The Pirate Captain (The Space Pirate Chronicles Book 2) Read online

  Charley grimaced. “That’s OK, Betty.” But the AI did have a point - no matter what they decided to do, the Guild still needed the mother of all clean-outs.

  Charley and Vinnie slept uncomfortably in the corner she’d cleared the day before. She woke with a stiff neck and pledged that she would be comfortable by the end of the day. She was excited to find a message on her wrist pad - the Guildmasters had located a single buyer for the scout’s spare parts and scrap. 8317 credits was the nominated figure after the Guildmasters had taken their cut. Charley gave a little whoop for joy and woke Vinnie, who checked his own wrist pad.

  “Well, that’s a shitload of industrial cleaner,” he said.

  The plumber came shambling into the Hall. Charley had forgotten she’d ever employed him.

  “Your pipes are mostly corroded,” he said. “I’ve replaced the ground floor but …”

  “Say no more,” Charley said, keying her wrist pad. She transferred 1500 into the man’s account. “Finish the entire bunker,” she said with a smile. “Hopefully that’s enough.”

  “I think I can make do,” the plumber replied.

  Charley felt a warm glow. It was good to have money in the pocket. With any luck the bunker would be half functional by the end of the day.

  Vinnie and Charley wore dust masks as they attacked the main Hall. They had more than half cleared away by noon. Over a lunch of steamed rice and roasted meat Vinnie was deeply immersed in the information streaming forth from his wrist pad. Charley threw him a quizzical look and he switched it off.

  “We need to talk,” he said seriously.

  “I don’t like the sound of this,” Charley said as she sat next to him.

  “Petyr Fallon has been spotted at the Purple Sands Casino on Mina IV,” Vinnie said.

  Charley shrugged. “Should I know who that is?”

  “One of the highest ranking Night Runners,” he said. “Rumor has it he’s there to protect the opening to the Beluga Run. If we want to make that trip, we need to get through him first. He’s coordinating all bandit activity in that area.”

  “How do you know this?” Charley asked.

  “Betty’s been helping me,” Vin said. “She opened a data jack into the casino’s AI a long time ago, when some of the older pirates used to stay at the resort.”

  “That’s good intel,” Charley commented, thinking the situation through. If this Fallon character was controlling the Mina system from his little perch at the Purple Sands Casino, it made little sense to try and take the bandits on in space. They’d be annihilated. It made far more sense to make a surgical strike at Fallon himself at the casino. Hopefully in the chaos and discord that followed, the Surprise could make its way through to the next system.

  “You thinking what I’m thinking?” Charley asked Vin. The big man grinned.

  “Yep,” he said. “Seems to me we need to buy some dinner wear.”

  “We can go incognito,” Charley said, deep in thought. “A civilian paint job on the Surprise. A low-key visit to the casino. If we need hired muscle there I’m sure we can find it.”

  Vinnie nodded. “I’m sure we can. But we’ll have to leave immediately. The Guild Hall can wait, but we don’t know how long Fallon will be at the casino.”

  Charley stood, feeling energized all of a sudden.

  “Betty, can you please suggest a standard civilian color scheme for a ship the size of the Surprise?”

 

  A projection squirted from the ceiling. It showed the Surprise decked out in racing red, white and blue.

  “Perfect,” said Charley. “Can you please send that to the Guildmasters and pay them whatever they quote you.”

 

  Charley blinked. The Guildmasters were nothing if not efficient.

  Charley went to freshen up and check her weapons. She still hadn’t gotten around to buying underwear or a spare utility suit, but she didn’t mind the feel of the material against her bare skin. If the air was cold she had the usual danger of stiff nipples but she was too excited to take care of that now. She could buy more clothes on Mina IV. It sounded like they would need disguises anyway.

  Once she had splashed a little water on her face Charley ran a weapons inventory. Twin plasma blasters - check. Targeting computer - check. Charley made sure this bit of tech was correctly fitted to her head. It was a good habit to wear it at all times even if it was slightly uncomfortable. Scimitar - check. This Charley slotted neatly into a scabbard that hung from her belt. Pellet cannisters - check. Charley had arranged all her pellets by color and stored them into a row of cannisters that hung from her belt. She still didn’t know what half of them did. She supposed she would soon find out if there was a battle at the Purple Sands Casino.

