Space Piracy

Georgie:

Georgie rolled her eyes, glad that the captain couldn't see her up in the crow's nest as she was. He was such an idiot. Didn't even know the poor girl's name. It was almost embarassing for her. She sighed. "Where we headed Georgie?"

She leaned in close to the speaking tube and sighed. "Up to you, captain," She snarled. She leaned up against at the side of the crow's nest and closed her eyes. It wasn't long behind she heard the shrill cry of distress from her cat, whom she called Wally. She hopped from the crow's nest, nimbly manouvering her way down the ropes until she found Wally hissing and spitting at the captain, Mikael. She snatched the fat gray thing up and pouted her lower lip, her eyebrows furrowed in digust. "Obviously you've offended him!"

Mikael looked her Georgie, his eyebrow raised in what she took to be amusement. "How can I offend a cat?"

Georgie wrinkled her nose and sniffed. "You're simply a disgrace to man-kind!" She stuck out her tongue and stomped away, whispering sweet-nothings in Wally's ear before casting a smug look at Krysten. She'd only just reached the ropes to the crow's nest when the cat attacked her arm and crawled away, using her head of curls as quick escape. She stuck her tongue out at it, too, and hoped that it would slip off the deck.

Georgie climbed back up to her place, grabbing her small telescope and looking through it. The stars were out, nice and bright.

Samantha Sharding~~

Ahh what a lovely nap!

Samantha stretched in the large crate she had set up camp in last night. THe inn owner had kicked her out after calling her 'worthless cheating Drakenwaldian', she had just asked for water after all. Or maybe it was the fact that she beat him in poker, last time does that to a guy.

Weird

There wasn't a top on the crate before and instead of sunlight streaming through, artificial light bled through the holes instead. She checked her belongings, the chunky camera was still with her along with her clothes and notepad, beside her notepad was a loaded pistol specially made for her father, emergencies only. The red head listened for movement and gradually lifted the lid to find herslef in the cargo hold of the ship. She must have gotten loaded onto one of those naval ships in bay, after all she was sleeping in a box labeled 'Explosives'. She just had to get out of the box and find the captain is all! She looked up and saw shadows moving above her on deck.

"So where we headed Georgie?" A voice came from above.

"Up to you captain," The voice was biting but the captain seemed to not notice it.

So the captain was a young fellow, strange and a girl was manning the crows nest, the navy usually didn't allow that and Sam knew for she wanted to do it herself one time. She stepped out of the crate slowly and looked around. She beamed, this is too awesome! She followed the 'captains footsteps below but was stopped by the wall, looking around she found the ventilation shaft. She popped in open with ease and climbed up, still following the captain's voice.

Little did Sam know that the ventilation system was old, and she soon fell through.

BAM! She hit the floor and rolled by the captain. She suddenly started laughing.

Mikael

I couldn't help but laugh at Georgies typically moody reaction. The girls would never get it. It wasn't my fault that girls threw themselves at me. If anyone was to blame it was my dad. All his fame an reputation as a galatic cassanova had made me one very lucky heir. I really needed some male company. This ship was too small for me to be stuck with only two girls for the rest of my days.
"Hmm i think it's time for a raid. Perhaps that new little village on the eastern edge on Gensha."
"Alright captain." Came Krystens voice from the cockpit of my beloved ship. Ancient cogs began to creak and whirr as the top of the ship closed over in preparation for space travel.
"Oh come on!" Came Georgies voice from the now defunct crows mast. "Just five more minutes."
"Sorry but if you plan on eating tonight we need to pull of a raid tonight." I moved into the sleeping quarters and pick up a transmitter.
"Hey someone put me through to Captain Blackheart." A few moments later there came the unmistakable voice of my father.
"Mikey, i hear you've been causing havoc among the fathers of Arkwald again."
"Maybe," i replied calmly."
"Thats my boy." He laughed. "Now what do you want?"
"I'm off on a quick raid to that new village on Gensha. Could you send a couple of the lads in a dropship?"
"Sure sure, i'll have 'em meet you there." With that the line went dead. I wandered back into the main deck to see Georgie cleaning and fiddling with her pistol.

The Noronians

"Evin, you're home!" Gelding Noronian strode down the front steps of his mansion with a frown. His daughter had just pulled up in the driveway, glossy black hovercraft settling to the ground as she emerged. "What kept you?"

"Cadaver dissection at the medical training facility." The sleeves of Evin's white blouse were rolled up, and her hair was a little unkempt. She seemed weary but pleased. "The program they have is very comprehensive. They go over everything, even outdated technology like stitches."

