It was snowing outside. Large clumps of snowflakes fell lazily through the night sky. That in itself was not very unusual. It always snowed on St-Alban’s. Sometimes there was a blizzard or even hail. On the rare days when the sky was clear the air was deathly cold, generously handing out frostbites to anyone foolish enough to go outdoors without a few extra layers of thick clothing.

Arguyle McCullough never saw any of it; blizzard, clear skies or otherwise. His world was constantly bathed in artificial light and artificial air. Deep in the bowels of one of the smaller and poorer mines on the planet it was more cost-effective to generate new air than to pump and heat the air from outside. Of course it also meant that someone had to keep an eye on the life support systems. That was Arguyle’s job. That and fixing just about anything else. The community that operated the mine was small and had to rely on it’s members when it came to dealing with problems. Life was not easy and everyday brought a new challenge.

Arguyle’s workshop was easily described with two words; cluttered and noisy. All sorts of things ended up there from toasters to complex mining equipment. There was little space that was not currently occupied, there were a few things hanging from the stone ceiling. The machines that did not work were quiet enough but those that were only there for regular maintenance or a quick fix created a veritable concert of hums, squeaks and rumbles. Arguyle’s sense of touch, when it came to vibrations, was quite acute. His hearing, however was not so good.

William Arney, the only dockhand permanently stationed at the small spacedock near the surface knew better than to try and shout over the din in hopes of getting the mechanic’s attention. Instead he picked a path carefully through the room until he reached a large machine that took up the better part of the floor at this end of the workshop. It was Arguyle’s pet project. The mechanic had named it the ‘’Mole’’ though it looked more like a giant screw with wheels all around it. Arguyle claimed it would be capable of digging safer tunnels much faster than the old laser-drill the community was currently using. William thought his friend’s idea was a little crazy but he wisely kept that thought to himself. McCullough’s were known for being folk who took their jobs very seriously.

Will lightly kicked one of Arguyle’s legs, the rest of the man was lying under the Mole. The mechanic rolled out from under the machine and stood up, wiping some engine grease from his forehead. He looked quizzically at his friend. At thirty five years old, Arguyle was still one of the more sought after men in the small mining community by it’s resident bachelor women. Even covered in grime and sporting week-old stubble on his face it was not was not hard to discern his handsome features. Arguyle’s ice-blue eyes contrasted well with his black hair he always kept tied in a short ponytail. He had a square jaw and a mouth that was always frozen into a welcoming smile. Strangers had little difficulty feeling at ease in his presence. Arguyle stood just shy of six feet and years of labor in the mines had given him a muscular frame.

William, who was closer to five feet and thin as a reed looked out of place next to his friend, a notion he constantly tried to forget when the two were together. The dock-hand passed his fingers through his unkempt brown hair and smiled broadly. He moved closer to the taller man to be heard.

‘’McCullough, we got visitors come in just an hour ago. Says they here to see you. I ain’t the one that registered their ship but I’m told one of ‘ems yer sister, Arianne. I’m high on thinkin’ you oughta leave that Mole in peace and take the next haul up.’’

In the mine there was no elevator for personnel. To save time and money the community that exploited the mine had only built a single lift for bringing the mineral back to the surface. People and gear had to use the same way up or down. The lift constantly traveled the mile-long shaft from the top to the bottom of the mine, taking about an hour each trip.

Arguyle’s smile nearly took in his ears when he heard that his little sister had returned. ‘’Ari’s here? I best be cleanin’ meself up then!’’ He said to his friend as he clapped the smaller man on the back. ‘’Maybe the lass is done with her adventurin’ and aims ta stay wit’ us again, aye?’’ He headed to the small quarters that served as his home at the back of the workshop.

‘’Great, just what we need…’’ William Arney said to himself when his friend was out of sight. ‘’Another McCullough in a colony already too small for the one it has.’’

