Latvia the Pirate Captain

Size: 5 chapters, complete
Author: Spike

Summary

The Sink or Swim ship is caught and boarded by a crew of hyena space pirates. Their leader, a Lynx named Latvia wants Cere to speak on her behalf to the Wolf Government since they won't negotiate with pirates. The two crews start socializing when a squad of Fox break in and seize the area, with only Ash and a hyena named Roy getting away, with the intention of taking both crew of Exotica Genoworks refugees back. Ceigan attempts to negotiate for them to return willingly with no success. Ceigan's newest creation, a hyena cub named Cotter meets with the jailed Latvia and decides to defect. He lets out Latvia who then overpowers Ceigan and lets the roos out to conquer the rest of the guards. Meanwhile Ash and Roy gas the ship, knocking out the remaining fox except 5 marines in hermetically sealed suits. Roy saves Ash from an attack by the marines, then blows an EMP grenade to knock out their armor and paralyze them. Ceigan claims responsibility for Cere waking up during her operation at the hands of the military. Latvia meanwhile confiscates Ceigan's bigger better ship as her own and sets him and the fox adrift on her old one.

Chapter 1

"Rebound! Put that down!" Rico appeared just a bit worried about Rebound's playful nature as she caught him tinkering with her Taggart machine gun.
"I was just checking..."
Rico was visibly irritated by Rebound's sudden innocence. "Look, you can play with something else. Try to play with those cards instead.: She pointed at a deck of cards strewn out on a table.
"I've been playing with 'em for too long, it's not fun anymore."
Ash was resting on a bunk connected to the wall trying to read a book. Her ears swiveled back in minor annoyance at her two bickering 'siblings'. Suddenly she put her book down on the bunk. "Hey, can you keep it quiet? I'm trying to read my new book!"
"You took that book, remember? We were chased two blocks when you *accidentally* had it in you hands." Rebound twitched as he replied. Ash was silent with a big smile on her face as Rebound exclaimed: "I need to do something right now!"
"We should have bought him that Earth entertainment stuff." Cere suddenly suggested as she passed by the warrens. "What was it called? Nin-ten-do?"
"Nah, not buy it, why waste good creds when Ash could just steal it." Rebound snickered.
"Hey!"

The ship was floating in space with the purpose of delivering cargo to a Wolf relay station far away from Cyantia. Little did the crew inside the ship know that they were travelling through a hostile area. Outback was sitting at the helm, keeping them outside the nebula, unknowing that ships had been known to be caught by pirates just by hanging next to the nebula for too long. e Suddenly a large vessel appeared from the nebula and activated a tractor beam to haul in the victims. The cargo ship thumped and the engines died without warning. In the warrens, Ash was thrown from her bunk by the jar of the tractor beam. "What's happening?!" She spluttered as Rebound dashed through the door right after Cere.

"Great, like we needed more trouble." Cere glanced over the ship's controls as she took her place in the captain's chair. The monitors were out and lamps were blinking everywhere. Outback glanced outside through the view port inside the bridge. He notices the large vessel.
"Pirates." Outback muttered.
"P-p-pirates?" Rebound started to shiver.
"Yeah, keep cool. I have a plan."

The small cargo ship was forced to dock at an airlock. After a few moments the cargo door opened revealing a cloud of smoke that sprayed from a grenade. From the smoke emerged a group of Hyenas with body armor and armed to the teeth. Strange was that they had little or no tail at all.
"Go, go, go!"
They were cautious in their movements, and systematicallly scouted the cargo hold. As they moved further into the ship and into the upper level, near the warrens, suddenly the kangaroos hopped out from a near floor compartment just behind the squad, pointing at the hyenas with their guns.
"Hold it!"
Another group of hyenas appeared from the cargo hold entrance.
"Give up! Drop your weapons and put your hands where I can see them!" A hyena commanded.
"We're outnumbered!"
"Do it NOW!" Another hyena exclaims. "On the double!"

As all the kangaroos submitted the hyenas started to frisk them, then escorted them downstairs, through the cargo hold and into the cruiser through the smoke that was just now starting to dissipate. The hyena pack's rather silent behavior ceased and the group inside the kangaroos' ship started to cry out a strange noise. Shortly a burst of cries comes from all the surrounding hyenas to signal their victory.
"Ah, what is happening?" Rebound is surprised by the sudden calls.
"Follow us strangers," A deep voice from a hyena sounds. "Do not cause trouble."

