The Pirates of Clew Read online

  Haley regained control of her posture, rose and stood at attention saying, “Understood sir. Our orders have been countermanded. We’ll depart immediately. I apologize for the inconvenience, of course.” She bent down to grab her duffel, seeing Saundi’s look of horror and nodded to her. Her friend started to stand when the Captain interrupted.

  “Sit down, Ensign Marks,” he said with an exasperated sigh.

  All the joy threatened to flood back at those words but she didn’t dare let it. Not yet. She recognized the sound of that sigh as resignation. Her and Saundi would have a very difficult time integrating into the crew, but at least she’d ended the horrific show he’d been putting on. “Yes, sir,” she answered and sat back down.

  “So be it,” the man said and shook his head. “My name is Andrelli, you’ll address me as Captain. Your Executive Officer is Vitt and your Chief is Benley.” He picked up the top sheet of paper and said, “Marks, weapon systems and sensor specialist.”

  Haley nodded, glad they were finally moving forward. “Yes, sir.”

  “Adair, communications and data specialist.”

  “Yes, sir,” Saundi replied, her voice softer than normal.

  “Fine,” he said, dropping the papers back to the table. “I’ll work you into the primary shifts as shadows to start. You touch nothing,” he said pointing his finger at them, “until I give the green light. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” they both sang, their relief obvious.

  “Good. Vitt will show you to your quarters. Get your things stowed and then get to your transit tanks. We’re leaving the Adara system as soon as possible. Senior Chief Benley will brief you once we’re out of transit. Get out.”

  As the door shut behind them, Haley and Saundi looked at each other in astonishment.

  Chapter 3

  “I said ease off the mains, Mr. Cade!” Captain Kova snarled in his drawled out accent. “I want ta loot the blasted thing, not smash against her!” He slapped his hand against his command chair in emphasis.

  Cade quickly throttled back and adjusted the Grim Shoals’ orientation. “Aye, sir! Easing off,” he said as he fought along with the numbers he was seeing, adjusting every aspect of his operations as they changed. Easing the throttle forward again he nudged the ship so the port airlock and grapple cannon were lined up with his objective. He felt a trickle of sweat on the back of his neck as he watched his screens and the information that flew past his field of view.

  Flying the real frigate through space was much different than the simulations he’d run over the past few years while serving as a dent. During that time, he wasn’t allowed an implant to help calculate trajectories and the multitude of changes required. To compensate, the simulator had several screens set up that would try to anticipate what the pilot might want calculated through such an implant. Now that he actually had his own embedded in his skull that reacted to his thoughts during flight, he found it hard to concentrate and focus on one objective instead of wondering what would happen if this or that happened. When his focus wavered, even at the slightest, the implant would suddenly shift jobs and begin calculating new designs he didn’t really want or need.

  He looked to his side to find the reassuring nod of the ship’s senior pilot, George Renley. George was an older man who had always been kind to him and had helped Cade through the many years they’d been aboard. He was the one who first noticed Cade’s aptitude for math and navigation, and had been a staunch supporter of the young man learning the trade.

  “You’re doing fine mate, just watch the roll,” George said quietly.

  “Right,” Cade said as he pushed the ship slightly along its z axis to match his prey’s lumbering movements. The navigation console had become a second home for him in the past few days. With his training before, and now actually sitting at the helm, he was excited to find that he knew the position of every system by muscle memory alone. Even if he had to reach along to the far end of the console, he rarely lifted his gaze from the information that poured in.

  “Grab her!” the captain suddenly shouted as he leaned forward in his command chair.

  “Grapple away,” Cade responded with a shaky voice and launched the grappling cannon. A resounding metallic thump echoed through the ship as the grapple was launched from its cradle. The sound of the thick metal cable unwinding behind hit sent a shiver through his spine. Another lighter thump resonated through the line and back to him as the grapples claws dug into its target.

  “Watch the roll, mate!” George shouted from beside him.

