David Carter slipped from the bridge, moving with deliberate purpose rather than urgency as he floated through the zero gravity until he reached the deck below. Anyone watching would see a security specialist responding to damage control needs, not a man preparing for combat. The moment the hatch above him sealed with a soft pneumatic hiss, he keyed his internal comm to a secure channel.
"Chief Voss, this is Carter. Pirates inbound for boarding, two shuttles. ETA ten minutes."
Security Chief Mara Voss's response came without hesitation or question, her voice carrying the steady calm of someone who'd faced combat before. "Understood. Boarding location predictions?"
"Two-prong attack. One for bridge, one for engineering. The captain is considering surrender."
The reply was a brief silence, heavy with unspoken understanding. "Rally at the security office, ASAP. We will all gear up there. Stay hull-tight."
David moved through the corridors, the absence of gravity turning every movement into a controlled push and glide. His mag boots engaged only when necessary, minimizing the telltale clank that would echo through the ship's metal spine. The emergency lights cast his shadow in alternating patches of red and amber against the bulkheads.
Several decks below the bridge, the security office was already bustling when he arrived. Chief Voss, in charge of the ship's security forces, stood at the center, her weathered face set in grim determination as she distributed weapons from the locker. Most of her security team did not have personal weapons, instead using the issued P-3B pulse-activated pistol (PAP) with a thigh holster and either a sonic stunner or stun stick.
"What's the situation?" she asked as David entered.
"Commander Morris believes the pirate leader, the Red Talon, will respect Solano Navy authority. Thinks we can negotiate."
Security Specialist 3rd class Rylan Winkle snorted as he checked the charge on his P-3B. "Same way a predator respects prey? What the burn is he thinking? Next, he'll suggest we offer them coffee and a tour of the armory. Captain's gone float-brain if he thinks pirates play by Core rules out here."
Voss silenced him with a look. "Don't go vac-soft on me, Winkle. Full kit, everyone. Body armor with albedo coating active. PAPs primary, sonic stunners secondary." She turned to Carter. "You really think the captain intends to surrender?"
David pulled out his own gear from his locker. His kit was not standard, like the rest of the security team's, but instead consisted of personal weapons he had kept from his time serving with Orion Strategic Solutions. His P-5M pulse-activated rifle (PAR) and P-6A pulse-activated pistol gleamed with the matte finish of military hardware, newer variants than the P-3B pistols that others were issued. The P-5M featured an integrated targeting system compatible with his smart visor HUD, and the P-6A had a modified power cell that could deliver 30% more shots per charge than standard issue.
"Morris thinks pirates operate on political calculation. That they will take what they want and leave."
"He actually said that?" Voss asked, her voice flat as she slung a compact laser rifle over her shoulder.
"Yes, chief. Suggested pirates would not risk the fallout. He claims they will operate according to some unspoken rules like those around the Sundari Confederation."
Winkle scoffed, clipping a stun stick to his belt. "I am sure pirates down there are more glorified thieves and extortionists. They probably bought off officials to operate and give kickbacks to those who turn the other way."
Chief Voss's expression hardened. "We're not in Sundari space." She buckled on the powered belt for a gauss screen, then looked up. "I'll speak to the captain myself. Carter, take Winkle and Vale to cover the engineering approach. I'll handle the bridge access with Rickerson and Navarro. Everyone, take spare P-3B pistols and sonic stunners to distribute to other crew members."
Medical Technician Seren Vale, her medical kit already strapped to her side, Operations Technician Bill Rickerson, fingers nervously tapping against his thigh, Security Specialist 4th Class Eli Navarro with his perpetually serious expression, and Winkle all replied with, "Aye, aye, Chief."
Checking the charge on his personal P-5M PAR, David nodded, "Copy that, Chief." The weapon's status display indicated a 98% charge capacity, sufficient for approximately 1,800 rounds at standard velocity. He would run out of ammo long before he used up the charge. Letting the weapon dangle from his chest strap, as the second-highest-ranking member of the team, he took the second gauss screen and buckled it around his waist, the device's power cell humming softly as it initialized. "Rules of engagement?"
"I will talk to the CO about those, too. For now, if pirates breach without escort or authorization from command, fire. Aim for suit seals, visors, joints. No hesitation." Her voice carried the weight of someone who had seen the consequences of hesitation before.
The security team dispersed as directed, moving through the corridors with practiced efficiency, the soft magnetic click of their boots the only sound in the otherwise silent ship.
"I will meet you down there," David instructed the junior security specialists, Winkle and Vale, just outside the security office. "I need to get more gear from my quarters. Hand out the PAPs and stunners to the XO and the others of the damage control team. I will be there soon."
