45 Chapter

I yawn and look out over the landing pad from the cargo ramp as the two heavy cargo droids shift another container onto the magnetic lifting strip to move it further into the ship and I glance down at Mekak who is standing next to me "How are we doing?" I ask and he glances up from his PAD

"We are about 86% done with the loading. We should be ready for liftoff in 30 minutes or so."

Nodding I turn to head into the ship "Keep up the good work."

The cargo is refined metals meant for Dantoonie of all places. I didn't even know they had major industries there, the planet is mostly agricultural but I guess it's a planet...they have to have SOME industries.

On my way up to the bridge, I run into Icri "All passengers accounted for, Skipper." she says with a smile "None was eaten by the locals this time."

I snort and nod "Very good. Get them ready for takeoff, we leave in twenty." before I enter the bridge and coil around my pillar "Status?"

Tel'te glances back at me "All ready here, Skipper." she says from the pilot's seat while Samantha Swan walks onto the bridge a few moments after me to get into her seat, soon followed by Jack Melton a couple of minutes later.

I shake my head and pull up a hologram of the latest adjustments to the security drones programming to waste some time until liftoff. I got no idea who those two actually think they are kidding with this sneaking around but if they want to keep their relationship a 'secret' I don't mind as long as it doesn't go out over their duties. At the very least I haven't found them on my table.

Three hours later we are in hyperspace and I'm alone on the bridge, taking the first watch. We have been in hyperspace for a couple of hours and I yawn, shutting down my programming work to pull up a game instead.

While I insist there should always be someone on the bridge at all times, even in hyperspace I can't really argue that its the most exciting thing in the world. I glance at the time, five hours to go before I start to move my troops around before the match start...when the ship suddenly bucks beneath my pillar and the swirling of hyperspace give away to real space.

I quit out of the game and bring up the navigation software. It put us at the edge of the D'xti system, system empty of anything interesting, even life. A place where we should very much NOT be.

"Engineering, What the hell happened?" I ask as I open the com channel to engineering.

It takes a couple of seconds before I head Sarah Honor's voice answer me "We hit an interdiction field! The hyperdrive safeties tripped and the motivator it fried!"

Interdiction field...that means...

I hit the intercom to all sections "All hands, this is the Captain. Battlestations." and a second later I hear my chief engineer's voice again "Captain, We tracked down the source of the interdiction field. Some bantha jerker snuck a gravity charge into the cargo!"

Bringing up the sensor data I acknowledge her while trying to locate the threat. If they had a timed charge and knew our course they know where we would pop out...

Cormac, Swan and Melton hurry into the bridge to their stations as I locate the ship "Incoming from aft. I read the ship as a...YT-1000." I say and Cormac glances back at me.

"Really? That's gutsy...even if they are really modifiable, it's still a light freighter. Nothing more on scans, Captain?" he asks and I shake my head

"Not so far..but then again the Starshuttle are usually unarmed so I guess they think us an easy target." I answer "Very well, let's see what they want."

A couple of minutes later the YT pull up beside us, rolling onto its side to bring its top gun to bare as they hail us.

I open the channel "Clear Skies, this is the pirate raider Cutthroat. Cut your engines and prepare to be boarded."

I raise an eyebrow before hitting the button to answer "Cutthroat, this is Captain Atreus of the Clear Skies. Am I to understand you intend to attempt an act of piracy on my vessel?" and there is a second before they answer.

"Captain Atreus, this is Captain Rixx. Surrender now and nobody will be harmed."

I frown "I would really advice you to reconsider this..." I say and the answer is quick.

"You got thirty seconds to cut your engines or we open fire."

Closing the channel I shake my head "Very well. They brought this on themselves." before I access the crows "Spread your wings, disable, not destroy."

The launch bays snap open and the twenty Crow MKII accelerate into space. The pirates try to break away but they have no chance.

They open fire but the new Crows are shielded...and even more maneuverable than the old ones. Hitting one of them is incredibly hard and even if they do, a single hit won't destroy one.

A single Crow is not a threat to a fighter craft or even a light freighter...but twenty of them?

The forty blaster cannons rip into the shields and cut through them easily, blasting the sub-light propulsion into debris.

The bridge crew cheer as I open a channel to them "Cutthroat, this is Clear Skies. Prepare to be boarded." before uncoiling from around my pillar "Mr. Cormac, get us docked."

As I exit the bridge I key my wrist control, ordering the security drones down to the docking port.

When I reach it Commander Swan rushes up behind me "And what do you think you are doing, Captain. You are not going in there, especially not without that armor of yours." she says and I shake my head before answering her.

"I got no intention of doing anything so foolish commander and you should know that much by now." and there is a clunk as the docking rings lock-in "I am simply here to monitor the drones."

Ten or so of them are floating by the docking hatch and I give them a nod as we approach "SD1, Ready?"

"Affirmative, Khan." one of them respond as I put my hand on the door controls

"Breach and clear, shoot anyone that doesn't surrender. Stun the rest." I order them before I hit the button, opening the docking hatch to reveal their outer hull.

Swan raises an eyebrow and pulls out her blaster "Well, I don't suppose they'll feel like opening if we knock?"

I shake my head and pull a lightsaber from one of the small bags on my carrying harness before floating it in there with The Force and cutting a large circle in the airlock door before shutting it down and putting it back in my bag.

"Drones...go!" I order as I give the loose piece of the hull a good force push, making it fall inwards.

The security drones swarm inside and there is the sound of blaster fire...for a few moments and then it goes quiet.

A minute later one of the drones float back through the airlock "No casualties, Khan. All hostiles eliminated, one prisoner located."

I frown slightly "Prisoner?" I ask and the drone bob in the air as if to nod.

"Affirmative, Khan. One female human, chained up the Captains Quarters. She is wounded and unconscious."

Having a bad feeling about this I sigh "Commander, Take MD-31 and check it out."

She swallows before nodding "Yes sir." and turn to go get the medical droid.

As she leave I look through the airlock into the pirate ship. To bad they all died. I think having a talk with them would have been...rewarding.