*************************************************

‘’Ari!’’ Arguyle’s voice boomed accross the large cavern that served as space-dock just below the surface.

His sister turned from the group of strangers she was talking too and smiled brightly, rushing up to hug her older brother.

If Arguyle could be described as big, his little sister was petite. Five and a half feet tall with all the curves in the right places Arianne had grown into a very attractive woman though she would always be the little girl Arguyle had known before she left the mining community almost ten years ago. She had the same blue eyes as her brother and she kept her long black hair tied in an elaborate braid that fell just below her shoulders.

The two stayed in each other’s arms for a long while, savoring the moment. Finally They parted and Arguyle looked his sister up and down. ‘’Lass, suren ye be the jewel o’ the Verse. I remember ye as ye were when ye left, just a wee girl with too much a sense o’ wanderin’ than what’s good fer ye. Just under ten years ye be gone and ye finally come back a grown woman. Wish ye’d come ‘round sooner. ‘Course it warms me heart ta see ye, love, but ye coulda wrote me somewhat.’’

Though he was still smiling, Ari knew her brother well enough to discern the longing in her brother’s eyes. She had missed him just as much but her wanderlust had been far greater than her brother could understand. Arianne had never been very good at explaining herself in words to her brother. Instead she stood on the tip of her toes and kissed him on the cheek before offering him a charming smile. ‘’I’m sorry ‘bout that, big brother.’’ She said apologetically. Arguyle grinned, clearly satisfied with her answer.

Arianne had a soft voice and she was well aware of her brother’s hearing problem which had started long before she had left the mine. She stayed close to him to be heard and made sure he could read her lips. ‘’I had to leave, I told this to ye before. I want more from life than to live in the innards of a mine. I found me some good friends, I want ye ta come with us. There’s adventure ta be had in the ‘Verse, suren we could use a good mechanic and I would be better off with me brother nearby.’’ She looked into his eyes, waiting for her words to sink in.

‘’Well now lass suren this be lots ta ask o’ me sa soon and ye just came back.’’ He put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes as well, weighing her words. Finally he looked over her head at the strangers she had come with. The four of them were watching the two silently, standing together a few yards away from the ship that had brought them here. There were three men; a lanky fellow dressed in black, a bald dwarf who seemed more interested in the electronic game he was playing than what was around him and a blond man who was currently talking to an overweight black woman. The blond man was looking at the siblings every few minutes. ‘’That yer friends aye? Honest folk?’’ He asked her.

She hesitated a moment, biting her lip before answering. ‘’Well they be good folk, not one who wouldn’t give a hand to thems in need of it.’’ She turned around to look at her friends before speaking to her brother again. ‘’Arguyle… there’s somethin’ else ye need ta know…’’ She said and this time she did not look into his eyes, instead her gaze kept wandering back to the ground at her feet.

Her brother frowned. This felt a lot like the time she had announced that she was hitching a ride on the next ship heading off the planet in hopes of finding adventure. Of course she had been fourteen then which had not helped him see the sense in her decision. She was a grown woman now and certainly capable of making choices for herself. Still, Arguyle was on edge though he chose not to voice his feelings straight away. Arianne turned again to her friends and nodded very slightly. The blond man immediately came forward. Arguyle noticed his eyes were green. Although he was not as tall or as muscular as the mechanic, the man who walked towards them gave Arguyle a sense of being in control. He had an assertive way of holding himself that was easy to see, a charismatic presence that stood out. The two men shook hands. Arguyle liked the man’s strong grip.

‘’Brother, I’d like ye ta meet Declan MacCormak. He is the captain of the ship you see there…and he is also my husband.’’ Arianne moved closer to Declan and wound a hand around the his arm. Her brother watched the two for a moment, his eyes never leaving Declan’s.

‘’Lass, this is really yer choice?’’ He asked simply, his voice neutral.

‘’It is, brother’’ She answered and tightened her grip on Declan’s arm.