"Right," Winkle nodded, patting his sidearm. Wryly, he muttered, "Nothing says 'welcome aboard' like a pistol-packing reception committee of engineers."
The pair continued heading downward to the lower decks, their mag boots engaging with soft thuds that seemed impossibly loud in the quiet ship.
Climbing up a few decks, David stopped by his room to retrieve a collection of grenades and additional magazines for his P-5M that he kept hidden away with his personal effects. There were more personal effects that he took with him as part of his severance package from Orion.
Exiting his quarters, he could hear voices coming from another deck above. He positioned himself under a hatch leading to the bridge, where he could overhear the conversation between Voss and the captain without being seen. Morris's voice came first, strained but resolute.
"Chief Voss, I understand your concerns, but I've made my decision. We will comply with Zhaolong's demands."
"With respect, sir, I've seen pirate 'negotiations' firsthand." Voss's tone remained professional but unyielding. "Compliance only changes the order of executions."
"This isn't some backwater raid, Chief. This is a Solano Navy vessel. Zhaolong knows the political consequences of harming government personnel."
"Sir, frontier pirates don't operate on political calculus. They operate on reputation and fear."
"You're overreacting based on anecdotal experience," Commander Morris countered. "Zhaolong is posturing. Once he secures whatever resources he's after, they'll withdraw."
A pause. Then Chief Voss, her voice carefully neutral, "I understand, Captain. We'll follow your orders."
David heard the hatch seal, then Voss's footsteps approaching, and she floated down the ladder. He stepped out to meet her and the other two junior security specialists coming down with her.
"He's not changing his mind," she stated flatly.
"No," David nodded ruefully.
"We prepare anyway." She handed Navarro two additional PAPs. "Hang on to these. Rickerson, you and Navarro will provide back-up for me. Carter, head down below."
David met her eyes for a moment, registering what was unspoken. He knew, despite what Morris had said, Voss meant for him to defend the ship from pirate takeover and not surrender.
He gave her a nod, one professional to another.
They split up, moving with increased urgency.
Several decks down, David found one of the damage control teams working near a compromised bulkhead and noted that they were already carrying distributed weapons.
"If unauthorized personnel breach this section, defend yourselves," he instructed, keeping his voice low. "Don't take any burning chances. Aim for suit seals and visors. No heroics. No chasing. Kill or disable fast, then fall back to secure positions."
The team leader, a woman with soot-streaked features, paused to look over. "Understood."
David joined Specialist Winkle a few decks, outside Damage Control Central, forward from the access hatches to the engineering compartments. He held out a couple of entanglement and stun grenades taken from the pockets of his tactical body armor vest.
"So, we're burnin' well past orders," Winkle said quietly, accepting the grenades. "Scrap deep in trouble either way."
"We're preparing for contingencies," Carter corrected. "The captain hopes for the best. We prepare for the worst. Still breathing, still flying."
Winkle nodded, checking his helmet seal, his normally irreverent expression replaced by the focused look of a professional preparing for combat. "Always did prefer pessimists in a firefight. Optimists run out of ammo faster than a Kessler's Hope fuel scammer runs out of friends." He tightened his chest strap. "Think the bridge crew knows what's coming?"
David considered this, then made a decision. He activated his comm again, this time on a direct channel to the tactical officer.
"Ensign Reyes, this is Carter."
A moment passed before her response came, hesitant. "This is Reyes. Go ahead."
"I need to speak with you privately. Security matter."
"I'm on the bridge, Carter."
"I know. This can't wait."
Another pause. "Okay, just a moment."
When she spoke again, her voice was lower. "What's happening?"
"The security teams are preparing for boarding defense. The captain may not authorize it, but you need to know what happens when pirates take naval vessels."
"I'm aware of the statistics," she replied, her tone professional but tense.
"Statistics don't tell you a burning thing about Zhaolong spacing the entire crew of a Mahinian freighter Pele, except for the captain who was left butchered and impaled in his stateroom. They don't tell you about the Kallisto mining team found with their suits deliberately compromised to suffocate after being left behind. Or about the corporate security forces executed on camera as examples."
Silence.
"I'm not trying to frighten you," David continued, keeping his tone clinical. "Just offering the unabridged version of 'Pirates are bad for your health' that somehow missed the official briefing. If pirates breach the bridge, they won't be taking prisoners for ransom. They want the ship intact. The crew is a liability… or worse, slaves for sale."
"What do you need from me?" Reyes asked, her voice steadier now.
"Tactical support when things go bad. Any information that helps in fighting or tracking the pirates once they are on board, and locking out their access to systems. And a warning if Morris tries to block us from any security functions."
"That's against the chain of command."
"Being alive to be court-martialed is better than being dead."
A pause stretched across the comm line. David could hear Reyes breathing, the faint sound of bridge systems beeping in the background.
