took her hand as they made their way to drydock 73. A pair of engineers were finishing the racing colors they’d ordered. The Surprise looked completely different. The weapon bays were now almost completely innocuous. The craft would pass, to the naked eye at least, as a civilian vessel out for a joyride. Vin nodded to the engineers and activated the top hatch. The Guildmaster staff finished the stencil they were working on and departed the drydock. Overcome with an excited buzz, Charley lowered herself in and sat in the cockpit alongside Vin. The Guildmasters had also cleaned the ship interior. The dashboard sparkled as if it were brand new. The ship had smelled rank before - five grizzly bandits in a small vessel wasn’t exactly conducive to perfume.

  “Surprise to port, request clearance for launch,” Vin said over the com.

 

  Charley almost squealed with delight as Vin engaged the engine and lifted the vessel into the night air. He closed the throttle theatrically as they soared into the night sky. The Surprise really moved well, like a predator on the hunt. It wasn’t overly quick, but quick enough for most enemies. Unless, of course, it came up against an entire squadron or a battle cruiser. By that stage Charley hoped to have a small fleet of her own.

  The Surprise broke orbit without incident. Vin set the nav computer to take the most direct course for Mina IV and time its run for a suitable check in time at Purple Sands Resort. Once he was satisfied with the computer’s suggested waypoints, he spun in his chair and looked at Charley with a hungry gaze.

  “I think I need a lie down,” she said with a hint of a grin.

  Vin said nothing, taking her hand and leading her to the master hab cube. The Captain’s quarters. The pair hadn’t had time to change the bedding and decor, which grossed Charley out a little bit. She resolved to organize a complete makeover once they landed on Mina IV. Still, the king-size bed looked comfortable enough. The bandit leader had enjoyed traveling with a modicum of style.

  Vin sat Charley on the edge of the bed and stripped down to his Y-fronts. Charley couldn’t take her eyes from the huge bulge down there. She unclipped her utility belt and tossed it to the floor. With a coy smile she unzipped her suit so that most of her cleavage was visible. She slid Vin’s underpants to the floor and allowed him to step free. He pushed her gently to the bed and straddled her torso. Charley couldn’t help but smile as her suit was peeled away. He cupped her breasts, leaning down for closer attention. Occasionally he came up for air and kissed her passionately on the lips. At length, she stood and stripped down completely. This time, she straddled him with vigor. He lay his hands on her pert breasts as she slid onto him, working her hips up and down. Slowly at first, building rhythm and friction with every thrust. The heat inside grew and grew. She pressed her hands on his chest, pushing him back against the bed as she arched her back. Vin held himself back with admirable discipline. Howling like a banshee, Charley orgasmed wildly, her body shaking with delight. He groaned in her ear, a deliciously tortured sound. Their bodies sagged into each other, completely spent. They stayed that way for a long, long time, neither feeling the need to ruin the moment with small talk. Charley must have fallen asleep, because when she woke the Surprise had reached its second waypoint and was well on the way to the Mina system. She sat at the viewscreen and watched the stars as she sipped on a mug of steaming chon bai. Vin appeared within the hour and gave her a sleepy kiss on the forehead. Charley couldn’t remember ever being so happy. Well, the bar was pretty low, but that took nothing away from her current glow.

  The next two days were spent making love and playing Tactics of War. It was the only game Charley knew how to play - one of her brothers had found and repaired a gamedeck. Showing a sound tactical mind, she beat Vin more often than not.

  “Looks like the Guild is in good hands,” he said with a good-natured grin.

  It was in a state of serene bliss that the pair made the Mina system. A hot blue dwarf, the star itself rolled by to starboard. The first three planets in the system were too hot for colonization. The fourth planet was in the ‘Goldilocks’ zone. Mina IV was a relatively dry and sandy planet, like Abeya, but where Charley’s home planet was arid and ugly, this one benefited from several large oceans. As such, it was a premier holiday destination for criminals with too much money. Mina was probably too far for the rich elites of the core worlds, but as the gateway to the famous Beluga Run, plenty of merchantmen found themselves passing through.

  The ship’s AI bleeped when Mina IV was within hailing distance. Vin told the computer to talk to the planet’s docking systems and secure a berth at the Purple Sands complex. Charley gazed excitedly at the blue planet that now filled the viewscreen. She could see serpentine streaks of land cutting through the glittering oceans. The planet certainly appeared to be a hefty slice of tropical paradise. Vin let the ship cruise through a shallow orbit and spiral its way to a string of islands in the southern hemisphere. Huge, pyramid-shaped resorts seemed to squat on every island. Vin took manual control of the Surprise and joined a reasonably busy traffic lane over the archipelago. The Purple Sands resort dominated one of the larger islands. The towering pyramid in the center was the casino. Charley could see secluded huts and villas amongst the palms and well-maintained tropical gardens. Some were situated right on the beach.

  “We’ve got a little money,” she said casually to Vin. “Why don’t we use it?”

  Vin’s face clouded over briefly. Charley remembered he had a troubled history with money.

  “We’ll make plenty on the Beluga Run,” she promised. “Enough for six months at a place like this.”

  That won her a grin. “There are certain things a pirate is obligated to do,” he murmured.

  Vin landed the Surprise at the nominated docking bay. Reception was located in an administration hub surrounded by thick jungle. Once the docking link was secure, Vin killed the engine and climbed through the top hatch. Charley followed him out to a sun-drenched path that bisected a bed of fleshy tropical flowers. An honor guard of beaming hotel staff awaited them at the recep
tion desk.

  “Your best villa please,” Vin said casually as they strolled in.

  “Certainly sir,” said a man the color of polished bronze. “Executive or romance?”

  “Oh, romance,” said Vin, glancing at Charley. “Stuff us with as much romance as you’ve got.”

  32

  Vin took the activation card with a curt nod. The concierge began explaining the lay of the land but the charismatic pirate was already halfway out the door. Charley mouthed a ‘sorry’ as she trailed after him. Vin activated a projection from a silicon chip in the villa access card. It presented the most direct path through the sprawling resort.

  The pair threaded a stunning ballroom forest, the thick canopy filled with all manner of colorful birds. The boardwalk carried them over lagoons and small creeks. Designed to blend in with the jungle environment, other villas were visible through the trees. The access card glowed green when they neared their destination. Charley whooped and ran along a branching path that skirted a secluded beach. The villa was a double-storey affair with a wrap-around balcony on both levels. Replete with fully-stocked bar, a pristine pool lurked on the ocean side. Vin grinned as Charley skipped around the lower level before bounding up the spiral staircase. The bed was enormous, a four-poster king-size with a soft, shimmering mosquito net. The en suite bathroom was lined with exquisite pink marble.

  Charley took a turn on the upper balcony and looked through an ornate telescope. It was pointed at a villa half a mile up the beach. A couple looked to be in the midst of a heated argument on their upper balcony. Respecting their privacy, Charley joined Vin in the bedroom.

  “It’s wonderful,” she gushed. “A girl could get used to this.”

  “Don’t forget we have some tight work to come,” he said. “Petyr Fallon is staying somewhere on this island and he’d like nothing better than to flay us alive.”

  Charley checked her excitement, remembering what they were on Mina IV to do.