  Cade jumped slightly and maneuvered the ship to match the asteroids own roll as it traveled through space. He remembered to keep a sharp eye on the grapples tautness. If he tightened too quickly, he could pull the Grim Shoals crashing into their prize. If he tightened too late, it would rip the grapple and half the bulkheads out of the ship. He refused to imagine the punishment from that mistake. The airlock fiasco would look like a toddler’s first birthday in comparison.

  “I’ve got it…” Cade mumbled trying desperately to stabilize the massive rock. After a few harrowing minutes that seemed like hours, he finally noticed the grapple begin to stiffen and the asteroids spin slowed. George had always told him there was an art to grabbing a ship in space. So many things could go wrong, and you had to anticipate every move the target might make or risk the entire ship. This wasn’t exactly a hauler he was trying to catch, but it was great practice.

  “Help, help, don’t kill us! We’ll give you all our gold and gems!” a mocking cry came from across the bridge that mimicked a girl in distress.

  “Captain we’re receiving a distress call from the asteroid. It surrenders,” sounded another voice in an overly serious tone.

  Cade finally relaxed with a smile as the bridge filled with laughter and applause. He felt as if he’d just run thirty laps through the lower decks. George’s hand slapped him on the back and another sting erupted from his shoulder that could only be the Captain’s vehement show of affection.

  “Not bad, Mr. Cade,” the captain drawled out from behind him and then leaned closer. “See that ya clean up your approach. Keep an eye on your target’s course and match her from there. Lead her, if you will.”

  Cade nodded and found himself out of breath but full of elation. “Aye, sir,” he answered with a haggard grin as the Captain ruffled his hair. He wasn’t ten any more, but for some reason the Captain had never stopped doing that. Cade didn’t mind much.

  George smiled, retook control of the helm and retracted the grapple saying, “That rock’s mass is a might heavier than the biggest cargo ship we’ve caught. If you can stop that thing from a roll, you can catch a ship no problem. Just remember,” he paused what he was doing and turned back to look Cade in the eyes, “if you use the same force on a ship that you used on that rock, you’d tear it in half, or us. Be gentle until you find the right balance of power to use. Always watch your mass estimations. They’ll flip-flop as the computer figures out how heavy your catch really is.”

  Cade returned a rightfully proud smile and nodded again. “Thanks, George.” He was getting the hang of piloting an actual ship, and he found it both frightening and thrilling, especially during the catch scenarios. He couldn’t wait to sink the ships teeth into an actual target.

  ***

  Cade leaned back on his old bunk in the area the dents slept in. He’d been assigned his own quarters, as had his parents when their contracts were up, but he still preferred to spend his free time in the familiar surroundings and people. There was also Asaya, who couldn’t join him in the forward areas of the ship, but he still tried to see her after his shifts ended. All-in-all there wasn’t much change in their schedules prior to him becoming a full crewman, except the sleeping arrangements. They weren’t in the same room any longer, and couldn’t stay up until the late hours whispering to each other.

  Cade felt the back of his head and the incision from his implant surgery. It was still a little tender. He was amazed at what the ti
ny machine could do when paired with the navigation computer, but knew he had to work on focusing on one thing at a time, or he would confuse it again. He was also looking forward to having all the other software modules installed. They’d only given him the navigation module to start with until he got used to using it. The doctor called it an adjustment period. Cade didn’t see what the big deal was.

  “I thought I’d find you here,” the voice of his mother startled him from his thoughts.

  “Yeah. Just resting,” he responded before noticing his father wasn’t with her. “Where’s dad?”

  “Reading,” she said with a dry smile as she sat next to him. “He’s enjoying the quiet. I think he’ll read all the way back to Clew if I can’t get him out of that cabin.”

  Cade smiled, knowing she was right. His father wasn’t one to complain, but he knew he didn’t enjoy the packed humanity of the bunk space in the aft of the ship. After ten years, it didn’t surprise him that his father would relish the privacy and lock himself away from everyone else. The packed space in the aft of Grim Shoals was all Cade knew since he was ten, so it didn’t really bother him.

  He felt her hand on the back of his head and grimaced. “Mom.”

  “Is it still tender?” she asked with a worried look. “I’ll have the doctor whip up a –“.

  Cade laughed and pulled his head away. “Mom, I’m fine. Seriously.”

