by M. D. Cooper
Helen’s avatar cast Sera a dirty look in her mind, but let it drop.
BOLLAM’S WORLD
STELLAR DATE: 07.20.8927 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Andromeda’s Pinnace, EK Belt
REGION: Bollam’s World System, Bollam’s World Federation
Joe lay in his bunk, eyes closed, imagining that he was back on the Intrepid, at home with Tanis, enjoying a lazy morning in bed before spending some time in the garden.
Maybe they would be in their final days before arriving at New Eden, the ship awake and buzzing outside, everyone glad for finally arriving at their final destination. Maybe their child would be born, a small girl, rushing into the room, jumping onto the bed and making a ruckus.
He took a long breath and opened his eyes.
That would never be. The Intrepid would never travel to New Eden—it may never travel anywhere, because there was nowhere to go.
“Joe,” Jessica’s voice came over the audible comm. “I’ve managed to make a Link to a relay buoy at the edge of the system. There’s a twenty light-minute delay, but I have a standard packet they sent out with approach vectors, stations, and stuff.”
And stuff…Joe couldn’t help feel some amusement at how different Jessica was from Tanis. Both were career service women, both practically built out of duty, but still as different from one another as night and day.
He imagined for a second what it would be like to be with Jessica, how different life would be. He shook his head and chuckled, it certainly wouldn’t be for him.
Tanis was his anchor, his strength—not that he needed to lean on her that way now, but she had been a rock for him during those early days on the Intrepid. He had felt so out of his depth, worried that they were going to cut him from the mission because he couldn’t get things under control.
Then she came in, full of command and purpose—knowing just what to do.
She always knew what to do.
“I’m on my way,” he messaged back to Jessica. “Give me a second to get presentable.”
“No rush, the data is still coming in,” Jessica replied.
“Gotcha,” Joe said and stepped into the ultrasonic san, letting its waves pull dirt and detritus from his skin. He stepped out, feeling only superficially refreshed, and pulled a shipsuit on before running a hand through his hair.
“Good enough,” he said to himself as he shifted his thinking from the past and his feelings of loss to instead focus on the work ahead. It was something he had seen Tanis do hundreds of times; she did it so naturally. For him, it took a bit more effort to compartmentalize his feelings.
The pinnace was small; it could crew seven, but with just the two of them on board it felt empty—though he preferred it that way at present. The walk to the cockpit took just a minute and he entered to see Jessica bent over the main holo tank, studying the Bollam’s World system.
Her silver hair fell around her face and when she raised her head to look at him, her lavender-colored brow was furrowed.
“This is one weird system,” she said and beckoned him to the tank. “And it’s not just their name…who calls their whole system ‘Bollam’s World’?”
“Beats me,” Joe shrugged. “What’s weird other than the name?”
“Check it out,” Jessica gestured and the holo display rose up and filled the cockpit. “There’s this massive…I don’t know what to call it. It’s not a jovian, or a brown dwarf, but it’s too big for a planet, that’s for sure.”
Joe looked at the large blue-green planet, labeled Aurora, that Jessica was pointing at. The data packet didn’t have detailed specifications—other than a warning not to venture within one AU of its surface—but it was plain to see that it had over three time’s Jupiter’s diameter, and, based on its orbit and rotation, at least ten times its mass.
Worlds such as this one shouldn’t exist. Even if a planet massed more than Jupiter, it would not get physically larger. Instead—being a gas giant—the gas would compress under its own gravity and it would remain the same size. Unless the world were to become so massive that it began to fuse hydrogen; then convection would expand it.
Aurora’s size indicated that it should be light and airy, like Saturn. However, its mass meant it should be slightly smaller than Jupiter—yet it was neither.
“That’s…that’s exceedingly unusual,” Joe said with a nod. “What about stations and inhabited worlds?”
“The star’s practically a Sol-clone,” Jessica said. “But its young, just over half a billion years or so. The place is full of hot stuff with a lot of spin to it.”
“Two terrestrial worlds there,” Joe pointed to the third and fourth planets, named Dublin and Bollam on the holo. “No rings and just a few elevators. Looks like a third is being terraformed around that other jovian, the sixth planet out.”
“There’s a sizable hab orbiting it, too,” Jessica pointed to a roughly spherical mass of concentric rings.
Joe gave a low whistle. “Data packet has it housing a hundred billion people.”
Jessica sighed, “That’s us humans, filling up every corner of the galaxy.”
“I wonder how far we’ve gotten,” Joe said wistfully. “This system looks like it has half a trillion people, over forty light-years from Sol. Even the FGT hadn’t gotten this far when we left, or if they had, we didn’t know it.”
“I don’t think that the FGT did this system,” Jessica said.
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Joe asked.
“They would have moved that Mars-sized world into the habitable zone and merged one of those inner rocky worlds with it,” she replied. “They wouldn’t just waste it out there.”
“Maybe,” Joe nodded. “Given how we got here, who knows who actually settled this world.”