Gelding's frown faded. "You're enjoying it, then?"

"Very much so." Evin suddenly glanced around nervously. It was starting to get dark, the light of the two suns just barely visible over the horizon. "I didn't know how late it had gotten, actually. Maybe we should go inside."

"Certainly." Gelding and his daughter strode back into the house's enormous entryway. Everything was made of a smooth dark stone, from the spotless floors to the vaulted ceiling. The sound of trickling water could be heard from a fountain placed some distance from the door.

Evin shuddered. "Is the security system activated? What about the guards, and the 'dogs'?"

Gelding smiled and put an arm around his daughter's shoulders. "You're not still worrying about the threat we got from young Eisenstein, are you? We've evaded much older and more experienced frigates than him before. He won't come near either of us."

"But he's Blackheart's son." She bit her lip. "I don't know, I just have a bad feeling about this."

Her father planted a kiss on her head. "Just relax, dear. Everything will be just fine."

"Mmm." She sighed and pulled away. "I need to go study. See you later father."

As Evin made her way back to her room, Gelding's smile vanished. With a furtive glance at the door and the windows, he pulled out his blaster to make sure it was charged.

Evin wasn't the only one worried about Mikael's threats.

Virandel and Emuros

"What are they doing now?" Virandel asked Emuros, who was busy spying on Mikael's ship. Emuros didn't have very sharp eyes, but his attention to detail more than made up for that.

"Preparing to take off by the looks of things." Emuros replied. "Virandel, you think it's another raid?"

"What did I tell you about calling me that?"

"Sorry, Padrio."

"That's better. And yes, I do think it's another raid. I'm going to offer my services to them."

Virandel stood up and walked over to the ship waving his arms around in front of the cockpit in the hope of Mikael seeing him.

"Viran...Padrio, why exactly are we targetting Mikael? He is hardly the greatest pirate in the galaxy."

"No, but his father arguably is. Come on, you're the genius, why don't you work it out?"

"I may have an extraordinary ability to know things which other people do not, but Machiavellianism isn't my strong point."

"Then you're in the wrong profession." Virandel said bluntly. "Now be quiet, it seems like they are responding."

The ship's door opened, and Mikael walked out. Virandel put on his friendliest grin and opened his arms.

"Mikael, my old friend!" He patted Mikael on the back as if he had known him all his life. "How are you?"

"Good, thank you. What do you want?"

"Well, I've been a bit short on work recently, and the pockets of Bigor and I are dangerously close to being empty. So I was wondering if you were requiring our services. Need a freighter to help carry your profits?"

Mikael

"Well, I've been a bit short on work recently, and the pockets of Bigor and I are dangerously close to being empty. So I was wondering if you were requiring our services. Need a freighter to help carry your profits?"
Bigor and Padrio. I had heard of these guys. Some good some bad. They had supposedly once dissappeared with a pirates entire stolen horde.
"Hmm i suppose so. Whatever doesn't fit in our ship and the dropship of my fathers men will go in your frigate. You come down, you help us raid and we will give you your fair cut at the end of it. Double cross me and i or my father will kill you, understand?" I spoke calmly, safe in the knowledge these men feared my father far more than they feared me.
"Yes Captain Eisenstein."
"Right follow us. We are heading for the East side of Gensha. If you work well on this we will look at the possibility of another job." Without waiting for a response i clambered back into the ship. As soon as the hangar doors clanked shut we were the engines roared into life and wewere heading for the darkside of Gensha.

Sam~~

Pirates? Sam was on a pirate ship and was barely noticed! Great!! All she had to do was stay out of sight that was easy right? The smell of food wafted throughout the empty hall, and she heard men coming down the hall.

Hide mode sam!

[i]

She ran in cirlces looking for anything to hide behind, she eventually ran into a room.

"Where am I?" She asked herself looking about.

Virandel and Emuros

Virandel turned to Emuros, rubbing his hands in delight.

"Excellent! I have a good feeling about this. Get in his good books, we get in his father's good books, then we kill two birds with one stone. I sometimes wonder if my job is too easy."

He strode away towards his 'freighter', actually a heavily converted military cruiser.

"Master, what are we going to do?" Emuros asked.

"Why, isn't it obvious? Follow the pirate's orders exactly, accept the meagre payment he offers as if he were the most generous man in the universe and from there get closer and closer to him, his friends and, most importantly, his father, then destroy them all!"

They reached the ship and entered it. It could easily carry two dozen passengers, even more at a squeeze, but most of the time Virandel and Emuros were its only occupants.

"So you will willingly commit piracy to defeat the pirates?"

