The Star Traders: The Star Traders Series Volume One
Page 33
Guinevere’s Daughter disembarked from the spacestation and headed out to the Diana star system’s hyperspace laser station. Alberta checked one of the data screens for Daughter’s credit account. It was getting low. She’d need to make some good sales later to increase it or they’d need to take out some loans. Damn it, I have enough shit to worry about.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDREDNINETEEN
Williams HQ
Guinevere’s Daughter jumped out of hyperspace at the edge of the Nefertiti star system.
“Donna, shut down the sail.” Alberta rubbed the back of her neck.
“Yes, captain.” Donna said. “I’m shutting down the sail. Rocketship is cooling at a normal rate.”
“Launch a couple of probes, Fiona?” Alberta ordered.
“Yes, captain.” Fiona the sensor chief replied.
“Do you seen any pirates, Fiona?” Alberta asked twelve minutes later. Her soft hand still interlocked with Piper’s warm calloused hand.
“Scans negative so far, captain.” Fiona replied. “We’ll keep you posted.”
“Thank you, Fiona.” Alberta glanced at the data screens and Daughter’s account. She turned to Piper and whispered, “We need to get to Williams HQ immediately. We need some help. Jo needs some help with our legal defense. We can get our children to a safe place.”
“Okay, dear. I think that’s a good idea.” Piper gave stern grin.
“Donna, take us to Nefertiti’s hyperspace laser station.” Alberta ordered.
“Huh?”
“We’re heading for Williams HQ and no where else, Donna.” Alberta replied and gave a stern stare at her pilot. “Can you do that?”
“Yes, captain.”
“Calm down, Alberta. Donna was just surprised. She’s not opposing you.” Piper whispered.
“Mmm. You’re right. I shouldn’t of snapped like that at her.” Alberta replied. “I’m tired of this shit.”
“I know.” Piper squeezed her hand. “I’m here for you.”
Alberta smiled at her. Then glanced at the crew. Hey this isn’t a military ship! Alberta tightened her grip on Piper’s hand and pulled her wife towards her. Alberta planted a couple of loving kisses on Piper’s soft lips.
#
Guinevere’s Daughter jumped out of hyperspace at the edge of the Susan B. Anthony star system. Yin was the third planet from the sun.
Home. Will we be safe here? Alberta uncrossed her legs and recrossed them. “Donna, shut down the sail.” Alberta ordered.
“Yes, captain.” Donna said. “I’m shutting down the sail. Rocketship is cooling at a normal rate.”
“Thank you, Donna.” Alberta rubbed the back of her neck.
“Launch a probe, Fiona.”
“Yes, captain.”
Alberta checked her data screens and a visual screen with the map of the Susan B. Anthony star system. The map showed their current location and the nearest vessels and buoys. They received their first info dump from the first buoy they approached. Alberta quickly sent a recorded message to Williams HQ on the planet Yin. It would get there before Guinevere’s Daughter entered the orbit of Yin. I hope they listen to me. Alberta checked the info on the local market. It showed what was being bought, sold, and desired in the Susan B. Anthony star system. Alberta knew that just about everyone on Daughter was doing the same thing, because they were traders. It was what they were taught to do from the youngest age when it started as just a child’s game. Anyone on Daughter could recommend possible trade and if made a profit, such a person would get a bonus.
Alberta checked her personal email. It included a message from Elecka Williams. She was an old matriarch of the Williams family who ran things on the homeworld. She was about the same age as my mother Audrey was.
“What is it?” Piper asked. She was still seated in Janet’s XO chair.
“I got a message from Elecka.” Alberta sighed.
“Not happy is she?” Piper rubbed Alberta’s back.
“Yes.” Alberta cleared her throat. “I can’t blame her. We’ve lost a lot of family recently.”
“I know, but its not your fault.” Piper said.
“I-I know.” Alberta rubbed the back of her neck. Piper started rubbing it for her. Alberta turned her chair and enjoyed the feel of Piper’s massaging with her strong hands.
