Chapter 5

Jack took a long drag from the cigarette between his lips and exhaled, looking around the small, square room that served as the ship’s ‘smokehouse’, as it was so affectionately named. The furniture in the room consisted of a few plastic foldout chairs and a metal table. The only other items were a sand tray for extinguishing butts and a pair of fire foamers. He looked over the dull grey walls with their faint smoke stains and removed the cigarette from his mouth, before letting out a long-drawn-out yawn. As the only place on the ship where smoking was permitted, it was devoid of anything flammable, or comfortable.

Lucinia entered the smokehouse just as Jack was finishing his cigarette and grinned.

“Kazlaena said you would be here, smoking your ‘stink sticks’.”

“Gotta get that fix.” He smiled loosely. “Need one?”

“No. I didn’t come empty handed.” She held up a cigar and he handed her his cigarette so she could light up. “Thanks though.” She lit her cigar and inhaled a deep breath. “You manage to visit everyone today?”

“Mostly,” He discarded his cigarette in the sand tray. “D-17 was on its recharge pad, er their recharge pad. Saito and Pri were asleep, and I didn’t find Zakia or Kejeh yet. Andor wasn’t in his office, no rush to meet him anyway. Kyzran, well, just haven’t made it there yet. Your brother was doing his rage exercises. I’ll catch up with them when I see them around.”

“D-17 went on recharge just before you arrived, going to be back up in a while. Zakia and Kejeh were on duty, going over lifeboat inspections, maintenance logs, and equipment safety checks. They have likely retired by now.”

“Understandable.” Jack said.

“Saito and Pri had a late-night last night. Saito was on maintenance duty and sprained his wrist bad. Pri was on duty in the medical center and tended to his injury. When her shift ended things moved into a drinking game that had them sloshed. We can understand Saito, being Terrans ourselves, but Pri...” Lucinia paused for a moment “ ... well Sikar’Sezar are not known for holding alcohol too well even though they actually like to drown in it.”

Jack thought of the raptor-like appearance of Pri and smiled. “Better not wake her then, or you might be down a crew member, eh?”

“Not advisable, though I really think she would be overjoyed to see you in any state.”

“We’re close yeah.” Jack nodded.

“That is an understatement,” Lucinia replied. “You two have a real bromance, in essence, something I know she cherishes deeply. Someone needs to come up with a name for that ... A fromance?”

Jack burst out laughing. “Fromance, I like that. Was everything ok with her while I was away?”

“Had a couple of incidents,” Lucinia said quietly. “She had a few flashbacks and a couple of situational unawareness moments. One moment she was, uh...” Lucinia was silent for a moment. “She was in the fore cargo hold, in the corner, in a ball so tight her fur seemed to loose color, she was calling for you.”

“Fuck...” Jack felt bad, felt guilty for not being there.

“We did the best we could, but she only ever talks to you. We see her in her best, you are the only one with the window to her deeper emotional state.”

“Reptilians don’t usually have it easy,” Jack said. “And I won’t be one to make it any harder for them. While I’m on board, any of them can come to me willingly at any time.”

“I know,” Lucinia replied. “It’s one of your qualities.”

“I’ll go to Pri though, before too long.” Jack replied. “How long has she been asleep?”

“Since before you arrived.”

“A good long while then.” Jack nodded.

“Yes, she may be up and about by now.”

He gave her a nod. “I’ll work with her?”

“You go be you.” Lucinia traded a warm smile with him.

“So...” Jack leaned against the wall and focused on Lucinia “ ... these stealth drones. How the fuck are criminal elements getting their hands on drones like that. They gotta be well paid, or in the employ of a strong organization. Hope it’s not Black Nova. That could be a real bag of smashed asshole”

“Yes, definitely not my favorite kind of bag.”

“Seriously, eight months out of the drone hunting business and I come back to news that we have stealth drones and wild weasel drones to compete with?”

“Wild weasel?” Lucinia gave him a confused look.

“Term used in the star fighter squadrons for drones or enemy fighters that specialized in defeating opposing radar and point defense by using weapons that defeated them instead. They carry missiles that lock onto a radar signal or an IFF signal emitted by automated point defense and follow that signal right back to their target. Drones of that caliber are very expensive.”

Lucinia looked at the floor “How do we stop them?”

He scratched his chin. “You need Starfires to have any reliable result.”

“Starfires?” Lucinia looked at him swiftly, shocked and rather displeased. “Are you serious? One of those missiles are worth a hundred thousand credits in an authorized supply port. A couple dozen drones and we’re working for free.”

“Drone salvage might pay off though. Selling the hardware off those drones might replace the missile cost.” Jack was trying to weigh the justification for buying missiles he knew were rightly expensive and likely unavailable anyway, against salvage that could potentially be more valuable. Starfires were the best missile on the market for licensed civilian contractors. Capable of defeating ECCM elements and sniffing out a target hiding behind powerful stealth, they were plenty valuable in use for the cost.

“What do you have for inventory?” Jack cracked his fingers.

