by C H Gideon
Right, time to focus, XO said. They’ve reached the Pods.
Reynolds patted the closest Pod. “Maddox, Ka’nak, and Geroux will ride with San Roche. Jiya, Takal, and I will go with L’Eliana. We’ll cloak before we leave the Pod hangar. Drop to the planet, infiltrate the base, and take out the pirates. Then we’ll search for evidence of who’s pulling the strings. Full armor, of course, and helmets on.
“Scans indicate only two pirate ships currently docked, and about sixty personnel on the moon. We’ll move in from opposite sides.” He swept both arms in a scissor movement. “Once the attack begins, San Roche and L’Eliana can take down anyone who tries to escape. When I give the signal, hit the ships with the authenticator beam, and Tactical will take care of the rest. Questions?”
“Why don’t we use the authenticator as soon as we get there?” L’Eliana asked.
“We aren’t sure if that will set off an alert inside, and we don’t want to lose the element of surprise,” Geroux said. “The beam doesn’t have any stealth built into it; it only turns things off. After their failed attack on Serifity, they may be watching for that.”
“Anything else?” Reynolds paused, making eye contact with each member of the team. He nodded. “Then let’s go.”
The facility lay on the dark side of the moon. It was primarily underground, with a large crater that served as a landing field. The Telluride pilots flew the cloaked Pods to the moon, dropping the crew on either side of the crater, then assuming stations above the compound.
Reynolds led Jiya and Takal over the lip of the crater in huge, bounding leaps. There’s an access hatch about two hundred meters inward, Reynolds said. Takal, your turn.
Jiya and Reynolds stood guard while the old scientist used Geroux’s techniques to hack the system. After a few moments, lights flashed, bright in the darkness, and the hatch popped. That girl is making me proud, Takal said.
Maddox, the top is popped, Reynolds reported. Move quickly, folks. If anyone notices the hatch is open, we’ll lose the element of surprise.
Scans show no one in the vicinity, Jiya said, but you never know when Mrs. Kravitz might look out the window.
They hustled into the airlock. I see you’ve truly immersed yourself in Earth culture, Jiya, Reynolds commented with a chuckle as they waited for the lock to cycle.
We’re in, Maddox reported. First contact. Two raiders down. No chance to alert their comrades. Stashing the bodies in a closet.
Roger, Reynolds replied. Jiya, take point. I’m on your six.
They descended the rickety metal steps as quietly as possible. We need a cone of silence. If anyone opens that door, Jiya said, holding her weapon over the railing, trained on the exit at the bottom, the jig is up, cloak or no cloak.
Then let’s get there fast, Reynolds replied.
Inside the station, a long tunnel-like corridor stretched away, lights low. They hurried forward, pausing at the corner.
I hear voices, Reynolds said. That way.
They rounded a corner and came face to face with three children.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jiya threw up her arms. No one said there’d be kids here!
What? Maddox asked. Children?
The cloaked team members leapt back around the corner, allowing the children to pass. Two of them pushed a wheeled cart, while the third trailed behind, carrying a basket of bread. How are we going to take out the pirates if they have their kids along? Jiya asked.
They don’t take them on the ships, do they? Takal asked, his voice hoarse.
What kind of depraved people would take children on a combat vessel? Geroux said.
Focus, people, Reynolds said. Let’s find out where these kids are going. We need to sequester them so we can complete the mission.
Agreed, Maddox replied. We haven’t seen any on this side, so maybe you’re in the crew quarters?
They followed the children down the corridor. The three-legged kids pushed and shoved each other as they walked, behaving like children anywhere in the universe. The little one’s basket tipped, and she scrambled to pick up the rolls, yelling at the others as she worked. When she’d gotten them all, she raced to catch up. The older two stopped before a door, and it slid open. A cacophony of chatter, laughter, and yelling spewed out. The kids entered, and the door shut behind them.
Looks like a daycare, Jiya said. And these kids just delivered lunch.
Can you lock the door? Reynolds asked. There had to be a dozen kids in there. We don’t need them out here, gumming things up.
