The Pirates of Sufiro (Book 1) (Old Star New Earth) (2 page)

The captain awoke sharply from a dream. He had dreamt that he was a child again. He had run away from home and his mother chased after him. When she caught him, she pulled out a hepler and pointed it at him. Instead of firing, it buzzed. The buzzing grew louder until Firebrandt sat up in bed. He was covered with sweat. Suki was sound asleep. The captain shook his head groggily. He stood, then padded over to a table and found a carafe of coffee. He poured some in a cup and sipped it. His nose wrinkled as the cold, bitter coffee slipped down his throat. He padded over to a heating unit in the wall. As he opened the door, he thought how much he liked the convenience of ships built for the merchant service. He was glad he had acquired this ship without having to burn it.

As the heating unit buzzed to life, the captain thought about his dream. He had never really known his mother. All he knew were his father's stories of how she had been killed in the service of Alpha Coma Berenices. His father despised the navy of Alpha Coma colonists. Deep down, so did Firebrandt. Alpha Coma's navy cost the captain any semblance of a normal childhood. Firebrandt's father returned to Earth to become a miner.

The captain wholeheartedly believed in his standing orders to attack any ship from Alpha Coma Berenices. Historically, Alpha Coma's navy challenged the dominion of Earth and the entire Gaean Alliance over space. Many other colonies followed Alpha Coma's lead. Before long, war broke out. In space, war was like chess—everything happening silently, all moves were made with calculated precision. Privateers fought the wars. After twenty years, Firebrandt was tiring of the game. The heating unit finished and the captain gratefully sipped his coffee.

The intercom buzzed. The captain looked around in a sense of deja vu. Where had he heard that sound? In the dream? He had wondered why the dream-hepler had sounded like the intercom's reminder signal. He sipped the coffee, still groggy. In a flash, he remembered the merchant ship that might just be a warship. The captain put down his cup and stepped over to the wall.

