The Star Traders: The Star Traders Series Volume One

by Gary W. Feather

  Piper switched on the device in her hand and connected straight to Keiko’s tablet. “Keiko? Keiko? Are you there? I need you help. Please.”

  “Piper?” came the reply. Alberta recognized Keiko’s voice. “What by the Goddess’ tits is going on? I’ve been told some crazy shit about…”

  “I know. Captain Alberta, Janet, and I have been arrested by Ellie and Tawny Williams.”

  “What?”

  “Where are you at?” Piper asked Keiko.

  “I’m with Jo in her office.”

  “I want to speak with Jo about this.” Alberta held out her hand with no qualms about touching the device.

  “Okay.” Keiko’s voice replied.

  A few seconds later a different voice spoke out of the device now in Alberta’s hand. That she recognized as second shift crew’s lawyer Jo Grant Williams. “Hello, captain. How can I help you?”

  “Hello, Jo.” Alberta chuckled. “I’ve got a problem.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Jo replied.

  “Can Ellie legally do this?” Alberta asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Jo said. “Though she has a bit with the illegal viewing and recording of two adults in a shower. That could be a problem, but Tawny and others broke a criminal out of Yin Confederation medium security prison. That’s a serious matter, but-”

  “But what?” Alberta said.

  “Ellie has put a communications freeze on the whole starship.” Jo sighed. “We couldn’t warn the authorities even if we tried. And I already tried to file an official complaint.”

  “Damn it.” Alberta sat on one of the beds in the cell.

  “This is Keiko again.” The device said. “I’m going to try to get some people together that I can trust to help break you ladies out of the brig.”

  “Thanks, Keiko. Be careful.” Alberta replied.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDREDNINE

  Keiko to the rescue!

  Keiko got together most of the security people that she trusted quickly as she could. Keiko led Heidi and eight other women to the quarters shared by Erica and Tilly. Keiko buzzed the door and Tilly answered.

  “What’s going on?” Tilly’s eyes widen once she saw all of the women behind Keiko.

  “Captain Alberta, Piper, and Janet have been arrested.” Keiko told her.

  “I heard. It’s true?”

  “Yes. We need to talk inside.” Keiko pointed behind Tilly. Tilly waved them in.

  Tilly calls up a couch and enough chairs for everyone to sit in. Keiko tells Tilly about being contacted by Alberta, Piper, and Janet. She mentions the legal advice they got from Jo and about the communications freeze. Tilly sat in the couch with Keiko and Heidi. The other women took chairs.

  “That can do this!” Tilly stood up from the couch and waved her hands.

  “We could use some more help.” Keiko said.

  “Right. I should call Doctor Amy Menendez. Of course we need Mindy.” Tilly nodded to herself and pulled out her tablet. Keiko new that Tilly had meant Mindy Bettencourt. Mindy was a computer expert, who was also brilliant hacker.

  “We need to put up a full privacy blocker. Just in case so no one looks in on us at Security Central.”

  “Isn’t the standard privacy signal enough?” Tilly asked.

  “Not if Ellie and her friends want to illegally break it.” Keiko gritted her teeth.

  “Shit.”

  “Here I’ll take care of it for you. Give me your tablet.” Keiko held out her hand and Tilly gave it to her.

  #

  Soon Tilly’s quarters were full of many women and they were making plans on who to break their captain, Piper, and Janet out of the brig.

  “Given time I’m sure I can break this communications freeze that’s been put up.” Mindy frowned at her tablet. “But who ever did this was damn good.”

  “Rosemary Zhou was broken out of prison by her twin sister, Tawny, and Tea.” Keiko told her.

  “Oh shit!” Mindy threw up her hands. “I don’t know if I can do this. She’s one of the best.”

  “You can too.” Tilly told her friend.

  “I don’t know.” Mindy shook her head.

  “Can I help?” Jessica asked them. “I know I’m more of a engineering girl than a computer girl, but I think I know more than the basics.”

  “Sure. Have a seat.” Tilly scooted over on the couch so Jessica Williams, Erica’s little sister could sit between Tilly and Mindy.

