Payback Is a Given: Pirates of the Badlands Series Book 2 Read online

  PAYBACK IS A GIVEN

  Pirates of the Badlands Series Book 2

  Sean Benjamin

  Copyright

  © 2015 by Sean Benjamin – All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be copied or reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

  Dedication

  For Marion Baker

  1955-1977

  I still remember

  Table of Contents

  PAYBACK IS A GIVEN

  Pirates of the Badlands Series Book 2

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Table of Contents

  Author’s Note

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Epilog

  Glossary

  About the Author

  Author’s Note

  This is the second of the Pirates of the Badlands series. I made a couple of comments in the beginning of the first book that bears repeating here. I promise this will be the last time I do this, no more explaining the universe or how the characters fit into it. From now on, the reader will just have to know.

  I freely acknowledge the physics in these stories do not reflect the real universe. In the first book, the adjustment in physics was in relation to ships going into subspace. In essence, a ship equipped to go into subspace can vanish from sight and from sensors while still being “there.” You can’t see it nor track it with sensors, but it is there. If you know where the ship is, you can shoot at it and hit it. Ships in subspace have no shields and can’t fire weapons. Communications is very limited. Ships in subspace are found by ships in regular space with a system informally called white phones. Think of sensors as radar and white phones as sonar. Sensors “see” objects in space and white phones “hear” objects as they move through in subspace.

  In this book, the stretch in physics is in regards to the concept of planetary noise. Noise cannot be heard in space because sound needs a medium, such as air or water, to travel through and be heard. Space is a vacuum. Planets do produce electromagnetic waves due to their magnetic fields, their atmospheres, or weather events. These electromagnetic waves go out into space. They vary based on the planetary elements making the waves, frequency, and the wave strength. These waves can be heard with the correct instruments much like a radio converts a signal into sound. I use this phenomenon as a plot device in this story. Could it really happen as I describe it here? I don’t know. But I am using a sentiment I have heard expressed in a variety of ways throughout the world: “Never let the facts stand in the way of a good story.”

  The spaceship technology in these books probably is not very reflective of how we will live two hundred to three hundred years in the future. Given the rapid rate of change in technology since World War II and the accelerating curve of that same change, it is reasonable to assume spaceships and space travel will be radically different than as portrayed here. As I stated in the previous book, I can see spaceships, either warships or other types, as having few or no humans onboard. Technology will make people unnecessary aboard a ship except for, perhaps, a small number of maintenance specialists. Weapon engagements will be done by computers at distances and speeds beyond human capabilities. In today’s world, drones are used in observation and weapons delivery. Project that technology two hundred years out. It is difficult to see human beings fitting into that scenario except in making the initial decision to engage an enemy force. After that, it will be all automated mayhem. But, again, the story is the thing.

  Introduction

  The Aurora Empire has taken severe hits in recent weeks. The Orion Confederation had launched a series of surprise attacks during negotiations and the Empire is now reeling under massive losses of territory, ships, and personnel. Captain Skyler Mallory, victor in the Badlands, has been posted as chief of staff to the Home Fleet under the command of High Admiral Lawton P. Barrett. He is a fine commander but is being hamstrung by shortages across the board and by the political demands of keeping the Home Fleet at home to satisfy politicians and civilians in need of a visual security blanket. The Home Fleet now orbits its major base at Wanderlust. Captain Mallory would rather be out on the border defending the Empire, but she is still recovering from severe wounds and her heavy cruiser, Mackenzie, remains in dry dock after the heavy pounding she took at the Battle of the Nomad asteroid belt. Despite the turmoil all around it, life has been quiet for the Home Fleet. Until today…

  Chapter 1

  “Sirocco, come in.”

  The watch operator onboard the Home Fleet flagship replied instantly, “Sirocco here. Identify yourself please.”

  “This is the pirate vessel Nemesis. Captain Killian O’Hare commanding. Wish to speak to Captain Mallory, Admiral Barrett, or Lord Cunningham.”

  Turnaround time in the transmissions was one minute. The Home Fleet flagship was obviously talking with the ship observed closing on the base for the last several hours. That ship continued to come on at a sedate pace.

  The watch officer came over and smiled. “She doesn’t want too much, does she?” He remarked to nobody in particular as he took up the conversation. “This is Lieutenant Horowitz. Please state your business.”

  One minute later the voice harshly responded, all attempts at civility gone. “If I wanted to talk to the hired help, I would have said so, BOY! Now put one of those three on. Trust me, you want to do that.”

  Petty Officer 2nd Class Janice Chou was conducting preventive maintenance on a nearby console and she saw Horowitz’s face tighten as he responded in the same harsh tone. “You can’t just waltz in here and demand to speak to whomever you desire. Now state your business.”