"This is the captain. What do you want?" He leaned on the intercom pad.
"Computer's got a positive identification on that ship as well as distance and bearing," Roberts sounded annoyed. Firebrandt decided that he had probably been trying to raise him for some time. The captain smiled to himself. Rank, even on a privateer, had its privileges.
"Well, since we aren't running, I presume it's not a warship."
"She's a large freighter. Computer says she's from Alpha Coma Berenices."
"She's from Coma?" The captain stroked his moustache thoughtfully. A grin formed as he looked back to the bed. A large freighter from Alpha Coma could mean the end of a long life on the run. He thought of his mother who had given her life for that thankless colony. He realized that with this attack he could exact personal revenge as well as a blow for his adopted home, Earth. "Alert the crew. I'll come up."
Firebrandt bent over the sleeping form of his lover and kissed her gently. She moved slightly. He reached over the bed and retrieved a clean, blousy tunic. From his chair, he grabbed a pair of tight, black trousers. Finally, the captain fastened a wide belt around his tunic, pulled on his boots and strode from the cabin.
He arrived on the battle deck of the
Legacy
a moment later. Sloping metallic walls bordered the deck. Wooden handrails ran the length of the walls. Two consoles stood near the forward end of the deck. The gunners sat, grimly checking the weapon status. In front of them, where a wall should have been was a sweeping panorama of space. It was only a hologram, but breathtaking nonetheless. The captain's footsteps resounded on the metal grating. Lights blinked as the ship's network relayed information about fuel
consumption, speed, course, and other information throughout the vessel. The helmsman stood at the center of the deck in front of the ship's "wheel." The so-called wheel was a console with controls for piloting the ship. Next to the helmsman was a pale man with hair grown long to cover a computer chip in the middle of his forehead. This was Computer, the anti-embodiment of the crystalline matrix pulsing and throbbing with light beneath the captain's feet. The ship's network was a massive thing, interacting intimately with all parts of the ship. Computer was a frail thing, merely passing along the captain's orders and repeating answers from the ship's network.
The captain checked the pale, glowing status indicators on the wheel console. All was well with the ship. He looked up to the hologram of open space and tried, in vain, to find the freighter among the stars.
"Computer," growled Captain Firebrandt, "show me the position of the freighter." A three-dimensional grid was superimposed over the hologram. A red dot appeared in the center. A few words appeared in space above the ship giving details about its size, crew compliment and armaments. The captain looked around and saw Roberts leaning against a wall and nodded satisfactorily. "I think our government would be most pleased to see Alpha Coma lose some of its riches; what do you think, Roberts?"
Roberts was bald with gaunt features. Grinning as he was, he looked like a death's-head. "I think our government would be most pleased indeed, sir." Roberts moved next to the captain.
"Now, for the problem," mused the captain, stroking his pencil-thin moustache. "Getting to her. How far away is she?"
"Twenty light-hours," responded Computer in a monotone.
"Meaning that she'll have time to prepare for an emergency EQ jump and be out of range," commented Roberts.
"Since she's traveling at sub-light speed, we have to assume she's on her way to a jump point," mused the captain. "On her course, how far is the nearest jump point for Alpha Coma?"
"Three light-hours," responded Computer.
"That's it, then," grumbled Roberts.
Firebrandt sighed. There was only one option. The
Legacy
was specially equipped for that option. That didn't make it less expensive in Quinnium, or less painful physically. It was the reason why, in the thirtieth century, the only deep space warfare between human colonies was conducted by privateers. An entire fleet of warships equipped for at-will EQ jumps would bankrupt a planet in less than a week. In the early twenty-second century, it was discovered that Quinnium could inject three-dimensional ships into fourth dimensional reality, making apparent faster than light travel possible. The Quinnium fuel that allowed the ships to jump through the fourth physical dimension was vastly expensive to produce. While warships did exist, they were designed for combat in the orbit of a planet, not in the great void between stars. Even in deep space, though, a warship would turn a privateer to ashes.
"Prepare to jump to a position one kilometer off the Coma ship's stern," ordered Firebrandt. He grabbed a handrail along the wall.
"Calculated," responded Computer.
"Jump!" ordered the captain as he closed his eyes. In the space of a few seconds, he felt as though someone were hitting him repeatedly in the face. In a dream-like state he felt as though the tentacles of an Alpha Centauran strangled him. As he fought to hold onto the railing, he realized the ship had already jumped. He struggled to look at the hologram image. He saw a hepler pulse coming from the stern of the Coma ship.
"Defense shields!" he ordered.
"Shields up," reported Computer as they were hurtled to the deck.
Roberts pulled himself to his feet. "What's the matter, you lazy scum dogs! Fire back, damn you!"
The two gunners stationed at the front of the battle deck hurried back to their seats as fast as aching muscles would allow. They manipulated their computer pads, then entered their firing sequences. It was slower than Computer's direct access. However, there were only a few people who could become one with the network without losing themselves to it. Unfortunately, those people were rarely talented gunners.
The two human-built ships moved through space at a tremendous velocity. Each was a giant cylinder. The EQ generators glowed an eerie blue at the stern of each ship. The black, Erdonium hulls were bathed in the light of a nearby star. Shots flew from the hepler guns that rung the bow of the
Legacy
