Episode 83, Universal Laws.
29 Jul 2024Ryuko Ntsikana
Episode 83, Universal Laws.
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There were universal laws that were older than that of mankind. One of those was that any plan, no matter how well intended or devised, would be turned on its head. Usually, the fault lay with the one making the plan, by some oversight on their part. Such was my infraction.
Each level had a conference room, and it was my own fault that scheduling both of my meetings to be in the same place, one to follow the other, was an oversight. Tara was waiting for me, standing next to the conference room door, along with Zaria and Aby. They had arrived early, which I should have anticipated.
Zaria wore a cheeky smirk on her face as if in a moment of clairvoyance she realized my error.
With a sigh, I opened the conference room door. No pleasantries or how-are-yous. There wasn’t much I could do about it now, and complaining about it would only be me digging my own hole deeper. I had to put up with their presence, but I didn’t have to introduce her to anyone.
“Alright everyone, I will keep it brief so we can get out there and make some credits,” I announced, walking to the head of the conference room table, where I put down my data tablet, activating its holographic function.
“Here’s where you can begin. The moon orbiting the fifth planet. There are eight habitations, three of which are unguarded installations from which you can scan and take data. This is the entrée to the main course. Leave the settlements and the large lunar outpost unmolested. These will raise the alarm and even though we could win a confrontation, it would make raiding their remote settlements more difficult.”
The holographic image changed to that of the secondary region, which is more than four hundred thousand light-years distant.
“The moon of the fourth planet, orbiting the distant dwarf star, is your focus. There are three main settlements there, belonging to the local anarchy factions. Only one has decent security but nothing that you can’t easily brush aside. You know the drill. Disable their alarms and pillage everything that you can download or carry.”
Raven looked up at me as each of the Coterie studied the holographic image and the data on each of the settlements. “Where will you be during all of this?”
The holographic map changed to show a large and heavily guarded lunar installation.
“I will be raiding this installation located on the moon orbiting the seventh planet.”
Everyone sat back in their seats at that, as Avariel pointed at the listed information taken during my high orbital overflight.
“Whoa, that thing has three anti-ship turrets, one large capital defense turret. There are also four point-defense turrets, twelve ground vehicle turrets, two sentry skimmer hangars, plus suicide stingers. A facility of that size has what, over a thousand personnel?”
All eyes widened, looking between the hologram and myself.
“Yes, but you left out the three large generators.”
Raven pointed at the image. “But the turrets and skimmers have their own internal power source. Taking those down won’t do anything to their defenses.”
“Yes and no. It will lock in everyone who isn’t already inside, which will be most of them. That leaves the turrets.”
Though she wasn’t an official part of the pre-raid briefing, Zaria stepped forward to study the holographic image in closer detail.
“As heavily armed and armored as your Python might be, their defenses will shred it in short order.”
“That’s why Jabir will be flying my Python, under the Coterie’s guidance. I will be taking my Diamondback for this raid.”
That statement widened most of their eyes as Lysandra slapped her hand down on the table.
“That’s suicide!”
Nyx, who had been quiet as usual, looked up from the holographic image. “No, it won’t, not even close.”
Heads turned in his direction as he adjusted the image floating above the table, showing different angles of the installation. “Looks to be just about the right size.”
I knew if anyone would see what I was up to with this one-person raid, it would have to be Nyx.
“I thought about taking my Dolphin explorer to do the job, but the Diamondback is small enough.”
“Small enough for what?” Corvus’s deep voice boomed.
Nyx leaned back into his chair, his facial expression not showing the annoyed sound in his voice.
“The larger the facility, the more vulnerable it is to a small craft, whether it be a ship or a ground vehicle.”
“Correct. I can hug the walls to isolate which turret can engage me, then take them out, one at a time. I can then neutralize their generators, and then all of their data nodes and control points are mine for the taking. Even with the best crews in the galaxy, it will take them five minutes to reroute and get their defenses back online. I will be in and out within three.”
“Spoken like a true pirate,” Zaria commented, looking back at Aby, who had not made a sound or moved from his position next to the conference room entry.
“With your permission I would like to accompany Jabir in your Python.”
