Favors Part 2
03 May 2024Vasil Vasilescu
Following from First ImpressionsVasil brought the Long Road to within 2km of the nav beacon for CPC 22 212, aligned the scanner and established connection. He’d not found any recent trace of the Destinies Jester in LTT 970 or Tetrian, and with time running short, he opted to mine the nav beacon for Class A transponder registrations rather than scan signal sources for the Jester. It would expose him to scans but with the Type 9 loaded with limpets and armed for deep core asteroid mining, he’d not be seen as a threat or worth the effort to attack.
The scanner returned a positive transponder hit with seconds. Vasil called up the system on his nav screen and focused on the Destinies Jester. “There you are, in orbit around 3A. Let’s get a closer look. Victor, lock current target destination and engage supercruise.”
The Long Road rolled like a sleepy giant to slowly align itself with 3A. A low rumble shook the ship, growing more violent as the engines pushed the ship towards supercruise entry speeds. Ship-wide heat levels rose quickly as the mass-energy exchange approached the supercruise threshold. Then, with a familiar but unsettling lurch, ship entered supercruise and went quiet as the mass-energy exchange equalized.
The muted mauve light from CPC 22 212-3 grew steadily as he neared. The class Y dwarf, a gas giant that failed to graduate to a stellar fusion reactor had thin, dark rings nearly invisible to the eye but clear enough on the scanners. The first moon rode the edge of the outer ring and in another fifty or sixty thousand years would probably break apart and add its rubble to the rings of the failed star.
Nearing 3A and the Destinies Jester, the wide field scanners began reporting contacts in supercruise flying in patrol patterns around the Jester. Two Imperial Eagles broke away from one of the patrol groups and flew to intercept the Long Road. Vasil glanced to the scanning array, then again, confused. “Victor, verify transponders of incoming vessels.”
“Transponder codes indicate vessels belong to the Imperial Internal Security Service.”
“This can’t be good.” Vasil took manual control of the ship preparing to either divert course or deal with an interdiction. The interdiction came without the customary call to either change course or submit.
Vasil cut power to the engines and dropped the ship out of supercruise 8,000 km from the Jester. Attempting to evade would only make IISS more suspicious of him and likely to open fire.
Alerts on Vasil’s control panel lit up. The eagles were running cargo and warrant scans. “T-608 Long Road, this is IISS Sabre-1. Be advised that you are entering controlled space. State your business or leave the vicinity, over.”
“Sabre-1, We are en route to Destinies Jester for trade negotiations regarding their cargo of slaves, over.” Not true, but believable given the Jester’s recent attacks against illegal slavers in the surrounding systems.
“Scans indicate you’re your cargo holds contain a refinery and 550 tons of limpets, over.” The pilot's voice carried that causational undertone common with the IISS when, based on their observations, they do not fully believe what they are being told.
“That is In case negotiations fail,” said Vasil without missing a beat. “We plan to mine Monazite from the planetary rings." Vasil had no idea if the rings around CPC 22 212 3A had monazite. He gambled that the rocky, metal-rich rings had traces of it and that the IISS had no idea whether or not the rigs did.
“Stand by.” The comm went silent. One eagle shifted position to allow for a better angle at the Long Road’s Power Plant. The other remained focused on the engines.
“Targets deploying hardpoints and energizing weapons,” announced Victor. The two target indicators for the eagles began flashing. “Vasil hoovered a hand over the engine and shield bank controls. It was not uncommon for the IISS to goad nervous suspects into running by powering up weapons. Normally it was a bluff, but with the IISS protecting the Destinies Jester, they might open fire on anything they perceived as a threat.
“T-608 Long Road, we will escort you to the Destinies Jester. You will not deviate from the flight path or you will be fired on. Is that understood, over?”
Vasil relaxed, easing his hand away from the controls. “Acknowledged, Sabre-1. Ready to receive feed, over.”
* * *
Vasil waited in an observation lounge on the Destinies Jester. Alone except for two armed and definitely dangerous looking guards who escorted him from the hangar, Vasil looked out over the old Drake-Class carrier. It’s livery more than lived up to the ship’s name. Covered in a bewildering and random assortment of garish red and green lozenges, stripes and checkerboards, it looked like a harlequin’s fever dream viewed through a kaleidoscope.
