Privateer's Commission -ch 20- (Patreon)

“She’s fine,” the doctor said, looking up from the terminal.

Ralph had gotten them close enough to a station to put in a call for someone to look over Winnie. It’d been a day since she’d passed out after throwing up and seemed fine.

“Of course I’m fine. I’m a fine ass bitch. As hot as a fucking model,” groused Winnie from where she laid on the medical bed. “But it’s too god damn cold in here. Cold!”

“She’s obviously got a fever, her blood pressure is up, and her heart is racing,” the doctor remarked, ignoring her outburst. “But she really is fine. She’s just an alcoholic going through withdrawal.

“When was the last time you didn’t have a drink by the way?”

“I don’t know, the last time you got laid!?” hissed Winnie.

“I’m fairly certain you didn’t get a drink this morning,” retorted the doctor with a predatory smile. “Well… all things considered, it’ll last another two to three weeks at most. More likely only another week.”

“Thanks doc,” Ralph muttered, sighed, and looked at the terminal again. “Hey, know anyone who’s looking to be a military ship-borne doc?”

“Ha, no. You’re better off trying a corridor station,” the doctor replied, grinned again, then ended the call.

“Great. Happy?” Winnie complained, looking to Ralph. Then her mouth flattened into a line, she looked away, and then reached up to adjust the mechanical wolf-ears on top of her head.

Apparently that and her bikini were the only things that’d made the trip with her.

For some reason, she wore them whenever possible.

“Err. Sorry, Captain,” she followed up with while rubbing the tip of an ear. The blanket that covered her up rested above her collar bone. “Thank you for making sure I’m alright, Captain.”

“Right. Glad you’re okay,” he said then spun. Leaving her there in the medical ward. He had shit to do.

Moving up the stairs he made it to the main deck and then went straight to the cockpit.

You know… it really is kinda weird to have a glass-steel cockpit at the front of the ship.

Most ships now have everything at the center. Nice and secure.

Then again, I’m not looking to be boarded or taking hits where I don’t want them.

Maybe something to change in the future.

“Ah, captain,” Eun said, looking up from the dinner table as he passed by. She had a tablet in her hand. “Is she a drunk in the end? Withdrawl?”

Ralph snorted at the bluntness of the question.

“Yes, I’m a drunk,” Winnie blurted out from behind him in the hall. “The Lady Armory is a drunk. Was a drunk? Haven’t had a drink in a while now.”

Stomping his way, he had a hard time not staring at her as she did so.

She was wearing the bikini again for some reason as well as a pair of boots.

“I thought you were cold?” he asked.

“I was. Then I was really fu-freaking hot. Now I’m all sweaty,” Winnie grunted out, coming to a stop near the dinning table right next to Ralph. She ran her hands over her bare skin and held them up to him.

They were indeed covered in what looked to be sweat.

Eun was eying Winnie curiously before looking back to Ralph.

“Is she our gunner then?” Eun asked. “Or do we kick her off on the next station.”

“I mean, I’d like to hire her. But I really don’t want a drunk on board,” Ralph stated, looking to Winnie.

“Yeah, yeah. Drunk. I… yeah. I was a drunk,” Winnie mumbled. Shook her head, twitched, then, grimaced. She looked to her boots. “Am a drunk. Guess maybe this is my last chance to get off that train.

“It’s not like I have job opportunities lining up around the block to hire me. Confed won’t touch me. Blood look at me like I’m Confed. Corridor stations… well… I’ve been kicked out of a whole lot of them and-and I think I’m broke. Yeah, no, I’m broke.”

Laughing glumly, Winnie looked to Ralph and met his eyes directly.

They were bloodshot and she looked unhealthy.

There might have been a pretty woman in there but she’d been rough with herself for a bit.

“I really would like to keep the job that was offered to me,” Winnie stated firmly. “I’ll… I’ll go sober.

“Stay sober.

“Just don’t let me off the ship and keep alcohol away from me until-until I can maintain my own addiction.”

“I don’t drink on the ship,” Ralph offered. “Drinking on the ship is a bad idea so…lucky for you it’s a dry ship. As for the job… fine.”

“Good, I already made up all the paperwork anyways,” Xas announced, appearing on the nearby monitor. Her strange shifting image had it’s arms folded in front of itself. She laughed loudly throwing her head back. “She’s the Lady Armory. I’ve registered my ship to you, Ralph. I got it’s registry changed as well.

“I attributed it’s Privateer status in the corridor to you. Which means you’re… well… a privateer three times over. With a fleet of three ships.”