“That rocky world 47AU out has a big refinery and mining yard in orbit. They’re on our side of the star, if anyone came insystem with Tanis’s pod, they may have passed through.”
“Let’s set a course, then,” Joe said as he zoomed the holo in on the station. “And we better find out what kind of clearances we need to dock there. Gotta try and look like locals.”
PRIVATEER
STELLAR DATE: 07.22.8927 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Sabrina, Gedri Scattered Disk
REGION: Gedri System, Silstrand Alliance Space
Sabrina transitioned out of FTL into the Gedri system travelling at only 0.09c, their prior velocity deliberately bled off in interstellar space to make them a more tempting target.
“Continue shedding v nice and easy, Cheeky,” Cargo said from the captain’s chair. “Make us look vulnerable.”
“Cargo, that’s one of my main skills,” Cheeky said with a grin. “Won’t be the first time I’ve played damsel in distress to sucker some poor guy in.”
Tanis couldn’t help but laugh. For Cheeky, everything was a potential analogy to her sex life.
“Hurry up and wait,” Cargo muttered as the crew settled in to their stations, all eyes on the passive scan and the local beacon’s report of the system traffic.
Further insystem, at the outer edge of the EK Belt, lay the regular jump point that led to and from Silstrand. It was busy, crowded with ships on various braking and acceleration trajectories. Beyond that was an empty void; Sabrina was the only ship in that space, on a slow trajectory insystem from the outer, less trafficked jump point. S
ystem scan hadn’t picked them up, and wouldn’t for several more hours. This was the time when the pirates would strike. If they did at all.
Cargo had just brought in the second round of coffee for Tanis and Cheeky when scan picked up a ship dumping in very close to their position. Its entry point was not at any marked jump point, but the dark matter was so sparse in this solar region that a ship could hop in and out of the dark layer with very little concern of collision.
The vessel was five light minutes away, and subsequent scan updates showed it altering its trajectory to intercept Sabrina. At first glance, it appeared to be a regular freighter, but closer inspection with the updated scan suite revealed that there was less cargo and more engine capacity than normal. The ship’s shields were strong and it appeared that there were traces of high power conduit near the hull—a clear indicator of substantial weaponry.
A regular freighter wouldn’t have had the sensors capable of picking up the pirate’s jump and would only receive notification from the local beacon at the system’s terminal shock. It would take yet another twenty minutes for that message to come in and so they played dumb, appearing ignorant of the incoming aggressor.
Right on schedule, the system traffic control AI sent a burst to both ships warning of a potential collision and provided new inbound lanes.
At this point, the two vessels were only two light minutes apart, and Cargo signaled for Tanis to send a direct transmission to the other ship. The local beacon had identified the pirate ship as a freighter named Regal Dawn, and so Tanis addressed it as such.
“Regal Dawn, this is the Orion Star, we are bound insystem and braking on a trajectory that will intercept yours. Please correct your course to the following as provided by the system’s beacon.” Tanis transmitted the updated path along with the message.
“Will the altered ident hold up?” Cheeky asked.
“It was simple tech to tweak,” Tanis replied. “And system traffic control bought it.”
She saw Cheeky and Cargo exchange a look. Neither of them had thought it possible to alter the sealed ident box all ships were required to carry. Angela said it was child’s play.
The entire bridge held their breath as they waited for the reply. The ships were rapidly closing on one another and the response came in just past the two minute mark.
“Orion Star, this is the Regal Dawn. We have received updated course and are correcting. Sorry for the trouble.” The words sounded genuine, appearing to be innocent, but Tanis didn’t believe it for a moment.
She checked scan and over the next five minutes, they saw no alteration in the suspected pirate’s course. When enough time had passed that even the worst scan would have picked up the unaltered course, Tanis submitted another message, which received almost the exact same reply, except now it cited engine trouble as the excuse for not altering vector.
The ships were now within one light minute of each other, a distance of only eighteen million kilometers, and Tanis slid over to the new tactical console where she ran checks on the shielding and new weapon’s systems.
“Looks like you’re going to get your chance to try out all those fancy toys sooner than we expected,” Cargo said. “This better work.”
“Of course it will work,” Cheeky said. “Orion Star here and I will fly circles around them while Tanis shoots a few well-placed holes in their hull. In a few hours we’ll be on our way to rescue Sera.”
“Next time we pick a different name for me, I get to choose it,” Sabrina groused audibly. “I want to be the Brilliant Nebula.”
Tanis wished she could feel as confident as Cheeky did. With no shakedown and the briefest of live weapon tests, there was every chance they’d suffer a failure and lose to this pirate.
They would hold course until the last possible moment, doing nothing to alert the pirate that its prey was more than met the eye. Scaring off the ship and chasing it through the system would be far too risky a maneuver. It was also imperative that the other ship shot first, or they would be the one flagged as pirates in Gedri.
“Steady, Cheeky. Hold it until we are within ten thousand clicks before you alter course,” Cargo said, as much to break the silence as instruction.
“You don’t say,” Cheeky muttered.
