The Pirates of Sufiro (Book 1) (Old Star New Earth) (6 page)

The snow continued for three days. It let up, then snowed again. The ship was mostly buried. Firebrandt and Suki spent many of their days in bed. One morning, Suki turned to Firebrandt and stroked his long hair. "You know, I worry about Carter."

"I worry that he's lonely. We have each other. He has no one."
Firebrandt blinked twice and sat up. "Has he ever told you about his mother?" Suki nodded. "Those were Coma pirates. The man has now been violated by them twice. I'm not sure if he'll ever get over it."
Suki folded her arms across her stomach and glared at the captain. "That's a cold attitude."
"You love him?" he asked, gently.
"I love you," she said, firmly. "And, I love him."
"Does he know?" Firebrandt's voice was tender.
"I think so," she said.
"I don't own you." His brow furrowed. "At one time, I might have owned him, when he was my first officer. I don't own him anymore." The captain stood and poured some coffee from a carafe. He sipped it for a few moments. "I would be hurt if you left me for him."
"I would never leave you," said Suki, standing. "However, I might want to spend some time with him."
The captain grinned, wryly. "You know ... secretly ... deep down inside, I think I do love him enough to want the same."
"Enough to act on it?"
The captain shrugged. "I doubt it. But, enough that I wouldn't be hurt if you did sleep with him."
"Sleeping with him is no big deal," said Suki, a glint in her eye. "It's having sex I was talking about."
The captain took his lover in his arms. "As long as he isn't hurt. It's happened enough in his life."
* * * *

Three weeks later, the captain reached over to turn on the lights, but nothing happened. There was no power. Soon, the lights flickered on, seemingly of their own accord. Firebrandt wandered naked into the hall. With the heat in the large shipturned-house, no one, not even Roberts tended to concern themselves with clothing. Roberts wandered down the hall, scowling. "We're having generator problems," he grumbled. "I've switched over to battery reserves. We only have enough charge on them to last a month, though."

"We better find out what's going on." Firebrandt sighed. Roberts nodded. They retrieved the space suits from the locker in the surviving launch bay. The suits were thermally insulated and had heaters powered by battery packs. They climbed out of the top hatch on the hull. The snow had melted off the metal surface of the ship. The sun was shining, but instruments showed the external temperature to be twenty below zero. The two made their way to the river.

Water still flowed sluggishly down the middle of the river. Large chunks of ice made their way lazily southward. Water near the riverbank was frozen solid. The water wheel stood motionless. Even through their suits, Roberts and Firebrandt could hear the bitter wind moan through the wheel's unmoving timbers.

"As I see it," said Roberts through the suit speaker, "there's not much we can do. We pretty much have to wait for the ice to melt."