“Lady Armory?” Marionette asked, turning around from the co-pilot seat. She sounded rather excited, oddly enough to Ralph. “A privateer from the Corridor?

“Wait, wait wait. Does-does that mean my captain is a Privateer with three ships-mistresses? And three letters of Marquee?”

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” Eun began hesitantly. Ralph didn’t miss the fact that she said it as if she were trying to soften a blow to someone.

Except it wasn’t needed.

Ralph had already seen it firsthand with Marionette.

She wasn’t upset that he had two other ships-mistresses.

Somewhere along the way she’d somehow shed her fear of being replaced.

Instead, she was excited that Delilah was a ships-mistress. Marionette had even asked him if she could post about it.

He imagined that to Marionette a third ships-mistress just made her pirate life even more extraordinary.

“— won’t really be—”

Marionette bounced out of her seat, snatched up Winnie in a hug, and bounced up and down while holding onto her.

“Lady Armory!” gushed Marionette. “Oh, this is so fun. Lady Siren, Lady Toll, and Lady Armory! Quick, quick, let’s go find Lady Toll. She’ll be happy to hear about this.”

“Uh, what?” Winnie asked. Her mechanical ear twitching oddly as Marionette spun her around. Putting her hands on the other woman Marionette began marching her off.

“This is so exciting. So exciting! I can’t believe there’s three of us! It’s almost literally out of—”

Marionette’s voice faded to intelligible as she took Winnie away.

“I mean, if I had a body like hers, I really wouldn’t be threatened by Delilah or Winnie either,” Xas remarked, then turned to look at Ralph from the monitor. “Anyways. I need to go. Still sorting through what I’ve got left over and start rebuilding a bunch of things. We’re still in range of coms right now and I bet we’ll be back in the lanes soon.”

“Yeah, probably in a few hours. We can drop our prizes off at that station we’re moving toward, right Eun?” Ralph asked.

“Yes. There’s an embassy there that’ll be able to receive our drop,” Eun confirmed, grinning at him. “I already informed them of our success. They’re quite pleased.”

“Well, it’s just the start. Back into the lanes as quick as we can,” Ralph said, looking toward the pilot’s seat. “Really want to make some money even if it’s just silly things.”

***

“They’ve surrendered,” Xas reported. “That makes… six in a row.”

“Great. Throw on the seal, let’s strip’em of everything, and send them on their way,” Ralph ordered, twiddling his thumbs from the co-pilot seat. “For the Lady.”

There hadn’t been another escort to deal with.

Over the last three encounters, only one had fought against the Toll.

The first one.

Ralph had torn open a hole in the ship with a pair of well placed shots. Their atmosphere had been torn out and the crew had died instantly. They hadn’t even been wearing suits.

After that, the next two run-in’s with Blood merchants had been quick simple affairs. They gave up, let themselves be boarded, and went about their lives.

This was the third in a row.

“I’d say that our reputation is definitely out there,” Eun grumbled, flicking a hand at her controls. “This is good for my Blood, bad for me.”

“I’m rather excited about it!” gushed Winnie with a laugh. “Another lovely cut of profits and I didn’t have to do anything!”

She reached up, pulled her helmet off, and then stuck her mechanical ears on her head.

“We don’t even know if they’re really surrendering,” Ralph warned, glancing at her.

“Their weapons are facing the wrong way and they’ve zeroed their thrusters. They’re dead in space,” Winnie proclaimed and gestured at the panel in front of her. “A lot like my bed. You were supposed to storm into it, push me face down in the sheets, and clap my cheeks like you were cheering for your favorite sports team.

“You say ‘For the Lady’ but you’re not really giving it to your lady.”

“Yes, you mentioned that this morning when I was using the bathroom,” remarked Ralph, confirming what Winnie said. She was right of course. They were dead in space.

As if I’d ever choose you over my darling Rio.

“I mean, you can’t run away from me when you’re taking a shit, so… best time to confront you,” Winnie argued, looking confused.

“There’s nothing to argue about. Yes, you’re the Lady Armory. I’m quite happy with Mariontte,” Ralph answered, meeting Winnie’s eyes. “Thanks though.”

“Nu nu nu nu nu, quite happy, nu nu. Hey, look. I’m hot. I’m sexy. I can rock your bed. If I want you to fuck me, then fuck me,” Winnie hissed, pointing at finger at Ralph.

Ralph stared back at her, then looked to Eun.

“Warrior Eun, as ever, you look amazing in your seat and suit. It’s a shame you’re not the Lady Armory. I think I’d be tempted,” Ralph offered and turned back to his terminal.

“Arrrgh! Captain! I swear-you-captain!” sputtered Winnie incoherently.

