Privateer's Commission 2 -ch 18-

Chapter 18

Taking in several quick breaths Ralph took the corner quickly, his pistols upright, and ready for whatever was ahead of him.

As he cleared the corner, he found two soldiers in basic body armor, helmets, and space-suit’s in front of him. They were armed with laser-weapon rifles and held in front of themselves.

When Ralph’s eyes landed on them, he found that they didn’t appear to be ready for him. They weren’t expecting someone to come around the corner with weapons raised and ready to fight.

Their expressions were tense but almost bored.

As if they’d been on duty for multiple days on end over a long period of time and had never even had a training drill to break their fugue. An assumption that nothing would ever change while also under tension.

It paralyzed them.

Ralph felt his right pistol line up on the guard on the right’s throat and he pulled the trigger. Pulled the trigger and held it down for several seconds.

The laser didn’t end it’s discharge since the trigger was held down. With energy-weapons there was no recoil either which meant it was a lethal laser pointer.

As he pulled the trigger, Ralph did his best to split his concentration and aim the left weapon on the left guard and squeezed the trigger down. It didn’t feel as accurate given his attention was mostly focussed on the right hand, but it did connect roughly in the area he wanted.

On the right, the guard was struck in the throat. Burning through the helmet and then carving into the soft flesh beneath. As he walked Ralph tried to move the weapon a bit to the left and right in an attempt to cause more damage.

Once he felt like the beam had at the very least punctured the wind-pipe and likely sliced through a vein or an artery, Ralph put his focus on the guard on the left.

Ralph’s beam had been more or less dancing across the man’s face and forehead.

Which wasn’t lethal.

That guard had gotten their weapon up and started to fire in return at Ralph.

The rifles beam struck Ralph’s plate and began traveling upward toward his own throat when the tip of an energy-weapon crept into Ralph’s peripheral view. There was a flash as the higher-quality weapon discharged and a beam of energy shot forward.

It struck the guard’s groin as Ralph realized it was Liseth.

The beam struck the guard right in the pelvic bowl, to be precise. Causing the man to almost immediately curl forward, trying to squirm out of the way.

Liseth kept walking forward even as her shot landed and she seemed to hone her placement even as she came to a stop beside Ralph. Crashing to the ground the guard had pressed both hands to their lower quarters as Liseth’s beam came to a close.

Delilah stepped up to the fallen man, pressed the barrel of her laser-rifle to the man’s side, where the armor wasn’t, and pulled the trigger six or seven times.

Nothing could be seen of the beam as it was burried in the man’s ribs but it was undeniable that Delilah had just put each shot through the guard’s organs.

Causing him to stiffen against the ground, before slowly slumping into it, going still.

With a glance behind himself, Ralph saw that the drone had been set down a few feet away. Picking it up after holstering his pistols, Ralph marched up to the scanner that led into the CIC and looked it over.

“Ah, nothing to get into easily,” he said and set the drone down. Pulling out his sword he slammed the pommel of it against the scanner.

It ripped the pad right off it and exposed a number of wires and circuit boards.

“Delilah darling, I think it’s your turn to show off,” Ralph said as he looked through the guts of the scanner. There wasn’t anything here that he could identify to hook into.

Turning partially away from the scanner, Ralph picked up one of the laser-rifles and hefted it in both hands and looked down at it.

At the same time, he realized that his body armor had taken the shot, but it’d started to fail. Out of the hole the laser had made was some type of substance that’d liquified, bubbled up, and froze on the armor as it cooled.

“Saved my rear there, Doc,” Ralph confessed as he looked over the rifle. It was a military grade model with a heavy beam. His armor wasn’t built to stand up to this and it was very likely Liseth had saved him. “Let my adrenaline get to me. I should’ve peeked the corner and shot around it rather than marching up to it.

