The Star Traders: The Star Traders Series Volume One

by Gary W. Feather

  “You may enter.” Said Keiko’s voice from inside her quarters.

  Piper Williams entered the front room. There was no one there. “Keiko?”

  “Coming, boss.” Keiko entered from the bedroom. Keiko was off duty like Piper and not in her standard Guinevere coverall uniform. Instead she had shorts and a t-shirt that read GO TIGERS! A reference to the Atlanta Tigers football team that Keiko was a fan of.

  “We’re off duty, Keiko. Piper is fine.” Piper chuckled. She knew that Keiko was her best security officer and wanted her opinion on the Ellie/Tawny problem. The day I retire I’ll probably recommend Keiko for my old security chief spot. Not that I plan to retire anytime soon. She called a couch out of the floor. The unfolded from the floor where it had been stored at the microscopic level. All none living objects such as: couches, chairs, bed, tables, vehicles, and so on’ were stored on Guinevere and Guinevere’s Daughter at the microscopic level inside walls, floors, ceilings, and containers by nanobots.

  “Okay, Piper.” Keiko joined Piper on the couch. “What’s up, Piper?”

  Piper held up her tablet. Keiko focused on the shocking recordings on it. “Goddess’s tits!”

  “Uh, I wouldn’t have put it that way, but that’s sort of what I thought too.” Piper chuckled.

  “What are we going to do?” Keiko asked. “I mean do we warn the captain or threaten them with the evidence. Take them to court. What? I mean…”

  “I know this is a new one to me too.” Piper sighed. “First I plan to tell Alberta.”

  “I’d want some legal advice on this before we actually to action against them.” Keiko called for a glass a water. A robot brought it to Keiko and she swallow some. “Do you want some water or something?” Piper shook her head. The robot left when Keiko waved it away. The robot folded back into the wall. “It could have been a misunderstanding.”

  Piper frowned. I don’t want to think that they’d want to kill someone of their own flesh and blood. Family is starship. Starship is family. But a part of me wants to kill them just in case I’m wrong.

  Keiko continued, “I’m trying to look at from a different perspective. They may have been angry and not really meant that they literally wanted to kill Captain Alberta.”

  “I suppose that could be true.” Piper folded her arms. Unfold your arms, Piper. Piper placed her hands in her lap.

  “I’m not saying we shouldn’t be worried about Captain Alberta’s safety.” Keiko held her glass in both hands and gazed at the water in deep contemplation. “Tawny always had a problem with her temper and an obsession with controlling people.”

  “And a dislike with people that she couldn’t control.” Piper chuckled with no humor in her face. Keiko nodded in agreement. “How about this I want you to take a copy of this to Jo. Get her legal opinion about it.”

  “Can do, Piper.” Keiko nodded in understanding. Piper was sure Keiko knew she’d meant Jo Grant Williams, who was second shift crew’s lawyer. Keiko checked her tablet to see if the recordings have been emailed to her tablet. “Got it.”

  Piper stepped out of Keiko’s quarters. Keiko followed. Piper waved goodbye as Keiko walked off to talk to one of the family’s lawyers. I got that part settled. Now I need to talk to my wife. Piper breathed out firmly and took off for the quarters that she shared with her wife Junior Captain Alberta Williams.

  #

  Piper entered their quarters to see her wife Alberta laying barefooted on a couch in a white calf-length robe. She looked up from the tablet she was reading when Piper entered. Oh girl! Here I am about to tell her what our eldest daughter accidentally did. Calm down. It was just an accident.

  “Hello, honey.” Alberta held out her hand for Piper with a loving smile. Piper clutched Alberta’s offered hand. She leaned towards Alberta’s lips to plant a long kiss that hinted at more to come.

  “Hello, sugar.” Piper said. She sat when Alberta pulled up her feet. Piper picked up her feet to join Alberta’s in the middle of the couch.

  “What’s going on?” Alberta tilted her head with narrowed eyes.

  “What?”

  “You have that look when you’re about to figuratively drop a bomb on me. So what is it?” Alberta fluttered her eyelashes in the way she sometimes used to get Piper to lower her defenses.

  “I guess you know me too well, sugar.” Piper smiled.

  “Sorry to tell you this, dear.” Alberta smirked. “But I think we’re that type of an old married couple.”