  His mother nodded with a sideways smile. “All right.” She then looked away for a moment, then back and took a deep breath. “I wish you were staying with us on Clew, Dorian,” she began. “We could really use your help getting everything off the ground again.”

  Cade sighed and wished she wouldn’t bring the subject up so much. “It’s only a year, mom. And then Asaya and I will both be back to help out.” He understood where his mom was coming from. She was worried. They’d lasted ten years on the Grim Shoals, one more wouldn’t hurt him. She was right to be concerned though, the work they did was inherently dangerous, but it wasn’t like he would be in boarding actions or firefights. “I’ll be safe on the bridge, anyway. And Kova’s a great captain. He knows how to do things right and safe.”

  “I know,” she said looking at her hands.

  Cade leaned over and kissed his mom on the cheek saying, “It’ll be fine, and I’m learning to pilot really well, which could come in real handy after we’re back. I could make some extra creds flying a transport or repair ship if we need it.”

  “You just promise me you’ll come back safe after all this is over,” his mother said with a serious tone.

  Cade smiled. “I promise I’ll – .“ The three chirp non-emergency alert sounded through the ship, calling all crew to their stations interrupted them. “I have to go,” he said before giving his mother a hug and grabbing his coat.

  “Be careful!” she called as he left.

  Cade made his way forward, through the main sections of the ship and onto the bridge. He shrugged at George’s grimace as he sat down. He was apparently the last to arrive.

  “The recorded flight plan is being transferred as we speak, Captain Kova,” came an unfamiliar woman’s voice from the main view screen. He turned his attention toward the front of the bridge where the main screen held the images of two people he didn’t recognize. The attractive woman on the left wore frilly, purple garb that her dark hair flowed down. The grin she sported told Cade that she was excited about something, and her refined accent made him wonder where she was from.

  The other image was of an older man that exuded confidence. His buzzed, graying head and the scar along his jaw added a dangerous air. “The hauler leaving Vorn be unarmed and alone,” he said with the same punctuated drawl as Cade’s Captain. Cade wonder if they were related. “Melandra’s to take the Crazyhorse to Hallek for her mark, and I’ll be hittin’ the convoy here while you head to Vorn.” He sat up and pointed at the pickup. “But beware, Kova,” the man said with a grave look, “that blasted Valiant be lurkin’ round those parts. Best be on your game.”

  “You just worry ‘bout the convoy, Torbeck,” Captain Kova said, unperturbed. “What’s this hauler supposed to be haulin’?”

  “Various food stuffs and electronics bound for the Alliance mining facility in that system,” the woman answered. “It’s their monthly resupply. They were quite upset after the fourth time I and my crew indulged ourselves at their expense. Since then they’ve hired an independent mercenary group for escort.” Her grin grew as she said, “that contract just ran out.”

  Kova nodded in thought and then said, “Done. Good hunting. Kova out.” The Captain then turned toward George and Cade. “Mr. Renley, set course for the Vorn system.”

  “Aye, Captain,” George replied as he manipulated his console.

  Cade leaned closer to George and quietly asked, “Who were they?”

  George grunted. “I keep having to remind myself you’ve been pent up in the back all yer life. Clew Captains John Torbeck of the Reaper, and Melandra Fay of the Crazyhorse. They’ve been runnin’ these parts for as long as I can remember. Melandra’s pretty good, even though she thinks she’s an Adarian Aristocrat. John…” he paused in thought, “John’s not as good as her or Kova, but he’s got a big ship and his luck has turned around lately. He’s been tryin’ to track the Valiant down.”

  Cade remembered that name being mentioned. “What’s the Valiant?”

  George’s demeanor turned sour. “That damned devil…” he muttered. “Two years ago we started losin’ ships. John Torbeck was one of the first to figure out that it was an Alliance heavy cruiser named Valiant that was hunting down and hammering our friends.” George shook his head and turned to look Cade in the eye. “They say she comes outta’ nowhere. A few ships have survived but not without taking a beating.”

  Cade felt a slight shiver run down his spine. “So a heavy cruiser… that’s big?”

