Esmerelda De Marcos looked down at her blood stained dress and watched the life blood pumping in spurts from the neck of the cardamine riddled wench slumped against the wall in the corner of the cell. Esmerelda dropped the broken bottle that had punctured the womans neck on the floor satisfied at the tinkling crunch it made as the impromptu weapon scttered shards in the pooling blood. The head of the wives of the pirate Gentle tolerated no cardamine in the halls of her home. SpineHome was the home delved from the central spine of the huge asteroid that formed the home of the Omega Pirates Guild and the Omega Trading Corporation. Mined out by corsairs many years ago Gentle had commissioned a home to be mined from the thick vain of marble that cascaded down through the centre of the asteroid and Esmerelda stood defiantly in the garbage celler looking as the last few dregs of blood drained from the face of the spy sent by the outcasts to gain information about the dealings of the IMG and the Omega Trading Corporation.
The OTC had been taken over in a swoop to liberate it from the less than competent business skills of her husband Gentle the Pirate King of the OPG. Gentles infamy for slaughter and piracy was a paradoxical pun on his business and diplomatic skills and much of the diplomacy for the OTC had been left to Esmerelda and the other wives of the pirate. 26 wives now governed smuggling, whoring and synthetic weed sales on many corsair, zoner, junker and IMG bases throughout sirius making the OTC a huge force privvy to much that men were want to discuss with their harlots during pillow talk.
Esmerelda flicked open her comms. 'Alandra....eees esme here get one of thee meenials down here hermana is a very bad mess and I need to prepare to recieve commandant Johnson ee as come to collect hees bambino'
The boy aged 18 had arrived at crete in an escape pod after engaing an outcast in his stolen IMG gunboat. The outcast wretch now lay devoid of life in the corner of the makeshift cell with a gaping hole in her neck where the bottle had been rammed into her windpipe. The outcast was responsible for the destruction of the incompetent pilots gunboat in the neighbouring system of Omega 7. An [OTC] vessel had collected the boy en route to omega 3 carrying counterfeit goods. [OTC]CounterfeitCarlos was a trusted member of the OTC and had maintained radio silence until the boy could be brought to cadiz. The boys story of exploration and strife with his father was one that was not uncommon among corsairs who were naturally hot blooded. esmerelda was shocked however to hear that the boy was responsible for engine development on a new class of battlecruiser being developed by the IMG. Clearly the boy had genius in abundance and the common sense of most young men his age. Upon arrival the boy had taken to Synthetic weed and whoring like a corsair pirate and was soon spending what seemed to be a unlimited supply of credits building a reputation with the putas on cadiz under the employ of the OTC.
Word of the boys 'safekeeping' on cadiz had reached the boys father and the IMG delegation had sent a request to the OTC for docking rights for a diplomatic vessel callsign 'Vigilance' with a commander Johnson at the helm. The request was granted.
Esmerelda watched the boys movements as the IMG albatross prepared for final approach. The vast ship pushed aside small asteroids on its approach and Esmerelda grinned as the deflector shields flashed and pulsated moving the ship around like a pinball. The boy became increasingly more agitated. "Esmerelda you have the plans for the engines correct?" "Si young one.. ees now in the vault of SpineHome weeth the remains of the spy's sheep and personal belongings" replied the first wife.
Esmerelda had uncovered a plot to steal the engine designs by the outcasts and had secured the only working prototype and designs from the wreckage of the outcast destroyer. The OPG had taken only minutes with a bomber squadron to track the outcast to the Theta system and had annihilated the destroyer en route to the Sigma 17 jumphole the plans and prototype that the outcast had salvaged from the boys Gunboat had been recovered then.
COmmander Johnson sat at the table opposite his son. Steeled eyes regarded the boy and the boy seemed less afraid as each minute passed until he met the mans gaze with a glare of his own. "So boy your plans for sirius wide domination of the engine industry have come to hiding with harlots in a pirate base" the commander accused. "Yes im hiding here and dont think im coming back with you either old man my time with your corporation is finished. Im my own man now. The payment i received for my work on the engine has funded me for a venture of my own and ill be pursuing my OWN goals now father. Ive met a girl here whos taken my fancy and I think ill be staying" The boy retorted. Esmerelda raised on eyebrow and smiled at the strength the boy displayed. "So commander it falls to me to discuss the terms for the safe return of your engine plans and the prototype we salvaged which under galactic law is now ours." "of course I am assuming you do WANT your engine back?" Esmerelda grinned at the discomfort of the commander.
