[center][h2]Predator and Prey[/h2][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/CrYQHgS.jpg[/img] [/center] Part 2 of the Episode 4 climax by [@wanderingwolf] and [@sail3695] “What sort of weaponry?” Yuri asked. Sam’s cool tone filled the bridge once again, “Recorded types are all rudimentary, intended to batter a vessel, penetrate the hull, or to simply take hold. The most popular weapons are chain hoisted grapples. Inexpensive and easy to operate.” [i]So that was it,[/i] the first mate thought. Slavers would catch them in the open black, and after a little weaving about, would sink their hooks and reel them in. “How much time until they overtake us?” he asked. “Just under two ticks,” Cal replied under his breath, arms rooted to the console. The cockpit fell silent, leaving each man to his thoughts. Yuri was considering just how they might defend each compartment from boarders when Sam routed an incoming transmission to the pilot’s screen. There, in an image gone slightly fuzzy with the aging display, was the leering face of Detective Hekubah. “China Doll,” he ordered, “Heave to and prepare to be boarded.” "Hekubah," Cal's tone was a touch unfriendly as he squared on the viewport. "Don't imagine you're actin' under Osiris jurisdiction out here," the Captain’s eyes hardened. The detective cum slaver waved a dismissive hand. “I’m only going to make this offer once,” he offered a triumphal grin. “Surrender without any trouble, captain, and we’ll put you and your crew safely off at the next world we pass. But,” he added, “if I catch so much as a whiff of skulduggery, you’ll end up sharing the auction block with those Anabaptists you have aboard. Heave to…now.” "Attractive as that offer might seem, from where I'm sittin' it sounds a lot like you just appreciate the sound of your own voice. [i]Chui Se[/i]," Cal hammered the disconnect button with his palm, thrusting the screen's viewport into darkness. (trans. go to hell) From his seat at the helm, Tommy Pearson had been largely silent throughout their escape and flight through the black. Now, without turning his head, the pilot offered his own opinion. “Mayhaps he can run us to ground, but he’s still gotta catch us first. Come on, darlin’,” he gave the console a tender pat, “let’s dance.” Yuri grabbed the intercom mic. “This is the first mate. We’ve got some quick twists and turns to make. If you’re not already strapped in, sit down and hang onto some…oh, [i]la shi![/i]” he exclaimed as the deck suddenly raced up to meet his face. China Doll broke right, her pilot leaning hard into a turn to shake the larger, faster Trans U. The slaver ship cut speed, attempting to follow the more nimble Firefly. As Yuri watched, Tommy used a wide array of tricks, feinting up before plunging down, cartwheeling and jinking the boat through seemingly impossible aerobatics. “On Earth-That-Was,” he said absently as he warded off the pirate attacks, “they called this ‘dog fighting…” “Yeah,” Yuri rubbed his jaw as an object flew right before their viewports. “Did you see that?” he asked. The Captain chimed in, "Old tech; heavy chain grapple just missed us--Tommy, that was too close," Though his words didn't convey it, the appreciation that his pilot had made the dodge still sat in his eyes. The pilot, however, had his keen sights fixed on his controls and blackness ahead. “Split-S,” Tommy announced, “and then I’m gonna put on the brakes. He’s too fast, so he’ll fly right by us. Hang on this time!” “Thanks!” Yuri replied as the stars before them whirled counterclockwise. The pilot hauled on the yolk, pulling China Doll’s nose tightly upward while the first mate clutched at the hand railing. The viewpanes were suddenly filled with the underside of their pursuer, speeding past at a near blur as Tommy had predicted. “I counted two grapples,” Yuri said as the Firefly maneuvered clear of the big boat’s thrust. “Short of guns and fists, I’m clue free about how to strike back.” “He’s running,” Tommy observed as the Trans U throttled up. The pilot did likewise, firewalling China Doll’s thrust to pursue the slavers. “Safest place for us is behind him. I can hang on his six for a skosh,” he offered, “but that’s only good for so long.” Then it dawned on the Captain, "Hold steady, I just had an idea." His hands found the com above the Captain's chair, dial turned to hail