  Her weapons checked, Charley went to see Vinnie, who was sharpening his old-fashioned combat knife on a whetstone he kept in his utility belt.

  “Betty has cleared us for departure tonight,” he said. “I got her to order some fuel and get the Guildmaster engineers to run a diagnostic on the warp drive.”

  “What’s the travel time to Mina IV?” Charley asked.

  “A few days,” Vinnie said. “We can either take warp drugs or find a way to fill the time.”

  There was a particular arch to Vin’s eyebrow that told Charley all she needed to know. She felt that familiar tingle down her spine but said nothing. Sometimes a girl just needed to show she understood.

  The rest of the afternoon was spent on light cleaning. The Guild Hall would still need plenty of work when they returned from their mission. For starters, the ceiling was filthy and needed attention. Charley dreaded what she would find in the nooks and crannies of cracked plaster. More corpse spiders were not out of the question.

  “Ahem,” came a digital coughing sound. It was FIGJAM.

  “Of course you can come,” Charley said. “Just don’t antagonize Vinnie or you’re scrap metal.”

  FIGJAM said nothing, muting himself and tipping over onto Charley’s foot. She chuckled and hooked the robot into her belt.

  4

  At sundown Vinnie called in a flyer and showed Charley the service ladder that admitted access to the cracked roof of the bunker. There was more than enough space for the flyer to land there. Charley inspected the roof with interest, picturing some kind of vessel elevator that would allow them to land the Surprise on the bunker and then lower it inside. The cost would be astronomical, so it was perhaps a dream for another time.

  The flyer ferried the pair through the dusk. The lights of Galveston retreated to the north as they flew over thickets of yew and oak. Before long the cool green docking bays of the Galveston port facility stretched before them. The flyer landed in a designated dropoff zone and Vinnie keyed his wrist pad to transfer funds. It was nice to travel by flyer, a luxury Charley certainly wasn’t used to.

  Vinnie took Charley’s hand as they made their way to drydock 73. A pair of engineers were finishing the racing colors they’d ordered. The Surprise looked completely different. The weapon bays were now almost completely innocuous. The craft would pass, to the naked eye at least, as a civilian vessel out for a joyride.

  Vinnie nodded to the engineers and activated the top hatch. The Guildmaster staff finished the stencil they were working on and departed the drydock. Overcome with an excited buzz, Charley lowered herself through the hatch and sat alongside Vinnie in the cockpit. The Guildmasters had thrown in a free clean of the ship interior. The dashboard sparkled as if it were brand new. It was only then that Charley realized how rank the ship had smelled before. Five grizzly bandits in a small vessel wasn’t exactly conducive to perfume.

  “Surprise to port, request clearance for launch,” Vinnie said over the com.

 

  Charley almost squealed with delight as Vinnie engaged the engine and lifted Surpri
se into the night air.

  Vinnie closed the throttle down theatrically as they soared into the night sky. The Surprise really moved well, like a predator stalking prey. It wasn’t overly quick, but quick enough for most enemies. Unless, of course, it came up against an entire squadron or a battle cruiser. By that stage Charley hoped to have a small fleet of her own.

  The Surprise broke orbit without incident. Vinnie set the nav computer to take the most direct course for Mina IV and time its run so they arrived at a suitable check in time at Purple Sands Resort.

  Once he was satisfied with the computer’s suggested waypoints, he spun in his chair and looked at Charley with a hungry gaze. His eyes undressed her where she sat, drinking in the pointed nipples that stood erect under her thin utility suit.

  “I think I need a lie down,” she said with only a hint of a grin.

  Vinnie said nothing, taking her hand and leading her to the master hab cube on the Surprise. The captain’s quarters. The pair hadn’t had time to change the bedding and decor belonging to the previous occupant, which grossed Charley out a little bit. She resolved to organize a complete makeover once they landed on Mina IV.

  Still, the king size bed looked comfortable enough. The leader of those bandits had enjoyed traveling with a modicum of style.