It was not the color scheme that concerned Vasil, it was the large number of craft operating around the carrier. The security cordon he was escorted through had more ships than the Jester could carry. At least two patrol flights were from the Imperial Internal Security Service and consisted of clippers and the two eagles that escorted Vasil to the Jester. Chatter on the open comm channels focused mostly on arming and fueling the support ships. Whatever operation the Jester was readying for was large and looked like it involved the IISS is some way.
“So, you check out. That’s good.”
Vasil turned to find a smiling young woman with short, dyed magenta hair had quietly entered the lounge. If he was being generous, she looked no older than 18 or 19 and like she should be asking him if he wanted a drink. “I’m sorry,” he said to the smiling girl, having no idea what she was talking about.
“You are a registered trader in the Imperial Slave Association databanks, Commander Vasilescu. So, your story about wanting to trade slaves seems plausible. Otherwise, our IISS friends might have turned you into scrap.” The girl leaned toward Vasil, her voice lowering. “Trust me, whatever horror stories you’ve heard about us privateers are nursery rhymes compared to what the IISS does.”
Vasil realized this smiling, exuberant girl was Red Jade, the captain of the Destinies Jester; hardly the archetypical grizzled space pirate or daring privateer. “The ISA databanks never said anything about the Captain of this ship being—“
“A girl? Young? A young girl?” Red Jade shook her head, sighed, frustrated. “It’s been almost three months since I took over from my father. You’d think the ISA would have updated their information by now. But what are you going to do?” She shrugged her thin shoulders “Imperial Bureaucracy.”
Red Jade clasped her hands behind her back and the magnetic soles on her boots click-clacked as she rocked back and forth on her heels. “But you are not here to talk about bureaucracy. And I suspect you are not really here to talk about Imperial slave trading. As you can see, we are very busy, so why don’t we get down to the real reason you are here.”
An insightful mind existed under the veneer of youth. With time running short, Vasil saw no need to continue with the charade of trade negotiations, but also no need to reveal the whole truth. A partial truth would do. “You’ve been taking prizes of illegal slaves. They appear to be from a single source. I’m associated with a charity that recently discovered we took possession of a large number of Imperial slaves with fraudulent registrations. I was hoping to see if there is any connection.”
Red Jade’s face lit up like a child’s on Christmas morning. “Why didn’t you tell that to the IISS? They would have let you right in. Hell, we are about to go stomp an illegal slave trader ass into mud. Yeah… it is not exactly the kind of thing dad would have done. Like grandad and great-grandma, he focused mostly in Federal shipping. But now, the Destinies Jester is going to use the Title of Marque to make a real difference!”
Her enthusiasm reminded Vasil of his niece, Katarzyna. With the Emerald Repatriation Society, Kat, too, was going to make a difference. She was going to help people rebuild their lives. It is the prerogative of youthful idealists to try and change things for the better, and to go about it undeterred by a galaxy that operated not on dreams but on reality. Vasil knew Kat might eventually be crushed by the reality that ERS was a way for his sister, Octavia, to increase her political power. He wondered what would eventually crush Red Jade. Maybe it would be Lady Mercy, a wolf dressed as a white lamb who saw Jade only as a means to achieve her own goals.
Red jade continued, unprompted, a sign to Vasil of inexperience and of enthusiasm overpowering caution. A part of Vasil wanted to stop her revealing too much, but the old trader in him knew that the more someone talked, the more they revealed.
“We’ve been capturing shipments of illegal slaves. So many, in fact, that the IISS opened an investigation and determined the majority of the slaves were from one organization, just like you said, earlier. They did whatever spooky stuff they do and tracked most of the slaves back to a carrier called the Anansi, which they believe is part of a larger raider fleet.”
Vasil looked briefly back over his shoulder at the activity around the Destinies Jester. “And all of this is preparing to attack the raiders?”
“Oh, you bet! Not just what we have here. Another flotilla will be joining in as well. There are already scouts in the target system keeping an eye on the Anansi.” Red Jade grinned. “In about ten hours we’ll be stomping them into mud.”
To Jade’s credit, she was not offering many details, but her willingness to share—a common flaw with most young idealists—allowed Vasil to draw more water from the well without much effort. He nodded like an approving father and prodded, “I hope you have some arrangement with the IISS for after the fight.”
