LJ Idol, Season 11 - Week 9
Title: Pirates!
Topic: Blood Harmony
Twenty minutes ago Russo was sitting in the lounge of his spaceship the Tombaugh, acting as calming backup while his copilot Jamie tried to get five words from their passengers. Ten minutes ago he was banging around in the galley looking for something they’d consent to eat. Five minutes ago he was swearing at the cooktop.
And now he’s strapping himself into the pilot’s chair, checking the ship’s fuel levels as Jamie tries to find a sector where they’re not currently wanted by local sector police, Galactic Union police, bounty hunters, or former criminal compatriots.
“Regina Sector,” Jamie says. “We should be safe there.”
Russo has no opinion, as long as it’s far enough away from the three pirate ships that appeared off to starboard not two minutes ago.
The external comms crackle. “Looks like even the Tombaugh can be caught,” a voice says. It sounds amused. “Join the Blood Harmony or be spaced.”
“Or run,” Russo mutters. “Punch it,” he tells Jamie, and the stars stretch and snap as they hit sublight speed and seem to vanish.
Alesa, their third partner, who makes plans like someone who’s never been to jail and isn’t concerned that she’ll suffer consequences if caught, convinced Russo and Jamie to rescue the four young women - really just girls - now hopefully strapped in in the Tombaugh’s lounge.
“They’re practically slaves,” she said, and it seemed like an easy enough job, but of course the stars and the skies have other plans, and here they are. Running from pirates.
Was his life always this complicated? Russo wonders, as the ship pops out of sublight at their destination. He and Jamie used to be simple smugglers, trawling the back lanes and shadowy corners of settled space looking for jobs. They only had to worry about law enforcement and the occasional bounty hunter coming after them.
But that was before they met Alesa and turned their skills and Russo’s ship to work as professional good guys. They’re still at the mercy of anyone who can bring them in on an outstanding warrant, but now they also have to keep an eye out for the people they’re working against, the people normal justice won’t touch - powerful executives, upper-level politicians, law enforcement.
And pirates, apparently.
Russo and Jamie unbelt themselves and make their way to the lounge, now that they can stop and catch their breath and go back to trying to get some kind of response from their passengers. And there they learn the reason that pirates came after them - the girls weren’t just practically slaves. They belong to the Blood Harmony.
“You what?” Jamie says, appalled.
The girls unbutton their high-collared jackets just enough to uncover the dark-red musical notes tattooed on the side of their necks.
Well, shit, Russo thinks.
“Did you know that?” he asks Alesa.
“Of course I did,” she says. “Why do you think I suggested the job? Is the Blood Harmony any worse than having the Galactic Police after you?”
“Yes,” Russo says. “The Guppies won’t take my ship and space us.”
“They’ll take the ship,” Jamie points out, “and throw us in jail. It’s not that different. You don’t want to go back, do you?” he asks the girls, almost as if he expects them to say yes. They all shake their heads. “Okay then.”
“The Blood Harmony works for the combined corps in this sector,” Alesa says. “It’s a coincidence we landed here, but these ladies” - she gestures to the four girls, who have buttoned up their collars again - “have information that will help us expose the corps.”
“Is that true?” Jamie asks them.
“They have an agreement,” one of the girls says. Her voice is soft and hesitant. “The corps protect the Blood Harmony and in exchange they, they - “
“The pirates take care of the competition,” Alesa interrupts. The girl nods. “Corps executives get a cut. So do some of the sector governments, probably. Exposing them was always part of this job. And hey, if we can put a pirate gang out of business….” She spreads her hands, letting Russo and Jamie finish her thought for themselves.
“Why can’t you tell us the full plan before we commit to it?” Russo complains. “This is definitely going in the ‘Dumbest Ideas in the History of Dumb Ideas’ file. You’re gonna get us killed.”
“I haven’t yet.” She grins. “So where are we, exactly?”
“Outside orbit over Prakash,” Jamie says.
“We’re not safe,” another girl says.
“We’re very safe,” Alesa tells her. “You’re on the fastest ship in settled space. We should leave this sector - I agree that staying here isn’t a great idea - we’ll refuel somewhere else, gather more intelligence, settle the plan. You’re free now.”
Russo has his doubts about that, but now isn’t the time to argue semantics. It’s the time to argue strategy. But someday he and Jamie and Alesa really need to sit down and have a chat, because he doesn’t want to have to add anyone - or anyplace else - to the list of who and where they need to avoid. Pirates are the last straw.
author's note: the three ships in the blood harmony are the blood eagle (the flagship), the blood orange, and the blood blister, because if you can't be silly with spaceship names, why bother?
