Read Online Inadvertent Adventures by Loren K. Jones - Free Book Online
Authors: Loren K. Jones
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Lieutenant Arandsen and his people were back aboard the Larice, Captain Harvaln ordered a course back to Hobson's Planet at the best speed they could maintain with the Jolly Jane in tow.
* * *
Silver opened his eyes slowly as he regained consciousness. The first things he saw were the firm breasts of the Navy nurse who was leaning over him. Just a breath later a cool hand slid over his eyes and a much missed and beloved voice said, "Keep your eyes to yourself, Sterling."
He tried to say, "Ann," but only managed a strangled croak.
"Shh, don't try to speak," Ann said a she stroked his forehead. "They had to intubate you to get you breathing again. Your throat is probably going to be sore as hell once the drugs wear off."
Silver brought his hand up and caught hers. He kissed her palm before he started drawing letters on it. C R E W
"There were two other survivors from your crew. A woman who fits your description of your captain, and a man who is built like a brick. We didn't get his name."
Silver again drew on her palm. O L A F F I R S T M A
"First Mate Olaf," Ann finished for him. "They are in worse shape than you were. The last shot from the raider opened the engineering spaces to vacuum and threw them around a bit." She paused for a moment. "We found a severed arm near the rupture. That's all that was left of your other crewmen."
Silver kissed her palm again and closed his eyes. They had survived, despite the odds and the best efforts of the raider to kill them. Sleep wrapped him in her warm embrace as soon as he relaxed. The last thing he was aware of was Ann stroking his hair.
Chapter 7
T HE BOARD ROOM OF THE AMBERSON Cartel on New Britannia was quiet as a recording played from the sound system’s speakers.
"Pursuing vessel, we are damaged and losing propulsion. Please don't fire into us again. We surrender."
" Jolly Jane , we don't give a rat's ass about your surrender. You will be destroyed, and your records with you. And don't think I fell for your Kiev deception. As the old saying goes, 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.' I'm not going to let you disgrace me again."
"We are nearly dead anyway, but we've broadcast your ship specs to the entire Hobson's system. They know who you are."
"This ship's specs are of no consequence. We never make port in these systems anyway. We don't need them. Our employer just wants your nosy asses scattered through space."
"Your employer at Amberson's? You know, if they hadn't sent us straight to you, we never would have made that connection."
"We don't work for Amberson's."
"Sure you do. You knew who we were at LaFontain as soon as we came out of hyper. They sent you word to expect us, then loaded us with a cargo of trash that was supposed to be valuable mining equipment. It was heavily insured against loss in transit, of course. The mining facility in LaFontain was surprised to see us when we finally arrived, but not really surprised to open the shipping containers and find garbage. They accused us of stealing from them, of course, and when we proved that the seals were still intact they chased us out of there without refueling. They also exchanged a number of coded transmissions with you, which we recorded for the authorities. Are those the records you want destroyed?"
"Broadcasting it won't do you any good. Without your actual records it's just the word of a tramp freighter against a multi-system conglomerate. I've had enough of this. No one is coming to your aid, and we've closed to easy killing range."
"Raider, this is the CSS Kiev , Captain Roman Alexandrov commanding. You have committed murder in the Confederated Star Systems. Said murder has been recorded for playback to the Confederated Government's Anti-Piracy Board. In accordance with my instructions and under my authority, you are condemned."
The recording cut off and the woman at the head of the table looked around with hooded eyes. "Would someone care to explain to me just
* * *
Silver opened his eyes slowly as he regained consciousness. The first things he saw were the firm breasts of the Navy nurse who was leaning over him. Just a breath later a cool hand slid over his eyes and a much missed and beloved voice said, "Keep your eyes to yourself, Sterling."
He tried to say, "Ann," but only managed a strangled croak.
"Shh, don't try to speak," Ann said a she stroked his forehead. "They had to intubate you to get you breathing again. Your throat is probably going to be sore as hell once the drugs wear off."
Silver brought his hand up and caught hers. He kissed her palm before he started drawing letters on it. C R E W
"There were two other survivors from your crew. A woman who fits your description of your captain, and a man who is built like a brick. We didn't get his name."
Silver again drew on her palm. O L A F F I R S T M A
"First Mate Olaf," Ann finished for him. "They are in worse shape than you were. The last shot from the raider opened the engineering spaces to vacuum and threw them around a bit." She paused for a moment. "We found a severed arm near the rupture. That's all that was left of your other crewmen."
Silver kissed her palm again and closed his eyes. They had survived, despite the odds and the best efforts of the raider to kill them. Sleep wrapped him in her warm embrace as soon as he relaxed. The last thing he was aware of was Ann stroking his hair.
Chapter 7
T HE BOARD ROOM OF THE AMBERSON Cartel on New Britannia was quiet as a recording played from the sound system’s speakers.
"Pursuing vessel, we are damaged and losing propulsion. Please don't fire into us again. We surrender."
" Jolly Jane , we don't give a rat's ass about your surrender. You will be destroyed, and your records with you. And don't think I fell for your Kiev deception. As the old saying goes, 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.' I'm not going to let you disgrace me again."
"We are nearly dead anyway, but we've broadcast your ship specs to the entire Hobson's system. They know who you are."
"This ship's specs are of no consequence. We never make port in these systems anyway. We don't need them. Our employer just wants your nosy asses scattered through space."
"Your employer at Amberson's? You know, if they hadn't sent us straight to you, we never would have made that connection."
"We don't work for Amberson's."
"Sure you do. You knew who we were at LaFontain as soon as we came out of hyper. They sent you word to expect us, then loaded us with a cargo of trash that was supposed to be valuable mining equipment. It was heavily insured against loss in transit, of course. The mining facility in LaFontain was surprised to see us when we finally arrived, but not really surprised to open the shipping containers and find garbage. They accused us of stealing from them, of course, and when we proved that the seals were still intact they chased us out of there without refueling. They also exchanged a number of coded transmissions with you, which we recorded for the authorities. Are those the records you want destroyed?"
"Broadcasting it won't do you any good. Without your actual records it's just the word of a tramp freighter against a multi-system conglomerate. I've had enough of this. No one is coming to your aid, and we've closed to easy killing range."
"Raider, this is the CSS Kiev , Captain Roman Alexandrov commanding. You have committed murder in the Confederated Star Systems. Said murder has been recorded for playback to the Confederated Government's Anti-Piracy Board. In accordance with my instructions and under my authority, you are condemned."
The recording cut off and the woman at the head of the table looked around with hooded eyes. "Would someone care to explain to me just
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