The flashing telltales, indicating an impending collision, were starting to annoy everyone. It was a largely unnecessary warning—even if neither ship changed course, the chances of an actual collision were very slim. Unless one of the vessels desired it.
Since Sabrina was playing meek and innocent, they had to do what any simple freighter would do when another ship was going to hit it: move. When the comps indicated that proximity was critical, Cheeky made the necessary course adjustments; moments later, a tight-beam message came in from the pirate.
“Attention Orion Star. Resume your previous course or we’ll fire on you. If you do not resist you will be unharmed. Repeat. Return to your previous course and prepare to be boarded.”
“Not ones for small talk, are they?” Tanis observed.
Cheeky did not comply, as was the plan. She activated the AP drive and Tanis brought their rear shields to full power. She expected a shot across their bow first, but there was no point in risking actual damage.
Right on cue, the shot came, glancing across the dorsal shield; the ship-to-ship comm ringing with angry messages to return to their previous course. Scan showed the pirate ship altering course and braking to match Sabrina’s new vector. The warning came again to resume their previous course or be disabled; moments later, the shields took their first direct hit.
“Now!” Tanis shouted.
Cheeky didn’t need the order; she was already killing the engines and firing maneuvering thrusters. Sabrina spun about and faced the pirate. The forward dorsal lasers tracked the pirate’s engines—which were still facing Sabrina as it braked to match course with them. The moment they had a lock, Tanis sent four bursts from the thirty-centimeter lasers.
She didn’t target the pirate’s engines directly—blowing the ship wasn’t their goal. The shots struck around the engine nozzles. Overheating and fusing control mechanisms would cause an engine shutdown and give Sabrina maneuvering advantage.
Another two shots missed as the pirate ship twisted to avoid the beams, but the third and fourth hit their targets. One of the Regal Dawn’s engines shut down and its maneuvering thrusters fired, bringing the pirate about to face Sabrina.
Tanis reviewed her console for errors or system failures. Nothing showed red and she thanked the S&H install crew for a job well done.
She had been in a lot of battles, including no small number of space battles, but never a pitched beam fight at 0.10c in civilian ships. It was exhilarating. Tanis made several quick calculations; Angela assisted in presenting the best shots, and, upon Tanis’s approval, sent the strike coordinates to the Sabrina’s new fire control systems.
The six offensive beams positioned for forward fire tapped into the fully charged SC batteries and lanced out at the pirate ship, concentrating at two points on its shields. Three successive bursts and scan showed the Regal Dawn’s shields failing.
Return fire came at Sabrina, but Cheeky spun the ship on its axis and no shot lingered long on the same shield umbrella. Tanis’s console showed their shields disperse the energy and quickly recover.
The pirate ship kicked their vessel into a somewhat wobbly rotation, and Tanis renewed her offense—continuing to focus on the same points on the pirate’s shields in short bursts.
“Cocky bastards,” Cheeky said with a grin. “Didn’t think they had
to be careful with us. Bet they’re wishing they had now.”
Cargo laughed. “You just keep them from scorching us and you can talk all the smack you want, Cheeks.”
“Their shield is flickering on its forward umbrella, they’re going to drop to the dark,” Tanis announced.
“Damn,” Cargo said. “That’ll ruin our party right fast. Can you punch through and hit their grav drive in time?”
“Well…” Tanis began. “Wait, their grav drive just powered down. Either they had something go or they are afraid we may follow them.”
A message came over the ship-to-ship comm and Cargo opened the visual link. The man on the holo looked decidedly unhappy. His eyes flashed with rage under a heavy brow.
“Who do you think you are?” he demanded. “This is Mark territory; you can’t attack one of our ships and get away with it.”
“As I hear it, Kade’s dead, and you initiated this little game we just played.”
“Doesn’t matter who’s at the head of our organization, you’re all dead now.” The pirate seemed to hope threats could save him where his shields and weapons had not.
“Lower your shields and shut down your reactors. Prepare to be boarded,” Cargo said with a scowl. “We want to see vid of your entire crew in your mess with no weapons. Any tricks and we’ll slap some mines on you and say farewell.”
“You better really want this,” The captain of the Regal Dawn growled. “You’re going to have to be watching your back for a long time.”
“This is Sabrina,” Cargo smiled with a hint of menace as he signaled for Tanis to switch their ident back. “We’ve got Kade on ice and we’ll happily add any of you, if you give us half a reason.”
The captain’s expression paled and he grudgingly responded that they would comply. The visual feed from the Regal Dawn flipped to their mess. Several minutes later, the crew began to file in.
“Do you think they’ll go quietly?” Cheeky asked.
“Not a damn chance,” Cargo smiled. He signaled for Tanis to follow him to the fore hatch where Flaherty and Thompson were already waiting. S&H had provided them with some advanced body armor, which the assault team already wore. It wasn’t up to the spec Tanis preferred, but it should stop pulse rifles and projectile rounds. If the pirates started firing high-powered beams or rails their way—which would be ludicrous—then the team would be in trouble.
