Chapter 11

Jack had Kazlaena over one shoulder when Lucinia entered the bridge in her Captain’s uniform. Her shirt was white like Jacks, but with black epaulets containing four gold bars across the bottom third and a gold insignia depicting the Aquila constellation across the top third. The Aquila symbol was used for the merchant void navy and civilian captains, where naval officers had the Orion constellation on their epaulets. Lucinia also wore well ironed navy-blue pants with a crease down the front of each leg and a utility belt like Kazlaena and Jack.

When she had stepped into the bridge, Jack and Kazlaena looked over to her with concern, fearing Proculus was there, but finding relief in seeing Lucinia looking at them with a grin.

“Ah, Captain,” Kazlaena greeted her as best as she could.

“Hi Kaz, you are in a bit of a spot there, huh?” Lucinia smiled.

“Um?” Kazlaena hid her face as Jack set her down.

“I presume you’re teaching her self-defense, Coralane?”

“Eh, yeah, that’s it,” Jack nodded and Lucinia gave him an amused nod.

“Just make sure you teach her everything, ok?” She cast Jack a mock stern expression.

“Oh, don’t worry bout that.” Jack replied. “So far, we learned about what ports have the best brothels, where to sell the best bootlegged vids on the black market and most importantly, how to make it look like you’re busy when you isn’t.”

“All things you excel at,” Lucinia joked and shared a laugh with Kazlaena.

“Ohhh boy,” Jack hopped into the captain’s chair and began spinning around, feigning a pouty manner. “My feelers are hurts now.”

“Noooooooooo,” Kazlaena darted to him and tried to pull him from the chair, “Sat seat will get you in sa big trouble.”

“Yeah,” Lucinia gestured with a clenched fist and a protruding thumb over her shoulder. “Get out of that seat,” She used a phony accent that made her sound macho. “Unless you be declaring a mutiny ... matey...”

Jack stepped out and straightened the seat so she could take it.

“You makin a call, Cap?” He asked.

“Calling Val, Yes.”

“Want us to step out?”

“Not at all,” She shook her head and looked at Kazlaena who was acting excited. “I came here on purpose.”

“Yeah,” Jack nodded, grinning as he saw the Vandean’s expression. “Reason duly noted.”

Lucinia gestured to Kazlaena to come closer and the Vandean slid in between the captain’s chair and the panel, while Lucinia locked the chair to hold it steady.

Kazlaena stood just to her left as Lucinia adjusted a viewscreen mounted to a retractable, positional arm so they could both see properly. With an excited Kazlaena at her side, Lucinia wrapped her left arm around the Vandean’s torso and felt Kazlaena take hold of her forearm with both hands, trying to contain her excitement.

“Alright, let us see if my sister is available,” Lucinia touched a menu on a screen located on the right arm of her chair and initiated the calling process.

The ship-to-ship comms unit let out a chime as it attempted to contact the Rockpig. Lucinia and Kazlaena waited for the Rockpig to answer, finally seeing Valeria’s face appear. She had light brown skin like her sister but was somewhat stockier from her physical laboring down on the processing deck of her ship. Her shoulder length hair was maroon colored, half concealed by a grey cap. She wore data spectacles over her green eyes that updated her in real time about the operations of her ship.

“Lucy! Kazzie!” Valeria said, joyfully.

“Val,” Lucinia replied, warmly.

“Vallie!” Kazlaena shouted. “Oops, er, ‘ello Vallie,” She smiled brightly as she leaned forward with her tail wagging behind her.

“Have ya both been doin’ well? Ya stars been linin’ up?” Valeria asked.

“Been good,” Lucinia replied. “Uneventful for the most part.”

“Ya crew been ok?”

“They have,” Lucinia nodded. “Still some concerns about the drone attack but we seem to be back to normal now.”

“That’s good. Thank them lucky stars there were no injuries,” Valeria remarked. “Did ya get yer wayward wanderer back aboard?”

“He’s here.” Lucinia motioned Jack over and he stuck his face right up to the screen, sniffing it like an animal.

“Ah, there’s our nutcracker.” Valeria joked.

“Will I ever live that down? “ Jack grinned as he pretended to spear the viewscreen with a mic stand.

“Hopin’ not,” Valeria smiled. “It’s too much fun makin fun. Even Revi agrees.”

“Sats sa embarassing sing for ‘im sough.” Kazlaena said meekly.

“Ah yer right lass,” Valeria nodded. “I’ll lay off him, ok?”

“I cannot speak the same,” Lucinia replied, then whacked at Jack’s stomach when he wet his finger and wiggled it in her ear.

“Yeeeeeeekkkkk!!!” Lucinia cocked her head and swung an open hand at him.

“You two are right for each other,” Valeria joked. “Procko know yet?”

