(Former Slave Market, Madrigal Base, Madrigal System)
With the captain for the new flagship of First Group decided, I sent Captain Virstina back to her room to gather her things and then report to the navy part of the station for processing and an assessment on how much retraining she’d need before she was up to speed on current weapons and tactics. I’d brought her on board for her experience in larger craft, which we lacked as a Navy, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to make sure she wasn’t trained up as well as my current crews.
Looking down at my tablet, I sent a call for my next interviewee to be sent in. Pilots, especially pilots who specialized in craft that were wholly experimental, were always needed in any organization like ours. Frankly, not everyone is cut out to be a pilot. Flying small ships was exhilarating, but not many could handle the pressure of combat in those conditions. Flying a fighter was different from steering a warship, after all.
The door opened, and in walked an Ihm female, standing just over 1.5 meters tall. She was short for an Ihm, even a female, who were generally shorter and slimmer than the males, but according to her files she was an expert in hand-to-hand combat, among other things. Probably done as part of her Bodyguard training. I watched, interested, as she sniffed the air, and then sighed slightly, trying not to let me see the action. I knew that Ihm had a sensitive sense of smell, but it was impressive that she’d clearly figured out what had happened just before.
I pointed to the chair across the table from me. “Sit down.” When she’d sat, I said, “My name is Mirikon Mollen.” Her eyes went wide, and I grinned. “I see you recognize the name. Well, as you know, you are the property of the Black Star Company now. Which means, when it comes down to it, that you belong to me. The reason we are having this conversation is because I think there are better ways to use you than simply making you an exotic sex pet to be rented out as people see fit. Your name is Drah Sross, yes? Or is there another name you wish to be called? Oh, and you may speak freely in this interview unless I say otherwise.”
Drah took a breath, and then said, “Well, fine then. Yeah, the name’s Drah. So, if you’re not here to make me your next conquest, then what is going on here? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not missing getting put up on auction to be some pirate’s bedmate, but I don’t see why the guy in charge would be talking to me.”
“Well, the answer to that is simple. You are listed as a pilot, yes? With a specialty in experimental craft? The attitude it takes to do something like that is not exactly common. That you were a test pilot and still have all your limbs means you were good, and you were lucky, which is even rarer. So, the question I have for you, Drah Sross, is this. Do you want to be a pilot again, instead of lifting your tail for every pirate who wants to try something new?”
Drah bristled at that comment, but then according to the information we had on file, she hadn’t been a slave that long, only a few months, actually. That would explain the difference in her attitude with Virstina’s. “Of course I want to be a pilot! Why in the abyss would I want to do… that with anyone but a proper mate?”
I smiled at her, and said, “Excellent. Then in that case, there are several options for you. If you feel you have ‘settled down’ a bit, and no longer wish to do anything too experimental, there are always warships and freighters that could use an experienced hand at the helm.” The look of disgust on her face was clear enough, so I continued. “On the other hand, there are two different projects you might be attached to, if you’re looking for something ‘interesting’.”
Drah leaned forward, clearly interested at the prospect of doing something new and interesting. “What is it? You’re building some kind of experimental ship?”
“Ah, well, the first option would be for you to join our cadre of fighter pilots. We’ve currently got three basic types of fighters. The Raptor is a stealth interceptor, the Thunderbolt IV is a space superiority fighter, and the Dragon is a bomber. Of course, being a fighter pilot is a lot of excitement and danger, interspersed with a lot of training and boredom.”
I paused, and then said, “The second option, however, is not so much an experimental craft, but one using known technology in new ways. You are familiar with the X’thari, and their anchor drives, yes?” When she nodded her head, I continued, “The four weaknesses of the Anchor Drive is that they have a long charge time, they announce their presence before you arrive, and they must have either the start point or the end point in the vicinity of a Gateway. This need not be right next to the Gateway, of course, but within a radius of about forty light-minutes. Of course, since the arrival is easily detected anywhere within a solar system, these are critical weaknesses on their own. However, the fourth weakness is the reason why the X’thari drives are not typically used in most ships. Any X’thari in the area who detect a non-X’thari using an Anchor Drive appear hardwired to seek and destroy the offending vessel, ignoring everything else, even their own safety or any mission they had been on.”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“You’re building a ship with an Anchor Drive? Why?”
“Oh no. I’m building a ship with two Anchor Drives, charged separately and ready to use within moments of each other. Officially, the ship is an advanced scout ship that we’ll be using to explore the Gateway network and look for planets suitable for colonization. Naturally, that is just a cover, though one we will be actively working on. In truth, the Heartseeker is being built for one purpose, and one purpose alone. To find the X’thari homeworld.”
“I’m in!”
