Chapter 9

Jack was going over some nominal readings with Kazlaena when a bell sounded at the watch officers’ station, chiming three times.

“Wat sat?” Kazlaena stepped back, concerned.

“Ship comms, lil Sprocket.”

Kazlaena looked up at him wide eyed. “Are we?” She looked over to the nav display and saw they were very near the Rockpig. “Yay. We are almost sere.”

“Astral Feather, this is Rockpig, message, please reply, over.” Came over the ship radio system.

Jack turned on the Astral Feather ship-to-ship comms screen. After a moment of blank brightness, a face came into view that Jack recognized as the Rockpigs First Officer, Sandy Corewell. She was light skinned with a narrow face and sported brunette hair with charcoal streaks. She had one blue eye while the other had a golden cybernetic contact lens.

“Stinkpig, this is Astral Feather, how do you want me to reply, over?”

“Coralane?” Came a sharp reply. “The stars have shed their gasses. I was afraid you would be back.” He smiled as she shook her head. “Couldn’t stay away huh?”

“Not in my life,” Jack replied. “It was only ever meant to be temporary.”

“Good. Experienced officers are in short supply in the ships of the merchant sector.”

“We are working on my replacement over here,” Jack said back, motioning to Kazlaena to look in to the viewscreen.

“Ah, Cadet Starseeker. You’re working on deck officer training?”

“Yes,” Kazlaena replied. “Jack, er, Officer Coralane is instructing me.”

“Good. He’s a good Officer. He’ll look after you.”

“‘e always does.” Kazlaena smiled and felt a sudden longing for Officer Corewell to be the first officer on the Astral Feather.

“Alright, Rockypiggy,” Jack took over. “Beginning standard maneuvering protocols for fleet movement.”

“Roger that, Anus Feather,” Came the reply. “Take up position on our starboard, maintain five thousand meters and link your navcom with ours. I will take primary.”

“Anus Feather shall take up position on your starboard, five thousand meters spacing, linking to your nav now,” Jack flipped a switch to begin connection protocol, then entered in the positional commands to the nav computer.

The Astral Feather began maneuvering on a heading that would take it into alignment with the Rockpig.

“Should be in short range telescopic sight in twenty minutes.” Jack stated.

“Roger that, Astral Feather, Rockpig will remain in open comms on push to talk, stay out of trouble.”

“Astral Feather copies, out.” Jack tapped his comms display to change to push to talk settings so the channel was not open continuously, while the viewscreen went to a pale blue.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his commpad to call Lucinia. A moment later she answered.

“Jack?”

“Hey Cap, we uh, we were messin around on the bridge, and I spilled coffee on the controls. We uh, might have a problem here.” Kazlaena tried to reach for his commpad but he fended her off. “What uh, what do we do?” She jumped a few times, but he was able to duck away.

“Jack! Stop sat stuff.”

“I uh, don’t know what to do,” Jack said pleadingly.

“Ok, is there an orbital body nearby?” Lucinia asked.

“Yeah, a moon about ‘fheferfum’ minutes on Z axis.” He mumbled the middle part.

“Drive us straight into it, that should sort it out.” Lucinia instructed.

“Ok,” Jack replied as the Vandean started climbing on him to pull his commpad away.

“Sa not true, Captain!” Kazlaena said loudly.

“Ah, oh, oof,” Jack struggled to keep the commpad to his ear.

“And the real reason you called?” Lucinia asked, having heard Kazlaena in the background.

“We’re beginning fleet formation maneuvers with the Rockpig. Will be in position in approximately twenty minutes.”

“Understood, I will be there soon.”

“Ok, Captain, see you soon.” Jack disconnected, seeing Kazlaena huffing and wide eyed, before grinning.

“I’ma gonna get you for sat.” She said as she came at him in an attempt to tackle him, futile as that was.

Jack had Kazlaena over one shoulder, tickling at the back of one of her knees when Lucinia entered the bridge in her Captain’s uniform. Her shirt was white like Jacks, but with black epaulets containing four gold bars across the bottom third and a gold insignia depicting the Aquila constellation across the top third. The Aquila symbol was used for the merchant void navy and civilian captains, where naval officers had the Orion constellation on their epaulets. Lucinia also wore well ironed navy-blue pants with a crease down the front of each leg and a utility belt like Kazlaena and Jack.

When she had stepped into the bridge, Jack and Kazlaena looked over to her with concern, fearing Proculus was there, but finding relief in seeing Lucinia looking at them with a grin.

“Ah, allo Captain,” Kazlaena greeted her as best as she could.

“Hi Kaz! You are in a bit of a spot there, huh?” Lucinia smiled.

“Um?” Kazlaena hid her face as Jack set her down.

“I presume you’re teaching her self-defense, Coralane?”

“Eh, yeah, that’s it,” Jack nodded and Lucinia gave him an amused nod.

“Just make sure you teach her everything, ok?” She cast Jack a mock stern expression.

“Oh, don’t worry bout that.” Jack replied. “So far, we learned about what ports have the best brothels, where to sell the best bootlegged vids on the black market and most importantly, how to make it look like you’re busy when you isn’t.”

“All things you excel at,” Lucinia joked and shared a laugh with Kazlaena.

“Ohhh boy,” Jack hopped into the captain’s chair and began spinning around, feigning a pouty manner. “My feelers are hurts now.”

“Noooooooooo,” Kazlaena darted to him and tried to pull him from the chair, “Sat seat will get you in sa big trouble.”

“Yeah,” Lucinia gestured with a clenched fist and a protruding thumb over her shoulder. “Get out of that seat,” She used a phony accent that made her sound macho. “Unless you be declaring a mutiny ... matey...”

