The Privateer

"Scarrend, grab Kilroy."

The Vrrl made a grunt of effort as he lifted the frozen Peacekeeper. Kilroy was shaped like a two meter tall pixen, but his body was metal and he weighed nearly a thousand kilograms. His arms and legs had been frozen in place midstride.

"How close are..." Mims started to ask Scarrend. He cocked his head, listening. Yvian could hear it, too. Boots. A lot of boots. Coming from the side corridor just ahead. "Never mind."

"We could run?" Lissa suggested. Mims shook his head. Before he'd finished the gesture, twenty humans spilled out of the corridor. They wore the blue coveralls of dock workers, but they all had the same military haircuts High Commander Young had sported. Close shaved on the sides, and just a little longer on top. They spread across the way with graceful precision, transition from a dead run to full stop in just under two seconds. Their backs were straight. Their eyes were hard.

"Scarrend," Mims said quietly. He started a slow walk towards the humans. "Laws three, six, and seven."

The Vrrl nodded, following the Captain. Yvian followed as well, trying to project confidence while she racked her brain. She got the part about hiding intent, and the part about drawing attention, but what The Crunch was the seventh Law? Take all the credit?

Her annoyed pondering was interrupted when Scarrend took a breath and moved in front of the Captain. The roar he released shook the corridor. A wall of sound that froze Yvian's blood. The humans in front of them siezed up as well.

When the roar subsided, the Vrrl spoke. Yvian was gratified that he did so in plavdi, a language Yvian could understand. "Show your bellies and move aside, humans," he ordered. "You are blocking the way."

One of the humans moved forward to meet them. He said something in human speak, but Yvian didn't know what it was.

"Don't be an asshole," said Mims. "Use a language the girls can understand."

"I said good morning," the man repeated in plavdi. "I'd appreciate it if you three come quietly." He nodded at Scarrend. "The Vrrl and the Peacekeeper are free to go."

"Are you sure that's how you want to play this?" asked the Captain. "Attacking three heads of state on an Oluken station?" He gestured at the trio of Oluken next to him. Yvian had forgotten they were there. The two Security Officers each had tendrils wrapped around their stunwhips, though they had not yet drawn the weapons. "Right in front of Security?"

"I'd rather not attack anyone," said the man. His eyes gave the lie to his words. "Like I said, I'd prefer you come quietly."

One of the Oluken burbled something. The two Security Officers drew their stunwhips. The weapons hummed, but something was wrong. The Officers shook their whips, eyestalks bobbing. The human fixed them with a menacing stare.

"Those won't work," he told them. "I suggest you stay out of this."

"This is going to be an international incident," Captain Mims warned the human. "Keep going, and it will be an act of war against the Oluken."

"And the Vrrl Starfang Empire as well," added Scarrend.

"That's above my paygrade," said the human. "I'm just supposed to bring you in." He shifted his feet, muscles rippling as he took a stance. The soldiers behind him readied themselves as well. "You can come quietly, or you can come broken."

"More humans," Scarrend warned. "Coming from behind."

Yvian didn't hear them, but she trusted the Vrrl's senses. The Captain did as well. "Last chance," he said. "Make a hole, or we'll make one for you."

"Broken it is." The man brought his hands up. "I was hoping you'd pick that. Aldara remembers."

"Scarrend," Mims shifted his feet. "Go."

The Vrrl charged forward, unleashing another bone chilling roar. He swung Kilroy like a big metal club, splattering the lead human. Frozen by the sound, the other humans could only watch in horror as he whipped the Peacekeeper in another arc and smashed them aside. Scarrend managed one more swing before he ran out of breath, crunching through more of the soldiers on the right.

The roar ended before he could swat the humans on the left. They dived out of the way, hitting the deck as a metric ton of Peacekeeper whooshed through the space they'd just occupied.

"Go!" shouted the monster. "I'll hold them!"

Mims bolted past the Vrrl, kicking one of the soldiers that tried for a grapple. Yvian and Lissa followed. One of the humans caught Lissa's ankle and sent her sprawling, but Scarrend crushed the woman with Kilroy. Yvian helped her sister up and they kept running.

"This way!" Mims shouted, pointing at a side corridor. "Scarrend, come on!"