and tore into the Coma vessel's thruster pack. One shot tore into the hull near the bow of the foreign ship where the bridge was located. Roberts lightly smacked the back of the gunner's head that had made the mistake. "Standing orders, engines only!" Another shot hit the
Legacy
and sent the captain to the deck.
"Starboard thrusters destroyed and damage to starboard gangway port," reported Computer in a monotone.
The
Legacy
fired again. This time they scored a hit on the EQ generator. On the hologram, Firebrandt could see that the engine glowed a little less brightly. The large freighter fired several more shots, clipping the hull of the privateer.
Sparks sputtered from one of the gunner's stations. The gunner screamed when the station burst into flames. Roberts slapped him into silence. Panic could be far too infectious on a small ship. The captain ordered fire crews onto the battle deck. The remaining gunner kept firing.
"Computer," called Firebrandt. "Assume control of starboard weapons and maintain firing!" The captain saw Computer's brow crease as he took over firing control. Computer might not be as good a shot as the gunner, but it was better than losing half of
Legacy's
fire power.
A team of fire fighters stormed onto the battle deck. They sprayed the gunner's console using small, chemical extinguishers. Acrid smoke issued from the console.
"Second direct hit on enemy's EQ generator, sir!" shouted Computer over the din of the fire fighting crew.
"Another shot should do it," snarled the captain.
The freighter started to turn. Roberts gulped. He hoped no one on the battle deck noticed his momentary lapse of calm. It was possible that the large ship was bringing a large bow gun about. "Evasive!" shouted the captain. The fire at the gunner's station was out. The fire crew stood, gaping at the holo-viewer.
"Clear the damned bridge!" roared Roberts. The fire crew scurried off the deck.
"We're hardly moving, Captain," reported the helmsman.
"Ship's performance down twenty percent," reported Computer.
Roberts pounded the wall of the deck. He looked at the captain as a thought came to him. "The starboard gangway port!"
The captain turned to Computer. "Seal off deck two, section two. Open the starboard port!"
"Inadvisable, Captain. Opening the port will only damage it further."
"Open the damned port!" shouted the captain as he waved smoke out of his face.
Computer nodded. When the port opened, air rushed out and swung the ship out of the helpler gun's range. Roberts pointed to the holo and the gunner fired, destroying the gun with
Legacy's
starboard hepler.
The freighter shuddered spastically as it turned back on course. "I want the rest of those thrusters out of action," grumbled Firebrandt, waving at the smoke. He started to pace the deck.
Roberts coughed. "Aim amidships," he ordered the gunner. "Get those fans on in here!" he roared at the helmsman. The buzz of the fans became audible. As the acrid electrical smoke began to lift, Roberts saw two red pulses of energy strike the freighter. The thruster pack exploded with fiery brilliance. Inertia carried the freighter forward, though its course was altered and its speed reduced by the force of the explosion.
"Match the Coma ship's course and speed," ordered the captain. He lit his pipe and studied the crippled ship. "We knocked out her main gun," he mused. "She'll have others to fend off an approaching ship." He sucked the pipe stem for several moments. "Computer, using other Coma ships on record as a norm, what would be the range of the guns we have not destroyed."
"Standard range for close proximity weapons is one half kilometer." Computer looked as if he were thinking for a moment. "I should also point out, sir, that the large gun we destroyed is not standard for Coma merchant ships."
"Hmmm..." mused Roberts. "I didn't think it looked normal."
"No, it didn't." The captain turned to the helmsman. "Bring us out to five kilometers distance. Fly us in a spiral pattern until we are one kilometer away from the Coma ship." Turning his attention to the gunner. "I want all of her short range armaments knocked out. Keep an eye out for surprises."
"Aye aye, sir," said the gunner.
The hologram projection at the front of the battle-deck began to show the movement of stars. The captain turned his attention to the dazed gunner sitting in front of the charred remains of his station. "Mr. Neal, you panicked while at your station."
"Yes, sir," he said, his head down.
"Have you calmed down enough to perform your duty?"
"Yes, sir," responded Neal, a glimmer of hope showing in his eyes.
"Then I want you to get your station operational again." The captain contemplated the pipe for a moment as he considered the punishment. "You are not to leave your station until it is fully operational. Do you understand, Mr. Neal?"
"Yes sir, I understand, sir." Neal was pleased. He knew the captain could have punished him far more severely.
The captain returned his attention to the holographic viewer.
Legacy
was cleanly picking off the remaining guns on the hull of the freighter. It still wasn't as easy as it should have been.
Legacy
was moving far too sluggishly since the loss of her starboard thrusters. But, by the time the helmsman reported that they were one kilometer from the ship, it seemed as if all the guns on the freighter were destroyed.
"Helmsman, you may proceed with docking," ordered the captain.
"Aye aye, sir," said the helmsman.
"Preparing bow grappling ring," reported Computer.
"Mr. Roberts, assemble the men for boarding and meet me at the airlock." The captain tamped out his pipe and strode off the battle deck.
* * * *

Roberts was at the airlock in
Legacy's
bow with a boarding party of twenty men when the captain arrived. He looked them over. They had all been on raids with him before. They were brave, sturdy souls. Wordless, the captain moved in front of the airlock. He turned and faced the crew, grinning confidently. His confidence was a ruse, but it inspired the crew to do their best against the freighter's crew. Alpha Coma was a human colony. There would be no terrible aliens on the other side of the airlock. Firebrandt's crew had to know they were on the side of right.