Captain Emrah Jackson Ch. 32

This ongoing sci-fi series will contain non-consensual elements.

The Trinidad was a UEN battle cruiser. Off its bow was the now empty Siren's Kiss. We had rigged it with explosives, but the message we had from the Admiral was to hold in place. It meant that all orders were superseded until the fleet arrived. The pirate ship I had served on had its reprieve but it was likely to be destroyed soon enough.

Captain Harmon the commander of the Trinidad told me that the fleet should be with us the following days. He had told me he received a message from the Admiral telling him that we were now at war with a group calling themselves the Free Systems Alliance. I had never heard of them, and from all accounts, they had been formed because of the incursion by the UEN.

I asked Berta, the ex-captain of the Siren's Kiss, who was being held in our brig if she had heard of them. She hadn't but she did tell me she had met a ship not too long ago that was heading towards the Biorian system. That was where the enemy fleet was massing.

The UEN crew was professional but I did sense some nervousness in them. No one had ever declared war on the UEN in living memory. There had been border disputes and raids, but never a formal declaration before. I doubted it would come too much. Our fleet in the free systems was small, but the home fleet the one that protected Earth was massive, and it was doubtful Earth was in any real trouble.

Preparations had to be made. This wasn't like hunting pirate vessels. Emergency evacuation drills were run in the corridors and I had to do my best to stay out of the way. The Marines spent their time running mock boarding parties. Carletti even asked Harmon if they could use the Siren's Kiss and a type of training ground. It would have been the perfect vessel to brush up on the boarding limpets procedures. He denied the request and said they just had to use the spare cargo hold.

The main one currently held the rest of the Siren's Kiss crew. I visited Roki again and told her what was going on. Like Berta, she hadn't heard of these people.

***********

It was frustrating having Roki on board but not being able to spend time with her. I wanted to speak to her properly and privately. It had been so long since I had seen her. I didn't know what her future would be. Even Captain Harmon wasn't sure what would happen to them. There was talk of sending them back to Ferrin to be put in one of the camps. I couldn't bear it if that happened.

I was bored and spent most of my time reading in one of the small canteens. There was a good view of the Siren's Kiss and it was nice being able to look at the ship.

Lieutenant Bonnet found me in there one evening. I was the only one there and was glad for the company. She represented me at my court-martial and had done an excellent job at it.

She brought over a couple of coffees and joined me at my table.

Bonnet was in her mid-twenties and a very attractive young lady. She had silky black hair that she had tied up in a ponytail. I missed my long hair. Mine was short now and its natural dark brown colour had returned.

After some casual talk about what I was reading, I asked her what she thought about this whole situation.

She admitted that at first she had been excited about being part of this task force. Now thought she had some worries about what was going to happen next.

"It might not come to war," I said.

"I think it will. Our mission here is to take out the pirate threat and we've been handed them all on a plate."

Now that she mentioned it, it did sound very convenient. If I was a pirate I doubted I would announce my location.

"They might be luring us into a trap."

"This is the UEN," I said, "our ships are much more superior."

"I know what you are saying but that ship Talia commands had already defeated two of ours."

I shook my head and told her it was just luck. "We are much safer in a fleet now. Those incidents were isolated and besides the Denmark was a corvette and not even a combat ship."

I asked her what Harmon was making of it all.

"I can tell he's nervous, but he's good and hiding it."

I smiled and told her that was part of his job.

It was the unknown that had rattled her. It rattled me too if I was being honest. As we chatted more an idea started to form in my mind. It was a way we could get more information about this mysterious fleet.

After she left I went to see Captain Harmon. I told him my idea and while he thought it was a good one he didn't think the Admiral would go for it.

He suggested that I put it to her myself.

***********

The main fleet arrived a day later. The capital ship Bellephron was at the front of the formation. It was an immense ship that made the Trinidad look puny.

The fleet was using our position as a rallying point and now waited for the other patrols to arrive. Harmon had messaged the Admiral, and to my relief, she called me over to her ship.

I took a small shuttle over and met with her in one of the staterooms. Admiral Nagamo was a slight, no-nonsense woman.

