13 Years Ago – Imperial Corvette Jemdat Star – The Neutral Zone, Delgado System

“So, will that work for you, Consul Henley?” The trader asked with a smile. It was always lucrative to do business with an Imperial Consul who had dirty work to be done. No doubt, this would be a long-term and lucrative arrangement.

“It will – and thank you for meeting me face to face – even out here. I like to do business where you can shake the other man’s hand.” Edward Henley smiled as he stood. “I’ll arrange the transfer of the first half of the money into your account and you’ll have two weeks to accomplish the task. Is it agreed?”

The captain and his negotiator stood and nodded in agreement. “If that is ...” They were interrupted by an impact on the Jemdat Star’s port side. Everyone was thrown to the deck.

**Pirates!** The voice came over the loud speaker. **We didn’t detect them until they were within in weapon’s range!** The captain of the corvette shouted. It had been a risk of meeting here: radiation emissions and a large asteroid belt limited sensor ranges. But, it was that lack of sensor range they had wanted. Now, it was their undoing.

**Weapons! We’re being boarded!!** The captain cried as the hull was breeched. But, it was too late, the pirates had taken the ship.

Two months later – Imperial Space at the home of Consul Edward Henley

“Ma’am.” The Admiral said, entering the Consul’s office with his head hung low. “We have news.”

“Yes?” Rachel Henley answered.

“We found what was left of the Jemdat. It was badly damaged and we found several bodies; all hands are assumed lost. We found your husband’s body. It was, he was rudely treated. We also found: a Captain James Fromyer, a free trader with gray market connections and a Darius Elkingtown, who is a mercenary and probably Fromyer’s body guard. We did not find any documents ...”

“Morgan! Did you find Morgan?” Rachel screamed, throwing a glass vase at the Admiral’s head (but missing wildly).

“I’m sorry, ma’am. No.” We found several bio-masses outside the ship but they had been badly burned in the initial hits the corvette took. But, we could not confirm anything. He is assumed dead.”

Rachel’s head fell into her hands and she began to sob.

“We have questions and need to ...” The Admiral began.

“That can, no doubt, wait.” A new voice said, it was David Reedy, Consul Henley’s Chief of Staff. “She’s had a bad enough day already – don’t you agree?”

“Of course, I’ll schedule a time for later in the week. Good day.” The admiral said.

“Please call tomorrow and we’ll set something up for after the funeral.” Reedy said.

Two months earlier – Pirate Frigate, The Dreaming Serpent – The Neural Zone, Delgado System

“Captain, we’re stripped the merchant ship; it’s mostly trash, but we did find a few tones of saleable swag. The imperial ship was a different matter. We found codes for money and have already started routing it through our shell accounts. We’ll need to set up new shell when this is done – but you’ll be happy with the net.” The pirate said, “We also stripped some of the vital parts.”

“Excellent.” She said. Her voice was smooth and sexy, “Everyone on both ships dead?”

“Yes.” She was told. “The Consul didn’t tell me everything we wanted him to. But, I’m pretty sure he told us everything he knew. I hate it when they beg like that.” She laughed spitefully.

“Excellent.” She smiled. “Leave no trace and then we’ll pull both ships into an orbit that will make the crash into one of those moons.”

Jade Qu-fong stood and looked out her view screen. She smiled while her men ferried good and various items off the ships. She had been at this now for more than two years, leaving a promising Imperial career to make a bigger and better name for herself as a pirate. Her ship was fast and her crew was learning. They lacked the discipline of a true military crew; but they made up for that in ruthlessness. Still, she missed the crisp salutes and formation perfect discipline that the Fleet had given her.

Once their work was done, they moved away. Warping to their port of call to sell the swag and then away from there again to make another hit before they would need to lay low for awhile.

“Captain.” Her ops officer said, “We have an alert in the shuttle bay.”

