Astarte had never actually done this before. Only the marines had experience with this particular brand of insanity, and that was under sterile training conditions.

The multi-vector thrust of the drop-ships was a necessary requirement in space were there was no resistance to slow you down. To slow down you needed to apply an equal and opposite force.

That meant compared to a regular ship that operated in an atmosphere they had a few more options when it came to thrust.

As Rachel and Astarte fell the pill bug shaped drop-ship soared ahead of them. The pilots pulled the ship just ahead of them and opened the back loading hatch where netting was set up for them.

The ship then kicked on its reverse thruster to slow its descent while Astarte and Rachel continued to accelerate to terminal velocity. While they were falling at some 7 to 6.8 meters per second under the lower union gravity the drop-ship was falling at a slightly slower rate. The difference between their speeds meant the net force they would hit the netting at was much, much lower than what they would hit the ground at.

Still they were cutting things close, as the drop-ship’s pilots were only meant to do this in space where they had plenty of room.

The netting slowly inched closer and closer, but the pilots were running out of sky, and just as they were within a few meters of the net the ship slowed down dramatically and they smacked face first into the netting.

Hard.

The ship lurched upwards as the pilots pulled out of their death dive. Astarte held on to Rachel with one arm, and two sets of arms reached behind to prevent her from slipping away. The ship shot upwards, and the sinking feeling in her gut loosened as the fell back to the floor of the drop-ship.

The hatch began to close, but as it did so Astarte got a good look at Zera who was staring at her intently.

She gave the bitch the finger as the hatch finally sealed.

“Well, that’s its for this suite.” Karega said beside her.

“We’ll call it a business expense and get it reimbursed.” Aster quipped.

“Are you people insane!” Rachel screeched.