  “Not overly big on the grand scale, but bigger than us,” he said with a nod. “Take the Grim Shoals for example: frigate, twenty-five crew and around ten dents, some guns and can hold her own in a pinch for a tick or two, but not really a warship. A heavy cruiser on the other hand has over one hundred crew, is armed to the teeth and built strictly for war. Packs a helluva punch.”

  “How would you take something like that out?” Cade wondered aloud.

  George chuckled saying, “Aw… get a couple frigates with sharp captains, and you could give her a run for her money. The Reaper even, she’s a cruiser class with around eighty crew and a might bigger arm than most. She’d have a shot, if they ever found her.”

  Cade shook his head, not sure if he’d made the right choice by signing on. Being oblivious and working in the rear sections of the ship sounded pretty good right now.

  He looked back to the main screen to find the image had been replaced by a view of space around the ship. Two shadows lurked just off the bow, slowly moving away and then disappearing altogether. He wondered about what they were saying before. “So we’re working with the Reaper and Crazyhorse?” It didn’t quite sound right to him. Pirates were pirates and to his knowledge they didn’t work well together.

  George turned completely toward Cade, his brow knit in confusion. “Well sure. Why do ya ask?”

  Cade shrugged and felt ashamed as he finally realized how much he didn’t know about Clew operations. “I guess I just never really understood how everything works. I thought whoever brings back the biggest prize wins.”

  “I see,” George said and clapped him on the shoulder. “We may be brigands and scoundrels, but we’re a family, Cade, working toward a singular goal. Sure we have our fun and try to out-score the others, even some head-butting differences,” he paused, a smile growing wide across his face, “and we make a healthy living at it as well. But in the end we do what we do for Clew. That means working together. Take now for instance: Torbeck got a bead on three marks, and he can’t take all of them himself. If he didn’t contact us, it’s just a waste. You know Clew can’t sustain itself, so
the Grim Shoals and the other ships like her get what Clew can’t provide for all the people living there.”

  Cade knew that, or at least he thought he did. George’s explanation seemed to fit pieces of a puzzle together for him. “Got it. We’re the good guys.”

  George laughed. “Depends on who ya ask! Come on now, we need to finish this plot to Vorn.”

  “Right,” Cade replied trying to focus back on the job.

  “Now you’ve had your fun on the sims and even that asteroid, but that was close, in-system maneuvers. You’ve never been allowed to see any systems for intersystem travel.”

  With a shake of his head, Cade said, “No. I just know to get to a tank when they tell us.”

  “Right, well,” he brought up a map of their current position on his console. “We’re about eight hours from the edge of the system where the gravity from the sun and planets can’t nudge us off course at high speeds. We can light the Intersystem Drive off any time after that point and stay on course. Now here’s the tricky part, the ISD throws the ship into subspace, which is a weird deal in itself, but that’s not the issue. It’s the turbulence caused by entering subspace that is hard on the ship. Our gravity generators don’t have the power to keep up and….”

  “Squish.” So far it wasn’t hard to understand, but Cade also knew there were some tricks involved to traveling across black space. Well, he’d heard some of the engineers talking anyway. “That’s why everyone gets into tanks.”

  “Yep,” George said. “Without the tanks, you’d end up a sticky mess for a dent to clean up.”

  Cade gave George a sideways glance.

  “Sorry,” George winced. “Anyway, we light the ISD and away we go, just not before we get out of the system.”

  “Has anyone ever lit the drive off inside a solar system?” Cade asked.

  “Oh sure, but only for a leap-frog,” George replied and then explained when he saw the confusion on Cades face. “It’s all about power, mate. We use the tanks ‘cause it would take way more power than we have to keep everyone whole. But if we get in a bind and have to get out fast, we can activate the leap-frog system which,” George paused, looking confused himself. “Well, it does a lot of things all at once. Mainly it shoves the reactor into overdrive to give an extra ‘oomph’ to the gravity systems, then jumps us a short distance, a fraction of a second. With the gravity systems juiced-up everyone is ok for a short jump. Problem is though… it only lasts a fraction of a second, and it tears the ship up in a bad way. When we land, we’re basically shut down and driftin’.”