The Expanding Universe 4: Space Adventure, Alien Contact, & Military Science Fiction (Science Fiction Anthology)

by Craig Martelle

  A fiery orange blast radiated outward from the primary weapons array. A sizable chunk of the hull sheared away from the rest of the ship. The reptilian-like aggressors choked and froze, floating away from the debris that used to be a Vaerian destroyer.

  Dani stared at the destruction, slack-jawed. Luck was typically on her side, but not usually to this extent. She immediately assumed that there was some kind of malfunction aboard the ship. The explosion in the weapons system caused a chain reaction of smaller, secondary explosions that tore through the Vaerian destroyer. She raised a hand to her lips as the blasts erupted along all sides of the ship.

  “They’re trying to escape!” Jag shouted as he pointed to the cargo bay of the destroyer.

  Sure enough, the doors were sliding open. How the cargo bay remained intact as the ship around it essentially disintegrated was a mystery to Dani, but she didn’t have time to ponder the details. “I don’t know what happened, but it looks like they’re trying to escape. Peterson, what’s your position?”

  “My squadron can handle the few remaining fighters. I’m coming around to take out whoever thinks they can shoot up our ship and get out alive.”

  Dani watched the red-tailed fighter zip out from beneath the destroyer and position itself within firing range of the cargo bay. But what emerged wasn’t a Vaerian escape vessel. Instead, the ship birthed by the bursting destroyer was one that looked like it had been pieced together by someone with a severe lack of resources.

  “Pirates?” Jag asked aloud, as he leaned forward, staring at the screen in bewilderment. “What are pirates doing aboard a Vaerian destroyer?”

  “I’m not sure,” Dani responded, scratching her head. “But I want to find out. Peterson, hold your fire.”

  “You got it.”

  “Cassia, open a line of communication,” Dani said as she stood and stared at the screen, stone faced.

  The left side of the display screen filled with a riot of sight and sound. The bridge was a mess of confusion as men and women dressed in clothing that was just as mismatched as their ship darted about. The crew comprised a variety of races and ages from the very old, to the young. There even appeared to be a child carrying a circuit board in the background.

  Amid the chaos sat a dark-haired, blue-eyed man with a large hat and a curious smirk. There was a calmness about him that made him seem out of place in the commotion taking place around him. His eyes lit up with recognition and he stood, slipping the hat from his head and dipping down in a swooping bow.

  “Captain Devereaux, always a pleasure,” he said with a wink as he stood and placed his hat upon his head once more. “Tell me, how is my brother?”

  Before Dani could open her mouth to speak, Jag was at her side.

  “Talon, what the hell are you doing out here?” Jag demanded with all the ferocity of a younger brother who caught their older sibling sneaking in after curfew.

  Dani’s eyes darted between the equally handsome men. The family resemblance was undeniable. She bit her tongue and watched the scene unfold; whenever Jag and Talon had a run-in, things got interesting.

  Talon sighed and flopped back into the captain’s chair, gliding his fingers along the long feather adorning his hat. “Oh, Jag, you seem angry. Are you still mad?”

  Jag’s brow furrowed. “You know the answer to that. What, are you in league with Vaerian scum now? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You always do seem to find the worst possible thing you can do and follow that path.”

  “Oh, little brother,” Talon sighed with a slight shake of his head and a light chuckle. “Perhaps one day you’ll understand.”

  “We do have standing orders to detain any individuals or ships consorting with the enemy, not to mention those engaged in piracy.” Dani set her jaw and stared at Talon.

  Talon turned his head toward a tall woman who stepped up to his chair and leaned down to whisper something in his ear. His smirk fell, and his eyes lingered on the woman’s face a moment before he redirected his attention back to the communications screen.

  “It seems there are more GC ships on the way.” Talon sat back in his chair and drummed his fingertips on the armrest. “I suppose we should probably get going.”

  “You’re surrounded,” Dani said flatly.

  “Tell us what you were doing on that ship,” Jag added.

