Slavers
Ukulah knew of only one major slave operation in Orion, and knew that the Coiled strike did business with them exclusively. The operation was a thinly disguised sweat shop, the workers were all assigned fake accounts where their ‘wages’ were channeled into, then directly back into company accounts to throw off the tax officers of the Union. Aster’s Terran instincts insisted that there must be some sort of corruption and bribery occurring there as well, but her time as a pirate taught her that while the Union was slow, inefficient, and devoutly bureaucratic to the point of idiocy, it wasn’t corrupt. The closest she had ever come to getting arrested as a pirate was when she had tried to discreetly bribe port authorities on Femeri. Even tips were forbidden.
The operation in question was an electronics factory on ‘Verdant’, a class six frontier world the Union was trying to prop up as a planet of opportunities and prosperity. It was relatively close to Femeri, and should have been a prime place to colonize, at least on paper. The world was close Femeri but didn’t have a cleared space lane to streamline travel, nor a spaceport or space elevator. And what trade there was suffered high attrition from piracy, she was mostly responsible for that. She didn’t use any of the Archdevil class ships for a poor world like Verdant, but some modified freighters she stole did just enough to justify the deuterium she spent on them.
So while the world failed as the prime example of Orion’s opportunities, it did act as a discreet hub for shady companies and outlaws. No major cities meant that they were far from any prying eyes, and had they not entered Aster’s radar they could have functioned for another thirty years without interference. But slavers always preferred deathworlders, which meant the longer this operation went on the more damage it would do to her businesses.
She and her officers stared at the impossibly realistic image of Verdant and the facility holographically displayed over the alter table.
Karega, the typically tactical observer cleared his throat. “Stealth is our best bet. Verdant has sophisticated enough tracking equipment that any orbital actions from Astaroth would give us away, and any alarm the facility raises might alert the nearby planetary defense fleet. Verdant might be a shithole, but the Union has enough firepower around it to give me pause, unless we wanted to bring in other ships and full on raid the world.”
“That means the entire 400-acre complex needs to be dealt with by Virtue team, with no fire or air support?” Alice accused, that was too much for her sixty strong team. It would have been a lot for both teams without any air support. This wasn’t like the mining base; this place was just short of a supermax prison in terms of security and weapons, staffed by well-equipped mercs.
“Not an option” Astarte said firmly, she turned to Ukulah who had joined them for this briefing. “What other detection abilities does the planet have”
She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, they were designed to be compatible with people wearing armor, but her bones plates weren’t in the original considerations. “Wake detectors are sensitive out to 40 lightyears, and planetary stations would spot a ship like Astaroth if you remain in orbit. But there are no satellites pointed planet side, and this complex is outside of radar range” she purred in her vaguely Russian sounding accent, Astarte knew that the melodic quality of her voice was performed by dual vocal cords, one set in her throat, and the other in her nasal cavity. It created two different pitches to every word she said.
“What if we brought Astaroth down planet side?”
“Maybe” Karega mused while rubbing his chin, “I don’t think it will work though. We can get down unnoticed, but if we remain in air radar will spot us. And if we touch down any missiles we launch would be detected and traced back to us.”
“Maybe not, they have radar tracking no sonar. Astaroth is pressure sealed and capable of full submersion up to fifty meters down. Can we launch missiles like the old submarines used to?” she asked, Astaroth despite being built primarily for space her ship was also capable of old-fashioned naval maneuvers and a limited level of submersion. Astarte had thought it would come in handy more often than not, and the sleek design of naval vessels worked well with their stealth systems so it wouldn’t detract from the ships abilities. It had only come in handy on missions twice, but both times she was thankful for the ability.
“It could work” Karega said as he reconfigured the map “The complex is pretty close to this shore here for waste dumping. We could submerge ten klicks out and launch bodkins to support the marines, it will still be a tough op with only one team out.”
“Then add the Sins, cover will be blown as soon as missiles hit that facility. If the Virtues infiltrate, disable security and communications, while marking a route for the Sins, we could have the facility under our control in ten minutes or less.” She turned back to Alice and Gato.
She exchanged a brief professional glance to her fellow captain, “It could work, Virtue will need to use a light loadout to maintain concealment.”
“And we’ll have to travel by foot too, the dropships won’t be able to get us very close.” Gato added, finally able to join in on missions.
“Sounds like we have a working plan then” Karega clapped his hands together.
“Almos’, what’ll we do wit dea captives” the Bosun asked.
“We’ll recover Circe’s crew, the rest we’ll leave a beacon to signal the Union patrol fleet after we leave. We will also snag whatever we can to make up for the price of bullets.” She concluded. “How long until we get there?”
