“I like to steal spacecraft!” he bragged, with a reckless gleam in his green eyes.
“You mean the Emperor’s ships?”
“They are my primary target,” he said, waving his hand in careless insolence.
“What do you want of me?” she breathed, wrinkling her brow in suspicion.
His lips curled into a grim smile. “It is a very simple task. You are an expert code thief. I want you to disable the control locks so my crew can steal a spaceship.”
Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, Kat said sarcastically, “Oh, a simple task without hazard! Most likely, I’ll be captured or killed.”
“I’ll come with you and protect you,” he said, rubbing the glove covering his steel hand.
She pursed her lips, and quipped, “You, and what army, will protect me?”
He leaned forward eagerly. “Let me explain my plan. I intend to attack a ship in the repair dock on the isolated planetoid of Laos Minor. Few legitimate ships visit that port. But, last time we docked on the planetoid, the dock held several smaller craft from the Emperor’s fleet. One of those ships will be a suitable target for our piracy.”
“I don’t like it,” Kat said critically. “Too many things can go wrong, especially if the ship is damaged.”
“If there is a problem, we’ll get out quickly. The Rogue Star will wait to pick us up.”
His confidence was contagious. Perhaps his plan would succeed. She liked the idea of sabotaging the Emperor’s ships. “All right,” she said, accepting his idea cautiously. “I’ll try your plan with one condition, Captain Hawk. Promise you’ll pull us out of the ship as soon as there’s a threat of danger.”
He vowed with a fierce light in his sharp eyes, “I promise to remove us from danger as fast as possible.”
“Let’s shake on our agreement.” Kat held out her small hand, and he clasped it firmly. She felt the hard steel under his glove.
Hawk gripped her shoulder with his left hand, and she felt a new surge of attraction for this enigmatic, black-clad man. Gazing into her eyes, he murmured, “I’ll make a pirate of you yet!” He leaned back in the chair again. “You are excused from our usual meeting today. Tomorrow we shall make a detailed plan of attack.”
Thus, she was dismissed, and an escort took her to the bedchamber, where she never felt entirely comfortable lounging in the luxuries of his dead wife.
Before she slept, she heard the change in the steady hum of the engines. The new vibrations indicated the short acceleration, followed by the dizzy sensation as the Rogue Star jumped into hyperspace. She disliked the eerie silence of hyperspace and tried unsuccessfully to sleep. The Hawk’s plan posed an interesting challenge. Her major goal was to destroy the Emperor’s ships. Yet, she had misgivings about their safety, despite his blithe promise.
4 Planetoid Repair Dock
ONCE HE HAD KAT’S AGREEMENT, Captain Hawk had acted swiftly on his plan to steal one of the Emperor’s spaceships from the repair dock. The next day, after two short hops in hyperspace, the planetoid of Laos Minor appeared on the view screen of the Rogue Star. Kat remained skeptical of success, and they arrived too soon for her liking. Despite a long session debating the best strategy, they knew so little about the ships docked on the tiny planetoid.
By now, Kat had been permitted on the bridge to watch their descent and she stood at the back out of the way of the crew. Even as they settled into orbit and Jake called for landing instructions, she worried about the price of failure. If Kat failed to block the ship’s alarms, the Emperor’s troops would capture her and Hawk. And, as dangerous criminals, they could expect little mercy.
In the pilot’s seat, Jake had control. He aimed the Rogue Star in a wide circle over the repair port, coasting towards the allotted docking bay. Kat had a clear view over the entire port under its transparent dome.
Captain Hawk stood behind the pilot, scanning the ships docked under the dome. Glancing at Kat, he pointed to one end of the dock. “See the scouter at the north side marked with the red crown of the Emperor? That’s our target. It landed for major repairs when we were here three months ago.”
“How can we steal the ship if it is damaged?” Kat said, perplexed by his choice.
His eyes shone with fierce energy and he patted her on the shoulder. “If you can break into the central com, you can assess if the repairs are completed. You can connect to the other ships from the Emperor’s fleet and disable them. Or else, you can locate another ship suitable for stealing, or valuables we can pilfer. We have discussed each possibility during our planning session.”