The Vrrl had been keeping the remaining humans at bay with his improvised Peacekeeper club, but another group were rushing down the corridor. A big group. At least thirty. They were coming from where the Random Encounter had been parked. Yvian realized there was no way they'd make it back to their ship.

Two of the humans were beating the crap out of the Oluken Security Officers. The other Oluken had backed up against one of the bulkheads, eyestalks bobbing in distress. Yvian had just enough time to note how fluid and forceful their movements were. Liquid grace and explosive power. It spoke of skill and training beyond anything Yvian could muster. These were no normal soldiers. Any one of them could take Scarrend apart if they got past his club. Crunch, they might even be able to take on Mims.

"Scarrend!" Mims shouted again. "Fucking move!" He didn't wait, turning into the corridor at full tilt. Yvian tore her eyes away from the Vrrl and the small army of humans bearing down on him, caroming off a bulkhead as she misjudged the turn. She kept running.

They raced down the corridor. Oluken and the occasional human littered the way, but they moved at the sight of Scarrend. Yvian's breathing was ragged, but she pushed as hard as she could, keeping pace with Mims and Lissa. She understood now why the Captain had placed such an emphasis on physical fitness. Her voidarmor would have let her push this hard regardless of her condition, but without it...

She didn't know how long she'd been running when Scarrend caught up. A minute? Two? The Vrrl bounded past them, Kilroys' frozen and bloody chassis cradled in his arms. Even carrying the Peacekeeper, Scarrend's breath came slow and even. The motherless son.

Yvian glanced behind her. Thirty furious humans pounded down the corridor. They ran easily, in two columns, boots striking the deck in near unison. They were two hundred meters away, but gaining. Yvian wanted to run faster. To scream. To fight. Something. She didn't dare. She might be able to speed up, but Lissa couldn't. Her sister was barely keeping the pace. Even if she could push harder, it wouldn't do any good. They didn't have a way off the station.

Working with Mims so long, she'd grown used to humans. She hadn't forgotten how feared they were, or why. She just... hadn't been as afraid. Now though, now she was afraid again. Humans were nightmares made flesh. As monstrous as the Vrrl. As implacable as the Xill. Vicious madmen that would not stop. Organized and resourceful and cunning and cruel. The humans would chase them to the ends of the verse. Yvian could run and hide and fight, but it would only delay the inevitable. They would not stop. They would catch her, and do terrible things.

Scarrend let out another roar. Higher pitched, this time. It startled Yvian, but it didn't seize up her nervous system. An answering roar followed. A distant blur streaked down the hallway, resolving into a dozen Vrrl moving at five times the speed Yvian could run.

"Protect the pixens!" Scarrend commanded. "Kill the humans!"

The newcomers roared in response, causing Yvian's body to lock up. She smacked painfully into the metal of the deck, her head bouncing off the Captain's prone foot. She picked herself up as soon as she could move, adrenaline pounding in her ears.

"Bay 741!" One of the new Vrrl hollered as they bounded over the crew. "The Sharpclaw!"

"Understood!" Scarrend replied. "Hunt well!"

They were running again. Yvian looked back just long enough to see the Vrrl crash into the humans. The beasts were fast and strong, fangs and claws flashing as they struck. It wouldn't do them much good. A dozen Vrrl would be an unstoppable force in the Confed, but they were outnumbered. Outnumbered by humans as lethal as Captain Mims. Yvian doubted they could buy her a full minute.

More running. Yvian was developing a hatred for Oluken stations. She wondered if she'd have nightmares later, forced to run through never-ending corridors with hordes of slavering humans snapping at her heels. Scarrend led the way. The humans were still behind them. The Vrrl who'd attacked them were nowhere to be seen. Dead, most likely. Yvian's guess of a minute had been overly optimistic. The strike team was two hundred fifty meters behind them, and they were gaining again.

"There!" Scarrend pointed. Docking Bay 741. A mere fifty meters away. The door was open. A thrill of hope surged through Yvian. A ship. They could get out of here. Then a beam of light hissed through the air, and the screaming started.

More humans. Armored. Armed. Oluken and Taa'oor burbled and dived away from the fire, along with a scattering of regular humans and a pair of Vrrl. The armored strike team cut down everyone in their way, stunshots blazing. A beam struck Lissa and she fell.