"You say we have only about a month of charge on batteries?" asked Firebrandt.
"Plus or minus." Roberts nodded gravely. "We have about two months of winter left. Who knows how late the spring thaw comes here."
The captain's shoulders sank imperceptibly in the inflexible suit. "What alternative energy sources do we have?"
Roberts looked around. "If we could build a windmill, we could turn the turbine with that. However, cutting frozen trees out of snow banks isn't exactly a trivial problem, especially in space suits."
Firebrandt looked toward the sun. His faceplate polarized. "Why not charge the ship's batteries with solar power?"
"Photovoltaic cells?" Roberts lifted his eyebrows. "Primitive, but no more so than the water wheel. We probably have the materials." He thought for several moments. "It'll take time to construct them."
"We have a month," said Firebrandt. With that, they trudged through the snow back to the ship and crawled in through the hatch. Suki was waiting for them. She helped them out of their suits and yelped as some snow came off Firebrandt's suit and hit her naked breast.
Roberts winced when Firebrandt helped pull off his boot. "Foot cramp," explained Roberts as he stood. He grimaced and sat down suddenly.
"You okay?" Firebrandt's red eyebrows came together.
Roberts rubbed his foot. "Must be the cold. I've never felt anything like it."
The captain patted Roberts on the shoulder. "You're just getting old."
"Just what I need," he grumbled, then tried to stand again. This time, the pain was tolerable.
Over the next two weeks they constructed a series of photovoltaic cells and mounted them on the ship. They replaced the leads from the generator with ones from the solar panels. Roberts looked at a meter. "Well," he said, nodding, "they're still draining faster than they're charging, but we've probably bought ourselves another month. If we go to minimum power—just enough to keep from freezing and starving—they'll probably last longer."
The rest of the first winter went on relatively quietly. Spring came and the ice on the Nuevo Rio Grande melted. The generator started functioning again. The three emerged from their homestead and reveled in the warmth of spring. The snow melted and grass once again began to grow in the meadow.
"Sufiro is good to us," said Firebrandt. "It provides us with so much." He walked in the meadow around the homestead.
"The meadow and the trees. They've saved us." Roberts smiled. "In old Nova Granada, they would have called this valley Socorro. Succor in Generic."
"Like a mother and her baby," said Firebrandt, bemused. "It's not a bad name for the valley."
Roberts pursed his lips. "All these names ... You make it sound like a city's going to spring up here."
Firebrandt shrugged. "Who knows?" The captain looked around the valley. They returned to the homestead. Suki was laying out a picnic lunch. The day was perfect for it. Firebrandt hugged Suki and they sat down to eat.
As they finished dessert, she looked at the men. Firebrandt could tell something was up. "I have an announcement." She blushed slightly and her voice quaked a bit. "I'm pregnant," she said.
Firebrandt's mouth dropped. Roberts reached across the picnic blanket and shook her hand. Firebrandt hugged her again. "First child to be born on Sufiro," he announced proudly. He kissed her. They lay together on the grass in each other's arms. Roberts picked up the dishes and the blanket and did his best to disguise the newfound limp as he walked back toward the ship.
* * * *

Spring passed lazily into summer. It became apparent that Suki was pregnant. Her petite yet muscular body began to take on a delightful fullness of form. Meanwhile, Roberts and Firebrandt made modifications to the house. They plowed up part of the meadow and planted a variety of Earth vegetables to supplement the ones the planet provided. While the native plants tasted good and were filling, there was a need to supplement vitamins.

One day, while working in the field, Roberts bent over to plant a seed in the ground. The seat of his trousers split open and he grumbled ferociously. The captain calmed his lieutenant and repaired the damage. That night, at dinner, Suki looked from Roberts to Firebrandt. "What's on your mind?" asked the captain.

"I was thinking about clothing." She brushed hair away from her forehead.
"We have plenty, if we can keep it from falling apart." Roberts shrugged.
"That's exactly what I mean," she said. "What do we do when it wears out? I searched the library for an hour but found nothing about textiles." The three looked at each other. Discussion went around the table for several minutes. They agreed that clothing was a commodity they needed to conserve. As the summer sun grew warm, they wore clothes only for protection when they worked.
* * * *