One of the hyenas deviated from the escort and moved to the bridge of the larger vessel. Inside the bridge there were some hyenas at the controls and some that were repairing consoles. The room was dark, but illuminated by break lights, and lights of some panels and screens. Apparently, the lights and some of the equipment were out. A dark figure rests on a large chair in the middle of the bridge, its face obscurred by the darkness. This dark figure is the only creature among the rest of the crew endowed with a tail. This tail is long but also feline in form and was bushy at the tip. The hyena moves toward this figure and stops with his back straight.
"We've obtained the subjects."
"Excellent. Report battle outcome."
The hyena takes off his helmet and breathes for awhile. He was wearing a bandana.
The dark figure's tail was wagging.
"No casualties and no damage sustained at all as no weapon has been fired off. The cargo contains mostly medical and rations supplies."
"Get the skeleton crew back into the vats, put security back to minimum. Then bring me their leader. Put her in my quarters."
"Aye. Consider it done."

The hyenas took their catch to an empty cellblock. The female kangaroos separated from the males in their respective cells.
"Any idea what is going to happen?" Ash asks to the kangaroos in the adjacent cell.
"Well." Outback answered. "Either we'll walk a plank or they'll let us loose when our cargo is empty."
"We have to wait for something to happen," Cere suggested.
"I hate this waiting," Rebound muttered and made himself comfortable on the bench.

After awhile of silence, thae bandana-wearing hyena entered the hall.
"Who is the leader?"
"I am," Cere answered promptly. "Who are you?"
"I'm Roy. What's your name?"
"Cere. What are you planning to do?"
"First, our captain is going to talk to you. She seems anxious to meet you. Then we'll see what'll happen next."
"Cere.." The rest of the crew is dazzled.
"Stay here and do as you're told."
Cere is brought by a group to the captain's quarters and is left alone. The door behind her shut promptly.

Cere began to look around the quarters, very art deco and classical interiors. The captain apparently liked reading books, as large bookcases took up two walls. A large wooden desk was in the middle of the room with a lamp illuminating an open logbook. Behind the desk is a holographic projection of a star map over the nebulae.

Suddenly the captain, a female Lynx dressed in a large red coat and a matching hat, emerged from an open door. At a glance she looked awfully young to be a captain. Her expression is pleased for the situation.

"Well, well, well. We've got quite a catch today."
"Release us, I believe you just want our cargo."
"Your cargo isn't worth anything to us. However, you are... did you know you and your crew have a bounty on your heads?"
(The kangaroos escaped from the biomechanics lab awhile ago and they were still on the run from the Vixinte Empire.)
"Yes, are you going to take us back?"
"On the contrary, I just ordered Lieutenant Roy to release your crew and send them to our recreational facility."
Cere is annoyed. "Then why all this show?"
"We wanted to make ourselves sure you were the ones," the female captain replies. "Remember, we are pirates. No one is really that fond of us."
"This needs an explanation."

The captain motioned Cere to the chair before her desk and moved swiftly to the other side of the table, laying one hand on the logbook.
"We both share a common enemy."
"The Fox Empire," Cere noticed the language the pirates were using. "I guess it's the language you all were using."
"Yes. We too were created through their genetic experiments. We were to become lethal space marines. But as you, we escaped. We then connected to the Pirates guild and some of our members were augmented with nanomachines. Simple ones as radio transmitter and receiver, but still expensive compared to bionics."
"What about you? You seem a little too young to be a captain."
"I was only a cub when we escaped and was created for the purpose of leading the hyenas for the Vixinte. My crew was modeled after a species with a strict matriarch society. The lab personnel were going to indoctrinate me."
What do you want from us Miss..."
"Latvia is my name. Establishing allies is my game. We have problems trying to contact the Wolf government. They won't negotiate with pirates. It is a shame because we had no choice when we became pirates. We would be grateful if you could pass a message to them."
"I can't promise anything. But we'll give it a try."
"Great, Cere!" Latvia exclaimed and shows off a toothy grin. "You and the rest may stay as long as you like."
"Don't count on it. We won't be here for long."