#
As Guinevere’s Daughter nears Lady the main spacestation orbiting the planet Yin they receive an official message from Williams HQ. Alberta drank what was left of her coffee and told a robot to refill her cup. The crew had had a chance to eat a full meal on their journey to the homeworld from the edge of the system. I’m a little afraid to check the message. I wish Piper was still on the bridge with me. Alberta cleared her throat. Come on, Alberta, you need to answer it one of these days. Cursed a little louder than she meant too. Her bridge crew turned to stare and Alberta gave a reassuring smile. They returned to their duties.
Alberta smacked her armchair softly and tapped a data screen to read the message. It was from Elecka Williams again, but this time it was an official message. The official Williams HQ logo. Elecka’s full name Amy Elecka Williams and her official title; Manager in Chief. Alberta shook her head in frustration and read the message three times. Now she hit the armchair with a loud thumb and didn’t notice the looks her bridge crew gave her. She wants us to surrender to local authorities! She won’t even give me a chance to explain. Where’s the family loyalty? Damn it!
Alberta rubbed the back of her neck. I wish Piper was here. Alberta contacted Williams HQ and demanded to speak with Elecka. After some constant complaints Elecka responded and appeared on one of Alberta’s visual screens.
“Hello, Alberta.” The old woman said to her.
“Hello, Elecka.” Alberta forced a smile. “I hope that I was able to catch you at a good time. I read an odd message that was sent from HQ I wanted to find out if you knew about it. It told us to surrender to local authorities for some reason and the message had your name on it. Were you aware of this?”
“Of course, Alberta.” Elecka replied with a fake smile. “I’m the one who sent it. You will surrender and hand over our children. Ellie told me about your paranoid theories.”
“Ellie and the others on Guinevere have been kidnapped by the Lorkiiz, along with our starship.” Alberta explained. “If Ellie is saying that then its because their making her do it. Not to mention that she, Tawny, and others worked with Lorkiiz.” Alberta continued to explain to Elecka about everything that happened. About Ellie and her comrades arresting them and putting them in the brig. She told the story of the Lorkiiz invading the starship and how Ellie confessed to everyone that she had tried to get their help, but they’d turn against her. She told about their long race to get the children to some place safe.
“That’s what she said you’d say.” Elecka frowned.
“Damn it!” Alberta shook her head. “Everyone on Daughter were there when the damn Lorkiiz invaded Guinevere!” Alberta paused to think. “Did Ellie send a visual message or just a text?”
“It was visual.”
“Could you send it to me?” Alberta asked.
“Only if you dock first.” Elecka replied.
Alberta rubbed the back of her neck. “No. I’m sorry.”
“I haven’t informed authorities about this, Alberta.” Elecka gave her a fake smile. “I wanted to give you the chance to surrender. It’ll be easier for all of you in the courts if you do surrender.”
“If Guinevere appears and demands the children be returned, would you hand them over?” Alberta frowned. “Even if they don’t allow anyone to come aboard nor anyone to leave Guinevere? Would yo-”
“This is nonsense! Surrender, Alberta! I’m warning you!” Elecka snapped with her eyes on fire.
Alberta switched it off. Damn it! What should I do? No one is listening. I might be able to talk to someone else and get them to see reason. But I don’t have time. Those Lorkiiz starships are out there and they might be following us with Guineve
re too.
#
“Donna, set a course for nearest hyperspace laser station.” Alberta said out loud.
“Uh…yes, captain.” Donna replied.
“But we just go her-” Linda turned in her chair.
“Hush.” Donna interrupted her co-pilot and nodded firmly at the co-pilot station. “We have work to do.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Linda ducked her head.
Alberta checked her data screens. We need to stop somewhere and make some sales or we aren’t going to have anything in the account. I hope Elecka doesn’t freeze our account. Could she get away with that? Damn it! Alberta paid for a spot in the queue.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDREDTWENTY
What do we do?
Guinevere’s Daughter jumped into the Boldizsar star system one of the last two star systems controlled by the Hungarian Empire.
“Shut down the sails, Donna.”
“Yes, captain. Shutting down the sails. Rocketship is cooling at a normal rate.”