  Keiko heard the door buzz and made her way through the crowded room to open it. It was Doctor Amy Menendez the second shift crew’s senior doctor. “Come on in, Amy. Glad you came.”

  “Hello, Keiko.” Amy entered and the door shut. “I can’t believe they put my sisters in the brigs!”

  “I know it’s what we’re here to fix.” Keiko waved to everyone in the crowded and noisy room.

  “I assume you’ve tried to get a message through to the spacestation or elsewhere.” Amy grumbled.

  “Yes.” Keiko pointed at Mindy and Jessica. “They’re trying to break through the jamming. We suspect it was Rosemary Zhou, who’s behind it.”

  “I thought she’s in prison.” Amy said.

  “Tawny, Tea, and Dorothea broke her out recently.” Keiko shook her head slowly.

  “Damn.” Amy sighed. “I take it you didn’t just call me because I’m their sister. What’s this about?”

  “I plan to attack Security Central and break them out of the brig.” Keiko shrugged. “Um, It might get ugly and I’ll need people to take care of the wounded.”

  “Damn.” Amy held a bent finger to her lip. She appeared to be thinking. “I see Tilly is here. That’s good. I can think of some others from sickbay we could take with us for help. Do you think it would get so bad that we couldn’t get the wounded to sickbay?”

  “I hope we can solve this with stunners, but if this turns into a full on civil war or…mutiny.” Keiko swallowed her regret with a grunt. “I think we might not be able to get back to sickbay or it might be where we end up fighting from. I don’t know.”

  “Understood.” Amy cupped Keiko’s chin. “Both your mothers would have been proud of you dear.”

  “Thank you, Amy.” Keiko said.

  “When was the last time you smiled, Keiko?”

  Keiko paused to think for a couple of seconds before replying. “Since learned of all of this crap.” Keiko sighed and forced out a smile again.

  “Okay. You’re doing fine, Keiko.” Amy hugged her for a second.

  #

  Keiko and Amy looked up when an announcement went out through the starship.

  “This is Senior Captain Ellie Williams. All crewmembers return to the Guinevere immediately! This is an order. We are leaving the spacestation at nine pm/third shift fifth hour. There will be no exceptions to this. All who are left behind will have to wait until we return to this star system. That is all.”

  The announcement repeated itself.

  “Damn.” Amy rubbed her lips.

  “Looks like were going somewhere.” Keiko shook her head. “But where?”

  “I have some good news, Keiko!” Mindy Bettencourt called out from the couch she and Jessica Williams were sharing. Keiko rushed over and dropped between them. Mindy accidently flicked her long blue hair with pink highlights in Keiko’s face. “Sorry.”

  “What do you got?”

  “I still can’t break out of the communications freeze, but I have been able to hit the computers in Security Central with a virus that’s fucking with their sensors. Hopefully they won’t be able to everyone sneaking into the brig to free them. It’s not going to last for ever. Eventually they be able to defeat the virus, but for now they’re almost blind.”

  “Nice work, Mindy!” Keiko hugged her from the side.

  “Uh, Jessica was a lot of help too.” Mindy added. “It was her idea actually.”

  “Good job, Jessica.” Keiko gave the young brunette a quick peck on the cheek that caused her to blush like a red apple.

  “T-thank
you.”

  “Sure.” Keiko stood up and clapped to get everyone attention. “Hello, everyone. Mindy and Jessica were able to screw with Security Central’s computers for the moment we can break into the brig. But we need to do this now, ladies!”

  #

  Keiko led her followers to just outside the door to Security Central. She waved Heidi to the other side of the door with four other security women. Okay I also have four more of my security women behind me. Ten of us in all. We all have stunners and blasters. I already went over my wish to use only the stunners with everyone in the group. I don’t want anyone to die. And I got non-security back up behind us with some medical women just in case.

  “Okay. Let’s do this.” Keiko nodded at Heidi and the others.

  Keiko led the way into Security Central. This is crazy. I have to invade my own Security Central. Damn it! Keiko was the first to stun an armed guard. Soon her one stun beams was joined by nine more. Many security women, both guards and those working on computers went down before they knew what was going on. Keiko left the stunner-only armed non-security women in the front room of SC to guard the door. Keiko led her security women through the rest of Security Center to where the brig section was.