the deckhand. "Abigail, come back." “Cap’n?” the girl replied. "Got somethin' I need you to do," Strand’s eyes flashed as he gave the command, "suit up, and grab that axe in the cargo bay. Loose those bricks and wait for my signal." As his fist unclenched the com, he locked eyes with Yuri, "We need to get in front of them." “On it,” Abby said with no fuss. “That part’s easy,” Tommy answered Cal. “He’s on full burn now. Gonna use his speed to open some distance and then he’ll wheel about to grapple us head on. You want me to veer off or try to hang behind him?” "Peel off, make him chase us. Then we'll wait until they’re just outside of that grapple," replied Cal clenching his jaw. With a nod, the pilot pulled the yolk into his stomach. China Doll doubled back on her course, kicking into flank speed. “We’re running like a scalded dog now,” Tommy offered. “Buys us a couple ticks ‘til he can turn and burn in right behind us.” As the Firefly raced into the black, all eyes were fixed upon the pilot’s radar screen. For a moment, the big dot fell behind them. As they watched, it cut a wide arc onscreen before moving toward them once again. “And here she comes,” he said. Hekubah’s face appeared once more on the console screen. “I’ve got to say,” he chuckled, “that it tickles me you made this choice. Your pilot knows his game. A skilled boat crew will fetch top coin, not to mention what the scrappers will shell out for your old scow…[i]dohn mah?[/i]” "This old bird might not outrun you," Cal replied into the view screen, “but I reckon you’re countin’ your winnin’s before the last cards been dealt, and Lady Luck’s a fickle mistress.” The Captain deafened the screen before turning to his pilot, “He’s gonna come in hard, I need you to dodge those grapples again.” The detective grinned. “And you…without a chip to cash in. I’ll enjoy this,” he concluded, before the screen went dark. This time the Trans U meant business. As Cal predicted, she came up fast, closing the distance to fire both grapples in tandem. Tommy broke left, rolling the Firefly onto her port side before maneuvering thrusters tucked her into a side slip. They all felt the impact, a moment’s shudder as one of the lethal claws dealt a blow to their underside. “Did they hook us?” Yuri asked. The pilot shook his head. “Just a sideswipe.” he tucked China Doll into another tight loop, as their pursuer came into sight. The big slaver had once again cut her speed as she reeled in both grapples for her next pass. In the cargo bay, Abby’s axe was workin’, the well honed blade set tah bitin’ through each ‘o’ them pallet bands. When whatever ‘twas struck their bottom, the smack sent bricks chatterin’ an’ fallin’ about all akimbo. “What in tha Sam Hill,” the deckhand ruminated on Cap’n’s orders. She done as he said, put on a EV suit and now had all them bricks free tah tumble about. “Don’t make no sense,” the girl puzzled. “Don’t make no…oh. Oh!” When tha idea come, she reckoned she had it right. Cap’n had a plan. She weren’t none to enamored of her part in things. “Cap’n,” Abby’s voice come with a hollow sort of echo from her suit helmet com. “Choppin’s all done. I conjure whatcher about. I’m good tah go.” From his place at the rail, Yuri watched as the trailing dot on their radar closed the distance. “They’re on us again,” he observed. On the bridge of the slave ship Hannibal, the mood was ebullient. “We hit ‘em!” Detective Hekubah gloated. “Did you see that?” “We all saw it,” Murphy, the captain, fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Any damage to our starboard grapple?” The boat’s armourer shook his head. “Claws open and close just fine. EMP arcs still working,” The man gave a gap toothed grin. “And I’ve got the harpoon at the ready.” Murphy scowled. “That boat's got the mother lode on board. No way are we risking a hull breach. Grapples only for this run…copy?” “Copy” the armourer’s tone was glum as he obeyed his captain. “Shiny.” The captain stepped forward, his hands coming to grip the shoulders of both his armourer and the pilot. “One-two punch,” he explained his plan as their prey grew larger in the forward viewpane. “Set one grapple to spin ‘em around. Once they’re bow on, set the other and reel ‘em right up to our docking port.” The Firefly had opted to run, straight and true, to gain some distance. “You just fucked up,” Murphy’s