The Pirates of Sufiro (Book 1) (Old Star New Earth) Read Online Free

his men dropped to their knees, scanning the passageways, looking to see where the shot came from. The two men covered the corridor while the captain moved to Roberts' side. Firebrandt helped Roberts to a sitting position against a wall, then stood with his hepler drawn, to face his new adversary.
    A woman emerged from the shadows at the far end of the deck. She had gray hair. A scar ran from the edge of her mouth to her chin. She wore the uniform of a Lord High Admiral of Alpha Coma Berenices. In one hand, she held a sword. In the other, she held a laser pistol. Behind her were a young man and a young woman, both in the uniforms of Alpha Coma Berenices. Firebrandt assumed that they were flag lieutenants. "Order your men to drop their weapons!" shouted the admiral, her voice hoarse as though she had been shouting orders for most of the past hour.
"Looks like a stand off to me," growled Firebrandt.
    A bolt of energy flew from the male flag lieutenant's gun. One of Firebrandt's men fell to the deck with a gaping hole in his chest. "Not any more. Two of yours to my three," said the Admiral simply.
    Firebrandt put his hand on the shoulder of his remaining crewmate. The man let his hepler clatter to the deck.
"Now, what is the meaning of the attack on this vessel?" demanded the Admiral, stepping to Firebrandt.
He sneered. "I thought that it was against the articles of war for an admiral of any fleet to use a civilian vessel as a flag ship."
"Piracy brings the death penalty on Alpha Coma Berenices," the admiral answered.
"We are not under Coma's jurisdiction," growled Firebrandt.
The admiral looked into his eyes. "No?" She looked to the deck and at the walls of the ship. "Look's like you're in Coma's jurisdiction to me."
Firebrandt raised the hepler. He felt something pierce his skin. Pain seared through every nerve in his body and he crumpled to the deck. The admiral and her lieutenants—one of them holstering a mini dart gun—stepped into Legacy as he blacked out.
* * * *
    Firebrandt awoke. A sick pain throbbed throughout his body. He managed to look around. Roberts was gone, but bodies still littered the deck. The captain decided that he could not have been unconscious for very long. He tried to stand, his head still swimming from the drug that had been shot into him. He staggered and fell on the slippery metal deck. After a second try he managed to cross back to the Legacy .
    Aboard the privateer, there were no signs of battle. She was as clean as when he left her. Firebrandt made his way to the battle deck. Roberts was there, weak and pale, sitting in the corner. He was bandaged and in a clean uniform. No one else was on the battle deck. Even Computer was gone.
    "What's happened?" asked Firebrandt. "Where is everyone? Where's Computer?"
"Those who didn't fall in action are my prisoners," came a gruff, feminine voice from the rear of the battle deck.
Firebrandt looked around to see the admiral. As he moved toward her, the female flag lieutenant led Suki onto the battle deck. He stopped. "You had better not harm her." The captain aimed his finger at the admiral.
"Harming her is the last thing on my mind." The admiral smiled a queer smile. "For some reason, she seems to love you."
"I love him very much," Suki said.
"Humph," muttered the admiral. "What do you say, Firebrandt?"
"How do you know my name?" demanded the captain.
The admiral inclined her head. "Don't play those games with me." She looked at Suki, then to Roberts. The captain began to fume. "And don't blame them. They are loyal to you. Damn it, everyone on this ship was loyal to you." The admiral snorted. "They are all misguided fools!" She walked up to Firebrandt and looked him over. "I don't see why, but both Suki and Roberts seem to adore you."
"So, what are you going to do with us?" asked Firebrandt.
"Ellison Firebrandt is known throughout this sector of the galaxy. I'm within my rights to have you executed." The admiral pursed her lips and contemplated the