Read Online FreedomofThree by Liberty Stafford - Free Book Online

post. If what they heard was true, the Ratt Pirates were planning to reinstate their capitol building to firm up their hold on Populus, getting ready to create a new prime location for all their seedy businesses.
    Urban myths had already been spreading across the universe about the Ratt Pirates plans for Populus. Hans, Brandana and other rebelling pirates, were not about to let anything happen without a fight. Wherever the Ratt Pirates dwelt, wherever they ate or slept, wherever they planned to create a stronghold, the rebels would be there, in particular such a place dear to their family line.
    Hans, the eldest, had a father who was from Populus. In fact, Hans was one of the only surviving persons known of with pure Populus blood. He remembered his early life there. Not perfect, but with less Ratt Pirates, and with his father still alive, even though he had left while Hans was a toddler to fight the Ratt Pirates and had never returned.
    On board Hans’ ship, he and his sister had perfected the art of bomb making. Running in such dubious circles as they did, mixing with freedom fighters and mercenaries, they had learned a few questionable things. Keeping such company was the reason their mother had packed Brandana off to Irella. Seeing her beautiful daughter turning into an angry tomboy had not pleased her, so she exiled her before she became any worse. Those natural rebellious feelings, alongside the strong undercurrent of righteousness against the Ratt Pirates who had defiled their beautiful planet, never left her. Not even the finery and sophisticated polish of the Irellan palace could scour those emotions from her fierce heart.
    Early one morning, hovering unseen above Populus, they put the final touches to their bomb. There was going to be a huge explosion. Brandana soldered fine wires together, a job more fitting for her delicate digits, while Hans assembled the detonator casing as they continued the argument they had been having for days.
    “I’m coming with you,” Hans said.
    “No way.”
    “I am.”
    “No way.”
    “You think you’re so good. You’re out of practice, remember, palace girl?”
    “I managed to escape on my own, didn’t I, with a hostage?”
    “Yeah, well, you knew that place inside out. You don’t know Populus anymore. Nobody really knows it, it changes every day, falling down and being destroyed one way or another,” Hans flicked his braids from obscuring his view.
    “But if you do come with me, how do we both escape?”
    “We run and hide of course, dummy.”
    “And if we fall?”
    “We get up.”
    “You know I can’t run as fast as you,” Brandana stated.
    “You can run fast enough. You’ve outrun Ratt Pirates before, what’s up with you?”
    “I just think my plan’s better,” she added. “If you stay on board, you can whisk me up when it’s done. Foolproof, practically. I don’t want to keep running forever. Besides, we’ve hardly got any friends left there now. Who’s going to put us up? They’re more likely to turn us in.”
    Hans turned the last screw. “Fine. Man, when you weren’t here, at least I could make up my own mind .”
    “If I’m such a drag, just drop me off now. I’ll do it alone.”
    Hans looked at his watch and sighed with frustration. He didn’t want her to go, but he wasn’t about to tell her so. “It’s time. I’ll drop you off.”
    Brandana kissed him on the cheek. “You know it makes sense.”
    Hans grumbled something inaudible. “You know where to go?”
    “Yes.”
    “Be safe. We’ll beat these Ratt Pirate bastards yet.”
    “Bit by bit,” Brandana agreed. “We will win. This planet will be ours again soon, in rightful hands.”
    The atmosphere changed in the ship as they readied for battle. In the cockpit, Hans lowered his ship down low enough for Brandana to jump out. Her long, white hair was tied back loosely, stray hairs blowing around her face in the downdraught. Under her black cloak, she concealed her deadly passage