wolfish grin spread upon his face. “Now we gotcha.” China Doll plunged ahead into the unyielding black, the massive Trans U devouring what little distance remained between them. As Tommy waited for the final order, Cal drew the com to his chin and shouted to Abby, “Now!” Down in the cargo bay, Abby felt tha nose loop up agin.. When China Doll’s thrusters brought a sudden stop tah their flip, she slammed ‘er gloved hand down on tha hatch control. Alarms commenced screamin’ an’ yella lights tah strobin’ as the deckhand grabbed hold of the little console. Suddenly, the forward bulkhead give a lift, openin’ the cargo bay tah the black. A hurricane wind howled all about the girl, grabbin’ at her for tah suck her right out…along with all them bricks they spent days haulin’ in. They flew through tha gap, machine gunnin’ their way inta tha black, so fast they’s a blur afore her eyes. Hunnerds an’ hunnerds of ‘em went shootin’ out, til they ain’t none left. She’s hangin’ on fer dear life, legs picked up in tha vacuum suction as she seen them empty pallets go sailin’ out behind. The Hannibal drew in, her crew almost salivating at the size of today’s haul. A bunch of religious nutjobs, ripe for working to death by terraformers. A Firefly and her crew. And to sweeten the deal, a passel of rich college kids from Osiris. Black Zone law was clear. If their parents wanted their little darlings back, they’d have to pay some serious coin. “Ready the grapples,” Murphy commanded as their quarry made one last, futile maneuver. China Doll cut her engines, thrusters lifting her nose through a one-eighty until her posture was head on, inverted to the pursuing Hannibal as her inertia carried her on her course. “Well, I’ll be damned,” Captain Murphy grinned. At his side was a visibly confused Detective Hekubah. “What are they doing?” he asked the others on the Trans U’s bridge. “Setting up for a dock, most like,” the slaver’s pilot asked. “They conjure we’re gonna run ‘em to ground by and by…wait. Their ramp’s down. Their bay hatch is…”GORRAMIT!” Everyone ducked instinctively as the staccato rain of bricks slammed into their forward viewpane. [i]”La shi…la shi…LA SHI!”[/i] Murphy, the slaver chief, shouted above the pounding storm. As they watched, the first cracks formed, crazing their way across the entire surface as the last of the brick volley struck home. “GET OUT OF HERE!” Murphy roared. “GET OUT…” It was all surreal, like a dream. Hekubah saw the entire viewpane explode outward…felt himself lifted on a strange wind. He saw his ship…could see Murphy tumbling behind him. His chest felt heavy and overly full, but there was naught to breathe. As the cold took him, the last sight his eyes could manage was that Firefly that had caused him so much misery. [i]”Nǐ zhège fèifèi de pìgu kāiliè,”[/] The curse froze in his mouth. A deft tap to China Doll’s maneuvering thrusters allowed her to slip cleanly beneath the now pilotless Trans U. As Cal, Tommy, and Yuri heard the sound of Abby firing the Doll’s hydraulics to seal up the cargo bay, the trio peered into the sight displayed in the reverse view alight on the console screen. Their pursuer remained on full burn, but the busted out cockpit of the Trans U furnished a sober conclusion to the crew’s gambit. Cal snapped off the screen, and turned to fall into his chair, com in hand, “Good work, kid.” Down in tha cargo bay, Abby kep ‘er helmet on as tha air pressure slowly started comin’ back up. By all accounts, she’d be hangin’ out in ‘er EV suit fer tha next hour or so til pressure all got ‘Even-Stephen.’ “Thanks, Cap’n,” she answered Cal’s voice. “We goin’ tah Pelorum now?” After her last few adventures, puttin’ toes in tha sand was high on her list. “Got one stop in mind ‘fore you can get to work on your tan.” He left the com open as he addressed the bridge as well, “Set a course for Bernadette, and leave our friends for the reavers.” The slave ship sped on, her engines carrying her at full throttle to a fate unknown. China Doll set her own course, her hind quarters all lit up as the boat’s nose pointed toward another world, and a better life for her most precious cargo. In the blink of an eye she was gone, the last trace of her presence being the reflection that faded in a pair of lifeless eyes. **********[b]The End[/b]********** Music swell Fade to black Roll credits