  Piper laughed. “Yes. I think that’s true.” Then she sighed. “Okay. I got a call from Erica recently. She’s on the planet.”

  “What’s she up to?”

  “She’s spying on Tawny and Tea Williams and Dorothea Zhou. It seems they recently broke Dorothea’s twin sister out prison.”

  “What the fuck!!!” Alberta hoped. “Goddess! Idiots! How could they be so stupid! Did they get caught?”

  “No.” Piper grabbed Alberta’s hand. She pulled her wife back to the couch. “But Erica recorded everything and sent the recordings to me.”

  “What? Why? What is this really about? Spill.” Alberta tickled the bottom of Piper’s feet.

  “Okay. Okay. Stop that!” Piper laughed. She stopped laughing before she continued. “Uh, Erica accidentally recorded Tawny and Ellie in a shower where they were fucking.”

  “What?”

  “It was an accident.” Piper said firmly. “Normally it would have been erased, but they started talking about want to kill you.”

  “Me? Kill me?”

  Piper showed Alberta the recordings on her tablet that Erica had sent her. Alberta watched with a blank face. “I can’t believe this.”

  After Alberta watched it all Piper said, “Ellie wants to be the senior captain of Guinevere and she is afraid the family will pick you instead. Tawny is in full support. And I’m afraid that might have a number of disgruntled supporters in the family.”

  Alberta laid her face into the palms of her hand. She sat leaning into her hands without speaking for a few minutes that seemed like hours to Piper. Please say something. Don’t give me the silent treatment. Please! Alberta looked up. “I need to talk to Ellie about this. I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding.”

  “Maybe we should wait.” Piper scooted over and placed a loving arm around Alberta. “I sent Keiko to speak to Jo about this.

  “No.” Alberta stood up. “I’m going to talk to Ellie about this myself.”

  Alberta tossed off her robe. She only had underwear on. She rushed to throw on some green jeans and an old yellow blouse.

  “Wait up!” Piper shouted as Alberta sped out the door. “Give me some time to look over the legal possibilities with Jo. Please.”

  Alberta stopped outside in the corridor. She turned to face Piper.

  “Okay. Okay.” Alberta said. “Our shift starts in an hour. I’ll wait.”

  “And I want to go with you. Just in case.” Piper pointed a finger.

  “She’s not going to kill me, Piper.” Alberta crossed her arms.

  “I hope your right.” Piper kissed her wife’s cheek and laid her head on Alberta’s shoulder.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDREDSEVEN

  Alberta tells Ellie the truth

  Piper nervously followed Alberta pass twelve doors to other quarters, until they reached Ellie’s door. At the moment Alberta’s second shift crew was on duty, while first and third shift crews were off duty. Third shift crew would take over in four hours. Piper knew that Alberta’s sister and executive officer Janet was running the bridge at the moment. At this time of day Acting Senior Captain Ellie Williams might actually be sound asleep. Great!

  Alberta tapped the buzzer. Again. And again.

  The door opened. A sleepy looking Tisha Williams stood there blinking at them. “Hi?”

  “Sorry, Tish.” Alberta shrugged. “Uhm, I need to speak to your wife.”

  “Can’t this wait?” Tisha complained.

  Piper heard Ellie called out, “Who’s there, sweethe
art?”

  “Alberta and Piper ar-” Tisha yawned. “Sorry-are here. They wanted to talk to you.”

  Piper heard Ellie called out, “Damn it! Come in.”

  Piper followed Alberta into Ellie and Tisha’s front room, which had no furniture present. Obviously they’d been sleeping in their bedroom and had no need for anything in the front room. Tisha called up four chairs. They were slightly cushioned, but were business chairs for a desk rather than the type for relaxing company. I guess Tisha would prefer that we leave as soon as possible. Not surprising I guess at this hour I can’t blame her for trying to give us a hint like that. Piper admitted to herself. Piper sat beside Alberta. Ellie sat across from Alberta.

  “So what’s the big deal, Alberta?” Ellie scratched her balding head.

  “Uh, sorry. It doesn’t concern Tisha. She can go back to bed.” Alberta said.

  “Well fine.” Tisha kissed Ellie on the cheek. “Don’t take to long. Ellie needs some sleep before our shift is on duty.”