  Vinnie sat Charley on the edge of the bed and stripped down to his Y-fronts. Charley couldn’t take her eyes from the huge bulge down there. She unclipped her utility belt and tossed it to the floor. With a coy smile she unzipped her suit so that most of her cleavage was visible. She slid Vin’s underpants to the floor and allowed him to step free. He pushed her gently back to the bed and straddled her torso. He peeled away her suit and cupped her breasts, leaning down for closer attention.

  Occasionally he came up for air and kissed Charley on the lips passionately. After a while she stood and stripped down. This time Vin lay on his back and she straddled him with vigor. He lay his hands on her pert breasts as she slid onto him, working her hips up and down. Slowly at first, building rhythm and friction with every thrust. The heat inside grew and grew. She pressed her hands on Vinnie’s chest, pushing him back against the bed as she arched her back. Vinnie held himself back with admirable discipline. Howling like a banshee, Charley orgasmed wildly, her body shaking with delight. He groaned in her ear, a deliciously tortured sound.

  Their bodies sagged into each other, completely spent. They stayed that way for a long, long time, neither feeling the need to ruin the moment with chit chat. Eventually Charley must have fallen asleep, because when she woke the Surprise had reached its second waypoint and was well on the way. She sat at the viewscreen and watched the stars as she sipped on a mug of steaming chon bai. Vinnie appeared within the hour and gave her a sleepy kiss on the forehead. Charley couldn’t remember ever being this happy. Well, the bar was pretty low, having spent a wretched childhood in Sandflower Downs on Abeyas.

  The next two days were spent making love and playing Tactics of War. It was the only game Charley knew how to play - one of her brothers had found and repaired a gamedeck. To her surprise, she beat Vinnie more often than not, showing a sound tactical mind.

  “Looks like the Guild is in good hands,” he said with a good-natured grin.

  It was in a state of serene bliss that the pair made the Mina system. Mina herself rolled by to starboard, a reasonably hot blue dwarf. The first three planets in the system were too hot for any kind of habitation. They were pretty much scorched balls of rock.

  The fourth planet was firmly in the ‘Goldilocks’ zone a bit further out. It was a relatively dry and sandy planet, like Charley’s home planet Abeyas, but where that planet was arid and ugly, this one had several large oceans fringed with palm forests and lagoons. As such, it was a premier holiday destination for criminals with too much money to know what to do with it. The system was probably too far for the rich elites of the core worlds to travel to, but as the gateway to the famous Beluga Run, plenty of merchantmen found themselves passing through.

  The ship’s AI chimed when Mina IV was within hailing distance. Vinnie told the computer to talk to the planet’s docking systems and secure a berth at the Purple Sands complex. Charley looked excitedly at the blue planet that now filled the viewscreen. She could see serpentine streaks of brown cutting through the wide oceans. It looked like the planet was a hefty slice of tropical paradise. Vinnie let the ship cruise through a shallow orbit and spiral its way to a string of islands in the southern hemisphere. There were huge, pyramid-shaped resorts on each island. Vinnie took manual control of the Surprise and joined a reasonably busy traffic lane over the archipelago. The Purple Sands was a huge resort complex that dominated one of the larger islands. The towering pyramid in the center was the casino. Charley could see secluded huts and villas amongst the palms and well-maintained tropical gardens. Several villas were situated right on the beach.

  “We’ve got a little money,” Charley said casually to Vin. “Why don’t we use it?”

  Vinnie’s face clouded over for a moment. Charley realized he probably had a troubled history with money. She got the impression he’d gone on a long spending binge after his wife died.

  “We’ll make more money on the Beluga Run,” she promised. “Enough for six months at a place like this.”

  That got a grin from Vinnie. “There are certain things a pirate is obligated to do,” he murmured.

  Vinnie landed the Surprise at the nominated docking bay. The reception office was located in an administration hub encircled by thick jungles. Paths led off in all directions.

  Once the docking link was secure Vinnie killed the engine and climbed through the top hatch. Charley followed him out to a sun-drenched path through garden beds of fleshy tropical flowers.