  Talon’s eyes fell to his console and he quickly tapped a few icons then pursed his lips together. “We’ve come across a bit of technology that would be supremely beneficial to anyone wanting to put an end to this incessantly hellish war.”

  “And, naturally, you went to the enemy first.” Jag rolled his eyes.

  Talon’s smirk returned. “Actually, no. We first approached the Galactic Conglomerate, but those fools are so anti-pirate that they couldn’t see the gift we offered them and instead tried to arrest us.”

  “A gift is something you give without expecting something in return,” Cassia mumbled.

  Talon heard the comment and perked up, leaning forward in his seat. “Was that my dear, sweet Cassia? Come on screen, love. Let me see your beautiful self.”

  Cassia folded her arms across her chest and slumped down in her chair. She clearly had no intention of complying with his request.

  “That’s not going to happen,” Dani spoke for her. “But she does have a point. I doubt you were offering the tech free and clear. I know you better than that.”

  Talon shrugged and sat back once more with an exhale, examining his fingernails. “Of course not. I mean, we do need to eat. But that didn’t matter anyway. GC officials refused to take a meeting with me and advised we would be apprehended. We left at that point.”

  “That’s because the GC doesn’t do business with pirates.”

  “Well, their loss then. Naturally, I had to see who else was interested in the tech, and the Vaerians made a very promising offer.”

  “That might explain why they weren’t using their full power to try to take us out,” Jag muttered under his breath. “If they had something valuable on board, they’d want to wait until they got it back to their home system.”

  “If their offer was so good, why’d you blow up the ship? I know we didn’t cause it to explode from the inside out.” Dani cocked her head to the side and awaited his response.

  “Yes, well…” Talon sighed. “Things didn’t exactly go according to plan. I mean, they are Vaerians, so I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised when they decided to hold us hostage and attempt to take the technology for themselves rather than paying for it. But I’d say we all saw who came out on top here.”

  “How did you pull that off, anyway?” Jag folded his arms across his chest.

  Talon’s smile grew and he leaned forward in his chair. He could never resist a good bragging opportunity. “Sweet, innocent Jag. You don’t go into these kinds of negotiations unprepared. Our database was rigged with a virus to disable key systems in their ship should they attempt to steal or transmit the data without the proper key. Judging from the looks of things out here, my guess is that they sensed they might be in a battle they couldn’t win and tried transmitting the data to another Vaerian ship.

  “Of course, without my keycode…” Talon’s eyes narrowed and his smile grew sly in nature. “BOOM.”

  Jag sighed. “You realize that they would have just deployed their fleet of fighters after you, right?”

  “Yes, well.” Talon shrugged. “I suppose we owe you one for helping us out there.”

  “I believe that makes it two you owe us now,” Jag corrected him. “Don’t forget the last time we saved your ass.”

  Talon rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. “Very well.”

  Dani looked at Jag. Their last run-in with Talon had been an emotional one for her first officer. Instead of the Vaerians, it was the Rebel Sector who had captured Talon and his crew. Alaska’s Vengeance had been on a reconnaissance mission at the time and had come across the stranded pirate ship, which had been docked by the rebels. Wh
at followed was a battle that left the rebel crew clinging to survival as Dani and her crew took the pirates onboard as prisoners. The story they told the GC was that Talon managed to steal a fighter and escape after compromising their navigational system. However, the truth wasn’t quite so sneaky on Talon’s part.

  Despite their ongoing feud, the brothers had a weak spot for one another. Two sides of the same coin, they were unable to turn the other over to their superiors. Dani had mixed emotions about the situation, but she cared for Jag; and Talon hadn’t been an actual threat to the GC, until now.

  “I’m not sure we can just let you go this time, Talon.” Dani glanced down at her console. Weapons and shields had recovered a few percentage points. “If what you’re saying is correct, whatever tech you’re peddling could be dangerous and used against the GC.”

  Dani’s eyes caught Jag’s. He seemed disappointed in her decision, but if he was, he bit his tongue.

