Poor Man's Fight (25 page)

The recruits summoned to meet with
Everett formed up outside his office without worry. This was unlikely to be another ass-chewing. Performances held to expectations, and often exceeded them. There had been no major screw-ups for weeks.

Everett
came out to meet them with his holocom screen still up, floating next to him as he moved. “At ease,” he said, allowing the recruits to relax as they stood. “Sergeant Janeka and I received your orders since last night. We’ve had time to do some math and send out a few messages. Espinoza, Malone: your ships won’t be in port again for at least five weeks. Matuskey, Jun, and Huang: you’re going to shore billets where you aren’t urgently needed. Baljashanpreet...well, you’re going to the
St. George
, so you could be aboard a couple hours after graduation concludes, but I’ve got a pretty solid relationship with Lieutenant Duran. He’s willing to put off having you aboard for a while if you’re interested in taking up an opportunity.

“The fleet is serious about cross-training our marines and navy crews. The higher-ups like the versatility. Recruits, given the details of your orders, you have a choice after graduation.
Four of you can ship out immediately while the other two cool your heels here at Fort Stalwart and do whatever bullshit jobs they come up with until it’s time to go… or you can join Oscar Company’s marine recruits for weapons and tactics school. It won’t be as easy or as relaxing as temporary duty here on base, but it will certainly be more interesting and you’ll get to blow up lots of shit,” Everett finished nonchalantly. “Questions?”

“Chief, will this be like an extension of basic?”
asked Matuskey.

“Yes and no. They don’t treat you like you’re still just recruits, but that means they’ll expect you to act like regular personnel. You’ll
be in a nicer barracks than this one. You’ll have occasional liberty after sunset and you can get off base on occasion. WTS doesn’t start up for several days after graduation, too, so you’ll be on temporary duty here until then regardless. Or you can burn some leave time if you want. I’d recommend it. You need to get out of here and remember that you’re human beings.”

The recruits chuckled.
Everett’s expression grew serious. “People, we’ve been training you for the real thing because that’s our job, but I have to tell you that I think the real thing is coming. I see changes in procedure and expectations in the fleet. I see a buildup of ships and arms. I can’t tell you what our civilian leadership plans or expects will happen, but all this trouble can’t be for nothing. Nor does command view this company and the ones following it as just some fuck-off experiment in military pedagogy.”

Matuskey
frowned. “Uh, chief…?”

Everett
sighed. “Malone.”

“Pedagogy is the art or science of teaching,” Tanner said.

“Oh,” Matuskey nodded.

“Think it over. Dismissed.”

As the other recruits headed back into the squad bay, Tanner lingered. “Chief?” he asked. “I don’t need to think it over. I’ll stay for WTS.”

Everett
looked at him thoughtfully. “I’m glad to hear it. Only reason they can afford to send you guys is because we lost some projected recruits along the way. People like Einstein,” he added with a grin before turning back to his office. “Back to work, Malone.”

“Aye, aye, chief,” Tanner nodded. He returned to the squad bay to find the company working at a more relaxed pace than
was normally allowed. His eyes scanned the room until he found Alicia wiping down the lockers against the walls. “Need any help?”

Alicia smirked as she handed him a second towel. “What was that about?”

“Turns out you’re not rid of me yet,” he shrugged. “They gave us the option to go to WTS with you guys.”

“Huh. All
six of you?”

“Well, I don’t know if they’re going for it. I already said yes.”

Alicia nodded. She didn’t seem especially impressed or excited. “Good.”

Tanner smiled.

“I’ll get to punch you in the face a bunch more,” she mused.

“You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?”

“Nope.” She kept cleaning. He faced Alicia in many sparring matches since that day, and despite his best efforts, he lost every time. “So what’re you gonna do between graduation and WTS?” Alicia asked in an offhanded tone. “Stay on base? Burn some leave time?”

“I dunno. I was thinking of staying here,” Tanner frowned. “No sense burning leave time or travel cash until I can go see my parents.”

“Or until you can go all the way to Earth to see your
girlfriend, Allison
,” Alicia teased with a snotty, singsong tone.

Tanner sighed. “It’s not like that.
Okay, I’ve had a crush on her for a couple years, but seriously? She’s a good friend, but it’s just that. I’m not on hold for her.”

Alicia moved around Tanner to wipe down the next locker. She sprayed it down, then handed Tanner the bottle. “You mean that?”
she asked skeptically.

“Yeah.”

“You really have control of your emotions like that?”

Tanner snorted. “I know better than to develop a bunch of unrealistic expectations.”

Alicia was quiet for a moment. “You should use some of your leave time before WTS.”

“You think?”

“Yeah. You know, relax, decompress. You don’t have to go far. There are a couple cool cities on this planet. It’d give you a chance to be who you are out of that uniform. Besides, hotel beds won’t be so expensive if you split ‘em with me.”

Tanner dropped his bottle of spray cleaner. It burst open at his feet, covering his boots and the floor with fluid. Smiling as if nothing was wrong at all, Alicia turned away. “Hey, I’m gonna check my squad. I’ll be back in a few.”

Stunned and speechless, Tanner watched Alicia go.

“We used to argue about this shit
constantly,” Lauren explained, gesturing to the mob of pirates gathered around the fires. “Secret ballot or public vote? Chits? Show of hands? What do we vote on first, captains or targets? Officer elections or ships’ rules?”

She took a
pull off of her bottle of whiskey, then flashed a grin at the new pirates surrounding her. “Hell, we’re still arguing. Direct democracy’s a pain in the ass.”

“Beats the alternatives, though, right?” asked Sheng Hong. He held a plate of simple fare in his hands, most of it just meat roasted over an open flame. His beer sat at his feet.

