by Celeste Raye
"Movin' it to the empty cabins was a good idea. It's so spread around it'll take hours to find it all."
"That was the point. We had to take precautions. I didn't trust the traders not to come after us," Tann admitted.
"You think this ship belongs to them?"
"Not at all. This is someone else. I'll explain later." The first small transport had arrived. It was time for war.
"Open the doors that will lead them to the control room," Tann ordered. "Make it easy for them to find us."
Sure enough, Bull and his men strode confidently through the open doors like herded cattle. Tann decided that was fitting. The first men to step into the control room were taken by surprise. They had expected guns and lasers but got knives to the heart and swords that severed their heads instead. Blood sprayed the faces of those behind them, blinding their eyes long enough to allow Tann's pirates to cut a few more. Arms that previously held lasers dangled uselessly, sliced at the shoulders. A shot or two were fired, injuring one pirate and taking out a COM link.
Both groups began slipping and sliding through the blood that covered the floor. The battle was up close and personal. There were struggles over the weapons and who should have their use, often ending in someone's death.
Bull hung back, his bellows echoing off the walls. Two men stayed beside him, protection for their commander.
Tann didn't have that luxury. He wasn't a pirate captain or any kind of leader. This crew was learning to respect him but wasn't ready to die for him. So, he fought with the rest. The serrated knife from his boot sliced through his opponent's fat belly like butter. Disgusting liquid spilled over his feet, adding its stench to the metallic scent of blood. Dragon fire had to wait. Too many of Torbin's crew were in the way. That was fine with Tann. It was Bull he wanted to surprise with it anyway.
As more of his men fell, unused to fighting against knives and swords, Bull raised his COM link to send for more men and order a blast aimed at the control center. He was retreating to spare himself being harmed in the blast when Tann confronted him. Tann knocked the COM link from his hand with a laser blast. Confusion crossed Bull's face. The slim device Tann held didn't resemble a laser gun.
"You're not bringing in reinforcements or destroying this ship," Tann told him. "I was ordered to bring the gold to my leader, and that's what I'm going to do. You should've stayed on your own ship, Bull. As commander, you know the rules of engagement. Never place yourself in harm's way. Is that how you got the scar? Overconfidence? It didn't teach you anything did it?" he taunted.
"One on one, pretty boy. This scar proclaims my experience. Your face proclaims you've got nothin'. Bring it on!" He pulled a knife from his waist, then crouched in an attack position.
Tann started laughing, and Bull frowned and charged. Tann turned at the last second, causing the knife to miss his chest. Bull bellowed his anger and charged again. This time, as Tann evaded the knife, he stuck out a leg and tripped his opponent. Bull's hand hit the wall, sending the knife skittering down the hallway.
"I don't have scars for a reason," Tann said, standing over Bull's prone body. "Care to see why?" Flames shot from his mouth, leaving a burn in place of the scar and ending Bull's reign as commander.
The fighting had almost ended when he returned to the control room. His roar halted all movement. "Get out! If you're alive, go back to your ship. Bull is dead. You've lost. Tell whoever sent you that Torbin's crew isn't to be messed with. Explain what happens if you dare to confront us. Go and live!"
The few who lived, wounded included, hastily obeyed. As they left, they saw what was left of Bull. It spurred them on faster. Tales of Torbin's weredragon would spread quickly. If the traitor, Corsair, survived the big man's anger, he wouldn't be so lucky once Torbin learned of his betrayal.
"Toss the dead into space," Tann told the crew. "Bandage your wounds and scour this deck. We're not returning to the way station smelling of guts and blood. We have plenty of time to get clean. With one engine gone, we're at half speed. I'm going to check on the kid and the gold. Good job, men. We did the impossible. Embellish it when you retell it. It's a pirate's duty to come up with great tales, right?"
Tann couldn't believe his hasty plan had worked. The confidence and steady hands he'd shown to the pirates were a lie. Inside, he'd been terrified, expecting to die. It was a last second hail mary and shouldn't have worked. Perhaps, he'd endowed confidence in the pirates that didn't normally exist and that had saved them. Whatever had happened, by some miracle only one crew member was dead, and three injured. The gold was still aboard, and he was alive and unharmed.