  The brig section contained fifty cells of various sizes. They were used to house members of the crew or outsiders who’d committed various crimes, but rarely for longer than five years. Those convicted of harsher crimes were handed over to Yin Confederation law enforcement. By the time they reached the guard on duty saw them and drew her blaster. All the brig guards were armed with blasters instead of the standard stunners used by security while aboard the starship. Keiko fired her stunner and missed. Damn it! The guard fired and Keiko heard one of her women behind her yelp. Keiko got the guard with her second shot. One of her women had been shot in the leg. Keiko left another woman behind with her. A nurse had been called to come take of her. Now I only have seven women with me. I hope that’s enough. Keiko waved them to follow her.

  Keiko stunned a guard and a woman at a computer with some rapid firing. Her women stunned the rest of the security women. Every single on of these women are related to me and the women that are following me. Shit! This is so messed up! Heidi check one of the computers.

  “They’re in thirteen!” Heidi announced. “I’ll see what I can do about getting that door opened.”

  “Good idea. Stay here Heidi with Margaret, Josephine, and Andee.”

  “Right boss!” Heidi nodded.

  “The rest of you come with me. Let’s go!” Keiko waved with her stunner. Three women followed her down the hall to cell number thirteen.

  “Keiko!” Janet shouted from the cell. Her shouted was repeated by Alberta and Piper.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll have you three out of there in a min-”

  The heavy door to cell thirteen slide open.

  “Good work, Heidi!” Keiko shouted back down the hall. Keiko turned back to her shift’s captain and security chief. “One of my security women was shot in the leg. But I brought Doctor Amy Menendez and some medical women that Amy personally picked out for this. All together there’s about forty of us.”

  “I would prefer not to do this.” Alberta admitted with a slow nod. “But we don’t have any choice. Piper I guess you can organize security and weapons. I figure out what our next move is.”

  “Right.” Piper gave Alberta a pick on the lips.

  They join Heidi and the others where Keiko had left them. Amy rushed inside the brig front room to hug her sisters Alberta and Janet with a kiss on the cheek. She did the same to her sister-in-law Piper. “This is crazy, but at least you three are free again.”

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDREDTEN

  Mutiny against the mutiny!

  Piper had all the security people that weren’t on their side put into cells within the brig. Piper, Keiko, and Heidi handed out helmets, vests, and security armor-suits to their women. Weapons and extra power packs for the stunners and blasters were handed out to everyone in their group.

  Alberta decided she needed to contact the bridge to speak with Ellie or Cindy. Whoever was in command of it. Alberta sat at a computer console in the front room of Security Central. Janet sat beside her.

  “Hello. This is Junior Captain Alberta Williams calling the bridge.”

  Third shift’s Junior Captain Cindy Williams appeared on the visual screen in front of Alberta.

  “Hi, Alberta. What the fuck are you doing?” Cindy frowned and rubbed her nose. “Ellie said you tried to accuse her of breaking someone out of prison and other crazy nonsense.”

  “That’s bullshit, Cindy.” Alberta shouted. “Listen to me.”

  “Don’t listen to her, Cindy.” Said a voice of someone that Alberta couldn’t see on the screen, but she recognized Ellie’s voice. “Look what she’s done! This is mutiny! She wants to get rid of us and make her sister Janet and her daughter Erica her junior captains!”

  “No! That’s not true!” Alberta shouted back. “You fucking bitch! She wants to murder me! She’s the one who’s fucking crazy! She and her secret lover Tawny!”

  “What?” Ellie pushed Cindy out of the screen. “That’s a lie! I love my wife! I would never betray her!”

  “Yo-” Alberta tried to shout back, but the screen when blank. “Shit!”

  “Well that was helpful.” Alberta heard her wife say behind her back.

  “What?” Alberta looked back at Piper.

  “You could have shouted less.”

  “Bu-”

  “She’s right, sis.” Janet shrugged when Alberta looked at her.