“You’re very welcome my captain,” Liseth said, coming to stand next to him. Her pistol was in her right hand, her left arm was behind her back, and grasping her right elbow. It was a strange pose but it drew the eye to her shoulders and chest. “It’s easier to keep you alive than trying to perform surgery in a hallway on you. Which I would’ve, you know. I’m not letting you escape me that easily.

“I brought your blood type, surgical kit, plasma, multiple chems, and a stimulator. I did also bring blood types for Winnie and Delilah, I should mention. Though I do feel like it possibly takes down a notch on my ‘for my captain’ belief system.”

Ralph glanced at Liseth, saw that she was wearing her customary smile, and looked back down the hall. Both of his pistols were back in his hands and he was ready for someone to come around the corner.

“And what exactly did I do to earn the full-court press from the biological computer?” he asked.

“Much,” answered Liseth without further explanation.

Yeah, great, thanks.

“Got the door,” Delilah called. “It’s gonna go fast… really fast. Get ready.”

Pressing his teeth together, Ralph took in a short breath, and held it.

“My drones first,” Xas called as all three drones turned the corner. Followed by Winnie, who looked somewhat unsure through her helmet.

Stepping back, Ralph let the drones go past him toward the heavy and extremely armored CIC door. If the enemy inside had gotten even a hint of what was going on, they would’ve disabled the electronics and severed the circuit relays.

This wouldn’t have been possible.

It was also why Ralph had somewhat rushed the assault on the door. If they’d gotten a single word off, it would’ve been that much harder.

The CIC door swung outward toward the pirates and the drones pushed in.

Ralph gave it a three count even as Juan, Chew, and Tyree started firing in almost random directions.

After that count, Ralph moved into the CIC and scanned the interior.

Tyree went down in a heap of twisted metal and a heavy blazing beam of energy, which Ralph followed back to the shooter. Part of Tyre blew off and tore Ralph’s weapon out of his right hand.

A guard in heavy armor was holding what looked like a massive heavy rifle. One that could easily punch through light and medium body-armor.

Lifting up his left hand Ralph drew in his focus, and fired at the armored helmet of the guard. Letting the beam settle on the visor and not move away.

There was no way Ralph was going to be able to kill the guard through their armor, but he could at least blind them.

Because regardless of how strong armor was, if an energy-weapon was being fired directly at your face, it was going to make it hard to see.

Let alone through the visor of an armored space-suit helmet where vision would already be limited.

Holding the trigger down, Ralph drew another pistol with his right hand and began moving toward the armored guard, though at an angle. Keeping the fire on the visor as best as he could, even as the guard flung their head to the side, side-stepped, and tried to move out from under the constant blinding fire.

As quick as he could, while maintaing fire, Ralph stepped past a number of analysts at monitors, consoles, and seats. A great many of them staring at Ralph wide eyed, hands on their screens, frozen in place.

An energy blast took a young man in the side of the throat and came out the other side. Splattering the person next to them in blood and gore as they grasped at their now ruined throat.

The gun he had grabbed falling out of his hands and clattering against the console as Ralph moved.

His laser pistol began to smoke and then caught fire, the heat overwhelming it’s ability to cool down. It was now going critical and would turn into a molten puddle of goop.

Throwing the pistol at the guard Ralph jerked up his right hand and began firing the next pistol at the guard’s visor even as they tried to shield it with one hand. The other clutched their heavy weapon and began pulling the trigger as it swung around wildly.

Multiple heavy bursts of energy being flung about the CIC and obliterating multiple monitors, striking one analyst in the chest, and others hitting the ceiling. More bolts of energy were cast thorugh the weapon and splattered across the whole of the command deck.

A large number of the analysts flung themselves to the deck, hid behind consoles, or pillars, and kept out of the way. Juan and Chew were working at killing another heavily armored guard near the back of the CIC. Delilah and Winnie had gone straight to the center point of the interior and were working at interfacing the drone to the systems.