"I can't actively countermand the captain," she finally said, voice low but firm. "But I'll keep you informed on sensor readings and pirate movements. That's within protocol."
David nodded to himself. It was the answer he'd expected. "Fair enough. That's all I am asking for."
"Just to be clear," Ensign Reyes continued, "I won't actively subvert command authority."
"Understood." David kept his tone neutral, not pushing. "Leave the channel open if you can. I need to hear what's happening up there."
She didn't respond directly, but the channel remained active. David could hear the bridge crew speaking, their voices slightly muffled as Reyes presumably tucked the comm unit away but left it transmitting.
"Bridge, this is DC Central," LCDR Vaughn's reply came through the bridge communications, strained and clinical. "Damage control update, captain. We still can't access Engineering directly. Too much structural damage to the main corridor. We're cutting through from maintenance shafts, but it's slow going."
"Survivors?" Morris asked.
"Unknown. No comms from inside. The blast doors sealed automatically during the attack, which might have preserved atmosphere, but..." Vaughn trailed off.
"What about the hab module?" Morris pressed.
"Complete loss, sir. Module Three was hit directly. Explosive decompression. We've confirmed eight casualties, including Lieutenant Commander Jiang."
David closed his eyes briefly. The operations officer, gone. Along with seven others who never even woke from cryo.
"Drone status?" Morris asked.
"External repair drones are patching hull breaches. Internal units are working on power conduits, but we're losing couplings almost as fast as we can repair them. Systems keep overloading. We are working to isolate the main issue to install a bypass, but it is slow. We have all available hands working on it."
The ship's lights dimmed suddenly, then brightened again. David felt the subtle change in air circulation as life support reset itself.
Ops Tech Kade's voice filtered through next. "Power distribution remains unstable, captain. I cannot take the damaged relays offline until the XO has the new power couplings installed. We lost too much of the redundant rerouting. Life support is functioning, but I can't isolate sections selectively. It's all or nothing for each deck."
"That means we can't control the atmosphere by compartment," Commander Morris said, realization in his voice.
"Correct, sir. If we wanted to deny boarders access to specific areas by removing atmosphere, we'd have to vent entire decks."
David switched channels, contacting Voss directly. "Chief, did you know that the captain's planning to depressurize compartments?"
"I did," she replied immediately. "Morris wants to isolate boarders by sealing sections and selectively venting atmosphere."
"Won't work. Pirates will be in full suits. They'll move freely regardless."
"Agreed. And with the power fluctuations, electronic locks are unreliable."
David glanced down the corridor where Specialist Winkle and Technician Vale waited. "We need to manually disable key hatch controls. Take them completely offline from remote access or hacking."
"Physical barriers," Voss confirmed. "I was thinking the same. Focus on corridors leading to the bridge and any alternate routes the pirates might use to flank us."
"What about the bridge crew?" David asked. "They're sitting ducks if the pirates breach."
A moment's consideration. "Navarro," Voss decided. "He's steady. I'll send him up with spare weapons to distribute quietly. Ensign Reyes, Lieutenant Hale, Okafor, and Kade should all be armed."
"Good call."
David's comm chirped with another person joining their security channel with a command override. Voss and David waited to see who interrupted them, but they both knew there were very few people with authorization.
"Security Chief," Commander Morris's voice came through, formal and controlled. "I've received confirmation from Captain Zhaolong. His boarding party will dock at the shuttle bay. I want you to meet them there. Show them we're complying but maintain vigilance."
David felt his muscles tense. The shuttle bay was the perfect ambush point with a chokepoint, isolated from the ship's core, with limited escape routes.
"Understood, Captain," Chief Voss replied, her tone giving nothing away. "I will take care of it."
The channel closed. David immediately spoke up. "Chief, it's a trap. They'll secure you first, then push inward from there."
"I know." Her voice was calm, almost resigned. "But someone has to test their word. If there's any chance Morris is right about their intentions, we need to know before we start shooting."
"And if he's wrong?"
"I'll be the first example. Better me than the bridge crew or the techs trying to save the ship." She paused. "If this goes to scrap, you know what to do. I'm heading up to the bridge to coordinate, then down to the shuttle bay. I am sending Rickerson down to join you; the CO doesn't want more than one security specialist on his bridge. Keep your team in position for that second shuttle docking aft, Carter. If I don't report back within a few minutes of their arrival, it's blink and burn time."
David wanted to argue, but knew it would be pointless. Voss had made her decision, balancing duty against survival with the cold calculus of a veteran.
"Understood, Chief. Watch your back."
"Always do. Voss out."