A week later, while they sat outside, Roberts pointed to the sky. "It's a launch," he said at last.
Firebrandt eyed it professionally. "It doesn't look humanbuilt."
Roberts and the captain faced each other. "Rd'dyggian." They helped Suki back into the house then they each dressed formally. After all, this was their first visit by foreigners. They brought three chairs out in front of the house. The launch landed about a hundred yards away.
An orange being stepped out of the craft. He was shaped like a human, but larger. He wore a silver jump suit with a blue sash. Firebrandt recognized him as a command officer. His hands were massive with four pointed fingers and two thumbs. He had no hair. However, in front of his mouth was an array of tiny purple appendages that looked like a bushy moustache, but was actually used to assist eating. The being was a Rd'dyggian warrior. Firebrandt bent in a low bow and greeted him in a guttural, hissing voice.
The Rd'dyggian wore a translator box. "Not bad," he said, using the translator. "Not many humans can speak Rd'dyggian. I am impressed." As a general rule, Rd'dyggians did not give complements. By receiving one, Firebrandt knew he had made an excellent first impression. "I am captain of a scout ship," said the Rd'dyggian. "I am called Arepno. We scanned your ship from orbit. I decided to investigate."
"We are honored to have you." The captain bowed again. He indicated the chairs. They walked over and sat.
"It appears you live here," said Arepno, eyeing the house. "You are aware this planet is Rd'dyggian?"
"Yes," said Firebrandt. "We understood the planet was open to general colonization."
"Still, one should contact the Rd'dyggian government before settling," Arepno scolded.
"We were not aware of that." Firebrandt opened his hands, gesturing apology. "Our ship was damaged, we were short of fuel. Our only choice was to make a crash landing and attempt to make a home here. Besides, we don't have a working EQ transmitter."
Arepno studied Firebrandt, then Roberts. "How long have you been here?" Firebrandt explained that it had been close to a local year. He told of the crash and how he and Roberts had survived using a minimum of equipment. He pointed out the water wheel and the solar panels on top of the ship. Arepno—who swayed and gestured almost constantly—grew silent and motionless which for a Rd'dyggian meant he was surprised. "You are truly impressive," he said. "This planet is too hot and dry by Rd'dyggian standards." Arepno tugged at his collar. Firebrandt motioned to Roberts, who ran inside the house and brought drinks out. Again Arepno was impressed with Firebrandt's knowledge of Rd'dyggian tradition.
"So," said Firebrandt, "what brings you to Sufiro?"
"Is Sufiro the human designation for this world? I thought it only had a number in the Generic Star Catalog." Arepno fidgeted.
"Sufiro is our designation for this planet." Roberts passed glasses of water around the table.
"We are on a long exploratory mission," said Arepno. "We are in need of food and water. May we please exploit some of your planet's resources?"
Firebrandt noticed something wrong in Arepno's mannerisms. Rd'dyggians never lied well. "Arepno," he said slowly. "I know that name." Firebrandt searched his memory. Arepno began to fidget more. "You're a privateer, not a civilian." Arepno stood and drew his gun. Firebrandt sat still. "Put your gun away. We are retired privateers ourselves."
Arepno looked from one to the other. "I can kill you," he said matter-of-factly.
"I've killed a lot of people myself." The captain folded his arms. "I know death. It doesn't frighten me."
"You speak like a privateer but you have the same name as the admiral who pursues me. I do not think I should trust you," said Arepno.
"I know Barbara Firebrandt," said the captain coldly. "She's the one who did this to my ship." The captain pointed at the wreckage. "She scattered my crew and took the right hand of my first officer."
Arepno looked into Firebrandt's face. "You were captain of this ship?"
Firebrandt nodded. "I was, and I can help you escape the Admiral." The captain detailed a plan to Arepno. The Rd'dyggian would order his crew to abandon ship and seek cover on the continent on the opposite side of the planet. All launches would be returned to the ship. No escape pods would be used. It would look like another ship had come and picked up the crew.
"We will live." Arepno waved his hand approvingly. "But how will we return to our ship?"
"There is a functional launch aboard
Legacy
," explained Firebrandt. "All it lacks is the hydrogen compound for its fusion reactor."
Arepno thought for a while. He looked at the old ship then looked up to the sky. "A good plan." Then he waved his gun at Firebrandt again. "If you deceive us, I will come back and kill you and take your house and supplies."
Firebrandt bowed. "So be it."