Still dubious, Kat bit her lip, regretting she had agreed to this pirate venture. But, Captain Hawk would be at her side, and he would share the consequences of failure.
The Rogue Star descended onto the ramp and eased into the docking bay. The crew jumped out, prepared to refuel and load supplies of food and other necessities.
They waited until night to make their assault on the Emperor’s scouter. Kat wore dark clothes with gloves and fitted her old cap over her bright hair. She wrapped a scarf around her face to veil her pale skin. The Hawk made no change to his usual black attire, although he had a sheathed knife on his belt. He handed her a laser as a weapon. They walked out onto the shadowy dock. Only dim lights were visible around the ship and at the entrance to the bay. Kat gazed through the huge transparent dome enclosing the port. Bright stars shone in the narrow opening between the tall partitions separating adjacent bays.
“Come on!” Black Hawk whispered, gesturing to the bay’s entrance.
Immersed in her Grey Kat guise, she slipped out of the bay at his heels. The outer passage was dark and empty of people. They slipped along the barrier wall in the direction of the scouter, keeping in the shadows. The small port had only a single row of docking bays, and their target sat in the ninth bay away from the Rogue Star. Kat counted the bays as they stole silently past each well-lit entrance along the passage.
They halted before the ninth bay, and the Hawk peered cautiously around the partition wall. He slipped inside, gesturing for Kat to follow. Dim lights outlined the ramp to the door of the small ship.
The Hawk headed straight to the personnel entry near the front of the scouter. Instead, Kat ran past him toward her favorite entrance as a burglar, the rear door to the cargo hold. She stopped by the door and beckoned him over. The cargo door was sealed by a secure code. Kat tested the most common keys. The green light flashed at her fifth attempt. She pushed the door open with a triumphant glance at her companion.
He gave a slight nod and pushed the door open. They climbed inside the cargo hold, leaving the door propped slightly ajar. It was pitch dark inside, except for the thin line of light along the edge of the door. Two light beams flashed out simultaneously. Kat had activated her laser at low power, and she guessed the other light came from the Hawk’s artificial hand.
Kat grinned. She had unlocked the first door, and they were inside the scouter. With luck, the ship would be empty at night while it was under repair. They tiptoed to the far end of the hold, and climbed the narrow metal stairs to the upper level. The door to the personnel area had a standard lock. Hawk pushed Kat aside and bent over the lock, his body concealing his actions. She heard a metallic crunch and the door creaked open. She guessed his steel fingers had snapped the bolt.
Hawk glanced back at Kat. A quick jerk of his head signaled his intention to proceed, and she followed his dark figure further inside the ship. He seemed familiar with the interior layout of the scouter, since he led the way without hesitation along the corridors. Finally, they ascended narrow steps, and opened the door to the bridge of the ship.
A handful of lights shone on the control panels, and several were red. Kat glided over to the central com and lowered herself into the seat. Treading quietly behind, the Hawk rested his hands on the back of the seat and peered over her shoulders.
“Shall I open the panel?” he whispered.
“No. I’ll try breaking into the com fi
rst.” Kat activated the screen and hit keys. The screen lit up, but nothing else happened. She input the first sequence of the secret code, and waited a few seconds for a response, leaning back and propping her neck on her hands. If the com did not activate, she would try another tactic to break in.
Kat bent forward to begin a new sequence. Abruptly, a loud hiss came from below the panel. She felt a gush of air. No, it wasn’t air. It smelled wrong.
Instantly, she sprung out of the seat, yelling, “Gas!” and dashed for the door.
She heard the crunch of metal on metal, as if the Hawk was trying to seal off the spouting gas. Then, he was at her back and shouted, “Get out. It’s a trap.”
More hisses of gas escaped from beneath other panels.
They leaped down the stairs and raced back toward the cargo hold. Faint buzzing sounds suggested the gas was seeping into the corridors. Kat felt weird, groggy. Her legs wobbled. She stumbled, trembling uncontrollably.
“I can’t go on!” she mumbled, tottering on legs too shaky to support her body.
