To Hell and Back (Hellworlder pirates)

Ch7 Pirates!

Pirates!

Captain Astarte Maidens-daughter was pissed. The precinct had given up far to quickly for her to be comfortable and when she talked with Heizer she learned why.

"They kept asking us about the ships business, where do we go, what do we deliver, who do we talk to. God, they didn't let us sleep for three days. Just endless questions. They only stopped when I collapsed. Something like that should be illegal" said the beleaguered engineer.

"Its not, the Union either never thought to or purposely left out something like a 48-hour time limit. And humans used a tactic of endless questions as a means of humanly breaking the victim as well. What did you tell him Heizer?"

He scowled "Jack and shit, and so did the rest of us"

"Did they see your marks?"

"No, its why we all stayed in our dress clothes the whole time, now if you don't mind captain, I smell ripe as hell. I need to go change."

"How, so ye can put them greasy stained rags on instead, Snipe" Highland interjected. Without giving the bosun a second glance Heizer turned and left the bridge, aghast he followed after the chief engineer out, all the while trying to pick a fight.

"That's strange" Karega said as eh watched them leave. "Five days apart and they would have been bickering like cats and dogs." There helmsman and local human variant turned and gave Karega a glare, her ancestors had spliced themselves with cat DNA as a fashion statement as she was left with the ears and tail. Ever since Karega found out she was in a long term relationship with Kavic he took every opportunity to compare cats and dogs.

"Highland didn't realize his own partner and better half was locked up for five days, I expected the cold shoulder" the captain said softly so that only her lieutenant could hear "that's not what's important though Kera'keck obviously has his suspicions, or else he wouldn't have risked the curs, what tipped him off?"

"There shouldn't be anything, we've only been hitting cartel freighters lately, and their not likely to tell."

"Do we have a leak?"

"Not likely either Union law states that anyone involved in our work gets life in prison, no plea deals. We go done, they go down" He started rubbing his chin "maybe its not us, Kat pull up Femeri's recent news feed, give me articles related to chief Kera'keck and the governor."

Kathrine's tail twitched and she began pulling up articles, the room dimmed and the froward facing window changed to display the feed.

"It seems like they have been making a lot of press releases about piracy lately" she reported.

"That could explain it" the captain said. "Our records are squeaky clean, but a heavily armored and armed Hellworlder cruiser is always suspicious."

"Yeah but why now, we've been operating successfully in Orion for six years now. And with the rest of the fleet gone they should be less wary not more." Karega wondered.

Aster looked out the port window to the still docked Coiled strike, "That's our answer. core world clans have seen our successful rise over the years and now they want in. they think Orion is easy pickings"

Karega growled "Sometimes I hate the code, if it were up to me I'd kill all those core world interlopers and be done with it"

"We joined the confederacy for a reason, their code has protected us so far" the captain said falling deep into thought.