Lucinia stepped away from the wall and placed her hands on her hips, thinking for a moment “Thirty-four Comet Rockets, Ten Rocksalt torpedoes and Seventeen Apollo missiles.”

“Holy living fuck.”

“Burned up a lot of munitions on the last contract.” Lucinia said.

“Was the pay good?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “The ships account is in good health but market inventory at our last port of call was pretty much cleaned out.” Lucinia returned to the wall beside Jack and took his hand in hers.

“Do you feel comfortable taking on this contract with the current loadout?” He asked.

“Not confident enough, Jack.” Lucinia gave his hand a quick squeeze. “The next nearest quartermaster is beyond Kratta. I negotiated for a brief extension on time to provide cover for my sisters mining operation to set up but we’re talking twenty-four hours. Any time beyond that means we’re on the hook for insurance premiums from the shipping companies.”

“So, we need to be operating in Kratta in a hundred and twenty hours then, given your sister’s timings and travel time to Kratta?”

“Correct.”

“Hm.” Jack shifted his leaning stance. “Junkers Refuge. It’s in Payum already, be like a pitstop.”

“A lawless, dangerous pitstop of overpriced inventory.” Lucinia was blunt. “That ‘questionable’ marketplace is the reason I’m pulling escort for my sister’s ship to begin with. Is it really that uncertain to face these drones with what we have? Do I need to take that risk?”

“I could beam in my fighter.” Jack offered another solution. “My fighter can designate targets for the Apollos to lock on, likely defeating most countermeasures that those drones might have.”

“At great risk to yourself. I don’t like it.”

“It’s not an easy call, I know, but I feel the least successful scenario is to take these drones head on without following through with one of the other two options first.”

Lucinia turned to give him a kiss and stepped away, releasing her hold on his hand. “I’ll schedule an officers meeting after we make the jump to Calldan, before meeting my sister. We are heading out system on Y minus right now. Should reach superlum jump boundary by 02:00. Proculus will fill you in on the details when you take watch.”

Jack nodded. “I’ll prepare a short briefing on Ewar drones so the officers on board can make the best judgement, as well as prepare myself mentally and emotionally for first contact with your brother.”

“Please do, on both accounts.” Lucinia stepped outside the smokehouse “Oh, and Second Officer, my door card...” She tossed him a plastic card “ ... if you need to speak to me or catch up on recent events, or snuggle up, wink, wink.”

“Might have to discuss a few things, after watch of course.” Jack winked. “Things that take some time to discuss. Clothing might be optional...”

“You have the access card, just watch out for the Proculus.”

“The Cockblockulus never sleeps though, like a fuckin, fear inducing gate guard to the garden of Eden.” He heard Lucinia burst out laughing as she headed down the hall, leaving him to look at the card with an eager grin. “Oh, hey Captain...?” He knew she had already left earshot, continuing to speak solely to amuse himself. “You just gave me complete access to the vessel you know, Captains’ card and all...”

Jack pulled his clothing from the washer in a hurry, having an hour to dry out his uniform and be on the bridge for his watch. As the clothes spilled onto the dryer, immediately his heart sank. All of his whites were now a blasted tie dye of pink, red, blue and purple.

The fuck is this...? He exhaled a deep, frustrated sigh.

“What the fuck?” He rummaged through his clothing and stared blankly at it, on the verge of shock. “What is this?” As he glared at the catastrophe before him, he noted the presence of an odd article of clothing. “Panties?” He frowned as he picked up the undergarment “They’re panties.” Not my panties ... well no shit fucknuckle, you don’t wear panties. “They’re panties ... not my panties but they’re panties. How the ... what the?” He stared at them, mouth agape, and spoke in a bit of a disbelieving tone. “Fuckin panties...”

The door to the laundry room opened behind him and Kazlaena stepped in.

“Um, ‘ey Jack. I umm...” She saw his clothes and went silent.

“Are, eh, are these yours?” He held out the panties.

“Um...” Kazlaena swallowed hard. “ ... oh no, oh no.” She looked at the laundered catastrophe before her and brought her hands up to her face. “Oh Jack, I’m sorry. Many sorries. I cannot believe I left sese be’ind.”

Jack felt the disbelief and frustration subside and started to laugh. “I didn’t know Vandeans wore such colorful undergarments.”

“Jack!” She cried out. “Sat’s embarrassing.”

“Sorry.” He handed her the undergarment, along with another that had hidden in the bottom at back end of the top load washer, out of sight of her short stature.

“I will um, get you sa new close next time we dock, ok?” Kazlaena took the undergarments and gave him an awkward look. “Sorry again, is um, sere anysing I can do now?”

“Nah.” Jack shook his head. “Mistakes happen. Don’t worry about it.”

“I um, ok.” she said meekly as she rushed away from the continuing embarrassment.

Oh boy, Jack sighed, Proculus gonna be pissed about my choice of clothing. He looked for the least colored shirt and thought, fuck it. If I’m gonna have to wear this then I might as well go all out, besides, might be good to see Prim Proper Prockie blow a gasket after so long away. Could borrow a shirt from someone but ... naaa. Jack smiled, turning his attention now to find the most extravagantly ruined shirt. This should be good.