"Emrah, take a seat," she said briskly. In front of her was a digital pad that contained my proposal. She picked it up and asked if I was being serious.

"I think it could work," I said.

"You want to take that pirate ship into enemy territory and collect intelligence?"

"It makes sense, we don't know anything about them."

"We have detailed plans of the Biorian system, Emrah, we do have intelligence services, you know."

"So you knew about this alliance?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, but we know that the Biorians have a strong fleet, but hardly a match for us."

"They are calling in pirate ships, aren't they? To bulk up their numbers," I said.

"We think so," she said and told me what was why it was so quiet on Ferrin.

"So," I said, "We don't know how big their fleet is now."

"It doesn't matter Emrah, once we get there we will know. Earth will send reinforcements if they are needed."

"Other systems could join the alliance," I said, "it could get out of hand very easily."

"They could," she admitted.

"Let me take the ship," I said, "I can relay numbers and whatever else you need."

She sighed, "Even if I allowed this, I am not letting you lead that mission."

"It has to be me," I said. "I'm the only one with the experience."

"Talia is there, leading this fleet. She knows you are in the UEN."

I shook my head. "The last time we met I wasn't. As far as she knows I'm still in the free systems looking for her. Besides I very much doubt she is leading this fleet." I went on to explain that they had probably only said that as some sort of intimidation factor. Talia had been in the UEN, but she was hardly a fleet commander, let alone someone who could fight a war.

Admiral Nagamo was a prideful leader, but she was also smart. Smart enough to listen to my advice.

"I could maybe assemble a suitable team," she said.

"No, I pick the crew, and I want to take some of the ship's original personnel. We have them in our brig."

She shook her head hard and told me I was pushing my luck.

"They will likely inspect the vessel, it has to look right. I have to pick."

"Admiral," I said, "The intelligence we gather could be invaluable, it could save lives."

Finally, she had to relent and told me I had a day to prepare.

On my way out she told me that Ambassador Gant wanted to speak with me before I left. I asked her what it was about but she said it was something private.

***********

Ambassador Gant had voted in my favour at the court-martial. I had met him years earlier. Back when I looked a lot younger due to forcible surgery and when I was called by a different name.

My master at the time had ordered me to seduce him. Gant had fucked me while my master had made a recording. He was going to use it to blackmail the Ambassador. The recording was long gone now.

I had a feeling my meeting with him today would be about that.

It was good that I had been able to convince the Admiral to accept my plan. It was a risky venture but one I thought was wise due to the circumstances. Talia had always been my responsibility and now that she was out there on an enemy ship I couldn't just sit on my hands.

Gant was staying in one of the more luxurious accommodations on the ship. He answered the door with a nervous smile on his face and asked me to come inside.

He was a very large man. Well-fed and soft. His uniform was a similar light blue colour to mine but had different markings. He was older than me. In his late fifties if I were to guess.

He asked me how I was finding life back in the UEN.

"I'm getting back into the swing of things, Sir."

"Please don't call me that," he said, bashfully.

I nodded and asked him what he wanted to see me about.

"How do I put this," he said.

I didn't need him to continue and told him that my memories from my life as a slave were fully complete.

"I thought with the mind wipe and everything."

"I can remember our night together and no, I didn't mention it in my debrief, Ambassador."

The relief washed over his face, and then he apologised for his behaviour.

"What for, you didn't know who I was at the time."

"You were a slave, and I shouldn't have taken advantage of you."

"No, you shouldn't have," I said coldly.

He asked me if I wanted a drink. I declined. His room was larger and much more comfortable than my quarters. There was a six-seat table and a comfortable sofa facing a nice large window.

"Please take a seat," he said and gestured to the couch.

I would have preferred to stand but did as he wished.

"You are well within your rights to make a formal complaint about me," he said once we had sat down.

I shrugged. "What would that accomplish?"

"I'm glad you feel that way, Captain. It was a moment of madness. Besides you hardly gave me much of a choice."