"Fuck!" yelled Mims. He turned back to scoop up the pixen, crouched low. Scarrend skidded to a halt, holding Kilroy up as a makeshift shield. The new humans were sixty meters out and closing fast. Yvian grabbed her sister's ankles and helped the Captain haul her into the docking bay. Scarrend shifted Kilroy to free an arm and grabbed her. They all made for the ship.

The ship was a clawwing. A thick triangular frame, a hundred sixty meters in length, with two large appendages on each side. The top appendages were larger and heavier than the others, tipped with metal fingers that were in turn tipped with metal claws. A heavy fighter with the firepower to match a frigate, clawwings were a staple of the Vrrl military, and the preferred vessel of Vrrl traders. It's cargo bay door was open, and the ramp was down. A pair of Vrrl stood at the top of the ramp, outfitted in black armor with their weapons drawn.

"Raise the ramp!" Scarrend thundered as they climbed on board. "The humans are coming!"

The guards looked at each other, then did as they were told. As the ramp rose, armored humans flooded into the docking bay, opening fire with stunshots. Mims hit the deck, taking Yvian with him. Scarrend snarled. The guards roared and returned fire. Their armor rejected the stunshots, and their plasma blasters spat death. Half a second later, the humans switched to plasma themselves. Dozens of shots riddled the guards with holes. Two seconds after that, the ramp finished rising and closed off the ship.

Scarrend dropped Kilroy's body. Three more Vrrl bounded into the cargo bay, weapons drawn. Two wore black armor, but the third wore red. It was he that spoke. He barked something at Scarrend. Yvian didn't speak Vrrl, but judging from the tone it was probably something like, "Report! Now!"

Scarrend placed his hands behind his back and thrust his belly forward. "Scarrend Scathach, ninth Hsst of the Priderender. These," he pointed at Yvian and Mims, "are the leaders of the Pixen Technocracy. The humans attacked us." He pointed at the guards. "Get these two to the medical bay, and prepare the ship for departure."

The Vrrl in Red looked like he wanted to argue, but settled for a growl. "Do as he says," he ordered, speaking plavdi as Scarrend had done. "Take the pixen, too." As they moved to obey, he continued, "We've lost communications. Sensors. Everything."

"Anti-tech field," said Mims. "Human weapon, based on Lucendian tech. If we can get out of range, everything should start working again."

"Do not speak, human!" snapped the Vrrl in Red. "Your kind has no standing on my ship."

"This human is Mark Mims," Scarrend told him. "The Kinslayer of Aldara. Warmaster Scathach himself has named him Scargiver."

"I don't care who he is," said the Vrrl Captain. "He will not speak."

Scarrend and Mims shared a look. The human shrugged. "Fine," said Scarrend. The Vrrl continued, "We don't have time for this. The humans will cut their way into the ship. We need to leave. Now."

"We don't have communications," the Vrrl Captain reminded him. "We can't open the bay doors."

"Then we'll have to blast our way out," said Scarrend.

The Red Vrrl growled. Then he tilted his head, listening. "Someone is shooting my ship."

"We told you," Scarrend reminded him. "Armed humans are cutting their way in."

This time what Scarrend was saying registered. The Red Captain's eyes widened with fear, then narrowed with anger. He growled. "Bring the softpaws to the bridge." He took off in a blur.

Scarrend growled. He shook his head. "Come. And be silent."

By the time they reached the bridge, the Sharpclaw was in the void. Yvian spared a moment to wonder how many people had died when the ship shot it's way out of the docking bay. She hoped the station had failsafes against hull breaches, and that the anti-tech field didn't stop them from working.

The bridge was spacious, with eight control stations. The Red Captain stood at the center station, manually controlling the ship. Two more armored Vrrl stood nearby. "We still don't have sensors," the Vrrl Captain growled.

"Keep going," said Scarrend. "They'll come back once we exit the field."

The Captain growled. A few seconds later he said, "Venry Slasang, first Hsst of the Sharpclaw."

"Well met and good hunting," Scarrend replied.

"First Hsst," one of the other Vrrl reported. "Sensors just came online."

"Communications?" the First Hsst asked.

"Active." the third Vrrl reported. His console chirped. "We're being hailed." He tapped the controls. "A human vessel." He looked up, eyes wide. "It's the Enterprise."