  “On the other hand…” She raised an eyebrow and redirected her attention back to Talon. “If we return to the GC with the technology you speak of, then they probably wouldn’t be so upset with your escape.”

  Talon squinted his eyes at Dani. “Why, Captain Devereaux, are you trying to blackmail me? How unlike a GC officer. I like it.” He grinned.

  “Careful,” Jag muttered to Dani through gritted teeth.

  Dani glanced at the countdown timer again. “Of course, we’d need to handle everything before the other ships got here.”

  Talon rubbed his chin and stood before stepping off-screen.

  Dani took the opportunity to let out the breath she was holding and glance at her crew. Jag seemed worried, Cassia looked confused, and Cruz started signing over the partition the moment her eyes caught his. “What if they call your bluff? We have no way to actually apprehend them with so many systems down.”

  Dani smiled and quickly signed back, “He won’t.”

  Talon stepped onscreen again and wordlessly stared at Dani and Jag while he fiddled with his cufflink.

  “You’re stalling.” Dani put her hands on her hips and cocked her head slightly.

  Talon’s gaze darted off-screen for another moment before returning. “I’ll tell you what—”

  Jag let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes dramatically. “Here we go.”

  Talon inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering at Jag, clearly annoyed. “We will give you a copy of the plans, encrypted, provided you let us leave.”

  “Can you believe this guy?” Jag addressed Dani as he gestured to the screen.

  She looked between the brothers slowly before her attention landed on Talon. Unlike Jag, he was notoriously difficult to read—one of those people who, after a negotiation, leaves you wondering if you either got a great deal or if you just got screwed and just don’t know it yet. “If it’s encrypted, how will we know that it’s the real deal?”

  Talon’s brow furrowed. “Because I’m a man of my word.”

  Jag scoffed, increasing the level of annoyance in Talon’s glare.

  Dani took the moment of distraction to quickly sign to Cruz, “Beacon, now.”

  With a deep, throaty sigh, Talon shook his head. “I’m tiring of this. Do we have an accord?”

  A smile graced Dani’s lips. “Certainly. Please send over the plans.”

  Talon nodded toward someone off screen. “Consider it done.”

  Dani looked at Cassia, who sneered and tapped a few keys with a heavy hand before grumbling, “We’ve got them.”

  “Just one more thing…” Dani trailed off as she accessed a screen on her console. “Looks like we’re all set.”

  “Captain Devereaux,” Talon said, sweeping his large hat from his head and dipping into a deep bow once more. “Always a pleasure doing business with you.”

  “The pleasure is all mine.” Dani replied with a wink. “Speaking of which, we’ve attached a homing beacon to your hull. It was small enough to pass through your shields undetected, so I imagine it’d be equally difficult to spot without going over that rust-bucket of a ship with a fine-tooth comb. If these plans aren’t real, then I will track you down.”

  Talon chuckled with a sparkle of admiration in his eye. “Well played, well played indeed. As soon as your ship is operational, perhaps you’ll pay me a visit?”

  Dani’s smile quickly dissolved and she shared a glance with Jag.

  “You knew the whole time?” Jag asked.

  “Well, maybe not the whole time, but long enough. Take care, little brother, until we meet again.” Talon offered Dani a wink before he blipped off the screen.

  Dani watched slack-jawed as the pirate ship’s nose pointed upward and the engines fired, sending it up and out of view. “Well that was unexpected.”

  “It’s Talon,” Jag said bluntly with a shrug before trotting over to his station once more.

  “Well, yeah, but if he knew our ship wasn’t operational, why would he stay and strike a deal with us?”

  “Easy,” Cruz signed, as he stepped out from behind the wall surrounding the navigation station. The hydraulics in his prosthetic legs were noisy as he walked and not as effective as they once were. He had to take a break from signing as he held onto the wall to support his journey toward the middle of the bridge. Once there, he was able to continue his thought, “He made the deal because, for some reason, he wanted us to have those plans. He wanted the Galactic Conglomerate to have them.”