That comment made the hairs stick up on the back of my neck. I had been a slave. It was me that didn't have a choice, not him. There were no slaves in UEN space, if they were they would not be able to consent.

"I will take that drink," I said with a smile. I wanted to see if I had misjudged this man. What he had done was in my past and I had been prepared to leave it there, but with his attitude now, I wasn't so sure.

He brought over two glasses and asked if I could stay for dinner. He looked a lot more relaxed and comfortable now.

"I'm afraid not, I have to get to the Trinidad as soon as I have finished here."

"Perhaps when this is all over," he said with a smile.

"Maybe," I said, vaguely. I was sure his intentions were friendly, but they got my hackles up.

"I only ask Captain, because I could use a woman like you on my staff."

A job offer wasn't something I had been expecting at all. I asked him to clarify what he meant.

"You have experience in the free systems. You also have the rank of Captain, that's a very rare combination."

He told me to think about it. It was a very prestigious posting and a decision he was free to make himself. It wouldn't matter if I had a stain on my record.

"I haven't given much thought to my future," I said and took a drink of the alcohol.

"You should Emrah, a woman like you deserves a position of prominence."

I knew exactly what he was doing. He was saying that if I kept my mouth shut he could make my life more comfortable. I played along and told him that the top brass would prefer to see me in a more junior role.

"That's the beauty," he said, "you'd be working directly with me."

"Directly under you, Sir?"

He nodded with a smile. "You would report to me and me only. Of course, it's a diplomatic role, so not all excitement and danger."

I laughed and told him I could do with a bit more of laid laid-back lifestyle.

"That's the spirit, There would be plenty of formal events and state dinners too of course. No more rations and hard beds."

"All that sounds wonderful," I said, softly. "It's been a while since I had to wear a formal gown."

He asked me about my baby. I told him that I had sent her to Earth.

"That's for the best, a starship is no place to raise a child."

As he topped up my drink I told him I should take it easy as it had been many months since I had touched a drop of alcohol. He didn't seem bothered by that and told me it was very expensive.

I wasn't getting anywhere with this and I started to wonder if I should just forget about the whole thing. I thought about the night we had spent together. It had been that had seduced him. Perhaps he wasn't really to blame after all.

"I really should be getting back to my ship," I said, but he was very instant that I stayed.

"We should get to know each other Emrah, just to make sure there are no hard feelings."

I drank the rest of my drink and told him that there were none.

"It's all in the past," I said, and put my glass down.

He wasted no time in refilling it, which irked me. I really had to go now, and stood up to leave.

"Emrah," he said quietly, "I hate to have to do this, but I really need you to sit back down."

He wasn't smiling anymore and didn't seem as jolly.

"What do you mean?" I asked calmly but with trepidation.

"There are things I know about you Emrah, things that you may not wish others to know."

He had gone from sweetening me with a job offer to now straight-up blackmail. I asked him what he thought he knew.

"I have many contacts in the free systems. After our court martial I made some enquiries about your activities. You weren't exactly honest with your account of things."

I sat back down and wondered where this was going.

"You killed two men on a mining colony. They have your DNA and your face on their security cameras."

"So what," I said, "it was self-defence."

"Not according to them. It would be somewhat embarrassing for the UEN if that information came out. In fact, you could face civil prosecution. You were acting on the orders of a pirate after all."

I shrugged and told him that it was a mine worked by slaves. "The UEN won't pursue it," I said, somewhat confidently.

"They might not, but as you said the top brass do want to hang you out to dry. It would be a good excuse for them to send you back to Earth in disgrace."

"So I keep my mouth shut and so do you?"

He nodded.

"I also want you to accept my job offer too. You would be a good fit for me."

I shook my head and asked if he was joking.

"Not at all, in fact, I will speak to the Admiral and have you assigned to me right away."

"I have other orders, I have a mission."

This time he was the one to shake his head. "I will get her to assign another officer, the Admiral and I go way back."

I couldn't believe this was happening I was so close to getting back on the Siren's Kiss and now this obstacle suddenly appeared.

"Wait," I said, and frantically tried to think of a way out of this.