In the rec room the kangaroos had already started to befriend the pirate crew. Ash was talking to Roy.
"When will Cere come back?"
"When the commander has talked to 'Cere'." Roy answered and grasped Ash's hand that was going straight for his pocket. "You know I can feel you hand."
"Sorry," Ash apologized. "It's my reflexes."
Roy stands back to make a magical gesture and brings out a wallet, and laughs.
"Hey, where did you get *MY* wallet?" Ash was impressed.
"You're not an expert at this pickpocket thing," Roy snickered, "Wanna learn some tricks?"
"Sure!"

The bartender at the bar was serving beverages to the roughneck hyenas while they watched a snooker match. Outback has a game going with one of the hyenas. It was Outback's turn and Rebound watched with awe as the white ball received a strike. Ricochette was resting in a chair facing a large aquarium embedded inside the central column of the recreational room, watching the strange and beautiful fishlike creatures inside. Cere entered the room.
"Okay guys," she announced. "We've got to go."
"Puhleeze let us stay Cere," Rebound begged. "Just until Outback is done with snooker."
"Yeah Cere, sit down and relax by the bar." Outback said. "You've been very tense lately and you deserve the free time."
Cere does't make any sound. She seemed agitated at the moment. But sighed and sits down on a stool by the bar.
"You're right guys. I need a break. Where's Ash?"
"Uh," Ricochete thought hard for a moment, still examining the aquarium. "She went with Roy to his quarters."
"Great," Cere sighed. "Hope she doesn't get in any serious activities."

Back at the rec room Outback won the game and Rebound cheered. Then Rico in her dreams started to watch through the aquarium. She could see the room in reflection and notices that the door opens and a strange figure appears. It was a figure with resemblance of a fox. She screehed out loud.
"Go, go, go!" From this door a squad of foxes with power armor rushed in and seized the area.
"Hands where we can see them and get down!"
"No! I can't believe it!"
"Where did they come from?"
Ricochete panicked and tried to run away from the surrounding foxes.
"Hold it!"

Gunshots were heard from the corridor outside Roy's quarters. Roy's expression changed to one of deep disturbance.
"What was that?" Ash was surprised by the sudden sound.
"I can sense my brothers in trouble." Roy answered as his ears twitched.
There was a banging on the door. In the next second a scream from the outside demanded the door to be opened. A second after that a blue flame from a welding-torch is seen on the door. The foxes were attempting to cut it out.
"What are we going to do?"
"Deep quiet and follow me. I have prepared for such things."
"What are you talking about? There isn't any escape from this room."
Outside the door the fox squad finished cutting the door and kicked it open. The squad stormed the room to find no one else inside the small space. The crew was quizzed by the empty space. The rookie squad leader scratches his head for a second, and receives an order through his intercom. He waves his men out of the room to continue the search.

In an airshaft roy and Ash are sitting and waiting for the random gunfire to stop. Ash shivered in frustration and curls up to Roy.
"I don't want to go back! I don't want to go back..."
"You won't go back, I promise." Roy tried to comfort Ash.
A big bang echoed and shook the place.
"What was that? Ash asked in despair.
"Something big docked onto our ship."
After awhile Ash fell asleep, due to sheer exhaustion. The gunfire stopped. And it all seemed so quiet.

Chapter 2

A few of the wounded hyenas and the kangaroos found themselves locked inside a Vixinte vessel cellblock. The smells from everyone, including the wounded, were overwhelming, and it wasn't any easier to breathe as the area was overcrowded with fifteen or so individuals. It was a tense atmosphere. However, some were missing in the bunch. The rest of the hyena crew was in the cryo vats sleeping. Many of them were not aware that the Vixinte Empire had claimed their ship. The pirate captain couldn't be seen either since she was put in an isolated cell so that she couldn't make any escape attempts with her crew. The kangaroos were all there but one, Ash. She was still sleeping in a secret hold with Roy, one of the hyena pirates.