Jack stepped out and straightened the seat so she could take it.

“You makin a call, Cap?” He asked.

“Calling Val, Yes.”

“Want us to step out?”

“Not at all,” She shook her head and looked at Kazlaena who was acting excited. “I came here on purpose.”

“Yeah,” Jack nodded, grinning as he saw the Vandean’s expression. “Reason duly noted.”

Lucinia gestured to Kazlaena to come closer and the Vandean slid in between the captain’s chair and the panel, while Lucinia locked the chair to hold it steady.

Kazlaena stood just to her left as Lucinia adjusted a viewscreen mounted to a retractable, positional arm so they could both see properly. With an excited Kazlaena at her side, Lucinia wrapped her left arm around the Vandean’s torso and felt Kazlaena take hold of her forearm with both hands, trying to contain her excitement.

“Alright, let us see if my sister is available,” Lucinia touched a menu on a screen located on the right arm of her chair and initiated the calling process.

The ship-to-ship comms unit let out a chime as it attempted to contact the Rockpig. Lucinia and Kazlaena waited for the Rockpig to answer, finally seeing Valeria’s face appear. She had light brown skin like her sister but was somewhat stockier from her physical laboring down on the processing deck of her ship. Her shoulder length hair was maroon colored, half concealed by a grey cap. She wore data spectacles over her green eyes that updated her in real time about the operations of her ship.

“Lucy! Kazzie!” Valeria said, joyfully.

“Val,” Lucinia replied, warmly.

“Vallie!” Kazlaena shouted. “Oops, er, ‘ello Vallie,” She smiled brightly as she leaned forward with her tail wagging behind her.

“Have ya both been doin’ well? Ya stars been linin’ up?” Valeria asked.

“Been good,” Lucinia replied. “Uneventful for the most part.”

“Ya crew been ok?”

“They have,” Lucinia nodded. “Still some concerns about the drone attack but we seem to be back to normal now.”

“That’s good. Thank them lucky stars there were no injuries,” Valeria remarked. “Did ya get yer wayward wanderer back aboard?”

“He’s here.” Lucinia motioned Jack over and he stuck his face right up to the screen, sniffing it like an animal.

“Ah, there’s our nutcracker.” Valeria joked.

“Will I ever live that down? “ Jack grinned as he pretended to spear the viewscreen with a mic stand.

“Hopin’ not,” Valeria smiled. “It’s too much fun makin fun. Even Revi agrees.”

“Sats sa embarassing sing for ‘im sough.” Kazlaena said meekly.

“Ah yer right lass,” Valeria nodded. “I’ll lay off him, ok?”

“I cannot speak the same,” Lucinia replied, then whacked at Jack’s stomach when he wet his finger and wiggled it in her ear.

“Yeeeaaaccchhh!!!” Lucinia cocked her head and swung an open hand at him.

“You two are right for each other,” Valeria joked. “Procko know yet?”

“Nope,” Jack shook his head.

“We decided not to tell the crew at this time,” Lucinia said. “You know, Kaz knows. The Lexocanus’ know and that is all ... as far as we know.”

“Fair point,” Valeria said. “Just uh, record it will ya, when you decide to tell him.”

“Ok,” Lucinia laughed while Jack puckered his lips.

“He been behavin’?” Valeria asked.

“Who, Proculus?”

“Nah, the boy behind you.”

“Oh him...” Lucinia shook her head. “Does he ever?”

“When he stands to profit, he can manage,” Valeria replied.

“He has been behaving, mostly,” Lucinia smiled.

“Yes, ‘e’s been training me all morning on sa deck department stuff,” Kazlaena spoke defensively on Jack’s behalf.

“Ya learnin’ second officer duties then, aye?” Valeria asked. “Gonna replace that silly lad soon?”

“Er, emm...” Kazlaena looked to the floor shyly. “I don’t want to replace Jack.”

“Kiddin’ kiddo,” Valeria smiled. “Be sure ya learn all he has to offer.” She looked at a flashing light on her panel where she sat in her Captain’s chair. “We gonna be forming up here right quick.”

“Yes, the Feather is on seventy percent retro.” Lucinia switched to short range telescopic view and the Rockpig came up on the main viewscreen.

“Look at that big beast,” Jack said under his breath.

The Rockpig was a massive vessel, at least three dozen times the volume of the Astral Feather. It was large and rectangular, flat, and thicker at the back two thirds; about half again the depth of the Astral Feather at the front third where the crew decks and operations rooms were. Several raised square sections on the ship stood out, noting places with batteries of point defense weapons or directed energy projectors to burn away debris that was a danger to the vessel. The Rockpig was a mothership for asteroid mining, able to deploy smaller vessels that carried drones and piloted craft to deal with the mining process itself. Inside the massive gantry hangars there was also a specialized refining ship for handling volatile minerals, a supply ship for making provision runs and handling crew on shore leave. There was a geo-research vessel on board as well, used to scan minerals in asteroids in order to more efficiently harvest the best ones. The total asset value of the Rockpig and its subordinate vessels was in excess of a billion credits. It was a vessel handed down by several generations of successful Scaros, starting with a great grandmother. The Rockpig itself was an owned asset, used as collateral for the loans to acquire the other vessels, which made a network of guard drones extremely important. Plans to add more defensive modules and a standalone 2-1-1 decommissioned warship were in the not-too-distant future.

“Lots of rocks to put in your socks?” Jack asked.

“Yessir,” Valeria sent a system map over briefly. “Mosta outer rock ring lookin good. About half o’ inner ring pretty good too.”