I could see Tara looking at me out of the corner of my eye as I nodded in response to Zaria’s request, keeping my eyes on the Coterie. “Alright everyone, download the information and check that your ships are ready. We will depart within the hour.”
I waited for each of them to finish downloading the information before knocking my fist on the desk for luck.
“Once our raids are complete, fall back to orbit and report. If a second raid is needed, we will be in a position to revisit the location before departing.”
I paused before exiting the conference room, glancing at Aby and then turning to look at Zaria.
“All of his data and memories were wiped just before the incident. A set of new directives has been added to prevent any further mishaps.”
Concentrating on keeping my expression neutral, I cast a second glance toward Aby as my hand reached down to push the panel to open the conference room door.
“If there is a second time, it will be a short walk into the nearest plasma conduit.”
I didn’t wait to listen for any reply, nor would I have cared if there was one, though I doubted there would be. Zaria wasn’t here to jerk my leash. I suspected she was here due to someone jerking hers. Not that I cared. My ship and crew needed credits, and that was the only thing that mattered. That it would help further their goals and shorten the remaining time I had under their contract was so much the better in my book.
***
Tara walked next to me as we headed down the corridor to the service elevator.
“You’re a little snippy today. Zaria and Aby throw you off your game?”
“No,” I replied, waving my hand dismissively. “Need to make sure we have enough supplies onboard for another excursion. You and the chief get the gremlin chased down?”
Tara began explaining as my mind drifted to distant memories of being a junior member of a proper pirate crew. The settlement we were berthed at was filled with the most eclectic riffraff one could find anywhere in the galaxy. Most people think pirates are born into the life, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. While there were some—pirates had families too—many, at one time, were normal folk like everyone else.
Through circumstances of either their own design or those of another, people of all types would make their way into a life where the laws that governed their worth and profit were of their own design. There was always a healthy mix of disgruntled merchants, escaped slaves, deserters, and hard-to-do-wells with no other place to go who would find themselves in the mix.
I didn’t notice it until I was a couple of paces ahead, but Tara had stopped. I turned to look back at her, and what I perceived was her best stern worried expression on her face. “Were you even listening?”
“A little concerned about what we will find.”
Tara tilted her head in a way that reminded me of Aby when he was curious.
“The location and distance was my first hint. I knew I was right when I saw their logistical and security flight patterns.”
Her head tilted the other way as her eyes lost focus. I knew she was searching through her recording of our reconnaissance, attempting to devise the same patterns that I had seen.
“Elaborate.”
A sigh escaped as I glanced at the elevator and then back towards her.
“Their patrol and shipping patterns are not those of seasoned military or pirates but that of traders. What we will likely find, as the majority of their ranks, will be a mix of everything except those two.”
Tara’s gaze fixed on me as she attempted to process what I was saying. “I don’t understand.”
“In the larger picture, most who enter this life are not from this life to begin with. You have jilted and mistreated tradesmen, deserters from one of the larger services, refugees, escaped slaves, junkies, fugitives, and everything in between. Put all of that into a large cauldron and stir.”
Tara nodded in comprehension as she was able to devise a set of internal routines that aligned with what I was telling her.
“You, yourself, were a refugee when you entered the life, though young.”
“Yes, I was young, and had the rare benefit of falling under the eye of an older and more seasoned pirate who treated it as a business, though my only thoughts were on revenge.”
Tara put her hands on her hips in a mimicry pose of a woman’s stern stance.
“You still have revenge in your heart.”
I looked into her eyes, nodding. She was right, and I had admitted as much at one time, but my form of retribution was more than turning their ships into flaming wreckage.
“Look around you. This is a product of learning what your mentor taught you, not that of revenge. Sure, you have used it as such, but not in any real appreciable way. You now control certain market values and have profited. Those you seek vengeance against court either your fence or your business partner Beau, in the next system over. They don’t have a clue who you are, and you could crush them, but instead, you focus on what matters most, and more than sixteen hundred souls are healthy, wealthy, and wise because of it.”
I turned back to the elevator, pressing the button. “You know how to wield a lash, I’ll give you that.”
Tara chuckled. “If wielding a lash is the way to get your attention, then perhaps we should stop by our quarters on the way out?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that.