Tika was hunkering down in an escape pod, just as she'd been ordered. That was a second miracle. She was usually too stubborn to do as she was told. He let her return to her cabin and went to wash off the enemies' blood.
Chapter Fifteen
Mariana
It all seemed surreal to Mariana. The crowds of wealthy tourists and groups that had stopped at the way station on their travels to worlds far away mixed with the more fortunate of Delti Utopia 6's permanent residents and pirates. Dressed in expensive finery, she walked arm and arm with Torbin, who wore his best pirate ensemble. No one paid the old man in worn leather pants, a green button-down dress shirt, and army jacket escorting a woman young enough to be his daughter a second glance.
The main casino was magnificent. It covered at least five acres of the man-made planet. Bright lights and architecture reminiscent of a castle, moat included, took her breath away. At night it could be seen from space, a definite plus for those passing by. It called out for attention, just as its designers had meant it to. The bridge spanning the moat was the main entrance. It was ten feet above the heads. Stairs would have been too mundane to fit the decor, so there were platforms that rose, like magic, from the manicured lawn up to the bridge. There was nothing beneath them to proclaim how they worked, just air. Mariana and Torbin were the last onto theirs, which held twelve people at once. The ride was smooth, and she was sad when it ended.
The water rushed under the bridge, lit by blue lights to make it appear more attractive. For some unknown reason, Torbin was talkative and informed her that the moat held aquatic creatures from many worlds, chosen for their abilities to live together and thrive. It was supposed to reflect the peace among planets and alien species. Way stations were neutral zones.
Inside, there were marble floors and columns. Mariana recognized everything from the virtual reality videos. This was the Delti Utopia 6 she'd been expecting. None of the videos had contained images of the less opulent places. That wouldn't be good for business. There were bars serving colorful drinks in sparkling glassware of every shape and size. Gaming tables were spread through the entire first floor, and as she looked up she spied some on other levels as well. You couldn't even pass a ladies' room without being enticed to play cards or roll dice.
Some of the dealers were robotic, which puzzled Mariana. "Why aren't the dealers all real? If you want to cheat a player, don't you require a live dealer?"
Torbin replied, "Nope. The robots are programmed to randomly deal off the bottom of the deck or weight the wheel in the house's favor. Some players believe the same as ya do. So, they want robots. Stupid fools."
"You play here, don't you?"
"Yep, but I know when the dealer starts cheatin', and I move on. I still lose, cause the odds are not with the player. I just don't wager more than I can afford to lose."
Mariana noticed coins littering the floor. She gasped and started to bend down and pick one up. Torbin tightened the grip on her arm and jerked her to his side. She let out a screech of pain, and he hissed, "Don't ever touch the coins on the floor! They're like bait. If you want 'em, that means you’re one of the thieves. Eyes are watchin', so act like the coins don't exist."
Torbin had been acting so gentlemanly, she'd forgotten he was a ruthless pirate. His angry hiss and painful grip reminded her he wasn't a friend.
"We're startin' at the table in the
center. They don't expect thievery at prominent tables. I'll play. You work the alien in the yellow suit. He's alone, so offer to be his good luck charm. Pilfer one or two coins as he reels 'em in. He won't count 'em until their stacked."
"What if I can't?" she asked hastily.
"Then, you're no good to me here, and I find another way to use ya or give ya to my men. Ya won't care for either."
This was her do or die moment. Mariana pasted on a smile and drew her arm from Torbin's grasp. She walked ahead, swinging her hips, and taking care not to let the heels make her fall. She squeezed her body in between the man in the yellow suit, who was winning, and a man with webbed fingers, like Drake's. Her dainty hands, with bright red lacquered nails, stroked the leather that surrounded the table edge. She allowed her pinkie to touch the man's hand.
