Twin Stars 1: Ascension (40 page)

“Ping An?” Volkstag said, surprised. “What are you doing aboard that ship?”

“Like it?” She smiled. “It’s the latest model. I got it when I went to the capitol.”

“I must say,” the clan lord said admiringly. “You have brought back many treasures for the clan.” Then an unkind smile crept onto his face. “So, will you be surrendering like a good girl? Or will we be forced to disable that beautiful ship of yours?”

“Do surrender Ping An,” Bella purred. “I’ve so been looking forward to seeing you again.”

But their opponent just shrugged casually. “I’m sorry my lord, but I’m afraid there’s not much point in my surrendering it to a dead man.”

“My lord, with your permission?” Asked Bella, her bloodlust rising. Several of the other squadron leaders also called out similar requests to let them attack, but Volkstag silenced them with a raised hand.

“Ping An?” He said in a cordial tone. “Have I not been like an uncle to you? Why these unkind words?”

“It’s simple,” she answered. “Because any minute now a Home Guard fleet is due to drop into this system. When they do, you’re going to have two choices- surrender or die. It’s up to you, but either way you’re not coming back anytime soon.”

Then Ping An’s lips curled into an evil smile. “Now, I know what you’re thinking- you’ll just run right? Well, I’m afraid that navigation data I gave Dragonov -and yes, I was counting on him leading you here, had a virus in it that disables your jump systems. And,” She said in mock surprise. “Oh look! I’ve just activated it. Guess you better get ready to fight.”

Volkstag stared at the woman in disbelief. “Ping An…you…” Was all he could utter.

“You know what your problem is, Volkstag?” She continued. “You’re a coward. The Empire is falling apart, and all you can do is nibble at the little crumbs that fall your way. Well, it’s time for new leadership- mine. Did you know our clan alone is almost a tenth the size of the whole imperial fleet? A tenth! And there are over fifty pirate clans out there just like us. That means we outnumber the imperial Guard five to one! Now is our chance to act, but what do you do? You sit there and count your money where it’s safe.

“Well the universe isn’t safe, and neither is our clan as long as we just sit there and do nothing. How long before one of the other pirate clans starts building alliances and takes over? A week? A month? A year? And what are we going to do when that happens?”

“W-well…I…”

Ping An shook her head in disgust. “That’s what I thought. If our clan is going to have any chance, it’s going to be by expanding and growing. We need to be the one making the alliances. We need to be the one setting the pace.”

“Zhang!” Charged Bella. “What gives you the right?”

“I do.” Ping An put her hand on her chest, then made a gesture at the ship below. “And this ship. I went into the core-worlds and I bargained for this ship because I knew for us to have any chance we needed a ship that could navigate in hyperspace. I found out the secret of imperial navigation systems, and I put it to good use. Once I had that, all I had to do was find a way to bring all of my enemies into one place. The rest was ridiculously easy- this has been a trap from the start, and you fell for it.”

“But the clan!” Volkstag protested, having finally found his tongue. “They won’t follow you!”

Ping An just laughed. “Of course they will! Thanks to you, my lord, and your constant need to control everything and everyone- they’re all willing sheep. All I have to do is show that I have the strength to bring them together and they’ll follow me just like they did you.”

“T-the Council of Captains! Anaba! Argus!”

Ping An just gave him a pitiable look. “Who do you think is backing me? The weak look to the strong, and I’m it.” Then Ping An stopped, and pointed up to the right. “Oh look. They’re here.”

The black void was suddenly filled with flickering white light as ships began to pour from hyperspace back into real space. Ship after ship, each of them with the long clean lines of an Imperial warship, slid into the void only a few hundred kilometres away from the pirate fleet. There were perhaps only thirty or forty of them, but as each of them was a match for a dozen pirate ships there was little doubt as to who the victor would be.

“B-but! But! You’ll be destroyed right along with us!” Volkstag protested. “You and your stolen ship! Fight with us! To save yourself!”