Eun made a humming noise and continued to pilot them toward their catch. The corner of her mouth twitching up.

“I think Winnie is quite lovely. Though, I must confess Eun is a stunning Warrior as well,” came Marionette’s voice over the intercom. “Now… stop teasing Lady Armory, my Captain. You need to be kind to your Ladies. It’d make me sad if you weren’t, Captain.”

The last was said with a throaty purr that genuinely sounded harmed as well.

“I… okay. I’m sorry, Rio,” Ralph apologized, sighed, then turned to look at Winnie. “Attracted. Flattered. Quite happy with Rio. Sorry.”

Winnie’s eyebrows had shot up when he turned to look back at her. The anger that was visible in her red cheeks and tense lips melted away.

“Yeah? You’re attracted to me?”

“Very. Just as I’m attracted to Eun and Delilah. You’re all beautiful and I thankfully have a wonderfully amazing woman like Marionette to help me forget how pretty you are with her glorious beauty,” Ralph stated firmly. He smiled at Winnie then and waited a beat. “Satisfied? Ego soothed?”

“Yup. Soothed,” Winnie mumbled.

“Great! Thank you, my Captain,” Marionette said in a warm way that rubbed at his ear drums in a way that made his skin prickle. “Your Lady Siren deeply appreciates your words.

“Now, I wanted to check in and see if I needed to make any adjustments. The bridge went quiet after we painted our target and sent them our intent as a privateer.”

“They’ve surrendered,” Ralph answered. “Xas, weren’t you going to tell everyone?”

“Haaaaa… yeah, sorry. That’s on me,” Xas whispered. “Uhm, Marionette, Delilah, the target has surrendered! We’re moving in to dock and remove them of their cargo and valuables.

“My droids will handle most of that to limit our danger. I’m sure Ralph will go to the hatch though. You can maintain the batteries as they are but be ready to stand down.”

Really, Xas?!

Really!?

“Ah… errr… well… so yeah! Gonna go get those droids ready! Already pre-set the hatch!” Xas blurted out before her avatar on one of the terminals vanished.

“Okay,” Winnie began. “Okay, I may be a drunk that’s drying out and a ships-mistress that can’t even earn her keep, but I do my job better than she does.”

“Agreed,” Eun with a curse in her own language. “Xas, I know you’re listening. You need to get yourself in order. You might be our onboard AI, but you can be fired you know.”

“Uh, I don’t think I can be,” Xas said, proving Eun’s point. “When I took that AI over I think… I think I hard-coded myself to be in the Toll. Or the Siren.

“Pretty sure I can’t even move myself to my own ship.

“Actually, that reminds me, Ralph, could you please have the computer structure of the Toll over-write a few ships for me?

“But-but-but that’s not the point! That’s not the point. I’m getting better. I’m really working at it. I’m sorry. I’m not programmed for this and it’s taking me a bit to learn and grow but I’ll get there.”

“I miss the Confed military AI,” Winnie complained, sighed loudly, then shook her head. “Xas, if I can help do some coding or whatever, let me know. I’ll do what I can. I’m a Drunk, you’re a shit onboard AI. Together maybe we can be worth a person.”

“That’d be pretty-pretty… uh, getting a transmission,” Xas reported. “It’s for Warrior Eun. It’s being pinged to us directly.”

Huh.

I guess that ship we just took is on the buoy system somehow. I wonder if they’ve got upgraded comms or something.

“I’ll take it right here, Xas. I have nothing to hide,” Eun answered.

“It’s audio only so… anyways… uh what do-oh, here we go,” Xas said followed by a static filled pop.

“Warrior Eun reporting,” Eun stated after a pause, her brows slowly pressing together.

“Oh! It’s pre-recorded. Haha. Ooops! Playing it now,” Xas apologized.

“Warrior Eun, this Calesat. Encoded message attached to confirm transmission,” said a male voice.

“I’ve already decoded it,” Xas put in quickly.

“—confirmed it,” the voice continued. “Warrior Eun, this is Calesat Prime. The war continues and we’re seeing positive results.

“Please convey our pleasure to Captain Turlan. At the time of this recording we have already been able to correlate a significant gap in their production schedule in the next cycle.

“While we would be happy for him to remain where he is, the war is an ever shifting front. We’ve received reports that they’re abandoning that shipping lane for the time being. Defensive resources have been redistributed.”

I mean, that’s expected.

Faster than expected perhaps, but expected.

Ralph opened up his charts and started looking at the most recent information.

Delilah had been able to track down the shipping manifests for the foreseeable future and he had already noted a drastic reduction in expected voyages.