His hand froze in the midst of scooping his winnings. His eyes darted to Mariana's face. She gave him her best, most innocent smile and said, "Sorry, I just hoped some of your luck would rub off on me. I've been losing all evening. How do you do it?" She let her long lashes sweep down to her blushing cheeks shyly.
"Watch and learn. I'll be glad to teach such a pretty little gal."
"Oh, would you, please?" she said, placing one delicate hand on his sleeve and taking the loose coin he'd missed from beneath it with the other.
She really didn't know how the card game was played. She's never seen anything like it. Her master hadn't done any gambling in his home, and she'd never left. So, her sincere interest in learning offset any misgivings he might have felt. She cheered and praised him when he won and pouted when he lost, all the time collecting coins and slipping them to Torbin, who'd taken the place of the webbed fingered man who'd lost everything and left.
It was so easy she forgot to think of it as stealing. It was more like a game, and addictive.
The man eventually called a halt to the evening. He professed to be starving and asked Mariana to join him for a late night meal. Torbin pinched her arm in warning, so she politely declined. "It would be delightful, but my eyes don't want to stay open. I don't think I slept at all on the journey here. Maybe, I'll see you here again tomorrow. Sweet dreams."
The disappointment in his face would have made her change her mind if Torbin wasn't glaring at her so hard. She smiled regretfully and sauntered away, feeling triumphant for making it through. "Which table now?" she asked, excited to try again.
"No more tonight," Torbin replied. "Ya got enough and ya told him ya were tired and wanted sleep. He'll be watchin' to see if ya really go. So, will the big man, who hears everythin'."
"I didn't mean to ruin it. It was the only excuse I could come up with for refusing dinner. By the way, why couldn't I have shared a meal with him? Wouldn't it make me look more real?"
"Did ya want to share his bed, girl? That's what he was askin' for. Save that for when ya ain't pretty enough to swipe from the tables."
Mariana was mortified. She'd been too naive to understand. Torbin had kept her safe, just as he'd promised. How odd he seemed sometimes.
One of Torbin's crew members was pacing just beyond the borders of the casino's boundary. He was distressed and uneasy. At first, Mariana figured it had something to do with the difference in him and those passing by. But, when he spied his leader, he rushed forward, practically knocking the high rollers off their feet and their cuss words and name calling definitely didn't faze him.
"Torbin, there's a problem. Tann's ship was attacked. We've only just got the word. The main engine was destroyed. They're limping in with the auxiliary. I don't know no more. The communication was garbled. He's got to land it at the docks, so it can be locked down. The auxiliary engine can't control the auto locks, and it would float back to space if he went back to the hidey hole."
"Is the gold aboard? If it's gone, I don't give a rat's ass if it floats away and takes the Naga with it," Torbin snarled.
"He didn't say nothing but what I told ya."
"Smart boy. He knew I'd let him float away if he'd told me the gold was gone. Now, I have to allow the landin' just in case. I'll take the girl back and lock her up, then go to the docks."
"There's no time for that. The ship's hoverin' now. He found the only open space with a lock that would hold a ship that size."
His colorful expletive words burned Mariana's ears. They concerned things she'd rather not hear about. When the ranting finally stopped, he growled, "Your comin' with me, girl. Stay outta my way. If he's lost my gold, he'll be dyin' tonight. If ya get in the way, you'll be going with him."
He wrapped a fist around her upper arm, right over the still healing tattoo. She cried out in pain, but he ignored her, pulling her along with him. He walked too fast for her to keep up in the heels she wore. She stumbled and fell many times, and all he did was drag her back to her feet. The glimpse of the fair man who'd protected her at the casino disappeared. The ruthless, tyrannical pirate had taken full control of his brain.
Her knees were bloody, her arm black and blue, and her ankles swollen from sprains by the time they reached the dock where the ship hovered. Torbin begrudgingly tossed payment to the dock laborers and ground out the words, "Lock her down! Then make yourselves scarce. What happens here is no one's business, got it?"