  “Goodnight, sweetheart.” Ellie smiled and after she was gone Ellie frowned at Alberta. “Now what by the Goddess’ ass is this about?”

  Alberta cleared her throat and told Ellie everything. Did you really have to tell her about all of it? I don’t like this. I wanted a chance to talk with Jo first. Damn. Piper tried not to frown when she thought that.

  Ellie gave a frightened look towards the bedroom where Tisha was. “Please I don’t want Tisha to know.”

  “I don’t want to tell h-” Alberta began.

  “Oh you just want to threaten me.” Ellie replied with a snarl on her lip. “Tawny warned me you would try tha-”

  “But-”

  “Yes. I had an affair with Tawny.” Ellie whispered with hate burning in her eyes. “Yes. She wants to help me be senior captain for real rather than just acting captain like now. I have been a Goddess damn XO before you were an XO Alberta. It’s my turn to be captain. It’s not fair that everyone want allow it. But all of those lies about me and her wanting to kill you is false. Not only that, but what Erica did was illegal. I’ll sue. Erica and Piper both. Before this is over I will have Erica kicked off ‘my’ starship. Understood, junior captain?”

  #

  “But Ellie.” Alberta held her hands out. “Let’s talk about this. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

  Alberta don’t kiss up to that bitch! She wants you rightful job and she truly might want to kill you. Can’t you see that? After some thought Piper realized that her wife couldn’t. I will so kill that bitch if she harms a hair on your head!

  “At least fire Erica for this, Alberta and give me those recordings.” Ellie demanded. “Then I’ll allow the rest of this to slide and not bring your wife and daughter to court.”

  “Yes. I’ll agree to tha-”

  “Wait a minute, Alberta.” Piper jumped up with her hands on her hips. “You can’t just do that.”

  “Do you really want to take this to court, Piper?” Ellie frowned up at Piper with an arrogance that Piper wanted to smash with her fist.

  “Do you want the law to find out your friends broke a criminal out of prison? We have it recorded and I really out to hand it over to local law enforcement.” Piper snapped. Ellie didn’t look too concerned by what Piper said, but Piper was sure that she caught a glimpse of worry and fear in the older woman’s eyes for a second. Then Ellie stood to face her.

  “Watch it, Piper!” Ellie said. “I won’t stand for your threats. Maybe suing your whole shift would be a good!”

  “Uh, that would include, Tawny.” Piper smirked.

  Ellie growled. She raised a fist.

  “Don’t be stupid.” Piper frowned and gritted her teeth without raising her fist. She was sure she could take Ellie down if she had to kick her ass.

  “Calm down. Both of you.” Alberta demanded and moved herself between the two hostile women. “Enough of that. We were just discussing things. There’s no reason to come to a conclusion right this minute.” Alberta gently placed a hand on Ellie’s shoulder. “Captain Ellie, you need some sleep. Tomorrow we can continue this discussion after you had a good night sleep. I’m sure you’re tired. Yes?”

  “Mmm. Yes. You’re right, Alberta. We can talk about this…tomorrow.” Ellie waved them towards the door.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDREDEIGHT

  Ellie attacks

  After parting ways with her wife Alberta entered sickbay. Alberta told a robot in the waiting room that she wished to speak with Nurse Tilly Zhou. She was told that the nurse would be with her in a minute. Maybe I should just ask Tilly what she knows about the Ellie/Tawny problem. We don’t need rumors spreading all over the starship. Alberta sat down and used her tablet to check with the bridge. Her XO Janet greeted her and gave her quick report about the boring details of their current situation. Guinevere was docked at the huge main spacestation orbiting a Yin Confederation planet named Jezebel. Alberta looked up when Tilly entered.

  “Hello, Captain Alberta.” Tilly smiled. “Is there something that I can do for you?”

  “I was just wondering if you had any idea where my daughter Erica was.” Alberta crossed her legs and tilted her head to look up at Tilly. Tilly looked a little nervous.

  “I don’t know.” Tilly shrugged. “She went to planet’s surface, but I haven’t seen her since. I’m sorry. I-I asked your wife about it. She didn’t know either.”

  “Oh. Really?” Alberta nodded. Piper hadn’t mentioned that to me. I wonder why. “Well thanks for letting me bother you for a minutes. She should have told someone if she was taking a vacation.”