Reaching the far side, Ralph dropped the pistol from his hand, took hold of his sword, and unsheathed it.

Whipping it around in an underhanded swing in the draw, he attacked the trigger guard of the heavy-weapon.

With a clang, the sword slammed home into the metal frame.

Ralph didn’t manage to knock the weapon out of the guard’s hand, but he did manage to push it off to the side. Drawing the sword back in, then thrusting out quickly, Ralph stepped in on his opponent.

The tip of his blade sunk into the body-armor at the middle of the guard and pushed in deep.

It didn’t punch through it, but when Ralph pulled his weapon back he could see the first two inches of the sword was blood covered.

Grasping at their side the guard pulled out a large hunting knife that Ralph hadn’t even noticed. They wielded it in their forward hand, their other hand pressing to their chest.

Well, they’re actually a bit trained, aren’t they.

Ralph flicked his sword up in front of himself, then immediately jabbed out at the guards blackened visor. Stabbing right at their already limited view, and hopefully triggering a response given what’d just happened previously.

Tilting their head to the side, the guard took the stab to the side of their helmet, while returning a slash with their hunting knife on the right.

Sliding his forward foot back, tearing his sword backward and to the left, he deflected the heavy hunting-blade to the side.

After recovering Ralph tilted his wrist over, brought his weapon down over the top, and lunged out straight toward the guard’s lead knee.

To be surprisingly battered to the side by an armored forearm that wasn’t holding the hunting-knife.

Which came forward int a thrust toward Ralph’s chest.

Taking a risk, and because he couldn’t tell what the hell was going on behind him, Ralph reached out, snatched the hunting-knife in his left hand, and clamped his hand down on the blade.

The wrist joint couldn’t hold up his weight, but he imagined it couldn’t catch a blade easy enough when the force was being directed into the joint.

THere was a jarring thump as the blade got stuck in the webbing of Ralph’s prosthetic hand and the fingers snapped shut around the weapon.

Rather than lashing out at the guard’s torso or head, Ralph instead stabbed at the guard’s arm that held the trapped blade.

A wet meaty swish managed to make it through the barrier of Ralph’s space-suit helmet and he winced. It sounded heavy and visceral to him.

Having gone right through the bones of the forearm, and sliding past the armor the covered the back of it.

Not waiting, Ralph pulled, and the blade slid.

It carved downward to the wrist bones and came to a stop there.

Almost instantly the guard rushed forward, just about hugging Ralph in an attempt to not get their hand split in two. They’d released their hold on the hunting-blade and was now just standing in front of Ralph.

Their other hand grasped to the blade as if trying to keep it from doing worse.

Ralph stared into the visor, unable to see anything at all of the person inside.

“Need I say anything?” Ralph growled.

“Nah,” came the immediate response. A man’s voice. “Nah. Just… don’t… okay?”

“I won’t. You just take a seat and act like a good chair, alright?” Ralph suggested.

“Got it. Act like a chair,” wheezed the man, then slowly released his hold on the sword.

With a nod of his head, Ralph pulled the blade free while trying to minimize further damage. Then pointed at the man’s pouches.

“Might wanna tourniquet that. Or at least a pressure cuff for a suit seal break,” he warned the man, then lifted up his sword in a salute that Park had drilled into him. THen flicked it off to the side. Blood slipping free of the blade and splattering across a nearby analyst.

Spattering across the young woman’s space-suit helmet and causing her to flinch.

A quick glance at his surroundings told Ralph that everything was contained. Juan and Chew were still upright, though they were currently bundling up the parts of Tyree and tying it together.

To be fair, she might be able to repair or re-purpose it.

Ralph looked back to the guard and found them against the wall. They had their back pressed to it and were working at applying a self-applied suit seal, which would work as a tourniquet well enough to keep them alive.

With only a click of his tongue, Ralph moved toward the guard, sheathed his sword, then grabbed the suit-seal. He yanked it tight, viciously so, then tied it shut after winding the rod repeatedly.