“No” Astarte answered “Just human.”

~~~*~~~

Rachel had thought she was about to become a bloody splat of the streets of Silver Tower city.

But no, the insane pirates had her friends catch them mid air with a drop-ship, then had the fucking gall to complain about their clothes!

What the hell had she gotten herself into.

There were two other people in the ship. Both were women wearing what looked to be a cross between samurai and Viking armor. The taller one who had grabbed her and Astarte had a face full of metal piercing, a full length arm tattoo of religious iconography of the ‘new faith’, and had her hair styled in the half shaved combover that all punks seem to gravitate to.

The other wore a stiff face mask with vents for breathing and had her forehead covered by a black handkerchief.

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The women with the piercings was speaking to Astarte, or more like reporting.

“After wrapping up in the ‘king’s hunt’ we returned to base and heard about the situation. Some local events held back Asmodeus and Beelzebub, along some other fleet elements. But we loaded up our entourage of lawyers and burned hard for the core.”

Astarte nodded “Thank you Metallika. And Lucile, how is her mood?”

“Frustrated Sir, she seemed upset that you left on your own.”

“And I’m frustrated with that stunt you pulled during the king’s hunt. So we’re even.” Astarte retorted.

The way Astarte was acting reminded her of Judge. They both had different command styles, but the way they took hold of a room so effortlessly. It was no wonder that the Gin family had been chosen to represent Humanity. This version however seemed so different from the flirty mischievous women she had been getting to know.

The second women, who had so far been silent, nudged the first. Metallika.

“Huh, oh, Mute wants to know about the midget.” Metallika said bluntly.

Mute elbowed Metallika in the side.

“Fine, your vertically challenged tag along.” Metallika corrected.

“I would like to know that myself” Karega added. “Why did you grab her. Zera would have left her alone, and she would have been fine with her family.”

Astarte glared at him “You and I both know that they’re only family by the technical definition of the word.”

“They wouldn’t have hurt her.” He said stubbornly.

Rachel herself doubted that.

“Sir.” Metallika said, this time more pressingly. “Did you bring an uninvolved outsider here?”

“I wouldn’t say uninvolved.” Astarte said coyly.

“Then who is she?”

“She’s the cop whose been investigating us.” Karega answered. “One of the SS’ spooks.”

In the next instant Rachel had two guns placed at her temples. Metallika and Mute had moved faster than Rachel would have thought possible and now stood over her as ready executioners.

“Should we kill her and dump the body, or do we need to integrate her?” Metallika asked.

Rachel gulped.

“Neither” Astarte said firmly. “She is to be my guest aboard the Astaroth.”

“WHAT?” Karega and Rachel exclaimed in unison.

“You heard me.”

“Star. Why?” Karega said, his tone pleading.

“First off she saved my life, three, maybe four times.” Astarte said raising a finger. She raised a second finger “Two, she’s been investigating us, and Zera, and I want to know what the SS know.” A third finger went up “And third she’s going to help us get what we came here for, she has access to the SS databases, as well as connections here on Unity.”

“Why would I do that?” Rachel blurted out.

Astarte looked down on her. “I’m trying to save your life here, please don’t refute what I’m saying in front of the people who would rather kill you.”

“Why. Would. I. Help. You?” Rachel repeated slowly.

Metallika, despite keeping the gun to her head grinned. “Girls got balls I’ll give you that.”

“Yes” Astarte said with an exasperated sigh. “and if she wants us to help the SS deal with Zera then she’ll cooperate.”

“Whose Zera” Metallika asked.

“Cyborg psycho-bitch who has been trying to kill me since I got here. Back from my days aboard the Black Saint”

“Oof, sounds like you’ve had a fun time.”

“Quite” Astarte agreed. “Now, Rachel, Arbiter. You can either cooperate and we’ll help you with Zera, or you be a stubborn ass about it and we’ll… make you disappear.”

“Are you really threatening to kill an officer of the law?” Rachel growled.

“You misheard me.” Astarte leaned in “I said I would make you disappear, not that we would kill you. we have a black site in the middle of nowhere space. It’s a quaint little place, and you would certainly live a long and comfortable life, but you would never leave. That’s what I’m threatening you with.”

Rachel had previously been wondering where the ‘pirate’ side of Astarte’s personality was, and now she was seeing it. Before she had seemed too… nice, too carefree and passionate. It had lulled Rachel into a false sense of safety around her. But she had to remember that Astarte, Karega, and every member of her crew were blood thirsty and ruthless pirates.

“Fine. I’ll help.” Rachel said through gritted teeth.

Astarte smiled “See, she’s going to be helping us. Now what’s our ETA?”

“Five minutes. We need to wait for Lucifer to land.” Metallika said.

“Drop us off at Astaroth. All three of us need immediate first aid.” Astarte ordered.

Metallika snapped a salute and went up to inform the pilot. Mute continued to glare at Rachel, but put away her gun. Astarte and Karega had a seat on one end of the drop-ship, and Rachel sat alone on the other.

It was night on this side of Unity, the drop ship glided gently through the air and hovered over the front deck of the Pirates ship. Rachel’s head had begun to pound during the short flight, and her vision was swimming. The drop-ships door slid open, and a spotlight illuminated the deck before them. Astarte, Karega, and Rachel hopped down the short fall from the drop-ship to the deck, and the drop-ship took off the moment they were out.

There were three people waiting for them on the deck. A mountainous man with fire red hair on his head and chin, wearing the gaudiest kimono she had ever seen. A towering white and black furred Tiger women. And a short women with bleach white hair, and strange discolored skin.

The short one, who was still taller than Rachel, stepped forward “Captain, lieutenant, a lot has happened in your absence. I need to fill you in on the situation.” She reported briefly. The other two more intimidating figure seemed to pay her deference.”

“Understood Bones, but it’ll have to wait. Our guest needs emergency medical attention, as do I. We had a run in with our assassin at the party. I think the only reason she’s upright is from adrenaline.” Astarte commanded with an imperious tone.

Rachel scowled “I’m fine, I just need to sit for a bit.”

The short women blinked. “Are you refusing treatment?” She asked, her tone weary and defeated.

“Yes I am. If I need help I’ll go to a union hosp-“ Rachel was cut short by a jab in the neck.

One moment the white haired women was standing in front of her, the next moment she was at Rachel’s side with a syringe in hand. The needle of the syringe pierced her skin with ease, and seconds later Rachel felt very tired. Like a leaden blanket of exhaustion landed upon her shoulders.

She fell to the deck, and the white haired pirate, Bones, was there to catch her and cradle her fall.

“Damn…pirates” Rachel slurred before it all went black.