Last minute rescues are our stock and trade.
Well they would be if we got their sooner.
-Remark attributed to Kei by an anonymous reporter.
Captain Vincent Halson stood in the middle of his small bridge, listening to his bridge officers as they reported the ship's status to him. A tremor ran through the Dark Lady. Another thrust unit blowing up he suspected.
It had been several minutes since the opposing ship had stopped firing on them. Since then there had been nothing. Not that it mattered, Thrust units were blowing and the Dark Lady would likely tear itself apart without any help from the other ship.
"Status report," he, yelled to make himself heard above the others.
"They're just sitting out there, matching speed. Maybe they plan to board us?"
"They'll have to get closer," Vincent said. "And they'll have a fight on their hands." He pounded a fist into his palm.
"Sir," his com officer called. "They've stopped jamming us."
"What?"
"All channels are clear. Sensors are clean too."
"Send out an SOS on all frequencies."
"Yes sir." The com officer activated the distress beacon. "Sir, there is something on the sensors you should see."
"What is it?"
"There seems to be a number of bodies in the wake of that ship. It's almost as if they suffered massive explosive decompression."
"What?"
"I'm just telling you what is on the sensors." He paused. "Uh sir, there's a message coming in from the other ship. Asking for you."
Things were becoming more and more confusing. "Well, let's hear it."
"...please respond Dark Lady. I repeat, this is 3WA agent Kei, asking for Captain Halson, please respond Dark Lady. We have taken the prize ship... Hey, Yuri, what's a good name for this beast?"
There was silence for a few second, then, "Right, get real. Might as well call it the 'Titanic' as the 'Pretty Yuri'. This is the prize ship Vengeful Redhead calling the Dark Lady. Come on guys, respond. I can hear you breathing over there."
"This has to be real," Vincent said, shaking his head. "Engineering, cut engines, all power to life support and gravity fields to maintain structural integrity. And open up a channel to that ship."
"Done sir."
"Dark Lady to Vengeful Redhead," he was careful not to laugh, "we have a lot of trouble."
"How much trouble?" Kei's concerned tone came over the com.
"Not as bad as it was a few seconds ago. With the engines shut down we aren't about to explode, but the ship has taken some serious damage. We're going to need some help."
"Understood," Kei told him. We'll start preparations for docking. The Vengeful can hold your passengers and crews and give the Dark Lady a tow in system. Oh, we don't think there are any enemy combatants left on the this ship, but just to be sure, you had better make sure you initial teams are armed."
"Hold your course Dark Lady, we'll close the distance. Make sure your initial sweep teams are armed, we can't be sure that all enemy have been dealt with." Kei said.
"Understood," Vincent said. "Thank you. Out." He looked around at his crew. "Okay let's get moving. Standard evacuation procedures. Call sickbay and tell them to get ready to move. Look alive everyone, we're still not out of the woods yet." All around him people began to move. He smiled.
"How's it going?" Kei looked over Yuri's shoulder.
"I've almost got complete control. There are only a few minor, peripheral systems that are still controlled by the original programming. Should have it completed in a minute."
"So, what becomes of this ship now?" Kei asked in a casual manner.
"It's now property of the UG and will be sold off to pay any injured parties. Tamikia's shipping line is a likely candidate of course. And I know what you're thinking; there is no way you can keep it. If you think otherwise you should have named it the Bubbleheaded Redhead."
"Bubbleheaded? I'm hurt."
"Just do your job Kei."
"Fine." She turned to the controls. "Matched vectors with the Dark Lady. Fifty meters separating us. Opening hatches for the Dark Lady's team. Engaging boarding tubes. Doing my job."
"Do your job a little more quietly," Yuri told her.
"So now what?" Tamikia asked from where she was examining Melkar's body.
"Well, I'm going to bring the turrets in," Yuri reached over towards the gunner's station.
"Other than that?"
"Once we turn the ship over to Vincent we leave, grab your kids, and go to Peledies nine. No reason to stay here. Oh Kei, fire up the FTL com and get in touch with United Galactica Intelligence. Tell them that they should lock up all of Melkar's holdings."
"Why do I have to? I hate talking to UGI. You know they don't like us," Kei whined.
"Didn't I have to speak with them last time? Now it's your turn."
"Thank you ever so much."
There was a pounding at the bridge door. Yuri looked up from where she and Tamikia were cataloguing Melkar's body with a camera they had found. Kei swung her chair around to stare at the door.
"Forgot to take the locks off that door." Yuri stood.
"Maybe you should," Kei said testily. She was still upset over her conversation with UGI.
"What if its members of the original crew?" Tamikia asked. She picked up the braincase that held Melkar's brain."
"Doubt they'd knock." Yuri took the panel of the locking mechanism and pulled out a hand full of electronics.
There was a loud click and the door slid back. Vincent, his bridge crew, and a security team entered, quickly taking positions on the bridge, pushing bodies out of the way. They were all armed, but none of them looked like they had been involved in any fighting.