“Pretty much. Y’know, you see those movies where the pirate captains are always these high-and-mighty assholes who shoot everyone who displeases ‘em. What the fuck sense does that make? Pirate ships are full of career criminals. Why would they put up with that?”

Darren Mills shrugged in agreement. He was admittedly surprised to still be breathing himself. After the theft of
Aphrodite
, Darren found the camaraderie of his fellow pirates more than a little strained. Insults and threats flew, some of them veiled, others open. The warmth of his welcome into the crew went cold overnight.

Only
the influence of Casey, Lauren and Jerry prevented things from getting violent. They prevented brawls and quieted talk of worse through tactful words and offers of drinks or dinner. Darren learned quickly that even the most respected of pirates had only minimal real authority while in port. Their opinions carried great weight, but in the end, they couldn’t order anyone to do much of anything.

Nothing made that plainer than what Darren witnessed tonight. Word went out that
Vengeance
and several other ships intended a voyage. The call had been anticipated for days; people were already running low on cash. A great many pirates from
Vengeance
had been so sure of a huge payday from
Aphrodite
that they quickly squandered their initial shares of the loot. The money from ransoming their captives hardly assuaged the disappointment of losing the ship. Many pirates consoled themselves by spending their cash even faster.

As Darren learned, the initial sign-on was only an agreement to journey to the other side of the planet under complete communications silence.
Vengeance
and four smaller vessels landed in the desert, arranged in a ring. Bonfires and grills soon appeared, along with kegs and racks of alcohol. Most of it was fairly cheap stuff, either donated by the wealthier pirates or scrounged up from ships’ stores. Serious matters had to be hashed out—namely where the ships were going and who would be in charge—but that was no reason not to make a party out of it.

“Hey,
Lauren,” said Chang, striding up with a mug in his hand, “we gonna get this show on the road?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she grinned.
Lauren urged Jerry out of his simple collapsible chair. She stood on it, hoisted a pistol into the air and fired off a pair of rounds. “Hear ye, hear ye, assholes!” she called. Tiny speakers sewn into the shoulder pads of her vest for just such an occasion boosted her voice. “Mates and crew of
Vengeance
, gather ‘round so we can hash out all our shit!”

Conversations ceased. Music dropped. The men and the few women who had signed on to the ship—and there had been hundreds, enough that some had to be turned away back at Paradise City—drew close in a crowd around
Lauren and her impromptu pedestal. Further away, similar clusters gathered for the crews of the
Guillotine, Yaomo
and the
Liberty Rose
. The crew of the fifth ship, the
Monkeywrench
, would get around to it when they felt like it, as was their way.

“As most recent quartermaster, it falls to me to kick this off,”
Lauren explained for the first-timers, new recruits, and those drunk enough to need the recap. “The first order of business is the election of a new quartermaster to run the rest of the meeting. Are there any candidates?”

“I nominate that
scary-assed Lauren!” called out Chang.

“
Scary-assed Lauren accepts!” she smiled. “Are there any other candidates?” Her gaze swept the crowd. “Come on, don’t be shy. You all know I won’t take it personally. Seriously? Am I running unopposed again?”

“Nobody’s an ugly enough bitch to beat you!” Jerry
shouted.

“Oh, sure you are, Jerry!”
Lauren shot back, and then waited for the laughter to pass. “All in favor?” she asked, then nodded as she heard a roaring “Aye!” in response. “All opposed?” Silence. “So be it. I accept the post of quartermaster for this voyage!”

A cheer went through the rowdy assembly.
Lauren bowed sloppily. “Our second order of business is the election of a captain.”

“
Casey!” several men shouted out.

“Is
Casey even here?” Lauren asked. “I figured he’s passed out somewhere… aw, there he is,” she said as her longtime comrade worked his way through the crowd. “Casey, do you accept the nomination?”

“I suppose,” he replied with feigned reluctance.

“Other candidates?” Lauren asked. Again, silence. “Again, don’t feel shy about speaking up. One pirate, one vote. No one is on a power trip here.” Finally, she shrugged. “Casey runs unopposed. All in favor?” She waited for the resounding “ayes” and cheers. She was then cut off before she could call for nays.

“Hey! What the fuck?!” someone yelled
nearby. Lauren spotted a burly man with bared arms and a bald head pushing through to the open space in the center. He pointed an angry finger at Darren, who stood near the inner ring of the crowd. “Why is that fucker voting? Why’s he even here?”

“He signed on like anyone else, Parker,”
Lauren frowned. “He votes just like anyone else.”

“That’s bullshit!” Parker growled, throwing a bottle down on the ground. “We’d all still be swimming in cash if it wasn’t for this fucking retard!”

“Wasn’t his fault, Parker,” said Casey in a calm, firm voice.

“
Casey, why are you protecting this asshole?” demanded the bigger pirate. He practically frothed at the mouth with rage.

“Hey, I’m not protecting anyone,” he said, holding his hands up. “I’m just another pirate right now. I’m just saying it isn’t right to hold what happened against him
. I’m not telling you what to do.”

Parker needed a moment to process that. Darren tensed, figuring he’d get jumped at any second. He couldn’t really dodge or give any ground; the crowd was too thick for all of that. If he pulled his gun or a knife now, there’d be a fight for sure. Yet if he didn’t do it now, he’d probably never get it out in time. Darren had survived a few brawls, but this guy was half again his size and looked like barehanded murder was his favorite debate tactic.

Parker’s gaze turned on him. He took a step toward Darren, cocked back one fist and swung at him. Darren ducked under it, rushing forward to get behind his attacker. Parker spun and threw a left hook that caught Darren in the side. His follow-up punch landed right in the jaw.

Darren staggered back, saw Parker closing in on him and swung. He caught Parker in the nose. The bigger pirate cocked back one
fist to pound Darren’s face—and then found his arm suddenly tangled up in Lauren’s.