Space Pirates Chapter 3

From Grigbertz

After several uneventful hours they closed with the crippled Eagle. Jenner was on his second stimpatch and although he was alert now, he knew he'd crash later on. Dante had gotten a good eight hours sleep (although Jenner couldn't understand how he managed to sleep after the fight) and still had time for breakfast while Jenner had to take his meals in the cockpit, monitoring the ships trajectory.

The Eagle had stopped leaking atmosphere sometime during the Zeniths passage behind the gas giant wich seemed like a good sign - the life support might be operational, something that'd make unloading the cargo much easier. The spacesuits they'd worn before were very bulky and made you clumsy so it was a good thing if they didn't need them.

The radio was silent and Jenner eased the Zenith the last few meters by hand before the docking system could get a magnetic hold of the Eagles hull. The system didn't have hooks, but instead relied on magnetics. And in case of the other hull being of metal but not ferrous, the system induced a lot of current into the hull and turned it into a large electro magnet. The two ships fused together and Jenner left the cockpit, his job done, and headed to tactical where all were gathered.

"There you are" said Max, waited until Jenner had taken his place around the screen with the others and then continued. "This is the scan of their ship. We've had no reply over the radio, but it could be out. So we'll go in and expect some resistance, wich means we'll have to use armour to protect us from small arms fire. Though from the looks of these scans, the areas here and here" he pointed to the screen, "prevents anything but the smallest size of powered armour to pass through, wich means we can only use the Mark 2 and not the 4. So it's Dante and someone else in the suit. Who will it be?" Max looked at them in order and they all volountered. When it was Jenners turn to answer he almost turned it down due to him still riding high on the stimpatches but a nudge in the ribs from Dante who was standing next to him made him gulp and then shut up.

"What did you say?" Max asked.
"Ehh, ofcourse I want to board." said Jenner. When Max shifted his attention away from Jenner he turned to Dante and whispered:
"What was that for?"
"You were going to decline! You can't do that, it's the best part!" A wide grin had spread across Dantes face as he said this.
"I was not..."
"Yes you were. Now, you can thank me later."
"What happens now?"
"Max will decide by chance who'll go along with me. May the best man win."

Jenner was standing next to the boarding hatch and had some trouble getting into the suit. It wasn't bulky at all, not like the preassure suits they wore during ship combat. The Mark 2 was a powered unit wich boosted the users strength, senses, speed and best of all: damage resistance. In it, Jenner would be a lot safer if they encountered any resistance. Besides, it had some means of self defense too that were non lethal. This way, Jenner might not have to use his gun. Dante was standing next to him, helping him close the last seals of the suit and run the diagnostics. Dante didn't wear a suit - he was modified enough that he was quite sure he'd manage to stay alive in whatever small confrontation that could erupt during the boarding.

Karl came up to them with a lorry and dumped a heap of scrap metal on the deck in front of them.
"What's this?" Jenner asked, clearly lost.
"Ze reztraintz" said Karl. "Zey are all I could find, and I found thiz zcrap in the hold we never cleaned zo itz pure luck we had anything at all aboard. We're not equipped to be zlaverz."
"But it looks like chains?!?"
"I know. Look 'ere, itz not like zere iz much to chooze from!"
"They're ancient!"
"More like zome hundred yearz or zo. Look, atleazt they have maglockz."
"That's a small consolation Karl."
"Enough of this!" said Dante and picked up a pair of cuffs attached to a chain. "Look, this'll be great - just cuff and attach the other end to the hull and the crew will be no problem. Then you make your way to the lifesupport and I secure their bridge, and then we can loot that ship and be out of here in no time. Right?"
"Right. Give me some chains and let's go."

Heinrich had cut through the Eagles hull and after the flashgrenades had exploded both Jenner and Dante dove through the hole into the other ship. The emergency lights were on, painting everything a gloomy red. The HUD in Jenners suit immediatley showed him a layout of the ship with the presumed life support marked for him. He also noticed his pulse was high before he actually felt his heart racing. Dante patched a device into the intercom and soon after Max's voice sounded in the silence:
"Eagle crew, you have been boarded. Lay down on your stomachs with your hands on your heads and you will not be harmed. Do not resist, any resistance is futile! I repeat; You have been boarded, lay down..."
Jenner ignored the rest. Max would continue to repeat that until he got the signal that the bridge and life support were under their control. They advanced down the corridor until they reached the point where they would be splitting up. Dante would continue towards the bridge straight ahead and they nodded at eachother before Dante slid out of view and Jenner turned towards the hatch in the floor that would lead down to the level below and opened it. He was totally unprepared for the brief flash and the soft thuds that he heard.

"Eh, Dante? I think this hatch was rigged. Look out for booby traps."
"Thanks. You alright?"
"Oh yes..." Jenner answered, almost absentmindedly. "No problem at all. I didn't feel a thing."
All of a sudden he spotted a face in the smoke below. It was a womans face and it looked pale in the red light. When she saw Jenner in his suit she shrieked in sudden terror (he looked mean, he knew) before she withdrew. Jenner got a hold on himself, calmed down, and jumped through the hatch. He landed without effort and immediately spotted the girl who had waited close to the hatch, she stood just a few meters away pointing a gun at him.
Bop! Bop! Bop!
She fired her gun at him while he closed the distance in two giant strides. The HUD of his suit told him where he'd been hit, reported no damage done and predicted she held a Grünger 34A with 94% certanity. Jenner ignored the information and grabbed her by her hands, his large hand catching both her wrists. Without effort he lifted her off her feet and got a better look at her hanging there.