Later that day a crew of Rd'dyggians landed not far from the homestead. They brought fuel packs. Firebrandt and Roberts helped them unload the
Legacy's
launch. They checked it. Roberts showed them how to operate it. They were satisfied at its condition. Their launch returned to their ship via remote control while they flew off to the other continent.
Suki came out and looked at the departing launch. "This may be a naive question," she asked, "but if their launches could run by remote control, why can't they just bring them back to the planet?"
"They have to be preprogrammed," explained Roberts. "If Admiral Firebrandt found a ship full of preprogrammed launches, she would know there was a ruse. She could also find the crew by reading the program on the launch vessel's computer."
The captain and Roberts plowed a field around the area where the Rd'dyggian launches had landed. It covered any trace of burned ground. They were all too familiar with the fact that Rd'dyggians carried out their death threats.
Three days later, another launch appeared from the sky. This time it was human-built. Firebrandt, Roberts, and Suki dressed to meet it. Firebrandt grinned wryly when his mother stepped out of the launch. The two flag lieutenants flanked her.
"I see you found a charming little planet," she said. Her voice was formal. "It's good to see you, my son."
Firebrandt bowed his head, formally. "It's good to see you, Admiral." He forced himself not to sneer.
The admiral walked over to Suki and inspected her. She turned back to Firebrandt. "I see I am to have a grandchild."
"Suki and I are having a baby, yes," said Firebrandt, tightly. "Admiral, you did not come for a social call. I hope you didn't come to execute me. As you can see from the condition of my ship, I am a threat to no one. Why are you here?"
Admiral Firebrandt studied her son. She was deeply hurt by his formality. Yet she saw him on many other levels. In addition to being her son, he was a defeated opponent. He once was a pirate. He was the son of a man she now loathed. More importantly, if her political opponents on Alpha Coma ever got word that she had a pirate son, her career would be finished. She cast a sidelong glance at her flag lieutenants, then put her mind back on her business. "Are you aware that a Rd'dyggian pirate ship is in orbit around this planet?"
"No ma'am. We haven't been watching for ships in the sky." Firebrandt stared at his feet, hands behind his back. Roberts and Suki looked at each other as though surprised. Good for them, thought Firebrandt. "Do you expect they'll try to raid us?" The captain looked up, cocking his head.
The admiral studied her son's face carefully. She did not truly understand him and she found him surprisingly hard to read. "No," she said at last. She decided on an honest approach. "They appear to have abandoned ship in the last week."
"We haven't seen any launches." The captain shrugged.
"I wouldn't expect so," said the admiral. She stepped forward and put her hand on Firebrandt's shoulder. She wasn't sure why. She thought it was motherly instinct. Firebrandt's instinct was to flinch, but he accepted the cold hand. He simply tensed. "You were once a pirate. What would you do if you knew you were being pursued?"
"I was a legally licensed privateer. There's a difference," Firebrandt said, an edge in his voice. He studied her face. It was set like stone. "As a privateer, I'd call for help from another ship in the fleet and transfer my important cargo and crew, leaving my ship as a red herring. If I were a pirate, I'd sit in orbit and lay a trap. I'd do my damnedest to kill you and take your ship."
"You did your damnedest to take my ship," said the admiral, taking her hand off Firebrandt's shoulder. The scar on her chin paled as she tensed.
"But I attacked you honestly. There are rules, which you violated by laying a trap for me."
"Are you implying that
I
am a pirate, sir?" Barbara Firebrandt's eyes were wide.
"I imply nothing, ma'am," said Firebrandt.
The admiral dismissed her lieutenants with a wave of the hand. Firebrandt nodded to Suki and Roberts, who also left.
"I can only talk to you privately for a moment," said the admiral. "You are my son and I love you. Tell me honestly. Where are the Rd'dyggians?"
"If you love me, why did you leave me?" Firebrandt sneered openly. "Why did you abandon me and my father?"
"Bradbury Firebrandt abandoned me and took you with him," said the admiral coldly. "I searched for you for years. Do you know how much it hurt when I found I was being attacked by a man who looked like an amalgam of me and him?"
"Found yourself being attacked?" Firebrandt laughed aloud. "You laid a trap for me, admiral. You knew I was one of the most effective privateers Earth had and you saw an opportunity to advance your own career. You had to. Coma's greatest enemy and Coma's greatest admiral cannot have the same name."