Virandel winced. It was a sad irony that he had to become one among his enemies in order to bring justice to them.

"If I must sacrifice a thousand innocent lives to prevent the slaughter of a million, then that is exactly what I will do. Turn on the music."

As they strapped themselves in in the cockpit, Emuros flicked a switch, causing the surround speakers to boom with one of Virandel's favourite obscure orchestras.

"That's the good stuff." Virandel sighed. "Now, locate Mikael's ship. Has he left the ground yet?"

"Yes, he'll be in orbit soon."

"Too far ahead for my liking. We'll follow him swiftly."

Georgie:

Georgie watched the whole thing play outfit, scrubbing her gun furiously. A raid? Then who were these guys? In a moment of Mikael's free time, she shoved her gun back into her holster, pushing the belt down to a comfortable spot on her hip, and strode over to Mikael. She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the door jam of the quarters, before letting her iron grasp on his arm go. "Who are these guys?"

She pointed at the men who had just come aboard. "They better not be in on the raid. That means we have to split the profits, and I'm not getting paid enough as it is!" Georgie spat in his face, glaring. But the men were going to their own ship. Georgie shook her head, and started back to the crow's nest, swinging up on the ropes and scaling. "This is a crap job," She mumbled to herself.

Mikael


"Look Georgie were only kids. We need help from bigger, scary and more experienced pirates."
"We already have your fathers men coming with us!" She spat angrily.
"I love it when your angry." I smirked.
"Give your libido a rest for a change."
"Oh can it Georgie. We've got work to do."
I strode back towards my quarters and heard a strange noise coming from the crates in the corner. Quietly i unholstered my pistol before pulling one the crates aside to discover a young woman, clinging onto her camera curled up in the corner.
"Excuse me madame," i said putting on my most attractive smile and yawning to show of my muscular form. "But what exactly are you coing abord my ship?"

The Noronians

"Sir?"

Gelding spun around, blaster still out. The uniformed bodyguard didn't so much as flinch. "Call for you, Mr. Noronian." He held out a com unit.

"Thank you Brannin." Gelding took the unit. "Talk to me."

As the call wore on, a frown crossed the man's face. He looked very angry. "I see. Thank you. I'll be there- No, I insist. I am joining you. Yes, thank you officer."

He handed his com unit back to Brannin and stormed down the hall. "Evin, I'm leaving. There's been a pirate sighting near our farms on Gensha."

Evin came out of her room. "You can't be serious-"

"No, I need to show them that they don't scare me. I'm not going to take them on myself, that would be ridiculous, but I do want to make sure that nothing more happens to my plantations."

His daughter set her jaw. "Fine then, I'm coming with you." Gelding frowned. "Come on dad, you know how stubborn I am. I got it from you anyways."

Her father was silent for a moment. "Get your things together. We're leaving in fifteen minutes."
---

It wasn't long before the sleek personal ship left the manor and shot off towards Gensha.

The SPEW Gryphon II powered towards the Drakenwald system. Grif looked it up in the encyclopedia galactica.

Named for the most prominent of the planets, it was actually a system with three habitable planets, although there were several other planets which were nearby. In recent times it had descended into poverty and had become a hotbed of pirate activity. It was suspected that numerous pirate settlements were located on Arkwald, and on some of the large asteroids nearby.

The third inhabited system was the Gensha system and that was the one that the Gryphon was heading for. The Gryphon was going to deliver mining supplies for one of the larger mining corporations there.

"Grif, I've just detected a couple corvettes inbound to our location. Their IFF's have been disabled and they are attempting to jam our communications. They will intercept in five minutes," Adelaide, the AI, said.

"I'll be right up. Arm the forward gun pods with Ion Cannons, we'll try to take the ships intact. Arm the rest with missiles," Grif moved quickly to the Command Center. Holographic displays danced throughout the room. Grif called up the targeting displays.

"Three corvettes, traveling in formation. They have managed to jam my scanners. They are signaling for us to shut down our engines and prepare to be boarded, or they will fire on us," Adelaide finished with a snort.

"Raise shields. Let's see what sort of weapons they're carrying," Grif said. A moment later, laser bursts splashed against the shields of the Gryphon .

"Shields are at 97%, no hull damage."

"Tell me the range," Grif said.

"Targets are now at 100 km."

"Prepare to fire the bow weapons pod," Grif said. The pod descended from the bottom of the bow and opened, revealing the Ion Cannons."

"Targets are at 50 km."

"Fire at will," Grif said. A second later, a series of flashes appeared as the ion blasts reached out for their targets."

"Targets hit. One corvette has broken off their attack and is running. The other two ships have been disabled. I estimate it will take them five minutes to come back online," Adelaide said.

