Time comes in cycles for pirates, one decade we fight to take a ship and during others we have managed to stun the crews. There are four types of merchant ships, runners which carry a small cargo but travel very fast. Merchant ships which are still fast but have a large cargo hold. Cargo ships which are slow and have up to six large cargo holds.

Last is the freighter which is even slower but has a dozen huge cargo holds. They are the only ones that can not land on a planet. Plus they tend to have larger crews which means more people that shoot at us. The dangers of boarding and taking a ship have grown but so have the ways to counter them.

I slung the duffle as I left the port shuttle cart and headed for the ship lift. The Kuba was or had been a merchant that had been refitted. Besides newer and more powerful engines it had a larger reactor and two skip engines. The hold held thirty modular cabins which meant the ship and pirate crew numbered forty instead of maybe ten.

The man at the lift looked me over before gesturing, "see the bosun."

I nodded and took the lift up and went to find the first mate. He looked me over when I found him and stared at the four pulse grav pistols, two under my arms and two on my thighs. He snorted before tossing me a card, "third deck in the hold, cabin six."

I nodded, "duties?"

He grinned, "you said you are a qualified pilot?"

I nodded again and he gestured to the dining room door, "I will post the schedule but it looks like you have a shift every three days."

When I found the hold I had to climb to the top level. My cabin was the last on the left and I was a little surprised at the size. Of course these were modular so the waste and water was limited. Three days learning the ship and crew and we lifted and skipped out. It took two weeks to reach our stalking area and then another three while we waited.

I was bored and more than cranky and there had already been several fights. The general quarters went off and I ran towards the door and then to the stairs. The speakers told everyone to standby in the common room. It was crowded as everyone stood waiting. Finally the captain came on, "the forward port airlock!"

We rushed out and ran forward and around to the airlock and again it was time to wait. I slipped filters into my nose. One of the men was watching the exterior vid, "a cargo ship! We are approaching the starboard aft airlock!"

A minute later the light went on and both doors on the airlock opened and we started through. Of course the crew of the cargo ship were waiting and tried to fire through at us. A type of chafe and smoke splintered the lasers but plasma rounds still hit people. I shifted and pulled a sphere and threw it and most of the pirates dropped to the deck.

I stepped on and over them as shattering flashes and explosions went off in the cargo ship airlock. I dove through as it stopped and rolled as I pulled two pistols. I started firing into the six men stumbling around blindly. I shot each and the rounds punched through the armor they wore. I turned as I slipped the pistols back into the holsters.

I used a special comp to bypass the lock and then started to use the manual crank to open the inner hatch. The others crowded in and as soon as the hatch was wide enough sonic burst spheres were pushed through. They were followed by grenades and smoke and once the hatch was open they dove into the ship.

I waited to squeeze in as the crew of the other ship began firing at us. I dove and began to crawl as the others stayed by the hatch. I held a pistol in each hand and fired when I was clear of the smoke. I laid on the deck and picked the crew off as they leaned around a corner. I finally touched my shoulder and the sonic frequency scrambler.

I stood and moved down the corridor and stepped out and fired into the running crewmen. I slipped my weapons back into holsters and pulled the other two as I started moving, "Diamond clear and moving towards the bridge!"

The few camouflaged and hidden sonic cutters fired but my sonic frequency scrambler scattered the lances. I shot two more crew just before I reached the bridge. They were trying to set up a laser on a mount. I reached the bridge hatch and began using the manual crank. They fired through once it began to open and I paused to toss a sphere in.

It popped and a moment later they were coughing and gagging. I peered in and shot one man in the head and then the captain followed by two others. I finished cranking the hatch open and stepped in and moved to shut down the emergency beacon and signal, "bridge secure!"

I pulled the bodies out and took their weapons before standing at the hatch to watch. Finally someone called to report engineering clear. We began to search the ship and I started with the captain's cabin, the first officer's and then the cargo master's. I got a lot of expensive things but kept them in the slip bag I was carrying.

Two hours after we boarded I was sitting in the pilot seat of the cargo ship and moving away from the bodies in space. Our ship was to one side as I set course and started plotting the first jump. We had lost fifteen men taking the ship and ten more had been wounded. I took turns with another man doing twelve hour shifts.

A week later we were floating outside a system and waiting for a buyer. Our ship was docked on the port side and after two days a fast yacht arrived. Four men were escorted through the cargo ship before a price was agreed upon. We left the ship and headed back to the rogue planet of Chapman to celebrate.

A week later I walked off the ship and headed into the port and slowed when I saw a cargo ship unloading women and girls. It was returning from a system raid and the females were slaves. I turned and headed towards the ship and two of the raiders glanced at me. They moved to block me and I smiled, "you selling the females?"

They nodded and I glanced past them, "how about selling one to me now?"

They looked at each other and one grinned, "you got ten thousand?"

I grinned back, "yeah."

I pointed to an exotic girl, "what about her?"

They looked and one moved to the girl and pulled her out of the group she was in. They snapped a steel leash on her and looked at me and the other man lifted an eyebrow. I pulled my comp and set it before I held it out to the one the man held. He looked and checked before he nodded to the other who brought the girl to me.

I took her leash and grinned, "thanks."

I headed towards the nearest port transport cart and pulled her on. We got off by the gate and I started to walk and the girl followed. Once outside the gate there were flashing displays and speakers announcing things for sell at a discount. I looked at the quiet girl as I headed into a shop, "what is your name?"

She bit her lip, "Jasmine."

I smiled as I started looking at all kinds of fancy leashes and collars, "I am Diamond."

I selected a silver collar and lease with tiny white enamel flowers. I paid and led her out and stopped to switch it for the one on her. We went to eat and then I bought a travel float. First I bought cases of first class meal rations. I bought her a couple of dozen skirts of different colors and then more button up blouses. I bought her a hygiene kit and a hair brush and...

She looked bewildered when we returned to the pirate ship. No one said anything as I led her in and to my quarters. She looked around as I undid the leash and hung it by the door. I shut the float off by the door and left it and started towards the bedroom and she followed. I gestured to one wall that was for storage as I looked at her, "you can put your things in there.

I slowly reached out and began to unbutton her blouse and she trembled. I opened it and slipped it off and just stood staring. She finally shifted and I looked up and grinned, "those are beautiful."

She grinned as she looked at her breasts and I reached out and cupped them. I rubbed the nipples with my thumb, "they feel amazing too."

She sighed and reached down to open and pushed her skirt off, "you might as well get it over with."

I glanced at her pussy before turning to pull her to the bed and laying her down. She was stiff as I sat beside her and kept looking. After a minute she frowned and shifted and I looked into her face. She hesitated, "are you going to rape me?"

I blushed as I looked at her body again, "maybe after I feel you some more and then taste you."

She shifted and then sighed and caught a hand and pulled it to her pussy. It was warm and full and I slipped a finger through her slit. She shivered and I grinned as I felt her clit. I began to rub it and then slipped the tip of my finger into her. She shuddered as I used the finger to rub her clit some more.

A few minutes and she was panting and I was pushing the finger all the way into her. I finally stood and undressed and she groaned. I knelt and pushed her legs open as I leaned forward and started licking her pussy. She lifted her hips as she hissed and then jerked and shuddered, "ooohhhh!"

I liked the taste and kept licking her and teased her clit. I sucked on it hard until it stood up and was a hard little nub. She was wiggling and jerking and bucking and constantly yelling. I finally stopped and looked at her pussy before I stood. I turned her on the bed and moved over her and she was quick to position my cock.