Topic: Blood Harmony
Twenty minutes ago Russo was sitting in the lounge of his spaceship the Tombaugh, acting as calming backup while his copilot Jamie tried to get five words from their passengers. Ten minutes ago he was banging around in the galley looking for something they’d consent to eat. Five minutes ago he was swearing at the cooktop.
And now he’s strapping himself into the pilot’s chair, checking the ship’s fuel levels as Jamie tries to find a sector where they’re not currently wanted by local sector police, Galactic Union police, bounty hunters, or former criminal compatriots.
“Regina Sector,” Jamie says. “We should be safe there.”
Russo has no opinion, as long as it’s far enough away from the three pirate ships that appeared off to starboard not two minutes ago.
The external comms crackle. “Looks like even the Tombaugh can be caught,” a voice says. It sounds amused. “Join the Blood Harmony or be spaced.”
“Or run,” Russo mutters. “Punch it,” he tells Jamie, and the stars stretch and snap as they hit sublight speed and seem to vanish.
Alesa, their third partner, who makes plans like someone who’s never been to jail and isn’t concerned that she’ll suffer consequences if caught, convinced Russo and Jamie to rescue the four young women - really just girls - now hopefully strapped in in the Tombaugh’s lounge.
“They’re practically slaves,” she said, and it seemed like an easy enough job, but of course the stars and the skies have other plans, and here they are. Running from pirates.
Was his life always this complicated? Russo wonders, as the ship pops out of sublight at their destination. He and Jamie used to be simple smugglers, trawling the back lanes and shadowy corners of settled space looking for jobs. They only had to worry about law enforcement and the occasional bounty hunter coming after them.
But that was before they met Alesa and turned their skills and Russo’s ship to work as professional good guys. They’re still at the mercy of anyone who can bring them in on an outstanding warrant, but now they also have to keep an eye out for the people they’re working against, the people normal justice won’t touch - powerful executives, upper-level politicians, law enforcement.
And pirates, apparently.
Russo and Jamie unbelt themselves and make their way to the lounge, now that they can stop and catch their breath and go back to trying to get some kind of response from their passengers. And there they learn the reason that pirates came after them - the girls weren’t just practically slaves. They belong to the Blood Harmony.
“You what?” Jamie says, appalled.
The girls unbutton their high-collared jackets just enough to uncover the dark-red musical notes tattooed on the side of their necks.
Well, shit, Russo thinks.
“Did you know that?” he asks Alesa.
“Of course I did,” she says. “Why do you think I suggested the job? Is the Blood Harmony any worse than having the Galactic Police after you?”
“Yes,” Russo says. “The Guppies won’t take my ship and space us.”
“They’ll take the ship,” Jamie points out, “and throw us in jail. It’s not that different. You don’t want to go back, do you?” he asks the girls, almost as if he expects them to say yes. They all shake their heads. “Okay then.”
“The Blood Harmony works for the combined corps in this sector,” Alesa says. “It’s a coincidence we landed here, but these ladies” - she gestures to the four girls, who have buttoned up their collars again - “have information that will help us expose the corps.”
“Is that true?” Jamie asks them.
“They have an agreement,” one of the girls says. Her voice is soft and hesitant. “The corps protect the Blood Harmony and in exchange they, they - “
“The pirates take care of the competition,” Alesa interrupts. The girl nods. “Corps executives get a cut. So do some of the sector governments, probably. Exposing them was always part of this job. And hey, if we can put a pirate gang out of business….” She spreads her hands, letting Russo and Jamie finish her thought for themselves.
“Why can’t you tell us the full plan before we commit to it?” Russo complains. “This is definitely going in the ‘Dumbest Ideas in the History of Dumb Ideas’ file. You’re gonna get us killed.”
“I haven’t yet.” She grins. “So where are we, exactly?”
“Outside orbit over Prakash,” Jamie says.
“We’re not safe,” another girl says.
“We’re very safe,” Alesa tells her. “You’re on the fastest ship in settled space. We should leave this sector - I agree that staying here isn’t a great idea - we’ll refuel somewhere else, gather more intelligence, settle the plan. You’re free now.”
Russo has his doubts about that, but now isn’t the time to argue semantics. It’s the time to argue strategy. But someday he and Jamie and Alesa really need to sit down and have a chat, because he doesn’t want to have to add anyone - or anyplace else - to the list of who and where they need to avoid. Pirates are the last straw.
author's note: the three ships in the blood harmony are the blood eagle (the flagship), the blood orange, and the blood blister, because if you can't be silly with spaceship names, why bother?