Black Hawk hauled her upright, preventing her from collapsing to the ground. Seizing her arms, he half carried, half dragged her towards the cargo exit. The dim lights around the door to the cargo hold were only a few feet ahead. But, her head was spinning and Kat was too dizzy to see straight.
Abruptly, the Hawk groaned and slumped to the ground, dragging Kat down with him. The light caught in his eyes as he lay beside her. “Sorry!” he gasped.
She tumbled into a speckled greyness, which darkened to black nothingness.
5 Ship Bound
KAT WOKE WITH A VICIOUS headache. She moaned, remembering the hiss of gas, and collapsing with paralyzed limbs. She opened her eyes. But, everywhere was as black as if she were blind. The low hum indicated she was in a moving vehicle, probably a spacecraft. When she tried to stretch her arms and legs, they would not move.
Fighting against a surge of panic, she considered her position. She shifted her limbs to test the restraints. Her wrists were bound together with her arms pulled awkwardly behind her back, and her legs were tethered at the ankles. The ropes cut into her flesh when she tugged against them. She arched her back and twisted her feet, but her fingers had too little freedom to reach the knife concealed inside her boot. What next? Maybe she could find something in the room to use as a tool to cut her bonds.
Struggling with the restraints on her arms and legs, Kat shuffled awkwardly across the cold floor, trying to gauge the size of her prison. In one direction, she hit a hard surface, presumably the wall. Rolling in the opposite direction, she bumped against a firm, warm object, a body. A groan told her the person was alive.
“Who are you?” she asked, biting her lip in anxiety.
“Kat?” The hoarse croak of her name identified Black Hawk as her fellow prisoner.
“Are you tied up too?” she asked.
He shifted about and groaned again. “I’m trussed up like a pig on a stick.”
“Caught by the Emperor’s guards!” She sighed, “We’ve got to escape.”
“They may have made a mistake leaving us her together.” His deep voice sounded amused.
“Oh, they assumed we would squeal on each other,” she guessed aloud. “Will they have installed mikes?”
“Perhaps,” he said in a cautious tone.
Tantalized by their proximity, Kat squashed the desire to snuggle against his chest. She wriggled closer to the sound of his voice, moving up his chest towards his neck.
Jerking away, he protested, “What are you doing?”
“Let me speak in your ear.” Her lips brushed the cloth of his headdress. Catching her idea, he kept still and rigid while she moved to place her head near his. She whispered in his ear, or as close as she could guess in the dark, “Rumors say you have a hand that cuts metal.”
“Rumors are correct. They call me Niall of the Silver Hand. But, my hand is gloved to mute the power and clamped by the wrist.” His regular breathing swayed the folds of cloth over his mouth, and she yearned to touch his face.
Edging closer, she murmured, “If I remove the glove, can you break the bonds on my wrists?”
“Yes.” He spoke slowly and cautiously, as if he mistrusted her intentions. “I can free you. What do you propose to do when you are free?”
She shrugged, remembering the small knife hidden in her boot. “Your weapon is better than any I have. We can work together to escape.”
“True,” he agreed.
She probed gently, “I must touch you to remove the glove. The same rumors claim you do not allow anyone to touch you.”
“It is true. Who enjoys shaking a metal hand!” he grated with disgust. “I dislike clammy fingers feeling my body, and no one ever sees my face.” His head shifted and Kat felt the tickle of beard hairs on her cheek. He breathed, “I shall make an exception for you to release my hand from the glove.”
His warm lips traced a path to her mouth and he kissed her firmly. With a tiny moan of pleasure, she returned his kiss. A second later, they broke apart, and she murmured, “You give me a new perspective.” She inhaled deeply, fighting to subdue the flame of desire. He had chosen the wrong time, and wrong place for such intimacy.
His breath warm on her face, he whispered temptingly, “When we escape, I shall widen your perspective further.”
Anger flared at his suggestion and she snapped, “You presume too much. I’m not your body slave!”
“Let’s escape from this cell first,” he said, resuming his normal cool tone.
“Roll over so I can reach your hands,” she said, impatient to be free of the bonds pinching her wrists.