Not stopping until the man groaned in pain, then locked it into place.

Turning away, Ralph grabbed the heavy energy-weapon the guard had been using. He drug it away toward where Delilah and Winnie were fiddling with the drone.

“Ladies, I’d very much like to be leaving if possible,” Ralph murmured as he approached.

“Almost done. Just downloading everything, setting up a reroute, and deleting our tracks and traces,” Delilah said, staring at the monitor on the drone. “Well, I’m handling the reroute. Xas is doing the deletion of tracks and traces. Download is already done.”

Winnie nodded her head and grinned at Ralph through her helmet. She was holding a heavy weapon similar to what Ralph was carrying. She’d clearly taken it from the other heavy guard.

“Fucking pirates,” Winnie said, an ear to ear grin on her face.

“Privateer, dear, privateer,” Liseth corrected, coming to a stop next to Ralph. “Legal pirates. And it being legal changes the terminology to Privateers.”

“Pirates,” Winnie countered to Liseth, shrugged, and grinned at her.

Liseth sighed, smiled in return, then shook her head.

“Pirates,” she finally allowed.

An object flew toward Ralph and he snatched it out of the air without thinking about it, while also attempting to duck to the side.

Clutched in his hand was a bright-red drone about the size of a soda can. It had small pedestals at the bottom for feet that seemed to have small claws to it, two rotating helicopter-like blades in fan-housings, and a small fin on the back.

He had no idea what it was, but it’d been flying right at him.

“Look at that fancy stupid toy,” Delilah remarked as she glanced at it then went back to her work. “Never understood pet-drones at all. Waste of power.”

Realizing that was exactly what he had in his hand, Ralph released the pet-drone.

A small drone that would follow the owner and perform small tasks, or answer questions, depending on the cost of the pet-drone, or what AI they managed to cram into it.

It immediately flew around the group of pirates, went to the ceiling, inverted itself, and let it’s little taloned pedestal feet attach to the ceiling. Hanging there, it went still.

“Fucking creepy,” Ralph muttered and looked to Delilah. “How’re we doing? Time to go?”

“Yeah, time to go,” Delilah said then reached out and took the explosive satchel from Ralph. She reached into it, clicked a few things, shoved at it, pulled something from her belt, and slammed it into the inside of it.

Then she set it down atop the master console, reached in, and did something that gave out a resounding crack.

 “Get to the lifeboats! This is an evacuation order if you want to live!

“You’ve got about thirty minutes to get the fuck off the ship. I broke the fail safe and if you move the satchel, it’ll just explode,” Delilah advised. “Someone make a shipwide announcement so all you fuckers get a chance to live. Not my fault if you die.

“Don’t touch the console either, that’ll make this whole thing explode, too.”

Winnie blinked, looked over at a console to the side, then slammed a fist into it.

“Confed evacuation code Three-B,” Winnie called out loudly, only for it to echo across the intercom system all around them and even out in the hall beyond the CIC. “If it’s changed since I was a officer, that’s the plan where you go through yellow-line protocols and form the communication tree as you do it. Hop to! Twenty-five minute count down to finality! Release at twenty minutes!”

She pulled her fist away from the console and looked to Ralph, grinned at him, and shrugged.

“I’m a good girl. Don’t you want a good girl?” Winnie asked innocently. “Oh, and I’m going to paint my fingers and toes red tonight. Maybe you can tell me how I look afterward? I’m not sure if I look good naked with red nails. Need you to check me from every side.

“Best side, worst side, back side… inside.”

The last was said with such a throaty purr that Ralph couldn’t help but feel his loins stir.

“Time to go,” Xas declared through Juan.

“Yes, time to go,” agreed Liseth, taking Ralph by the elbow, and got him moving.

Mission complete.

The strange pet-drone detached from the ceiling and flew out ahead of the group of pirates as they left the CIC.