"You flatter yourself," said the admiral. She straightened and pulled her uniform jacket taught. She turned and rejoined her staff. Together, they returned to the launch and left. Firebrandt released a sigh of relief.
Suki returned to Firebrandt's side. "Do you think they'll be back?" Suki watched the sky, carefully.
Firebrandt looked up. "The conversation was tense, but I think they believed me. Still, we'll give them a couple of days to get out of the system."
Five days later, Firebrandt called Arepno. Several hours after that, Arepno landed
Legacy's
launch. He was followed by a launch from his ship. He grasped Firebrandt's hands. "The Admiral is gone. I owe you a large favor, friend human." The Rd'dyggian looked over and saw Roberts' hand. "We can help you."
The Rd'dyggian took Roberts back to his ship. The next day, Roberts had a new right hand. "It's made from cloned tissue," said Roberts excitedly. "Fully functional!"
The Rd'dyggian captain made an attempt to imitate a smile. "I will see that your homestead is not molested," said Arepno.
"I thank you." Firebrandt bowed low.
"You have saved my life and my cargo," said Arepno. "More importantly, you have saved my crew. I thank you a thousand times over."
Roberts, Suki, and Firebrandt watched Arepno's launch ascend into the sky. Firebrandt held Suki's hand. Suki reached out and took Roberts' new hand. The sky began to grow dark and the air cold. The three stepped back inside their peaceful homestead.
THE SETTLERS
The summer passed much too quickly. Firebrandt was irrigating the field by the river when he felt the first chill wind. He closed the water gate and stood with the breeze in his face. Memories rode in on the raw wind. Firebrandt felt he should be happy. Suki's pregnancy was progressing normally according to the medical computer. And yet, he missed something. Roberts walked up behind him, putting his new hand on Firebrandt's shoulder. "What's the matter, Captain?"
"Home," said Firebrandt, slowly. "It's not just where you live it's a sensation. It's a sensation I'm not used to. I feel ... domestic."
Roberts looked to the sky. "You miss space?"
"No," Firebrandt said, kneeling and looking across the river. He pulled the pipe from his pocket, packed and lit it. "I miss the adventure." He dug in the soft dirt with his hand. "This was an exciting adventure when it began. I expect that raising a child in this place will be exciting. But right now, right this instant, I'm bored." He took several puffs of the pipe, exhaled slowly, and watched the smoke drift away.
"The Rd'dyggians left us a new set of fuel packs for the launch." Roberts looked toward the mountains that rose across the river. "You've come to think of this place as your own. You resent the fact that the Rd'dyggians were someplace you've never even seen."
Firebrandt continued working the soil. "I think you may be right. I still think of myself as the captain, but the captain of what?" He removed the pipe from his mouth and tamped down the ashes.
"I think you should take the launch and go somewhere, even if it's just for a couple of days," said Roberts.
"We decided the launch should only be used for emergencies."
"Then don't go over to the other continent. The whole world is unexplored, including the vast majority of the continent we're sitting on. You can traverse most of the continent and leave us with enough fuel to get into orbit if an emergency strikes. After all, look how many dire emergencies have come up in the last year and a half." Roberts nudged him.
Firebrandt thought about it. He knelt, smoking for a while longer. Finally, he shook his head, then stood, dumped the ashes and walked to the ship. Roberts followed.
That night, Firebrandt stared at the ceiling while lying next to Suki. She asked him what was the matter. He told her about the conversation he had with Roberts. "I don't want you to go," she said.
"I didn't think so," he said.
"Let me finish," she said angrily. Firebrandt listened demurely. He always thought of them as equals; however—as was necessary on a ship of war—she had always deferred to his command decisions. In the past six months she did not defer to him as often. He wondered if part of his sense of unrest had to do with this. "I don't want you to go," Suki repeated. "But you need to go. You need to get away, exercise your spirit for a while. I want our child to know the Captain Firebrandt that I love. You've been acting terribly domestic the past few weeks."
"You've been talking to Roberts." They laughed lightly. He kissed her on the cheek then rolled over and drifted off to sleep.
The next day, after taking care of his morning work, Firebrandt began packing the launch. He packed a sketchpad and mapping equipment. He loaded food and supplies for three days. When he was satisfied that he had everything, he pulled Roberts aside. "Take care of Suki."