Takal tapped his wrist computer and held it to the door panel. Door is locked, he reported. What are we going to do?
We’re going to complete our mission, Reynolds replied.
But we can’t, Takal said. If there are kids, then the pirates are their parents. I can’t orphan anyone.
Jiya and Reynolds stared dumbly at Takal.
I’m not sure what sucks more, that you’re right, or that our impression of the pirates was wrong, Jiya said. It’s one thing to kill marauders. But to murder the parents of innocent children?
I’ve seen plenty of cases where the children weren’t so innocent, Maddox said. But those were usually fanatics, like the cultists. They trained their children to be as vicious and xenophobic as they were. We have no idea what’s going on here.
Agreed, Reynolds said. It’s possible those children were kidnapped. Switch to screamers. We’re going non-lethal until we can sort out who they are.
I’ve got that sleeper ray, Geroux said. The one I adapted from Titus’ “guest suite.” I can reset it and jack it into their comm, and it should take everyone down.
Geroux, do it! Reynolds said. He turned to Takal. “She makes us all proud.”
The control center for the base contained seven sleeping aliens. Jiya and Takal secured each of them while Reynolds looked at the command console.
“Interesting,” Jiya said. “These all appear to be male.”
“How do you know?” Takal asked. “We thought Vernish was male.”
“True,” Jiya said. “I’m just guessing based on clothing.”
“What difference does it make?” Reynolds asked. “A pirate is a pirate.”
Jiya shrugged. “I just thought it was interesting, since the sexes appear to be well-integrated on Reichof.”
“Shit,” Reynolds said. “One of the ships is hailing.” He flipped a few switches and a voice came through the speakers.
“—do not answer, we will take offensive actions. Repeat, if you don’t fucking respond, we’re blowing you away.” Laughter echoed through the system.
“If you blow us away, you’ll regret it,” Reynolds replied.
“Fuck! They’re there!” the voice cried. “Sorry, Fendesh Base. You didn’t answer for so long, we thought something was wrong.”
“We had a little electrical glitch,” Reynolds said, pulling a face at Jiya and Takal. “It’s all good now, though. What do you need?”
“Who is this?” the voice demanded. “I thought Denthrel was on duty.”
“This is Rey,” the AI captain replied. “I’m new here. The other guys are all working on the glitch.”
“More likely, they stepped out for a drink,” the voice answered. “Lazy scum. Listen, Rey, we’re heading out on our next mission. The captain is such an anal dick, he said we have to get clearance from you. I wish they’d stop sending us military washouts.”
“I hear you,” Reynolds replied. “I’m the only one here, so tell him you’re cleared to launch. Happy raiding.”
“Keep an eye on the kids, but keep your hands off my women,” the voice said as if it were an often-repeated quote. He laughed again. “We’re off to cause mayhem.”
Ship launching, Reynolds called to the Pods and the superdreadnought. Hit ‘em with the authenticator. Tactical, scan for life forms. If you don’t read any juveniles, take them out.
“I thought we were going non-lethal!” Takal cried.
“They’re headed out
on a combat run, targeting innocents, maybe even Serifity or Athena,” Reynolds said. “I can be compassionate for the sake of children, but I’m not going to issue a blanket amnesty for brigands who show no remorse.”
Authenticator fired, L’Eliana replied. Weapons should be neutralized.
Scans indicate no juveniles on the ship, Asya reported. We’re eliminating the enemy.
Reynolds, Maddox called. You need to see this.
“You two stay here,” Reynolds told Jiya and Takal. “If the other ship calls, you answer the comm, Takal. The Reichof have deep voices regardless of gender, and Jiya might make them suspicious. See if you can transmit Geroux’s sleep beam to that other ship while you’re here. I’m going to see what Maddox has found.”
Leaving them in the control center, Reynolds hurried to find Maddox with Geroux and Ka’nak in what appeared to be living quarters. This room had been decorated with warm colors and contained multiple couches. Sleeping aliens were scattered throughout.
“Most of these are Reichofen, but look,” Maddox said, pointing.
