The Privateer

"Do you think Blingy's gonna be alright?" Yvian stared pensively out of the viewport. The Hub was slowly receding. There were no hard and fast rules about using a Jumpdrive near a station, but Mims had decided it would be more polite to do so from a distance.

"Probably not," the human answered.

Yvian shot him a glare. He couldn't see it through her visor, but she knew he knew that's what she was doing. In answer he shrugged and continued, "They know it's alive, so there's a chance they'll be gentle, but I think it's more likely they'll run any experiment they can to figure out how it works. The Xill aren't exactly known for kindness and empathy."

"You could at least try to make me feel better," Yvian muttered. She'd been much more comfortable with the idea of handing Blingy over before she'd known it was alive. Now she was feeling guilty. It didn't help that the little ship had pulsed with happiness every time she'd linked with its control node. Blingy had liked her. Trusted her. She had betrayed that trust. She'd handed it over to the same group that killed its creators.

"I don't want you to feel better," Mims told her.

Yvian knew he couldn't see her sticking her tongue out at him. She did it anyway. Jerk.

"You want her to feel bad?" Lissa asked, looking up from her station. "That's kind of a jerk thing to say, isn't it?"

The Captain shifted his seat so he was facing both of them. She couldn't see his face, but he held himself with an intensity she could not ignore. In a grave voice he said, "We sacrificed someone today. A person, maybe. We'll do worse before this is over. Maybe a lot worse. But we can't let it be easy. it should hurt. It should be hard. If we try to make it easy on ourselves..." He lowered his gaze, shaking his head slowly. "The more we tell ourselves it's alright, the more evil we'll do. There's a fine line between being desperate and becoming a monster. I don't want to see either of you cross that line. So yes, I want Yvian to feel bad."

Yvian didn't know what to say to that. Lissa gave a thoughtful grunt and remarked, "I didn't think you cared about Blingy that much."

Mims shrugged. "I don't. But Yvian does." He turned back to his station. "Anyway, we're headed to Fint. Initiating Jumpdrive."

"Fint?" Yvian asked, confused. "I thought we'd go straight to the Federation. They've only got nine days before the Xill attack."

"True," the human agreed. "But we need to set some things in motion on the Confed side, first. I can't access the Nexus from Terran space, and we don't know how long we'll be there. A few hours on the comms today might save us from being hunted and killed two weeks from now."

"Why Fint, though?" Lissa asked. "There's nothing there but a couple of Ag stations."

"That's kind of the point." Mims sat back as the Gate effect took hold.

A couple of seconds later they arrived in Fint Sector. It was just like Lissa had said. No star, no planets, no asteroids. Just a Gate and a pair of Agricultural stations floating in the void. One of the stations had a Node, and Yvians' wrist console gave a ping as the Encounter connected to the Nexus. The crew ran down their Jump checklist. Finding no threats and no damage, they relaxed and removed their helmets.

The Captain's first call was to a law firm. After identifying himself, a secretary put him through to one Flilvis Dytha. Mims told Advocate Dytha he needed to establish Proof of Life for himself and the Kiver sisters. While they were discussing the details, Yvian got bored and decided to check her messages.

She found several messages from her mother. The N-mails increased both in frequency and level of panic over the first two weeks or so since she'd rammed her way into Klaath space. She skimmed through it with mild annoyance until she reached that last entry. It had been sent two days ago. It read:

Yvian,

You really did it, didn't you. I didn't want to believe it but I guess it's true. You died. You little SELFISH BITCH. Didn't I tell you? I said it again and again. Pixens have no business piloting a ship. And why did you even need to, anyway? You made enough money at Milvari to never have to work again. You could've settled down, found someone nice, made me grandkids, but no, you wanted to play Space Captain. And now you're dead.

I shouldn't be surprised. You've always been a disappointment. I gave up EVERYTHING for you and all you ever gave me was shame. I threw away my career, my marriage and my home for you, to give you a good life and you just threw it in my face. If it was just you, I wouldn't even be that sorry. But you killed Lissa. Lissa was such a good girl. She had so much potential and her only mistake was that she kept wasting it trying to help her big sister. And you killed her. You KILLED my DAUGHTER.

May the Bright Lady scorn you. I hope The Crunch is CRUSHING you right now. The one good thing out of all this is I'll never have to see your worthless ungrateful face ever again. I'd rather be cast into The Crunch myself then reach Nialla only to find you there. I only have one daughter, and you killed her.

You are MOTHERLESS.

-Yasme Kiver

Yvian's vision blurred as she read the last line again. Motherless. Yvian and her mother...No. Yvian and Yasme had never seen eye to eye. Yasme had had plans for Yvian, plans Yvian wanted no part of. If that wasn't enough, Yasme had always blamed Yvian for what had happened to her father. While Lissa had been showered with love and affection, Yvian had mostly been subject to the sharp side of her mother's, of Yasme's tongue. Buying her own ship had been the final straw in their relationship. They hadn't spoken since that fight.

