pirate.
“Ima,” Ivan said breathlessly. “Open comms with that gunship.”
“You sure about that babe? EXO virus spreads through comms,” Ima warned.
“If they were EXO we’d be dead and that’d be a Vulture back out there,” Ivan said.
Ima considered it for a moment then nodded, “I am hailing them now love,” she paused. “You have a channel.”
“This is Captain Ivan Straught of the EFNF Mining Vessel Icarus . Identify yourself.”
“I am Abel Cain,” the voice came back over the comms. “And I am commandeering your fuel and power reserves.”
“The hell you are!” Ivan spat. He had heard the rumors of the Kodiak and Abel Cain, most freighters had. However, they were pretty far out for the trade routes and dark space where he was rumored to be.
“Are you going to stop me?” the voice said.
How could we? Ivan thought.
“I didn’t think so,” the voice said when Ivan didn’t respond.
Ima looked at her husband. There was real fear on her face and Ivan couldn’t reassure her.
“If you do not resist I will leave you with backup power,” the voice said. “It won’t last long, but maybe it will be long enough for another ship to find you … maybe.”
Ivan looked unsure, but he said, “I won’t resist. My crew?”
“Dead,” the voice said. “They resisted.”
“Understood,” Ivan said. He face was a mask of fear and his voice shook. “Take what you will and leave us be.”
“We will,” the voice said. “If someone does find you, you let them know who did this to you.”
The comms channel closed. Ivan looked to Ima. She looked at him with understanding in her eyes, but she was crying. Ivan didn’t know what to say.
Maybe, he thought. Maybe, someone will come.
7: BANDITRY
EXO URSA Class Gunship - Mirage
2973 ESD - Friday, May 14th 09:55 hours
“We will,” Breaker said. “If someone does find you, you let them know who did this to you.”
He touched the haptic controls that closed the comms channel. Breaker Jones motioned to the EXOs to start the exchange. The large mining freighter was twice the size of the URSA class gunship, but the cargo hold had been slightly expanded on this model. They should be able to obtain the resources from the larger ship and haul them for a ways before dumping them. Breaker had no need of the power cells he was stealing, it was all a means to an end. Once they left the freighter they would send an EFNF signal to give the location of the Icarus .
There was no need for needless slaughter, but if enough vessels started to claim that Abel Cain was robbing them word would make it back to the EFNF on Quintar IV and Abel would be forced to act.
I’ll be ready when he does, Breaker thought.
The EXOs left the command deck and made their way to the port side airlock. Luckily, the EXO Prime had enough foresight in the creation of the Mirage to ensure the airlock could cycle without having to be docked directly. The automated crew members left the airlock and Breaker tracked them on the Transteel viewer.
The cargo hold of the powered down freighter was nearly half-full. Their initial attack had been subtle. Breaker landed the Mirage close to the mining laser and deployed one of the quantum shield plates. The mirrored side of the plate reflected enough of the laser back into the heat shields. It would have been completely unnoticed until the laser overheated if not for the electromagnets. Breaker hadn’t planned for the magnets and the quantum locked plate launched up and collided with the laser. The collision knocked the laser off and caused it to overheat inside the cargo bay.
Unfortunately for the crew in the bay they were all cooked. He had told the captain they had resisted, but it had been Breaker’s miscalculation. Breaker figured that was the reason he decided to let the captain live. It was a small thing, but it alleviated enough of what remained of his conscience.
Breaker did not particularly like the EXO Prime or
“Ima,” Ivan said breathlessly. “Open comms with that gunship.”
“You sure about that babe? EXO virus spreads through comms,” Ima warned.
“If they were EXO we’d be dead and that’d be a Vulture back out there,” Ivan said.
Ima considered it for a moment then nodded, “I am hailing them now love,” she paused. “You have a channel.”
“This is Captain Ivan Straught of the EFNF Mining Vessel Icarus . Identify yourself.”
“I am Abel Cain,” the voice came back over the comms. “And I am commandeering your fuel and power reserves.”
“The hell you are!” Ivan spat. He had heard the rumors of the Kodiak and Abel Cain, most freighters had. However, they were pretty far out for the trade routes and dark space where he was rumored to be.
“Are you going to stop me?” the voice said.
How could we? Ivan thought.
“I didn’t think so,” the voice said when Ivan didn’t respond.
Ima looked at her husband. There was real fear on her face and Ivan couldn’t reassure her.
“If you do not resist I will leave you with backup power,” the voice said. “It won’t last long, but maybe it will be long enough for another ship to find you … maybe.”
Ivan looked unsure, but he said, “I won’t resist. My crew?”
“Dead,” the voice said. “They resisted.”
“Understood,” Ivan said. He face was a mask of fear and his voice shook. “Take what you will and leave us be.”
“We will,” the voice said. “If someone does find you, you let them know who did this to you.”
The comms channel closed. Ivan looked to Ima. She looked at him with understanding in her eyes, but she was crying. Ivan didn’t know what to say.
Maybe, he thought. Maybe, someone will come.
7: BANDITRY
EXO URSA Class Gunship - Mirage
2973 ESD - Friday, May 14th 09:55 hours
“We will,” Breaker said. “If someone does find you, you let them know who did this to you.”
He touched the haptic controls that closed the comms channel. Breaker Jones motioned to the EXOs to start the exchange. The large mining freighter was twice the size of the URSA class gunship, but the cargo hold had been slightly expanded on this model. They should be able to obtain the resources from the larger ship and haul them for a ways before dumping them. Breaker had no need of the power cells he was stealing, it was all a means to an end. Once they left the freighter they would send an EFNF signal to give the location of the Icarus .
There was no need for needless slaughter, but if enough vessels started to claim that Abel Cain was robbing them word would make it back to the EFNF on Quintar IV and Abel would be forced to act.
I’ll be ready when he does, Breaker thought.
The EXOs left the command deck and made their way to the port side airlock. Luckily, the EXO Prime had enough foresight in the creation of the Mirage to ensure the airlock could cycle without having to be docked directly. The automated crew members left the airlock and Breaker tracked them on the Transteel viewer.
The cargo hold of the powered down freighter was nearly half-full. Their initial attack had been subtle. Breaker landed the Mirage close to the mining laser and deployed one of the quantum shield plates. The mirrored side of the plate reflected enough of the laser back into the heat shields. It would have been completely unnoticed until the laser overheated if not for the electromagnets. Breaker hadn’t planned for the magnets and the quantum locked plate launched up and collided with the laser. The collision knocked the laser off and caused it to overheat inside the cargo bay.
Unfortunately for the crew in the bay they were all cooked. He had told the captain they had resisted, but it had been Breaker’s miscalculation. Breaker figured that was the reason he decided to let the captain live. It was a small thing, but it alleviated enough of what remained of his conscience.
Breaker did not particularly like the EXO Prime or
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