‘’Sir, I promise you that my intentions were ne…’’ Ari’s husband started to say but Arguyle cut him off.

‘’She’s a McCullough, and she’s me sister. I be knowin’ she can choose fer her own self. She certainly don’t need me advice it seems and suren I don’t need yers.’’ He looked at his sister and did not pretend to try and hide the hurt he felt at learning his baby sister had wed without telling him.

Arguyle would do anything for his sister though and even now he swallowed his hurt, sighed deeply and gave the couple a genuine smile. ‘’She can choose fer her own self and I trust her in that. Meanin’ I won’t be arguin’ yer choice, though I wish ye’d at least ask me along fer the weddin’. Still, ye look like a right smart fella, sa that’s good ‘nuff fer the likes o’ me.’’ He gave his sister’s husband a clap on the arm.

Arianne breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that her brother’s hearing was not so good. She had gone through this moment in her head a dozen times and every time it did not end so well. She had always loved her brother deeply but his need to protect her all the time had been one of the reasons she had felt the need to find her path elsewhere. She had never told him that. After their parents had died when an earthquake had collapsed a large section of the mine, Arguyle had taken upon himself to raise her as best he could though, in truth, Arianne had been the one taking care of him. She knew it would have broken his heart if she had confessed that he was being over-protective.

‘’Would you like to meet the rest of the crew?’’ Declan said, gesturing the the others who were still waiting near the ship. All three were looking at them now, the woman was smiling broadly, accepting coins from the two men. ‘’Aye and thats a nice ship ye got, though I ain’t knowin’ much o’ spacecrafts meself. Ari says ye need a mechanic, I reckon she don’t remember I never worked anythin’ whats not meant ta stay on the ground.’’

They walked to the ship and the captain presented his crew.

’This here is Bishop, Jake Bishop. Best shot with a rifle in the ‘verse. Never seen a man with better sights. Comes in handy when folks start trouble. Unfortunately that happens too often in the ‘Verse.’’ Declan said and gestured to tallest of his crew.

The man was in fact taller than Arguyle, well past six feet. He nodded his head in greeting and respectfully lifted his wide-brim hat a few inches off his head. Arguyle noticed that the man’s hair was grey despite his apparently young age. He looked no older than Arianne. He had wolfish features and his light-grey eyes seemed to be constantly looking around for prey. He was dressed in black from head to feet in the fashion some ranchers use. Tall boots, jeans, shirt and vest.

‘’He don’t say much.’’ The dwarf said as he stepped forward and extended his hand. Arguyle did his best to shake it without having to lean down. He knew that some folks were born with a condition that kept them shorter than average but he had never met one before. ‘’Name’s Ferret and I sure hope you’ll be coming with us. I was gettin’ tired of lyin’ to the captain about my abilities to repair the ship if ever it needed some fixing.’’ He grinned, revealing a mouth full of malformed teeth. With his beady black eyes and pointy nose, Arguyle had little trouble understanding why he was called ferret.

Declan laughed. ‘’Well I guess if Ari’s brother agrees to come with us, I won’t be needin’ the likes of you anymore!’’ Everyone laughed as well when Ferret tried futily to sputter a protest.

‘’Last but certainly never least…’’ The captain said, turning to the black woman. ‘’May I present to you the Lady Margaret Mayflower.’’ He bowed before her, smirking.

‘’Honey,’’ Margaret said, looking Arguyle up and down, hands on her rather large hips. ‘’You just call me Maggie like everyone else.’’ She winked at Arianne. ‘’ Sister, you never told me your brother was so shwie! It’s about time we got us a real man on this ship! Come here boy, give Maggie a kiss!’’ She raised her thick arms and reached for Arguyle’s cheeks, pulling him down to give him a kiss on the forehead.

