Skulls & Crossbones

by Andi Marquette

  "What?" at least three of the crew exclaimed at once, and everyone looked at their captain in shock.

  "They won't expect us to go straight at them. We get the sail up, get moving, and drop those mines right on top of them."

  "But won't the explosion be too close? It'll blow us up, too," Ida said, trying to figure out what Val was doing.

  "Not if we're moving fast enough." Val looked forward, focused on the task. She punched the comm again. "Drasen?" Her voice was filled with impatience.

  "We need five more minutes down here."

  "You have one, or we're space dust." Another tremor rippled through the ship. "Tyluk?"

  "Shields down to fifty percent, sir."

  "Those bastards sure know how to hit. Ida, strap yourself in. We're about to set sail."

  "In space?" She stared at Val but did as she was told.

  The fearless captain grinned mirthlessly. "You'll appreciate this. More non-Allied tech. It absorbs a fraction of the Red Shift energy between galaxies, and we use that to go faster than warp."

  "Sails coming up, sir."

  Ida looked at the screen. Sure enough, the ship looked like how it might have looked on water. Large, red, transparent sails rose. Was it a fabric? Some kind of alloy or an unknown substance that made up the sails? Ida was flabbergasted and joyous at witnessing such amazing technology. If they lived through this, she'd ask Val more questions. The lights flickered.

  "Another hit, sir. It just grazed us. Ship closing in. Red Shift Absorption at seventy percent. The Ralgas have slowed their approach."

  "No doubt wondering what those sails are. Keep an eye on them." Val leaned forward, hit the comm. "Drasen, get ready. Drop on my order and not a second sooner. Reroute all available power to shields. It'd be a shame if this worked, only to have us become space dust during the shift." She gave Ida a reassuring smile. "We're about to sail through the stars, Doctor."

  "Sails ready, Captain," Tyluk called out.

  "Straight for them, Ipo."

  "Aye, sir."

  "Punch it, Tyluk."

  The ship suddenly felt as if it was being lifted. They started toward the massive Ralgas vessel at an increasing rate, alarmingly so. Ida watched in horror when two missiles were fired at them only to then sag in relief when the Valhalla's increasing speed moved the vessel above the missiles, faster than them, almost on top of the Ralgas ship. Val shouted, "Drop them now, Drasen!"

  The imager showed the mines being released from the cargo bay right on top of the ship now directly beneath them. Just as the explosion began, the ship continued on, and suddenly Ida couldn't see anything except streams of colors before her eyes. This was what it was like to go beyond the warp barrier. It felt like her insides were being twisted out. As soon as it started, it stopped.

  Ida looked around her, and the screens were coming back up. She read the spatial configurations. They were a couple of markers beyond the point the ship had been when she had originally boarded. The chronometer said that only six seconds had passed since they had sailed using the Red Shifting. Six seconds to cover the same length that had taken them nearly an hour. A sudden cheer rose from the crew. Zsoldos reached over and hugged Ida. People were clapping each other on the back and shoulder. She joined them in celebrating, happier than she could ever remember to simply be alive.

  The party was still going strong two hours later. Val caught her eye, and the two slipped away unnoticed among the revelry.

  "I can rough you up a bit and send you back to the station tied up so that they think you were kidnapped."

  Ida looked at Val as if she were crazy.

  Val laughed and spread her hands. "I was joking. But I could help make it look like you were a prisoner, or—"

  Ida raised her eyebrows in question.

  "Or you could stay." Val gave her that easy smile. "You did good work in there. We need you. The Allied Planets waste your skills. You're an explorer at heart. The crew on this ship are like you—restless, bright, and they want to see everything the universe holds. And on this ship, you're not ranked based on where you were born or who you know. It's what you do and how well you do it that count." It was tempting. "I'm a scientist, not a pirate."

  Val affectionately cuffed her shoulder. "Who said you had to choose between the two?"

  Ida Willar went to her quarters with a rush of excitement. She couldn't quite believe what she had done. The door opened to her new quarters, and she found it full of ancient-looking chests. It matched the vision the Seraph had given her. With a puzzled half-smile, she opened the latch and lifted the lid of the closest one. Inside, filled to the brim, were pipettes. And a note. It read, "Welcome aboard." Ida, scientist and now pirate, smiled.

  The Authors

  Jove Belle grew up in southern Idaho and now lives in Vancouver, Washington with her partner of fourteen years and their three children. She is the author of the novels Chaps, Split the Aces, and Edge of Darkness, from Bold Strokes Books. To learn more about Jove, visit her at http://jovebelle. wordpress.com.

  David Brookes lives and works in Sheffield, England. He has a degree in English and creative writing (B.A. Hons.) from Bretton Hall University near Leeds, and a Master's in writing from Sheffield Hallam University. His first novel, Half Discovered Wings, was published through Libros International in October, 2009. Details can be found on his official website, www. spinninglizard.co.uk. He is not married, has two cats, and avoids television whenever possible.

