Welcome readers!
The title of this story MAY sound familiar, the reason is, it is a top to bottom rewrite of the previous story. I HOPE the editing is up to snuff, I spent a lot of time on this rewrite. There have been changes, some additions and some plot points completely removed. I hope it's for the better.
Enjoy!
Captain Serra Harkner leaned back in her chair, her heavy boots rested comfortably on her control console. The faint "whirring" of the star drive of her freighter, the Naginata, sang to her like a lullaby. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and sighed. She always enjoyed long runs to fringe space, it was quiet, and once out of the jurisdiction of the templars (a space-faring "police force"), she had nearly no concerns or worries. Her fingers laced behind her head entangled in her red hair that was tied into a high ponytail. Just as she began to doze off, she could hear faint footsteps coming up the hallway to the bridge. She frowned as she knew what was coming, she was in her happy place and that was about to end.
"Captain, engines are operating at 87% efficiency." A young female voice broke her calm.
"Very good Cali, thank you." She paused, then spoke again without opening her eyes. "Cali?"
"Yes captain?"
"How long have you been the engineer on my ship?"
"I..." She paused, a little confused by the question. "Four years, why?"
"I think, after four years, you can drop the Captain crap." Serra said.
"Cap- I mean, Serra, I..." She stammered.
"Relax Cali, we're friends, treat me that way." She insisted.
"Is that an order?" Cali asked sarcastically.
"Yes." Serra replied. The two of them chuckled quietly.
"Ca-... Serra?"
"Yes?"
"Why do you always take these longer, lower paying jobs over the shorter, better paying jobs?" She asked as she sat in her seat, and loaded up a star chart.
"Because I enjoy running to fringe space and these are usually way more mundane and less dangerous." She explained.
"But... pirates usually lurk out here, in the black, out of the Templar jurisdiction."
"True, but with a ship this small, they wouldn't bother with us. They probably don't think we could or would haul anything of much value to them. Plus, I have an... understanding with the Reapers." Serra explained.
"Wait, you have an arrangement with dangerous gangs of thugs, murderers and mercenaries in fringe space?" Cali replied.
"Well, let's just say I know their number two, intimately." Serra explained.
"Is that right?" Cali replied intrigued.
"What's his name?"
"Kyree."
"Kyree? Weird name for a guy?" Cali replied, smiling to herself.
"Wait... what?" Cali turned her seat toward Serra. "You were snogging a woman?!"
"Cali... I only snog women." She said, They sat silently for a few moments, until a soft warning chime emanated from the console.
"Check that out for me, will you?" Serra said, still leaning back, eyes closed.
Cali tapped a few buttons and checked the readings.
"It's... I..."
"What is it Cali?" Serra asked, opening her eyes.
"I'm not sure, I've never seen these symbols before." Cali said with concern in her voice. Serra huffed and pulled her feet off the console. Her boots hit the floor of the metal deck with a thud. "Let me look." She replied as she punched up the read out. After a moment, she took up a more attentive posture. "Cali, bring us up to battle posture!"
"Weapons priming, shields at 75% and charging!" She said as the bridge lighting went from ambient yellow-white to red, and a ship wide alert echoed down the halls. In the distance, two sets of stomping feet could be heard rushing toward the bridge.
"Weapons ready!"
"Tactical computer up and tracking target." Serra replied, her long red ponytail swishing back and forth as she scanned the readouts.
"Serra, what the hell is going on?!" A black-haired woman wearing a tank top and cargo pants dropped into the seat behind Serra. Her tattoo-covered arms swiftly moved across the panels, bringing up situation readouts and target information. She was quickly followed by a large, bald man who took a seat across from Serra. "What's going on boss?"
"I've tripled checked, we've got two... wait, three Kurn pursuit ships about 150 clicks out and closing fast!" Serra replied.
"Very fast!" Lexi, the tattooed woman echoed.
"Shit!" Hawk, the bald man said, "What are we going to do, we can't outrun them."
"I know!" Serra grumbled. "Cali, get back to the engine room and sweet talk those engines, get every ounce of juice out of them you can. If this turns into a fight, we're gonna need it!"
"Right!" Cali leapt from her seat and rushed off to the engine room.
"Guns and shields at max charge!" Lexi said as she brought up her targeting array.
"Very good." Serra replied through gritted teeth.
"Kurn ships coming into visual range." Hawk said.
"On screen." Serra said and turned her attention to the viewer between the two front facing windows. "They're still closing fast!"
"Those are some sexy ships!" Hawks declared.
"Those ships are gonna kill you dumbass!" Lexi replied.
"Have you ever seen a Kurn woman Blackstone?" Hawk asked.
"What are you talking about Hawk?" Lexi asked.
"They are built like a-"
"Can it Hawk!" Serra barked at him. She pressed a button on the upper control panel. "Cali, how is my girl?"
"Purring like a kitten, that overhaul I did really did wonders. But if I heard you right, and they ARE Kurn ships, their alternating frequency bean cannons could be trouble for our shields!" She shouted over the roar of the engines.
"She really is full of herself, isn't she?" Hawk remarked.
"Shut up Hawk!" Serra and Lexi said in unison.
"Serra, we're... being hailed." Lexi said.
