J D Oppenheim [Oppenheim - 43 Days to Oblivion

43 Days to Oblivion

The Jolo Vargas Space Opera

Series Book 2

Copyright 2017 by J.D.Oppenheim

All rights reserved.

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J.D.Oppenheim

Fortinbras

Deep space, near the Arcon 7 jump point

The UFP freighter Fortinbras was ten times the size of the Argossy , but Jolo Vargas put his ship square in front of the big cargo hauler and waited. This was his favorite part. The cat and mouse. What was the captain in the big ship made of? Would he crumble at the mere mention of the name Jolo Vargas, who had a reputation as a ruthless killer.

Jolo had truly come to be a clever pirate in the last six months since the attack on Montag, but the people in Fed space knew him as an evil monster mainly due to the Federation governments smear campaign. They didnt want the old Jolo, the war hero the people once loved, to stir up the military against the BG and destabilize the fragile peace, so they created a monster of him in the peoples minds. To the typical Fed commoner, the old Jolo was dead, replaced by nothing more than a synth who enjoyed harassing and stealing from hard working people.

This worked just fine for Jolo and his crew and their new gig as space pirates. Far greater than bigger guns and a faster ship, a pirates greatest weapon was fear, and Jolo Vargas was feared most of all.

Katy, how we looking, said Jolo.

Were clear, said Katy, checking her monitor. The cargo hauler and the Argossy were the only two boats in the sector. Jolo wanted to get in and out cleanly.

"I hope they got a black box," said Greeley, smiling like a kid headed to market with money in his pocket. A black box usually contained Fed issue military components. For your typical space pirate, it was gold. You could sell anything from a black box just about anywhere on the fringes of Fed space and have a nice long line waiting for it. They didnt come around often and even if you knew one was on a freighter, finding the one box in a giant ship with multiple storage holds was difficult. Sometimes freighter captains hid the black boxes in with the rations and perishable bio boxes in case of pirate attack. Jolo had snagged two black boxes in his six month stint as a pirate, but that was early on. The freighter captains were starting to hide the military stuff in secret compartments on their ships, some were even mounting larger guns, forgoing storage capacity to defend against attack.

"Good luck finding one on that giant beast," said Koba.

"Need a few more black box deals and Ill be buying a little spread on Barc," said Greeley.

Barc? said Koba. Nothing but ocean and fish. How about Flannery in the Seguba system? They got sweet beaches and pretty girls and Fed credits actually have a little value there. Barc aint got shit.

Koba, for a smart dude you shore are dumb as shit sometimes. You think the Feds gonna let any of us just roll up an buy some land in friggin Flannery? Wanted by all Federation planets, a big red X across our names? Theyd hang any of us.

Oh. I guess you are right, said Koba, and the mood turned sour.

Katy, Jolo said. Keep us nose to nose. Uncomfortably close. I want proximity warnings going off on the bridge. Koba, show him the guns. Koba touched the switch on screen and the big railguns popped out on either side of the Argossy . This was usually all it took.

But not this time.

Hurley, Jolo called down to engineering on the comm. How we doin?

We full up, Captain, the old man said. We can give em hell and have enough juice to jump twice.

Jolo hailed the big boat, but still no answer. Katy, we still clear?

One big transport just popped in on the outer edge. Cant get a make on it.

Still no communication from the freighter.

Katy, love tap. Theyd done this before. Katy rammed into the nose of the Fortinbras .

And that did it.

This is Captain James Franks of the UFP Fortinbras . Get off my bow.

Captain, this is Jolo Vargas. Ill take five containers of Fed rations and you may pass unharmed, said Jolo. At this point most freighter captains cut communications and just released the goods, slowly backing away then jumping out. But this time was different.

No. You wont, said the freighter captain. Now get that antique boat out of my way.

Somethings wrong, thought Jolo. Whats he hiding? Fear was the accustomed response. I dont like it, Jolo said, off comm. Hes acting cocky. Whats his game? Then he called to George, who had suited up and jet-packed out to the under belly of the freighter. Hed welded the door to the Fortinbrass fleet of pirate buster drones shut. You got the door locked? said Jolo.

Its locked, Captain, said George, floating under the big ship, his welding gear in a small container next to him.

Ok. Come on home, said Jolo. Katy, we still clear?

Yes, Captain. Still got the transport out aways, but no other boats in the sector.

This dont smell right, said Jolo. Katy, back off slowly. Koba, keep the shields up and the guns hot and ready.

Whats wrong, Captain? said Koba.

He aint acting scared.

Jolo grabbed the comm: Captain, I got your little drone bots all nice and locked up. Theres not a BG boat in the sector and even if one of those shiny, black bastards were near, I doubt hed come to your rescue, said Jolo.

Well, youve miscalculated this time, Vargas, said the freighter captain.

Captain! Another ship just popped up on screen! said Katy.

What is it?

Katy waited for computer to id the boat. BG cruiser. Coming in fast! It was hiding next to the transport! yelled Katy.

Alright, said Jolo. Now things startin to make sense. Katy, get us out of here! No sense in taking on a cruiser if he could jump out instead. Katy turned the Argossy and started to run.

But just then a loud BOOM reverberated through the old ship as the Argossy took a hit from an ion cannon. Then two more ear-splitting, bone jarring blasts hit the smaller ship. The thrusters lost power and the nose swung around like theyd hit a meteor. The inertial dampeners couldnt compensate and everyone hit the deck. The lights in the bridge went out and the air pumps stopped. Jolo tried to call down to engineering but the comm was dead.

Everyone okay? Jolo yelled in the darkness. The air inside the Argossy was tingly and electrified and Jolo could smell burned metal.

Yeah, I think so, Katy said, scrambling back to her seat in the dark.

Whered it come from? said Koba.

The cruiser is still too far out.

The haulers got a cannon, said Jolo. Sneaky bastards. Wheres George?

He was on his way back, said Katy.

Lets hope he was clear, said Jolo. Yall stay put, Im going to engineering. Jolo ran through the corridors of the Argossy in the dark all the while wincing at the thought of another shot from the Fortinbras . His father, Marco, said the Argossy would always bring you home, but could it withstand another hit? How could he have missed the gun? It mustve been a huge cannon. His shields were up and charged but three blasts had disabled his ship.

He made it down the stairs to engineering, both hands on the rails because he couldnt see the steps. It was strangely quiet and dark. No sounds from either of the big engines, not even the hum of an air mover, all the control screens were black. Hurley! Jolo yelled. No answer. So he crawled on the floor searching with his hands in the darkness until he stumbled upon the thin old man laying on the floor. He gently shook him and Hurley started to moan, then made a few sounds. Jolo sat him up and the old man said one word: kicker.

Yes, yes, Jolo said. Can you engage the kicker?

Yeah, why havent they finished us off? said Hurley.