  A row of smiling hotel staff awaited them at the reception desk.

  “Your best villa please,” Vinnie said casually as they strolled in.

  “Certainly sir,” said a man the color of polished bronze. “Will that be executive or romance?”

  “Oh, romance,” said Vinnie, glancing at Charley. “Stuff us with as much romance as you’ve got.”

  5

  Vinnie took the activation card with a nod. The concierge began explaining the lay of the land but Vinnie was already halfway out the door. Charley mouthed a ‘sorry’ as she trailed after him.

  Vin activated a projection from a silicon chip in the villa access card. It showed them the most direct path through the sprawling resort.

  The pair walked through a stunning ballroom forest, the thick canopy filled with all manner of colorful birds. The boardwalk carried them over lagoons and small creeks. There were other villas visible through the trees, but they were designed to blend in with the jungle environment. The access card glowed green when they neared their own villa. Charley whooped and ran along a boardwalk turnoff that ran right up to a secluded beach. The villa was a double-storey affair with a wrap-around balcony on both levels. There was a pristine pool on the ocean side with a freshly stocked bar in the middle. It looked to be self service. Vinnie grinned as Charley skipped around the lower level before bounding up the spiral staircase. The bed was enormous, a four-poster king-size with a soft, shimmering mosquito net. The ensuite bathroom was exquisitely lined with pink marble.

  Charley took a turn out on the upper balcony and looked through the telescope sitting in the corner. It was directed at a villa a half mile up the beach. A couple looked to be in the middle of a heated argument as they sunned themselves on the upper balcony. Charley smiled and let them have their privacy. There might be something more exciting to look at later.

  She joined Vinnie in the bedroom. “It’s wonderful,” she gushed. “A girl could get used to this.”

  “Don’t forget we have some tight work to come,” he said. “Petyr Fallon is staying somewhere on this island and he’d like nothing better than to flay both of us alive.”

  Charley checked her excitement, remembering what they were here on Mina IV to do. “How long do we
have before he returns to plundering the Beluga Run?”

  Vinnie shrugged. “Doubt it’ll be more than a few days. We need to work quickly. I suggest we browse the resort catalog and buy some threads first. Maybe even a disguise or two.”

  That was something Charley had no problem doing. She raised a catalog projection from the coms display on the bedside table. She gasped at the wide array of cocktail gowns and leisure wear. She spent close to an hour scrolling through the various dresses plus accessories, careful not to exceed a couple of thousand credits. In the end she selected a gorgeous burgundy gown with plunging neckline. She also selected a topaz necklace and Orfalian high heels in the same burgundy. On impulse she paid for a midnight blue hair dye. There was a chance her image had been distributed among the Night Runners and she wasn’t about to take any chances.

  Charley and Vin cooled themselves off with a local beer while they waited for their clothes to arrive. Dusk was descending as three delivery staff arrived in a beach buggy. Charley’s dress was delivered straight to the bedroom. She lovingly caressed the light material before retiring to the ensuite to apply the hair dye. She slicked her hair back with the conditioning cement she found in the shower recess. She looked a completely different woman when she wrapped a towel around herself and joined Vin in the bedroom.

  The big man’s mouth opened in shock when he saw her. In a good way.

  “You look totally different,” he said in wonder.

  “Still beautiful?” she said jokingly.

  “Just as beautiful … just different. More dangerous, maybe.”

  Charley laughed. She could live with that. She lifted the dress and took it back to the bathroom. She stepped into it carefully, and was relieved to find it fitted quite well. Her breasts filled the low cups perfectly and the hem was a nice distance from the ground. The heels were a nice fit too. She had to commend the hotel for running such an efficient clothing service.

  The next time she entered the bedroom she literally took Vinnie’s breath away. The man was speechless. Charley took that as a victory. The rogue hadn’t brushed up so badly himself. He wore a pristine tuxedo with a blood red tie. To preserve his identity he wore a stylized eye mask that seemed to be favored by certain men of leisure across the galaxy. They were supposed to be items of high fashion, but Charley suspected they were designed to allow dirty old men to ogle young women without detection. She didn’t mind - as long as he was looking at her.