"of course we want it back that prototype cost us almost 3 billion credits to produce and the power plant that runs it is groundbreaking. I dont normally have to do my dealings with you harlots but im aware many of my men speak favourably of your 'operation' and id prefer that we continue to have a mutually acceptable relationship. Under these terms i am prepared to make you a considerable offer NOT an outragous one is that understood?" the commander barked at the whore wife.
Esmereldas heavily lidded eyes opened alluringly and she smiled at the commander. "Senor ees good that you realise the importance of good relationsheeps weeth the weemen under our employ as they have MANY secrets in their hearts no.....hahahah! Many of your wives would not like to know of them i can say for sure. I ask for 300 million."
The commanders face boiled red and he exploded "WHAT! you may as well just take my damn ship......"
Esmerelda rose from the table and opened the viewing gallery at the top of the spine. The underbelly of the IMG battlecruiser was battlescarred and well used. "EES worth only 120 meelion senor.....EES THAT AN EENSULT TO ME?" The harlot spun and her silken robes flew out in a circle revealing her beauty to the two men in the room briefly before they fell into place. "Esmerelda your not going to get my ship from me either." Smiled the commander.
"Ok amigo....eees ok. You state your price and ill tell you what I theenk." Esmerelda sat and fluttered her fingers over a view panel. "Let me refresh your mind amigo....seence you seem to have forgotten about your.....recreational time on freeport 9...perhaps the IMG council would be happy to see what their top line commanders get up to while on duty.....oh and of course.... your wife. make no mistake you weel return with an engine today and I WEEL take your sheep." Images of the commander in a leather suit tied to a post flicked onto the screen. "EES not uncommon for men like you to have a dark side no"
"Stop! enough!" Cried the boy. "You stupid old man I should kill you for dishonouring my mother but instead ill give you this promise. Accept the corsair ladys offer and leave with what you need, the engine plans and prototype. Leave me here to build a new life with Alandra who I intend to buy from senor Gentle and Ill forget what took place on freeport 9."
The face of the old man saddened as he resigned himself to the loss of his son and his ship. The fire left him as fast as it had built. "Captain prepare to evacuate the crew from the Vigilance and to disembark to cadiz for 12 hours recreational time" He quietly spoke into his private comms mic. "very well senorita this engine and powerplant are too valuable to tarry on this matter. You will of course receive the stripped version and you must help me to ship all of the guns and equipment back to our base."
"of course amigo.....and seence your here you may as well enjoy yourself before you have to return to your mundane existence while transports are prepared for your equipment and crewmen." Esmerelda took the mans hand and patted it gently. "You should speak to your son amigo ees much like ees father I suspect no?"
"Andrew......Son....Be carefull that your weakness like mine cannot be exploited. I tell you now boy no man is pure and no man is safe from himself let alone the women he deals with. I will tell your mother of your plans. make sure you visit her from time to time." The old man extended his hand to his son. The boy took the and and gripped it. "Farewell father" Turning from his father the boy left the room.
"Tell me senorita what will you do with a battlecruiser?" Inquired the commander. "I weel run a brother and whore house senor.....the finest in seerius of course. There are many people who would harm our smuggling operation and this sheep will help reduce the losses we incur and will also be usefull for taking revenge on those who would prevent our trading." Esmerelda kissed the man on the cheek. "Come I have a lady who wants to meet you senor she is very......strict but very beautifull." A smile crept from her face as the man grinned from ear to ear. Esmerelda lit one of the specially rolled smokes that were laced with synth weed and blinked her perfect lids at the commander.
"Alandra.........." she said "Si Hermana" replied the 9th wife of Gentle "Have a golden plaque prepared 18 foot in length with the inscription 'VenganzaDelLaPutas' and have it delivered to the maintenance depot. "Very well senora" Came the reply.