  Janice Chou had had dealings with pirates, including Killian O’Hare, while she was aboard Mackenzie in the Badlands. She knew where this conversation was going and it wasn’t a good place. She quietly reached for the keypad at her station and tapped in a prefix.

  Captain Skyler Mallory sat at her desk in her office. The desk was covered in paper and disks. She pounded on her computer keyboard as she continued to doggedly attack the duties of chief of staff. Between the administrative requirements of her position and the expanding demands on her computer screen, it was a losing battle, but she wasn’t going to roll over yet. She paused to sip from her mug of tea when the comm device wrapped around her right ear chirped. Sky sighed at the thought of more work or a new administrative crisis but she reached up and pressed the earpiece. “Yes?”

  “Petty Officer Chou, ma’am. Please excuse me for leaping over the chain of command but I think this is important.” Her voice was
low and quiet.

  “No problem, Janice. What have you got?” Sky had personally promoted Janice Chou to her present rank for her work and courage in the Badlands. She knew Chou would never call her directly unless it was important and time critical.

  “We are being hailed by Killian O’Hare in Nemesis. She wants to talk to you, the Admiral, or Lord Cunningham and the watch officer wants to know the subject matter. The conversation is rapidly losing all stabilization.”

  “I can imagine. On my way. I’ll make it look like I was just dropping by.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” The relief in her voice was audible. Watch officers didn’t like enlisted operators jumping the chain of command behind their backs.

  Sky was surprised Nemesis was here and then vaguely wondered why she was surprised at anything the pirates did. She grabbed two discs that required encrypted transmission to the surface base on Wanderlust, stepped out of her office, and moved forward the short distance to the flag bridge.

  As she proceeded up the passageway, she considered this development. Killian O’Hare could piss off a saint in about twenty seconds, so it was no surprise she was in an argument now. But Sky knew the worst mistake anyone could make with O’Hare was to underestimate her. She might be a lunatic but she was not stupid, and people who took her at face value were making a mistake, often a fatal mistake. There was always a reason for her actions. And if Killian O’Hare was here, where was Raferty Hawkins? He would be the logical choice to represent his flotilla in any dealings with the Empire, especially this far off Pirate Flotilla One’s normal hunting grounds in the Badlands. Sky knew from intel reports the pirates were doing serious raiding throughout the Badlands in response to the destruction of the house of Charlie Squadron, one of the three squadrons of Rafe’s flotilla. Had Rafe been killed in one such raid? Sky was a bit surprised at the pang she felt at the thought of Rafe being dead. And why was she thinking of him as “Rafe” instead of Captain Raferty Hawkins, pirate scrounge? Questions with no answers always annoyed Captain Skyler Mallory. Well, in a few minutes some answers would be forthcoming.

  As she entered the flag bridge, the one-minute transmission lag time was up and Sky heard O’Hare’s voice. “I can’t just waltz in and make demands? Seems to me the OrCons did exactly that a couple of months ago and you accommodated them with no problem.”

  Bridge personnel notably shifted and muttered. Since this conversation was on an open frequency Sky could well imagine the turmoil taking place on all the ship bridges and CICs within the fleet.

  “Interrupting something, Lieutenant?” Sky paused at a station for admin and handed the discs to the operator, “Please encrypt these and transmit to Base.”

  Having established her excuse for being there, Sky moved to the watch officer. “Who is that?” She nodded to the console and pretended not to know the answer.

  “A Killian O’Hare of some ship named Nemesis. A pirate if she is to be believed.”

  “I know her and she is definitely that,” Sky informed him. “What does she want?”

  “A conversation with you, the Admiral, or the Lord for Defense.”

  “Well, here I am. Why not?” She looked around and pretended to notice Janice Chou for the first time. “Petty Officer Chou, do you remember Pirate Common?”

  Chou grinned, “Of course, ma’am.”

  “Let’s dial it up and go covered.” Sky moved to a nearby communications console and stroked the keypad. “Captain O’Hare, Captain Mallory here. We will meet you on Pirate Common and will synch up at your leisure. Mallory, out.”

  “Pirate Common?” Horowitz asked and then added, “You aren’t going to actually entertain their notions of grandeur, ma’am.”

  “Well, they did save my life at least twice in the Badlands so I can spare the time for a conversation. Besides, it will give me a chance to ask two questions. One, O’Hare’s partner in crime is one Raferty Hawkins, captain of the Pirate Vessel Predator, and if she is here then he must be nearby but exactly where? Two, how do a bunch of damn pirates know Lord Cunningham is here since the travel of all high ranking civilian and military personnel is classified?”

  Horowitz looked a bit chagrined. There was no way he should have known about the first question regarding Hawkins but the second question was an obvious one and he had missed it.

  “Did you ask her how she knew about the Defense Lord?” Sky inquired.

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Why didn’t you ask? Because it was on an open net?”