  #

  Alberta entered the bridge where nothing was going on. Alberta sat in her command chair. She quickly and quietly filled Janet in on what was going on with the Ellie/Tawny problem. I’m sure a lot of them wish they were on the planet Jezebel enjoying the sun and fun. Couldn’t blame them. Is that what Erica is up to?

  “Do you know what Jo said about the legally shit about this?” Janet asked from her XO chair. Janet recrossed her legs in the opposite direction.

  “Piper sent Keiko to have a talk with Jo about it.” Alberta looked around the bridge at the bored bridge crew who were doing their jobs.

  “Yeah, wel-Oh! I got a call from Piper.” Janet put the call on one of visual screens. Piper’s face popped up on it.

  “Hi Janet. Captain Alberta there?”

  “Yes. I am, Piper.” Alberta leaned in close to Janet so she could be seen by her wife. Here I am!

  “Good.” Piper nodded. “It turns out that Martha is missing too.”

  “That’s interesting.” Alberta said. “I assume they’re together and I now know why Erica has been doing this.”

  “Alberta!” Piper frowned. “There’s no reason to jump to that conclusion on Martha. You just need to give the girl a fair chance.”

  “Fine.” Alberta said.

  #

  Alberta heard one of her bridge women scream. She was looking behind Alberta at the bridge door. Alberta and Janet stood to look back. What the fuck? Acting Senior Captain Ellie Williams stood in the doorway with hard look on her face. At her side was Tawny Williams. Surrounding them were over twenty women and all were armed with blasters.

  “Captain Ellie.” Alberta felt she had a brain fart in her head. “What’s the meaning of this? What’s going on?”

  “The meaning of this?” Ellie walked towards Alberta with her arms crossed. “The meaning is that you and your XO Janet Williams are under arrest.”

  “What for?” Janet asked. She touched Alberta and looked up at her as if she would understand. But Alberta was just as confused. What is going on? Alberta’s bridge crew were standing and glancing back and forth at each other and the…intruders.

  Ellie waved at two women came forward to seize Alberta and another two came to seize Janet. They were marched off the bridge and through the corridors. Finally Alberta found her voice again as they neared Security Central.

  “What’s going on, Ellie?” Alberta tried t
o look back at her as the guards pushed Alberta into SC. “You can’t do this! You can’t do this!”

  “Yes. I can.” Ellie laughed.

  Alberta saw the shocked wide eyes of the security people as she and Janet was shoved through SC. They were forced into the brig and put into a cell where Piper was already waiting for them. As they entered Piper immediately jumped up from the bed she was seated on.

  “Alberta! Did they hurt you?” Piper hugged her. Alberta heard the heavy doors slam shut behind her.

  “She can’t do this. She can’t!” Alberta found herself crying and forced back the tears.

  “No. Just let it go.” Piper hugged her tighter. Alberta did just that. The water flowed for a few minutes before she got it out of her system. Alberta kissed her wife on the lips. Then she remembered her sister and XO Janet was in the cell with them. Alberta felt a flush when looked at an slightly uncomfortable, but smiling Janet.

  #

  “Now. What are we going to do to get out of this mess?” Alberta asked them both.

  “In the movies the heroes fake an illness.” Janet laughed sarcastically. “Then when the bad guys enter they beat them up and get away.”

  “That’d be great if they were stupid enough to come in alone or only in pairs.” Piper snorted.

  “I know. I just couldn’t resist.”

  “Actually I-well.” Piper blushed. “I don’t usually do this, but I was worried about that Ellie or Tawny might try something. Soooo…”

  “What?” Alberta frowned.

  Piper looked at Janet and apologized. Piper unzipped her coveralls and let the top flop down behind her. Alberta watched as her wife slipped her hand under her panties to search for something. What? Alberta guessed she might be reaching inside her vagina. Uh. What for? Has everyone on this ship gone insane? Piper pulled out an object. What’s that?

  “A communications device. Brilliant.” Janet laughed.

  “Thank you.” Piper held it out.

  “Eeew. No thank you. It’s yours.” Janet held her hands up defensively.

  “Okay, Janet.” Piper chuckled. Alberta wrapped Piper in an embrace and kissed her several times in random places. “All right. All right, darling. I love you too.”