“Is that a Serifitan?” Reynolds thought a moment. “A Seriferan? Serifiti?”
Maddox nodded. “It’s one of the People. There are two more over there. But look at her neck.”
A wash of cold fury poured through Reynolds’ veins. “Is that a slave collar?”
Maddox nodded, his face grim. “There are eighteen females in this room, and all of them are wearing slave collars. Most of them have bruises or broken bones.”
“Jiya noticed the pirates we found were all male,” Reynolds said. “Obviously, they steal more than stuff. That also explains the children. Get these collars off.”
“Already working on—there,” Geroux said, crouched by one of the females. A soft click sounded, and she pulled the collar gently from the alien’s neck. With a growl, she threw it to the floor, pulling her weapon to destroy it.
“Wait,” Reynolds said. “We can use those.”
Geroux glanced at him, and a triumphant grin spread across her face. “Yes, we can.” She moved around the room, unlocking the collars and collecting them on her arm. After she’d retrieved them all, she spent a few minutes reprogramming them. “I’ve installed a secure protocol,” she said, holding them out to Reynolds. Then she pulled her arm back. “No, I want to do this.”
Reynolds swept his arm toward the door. “After you.”
They locked the collars on the males sleeping in the control room and stacked them in the corner like firewood. Jiya and Geroux faced off over the last one.
“You already did three,” Jiya said.
“So did you,” Geroux said. “And I created the new locking code.”
Reynolds snagged one of the collars. “I’ll do the honors.” He put the collar around the last pirate’s neck. “Give the rest to Ka’nak and Maddox.” He turned to the two warriors. “Put them all in one place and lock them in. There’s probably a brig here.”
Geroux sighed but handed the collars to the males. “Make ‘em good and tight,” she said as they left.
Reynolds turned back to the little computer tech. “Can you hit that second ship with your sleep beam? It’s only a matter of time before they hail us or try to leave.”
Geroux shook her head. “I can lock their docking clamps so they can’t lift off, but I can’t project the sleep beam that far. And their base-to-ship comm isn’t powerful enough. It would be easier to attach my equipment to the outside of the ship. This isn’t a once-and-done thing, though. If I take it over there, the people here will wake up.”
Maddox, Ka’nak, Reynolds called through the comm. When you get all those pirates fitted with their new jewelry, let me know. We’re going to turn off the sleep beam. He looked at Geroux. “What do those collars do? I assume they deliver a shock and have some kind of tracking. Anything else?”
Geroux logged into one of the control room consoles. “Let me see if…here it is. Shit. These are some bad, bad guys. Not only do the collars track and shock, but they also control.”
“Are they linked to the wearer’s nervous system?” Reynolds asked, rubbing his neck. The idea of someone hacking another’s body chilled him.
“Not that sophisticated,” Takal said, looking over his niece’s shoulder. “But they can disrupt electrical impulses, so the wearer is temporarily paralyzed. If it’s used often, or for long periods, it could cause long-term physical damage.”
Jiya, her face tinged green, looked at the prisoners. “Fucking scum,” she muttered, kicking the nearest one in the ribs. “Oops, my foot slipped.”
Reynolds locked eyes with his first officer. “It’s tempting, but don’t stoop to their level. We’ll turn them over to the authorities.”
“Or we could just burn this base down to the rock,” Jiya said. “Take the females and children and purge the rest of it.”
“Too easy,” Geroux said. “These vermin need to pay. For a long time. I say we take them to Serifity. Bonnerel might like to extract payment for what they’ve done to the People. No way we’re handing these termites to Titus. He’d probably give them a medal.”
“Yes, we’ll take them to Serifity,” Reynolds agreed. “And along the way, we’ll clean up the rest of them. Takal, see if you can find a list of ships, so we get them all.”
We’ve got the pirates rounded up, Ka’nak reported. They’ve got a nice little brig here that we’re putting to good use. Do you want us to come get the rest of them? It might be a little cozy.