“No she won’t you idiot!” Bella screamed. “Didn’t you listen! She can jump out anytime she wants.” Bella turned to Ping An, pleading. “Ping-An! Take me with you! I’ll be loyal! I promise!”

Several of the other Captains also began to rush forward, a few of them dropping to their knees in front of their captor. But Ping An rebuffed them all.

“Sorry Bella, you lost any chance you had for that when you tried to kill me at Evergreen.” Ping An told the cowering woman. “Goodbye Bella. Goodbye Volkstag.”

“Destroy her!” Volkstag screamed in raw fury as Ping An vanished. “Destroy her now!”

The fleet opened fire, but before a single missile or plasma bolt hit could reach her, the target simply flickered out of existence.

“No! You idiot!” Bella cried out. “Now the fleet thinks we were attacking one of their ships! That was an imperial cruiser!”

And she was right- overlays of yellow missile tracks were suddenly filling space in front of the Imperial fleet, which was now starting to advance on the pirates.

It had begun.

“Reform!” Volkstag screamed. “All ships reform and protect the command ship!”

But chaos reigned as each captain watched out for their own hide.

It was why Volkstag had chosen them, after all.

* * *

“Last shuttle aboard, Captain.” Ensign Lott reported.

“Great, all packed up and nowhere to go.” Kip shook his head. “The hyperspace jump sensor is off the scale and it looks like there’s a hell of a battle going on out there.”

Tysen nodded, watching the battle rage across the tactical display. “It’s good for us, Kip. Those pirates are keeping the fleet occupied.” Then he sent out a link request. “Mister Ulstead?”

“Here mate.” Came the tried reply.

“What’s the status on the VIPs we brought back?”

When Tysen had first regained consciousness after the explosion, he’d feared the worst, and there had been no sign of Admiral Veers or any of the people in the first grav-sled the pirate had attached her bomb to. However, the second sled had been flipped by the explosion and fortunately shielded the dignitaries from the worst of the blast. They’d been trapped beneath the sled, but that was a small price comparatively.

“Got six of them Captain- the medics are working on them now, but they’ll be okay.” The security man sent back, then paused and added- “And, Uhhh. What do you want me to do with the prisoner?”

“Keep her on ice until later.” Tysen ordered and closed the link.

Six out of seventeen, and they’d lost Admiral Veers. Tysen’s heart sank at the prospect of what that meant for peace.

It must have shown on his face, for a hand slid across his shoulder, and he looked up into Esther’s bright blue eyes. “Tysen, as I said before- it is not your fault.” She said intently.

“I should have told them to wait for me, Esther.” Tysen rubbed his temple. “I never should have left Cole in charge of the operation.”

“If you had, young man.” Said an authoritative male voice. “You’d have been lost like he was.”

“Father!” Cried Esther, and ran to the too-tall knight who stood in the doorway of the operations room.

“It is good to see you too, Esther.” Sir Fawn accepted her hug after he ducked inside, and then came over to where Tysen slumped against a console.

“The question is not so much what’s done Captain Tysen, as what will be.”

Tysen shook his head. “I know, sir. But the exits are locked and we’re surrounded, there’s no place to go. They’ll be looking for us soon, and we’ve got to find a place to hide.”

Sir Fawn raised an eyebrow. “You mean you can’t jump?”

“No, the command pod was destroyed when this ship was attacked.”

“Well,” replied the knight. “It looks like we shall have to create a new one.”

Tysen stared at him, shocked. “But sir, even the ship’s engineers don’t understand the hyperspace navigation system completely.”

But Sir Fawn just looked at him with an impish twinkle in his eye. “By co-incidence, I happen to be an expert on the subject. It will take time, of course, but I believe we can fashion a new one. Come along Esther.”

With that, the knight took his leave, and after getting Tysen’s permission, Esther did the same.

* * *

The
Othello
glided through hyperspace, en route to Sulvan Kay.