  Elaine Burnes lives, works, and writes in Massachusetts. After many years of writing and editing nonfiction, she became sick of reality and turned to fiction. This is her first acceptance, and it would not have been possible without the support of her loving wife and encouragement of the members of the Lesbian Fiction Forum. There are a couple of cats involved, too, but they tend to be more of a hindrance than a help.

  Cat Conley was born and raised in western New York. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2005 with a degree in earth science and has worked in the hazardous waste management field since then. Cat lives in Rhode Island with her wife, Margot, and their two cats. She enjoys hiking and catching waves throughout New England, making mix CDs, playing guitar, and reading and writing sci-fi /fantasy. She would like to thank her friends and family for their love and support, with special thanks to Kathy Souza for originally suggesting that she write a woman pirate story. Cat keeps an online journal at catconley.livejournal.com. This is her first published story.

  Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her writings have appeared in Niteblade and Silver Blade ezines, Emerald Tales, Wyvern Publication's Anthologies Dragtontales and Mertales, and the Night Bird Singing in the Dead of Night anthology. Her young adult fantasy book, Dreams of Beauty, is published by SynergEbooks and her short story collections are published by Gypsy Shadow Publishing. Her space opera, Nebula's Music, is forthcoming in 2010 from Lyrical Press. Aubrie teaches flute at Plymouth State University and the Manchester Community Music School. Please stop by and visit her blog: http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com.

  Holly Ellingwood was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Her family comes from the Maritimes, and her childhood was filled with tall tales of being descended from the pirate Bartholomew Roberts. As a result, she was bitten by the pirate bug, an interest her mother encouraged. When not dreaming up stories of derring-do or writing urban fantasy, she works as a researcher in forensics and social psychology. She also reviews Asian animation, film, and literature. She plays guitar, a little piano, draws, and enjoys doing Russian crossword puzzles to the befuddlement of her cats.

  R. G. Emanuelle is a writer and editor living in New York City. Most of her writing has been nonfiction (food and travel), but she recently returned to writing fiction and has many projects in the works. Her short stories can be found in Best Lesbian Erotica 2010, Lesbian Lust: Red Hot Erotica, Women in Uniform, and the January 2010 issue of Khimairal Ink. Her dreams of living a life of adventure and intrigue came true with thi
s anthology. Looking after her cats just wasn't doing the trick. Catch her at www.rgemanuelle.com.

  Jane Fletcher is a GCLS award-winning writer and has also been short-listed for the Gaylactic Spectrum and Lambda awards. She is author of two ongoing sets of fantasy/romance novels, the Celaeno series, and the Lyremouth Chronicles. Her love of fantasy began at the age of seven when she encountered Greek mythology. This was compounded by a childhood spent clambering over every example of ancient masonry she could find (medieval castles, megalithic monuments, Roman villas). Her resolute ambition was to become an archaeologist when she grew up, so it was something of a surprise when she became a software engineer instead. Born in Greenwich, London in 1956, she now lives in southwest England, where she keeps herself busy writing both computer software and fiction, although generally not at the same time. Visit her website: www.janefletcher.co.uk

  Matthew Fryer was born in Sheffield, England, and grew up on epic fantasy and ghost stories. He graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in English, but now works as an Operating Department Practitioner in the basement of his local hospital, where he gets to wear blue pyjamas and play with machines that go bing! A devotee of the macabre, his work has appeared in anthologies such as Damned Nation, Horror Library, and Dark Jesters, but he loves a bit of swashbuckling adventure and is proud to be included in a book of pirate-themed tales. He lives in Sheffield with his wife, Allison, and spends too much of his time losing at poker, listening to unpopular music, and rescuing their cats off the roof.

  Alice Godwin lives in Sydney, Australia, and is mother to two boys, whom she regularly makes walk the plank into the shark-infested waters of Bondi. Thankfully, they have learnt to swim really fast. When she isn't supervising sword fights, patching up scraped knees, and digging for treasure with her husband, she writes. Her stories have appeared in various print anthologies and magazines, as well as online at Eclecticism, Drops of Crimson, Three Crows Press, and Australian Reader. In 2008 she won the Australian Horror Writers Association short story award for her story "Drowning." Another story, "Hood," was shortlisted in the 2008 Irish Aeon Award. You can find her webpage at www.oneworldoneart.com/profile/AliceGodwin.

  Rajan Khanna is a graduate of the 2008 Clarion West Writers Workshop and a member of New York-based writing group Altered Fluid. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Shimmer, GUD, and the Shadows of the Emerald City anthology. He has an inordinate love of wine, beer, zeppelins, and the creatures that live in the deepest part of the ocean, though not necessarily all at the same time. His personal website is www.rajankhanna. com and he writes about beer and wine at www.fermentedadventures.com.