The biggest issue, and why he hadn’t immediately changed their hunting area was that they were missing all the military convoys.

“— moving to a belt station. It’s owned by House Dashi, but they don’t care what happens to it. We’ve already spoken with them at length and permission to conduct operations in, on, or around it, was given,” said Calesat Prime. “They were unaware of the movements of the Vanah.

“They want no part of this action. We’ve heard it through secure channels that they’re working on an operation themselves and plan on launching in a month or three.

“Hence, they really don’t want to be involved.

“We would ask you to please convince Captain Turlan to move to engage the station. The registry name of it is Station Halasin, just beyond registered Dashi space.”

Ralph was following along with the speaker and pulling up maps, charts, and traffic reports for the areas being discussed.

“— willing to discuss what might be required to get his cooperation,” Calesat Prime continued. “This is of the utmost importance, as many of the other hired captains have failed in their duty missions.”

“Ha, they going to ask you to become Lady Calesat, Eun?” Winnie threw out with a sneer in her words. “Because I bet they are. They just want their victory and you’re nothing to them.”

Except even as Winnie said the words, everyone sat there expecting exactly that to happen. Yet nothing more was said.

Eun snorted, glanced at Winnie, then looked to Ralph.

“You heard it Captain. Their request is to shift our hunting range. Any possibility of that happening?” Eun asked.

While he had been listening, he had been staring hard at the charts.

From everything he could see, this was just misdirection. Misdirection with the hope of someone getting trigger happy and involving the Dashi after all.

The station in question was certainly high value as it was a mining operation as well as a transit hub.

Everything and anything that came out of the belt where it worked started right there at that station. The materials coming out of it would be absolutely vital to the war effort he imagined.

Which meant it’d be horrifyingly defended and dripping with ships all looking for an unlucky fool.

“Alright, yeah, no,” Ralph said with a chuckle. “Eun, you know I respect the Calesat. Hell, I’m a citizen. Even almost got married to one.

“But whoever is in charge of handling the commissioned captains is a fool. That first order probably got most of them captured or killed and this order to whoever is left will handle them.

“No, no we won’t be going to that location. We’ll strike the station, just as they like, but not in the way they want.”

Eun didn’t look surprised, concerned, or even bothered. She only tilted her head fractionally to one side and waited for more.

“We’ll attack a station alright, just not that one,” muttered Ralph. Once more he was digging into the logistics of shipping.

Flipping back through several months of data he read through it.

Even moving far enough that he was suddenly two Sovereign-Years into the past.

Everything he saw told him that the station was supplied well and it’s convoys were heavily defended even in times that weren’t on a war-footing.

The only angle of approach that wasn’t covered, was it’s communication.

As a nominally Dashi station, it would route it’s communication backward to Dashi space. Then whatever was designated to go to Vanah would be re-routed back through and to a nearby communications station.

Smirking, Ralph saw that this station wasn’t well defended. In fact, it was just about as easy as a target as it could be.

“Lady Toll?” Ralph murmured as he continued to read.

“Uh, ah… yes?” Delilah asked over the intercom.

“If you don’t mind, Lady Toll, would you dig into a station named ‘Biterbach-LV’? It looks like a com station but I want to make sure of it. It almost doesn’t get any deliveries of any sort other than a few regular cargo runs that look a lot like food and water for me.”

“Yes. I can do that. Not a problem at all,” Delilah answered.

“Thanks, Lady Toll. I’m deeply appreciative,” said Ralph almost to himself. “Lady Siren, could you dig into their communications? I know you said it was a hobby but we’re probably close enough to pick a few things up.”

“But of course!” chirped Marionette brightly.

“Lady Armory, start putting together the best firing solutions for me on this thing. I don’t want to blow it up, but I’d rather we know the best way to do it,” ordered Ralph with a small nod of his head. “A long drop as well as up close and personal.”

“Sure, sure, I’d love to,” Winnie said with excitement in her voice.

“Eun, if you don’t mind, plot us a course to get us going in that direction for now. If we change our mind midway, we can always alter course,” Ralph said, then cleared his throat. “Xas, go ahead and change our transponder again. Make us a garbage scow for now. Shuffling between the lanes and looking for pickups.”

“Sounds like my last boyfriend when I found out he was cheating on me,” Winnie quipped as she tapped away at her display. “But hey, that was a while ago when I was still in the Terran Confederation Space service so I guess I can’t really say shit.

“Now I’m just Lady Armory. Which is kinda fucking peak excitement. Except… except my weapons depot is empty and without anything loaded in it. Huh, Captain.”