Pirate (LGBT - Sci-Fi - Romantic)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three 

Alnath was on the outer edge of the Aurigan system. Bast was the nearest habitable planet to the giant sun, comprising largely vacant tracts of land well suited to terra forming. It was principally a farming world but several cities had sprung up over the years including Mitra the capital. Mitra not only housed the people and infrastructure needed to run the planet but also the vast processing units required to turn grains and vegetables into food which could be transported to other worlds. One rapidly growing space station, Mut, orbited the planet, providing a range of accommodation and bars for the transient population which ranged from the luxurious to the rough and ready, where credits were accepted with no questions asked, as well as the large variety of technical facilities required to keep ships operating in space.  

Isis was the second most habitable planet, still in the frontier stages of development. High mountains looped their way across the surface, the highest peaks topped with snow, everywhere covered with thick forest. Silver had been found in a couple of locations and the authorities were hard pressed to keep the planet from being damaged by would be miners. There was already a small but vocal lobby group, led by a couple of eco tourist companies, pressing for the whole planet to be preserved as a natural park. 

Captain Mars didn't think his crew were the sort to appreciate fresh air and physical exercise, not to mention the primitive facilities involved in camping out. Rather reluctantly he crossed Isis off his mental list, despite the fact that he rather thought he would like to see real snow for himself. Bast was surely out of the question given his recent encounter with the assistant governor. The bright lights of Capella beckoned but even he didn't think he had quite the arrogance to flaunt himself on the station which held the headquarters of the organisation most dedicated to ending his career.  

Hmm, where else could they go? The Zeron hadn't yet been to the Almaaz system, as distant as it was. He had heard there were some white hot bars on Mayia, catering for a wide range of tastes, perhaps Beledi might be worth a visit. They could afford it. 

XXX 

The small space shuttle was still drifting closer and closer towards the asteroid belt, carrying its increasingly stressed out passenger. It hadn't seemed such a bad idea a few hours ago. Still safely in a departure bay on Mut, he hadn't fully realised how totally insane the whole plan was. His cover story had been carefully crafted. As William Conn, a name similar enough to his own, he had been supposedly on the verge of arrest by the Patrol for smuggling and instead of waiting around he had stolen a shuttle and escaped into space, his goal to find the Zeron. Rice had ensured he went through the actual motions of stealing the shuttle, just in case anyone checked. He hoped the two men he had stunned would be alright. 

Now that he was stuck out here by himself, with only too much time to think, he realised how Major Rice had rushed him through the whole process. Normally Connell would have a couple of weeks to prepare for an undercover assignment, allowing plenty of time to research the situation he would find himself in, as well as living out the appropriate dress, accent and character of the man he was supposed to be, for several days before his life depended on it. 

Connell's personal goal was to be taken on as crew, but he suspected Rice didn't really care what role Mars wanted for him, as long as he was taken on board. In fact he was pretty sure Rice had originally wanted him to seduce Mars, or rather, allow himself to be seduced, until he realised Connell would have bolted at the mere suggestion. He still felt extremely uneasy about the whole idea. But as the Major had said, he was a patrol officer, he could look after himself, he would simply have to be very clear that he was dead straight and be prepared to hit anyone who laid a finger on him. 

He checked the time on his wrist com again. Checked for the tenth time that the distress signal was still operating. Fiddled anxiously with the display screen, as the first small asteroids drifted past. If he wasn't picked up soon, he feared the whole issue would become academic.  

XXX 

Nicholas Mars had been watching the small shuttle for an hour now. He'd told Nowak to run a full background check on its ID, and then, when they found out it had been stolen, on the man inside. 

Mars hadn't kept out of the Patrol's clutches for two years without exercising a fair degree of caution, not to mention healthy suspicion. He considered immediately whether the whole thing was a ruse of some sort. 

The fact that there was a living person inside led him to discount his first theory, which was that it was carrying explosives in an attempt to destroy or cripple his vessel. 

Well he wasn't going to find out sitting here, he'd best pick the lad up before he crashed into an asteroid, the shuttle had already encountered a few small collisions. He smiled, a glint of wicked mischief in his eyes.  

He noticed Nowak frowning as he gave the order but ignored him. He knew Nowak didn't share his sense of adventure and in private he was often scathing about the risks he took, but hey, who was the Captain here? Who had made them the most successful pirate ship in the system, in fact, false modesty be damned, in the whole galaxy? 

The Zeron's tractor beam caught hold of the shuttle effortlessly and Mars watched as it was drawn closer to the docking bay. Nowak was operating the tractor beam. He glared at him suspiciously as the shuttle cannoned rather unnecessarily into a rock the size of a small house. Luckily it scraped past with only a few extra dents, the tractor beam preventing it from spinning off into space and in a few more minutes the shuttle docked with the Zeron. 

Mars looked eagerly at his view of the docking area, interested to see who had come to claim sanctuary. He caught his breath as the young man stepped into view. He was young, his nose which was all he could see of his face from this angle, looked straight and finely chiselled. His hair was a shining cap of pale copper, his body slim and well proportioned as far as he could tell. Mars couldn't help a sidelong glance at Nowak, as he had expected, Nowak was almost bursting out of his uniform with suspicion, the Patrol couldn't have come up with a more perfect bait if they'd tried. He caught a glimpse of the young man's face as he turned towards Levi, spreading his arms for the expected body search. 

He looked shaken and adorably cross. Mars felt his cynical heart give an unexpected jump. Down boy, he told himself, you should know better than anyone, that what looks too good to be true, almost certainly IS too good to be true!