But to declare her motherless...

Yvian sobbed. She'd always believed that Yasme loved her, even if she didn't to show it. Even if she loved Lissa more. Of course she did. She was her mother. Only now she wasn't. She never would be again.

Her crying caught the attention of the others. She couldn't speak when Lissa asked what was wrong. She just gestured at her console.

Mims was still on the comm. He said, "Sorry, Advocate, but I have to cut this short. Something's come up. I'd appreciate it if you could make this a priority."

"Of course, Captain," replied a smooth voice. "But what you're asking for may be quite expensive. Are you sure you don't want to talk price?"

"I don't haggle when I'm hiring the best. Send me your bill and I'll pay it. Mims out." He switched off the comm and asked, "Alright, what the hell's going on?"

Yvian was still crying too hard to answer. Lissa held up a finger as she kept reading. Mims subsided with a grimace. Lissa finished the N-mail and sat back in shock. "It's... she didn't mean it, Sis. She thought we were dead. She didn't...I'll talk to her. She can't...She'll take it back."

"She can't take it back!" Yvian wailed.

"Sure she can," Lissa assured her. "It's just an N-mail. It's not like she struck your name from the registry. She typed quickly into her own console. "See? Here's the Kiver family and here's...oh shit."

"Someone want to explain what's happening?" the human asked. He tried to sound irritated, but Yvian could still hear the concern in his voice.

"She really... Oh, Yvian..." Lissa started to tear up as well. She wrapped Yvian in a hug. They cried together. Mims opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and walked off the bridge. He came back with a box of tissues and a small garbage can, which he placed next to the sisters.

After a minute or two, Yvian started to get ahold of herself. The sobbing subsided, if not the tears. The sisters let go of each other. Yvian grabbed one of the tissues and blew her nose. The Captain scooted the garbage can towards her with his foot, and she dropped the tissue in.

"Are you alright, now?" the human asked gently. Yvian nodded. She wasn't, really, but it seemed like the thing to do.

"Can you tell me what this is about?" Yvian nodded again, but it was Lissa who spoke.

"Yvian's been made motherless."

"Motherless?" Mims reached to put a hand on her shoulder, then pulled it back. "Oh, kiddo. I'm so sorry. I know it hurts to lose someone like that."

Yvian shook her head. "She's not dead," she told him. "She declared me motherless."

The human frowned. "I don't know what that means."

"She struck Yvian's name from the Registry of Families," Lissa explained. "Yvian is no longer a member of the Kiver family."

"So she disowned you." Mims grunted. "What a bitch."

"It's a bit more than that," Lissa told him. "In pixen society, to be motherless is to be outcast. Anyone so vile their own mother wouldn't love them...well. No respectable pixen will associate with Yvian, now. She'll be regarded with disgust and contempt."

She hadn't just lost her mother. Yvian had lost her people. She was motherless. Outcast. No pixen would speak to her ever again. No pixen would love her. Yvian would never marry. Never have children. She would be alone until she died, and no pixen would even remember her name. A single sob escaped her, but she choked the rest back. She didn't want to break down again. The tears still flowed, and she let them. She couldn't have stopped them if she tried.

"It's the ultimate disgrace," Yvian murmured softly. "My people will look at me like you'd look at a pedophile. Or a mass murderer." Mims twitched.

"And anyone that does associate with her will receive similar treatment." Lissa grimaced. "Mom might as well have made me motherless, too."

Yvian looked up at that. She'd been too caught up in the personal hurt of her...of Yasme's rejection to think through the wider implications. If Lissa stayed on the Encounter with her, she would indeed be shunned. So would Mims, for that matter. Not that the human would care.

"Lissa, you don't have to..." Yvian took a breath. "I can go."

"Don't be stupid, Sis," Lissa gave her a smirk. "You wouldn't last five minutes without me. Besides, we're a crew." She turned to Mims. "Isn't that right, Captain Mark?"

"Don't call me that." Mims frowned at her. "It's Mark or it's Captain. Pick one."

"See?" Lissa smiled. "Captain Mark agrees."

"I will throw you out the airlock." The human scowled.

Lissa grinned at Yvian. "He loves me."

At least she still had her sister. Yvian's lip twitched. It wasn't quite a smile, but it was close.

"So Yvian's motherless and you'll probably be shunned," Mims addressed Lissa. "What are the legal ramifications?"

"There aren't any," she told him. "Pixens don't have much standing under the law. It just ruins our reputation and guarantees no pixen will work with us." She grimaced. "Or date us. Or anything else."

"Hmm..." the Captain hmmed. "I guess that'll make rebuilding the pixen nation a lot harder, but that's not a problem we have to deal with right now. Yvian," he stood. "I won't pretend to know what you're feeling, but I... but you are not alone. I know you're not one for touching, so I won't hug you." He reached out and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Instead, have this manly pat of reassurance." He gave a light squeeze.