Helmsman Kathrine ‘Wildcat’ Fager tapped a finger on her chin, “Two days for the deck crew to finish outer maintenance, thirteen back to Femeri, and three to Verdant. Eighteen or nineteen.” She concluded, calculating massive interstellar distances in her head with ease. She was a capable helmsman and Astarte had been a little selfish in keeping her on the Astaroth instead of promoting Wildcat to her own ship.
“We’re not on any time crunch so that’s fine. Madam Ukulah I thank you for your time” Aster said with a bow to the bone’woman.
“My pleasure captain, those Egh’ahd are playing havoc on my investments” she said returning the bow before leaving the room.
“Alright we have our marching orders and nearly twenty days, if there aren’t any questions?” Karega glanced around the room “Good, let’s get to it then”
~~~*~~~
Fifteen Terran standard cycles after Alwen’s misadventure on Parox and her partnership with Bachir was going very well. It felt good to share her knowledge and experience on Torweni biology with an expert like Bachir, he never once sounded impatient or condescending as he learned. And when it came time to return the favor he treated her like an equal, he taught with a firm and strict paw but always made her feel like he trusted her abilities.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
It was what she had imagined her actual residency to feel like. Maybe all real doctors were pathologically condescending to all newcomers, or maybe they figured picking on her would earn them points with her sister, the Head priestess of the hospital.
The ship was moving again, this time there were no hit and run attacks so she and Bachir had little hard work to do. There was the occasional cut, scrape, and burn from engineering, and the Marines all had regular physicals to make sure they hadn’t severely injured their selves without noticing. But beyond that she had a lot of ‘free time’, which actually meant she had more time to train with Alice and her team.
Unlike the metal pumping Sin squad, Virtue worked extensively on flexibility, endurance, and a lithe and powerful physique. And though their training didn’t seem as intense as the Sins workout regiment, it still left Alwen burning and soar all over. Alice had walked in one day and saw Alwen explaining her muscular structure to Bachir and had started taking notes. The next day she showed Alwen an impressive chart with all her muscles and tendons labeled next to rough diagrams of how they could give Alwen a workout that worked for her body. She recognized a lot of stretches and maneuvers from back home, though they weren’t exactly accurate to what she remembered. Alice took all her corrections in stride and had used Alwen’s own knowledge to create the perfect torture regimen designed to get Alwen ‘into shape’ as she put it.
Despite the constant pain Alwen found that the new limberness and small but steady strength she had earned felt good, really good. She had always been too busy studying to spend any time working out, and it was frowned upon for a devotee of Ashendra to build big muscles like soldiers did.
When the ship had apparently passed by Femeri Doctor Bachir informed her of the new job. “We’ll be hitting a slave compound on a backwater Union world, we need to expect plenty of weak malnourished Terrans.”
“Why a slave compound, I thought rule number four is no slaving.”
“Exactly, some other pirates hit one of our daughter ships and took her crew. We’ve tracked the crew down to a major sweatshop, we’re going to eradicate the compound and recover the crew.”
“Will we also be killing these other pirates?” she asked, so far the ship manly hit poor equipped drug runners, pirate on pirate action sounded dangerous.
“No, I am not allowed to tell you the specifics but if we attack those pirates then other crews in the galaxy will start gunning for us. Not something we want.”
“Is it some sort of informal agreement between pirates?”
“I can’t say” he grumbled. “Just be ready for a lot of blood work.”
“Speaking of which” a deep rumbling voice said behind her, she turned and saw the massive black Feliniod Gato leaning against her door “I was told to have you check me out before I’m cleared for duty”
Bachir exchanged a look with her before he turned back to his lab work. Alwen sighed “Take a seat Gato.” She said as she moved to the sink to wash up. He sat on a nearby bed and fixed her with his deep slitted pupils. She began to work through her examinations methodically. “Any tightness or pain?”
“No”
“Would you tell me if there was?” she asked.
“No” he said without a hint of shame.
She sighed “You know I can’t do my job if you don’t tell me how you’re feeling”
“And I can’t do mine if you don’t release me for duty” He countered.
This man was had been the most difficult patient Alwen had ever had. She worked with stubborn ass’ before, the kind of person who could be losing blood and insist they were fine. But usually those people eventually succumbed to her not so gentle poking and prodding. But Gato was different. “And if I release you for duty when you aren’t physically ready, and your injuries hold you back then what will you do.”
“Trade my life for my team” he answered simply.
“And if you don’t need to?”
“No loss, I’m already a rotten soul bound for Hell. But my team isn’t, they still have a chance at being better.”
Alwen scowled, she had been on board for a while now, and knew that kind soft words didn’t work on him “That is the stupidest thing I ever heard, be careful of thinking like that or I will pull you out for mental health concerns.”
He blinked in surprise “You can’t do that” he challenged.
“Watch me, the captain said she put a lot of money into you marines, I don’t think she will be happy if biggest investment has suicidal thoughts and intentions. No matter how noble you make it sound.”
