Twin Stars 1: Ascension (29 page)

“What’s the matter, Michaels?” Ping An taunted. “Afraid to be your own man?”

Michaels snorted, “A man is the last thing I’ll be once Volkstag catches up with me! Zhang, there’s over a thousand ships in this fleet, and d’you know how many of them will be out looking for us?”

“Every one of them, I expect.” She answered calmly.

“Exactly!” He told her. “This isn’t a plan, this is suicide! I say we just tell the boss the whole story and take our cut. None of this sneaking around business.”

A few heads nodded, this made sense of many of them, but not all were so sure.

“Hold on, Michaels.” Andrews put in. “Lots of other pirate clans are around, we could ally with one of them for protection at least. There are many ways to avoid being found, especially if we get rich enough.”

“Which,” Dragonov added. “Brings us back to Michaels’ first question. How do we get away from this base in the first place? Every ship is monitored and ten ships can hardly set out without being noticed! What happens after is a moot point if we are to die trying to leave.”

“Exactly!” Michaels pointed at Dragonov, and then leveled his finger at Ping An. “So, tell us Zhang. How are we going to leave without being noticed?”

Ping An’s confident smile returned. “We’re not. We’re going to tell them we’re leaving, and we’re going to do it with their blessings.”

“Yeah?” Michaels shook his head in disbelief. “And, how to you propose to make that particular miracle happen?”

Ping An gave a casual shrug. “Obviously,” she told him. “You don’t know Volkstag as well as I do.”

* * *

As the doors opened, Ping An stepped out into the operations center for Sulvan Kay- a large domed room with a high ceiling buried deep inside the asteroid. The room was arranged in concentric circles with nearly a hundred operations consoles facing toward a single raised middle platform. Atop that platform was Volkstag’s office, fringed with a ring of one-way mirrored glass so that he could look out and see the flock gathered around him, but they could never be sure if he was watching them.

Even as Ping An approached, only seeing herself reflected back in the armored glass, she couldn’t be sure if he was watching her come. She couldn’t be sure, but she felt he was.

Walking around to the stairs, Volkstag’s assistant Daniel nodded to her from his standing desk and waved her up. Clearly she was expected.

Up a dozen steps and she maneuvered past a mirrored panel into a surprisingly bright and open circular workspace. The outer edge of the room was lined with a ring table that held trophies without obscuring the view. The inner part of the room was occupied by a pair of extended sofas, a low marble table and a faux-wood rocking chair.

The chair was positioned to have a clear view of the single entrance, and that is where Heinrich Volkstag now sat. He was working on some AR windows Ping An couldn’t see, and didn’t acknowledge her as she came up, letting her stand and wait instead. There was nothing around her, and the arrangement was designed to leave a visitor feeling isolated and exposed while he had the furniture near him for psychological effect.

She took the moment to study him. He was a thin, long-faced man with chalk colored skin, an appearance that had helped earned him the nickname “Reaper”. His fondness for wearing dark colors didn’t help in this regard, and today he was wearing a dark purple shirt and black slacks as he sat in the chair with his long thin legs crossed.

The product of an inherited position, he was a cautious and careful man who seemed to spend every anxious waking hour worried about his station. As a result, he was quite unpredictable in his moods and behavior, and whether this was due to stress or a way to keep others off-guard Ping An had never really been sure.

Finally, he looked up at her and smiled as though he hadn’t noticed her standing there and was mildly embarrassed at the oversight.

“Welcome back, my friend!” He said in his high pitched voice. “How was your trip to the core?”

It seemed this time he had decided to be nice.

“Got drunk and spent time with old friends, sir.” She said, keeping a respectful tone.

“Ah,” nodded Volkstag thoughtfully. “Sounds like an excellent way to reunite, I wish I was able to join you. But, with this bounty on my head it makes it a bit difficult, no?”

“I never would have expected that to stop a Volkstag.”

Volkstag’s laugh sounded more like a cackle. “You’re right,” he agreed. “It didn’t stop my mother, or my brother. They both went coreward many times, and both came back carrying riches for the clan.” Then his green eyes fell on her. “So, tell me Ping An- what did you bring back for the clan from your trip?”

“Information.” She said, and let the word hang there a moment.

“About what?”

“A rich trader. He’s bringing a trade convoy through one of the outer systems on his way to the Becker’s Folly system. It’ll be carrying rare foods and military supplies- the regular traders have stopped going there.”

She saw his eyes start darting around as he called up what she guessed to be an infographic window of the system she was talking about. Then after a moment’s research he focused on her again and nodded. “Yes, they are most isolated, and desperately in need of trade. A ripe choice for a daring trader.”

“Or a daring pirate.” Ping An added.

“Agreed,” he said happily. “Give me the data, and I will begin the work of planning the operation immediately.”

But Ping An shook her head, “No.”

“What?” The warmth was gone in an instant, replaced by cold intensity.

Finally, she looked at him, looking him straight in the eye. “No. Do you think I’m a fool? If I tell you this, then you’ll just give it to one of the mission commanders and what will I get out of it? Nothing!”

“Ah.” He said, studying her. “So, you want a bigger piece. My Ping An is getting ambitious in her success.”

“Damn straight I am,” she said angrily. “I worked hard to get this convoy’s flight plan, and I want to be the one who takes it.” Then she smiled, a challenge. “It’s that simple.”

Volkstag considered, then said- “But, ambitious as you are, you alone cannot take a whole convoy with our single ship, can you? That is why you need us, your brothers and sisters of the clan.”

“Oh, I need you all right.” Ping An agreed. “I want nine more ships of my choosing to make this work, and I’m leader for this mission.”

Volkstag put a finger to his lips in a thoughtful gesture. “The other Mission Leaders will not be happy.”