"Let's go," Yuri said, not looking at Vincent.
"Just a second." Vincent came over and directed Yuri off the bridge and down the corridor. Kei and Tamikia followed at a discrete distance. This might be good, Kei thought.
Vincent stopped, turned, and gently took Yuri's by the shoulders, simply stating at her. Yuri smiled back at him. It was not exciting at Kei had thought. Then Vincent took his hands from her shoulders and slapped her.
Yuri put her hand against the stinging part of her face, looking like she might be about to cry. Kei had pulled her carbine from its holster and was dealing with a very strong urge to shoot the Captain. Perhaps not fatally, but she did want to shoot him none-the-less.
Tamikia reached out and put her hand on Kei's wrist, pushing it down slightly. She looked at Kei and shook her head.
"You may not have meant this to happen but it did," Vincent told Yuri.
"I'm sorry," Yuri said.
"Why is she apologizing?" Kei asked softly.
Kei watched as Vincent leaned forward and whispered something into Yuri's ear. Then he kissed her. He stepped back from her. "I'll contact you when I make planet fall. You can decide if you want to have anything to do with me then." He turned and went back to the bridge.
Kei tripped him as he went by. He stumbled, but caught himself before he fell.
"Oops," Kei said to him.
"Accidents happen," he said, smiling civilly. He looked at Tamikia. "Miss Jiinas, I'm sorry to report that the Dark Lady has suffered serious damage and will require some time in space dock."
"I see Captain. What about the crew and passengers?"
"There were some minor injuries among the passengers. More serious injuries among the crew. So far no fatalities."
Kei did not bother to listen to anything else that two might say to each other. She went straight to Yuri. "I'm surprised you didn't introduce your knee to his crotch." Kei looked at the red mark that marred the pale skin on her friend's cheek. "I wanted to shoot the bastard."
"He, he had reason," Yuri told Kei.
"Like hell he did. So, what did he say to you?"
"I'll tell you later," Yuri told Kei. "Let's go."
Tamikia had finished speaking to Vincent. He had returned to the bridge, she had come over. "Are you all right Yuri?" she asked.
"Well enough. Come on."
They arrived in the cargo hold without any problems. Along the way they had met crew from the Dark Lady. A med team had taken care of the wounds Kei, Yuri, and Tamikia had obtained earlier.
Yuri picked up her briefcase before opening the Angel up then pulled her pistol from its shoulder holster. "Sweep and clear," she said to Kei.
"We're not going to find anything. No one's been in the Angel," Kei told Yuri even as she drew her carbine.
"That's what they think in all those horror vids."
"That you base a lot of your life on vids is sad Yuri. Really sad."
It took them ten minutes to sweep the Angel. Once they were done Kei returned to the airlock to seal the hole they had cut into the ship.
The seal was a little like an umbrella, opening up within the hole, barbs on the ribs digging into the metal, holding it in place.
From inside the Angel she sprayed a can of sealant down over the plug. The foam hardened almost instantly, forming a steel strong, airtight seal. Once she had it well covered she tested the seal. Satisfied it would hold she depressurized the boarding tube and retracted it back into the Angel.
That done she went to find Yuri. Kei found her in the arms locker with Tamikia. They were putting away the weapons, properly storing all the energy cells and ammunition.
"Going to be long with that?" Kei asked.
"Not too long," Yuri told her. "Little after action maintenance. Should take a few minutes."
"What are we going to do with that?" Kei asked, indicating the braincase resting on the workbench."
"Bake it up?" Yuri said.
"Ugh. I hate French cooking."
"You can always let me deal with him," Tamikia said.
Kei smiled. She liked that idea. "I'll get the Angel fired up and go and get the kids and Mughi."
"You might as well go and wait in the pod bay," Yuri told Tamikia.
"Thank you," Tamikia said, putting aside the work she had bee doing and leaving the arms locker.
Kei turned and headed up to the cockpit and settled herself into the pilot's station. She brought the Angel's engines up and disconnected the Angel from the larger ship.
"Lovely Angel to prize ship Vengeful Redhead, cutting off," she said into the com.
"Understood Lovely Angel. Take care."
"Will do," Kei said. She tapped the directional thrusters lightly, moving the Angel some distance from the others ship. Then she brought up the main thrusters and sped away.
Kei switched frequencies on the com. "Hey Mughi," Kei called into the com. "You out there? Fire up your signal beacon and show me where you are. Here are the authentication codes."
A moment later one of the secondary screens flickered to life. Mughi's head filled the screen and made a sound somewhere between a growl and a meow.
"Good to see you too," Kei said.
The cat was pushed aside, replaced by Catherine, looking into the camera.
"Are you all right? Where's mom? What happened?"
"Everyone and everything is alright," Kei said as she locked onto the pod's beacon and sent the Lovely Angel speeding towards it. "We'll be with you in a minute. Sit tight and relax. Everything is good." Kei smiled.