"Cease fire. Let's be out of here before they restart."

"We're not killing them?" Adelaide asked.

"Nope. We're not bounty hunters, at least not yet. Secure weapons and inform Drakenwald that we have repelled an attack by pirates and are proceeding to Gensha on schedule."

Arka Brough

Arka paced back and forward in his quarters aboard the Police Ship trying to memorise the procedures for handling his rifle over the sound of Green Day blaring from the speakers in his neighbours room. He muttered to himself and pushed a few strands of his blonde hair out of his face whilst trying to block out the racket the cadet in the room next to him insisted on playing seemingly every night. As Bille Joe was asking to be woken up when some long-forgotten month had passed Arka couldn't take it anymore.
"Will you shut that opera up?!" he yelled at the wall that he shared with the cadet in question. Arka stood in silence for a few seconds awaiting some kind of response, but he got none. Infuriated, the normally calm cadet stormed out of his room, threw the door to his fellow cadet's room open and, stuck his head through the gap.
There was no-one there. "What is the point of this?!" Arka's face was turning violet. He walked into the room and soon realised he had no idea how to work a stereo. "Get some new stuff dammit," Arka muttered as he fumbled around with the device and it's oddly labelled buttons. A cold voice quickly made Arka freeze in his tracks.
"What are you doing to my stuff?" Arka glanced round at the owner of the voice. He was a tall boy the same age as Arka, with long, brown hair and, at that moment, very angry blue eyes. Arka was genuinely scared for a moment, before he reminded himself that if he wanted to be a policeman he would have to face nastier thugs than this.
"I couldn't concentrate with this opera playing," Arka mumbled.
"That's a window into the lives of our fore-fathers! Listening to it gives us a picture of what life was like back then," the other cadet grunted.
"Don't give me that crap, Bunser, you just like classic music," Arka snapped. "You've played this non-stop since we got on this vessel, how can you have missed anything? Isn't it time to give it a break?"
"It just gets better every t..."
"Yeah, sure." Arka tried to make his way past Bunser back to his own quarters but with a hand to the chest Bunser stopped him. Arka just sighed, "You've been watching too many old films as well as listening to old crap." With this said Arka pushed Bunser backwards into the tight corridor that connected all the cadets' rooms. For all his acting, Bunser wasn't that tough, a useful fact that Arka had learnt fairly early on in his time as a police cadet. Despite this, Bunser still stretched his chest out and started squaring up to Arka as if he planned to fight him. The possible outcome of this action would never be known as a pirate ship chose that moment to bombard the other side of the immense ship the two cadet's were stood one. The blast was felt to some extent through-out the whole ship and it wasn't long before a pre-recorded message began blaring out of the intercoms strategically placed through-out the ship.
"All available officers to the east wing of floor thirty-seven."
Both cadets exchnaged weary glances before dashing into their respective rooms, emerging seconds later with the weapons they had been issued with months before with very little chance to use them yet.
"You don't need to cock it more than once..." Arka muttered to himself as he ran up the corridor towards his first real contact with the pirates he had once so badly yearned to be.

Samantha~~

"Sam at your service!" Sam uncurled her body to look up at the smiling guy. She'd been found out, oh well. If she gets thrown of the ship, somebody will rescue her, eventually, but for now this guy who was trying to be attractive was in her face. Well he wasn't trying he really was attractive just obviously... what was that word again? Man whorish? No that's too mean, narcissistic? MAybe, Sam didn't know him all that well yet.

"Captain Mikael at your service," He yawned again his muscles pulsed.

Click

"What did your just do?!"

"I took your picture what does it look like? Just think! girls everywhere will be sighing at your picture! Now these chaps look more interesting!" Men were coming aboard the ship and Sam kept snapping pictures at super sonic speed.

"aren't you guys worried someone will see you? It is just two big pirate ships in open Space," Sam talked as she snapped pictures of everything in sight.

The Noronians

The small black ship slowed just outside of Gensha. Being a private craft, the passenger bay could only seat eight people comfortably. Right now it held only two, Gelding and Evin. They watched their progress on a monitor mounted near the entrance to the cockpit where Brannin was steering the ship.

"A small pirate craft can be seen up ahead, sir. It looks to be of the same make and model as Eisenstein's."

Mr. Noronian smiled mechanically. "Lovely. The Spiral Guard should be here before long. Perhaps we should sit back and watch. I want to be here when Eisenstein is brought into custody."

Evin looked a little nervous. "As long as he doesn't see us..." Being captured and/or killed by pirates wasn't something she ever wanted to experience.