"Go on," he said with a somewhat smug look on his pudgy face.

"Maybe I could have dinner with you if you allow me to go on my mission."

He thought about it and nodded. "Like I said Emrah, I think we should be friends."

************

I had been cleared during my court martial. It had been a close victory but the reality was that I still had ghosts from my past coming back to haunt me.

I told the Admiral that I wanted to pick my own crew for the mission. While that was proactive it also meant that I could spend time with Roki. Now that could be taken away from me. I didn't care about my career but I did care about her.

Gant didn't want anything from me other than an assurance I wouldn't disclose what he had done when I was a slave. He wasn't prepared to take my word for it though. It was why he wanted me to work for him, to keep a close eye on me. I realised that I should have acted more friendly to him, instead, I had acted cold and distant, which got me into this mess. It was time to act a little more grateful even if I hated myself for doing it.

As I picked up my drink I told him I hadn't thanked him for voting in my favour at the court martial.

"You didn't deserve to be punished Emrah."

"No, I didn't," I said softly. This time when I finished my alcohol I didn't wait for him to fill it, I held out the glass for him to fill it for me.

He laughed and told me to take it easy.

"I owe you everything," I said

"No, no," he said, He was almost apologetic now. He had made his threat and seemingly accepted my acquiescence.

He told me he would call down to the canteen and have some food sent up.

"We could just keep drinking," I said with a smile.

He chuckled and said that was a good idea too.

As I continued to drink I listened as he told me about the work he did. It sounded dull and tedious but I pretended to be interested. I hadn't lied to him when I told him that the booze was going to my head. It had been so long since I had any and I was starting to pay the price. Ideally, I would have preferred it if he had gotten drunk but he seemed to be handling it better than me.

He started to ask me about my time as a slave.

"Did your owner make you seduce men like me often?"

"No," I said, "I wasn't with him long."

"It must have been tough for you, being his sexual plaything like that"

I shook my head. "I didn't know who I was, at the time I enjoyed every moment of it."

"Even the night you spent with me?" Gant asked curiously.

"Of course, I was making my master happy and that's what mattered to me the most."

"It wasn't just your master that you made happy that night," he said with a sly smile.

I tried my best to smile along with him. He was a real pig and it was starting to really annoy me.

I made an excuse to use the bathroom and stood up. As soon as I did I wobbled slightly as the alcohol took its toll.

Even splashing water on my face didn't alleviate the sensation. My reflection in the mirror started to double and I had to close my eyes for a few seconds to steady myself. I regretted now not accepting the offer of food.

When I returned I told him I had to be getting back to the Trinidad. I had entertained him for as long as I could.

"No," he said. "I will get some quarters for you here, you can spend the night."

"I need to get back, I have lots to do." My words were slurring and my body was swaying as the room spun around me.

"You're in a pretty bad state Emrah," he said and came over to me. I found it difficult to walk as he took me back over to the couch.

"You just need to lay down for a minute"

I nodded wistfully. I needed to get my head together I thought as I collapsed onto the couch.

"Let me loosen your clothes," he said as the world became fuzzy and distant.

************

It was dark when I awoke. My memory was spotty but I knew I had passed out because of the alcohol. Also, I wasn't on the couch anymore I was in a bed under the sheets. My uniform had been removed but I was still wearing my underwear.

I really hoped it wasn't Gant that had undressed me. He hadn't fucked me, I knew that. At least I could be thankful for that. Still, I felt stupid for getting myself into this situation.

It felt like my head was full of cotton wool and there was a strong feeling of nausea in my stomach. My eyes felt heavy and I knew I could drift off again at any moment.

I had assumed I was in some spare quarters when I saw Gant coming out of the bathroom. He was naked.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a panic as he climbed into the bed next to me.

"Just needed the bathroom," he grunted. He had been in this bed with me.

I tried to sit up but a wave of dizziness hit me. It didnt seem to concern him and he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer to his large body under the covers.

"What happened?" I asked as I tried to wriggle away.

"Shhh," he cooed. "You had a little too much to drink."