Part 6: Good Work If You Can Get It

The crew of the freighter Montana prepared to drop the ship into real space. A ship can only travel in one direction in hyperspace, necessitating momentary drops in real space to change course. Plotting a continuous course through hyperspace would lead to smashing directly into a planet, star, asteroid, or any number of things floating in space. These breaks in hyperspace travel were routine, allowing vessels to navigate the next jump and change of course. 

The Montana was a dull ship that expected nothing more than a standard journey. Working the bridge was a two man crew, an officer and pilot. The entire ship was crewed by no more than a dozen men, most of the ship’s functions being automated.

“Dropping into real space in 3… 2… 1” the pilot said. Beyond the viewport, darkness was replaced by quickly shrinking starlines, then a full field of stars. The first officer yawned, tapping a few commands into his console. Suddenly there was a burst of light ahead. On the bridge, a red light began to flash.

The first officer tapped the indicator, and turned to the pilot. “That can’t be right,” he said.

“What’s wrong?” asked the pilot.

“According to this, we’re in a gravity well.” He scanned the navigational readouts. “But we are literally in the middle of nowhere.”

“Are you sure those coordinates are accurate? Maybe we jumped too near a dark star.”

“No, I double checked everything myself before our last jump. I’ll run a diagnostic,” the officer said, and began to working over the console.

“Make it quick,” the pilot said, “I don’t like the idea of sitting out here with our nav systems locked up in a maintenance mode.”

“Forty-five seconds, and we should be fine. Maybe a diagnostic on the grav sensors wouldn’t hurt either.” He fiddled some more with his console. The pilot’s readouts went blank.

“C’mon, would you hurry that up? I’ve got a bad feeling about this. I know we aren’t off course.” The pilot ran his hands over his hair.

“Almost… finished…” the officer replied, busy with his work. Too busy, in fact, to notice the handful of small ships that had come into view.

“Oh no oh no oh no oh no,” the pilot muttered under his breath. He swung around and grabbed the first officer. “Get my controls back online! That flash… must’ve been a gravity mine! We gotta get out of its range so we can make the jump to hyperspace!”

As soon as he spoke, the com blared to life. “Lower your shield and prepare to be boarded. You will not be harmed. Allow us access to your cargo, and you will leave with your lives. Any and all resistance will be met with deadly force.” 

The first officer frantically worked his console. “Gimme a minute, I can shut down the diagnostic.” He punched a few keys. “Got it!” he said, before the entire bridge went dark.

The pilot put his face in his hands. “I’ll wake the captain,” he said, slowly walking off the bridge.

The first officer sighed. “Well, that’s why we have insurance.”

Alex and Jade waited for the signal from Byron. They had been tasked with leaving the gravity mine, and it looks like they picked the right spot. All they needed to do was wait with the rest of Byron’s ships a short jump away. When the mine was triggered, they pounced. This ship didn’t seem prepared for that. But not all of these missions had gone so smoothly

Most freighters and cargo ships won’t give up their valuables without a fight. While they did not have military grade armaments, heavy shielding and decent ship to ship weapons made them dangerous prey.

That was what made smaller transports like the Bucephalus so important to Byron. When freighters ran into Raider ships, they’d often end up trading shots with them until the freighter could make the jump back to the safety of hyperspace. The Raiders were looking to kill the ship, then dine on the carcass.

Byron, on the other hand, made it clear he wasn’t out for blood. But if their target wanted a fight, they got something they weren’t prepared for. Freighters tended to carry a few big guns to hold off attackers, and heavy enough shields to deflect all but the heaviest assaults. What they aren’t prepared for are small ships that can get close.

Byron’s ships, like the Bucephalus, can easily get past the big guns, especially with pilots like Jade. Once they get near the hull, that’s when Byron breaks out his ace; the Freedom Flyers.

Alex hated the name, but Byron was a criminal and a marketing genius. Despite his reservations, even Alex couldn’t argue with the Flyers’ effectiveness.  In a typical engagement, the Bucephalus would weave past the barrage of the big guns, pulling alongside the freighter. Once jade matched the other ship’s speed, the cargo doors opened, and out would exist a squadron of Flyers. Landing on the hull, they would over power the kinetic shield and then cut into the ship using plasma torches. At the same time, other groups would be cutting all over the ship.

Once the Flyers made their way inside, the Bucephalus would make its way to the cargo doors of the freighter, and wait. The Flyers could overwhelm the crew of a freighter in minutes, with minimal casualties to the resisting crews.

This time, though, they didn’t even need that much effort. Alex’s squadron of Flyers was busy loading every square inch of the Bucephalus’s cargo bay as he downloaded the Montana’s manifest.

“Durable goods and agricultural machinery….” he said to Jade, “on their way to the Kilon colony world Acturon 4.”

“Another blow to the oppressors!” Jade said in her most cheerful tone.

“Another payday, Jade,” Alex said, almost without resentment. Even he had to admit, with Byron’s resources, the Bucephalus had never run better, and his crew was collecting steady pay. Alex clicked his comm. “How much longer down there?”

His answer came from behind. Michael popped his head into the cockpit. “All loaded up, Captain,” he said “cargo is secure.” And just as quickly he was gone.

This, Alex reflected, had been another pleasant surprise. Michael had quickly become a valuable member of the crew. He asked for no pay, only that origin remain a secret, his ship remain in his possession, and he be allowed to learn as he worked on the ship. And learn, he did. Michael followed Kwame everywhere, some becoming as good at maintaining the ship just as well, if not better, although Alex would never tell Kwame that. He sat in with Jade, and was now a competent pilot to boot. He would soon begin missions with the Flyers, and Byron had taken a liking to him.

Yes, Alex was feeling pretty good when Byron checked in with him. “Your crew loaded and ready?” Byron asked.

“Roger that.”

“Good, good. Say, when you get unloaded back at the Rock, come by my office, I want to have a word with you.”

It was an innocent request. And everything was going so well. But Alex couldn’t help but feel like something ominous was coming his way.