“Frag ‘em!” She waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t care whether they’re happy or not. I want what I deserve.”

“Yes,” he said, understanding. “Yes, I can see that.” The after a moment he came to a decision. “Fine then, my friend, you shall indeed get what you deserve. Pick your ships and go with my blessing. I will support you with the Council of Captains.”

“Thank you, my lord.” Ping An bowed her head to him.

Volkstag laughed. “My lord is it now? Well, you remember your manners when it’s convenient for you, don’t you girl.” Then he returned to business. “But, there is a price to this favor I’m giving you.”

“Which is?”

“I’m giving you the chance for glory, and if you do this I will support your full rise to Squadron Leader, but you must give me your profits from this mission as trade. Agreed?”

Ping An hesitated. “My crew needs to be paid.”

Volkstag raised his hands in an open gesture to indicate that this was no longer in his hands. “Higher rank brings higher profits. They will understand.”

“True,” Ping An agreed. Then she nodded.

“Good,” he clapped his hands to indicate the deal was finished. “I’m glad to see you have learned our ways during your time here. I hope our relationship can continue to be a profitable one.”

* * *

Watching Ping An go from his chair, Volkstag’s smile faded to a frown. She had shown so much promise- it was a shame really.

Leaning back into the rocking chair, Volkstag submerged himself into a deep link, and then he was standing in a featureless gray room. Inside the virtual room, twenty others stood waiting for him- the Mission Leaders of Sulvan Kay’s fleet. They had been watching his meeting with Ping An from Linkspace.

“Well, my friends, there you have it.” Volkstag said to them sadly. “It was as we feared- she intends to betray the clan.”

“My lord, we should take her and force the location from her.” Said Captain Bella St. James, stepping forward from the murmuring crowd. “She and the rest of her troublemakers.”

A few calls in support of this rose up.

“Hold,” said Captain Anaba, raising a hand to quiet them. “Such methods take time, and this meeting of dignitaries will occur shortly.” He was a Morphic man, large with short white fur covering most visible skin, except his face, which was a deep red in color. He was also one of Volkstag’s senior captains, and when he spoke others listened.

“What would you suggest, Anaba?” Volkstag asked.

The Morphic Captain considered a moment, and then said- “Follow her and take the prize from her after she has done the work.”

“Can we do that?” Bella said, looking at the senior captain.

But it was Volkstag who answered- “We can. Captain Dragonov has shown his loyalty already, I need merely give him orders and he will drop marker buoys for us to follow. It is a good plan Anaba- and I agree.”

“Thank you, my lord.” Anaba bowed.

“My lord,” Bella also bowed. “May I have the honor of accompanying you on this trip? I have a debt I own Zhang that I want to repay.”

Volkstag smiled, but before he could answer a chorus of other voices began to ring out. If a Captain took part in an operation, he got a share of the profit, that was the pirate way- and this looked to be the most profitable mission any of them had seen for some time.

At last, Volkstag raised his hands to calm them. “My friends, I am gratified by your loyalty and enthusiasm,” he said. “I know if I were to leave any of you behind it would be a great slight those who stayed- so I shall solve the solution simply. Half of you may go, half will stay to defend our home. We will decide based on those who brought in the most profits over the past year. Anaba?”

The senior captain bowed. “Yes, my lord?”

“You will lead the party to follow Zhang’s group.”

Anaba hesitated. “You are not going to lead it yourself, my lord?”

“No,” Volkstag said clearly. “I will remain here and oversee our home.”

Anaba stepped forward, switching to a private link with Volkstag. “My lord, while I appreciate the honor, might I suggest this is the time for more active leadership? If you are not seen to deal justice personally, those who are less loyal may use it against you.”

Volkstag paused, he hadn’t considered this, but what Anaba said was true. He greatly disliked the idea of leaving the safety of Sulvan Kay, but now that he thought about it, he hadn’t lead the fleet to battle in some time. He was, after all, a pirate king, and perhaps he had left his duties to others for too long.

“Thank you, old friend.” He told Anaba, then stood and addressed the assembled others. “My captains, it has been too long since I have seen your skills in action, and I wish to stretch my legs again into the stars. Will you accept it if I walk among you this time?”

There was just a moment’s hesitation, Volkstag could see insecurity on their faces, and then it was gone and they were cheering for him.

They doubted his skills as a leader, did they? Anaba was right; he had been loitering in the Kay too long, and it was time to go forth again. He needed to show them why the name Volkstag was once feared, and to remind them of what happened to those who were disloyal.

Ping An had given him a great opportunity, and he would make the best use of it possible. He would honor her with a quick death for that.

* * *

“Are we away?”

Ping An, who was looking at the holodisplay with concern, glanced over at Vaela then turned back to it and nodded. “We are.”

Vaela looked around the Belleflower’s bridge- everyone was so quiet and focused on their jobs. It was like if they made a noise or the wrong sound, their king would suddenly appear in a cloud of smoke and smite them. The silence only made her feel more nervous, like she’d underestimated how much trouble they were potentially in.

But, as she looked at Ping An’s profile in the light from the holodisplay she felt some of her nervousness fade. Her friend and captain was so confident, it was hard not to believe in Ping An and what she could accomplish.

I guess her magic works on me as well
, Vaela thought. With Ping An, there was such a sense of sureness to her it was hard not to feel the same, even in the face of things like death.

“We’re coming up on the jump point,” Betsey declared from her position at the helm.

“And the minefield,” Leederman added.

Ping An had explained to Vaela earlier that this was going to be the critical moment. The system’s two jump points were surrounded by rings of mines- ready to detonate should any enemy forces arrive. However, these mines also served as a gate to prevent ships from leaving if the clan leader so chose.