Pirates? Plan on it!

To the voidborn, a new ship is like a new world. My crew were brave new explorers on an uncolonized vessel. On most ships you get clans who know the ship as well as they know their own bodies, generations of souls born and raised in ancestral cabins, living and dying like the cells of a great organism.

My voidmaster was one of those cells, a transfer from another ship, come to settle the new world. Not just settle, but to steer it through the galaxy, and all its dangers. “Beech reporting.” He said with his nasally drawl.

Beech was tall, like most voidborn. To me he was cut from the same cloth as Wisteria. An officer if ever an officer there was. I never saw him, smile sweat or flinch. He was a wall, every bit the bulkhead as the ship around us. The younger officers worshipped him. Why not? I’d want a man like that piloting my ship too, in fact I did!

“What news on that mass in the nebula?” I asked him, making sure to keep my legs closed.

“It’s a ship. I’d bet my life on it.” He said, apparently understanding the gravity of the situation.

“Out here warp jumps are a dangerous thing for pirates. They’d much rather stay within engine range of us, hidden but within reach of the station for when we leave.”

“Good news.” I smiled.

“I’d advise against chasing them into the nebula. They know it better than us, they could have it trapped.”

“What would you do?” I asked.

“Starve them out. We’re here for a few months regardless of what they do. They’ll have to come out eventually or starve in there."

“I can’t risk them attacking the arks when they arrive.”

"You're serving sisters of battle now Voidmaster, we do not fear treading in dangerous places." Dionaea said, hefting her bolter for effect. "We should take the nebula, the emperor is on our side."

The Voidmaster didn't react, not with any emotion. "As I said they will have the advantage there."

"The emperor is on our side." Dionaea countered. "We shall have the advantage."

A compelling argument.

I spoke next. "Is there a way for us to lure them out? They should be easy to destroy in open combat."

"Not unless you have something they want. Pirates make their living attacking weaker craft. They won't attack the Garden unless they have to."

"We have the station, which they want." I said mostly to myself.

"They'll attack it once they're starving." The voidmaster assured me. "Or go off to find easier prey."

"What if we make a jump?" I inquired. "We make to leave. Warp jump somewhere close by, and then return when they're out in the open."

I watched as he thought about the plan. "This could work, but you're relying on the warp a lot. You'd need an astropath on the station to connect with the ship to time the attack. Not to mention the risks involved in the jumps"

"Make it happen." I said after a moment of consideration. "We'll leave the good lord Summergale with his next station and set out. It'll be a good chance to see what the man is made of."

"You've got dinner with him tonight." Dionaea informed me, she wasn't much of a secretary when compared with Wisteria but she did know my schedule.

"We'll set out tomorrow." I grinned.

Beech saluted. "I'll make sure The Garden's ready for a fight."

"We should gossip with Brugmansia. A Rogue Trader must always keep her ear to the ground."

"Plus we could pump a lie or two about our enemies into the ships veins while we're at it."

DC 20

Roll: 8+6=14

Failure

Oh no. One you get that gossip going there's no stopping her.

-----

Lord Summergale’s congratulatory dinner was a small affair, but lavishly catered. It was me, Wisteria, the good lord, and my master of whispers Solan.

The engineseer had performed the sacred rights, and ignited the additional boilers. The air was actually starting to feel warm!

Solan was another sister of the order, a former Dogmata. Which made her a firey and passionate speaker before crowds or on the battlefield. Well her whispers were powerful too, and she knew much more about what was going on in the ship than anyone was comfortable with. Even me. She was younger than Wisteria, and had grown her hair long though she kept it dyed the usual ghostly white favored by most sisters.

“We expect there to be a few riots.” Wisteria said calmly cracking into the shell of her dinner. “Once we’re away and the pirates are heading for the station any sympathizers among your people might see it as a chance to throw you off.”

Solan picked up this thought. “We’ll be leaving with enough enforcers to maintain order, and I’ll personally be present to assist you in your duties.”

“As a spy?” The lord quipped amicably.

“Yes.” Solan nodded, not one for humor.

“It’s a brave first chapter to your governorship!” I laughed. “Your ancestors will speak fondly of it.”

He squirmed, the fucking dandy. “Forcing all of this on my first day seems unwise. Shouldn’t we make sure I’m more established?”

“Your weakness is exactly what makes you attractive…”

“Good girl.”

I shook my head. “…to the pirates.”

The handsome man had become quite nervous once I’d shared my plan with him. Poor boy. The officer would have been a wiser choice, but he was just so cute squirming I felt I’d made the correct decision. Wisteria and Solan continued to fill him in, making sure he was a proper puppet under my rule.

I was fantasizing about the battle to come. Pirate hunting! How dashing!

——-

“I caught you admiring my robes earlier.” I informed lord Summergale as he walked me to my room.

He stiffened, and cleared his throat, even as he kept up with my pace. “There’s a lot to admire lord Captain.”

“Did you like what you saw?”

He radiated nerves.

Maybe it was Dionaea, who was following a few steps behind.

“A dog like her should be following us on all fours.”

Dc: 80

Roll: 63+6=69

Failure!

A tempting thought, but no.

“Of course I did.” He whispered.

“Good.” I smiled at him. “I hope you know I expect a little gratitude for your position.”

He blanched. “I have more than a little I assure you I…”

I silenced him by cupping his crotch, and pressing him against the wall. Both he and Dionaea gasped. “Good I was hoping it was more than a little gratitude.”

“You’ll have to excuse me!” Dionaea’s nunly sensibilities overtook her, and she abandoned the scene all together. Almost running down the hall to be rid of us.

“We’ll have to punish her for that later.”

“Sometimes not being a member of the order has its perks.” I said, squeezing the organ in my hand.

He winced, and flushed. Without Dionaea he was already relaxing in my grip. I could sense his noble mind calculating how to use me for his benefit, now that she was gone. “I’m beginning to see those perks. He grinned handsomely and leaned in to kiss me.

I accepted it, and when he was done pulled him into my room. “Keiki don’t come out I have a guest!” I hollard, running for the bed with him in tow. I threw him on the sea of sheet, and put one leg up there with him, so he could see my exposed sex. “Kiss it.” I told him. “I know you’ve been thinking about it.”

He grinned and began to unbuckle his belt. “I’ve been thinking of something else actually…”

“Kiss it!” I demanded this time, and gave him a stern look.

He gulped but obeyed, and crawl forward, mouth open, tongue ready.

“An imperial governor between our legs, nice.”

“He’s no different than a slave.”

“Good thing you didn’t wear panties.”

“Shut up!” I cursed.

Summergale pulled his tongue loose from me. “Pardon?”

“Not you.” I said grabbing him by the hair, and pressing myself against his face. “You just…” I gasped. “Get my mind racing!”

——-

Short chapter!

I can't believe Bertha resisted that gossip roll. I delayed putting this chapter out, so I could write up that scene, but when I got home to roll it, she failed! lol.

You guys gave lots of great suggestion for the upcoming pirate fight, thanks!

Always feel free to drop more. I'm ravenous for comments!!!