Red Jade tried to appear calm, but pride showed in her eyes and in the barely contained little grin threatening to spread across her face. “For taking the lead in the fight, we are guaranteed full rights to any captured cargo or vessels. Actually, the ISS will take the slaves we still have in our hold and any we seize in the fight as evidence against the Anansi and compensate us for them. But the ships and anything else will be ours free and clear. And the best part?” Jade could no longer contain the grin. “You may soon be looking at the future Baroness Marcela Enciso Ruiz y Hidalgo. Not even my great-grandmother managed to get a title.”
“Impressive. Do you think you can pull it off?”
“I know we can. I have the best crew, the best ship, and the best reason: Because it is the right thing to do.” Jade tilted her head to the side, looking up at Vasil. “You know about doing the right thing, don’t you? I know you are with ERS, and I know the work it does helping people. These raiders and their illegal slaving have hurt a lot of people, so why don’t you help us do the right thing?”
It was a passionate argument from a passionate individual, the kind often heard from recruiters and charities appealing to emotion. Given the right circumstances, he might have taken the young captain up on her offer and joined the fight solely based on her passion.
“I admire what you are doing, Captain, but the Long Road is an unarmed ship loaded for mining. I’d not be much help.”
Red Jade arched a brow. “You sure you don’t want to stomp some pirate ass? We have enough time to refit you with fighter bays. You can take a few of my crew with you and get in on the action.”
“I’m afraid not, but I wish you luck.”
Red jade sighed. “Okay then. You understand I’ll have to ask you to leave the Destinies Jester. We need the hangar space for combat escorts.” She motioned for the two guards by the door to come and escort Vasil back to his ship. “Oh and be careful when you leave. The IISS suspects your arrival was not as benign as it seems. You know how they sometimes are. Shoot first, find the crime later. That sort of thing. Plus, I’ll hear no end of it if they end up shooting you after I told them to let you through the perimeter defenses.”
Red Jade smiled and nodded to Vasil, leaving for the command deck and leaving him with the impression that behind the sweet, girlish smile and her cheerful tone lurked an unspoken threat.
* * *
Once out of the Jester’s security zone, Vasil entered the rings around the brown dwarf to maintain the illusion he was there for mining. When he was certain the ISS eagles were no longer tracking him, he exited the ring and set course for Tertian. Safely in Tertian, he recorded a message for Ladt lambast.
BLUF: Destinies Jester and its supporting fleet will be exiting system sometime in the next 8 hours to attack a raider carrier called Anansi. IISS will be supporting the Jester. The captain is young but determined. Crew is supportive.
I’ve managed to make contact with the Destinies Jester and Captain Red Jade. The captain is a young woman, probably no more than 19, having recently assumed command from her father three months ago. It is her intention to use her Title of Marque to “make a real difference.” To this end she has been seizing illegal slaves from smugglers. The IISS became involved due to the large numbers of illegal slaves and has traced most of them back to a raider vessel called Anansi.
The Destinies Jester is planning to attack the Anansi sometime within the next 8 hours. I was unable to determine where the Anansi is. I’ve counted at least 9 heavy, 12 med, and 8 light/interceptor ships operating in the Jester’s control zone. I don’t know how many ships are in hot hangar storage on the carrier. Probably an equal amount. She has another flotilla that will join the fight, but I do not know its location or strength. My guess is they plan to overwhelm the pirates with numbers. The Jester will also be supported by IISS vessels consisting of at least two flights of clippers and eagles.
For aiding the ISS in their investigation and taking the lead in the attack, Red Jade has been promised full rights to any seized prizes and a baronial title. The ISS is involved only because they suspected several Torval companies as being involved in the illegal trade. They have determined it was contractors buying the slaves, not any of Torval’s people. Torval’s Shield has already started dealing with the contractors.
You asked for my opinion of the captain and crew. She is a crusader with a youthful determination to do the right thing. Moreso, I believe, from a moral standpoint rather than any desire to uphold the law. I cannot tell if her pleasant and sometimes girlish demeanor is genuine or affectation to make people underestimate her. There are times she seems more like a cheerleader than a privateer captain. She is, however, unquestionably in command. There are some crew who doubt the capabilities of such a young captain, but they accept her leadership. That could change if the credits stop flowing, or they suffer a major defeat. I believe it is her first officer who advises her and keeps the crew in line. He served under her father for nearly a decade and now serves under her.