“Polly and Rio, grab a weapon and meet me in at the door to the shuttle bay.” Jade said, she grabbed her gun and walked off the bridge.

“I see him.” Polly said, as she looked into the bay. “There’s a kid in there, and he’s very well dressed for a stow-away.”

“Damn them.” Jade said, “Go get him, Rio.”

Minutes later, the large Rio dragged the young boy by his hair and threw him at the feet of Captain Jade.

“Who are you?” the Captain asked.

“My name is Morgan Henley.” The boy said. His eyes were red and tears of pain had formed, but he didn’t seem very scared.

Jade pulled out her pistol and placed it to his head. To her surprise, he leaned into it.

“Do it. I am not scared of you.” The boy said.

“Oh!” Jade laughed. “Why not? I’m going to blow your silly brains out.”

“I can see that, now get on with it.” The boy taunted her. “Or, do you want to see how long it will take for me to get my revenge for what you did to my papa.”

Rio’s large fist hit, hard, on the side of his head and knocked him to the ground. The boy didn’t move and a trickle of blood ran from the side of his ear and eye.

“What an idiot.” Jade said, and then the boy started to move. They watched as he stood up again, all 4 foot 6 inches.

“I thought you were going to kill me. What kind of dumb-ass crew to you run here?” The boy said defiantly to Jade, then to the man who had hit him: “Is that *all* you got?”

Jade’s eye caught Rio before he could hit the boy again and a cruel smiled formed on her face. “Did you see what we did to your ‘papa’ boy?”

“I saw you cut him and ask him questions. I heard him scream and cry for mercy. I saw you break his fingers when he didn’t tell you what you wanted. I heard him beg. And, I saw you murder him.” The boy said flatly. “But, if it’s sport you want, you should kill me now before people begin to wonder just how tough you are – if you can’t bring a boy to beg.”

Rio and Polly laughed, fully expecting the next sound they heard would be the Captain’s pistol blowing this child’s head off. But, what they heard next was the sound of their captain laughing.

“Boy, if your papa had your stones, he’d have stayed in the Fleet. Take him below and give him ten lashes. Then, put him in the galley; boy’s going to cook us some lunch. Little-tough-man here will serve us until he’s learned his lesson.” She kicked him hard in the gut and he doubled over – gasping for air. When Rio’s strong arms lifted him up and carried him below.

Morgan Henley had gone on this trip with his papa as a sixth birthday present. He would spend the next thirteen years as a crew member of the Dreaming Serpent. The first few cruel years, he served as Jade’s cabin boy and the crew’s errand boy. Many of the crew became fond of him. He learned to tend their wounds and cook their food.

Soon he was a teenager, strong from his hard work and he became part of the crew. He was trained to fight and shoot and raid and kill. He was good at it. Jade even began to think of him as a son; she had no other children. She loved Morgan and began to think that one day, he would replace her on the Serpent.

For his part, Morgan learned all he could learn. He enjoyed the adventure and he enjoyed the money and the perks of the pirate life. But, he never forgot his promise to Jade. He would revenge his papa.

Morgan’s 19th birthday was a big day for the Serpent. They pulled into an Imperial trading post; just as Morgan had requested. They took him to a club and brothel. Everyone was too sloshed and impaired to notice that he wasn’t drinking and no one noticed when he left. But, when the Imperial police showed up to arrest them, led by Morgan. Everyone knew. The police impounded the Serpent and her entire crew. Morgan was soon reunited with his mother – who was now a Consul. The crew of the Dreaming Serpent, captain and all, were sent to prison.

Morgan’s life, or rather the life that his mother gave him, couldn’t suit the boy who had grown up the way he did. None of the women his mother selected were rough enough, none were wanton enough and none really wanted the adventure that was still in his heart. The jobs he was given bored him, diplomacy and niceties were not his strong suit and the second time he settled a dispute with his fist, he was run out. He left home soon after. His mother was concerned, but she knew that she had lost him the day his papa had died.