Rebound was walking around in his cell, worrying. Rico was even more nervous, sitting on a bench with the two other relaxed roos. A shadowed figure is showing itself from the door talking to the guard, Rebound noticed.
"Cere, look, it's..."
Cere saw the figure in an instant and cursed.
"Ceigan!"
There he was, one of the foxes who had been watching them all their life in the laboratory they so much hated. He stood there with proportionally big armor strapped on and a funny hard helmet over his head. Cere watches as Ceigan approached right in front of her. He strolled down the corridor silently, and the chatter in the cells ceased as an aura of fear was spread among the captives. He stopped in front of the cells that accommodated the kangaroos.
"I never thought that we would be capturing you too on this ship."
"Okay Ceigan," Cere replied. "How did all of you get in the cruiser without anyone noticing?"
"Interested in knowing? Well, the pirate ship hit an EMP primed probe in the nebulae that took out its radar systems for awhile. This probe also sent out a beacon to us so we could enter with the Spearcats."
"A Spear-what?"
"The Spearcat is a special ship that can hold twenty marines, and when it docks on a ship's hull it can cut the hull open and give us access that way."
"And you went in without anyone noticing."
"Most of the ship's crew were in the cryo chambers already, sleeping, and still are. So the marines had an easy match clearing the cruiser."

There was silence. No one was pleased by the fact that they were captured. Cere cursed wildly and grabbed Ceigan with her metallic arm. Ceigan didn't hesitate to bring out a control device and turn Cere's circuits off with a few keystrokes. The interference on her systems immediatelly made her slump down and pass out helplessly on the floor.
"Good night, Cere."
"What did you do to Cere?" Outback inquired in shock, pointing at Cere's unconscious form.
"I just turned her off for a temporary time. Don't worry, she's not dead. By the way, where is the fifth kangaroo?"
Outback realized that Ash was missing and answered quickly. "We have nothing to say about her, she's gone."
"Gone? As in still hiding on Cyantzium? You know, the guards are on full alert. If they find something moving and don't see a fox, they will start shooting."
The kangaroos were silent; knowing that revealing their sister's presence will make the foxes look for her.

"What are you going to do with us?" Ricochete asked.
"Isn't it obvious? We're taking you back."
"No!" Ricochete cried and the hyena crew started to moan continuously in a quiet tone.
"Be happy that I was with the crew. Some paperwork and I'll stop the rejection plans."
"What's in it for you?" Outback suspiciously inquired.
"I'll have the freedom to train you for other uses than military."
"There is no way we will follow you!" Rico screamed.
"Look, you know you are OUR property. It was just a matter of time until a bounty hunter found and captured you. You would be brought back directly to the adjustments lab, not to mention you probablly would be killed in the process. I on the other hand, have no interest of reengineering you."
"Thanks for the pity," Rico exclaimed. "You jerk!"
Ceigan walked toward the exit. "I willl return when you are calmer. Don't make me change my mind."
Rico started to cry out curses.
"Rico," Outback shook her. "Calm down!"
"I will kill him, I will..." Rico's eyes filled with tears and she fell down to her knees, scratching Outback's legs and feet. She landed in front of Cere, embracing her.
As Ceigan walked through the exit he sighed at Rico's horrified whimpering. "Why did I become a genetic engineer?"

Latvia is sitting on the floor of a soundproofed room. She seems awfully calm in her situation as she meditated. Suddenly she spoke aloud. "Roy, can you hear me?"
In the air duct far away Roy woke up as his ear twitched.
"Yes," he answered. "Loud and clear captain."
"What's the status?"
"The awake crew are confined and the rest are sleeping in the chamber."
Latvia is disturbed by that fact.
"Where are you?"
"In hiding with one of the guests, she is sleeping."
"Ah." Latvia sighed as Roy's hiding relieved her. "Do you have any idea how to get out of this trouble?"
"Sorry," he apologized. "I am still thinking."
"This is serious stuff, Roy!" Latvia exclaimed.
"Captain, don't let go of your faith from your pack. We've been in other pressing situations."
"Do something and keep radio silence. If they found out we are nanoaugumented with radio devices, we're done for it."
"What radio?" Roy cracked up. "Trust me!"

"Ash..." Roy whispered as he shook her. "Wake up."
Ash opened her eyes and blinked once, feeling refreshed. She noticed herself in fetal position with Roy's arms comforting her. She can also feel the cool breeze from the surrounding air ducts.
"What is going on?' she whispered back.
"It has calmed down a bit. I want to explore what happened."
"Ok," Ash yawned. "How long was I asleep?"
"Thirty minutes, I guess."
Ash slowly moved back. Toy raised himself in the airshaft they were sitting in over a period of time. He opened a door they both had gone through during the ambush.
"Where do you think you are going?"
"To the storage keep. Might need some equipment, what is left of it."