“Nope,” Jack shook his head.

“We decided not to tell the crew at this time,” Lucinia said. “You know, Kaz knows. The Lexocanus’ know and that is all ... as far as we know.”

“Fair point,” Valeria said. “Just uh, record it will ya, when you decide to tell him.”

“Ok,” Lucinia laughed while Jack puckered his lips.

“He been behavin’?” Valeria asked.

“Who, Proculus?”

“Nah, the boy behind you.”

“Oh him...” Lucinia shook her head. “Does he ever?”

“When he stands to profit, he can manage,” Valeria replied.

“He has been behaving, mostly,” Lucinia smiled.

“Yes, ‘e’s been training me all morning on sa deck department stuff,” Kazlaena spoke defensively on Jack’s behalf.

“Ya learnin’ second officer duties then, aye?” Valeria asked. “Gonna replace that silly lad soon?”

“Er, emm...” Kazlaena looked to the floor shyly. “I don’t want to replace Jack.”

“Kiddin’ kiddo,” Valeria smiled. “Be sure ya learn all he has to offer.” She looked at a flashing light on her panel where she sat in her Captain’s chair. “We gonna be forming up here right quick.”

“Yes, the Feather is on seventy percent retro.” Lucinia switched to short range telescopic view and the Rockpig came up on the main viewscreen.

“Look at that big beast,” Jack said under his breath.

The Rockpig was a massive vessel, at least three dozen times the volume of the Astral Feather. It was large and rectangular, flat, and thicker at the back two thirds; about half again the depth of the Astral Feather at the front third where the crew decks and operations rooms were. Several raised square sections on the ship stood out, noting places with batteries of point defense weapons or directed energy projectors to burn away debris that was a danger to the vessel. The Rockpig was a mothership for asteroid mining, able to deploy smaller vessels that carried drones and piloted craft to deal with the mining process itself. Inside the massive gantry hangars there was also a specialized refining ship for handling volatile minerals, a supply ship for making provision runs and handling crew on shore leave. There was a geo-research vessel on board as well, used to scan minerals in asteroids in order to more efficiently harvest the best ones. The total asset value of the Rockpig and its subordinate vessels was in excess of a billion credits. It was a vessel handed down by several generations of successful Scaros, starting with a great grandmother. The Rockpig itself was an owned asset, used as collateral for the loans to acquire the other vessels, which made a network of guard drones extremely important. Plans to add more defensive modules and a standalone 2-1-1 decommissioned warship were in the not-too-distant future.

“Lots of rocks to put in your socks?” Jack asked.

“Yessir,” Valeria sent a system map over briefly. “Mosta outer rock ring lookin good. About half o’ inner ring pretty good too.”

Jack leaned in towards the screen, over Lucinia’s and Kazlaena’s shoulders. “How long do you think you’ll be in-system?”

“Could be two years, longer even.” Valeria replied.

“Gotta be a good haul,” Jack said.

“System is not too savory, Jack boy,” Valeria said. “Lucrative though. Be thinkin, we process down ta finished ingot. Average ingot be two-hundred tonnes. We lookin at minin’ a lotta iron, cobalt, nickel, lotta platinum group metals. Six months from now we gonna be contractin’ superfreighters to help haul away all them ingots, most goin’ for a pretty penny at that.”

“Hmm,” Jack bit his lower lip, then spoke quickly. “I’m in the wrong business. How much to convert the Feather over to a rock cracker? Do you need another deck officoomph...” He was silenced by Lucinia pushing him away.

Kazlaena looked at him stunned, then looked at Lucinia expecting an angry remark. She relaxed when the sisters began laughing and Jack let out a quick chuckle.

“This is what I have to deal with from my second officer,” Lucinia said. “Maybe you should take on this ‘second officer’. Maybe Sandy can pummel some sense into him. He could even use a couple months on the grind deck.”

“Yeah, maybe so.” Valeria replied.

“No way to pummel sense into a brick wall,” Came from offscreen on Valeria’s side and everyone burst out laughing as Sandy appeared briefly, punching her fist. “Though perhaps if that Pri of yours were to assist...”

“You punks ain’t got skill enough to handle this,” Jack did a dancing pose and pranced offscreen.

Lucinia covered her face to hide her laughter as Kazlaena giggled hysterically. Valeria had to walk away laughing as Sandy stood in stunned silence for a moment, before remarking. “He just rolls with that huh. No way to tease him on that little dance episode?”

“Everyone here tries,” Lucinia said. “I do not think embarrassment is with that one. He just rolls with it, as you say. He just rolls, and rolls, and rolls...”

Valeria returned to her seat and looked over her console, then began making navigation adjustments as the Astral Feather neared the Rockpig. “Alright hon, we be prepping for superlum. You lookin’ beautiful about five thousand meters off our port.”