Yvian stared up at him, trying to see if he was serious. He was. He met her eyes with the gentlest expression he could manage. It wasn't that good. He stopped squeezing, patted her shoulder awkwardly, and stepped back.

"That might be the most awkward thing I've ever seen." Lissa remarked. Yvian burst out laughing. Mims shifted uncomfortably. "Seriously, you're terrible at this."

"She needed comfort, but she doesn't like to be touched," the Captain explained, defensive. The girls laughed harder. "I told you before I wasn't used to dealing with people."

Yvian got up and gave him a hug. "You're doing fine." She gave him a grin as she let go. "Captain Mark."

"Don't push your luck." Mims folded his arms across his chest, scowling. "I wasn't joking about the airlock thing."

A quick dinner and a couple beers later they were back on the bridge. Mims had offered to let the girls take the rest of the night off if they needed to process their new status, but they had declined.

"I don't want to be insensitive, but this next comm can't be interrupted," he told them. "If you need to cry or talk or make noise, get off the bridge."

"Who are you comming?" Yvian asked.

"Admiral Fightsmart."

"Fightsmart's alive!?" Yvian exclaimed. "Does that mean we won?"

"Shush," Mims shushed her. "Listen in and find out."

After identifying himself to a secretary, the human was patched in to the Admiral's comm. "Mimsey-cake?" The admiral's gravelly voice asked in mild surprise. "Thought you were dead."

"It was a close call, Admiral." Mims acknowledged. "I'll tell you the story sometime. Advocate Dytha mentioned Krog Prime had survived the Incursion. How bad's the damage?"

"Bad," Fightsmart told him. "But not as bad as it could've been. We'll rebuild. You the one that cut off that last group of Queenships?"

"That was Yvian."

The Admiral grunted. "Saved our asses. Still lost half our ships. Your fleet's gone."

The Captain sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"Worth it," Fightsmart told him. "Saved Krog Prime. Saved twentyfour sectors from being cut off the Confed. If not for you, krog would've ended up like pixens."

"I was just there to kill Klaath."

The Admiral snorted. "Spoken like krog. The Board of Masters convened. They're reviewing the Incursion and what you done. You summoned, now that you not dead."

"I will come," Mims replied, "but I've got a job to finish, first. Time sensitive. I can be there in ten days."

"Acceptable," Fightsmart agreed. "Send me your flight data. I give to Board."

"Will do, Admiral." The human waved at Yvian. She started pulling up the data. "I'll see you in ten days."

"Still don't like you, Mimsey-Cake," the Admiral said. "Told Bossypants not to name you. Humans bad. Can't trust. But you saved family. Saved the krog. You have gratitude of Fightsmart."

"Thank you, Admiral." Mims said. "I'm glad you didn't die."

"Maybe Bossypants was right," mused the Admiral. "Mimsey-Cake more krog than human. Ten days. Be at Krog Prime. Fightsmart out."

After the transmission was cut, Mims cursed. "Should've known it wouldn't be that easy."

"Should've known what would be that easy?" Yvian asked.

"Mimsey-Cake?" Lissa also asked.

"The only ships that carry Nodes are Carriers and Destroyers," Mims explained. "I was hoping one of ours survived the Incursion."

"Mimsey-Cake?" Lissa asked again.

"It's my name among the krog," he explained.

"Mimsey-Cake?"

"The krog don't name just anyone. It's a great honor."

"Yeah but," Lissa smirked. "Mimsey-Cake?"

"Shut up."

"So does that mean we have to buy a carrier?" Yvian asked.

"No time," the human told her. "Capitol ships take a lot of resources to build. Shipyards don't just keep them lying around. We could commission one, but it'll take months to build the thing."

"So what are we going to do?"

Mims sighed. "I'm gonna have to give up my special project. Be quiet a minute. I gotta talk to Migo."

"Mims!?" A surprised voice answered the comm. "I thought you were dead!"

"I've been getting that a lot lately," Mims replied. "Is the Paradigm ready?"

"The Paradigm?" The voice was nervous. "Well, about that..."

"Migo," the Captain growled. "if you've sold my fucking ship..."

"No!" Migo protested. "Of course not! I would never..."

"Good." the human tapped into his console. "Then get the Paradigm ready for launch and set her up for remote control."

"Well, uh... the thing is," Migo audibly swallowed. "I'm kind of... using it...right now?"

"You're what?" Yvian didn't think she'd ever heard that much menace in just two words, before.

"You were dead!" Migo protested. "And I'm under attack and the Paradigm Shift's the only ship in the yard that can stand up to them. I had to bring her out!"

"You're piloting my ship!?" Mims half shouted. "Right now!?"

"I had to! Mims, you've gotta believe me." The terrified voice had gone up a full octave in pitch. "They were going to destroy the station. The Paradigm would've been lost, too!"

Mims swore. "Who, Migo? Who's attacking?"

"The Vrrl!" Migo shouted. "The sector's swarming with them. The Vrrl are on the hunt!"