Chapter 9: Taking a councilor

We got a large bonus for the freighters and the two cruisers. Lorenz wanted to go over the ship with Andy and David so we spent two weeks on station. Peter, Samantha and I began going through the reports from systems and chose Saint Siegfried. We left the station and after going up and over the asteroid belt Lorenz grinned in her holo, “Skip.”

I checked the grav reading and plotted a skip before touching the button. The ship jumped quickly and smoothly and we came out just as smoothly. I looked at Lorenz and she grinned, “We did some work on the...”

I waved a hand, “Do not spoil it. You know us pilot monkeys can not follow it anyway.”

She grinned and I heard Andy and David laughing. I began plotting skips and an hour later we were on the heliopause. I checked the long jump plot before opening the wormhole and jumping. I turned and started towards our spot above the heliopause as Samantha finished her passive scan and put it on the repeater, “Two cruiser on the edge of the skip zone and four destroyers deeper in.”

I nodded and relaxed as the ship seemed to run smoothly, “Merchant traffic?”

She chuckled, “Four cargo transports leaving deep insystem and a single freighter going in on the edge of the skip zone.”

It was a week before we were in position and another three before all the warships were out of immediate range to skip. What made me sit up and take notice was the SFT a small cargo transport was using. I hit the general quarters and accelerated. I glanced at Samantha when her holo appeared, “Put a missile in front of the transport.”

She looked, “It is a small...”

I growled, “Do it.”

A few moments and the missile streaked away. I glanced at Edgar, “Watch the warships insystem.”

I looked at Andy in engineering, “Warm up the skip and jump engines.”

He nodded and I looked back at Peter and Sonia, “They may fight when we board. Peter I want you to check the crew in the lifeboats carefully if they do not. At least one is going to be a Saint Councilor.”

His eyes widened and he nodded and I turned back, “Send the warning Edgar.”

The transported did not stop and I growled, “Put the next missile a couple of kilometers in front of it.”

It flashed out and detonated moments later. The ship rolled and turned but kept going. I shook my head, “Tell them I am putting six missiles in them in ten seconds and start a countdown.”

Edger nodded and at the count of eight the ship suddenly slowed and came to a stop. Edgar cleared his throat, “The warships are heading out. One tried to skip but it looks like something went wrong.”

I nodded as I closed with the transport and began slowing to dock. As soon as we had a seal Samantha’s boarders opened the hatch. The crew from the transport began firing but my people were ready and the modified prospector hard suits stopped the rounds. I was watching the scans as another ship tried to skip.

Time seemed to crawl before Samantha growled from the intercom, “We have him and the ship is clear.”

I spun to look at the scan, “Close the hatches and kick us loose.”

She came back, “What do I do with this councilor asshole?”

I grinned, “Strip him and shove him into the brig.”

I waited until I had a green light on the hatch before I began using thrusters to move away. Peter started the transport moving and kicked the lifeboats out. I hesitated to bring our ship alive and follow as I watched the enemy destroyer skipping out. I glanced at Samantha several minutes later when she appeared in the weapon control holo, “Prep the missiles.”

Edgar gasped and I glanced at him before looking at the scan repeater. I cursed as I turned the ship and measured the distance, “Fire!”

I plotted a skip as six missile streaked out and hit the button. The battleship did not even have shields up as the missiles impacted and we skipped. I spun the ship as we came out behind the battleship and Samantha did not wait for me and fired six more missiles. I plotted and hit the skip button as the battleship was hit once more.

I twisted and rolled and turned when we came out and once more we fired. I hit the skip button as twenty large missiles launched and we skipped. I was sweating as we came out and turned while rolling and once more we fired. The battleship was ripped apart as something inside went. I turned and headed out and two destroyers jumped in between us and the jump point.

Samantha was cursing as she launched another six missiles, “We only have six more!”

I skipped and spun to see both destroyers being ripped apart. The destroyers skipping out stopped as I turned to head out. Peter had already jumped out and a few minutes later I jumped. When we came out I headed insystem as Edgar began scanning. There were a dozen cruisers on the edge of the system as I reset the SFT.