Leave them here, for now, Reynolds replied. Maybe one of them can be persuaded to help us find the rest. Did you check the daycare? There must have been at least one adult in there.
Yes, there were two females, Ka’nak said. We got their collars off, but we left the door locked.
If the brig is secure, go back to the daycare. We’ll need someone to talk to the kids and their minders when they wake up.
On my way, Ka’nak said. I’ll take them to the women’s quarters when they wake.
When Ka’nak reported he had reached the classroom, Reynolds tapped Geroux’s shoulder. “Turn off the sleep beam.”
“Sleep beam off,” Geroux said, poking her wrist comp. “It’ll take five to ten minutes to wear off. Someone should probably go to the females’ quarters.”
“I’ll go,” Jiya said. “Safer for everyone that way.” She caressed her blaster, glaring at the captives as she stalked out of the room.
Be careful, Geroux said. Some of those females might have Stockholm syndrome.
Reynolds gave her a surprised look.
“What? I watched the Beauty and the Beast,” she said.
The pirates started to twitch and yawn.
“You have the control program for those collars queued up, Takal?” Reynolds asked. “We might need to use it if they’re uncooperative.”
“I’m not sure which collar is which,” Takal said. He glanced at the bound raiders, then back at his screen. “These have names attached, but since we switched them all to new owners... There are some global commands.”
“We’ll use those if we need to,” Reynolds said with a shrug.
“W- what the fuck?!” one of the pirates spluttered, rolling onto his side. “This ain’t funny, guys.”
Reynolds strolled over. “No, it definitely isn’t funny.”
“Who the hell are you?” the male demanded, struggling. “Why are my arms tied? And my feet? Turn me loose!”
Reynolds squatted next to the squirming male. “My name is Reynolds, and in the name of Queen Bethany Anne, I accuse you of crimes against humanity.” He paused. “Close enough. If you cooperate with us, we’ll ask that the authorities go easy on you. How many ships does this organization control?”
The alien spat at Reynolds.
Reynolds shrugged and stood. He put a foot behind the pirate, and with the help of his powered armor, kicked the male a few meters across the room. The alien screamed as his nose shattered upon impact with the wall. “Next?”
The second
captive glanced at his comrade, who lay crumpled on the floor. “We have twelve ships. Two here, and ten more on patrol.” Beside him, several of the males muttered and whimpered, but none of them tried to intervene.
“Very good,” Reynolds said, squatting again. “How many forward operating bases?”
“How many what?” the pirate asked.
“How many other bases? Besides this one and the one near Serifity?” When the male didn’t respond, Reynolds stood again.
“No, wait!” the prisoner cried. “I was thinking. We have one near Feripi.”
“I see two more,” Takal said, looking at a screen. “One labeled Feripi, and another at Oltenscu?”
The pirate shook his head. “That one’s empty. Not enough traffic.”
“Thank you for your help,” Reynolds said. “We’ll make sure Bonnerel checks them all.”
“Bonnerel?” the male yelped. “From Serifity? You’re working for those—” He broke off as Reynolds raised his foot.
All of the captives went rigid, their eyes bulging and their mouths foaming.
“Takal,” Reynolds asked in a conversational tone. “Did you just figure out how the collars work?”
“Sorry,” Geroux said, leaning across Takal with a finger pressing the console. “I must have hit the freeze button on purpose.” She lifted her hand, and the pirates all collapsed.
“They deserved that,” Reynolds said. “But let’s be professional, shall we? What happens if we put them in our brig? Will the collars still work?”
“I can upload the control program to my wrist comp,” Geroux said. “Or, probably better if I upload it to the Reynolds. I’m not sure my professionalism would withstand that kind of temptation for very long.”
“Good call,” Reynolds said. “Send the data to Comm. Now, let’s go put the last of the scum out of our misery.”
The second ship succumbed to Geroux’s sleep ray as quickly as the base had. They dragged the aliens to the airlock and dumped them near the hatch, finding no females or children on the ship.
“That’s reassuring,” Geroux said. “Now we don’t have to feel bad if we blow any more ships out of the sky.”