Obviously, they knew who Torbin was and all about his reputation. The instant the last lock was in place they ran and didn't look back. Mariana wanted to join them, but concern for Tann stopped her from trying. With her ankles in such bad condition, she'd never have gotten far anyway and, in this mood, Torbin might have shot her in the back.
His pistol was already in one hand, and a laser was in the other. Tann would have to talk fast to stop an execution. The docking spaces weren't empty, and crews remained aboard some of them, but no one would face down a pirate and his men. The whole crew had been waiting for their leader to arrive. The ones inside the ship with Tann knew their lives were just as expendable as his, so they might come out fighting.
The one pitiful engine that had brought the ship home gave a death rattle and shut down. Somehow, it had done its duty and knew it could now give up. Mariana saw holes in the hull, and that's when she remembered Tann wasn't the only one on the ship she should be worried over. Tika was on there too. The child could be hurt or worse, dead. She knew Tann would have done all he could to protect her, but was it enough?
The old, rusted doors opened, and the ramp slowly descended. She saw the shadows of men at the top. Only by his shape did she know which one was Tann. There were others just as tall, but without his wide shoulders.
Torbin cocked his pistol as Tann took several steps into the moonlight. His hands were raised in surrender as were the men following him. He knew exactly what his first words had to be to save their lives. "The gold's still aboard!" he shouted.
It relieved some of the tension in the air, though the pirates continued to aim their weapons. "I'm listenin', boy," Torbin replied.
"Put down the weapons. There are men aboard who need a doctor's care. They're bandaged the best we could, but they might be infected. Everyone could use a whiskey. So, let's get to a bar, and I'll tell you the whole story. I've got a tale you're going to find fascinating," Tann said to intrigue Torbin.
"I ain't lettin' down my guard until I see the gold. Come one down here. The boys will keep an eye on you while I go inside."
"Well, there's a small problem with that plan, Torbin. The gold's not in the cargo hold. For safekeeping we scattered it all over the ship. It turned out to be a good thing since we were attacked. I'm the only one who knows where it all is."
"Then, I guess you're comin' with me. Send out the kid. We'll keep a gun to her head and this one's so ya don't play no tricks," Torbin explained, pulling Mariana forward.
Chapter Sixteen
Tann
Tann's preference would have been to land back out in derelict territory, but the ship's problems got worse as they traveled. Computers failed, communication was spotty, and just before they reached the way station,
it was discovered the lockdown couldn't be controlled using the auxiliary engine. It took away his choices and forced him to land at the docks. That meant Torbin would be near and have to be informed of the attack. This wasn't ideal.
Torbin would suspect that the gold had been taken and the lives of his men, as well as Tann's, would become forfeit. So, he made sure not to mention the gold in the terse communication he sent. At least, that would force the old pirate to pay for the docking.
Tann was weary to the bone by the time the ship settled in the dock. The engine dying at that moment almost brought on hysterical laughter, which he didn't have time for. He needed to defuse the situation quickly before the pirates started shooting and asked questions later.
His plan had worked. He'd even planned for the fact Torbin would want Tika as insurance. Since he was being truthful and wouldn't be stealing the gold, he knew she'd be safe. What hadn't been in the plans was Mariana's presence and her changed appearance.
He stared, dumbfounded, at the woman Torbin referred to as Mariana. Her soft, blonde hair was a harsh black, her creamy skin was golden, and she'd aged. On closer inspection, he realized it was makeup that caused her to appear older. If her eyes hadn't been the same and her heart hadn't begun matching the beat of his own, he would have called the pirate a bold faced liar.
Then, he felt her pain. It hit him like a bolt of lightning. She was having difficulty standing. Her knees were bloody and her ankles swollen enormously.
"What did you do to her?" his calm, deep voice was deadlier than a shout. "You swore she'd be safe with you."
"She's fine. She was too slow, that's all. Ain't nothin' to get all worked up over, boy."
"Get those shoes off her and let her sit down!" he shouted. "Look at her! She can't walk another step, you old fool."
"Watch your mouth, boy! You're pushin' the wrong buttons and I done lost all my patience."