His glare met her, and for a brief moment neither of them looked like they would back down. He broke first and looked at his feet. “Am I good Vi?”
She smiled, “Yes, everything here looks in order. I would like you to think about some counseling though”
“I don’t need a shrink.” He growled, using the strange Terran slang for psychiatrists. Most Terrans seemed strangely resistant to the idea of counseling, the Marines especially.
“Good, this ship only has two doctors. But if you need someone to talk to then I’m here.”
He grunted and left the med bay. She watched as he stiffly brushed past her and she wondered if the next time she saw the warrior, would it be for an autopsy?
~~~*~~~
The Astaroth had silently slinked threw a small gap in the orbital satellites around Verdant and sank into the worlds warm oceans without anyone the wiser. From a flooded bay Alice and her team pushed out of the Astaroth and began their long swim towards the planets shore in black skintight wet suits with equipment bags slung over their shoulders. Alice had been adopted by descendants of the old US marine Corps; people who were keeping the old flame of martial tradition still alive. But the Marines weren’t the only people to come together in tight knit clans, many service men and women who felt lost after the dissolution of the United States had banded together. And one such clan was a group of Seals who have disappeared into the Alaskan bush.
Alice and her sister had gone north once to receive intensive seal training that they then passed down to their newly formed Marine teams. Despite both of them not being fond of the water they had learned the secrets of naval insertion, and now they were once again using those skills to take down some scumbags.
Sin and Virtue squad reached the shore and quietly pulled themselves onto the sands of a pleasant looking beach, they quickly stripped out their wet suits and changed into their tropical camo. Designed to be usable in any alien tropical environment.
Now she and her squad were creeping up on their prey, the other Virtue teams had spread out and begun identifying weak points. They marked a bunkhouse for the mercs and also identified where the prisoners were kept. Now her team was supposed to ready wall breaching charges around the compound for their assault.
They moved to a point on the wall that would allow for the shortest sprint to the main compound, and stuck four shaped charges against the wall. Kate had said that four simultaneous blasts would be all they needed, and she was never wrong.
Charges set she retreated back to a position where Wrath squad was waiting. Ghost crouched next to Wrath and waited for the rest of the teams to check in. Ghost and Wrath worked like an efficient well-oiled machine, but Alice and Gato were often at odds with each other. They had once given it go at being a couple with disastrous results, and Alice had to work hard not to feel bitter when they worked together. But the part of her would always remember that Gato was the reason her sister was gone.
All teams checked in and she waited a three count before she clicked the detonator and explosions rocked the air. They had ultimately decided against total stealth for this mission, instead they opted for undetected surveillance and explosive penetration. When the same time the walls were breached several Bodkin missile hit sniper towers and bunk houses to eliminate as many mercs as possible before the marines arrived on scene and swept through the compound.
Seconds after the fire cleared Temperance team and Wrath team were through the breach and rushing the slave quarters. She and Wrath took the lead on all fours, clearing ground like the pursuit and ambush predators they were. They rushed up on several confused and panicked mercs and tore them apart with claw and teeth. They took position on other side of the main door to the slave quarter and provided cover fire as the rest of their team rushed in and took defensive positions.
Rapid bursts of accurate fire cleared the walls in seconds and Wrath and Temperance team split up. Wrath would clear the cell blocks exterior, while Temperance burst in to clear the interior. They burst through the steel doors and rushed through the dark interior; night vision visors lit the world up in green hues. They moved through with speed and efficiency as they checked every knock and cranny, several times her team encountered a guard who tried to rush them or hide. There was only one entrance into the building so Ghost relaxed slightly when she heard the all clear.
Night visors were flipped up and lights attached to their rifles clicked on, they shined the light into the cages where many aliens were crammed into. Her squad searched each cell, the Alien slaves rushed away from the doors as they noticed the armed Hellworlders prowling through their midst, until she found a cage packed with 42 humans, 2 Lycanoids, and eight Gorillas. “Are you the crew of the Circe?” she saw nodding “Good, we were sent by your boss, and will have you out and back on Mars shortly.” The large silver back Gorilla man nodded, he was likely the Circe’s captain, and knew that they would come for them.
“Ghost” Wraith called “I have more humans down here”
She turned and walked down the line of cells full of cowering gaunt people to Wraith’s position and looked into the cage. Something about them didn’t look quite right, they were skinny, but their skeleton seemed just a little too small to be human. And they were covered black and blue with bruises.
Sussuro joined Ghost. “Is it just me, or are they purple?”
Something clicked in Alices head, and she realized that she wasn’t looking at humans, the bruises she has seen was just dirty purple skin. She was looking at thirty or so scarred and confused Torweni, Alwen’s people.
“Archdevil-this is Temperance” she said speaking into her wrist “Get me the captain”
“I’m here, what did you find?” the captain asked tensely.