We the People Snippet 3

Still in Chapter 3:

"They know we're here," the communications rating stated.

The captain grunted. His ship was one of the most modern ships in the growing pirate fleet. He fully intended to make sure she was also the best trained, and his people were trained to his exacting standards.

It was a little ironic that he took a lot of his knowledge from his time in the navy. But, he didn't have to answer to anyone but himself for his decisions. He rather liked that arrangement.

"Then let's get this show moving," the captain growled. "Transmit the demand to surrender."

"We're not going to fire a warning..." the TO paused at the glower from the captain. "I mean aye sir," he said quickly.

"Better," the captain growled, eyes narrowing at the near questioning of his orders. He'd considered all options up to and including pretending to be a tramp freighter to get in close. He'd chosen this one because he wanted to put the fear into the sheep and let his crew savor it. He wanted the noobs, the polliwogs to have a proper taste of what they were in for to harden them for what was to come.

He watched as the flag came up and was transmitted to the station along with the audio demand to surrender.

He was curious to know if the sheep knew the historical reference to the flag. On old Earth it had meant 'no quarter'.

He was rather looking forward to educating the commander about that reference before he spaced her along with the rest of her sheep.

(^)#(^)

"What do we do?" Doctor Do asked as the command team gathered once more. They'd all had a chance to hear the audio recording and see the single image of a pirate flag. It hadn't gone well. Panic was spreading throughout the station as word spread of the pirates.

If they only knew that the flag meant no quarter, they'd really freak, Aeyrn thought. She realized a part of her mind was disengaged from the situation and quite possibly looking at it from a tactical view. She had already come to the conclusion though that they were hopelessly screwed.

Not that she was going to completely admit that. At least, not at first. She didn't want anyone doing anything stupid.

"If we roll over they'll just board us right? Take what they want and then leave?" Monique asked, lower lip quivering. She shivered.

"They can't leave any witnesses," Sho said. "They can't let the galaxy know who did this. We're dead men walking," he said from his place in engineering.

"Tell me you have something! Anything!" Monique said, voice rising into a shrill demand.

He shook his head. "I wish I did. They are staying beyond the moons. They are way out of range of the beams."

"It's space! Nothing like an atmosphere to occlude them right?" she demanded.

"It's not that simple," Doctor Do stated. "Ranginui, show her," he ordered.

An image of the laser satellites came up. "The solar collectors are diffuse. They mirrors beam the solar energy to collectors and then to others and then to the main beam. We tried flipping the beam satellite but that disrupts the line of sight of the collection beams. I'm trying to get that sorted out but it takes time."

"And moving the satellites has been noted. That's why they are staying out of range," Aeyrn stated.

"How do you know?" Monique demanded.

"Because, they altered course and speed. And it's what I'd do," she said evenly, crossing her arms.

The other woman's eyes widened briefly, and then her brows knit in anger and rage.

"I was a naval officer remember?" Aeyrn said evenly. "We can't run. We can't fight back. There is one last option."

"It is an act of defiance," Ranginui. "The company will not like the wholesale destruction," he reminded her.

"They can bill me," she said, jutting her chin out.

"You are talking about the self-destruct," Sho said in a stunned voice. "Has it really come to that?"

"There are six hundred people on this station!" Monique protested. Her voice cut above the others as they all protested.

Aeyrn rode it out. When they finally settled down she stared them down. "I don't see any other options people. We're quite frankly out of them. All but one," she said.

"Nice of you to say that given you are single and your kid isn't even here. Some of us had our whole lives ahead of us," Monique said bitterly.

Aeyrn gave her a cold look. "Look, I didn't want this either. But, I'll compromise. I'll let anyone who wants evacuate to the surface go before I set it off."

"And what, live a day or two there? At best a week?" Sho asked.

"Yes. They are not taking this station," Aeyrn stated. "No way no how," she said flatly.

"Some choice," Monique said bitterly.

"Do you have a better idea?" Doctor Do asked.

"We all have to choose between a clean death or being tortured, or dying slowly on the surface. Not many get a choice at all. I for one do not," Ranginui stated. "I'll take a clean death."

"And what, we're supposed to be thankful?! Where's the damn navy when you need them!" Monique demanded, starting to get hysterical as the terror of the hopeless situation hit her full force.

"Elsewhere obviously! They probably scouted the navy, saw their routine and timed this attack!" Sho said with a shake of his head.

(^)#(^)