Page 31 of Alien Captain's Prisoner

The thought of being thrown over Captain Aelon’s lap like an unruly wench, as he spanks me with all the dominance of a haughty, horny Aurelian warrior, makes a shiver run down my spine.

I shift on the bunk, and the scant padding of the mattress isn’t the only reason I suddenly feel uncomfortable.

Then I realize there’s another angle to all this – one I hadn’t considered earlier.

I look up at Sawoot – suddenly filled with concern not just for me, but for my entire crew.

“We might be in more danger than we think,” I warn.

“We might? How so?”

“Think about it,” I tell her. “Those Toads knew we had a fortune in Orbs hidden in our cargo hold. This ship – The Instigator – has Orbs powering its weapons and Orb-Drive. Small shard of Orbs are even in each of the weapons those Aurelians carry- their Orb-Blades.”

“Yeah, so?”

I lean closer to Sawoot.

“The Instigator is just one, single ship in the blackness of space. A big, powerful, well-armed ship, sure – but we’re alone, and far away from the Aurelian Empire. For the right people, with the right backing, even a battleship like this could be a juicy target.”

“You’re nuts,” Sawoot shakes her head. “You saw how many las-cannons this thing has! How many Reavers it sent out to that moon’s surface.”

“True,” I nod, “but think about it. That Toad Captain might come back – with alotmore than just three assault ships next time.”

Sawoot bites her lip. Her sudden nervousness confirms that I’m onto something, and my scenario is more than just idle worry.

“You really think the Toads would come back? You know those cowards don’t like to pick fair fights – and, as I said, yousawhow many las-canons and missile batteries this ship has…”

“…but it wouldn’t be a fair fight,” I warn. I lean in. “This is howIwould do it...”

I trace invisible lines on the floor, outlining the strategy I’d employ if I had the same resources as that Toad Captain might have access to.

“First off, I’d wait until the Aurelians leave for the day to clear the Scorp nests on that moon. That removes almost all the active Reavers from the loading bay, and almost all the soldiers and crew.”

Sawoot nods – that much makes sense.

“Next, I’d send a strike team to the mining camps on Tarrion that The Instigator is here to protect. I’d raze them –obliteratethem.”

Sawoot’s eyes grow wide. What I’m suggesting would kill dozens or hundreds of mine workers. While, obviously, I don’t have the resources to do this, I think Sawoot is both impressed and horrified that such a scheme even crossed my mind.

It has to, though. I might not be willing to kill hundreds of defenseless miners – but I have no doubt that a suitably-motivated Toad commander would.

“I raze the mining camps,” I continue, “and Aelon will beforcedto send the rest of The Instigator’s resources to Tarrion to protect them, leaving nothing but a skeleton crew on board to protect this ship. The Instigator is strong, and well-defended – but without that protective fleet of small, manned Reavers, it would be reliant on las-cannons alone; and most of those have automated targeting systems.”

“Which are trash against smaller targets,” Sawoot nods.

“Exactly,” I nod. “I’d come at The Instigator with a squadron of fast-moving assault ships and rip this ship to shreds. You’ve seen how I can pilot – you know I could do it.”

“But you’re anexceptionalpilot – none of the Toads could fly like you.”

“If you’ve got enough assault ships, and if they’re fast enough, they wouldn’t need to.”

Sawoot’s face turns pale.

“Fuck. That’s exactly what they’ll do, isn’t it? Toads wouldn’t think twice about killing hundreds of innocent miners to make a score like this – twenty-six mid-sized Orbs,plusthe ones that power The Instigator.”

I nod.

“You need to warn Captain Aelon,” Sawoot gasps. “They could be on their way hereright now.”