Ceigan entered the isolated cell in which Latvia was sitting on a bench. They both inspected each other in minutes.
"What do you want?" She roared in irritation.
"I'll be frank with you, Latvia." Ceigan started with. "My part of this mission is to check up on all prisoners and put you on a list. I am usually a genetics doctor working for Vixinte through Genoworks."
"Cut to the chase doctor."
"Uh... What I was going to say is now that you are formally a captain; you are regarded more as a prisoner than subject of research. This means you will surely be put on trial before a fox court and for sure be death sentenced for treason."
"I regret no actions I've done."
"Please, you are so young and I'm concerned."
"Doctor, what did you have in mind." Latvia paused and continued, "And be quick about it."
"Well, I will be able to shift some paperwork and make you a servant instead."
Latvia laughed for a bit as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing and Ceigan was surprised. "Okay, let me get this straight. Basically you want me to become your servant."
"Yes."
Latvia turned her expression suddenly from a smile to a sad one. "Forget it."
Ceigan was worried and walked around looking for a way of persuasion.
"Have you ever been to Cyantzium?"
"No."
"Wouldn't you like to join your sisters and brothers?"
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"There are Lynxes on Cyantzium. In the arctic regions. If you didn't know that."
Latvia was silent, she did know very well of her species.
"Come on, let me make you a servant and I'll promise you'll meet you kind."
"You liar!" she exclaimed. 'You won't keep your word!"
"Stop your hysteria now little girl."
"Do NOT try to insult me. Bet out!" Latvia went and knocked on the door and shouted, 'Guard, the doctor is done!"

Ceigan walked out without any noise. He was convinced that Latvia would never accept his offer and walked head down through the corridor. At the crossing he met up with a very young hyena. This hyena was different from Latvia's crew since he had a tail, and was a cub.
"Cotter, what are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay at my quarters?"
"I was looking for you Master Ceigan. I was lonely."
"Look, it is dangerous around here."
"Sorry master."
Ceigan kneels in front of the cub and starts to strap off his body armor.
"Doesn't matter now. All the pirates have been suspended. You can go and loot the cargo for items to play with if you're lonely. Tell the guards I've sent you. I need to go and do some paperwork now, be careful boy."
"Yes, master."

A guard walked into a storage room with a number of shelves that are placed parallel between each other. He was moving through the room slowly and took his time in finally exiting. Ash and Roy were hiding in the air duct above the room and both breathed a sigh of relief as the guard closed the door behind him. Roy kicked one of the panels open and jumped out, followed by Ash. Roy caught Ash as she fell, then set her on her feet. The couple looked around.
"So what are we doing here?"
"Help me find something to use against the marines on one of these shelves."
Ash began to examine the shelves. She noticed a box of jewelry.
"What's this?"
"Well, we're pirates. And that is what we refer to as loot."
"How noble of you." Ash commented dryly.
Roy chuckled and Ash proceeded to a locker. She tried to open it, but found it locked. Unable to open it, she examined and determined the type of lock. Even after she uses the appropriate lock pick, she still cannot open the door. Roy was looking at her tireless attempts and at last walked over to bang on the locker. It opened.
"The locker was jammed." He added.
"So I noticed," she replied with a slight blush.
Roy went back to where he was and opened a weapons locker and took out a phaser gun and a bandoleer. He strapped on the bandoleer and checked the gun before holstering it.
Ash found herself a metallic cylinder with a deep groove in the middle. She looked awhile on it.
"Ah, be careful. That's an EMP grenade. Don't twist it or you'll prime it."
Ash realized what she was holding and put it on a table carefully so she would not twist it.
"Yeah, one of the engineers was hit by it without any armor. He was badly burned and it took weeks in the vat to get him back to normal."
"Dangerous stuff."
"We had more lethal weapons in storage, but the foxes must have confiscated them to their hold."
Someone suddenly opened the storage room doors. Roy acted in an instant by drawing his phaser and pointing it at the door. Ash reacted on his movement by stepping back and hiccupping. The hyena cub entered alone, he didn't see the couple until he turned against them and noticed that he had a gun pointed at him.
"What the... who are you?" Roy was stunned at the sight of the cub, and eased up on the trigger.
"He looks like you Roy." Ash remarked.
The doors closed behind the cub.