  “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better, or worse.” Cassia left her station and joined Cruz mid-bridge near the holographic display. She accessed the plans on the display and frowned. “This level of encryption is insane. I don’t think I can crack this here. It’s definitely something we’re going to have to send back to headquarters.”

  Dani nodded toward the timer counting down for help’s arrival. “It looks like our backup will be here in just a few minutes. We had better get our story straight for the debriefing. We dropped out of hyperspace and found the Vaerian destroyer, who immediately engaged in battle with our ship. After our ship was disabled, the pirate vessel exploded the Vaerian destroyer from the inside out. At that point, we attempted to apprehend the pirates; however, with our ship out of commission we were unable to do so. Thankfully, Cassia was able to recover a datastream of information, which housed the encrypted plans, just before the pirate ship escaped.”

  “Nothing about the beacon?” Jag asked.

  Dani raised the arm of her captain’s chair and took out a handheld device, handing it to Jag. “No, nothing about the beacon. This is for you. It allows you to track Talon as long as he is in GC space. It’s the same type of beacon on all GC transport and cargo ships, so it won’t raise any red flags with GCHQ. Happy early birthday.”

  Jag stared at the device and grinned slyly. “Thanks, Dani—this is great. Now I can keep track of that ass wherever he goes and make sure he’s staying out of trouble. If not, well, then we know where to find him.”

  “Now if these plans don’t check out, I’m going to need that back.”

  “Of course.” Jag chuckled and tucked the device into the cubby under the weapons station.

  Dani took a deep breath and redirected her attention to the ship remnants floating through space around them as she let it out slowly. “Peterson, you still out there?”

  “That we are, Captain,” he replied through the comm. “Just finished cleaning up the fighters.”

  “Bring your crew in and initiate docking procedures. Be aware, part of the ship back there is extremely damaged, so you may not be able to all dock on Alaska’s Vengeance. Dock anyone whose life support levels are dipping too low. Help will be here soon.”

  “You got it.”

  “Jag, help guide them to the remaining working docking bays. I’ve got a mechanic to see about an engine.” Dani looked at the shattered Vaerian destroyer once more before leaving the bridge.

  She hurried down the hall and poked her head in to the medical bay. “Dr. Lombardi, please prep your team to examine
the pilots. They’ll be docking any moment now.”

  Dani heard Dr. Lombardi start calling out orders as she continued on her way to the engine room. Inside she found Howard Glenn, the finest mechanic she had ever had the pleasure of working with. “Howard, we—”

  “You went and messed up my ship again is what you did,” the old man said with a huff.

  “If it’s too much of a problem, you could always take the GC up on that retirement offer they gave you.”

  Howard turned and waddled over to her as fast as his arthritic body would allow and pointed the butt of a flashlight at her. “I told you to never say that dirty, dirty word to me again. I made a promise to your father that I’d look out for you and keep you safe among the stars, and I plan to uphold that.”

  Dani smiled as Howard’s face took on a shade of red complimentary to the red stubble on his chin. “Yeah, yeah, get to fixing the ship, would ya?”

  Howard chuckled, his belly bobbing up and down, a reminiscent twinkle in his eye. “You know, you’re more like him every day. I miss that guy.”

  “Me too,” Dani said with a sigh. “So how bad is it?”

  “Well, I can probably patch us up well enough to get us home, but I’m not so sure we’re in good enough shape to assist the Denver.”

  Dani exhaled loudly. “Well, shit. I was afraid of that. I’ll have to send our backup to help them out.”

  “Well you go on and skedaddle and do that. I’ve got work to do,” Howard said as he shooed Dani toward the door.

  Dani chuckled to herself as she hurried back to the bridge, rerouting the power from the shields back to life support on her port-con as she went. She got there just as two more GC ships of comparable size dropped out of hyperdrive.

  “The Miami and Atlanta have arrived,” Cassia announced.

  “Get them on the screen,” Dani ordered as she took her place in front of her captain’s chair.

  A moment later, the captains of the two ships appeared on the large floor-to-ceiling display in the bridge.