  Alberta sighed.

  #

  Guinevere had jumped from the Lilith star system into the Sholly star system. Now Ellie jumped the starship back into hyperspace. Where is she going now? Alberta had left the console in the front of Security Central behind. She was now leading her group through Guinevere’s corridors. I need to get everyone some place that we can defend. This isn’t it. Alberta had talked it over with Janet and Piper. Engineering seemed a good spot to hold and they could gain control of most of the ship from there, especially the engines. This corridor ended at some elevators that they needed to reach engineering. Five elevators waited for them within a circular room. Alberta quickly divided up her group, which had grown to sixty-four women, into three groups for the elevators. Alberta gave Janet and Piper a group to command then led her one group into an elevator. The doors shut. The elevator was crowded. Alberta heard someone sobbing behind her, but didn’t look.

  Alberta tapped a button. “Engineering deck.” The elevator hummed to life as sped off to the engineering deck. Gross. Someone just farted.

  “Uh, captain?” Alberta looked back at Mindy, who clutched a tablet to her chest.

  “Yes, Mindy?”

  “I-I got a call from Lynna Williams in engineering.” Mindy explained. “Chief engineer Catriona Zhou made it to engineering with Lynna and several other second shift engineers to back her up. Dorothea Zhou has several supporters there, including armed security women.”

  “Damn it!” Alberta scratched her shoulder-length gray hair. “Call Piper and Janet. Tell them what you just told me.

  “Yes, captain.” Mindy went to work on her tablet. Alberta looked at the doors and wondered what she would find on the other side when they reached engineering. Will we walk right into Dorothea’s hands? I hope to Goddess this works.

  The doors slide open. Alberta led everyone outside. Alberta heard blaster and stunner fire up ahead. Alberta glanced back when another elevator door opened. Piper led about twenty women out the elevator. I have about forty women with me now. Where’s Janet’s group? Alberta looked at the elevator doors that should open soon. That’s the one that she should be coming out of soon.

  “Captain!” Mindy shouted. Her shaking hand was on Alberta’s elbow. “There’s something wrong with their elevator. Janet’s elevator. It stopped moving!”

  Alberta nodded and forced down the panic she felt. “Okay. Calm down, Cindy. The
y’re still alive and breathing?”

  “Yes.” Mindy nodded. “They have lights, but nothing else works. Jessica said she thought they’d been stopped by someone in engineering. We should be able to free them once we take control of engineering.”

  “Tell them that we’ll get them out of there as soon as possible.” Alberta softly place a hand on Mindy’s nervous shoulder.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Alberta looked back at the elevators then glanced at Piper. Piper what closer to Alberta.

  “Damn. I don’t want this.” Alberta whispered into her wife’s ear.

  “Of course not.” Piper kissed Alberta’s cheek.

  Tilly Zhou cleared her throat. “I’ve located my mom, captain.” Tilly Zhou held up her tablet. Tilly’s mother was Catriona Zhou.

  “Good job, Tilly. Take us to her.” Alberta slapped her back.

  Piper quickly organized her security women, which still included Keiko. Tilly led the way with Alberta and the rest of the women behind her. The first room they came to was empty of people. The many monitoring, controlling, and repairing rooms and consoles inside the engineering deck were in charge of all the various engines of Guinevere. The starship contained sub-FTL plasma ion engines in the bow and stern sections along with a million tiny chemical rocket engines throughout the starship’s hull that gave it the ability to maneuver in all directions. There was also the four antimatter reactors that powered the starship. And most importantly of all to a starship were its six gigantic tachyon FTL engines.

  They found a barricade in the room guarded only by Lynna. “Whose there! You with Ellie or Alberta?” she called.

  “This is Alberta!”

  “Captain! Oh. Hello. Glad you guys got here.” She said. “Its a mess.”

  “Where’s Catriona?” Alberta asked.

  “Lynna!” Heidi called out to the woman.

  “Heidi.” Lynna waved back. The two women hugged over the barricade, which was soon moved out of the way to let Alberta’s people inside. Several more women appeared to greet them.

  “Where’s Catriona?” Alberta asked one of them.