“Launch a probe, Fiona.”
“Yes, captain.”
Alberta checked her data screens. This was the third star system they’ve entered since leaving the Susan B. Anthony star system. We’re no longer in Yin space. What are we going to do now? Alberta sighed. Trade of course. Alberta glanced over at Piper seated in Janet’s XO chair. At least we had a couple of good nights sleep finally. Or we tried too.
“Find anything good, captain?” Piper asked.
“Nothing great, but I couple of choice things we might purchase for the next star system.” Alberta nodded. “I think our frozen caviar will sale good here.”
“Yes. That’s what the info dump says about the markets.” Piper nodded.
“Those Hungarians.” Tiffany chuckled from her tactical station. “They love their fish eggs.”
Alberta laughed and realized she hadn’t laughed for a while. “It’ll be nice to eat a meal off Daughter for once.
“Indeed!” Fiona agreed at her sensor chief station.
#
Alberta and Piper chatted, while munching on their appetizers; a plate full of cheese slices. Alberta wiped her lip when the main course was placed on the table between them. Blood Sausages! Yum. The waiter gave them both a plate of vegetables.
“Looks yummy!” Piper chuckled. She used the serving fork to put some of it on Alberta’s plate before putting some in her own plate.
“Thank you, dear.” Alberta grinned. She cut in with her fork and knife. Alberta’s tablet buzzed. She frowned and looked down at it. It was in her jacket that was draped across her chair.
Alberta looked at Piper. Piper shrugged, “Go ahead, Alberta.”
Alberta sighed and lowered her fork and knife. She pulled out her tablet. “Junior Captain Alberta Williams here.”
“This is Fiona Williams. Sorry to disturb you, captain.” Fiona’s face on the screen looked worried like a mouse, who smelled a cat. “I heard a rumor that a weird looking spaceship was in the area. I returned to the bridge to check it out with our sensors. It turned out to be the Lorkiiz starship. The same one that chased us and we rammed.”
“Damn it. I suspected they were following us.” Alberta slapped the table top with her palm.
“Shhh.” Piper warned and smiled at the surprised eyes that looked at them. Alberta smiled at them too.
“Sorry.” Alberta said to Piper.
“Captain, I would like to have permission to launch a probe to get a closer look.”
“Okay, Fiona.” Alberta replied. “But a small one and don’t let it get too close to them. I don’t want to provoke them.”
“Yes, captain.” Fiona’s face vanished from the screen. Alberta put her tablet away.
“It appears you were correct about the Lorkiiz following us.” Piper said and stuffed a bite of sausage in her mouth.
“I don’t think they’ll try something here, but once we jump out of her they might attack just like that pirate ship.”
“At the edge of the next star system.” Piper nodded. “The Hungarians still patrol the edge of their star systems and are very good at it. Our people should be doing that.”
“Yes. And once we leave Hungarian space we’ll be attacked by the Lorkiiz.” Alberta picked up her fork with sausage on it. “So where do we go from here?” She stuffed it into her mouth.
#
After Alberta and Piper enjoyed a nice meal on the spacestation, Alberta called the department heads together for a meeting in a conference room. Alberta seated at the head of the table nervously played with the gavel in her hands. Around the long conference table everyone talked, made jokes, and complained about their problems with their situation. Piper sat on Alberta’s left, while Donna sat on her right. Donna was in Janet’s spot. She forced thoughts of her little sister out of her mind. Alberta struck the table top with her gavel.
“Meeting to come to order.” Alberta announced. “We’re here to discuss where we are going next, how we’ll continue our trade, and how to keep the children safe. Donna, could you start us off?”
“Yes. Thank you, captain.” Donna nodded. She cleared her throat. Donna pointed at Fiona. “You may have heard that Fiona checked out a strange spaceship in this star system. It turned out to be a Lorkiiz starship. The same one that chased us in the Kansbar star system. The captain suspected they were following us and sent the pirate ship after us. Now we know its true.”
“Go ahead, Fiona.” Alberta waved to Fiona.