He complied, and she scrambled around to place her back against his and her bound hands next to his. Her wrists were tied so tightly she had little freedom of movement. She found the steel hand by feeling its hardness under her probing fingertips, and tugged at the leather glove. Her fingers slipped over the smooth leather and she could not gain traction. After several failed attempts, she sighed, a different tactic was needed.
“It is more difficult than I expected,” she muttered, squeezing the soft fingers of his natural hand. She wriggled around to face his back and shifted her head, feeling for his hands with her lips. He stayed motionless and patient. She caught a finger in her mouth and bit gently. It yielded and he twitched involuntarily. Wrong hand. “Sorry!” she whispered.
She tried another leather clad finger. It was hard on her teeth. She nibbled along to the end and bit into the glove at the tip of the finger. She tugged, wriggled lower and tugged again. The finger of the glove slipped loose by an inch. She repeated the procedure on each finger in turn, bracing her knees under his back to gain leverage. Slowly, she eased the whole glove off, until she held the loose glove between her front teeth.
He grasped the glove with his normal hand.
Kat shuffled away, breathing heavily. “Now it’s your turn.” She rolled to place her bound wrists next to his hands, as far as she could tell. The steel fingers of his artificial hand felt cold against hers.
He searched for the bonds with his cold metal fingers exploring her wrists. One sharp snap and her hands were free. She rubbed her hands together and massaged the sore wrists.
His deep voice sounded, “How will you release me?”
Slipping a hand into her boot, she clasped the handle of her knife and grinned. “I have a concealed blade.” She severed her ankle bonds and stood, hopping up and down to restore the circulation. Lastly, she knelt down, felt for his wrists and cut the ropes to free his hands.
Hawk reached down with his artificial hand and snapped his ankles free.
They stood together in the dark room, looking for an exit. A thin line of light indicated the bottom of a door. Kat stepped toward the door.
“Stay behind me!” he ordered, grabbing her right wrist with his left hand and leaving his metal hand free. Luckily, she was ambidextrous. Kat did not complain, but quickly transferred the small knife to her left hand. He
was welcome to take the lead and face any guards waiting outside.
At the exit, Hawk dropped her hand to examine the edges, running his hands along one side of the door. He sliced off the hinges, slipped his steel fingers around the exposed edge and wrenched the door open. The lock snapped. Then, he peered out into the passage. Standing at his back, Kat brandished her knife as a defense.
Giving a grunt of satisfaction, Hawk stepped boldly into the empty corridor. Kat followed quickly. They edged along the wall until they reached the intersection with another passage. Black Hawk peeked round the corner, his metal hand raised as his sole weapon.
“Which way?” she whispered.
He looked right and left along the passage, shrugged as if it made no difference, and marched to the right. Knowing it was best to stay together in case of an attack, she walked after him. He chose several turns in the same random fashion. Once they switched left to evade the people whose loud voices sounded on the right hand fork. At each turn, Kat became more confused and uncertain whether they were heading to the exit. She did not believe Hawk knew the correct way across the unfamiliar spaceship.
As they cautiously explored one intersection, shouts came from the rear. Five armed men burst into view, yelled and raced toward them. Black Hawk swung to face their attackers, motioning Kat to stay behind. She ignored his gesture. Knife in hand, she stepped to the opposite wall, forcing their attackers to divide their efforts.
Their foremost opponent aimed at the Hawk. His steel hand flew into action. A laser beam flashed from his index finger, searing the man’s wrist. The injured man screamed and dropped his weapon. Leaping agilely, the Hawk caught the falling laser in his left hand.
The second man rushed at Kat, the smaller, vulnerable target. She dodged aside, pivoting to score her knife blade along his shoulder. He screeched. She stabbed his arm, and wrested his laser from his weakened grip.
Twisting round, Kat fired the laser at the leg of the next assailant. He stumbled. She kicked at his crotch and he crumpled, groaning, to the floor. Straightening, she scanned the field of battle. The Hawk had felled the last of their attackers. Five men lay dead or moaning on the floor.
Captured by the Hawk Page 3