With Drah’s enthusiastic acceptance of the role as the Heartseeker’s pilot, I smiled as I mentally ticked off another box on the checklist of things I needed to do in order to give the X’thari reason not to come wrecking my plans any more. Expanding the Fleet was one thing. But the Heartseeker would give me the ability to reach out and give them something to think about.
After Drah left to get transferred to Fleet control, I summoned the next candidate. Ozman Redmantle was short and stout, like all Gauz males. Unlike most, he kept his beard short and well-maintained. Well, short for a Gauz, at any rate. The beard was about twenty centimeters in length, and didn’t have any of the normal braids or baubles most gauz favored. It was a habit common amongst gauz engineers, as well as other professions where long beards were a safety hazard (such as all lab sciences). He sat in the offered chair without comment, watching me like he was trying to figure out how I worked and what I was up to.
“I’ll keep this simple, since I am well aware that gauz have no patience for pointless talk. My name is Mirikon Mollen, and I’m your new owner. I have a whole fleet of ships, and I’m building more. That means I’m going to need engineers to keep them running and get the most out of them. The fact that you were part of the Consortium Navy is a point in your favor, as their certification process includes working knowledge of a large variety of ship systems, from shuttles to freighters to superdreadnoughts. Is this correct?”
Ozman nodded once. “Aye, that’s right enough, though only on the top level. No secret, but the training goes beyond just familiarity. As I told y’er people during the ‘sorting’ process, I was the chief engineer on the Nateak, which is a frigate. I was on leave, visitin’ me cousin in the Alliance, when the pirates got me. So, what kind of ship are you looking to put me on?”
I chuckled, and said, “Well, if you’re looking for a more sedentary life, after your ordeal with the pirates, I could always find a nice freighter or work in the shipyards for you. Be nice and safe, if a little bit boring.”
The Gauz looked at me like I’d just insulted his mother. “Ugh, no! No way am I ready to go and be put out to pasture with those damned yard monkeys! Those idiots think their precious schematics and manuals have all the answers, and don’t know a thing about being a true engineer!”
Smiling at the man, I said, “Yes, I thought you’d say that. In another life, I was an engineer, as well. You won’t be happy unless you were on the decks of a warship, keeping the engines in tune and making sure that your ship can keep running even with everything going to hell around you, because the people who keep the ship fighting when the damage comes in are the ones who truly decide whether their ship lives or dies.”
“Y’er not wrong about that, Master. You’re definitely an engineer, or ye knew one long enough to pick up on some things. So, now that we’ve established that you and I both know I’m best suited for working on a warship, what kind of ship are you thinking of?”
“Well, have you ever worked on a battleship before, Ozman? The first of our Wrath-class battleships is currently under construction, using plans modified from the Imperial Navy’s Vindicator-class heavy battleships. The Wrath-class incorporates technology Black Star has developed, as well as what we captured from the X’thari to be an incredible force of destruction when it comes to battles in space. It would not be out of line to say that one could go toe to toe with a modern superdreadnought and come out ahead, so long as the engineering staff are good at their jobs. And if the engineers were trained to the standards of the Consortium, which is known for having some impressive engineering…”
“Ah, yes, I can see what you be sayin’. But why go and copy the Vindicators? Those things are twenty years old, and they’ve got nothing on the Dhumal-class.” Ozman blinked, and said, “Wait a moment. Your group was involved in the Civil War the impies had, right? You stole their ship designs? How much did you get?”
I chuckled, and said, “Oh, only all current and historical Imperial Navy designs. Official designs only, of course. Experimental ships that never became production models, or those designed for other branches, like the Intelligence departments, weren’t included in the data we were able to ‘liberate’. Of course, the ship is still being built, so a Gauz engineer to help iron out the details wouldn’t be a bad idea. Especially since he knows what goes into keeping a warship running in battle.”
Ozman nodded slowly. “You’ve mentioned battle a couple times. You planning on going to war with someone?”
I shrugged, and said, “Oh, not any of the groups in Known Space, though if they come at me, then I’m not going to simply sit there and let them hit me without a response. No, I’m primarily thinking about the X’thari, and any other potentially hostile groups that may be out there. We’ve already tangled with the X’thari once, and come out on top, but they bled us plenty. I’d rather enjoy a chance to make them bleed instead.”
“And for that, you need a Navy, and ships that can bring the pain. My uncle fought in the last X’thari wars, and those were nasty as hell. Fine, Master, you’ve got yourself an engineer. Can’t wait to see what my new ship will be like. Stupid pirates don’t know how to keep their ships in order. Even this station is just barely holding together!”
“Well, suffice to say I have people working on that. Now, if you’ll head out the door, the person outside will show you where to go to get situated. And please send in my next interview.”
“Will do, Master.”