“Thank you, captain.” Fiona pointed at a screen on the wall. The image of the strange spaceship appeared on the screen. “This is the Lorkiiz starship that chased us in Kansbar and this is what it looked like after we…struck it.” The starship was damaged and leaking what looked like air. “And this is the strange spaceship that’s here in the Boldizsar system.” Another image appeared. “I had an AI examine it and it’s ninety percent positive that this is the same Lorkiiz starship. They’ve done a few repairs, but some of the same damage is still there.”
Everyone around the table whispered to their neighbors. After a while the whispers got louder. Alberta struck the table top with her gavel.
“Captain?” Tiffany called out.
“Yes?”
“If these Lorkiiz are following us then I need some more missiles and counter-missiles.” Tiffany rubbed the single long-hanging earring she kept in her right ear. “We used up all of our missiles in our last fight and we could use a few more counter-missiles too.”
“This isn’t a warship, Tiffany.” Doctor Amy Menendez complained. “We also need extra medical supplies. While the number of active crew running this rocketship is the same as usual, the number of children on this rocketship is well above normal. Not to mention Saul and the teachers are overwhelmed by the number of children they have to educate.”
“Of course the children’s well being is important, doctor.” Tiffany replied. “But their protection is also important. Not to mention vital to their very survival.”
Alberta didn’t like where the argument was going and struck her gavel. “Both are important ladies and I’ll see if we can’t fund both. Though the amount of money we current have in the account isn’t much. We need to start making a good profit from now on.”
“May I speak again, captain?” Donna asked. Alberta nodded. Donna took control of the wall screen with her tablet. It changed from the Lorkiiz starship to an image of the milky way galaxy. The image narrowed to focus on the sector of stars that they were within and the names of the stars could be seen. “We left Guinevere behind in the Kansbar star system and jumped to Augustine XX, Diana, Nefertiti, Susan B. Anthony, Boudica, Alexandra, and the Boldizsar star system. Now where do we go next? We have several choices and most of them are star systems weaker than our Yin Confederation and the Hungarian Empire. The Lorkiiz would have no fear in attacking us openly in those systems.” These star systems were pointed out by flashing lights on the wall screen. “Now we could go to Malika the other star system of the Hungarian Empire and from
there we would be able to jump into Oki the closest star system of Suiko. They’d have to be pretty stupid to try something in Suiko space. Their military and sensors are superior to anything we have out here.”
“Yes. But do they know that?” Tiffany asked. “I think it might be a mistake to jump to that conclusion. These aliens don’t even understand trade.”
“Maybe the Lorkiiz don’t understand trade, but I think they’d understand the kind of power that Suiko has.” Donna replied. “Anyway, what does everyone think about this? I think this is our best option for now.”
Alberta watched her department heads nod in agreement to the proposal.
“Thank you, Donna.” Alberta said. “I think this will give us the best chance to survive this. And I won’t forget that we need help caring for our children, Amy. Nor will I forget we need more missiles, Tiffany. Okay? Good. Any questions?”
Alberta listened to all the questions and concerns they had, until she ended the meeting.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDREDTWENTY-ONE
More pirates!
After jumping in the Malika star system and finding only peaceful trade to full the days there, Guinevere’s Daughter jumped out of hyperspace into the Oki star system. It was the closest Suiko star system.
“Shut down the sails, Linda.”
“Yes, captain.” Said Linda Williams the co-pilot. “Shutting down the sails. Rocketship is cooling at a normal rate.”
“Thank you, Linda.” Alberta smiled. “And good job at piloting us out of the last star system.”
“Thank you, captain.” Linda blushed. Donna leaned over and squeezed her co-pilot’s hand.
“Launch a probe, Fiona.”
“Yes, captain.”
Alberta looked at her visual and data screens. “Tiffany, full power to our deflector shields. Just in case.”
“Yes, captain.” Tiffany the tactical chief said. “Should I power up the missile tubes?”
“No, Tiffany.” Alberta forced down a chuckled. Tiffany wants another fight with Lorkiiz.
“I think I may have located exhaust fumes a second ago.” Fiona announced from her sensor chief station.