On the mighty ship’s command dais, Ping An stood with Betsey at her side, watching the crewmen from the
Belleflower
and the other pirate shuttles explore the bridge below. She’d been reluctant to leave the bridge since she’d come aboard and Betsey also seemed to want to avoid rest, and the hard truths that would come with time alone.

“Ping An, this ship is incredible.” Betsey commented. “Where did you get it?”

“She knows how to bargain,” said a wizened voice, and they both turned to see Lady Whitcombe standing behind them. The old woman surveyed the bridge, and then wrinkled her nose. “Fine if you’re the military sort. If you’ve seen one ship, you’ve seen them all.”

Ping An couldn’t help but smile at that. “Can I help you, your Ladyship?”

“Yes, be a dear and drop me off at the co-ordinates I give you. I have business to attend to there.”

“Alright,” Ping An agreed. “But before I do, could you answer a question for me?”

The Lady raised an eyebrow. “Only if you answer one first.”

“Go ahead.”

“The Home Guard’s fleet arriving as it did- that was no co-incidence. Did you inform them of the meeting so that they could eliminate your rivals?”

Ping An tried to smile, her cracked and blistered half-face taking on a ghoulish look. “And, if I did?”

Whitcombe snorted. “I chose the right partner.” Then, she looked at Ping An to indicate it was her turn.

“You wouldn’t answer when we were negotiating,” said the pirate. “But, what do you get out of helping me? You’re taking quite a risk giving me this ship.”

The Lady walked over to the rail and peered over it at the crew below, then she turned and looked at the pirate captain. “Call it an investment. Soon there will be war, and when it comes the strong will prevail. You are one of the strong, so I have given you power to use as you see fit. When the time comes, I will ask for a return on my investment.”

That was what Ping An had expected it to be, and she nodded in understanding. Then something in the woman’s choice of words struck her.

“Wait. You said “one of the strong”- does that mean there are others you’re helping?” She asked.

That drew a reproachful look from the old woman. “Do you think I became so wealthy investing all of my resources into one project?”

Ping An was concerned. “Who? Who else are you backing?”

The old woman just shook her head. Clearly she wasn’t telling.

Ping An glanced at Betsey, who just shrugged.

“Fine,” the Captain concluded. “I guess it’s a race to see who can pull together enough power first.” Then she smiled. “Well, with the clan behind me, I should be ready to make my first move soon enough. So, you wait and see how your investment pays off.”

“Oh?” Said Whitcombe, gazing at her with that half-interested look of hers. “What are you planning to do?”

“Wait and see, your Ladyship.” Ping An answered. “Wait and see.”

* * *

“The last of the supplies from that pirate ship are on board.” Kip sent.

“Thanks Kip.” Standing on the observation deck, Tysen closed the link and considered. They had a full crew’s worth of people aboard this ship, but had been lucky enough to find an abandoned pirate vessel floating in space mostly intact. From it, they had gotten food and other needed supplies, and perhaps even something they could use to jury rig a navigation system.

If they only had enough time.

He could see the ugly, boxy pirate ship off to the right where they were docked. When Kip had told him it was called
The Belleflower
he’d been shocked. The same ship he’d sold that cargo to at Miraposa to save the station had come back as his savior now. He smiled when it occurred to him that maybe the supplies Kip was loading were the same ones he’d traded away all those months ago.

Was the pirate woman the same one whom he’d dealt with? He would likely never know.

He felt Esther’s approach before he heard her soft footsteps.

“How long does Sir Fawn think it will take?”

“Some time, I’m afraid.” She answered, stepping up to stand beside him. “He says it is a difficult business with what he has available.”

“That battle’s almost over now, they’ll come looking for us soon.” Tysen commented. “I’m going to take us deeper into the field to hide.”

“It sounds like a wise course of action.” She agreed. “However, what will we do if we escape? You cannot return to the service you knew.”