David turned to Winkle and Vale, who waited expectantly. "Change of plans. We're manually disabling hatch controls between decks three and four. Create a hard barrier that the pirates can't remote-hack and cannot consolidate between their two boarding points. Vale, you're on medical standby, join the XO inside DC Central. Any more help with defense aft will need support from his damage control teams and Rickerson when he gets here. Winkle, you're with me for now."
"What about the chief?" Winkle asked, checking his weapon.
"She's meeting the boarders near the shuttle bay." David didn't elaborate further. The look they exchanged said enough.
"Fool's errand," Winkle muttered.
"She knows," David replied simply. "Someone has to test their intentions."
David activated his comm again. "Ensign Reyes, I need a status update on those shuttles."
A moment of silence before her voice came through, tense but controlled. "Passive sensors confirm both shuttles on final approach. One at the forward docking collar, and one near the engineering access port aft."
"Time to docking?"
"Three minutes, maybe less. They're matching our rotation perfectly." She paused. "The captain is ordering all crew to stand down."
David exchanged a look with Specialist Winkle. "Copy that. Keep me posted."
He motioned Winkle toward a junction box near the next hatch. "Physically disconnect the control circuits. Leave the manual override functional but isolate it from the ship's network."
Winkle nodded, already pulling tools from his belt. "So, they can't remotely open it from their side."
"Exactly." David keyed his comm again. "Rickerson, I need you to climb down and link up with Vale at DC Central. Support the XO if the pirates breach from aft."
"Understood," Ops Tech Rickerson's voice came back, nervous energy evident. "What about the manual overrides? Some of these circuits are completely scrapped up. I'll need time to bypass them properly."
"We're locking down this deck and the one below. We will be able to get through from our side, but not from the deck above where the pirates are boarding."
David watched as Winkle worked, methodically disconnecting control circuits and rerouting the manual override. The technician's hands moved with practiced precision despite the tension.
"Done," Winkle announced, replacing the panel. "No remote access possible."
They moved to the next hatch, repeating the process. David's mind raced through contingencies, calculating angles, choke points, and fallback positions.
"You really think they'll just start shooting?" Winkle asked quietly as they worked on the third hatch.
David didn't look up. "Depends on what they want more. The ship or the crew."
"And you think it's the ship."
"I know it is." David sealed the panel. "Ships this size are valuable. Especially military vessels with more advanced technology. From what I saw during the battle, we had newer generation missiles and fire control systems at least. The crew is just a complication."
Security Specialist Winkle swallowed hard. "So, what's the play?"
"We see what happens with Voss. If they're reasonable, we stand down. If not..." David checked his weapon. "We make taking this ship cost more than it's worth."
His comm chirped. "Carter," Ensign Reyes's voice came through, barely above a whisper. "First shuttle is docking now. Forward collar."
"Copy. Where's Chief Voss?"
"Already there. Waiting. Morris ordered her to keep her weapons holstered."
David's jaw tightened. "Understood. We're heading up."
He turned to Winkle. "Let's move. We back up Voss, but stay out of sight. First pirate through that hatch decides everything."
They moved quickly through the corridors, using maintenance shafts to bypass the main pathways. David's HUD displayed a simplified ship schematic, highlighting their position relative to the docking collar.
"Rickerson," David called over the comm. "Status?"
"At DC Central with Vale and the XO," the specialist replied. "LCDR Vaughn's organizing the damage control teams. We've distributed weapons."
"Good. What happens up here will decide everything. If things go badly, I will let you know weapons free ASAP."
They reached the deck below the forward docking collar. David could hear the faint sounds of the outer hatch couplings magnetically locking together to secure the docking shuttle. He signaled Winkle to take position at the far end of the corridor while he moved to the ceiling hatch.
Engaging his mag boots, David locked himself upside down on the ceiling, positioned to see through a narrow gap into the corridor above. From this angle, he could observe the docking area while remaining hidden from immediate view.
"Upside-down ambush," Winkle whispered as he moved into position. "Very old school. Think they'll appreciate the classics?"
Through his comm, he heard Voss's steady breathing as she waited alone at the docking point. Morris had ordered her to represent the ship's surrender, but David knew she'd be watching for any sign of hostile intent.
"Pressure equalizing," Ensign Reyes reported over the comm. "Outer hatch opening."
David's muscles tensed as he watched through the viewport. Voss stood tall, her posture betraying nothing of her readiness. Her hands were visible, empty, but David knew she could draw her weapon in less than a second.
The mechanical whine of the docking mechanism filled the silence. David felt the subtle vibration through his boots as the airlocks connected and pressure equalized between the vessels.
In that moment, suspended upside down and waiting for the first glimpse of the boarding party, David felt time stretch like a ship caught in the gravity well of a neutron star. Whatever happened in the next few seconds would determine everything.
The inner hatch began to cycle open.