  Megan Magill lives in Oxfordshire, England with her wife and dogs. Her main writing revolves around her Jess Maddocks series, which includes A Question of Integrity (2009) and A Question of Courage (2010), both through Regal Crest Enterprises, but Jess kindly allowed Megan a break to indulge her pirate whims. When not writing or working the day job, Megan can usually be found playing with horses or tractors. She also enjoys reading, archery, and socialising with others who share her love of lesfic. You can find out more about Megan at her website, www.meganmagill.com.

  Andi Marquette currently dwells in Colorado, where she writes novels, short stories, and nonfiction. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in anthropology and a doctorate in history. She started editing professionally in 1992 and has been obsessed with words ever since, which may or may not be a good thing. She is the author of short stories published through Torquere Press, Khimairal Ink, and Bedazzled Ink Publishing, and also the GCLS award-winning novel Land of Entrapment, its sequel State of Denial, and the third in that series, The Ties that Bind, all through Regal Crest Enterprises. Her first space opera novel, Friends in High Places, was published in 2009 through Bedazzled Ink Publishing. You can find info about that and more at her website, www.andimarquette.com.

  Trace Miller lives with her partner Sam in a small town in North Carolina, with three cats and a dog who graciously allow them to pay the rent. She is forty-seven going on twenty-three. Although "Stardance" is her first published work, she has two novels and a number of short story projects in progress. Her preferred genre is horror; however, she does branch into mainstream fiction, soft science fiction, and fantasy. She has been writing almost non-stop since she began to read, but has only made sporadic forays into the world of publishing. This one is for the ones who believed.

  Italian-born Carrie Vaccaro Nelkin lives near New York City with her husband and two mind-reading cats. She writes supernatural and speculative fiction. Her nonfiction pieces have appeared in American Indian, Spotlight Magazine, Computer Buyers' Guide and Handbook, and City Guide. She has also published poetry in the Piedmont Literary Review.

  Victoria Oldham currently lives in the Midlands of England with her partner of seven years. Her areas of interest are the classics, especially Ovid and Homer. She loves women's literature, and is particularly fond of lesbian fiction in its current state of metamorphosis. She enjoys hiking through the amazing English countryside, visiting castles, ruins, abbeys, and stone circles. Her imagination can run wild through all of Britain, and often does so of its own volition, in both delicate and dirty directions.

  Christine Rains is a working writer living in southern Indiana with her husband. She has degrees in sociology, philosophy, and creative writing. When she's not writing or reading, she loves to travel and play games of all types. She has seven short stories and two ebooks published. You can see her full bibliography on her web site at http://christinerains.net.

  Rodello Santos was born in Manila, raised in the Bronx, and is currently lost in Yonkers. His work fluctuates between dark and lighthearted fantasy with frequent visits throughout the speculative continuum. His stories have appeared online at The Town Drunk, Flash Fiction Online, and Dragons, Knights and Angels. He garnered an honorable mention in the 2008 Year's Best Fantasy and Horror for his story "In Earthen Vessels" (from Philippine Speculative Fiction, Vol. 3.) He has also been published in the anthologies Cinema Spec, Cheer Up Universe (forthcoming), and Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel (forthcoming). He is a proud member of the Liberty Hall writing forum.

  Arizona resident Vicki Stevenson is the author of four published novels and numerous shorter works. Prior to retirement, she received a BA degree in economics from UCLA, followed by four angst-filled decades as a computer programmer. She lives with the love of her life, Sara Lynde, her partner of nineteen years. Her hobbies are snacking and procrastination.

  Rakelle Valencia is literally out standing in the field. A cowboy first and foremost, Rakelle manages thirty head of American Indian Horses as breeding stock, and a busy schedule of travelling to start colts by teaching equine language and behavior. A passion for writing has naturally grown from long, cold winters of spinning good yarns. Storytelling with friends and neighbors whiles away the tedious months of keeping the woodstove burning, but writing well is a challenging creature that demands solitary attention with much coaxing, petting, and caressing (thank you so much, Andi and R. G.). Rakelle Valencia has had a plethora of short stories published, and has co-edited several anthologies. She is currently awaiting the publication of her novel-length work, Chick Band, under the new imprint of Queer Mojo by Rebel Satori Press.

  Table of Contents

  Skull & Crossbones

  Acknowledgements

  A Note From the Editors

  Table of Tales

  Ladgarda

  The Gallows

  Valkyry

  Lost Treasure

  The Hangman's Dance

  The Furies

  Devil's Bargain

  Fifty Octaves Deep

  HMS Nefarious

  Pirate Wannabe

  Road Pirate Wanted

  The Brahmapur Buccaneer

  The Kindness of Strangers

  Resolution 1838

  The After

  Captain, Hook, and Mr. Shrike

  A Perfect Life

  Star
dance

  The Passenger

  Pipettes for the Pirate

  The Authors