  Mallory was offering him a way out but he chose not to take it.

  “No, ma’am. Truth is I did not think of it. She was irritating me so much I just wanted to strangle her.”

  “She distracted you and since all this was over an open net, I think I can safely assume she distracted every bridge watch and CIC in the Fleet. There is a reason she did that. Which brings us back to the first question: where is Captain Hawkins and Predator?”

  Sky moved to Chou’s station but turned around once there and looked at the entire bridge watch. “I think we are about to learn a lesson. Not sure what it will be but I am sure it is about to happen. Incidentally, pirate common is 347.95. We used it routinely in the Badlands.”

  She added the last information knowing Horowitz would grill Chou about it when time permitted. Watch officers also didn’t like their communications operators who knew secret freqs they did not.

  A minute went by in silence and then another. The delay extended beyond the lag time for the transmissions so O’Hare was stretching this out. Sky was content to let this continue rather than try to deduce and counter whatever tactic she was trying. This Fleet was getting lazy in its home system routine and a surprise would do it good. Sky calmly waited.

  “Nemesis, up and covered,” the modulated voice of O’Hare announced. “For Captain Mallory, Predator is closing on your flagship in subspace and will surface next to you at fourteen minutes past the hour. Hawkins has a proposal for Lord Cunningham and is choosing this demonstration to prove his proposal can be done. There is no threat to your fleet. Brief your ships appropriately. Nemesis standing by.”

  Sky checked the clock centered on the forward bulkhead. It was eleven minutes past the hour. She walked back to the comm console where the original conversation between O’Hare and the watch officer had taken place, knowing all the ships would still be paying special attention to this particular frequency.

  “All ships, this is the chief of staff. In roughly three minutes a ship is coming out of subspace in close vicinity to the flagship. This is a test of capabilities and the ship is not, I say again, not hostile. You will take no action against this vessel and will continue your appropriate routine. All ships will acknowledge this order. Chief of staff, out.”

  Sky turned to Horowitz, “Ensure everyone is in the loop on this, including the base and its defenses.”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  Sky reached for her ear comm. She needed to get the Admiral and Defense Lord to the bridge in the next two minutes.

  One minute later, both men were on the bridge and Sky hastily briefed them on the coming event.

  “You know these two pirate captains?” Lord Douglas Cunningham asked. He was all business. At social events on Zelenka, he and Sky would be equal as peers of the realm, but not here. After all, she was the Duchess of Arbithor, but this wasn’t a social event, and they weren’t on Zelenka.

  Yes, my Lord,” Sky replied, “They are both good captains with well drilled crews in heavily armed ships. Both have years of fighting Goths and local planetary authorities to hone their skills. Getting in here undetected would be quite a feat but if anyone can do it, Hawkins would be the one.”

  Both men nodded and searched the nearby space for the first glimmerings of a ship coming out of subspace. The ship’s bridge crew had been alerted to take evasive action to avoid ramming the pirate vessel if it came out in front of them. It proved an unnecessary precaution.

  “There!” Admiral Barrett pointe
d to the port side as the glimmers appeared and then took the shape of a destroyer coming out of subspace. In eight seconds the transformation was complete, and Predator cruised sedately beside the flagship with its ship’s name gaudily painted on each side of the hull and a beautifully rendered cheetah in full stride across the hull’s upper surface.

  “Beautiful ship,” the Defense Lord muttered, “What class is she?”

  “Clan class from the Edinburgh System Navy,” Sky said quietly. “The pirates have three of them. Nemesis is the second. The third is named Vindictive. They’ve done some serious mods to them in upgrading the number of missile launchers and adding top-of-the-line sensors and close-in weapons.”

  “I remember the Goths taking that system about two years or so ago. How did the pirates get these practically new ships?”

  “They stole them at that time. With the active support of the Edinburgh Navy and many in the ousted government, if the pirate stories are to be believed.”

  “I believe that. The Burghs hates the Goths with a passion. They wouldn’t want their new ships being put under the command of the Goth Navy, especially when they can give them to someone who has periodic shootouts with that same Navy.”

  Admiral Barrett had been silent since pointing out the arrival of the destroyer. He was staring long and hard at Predator and then at all of his fleet ships cruising close to the flagship. Finally, he turned to Sky and asked, “How long do you think it would take to get in here via subspace undetected?”

  Sky considered the question, “The base defenses and monitoring systems reach out a long way. A ship would have to go into subspace beyond their reach and then work its way to the fleet. Be in subspace a good ten hours, maybe twelve just to be safe.”

  “Agreed,” nodded the Admiral, “Travel ten to twelve hours on silent running to close, and then pass through a sophisticated base defense system and an entire fleet on a war footing. Impressive.” He turned to the watch officer, “And there was no alarm from anyone and we didn’t know the ship was here until the chief of staff told us.”