There was something about Margaret Mayflower that quickly appealed to Arguyle. Of all the crewmembers, she was the one that seemed the most authentic. He guessed that Margaret was the one who had worked on Arianne’s hair. The woman’s head was covered in short braids artfully decorated with colorful wooden beads. Her round face was glowing with warmth and caring for her friends. There was something in her manner, in the way she held herself that suggested a refined upbringing. It contrasted sharply with the uncouth manners of the dwarf standing near her.

‘’Ari girl, your brother made me a rich woman.’’ Maggie said, patting the brown leather purse she held.

Arianne answered her brother’s unspoken question. ‘’They made a bet that ye’d knock Delcan out when ye heard we were married. Maggie was the only one that bet that ye wouldn’t.’’ She rolled her eyes at her crewmates.

‘’Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys…’’ Declan said drily.

‘’No offense captain but the man’s a beast compared to you’’ Ferret said. ‘’Ain’t no way he wouldn’a knocked you cold with just one punch.’’

‘’He does look capable’’ Bishop said, his voice was monotone, Arguyle had trouble determining if it was because the man felt no emotions whatsoever or simply did not care enough to voice them.

‘’All right, enough with the speculatin’. Arguyle, how’s about I show you the ship?’’ Declan said to his brother in law.

Arguyle nodded and followed the captain into the ship.

‘’She’s a firefly class transport, not the fastest but we ain’t tryin’ to win any races. She’s maneuverable though and good enough for our needs. I named her Fortitude.’’ Declan said with pride as they toured the ship. Arguyle was not very knowledgeable when in came to spacecrafts and did his best to learn as much as he could while he had the chance.

‘’Looks in good shape, no rust er damage anywhere. Can’t hardly even feel her vibratin’. Systems fired up?’’ Arguyle asked, a hand on one of the railings overlooking the cargo bay.

‘’Yep, shes prepped and ready to fly. She’s just about brand new, actually. Ari and I got our hands on a nice little bit of coin workin’ on some salvage near Boros, gave us the cash to buy us a ship of our own’’.

They toured the rest of the ship and finally came to the engine room. Arguyle’s interest was immediately peaked when he gaze on the engine. The mechanic lost no time in peering at the engine from every angle.

‘’She’s the heart of my ship, McCullough. I want you keepin’ her beatin’. Arianne will be rather cross at me if I fail to interest you in sailin’ with us though so I sure hope you’ll say yes. ‘’ Declan move close enough to Arguyle to be heard. ‘’I’ll need ta think on this’’ Arguyle replied as he turned to address the other man. They were alone in the room now, the others wandering off to do their own chores. ‘’This here community be small, it ain’t about ta replace me easy iffin I leave wit’ ye.’’ He said.

‘’Of course, I understand.’’ Declan turned to leave the room but stopped in the doorway and looked at the other man. ‘’We’ll be in port a day or two, your sister probably wants to see you some more anyways. Take your time to think it over. I know fixin’ ships ain’t what your used to but your sister says yer right smart and that’s good enough for me. You’ll figure out how it works fast enough, I’ve no doubt.’’ With that he left Arguyle alone to satisfy his curiosity about the engine.

*************************************************

Arianne leaned forward, trying to get a better look at the resceeding cargo lift that was lumbering deeper into the mine. All she could see was a pinpoint of light in the pitch black shaft, the lift almost reaching the bottom of the mine hundreds of yards away. ‘’Ye know… I used to peer down that shaft near everyday, thinking how insignificant it made me feel. So deep, so much darkness…’’ The young woman held the railing she was perched on a bit more tightly, leaning almost completely over the mine shaft. Arguyle, standing firmly on the rocky ground beside her did his best to hide his worry. He stayed close, his hands ready to grab her should she lose her grip. ‘’ Ain’t nothin’ compared to the Black though. It just goes on and on…’’ His sister said, her voice almost a whisper. Arguyle frowned, having understood little of what she said.

He was about to ask her to step back on solid ground when Bishop’s voice cut him off. ‘’Trying to learn to fly, Ari?’’ The tall man said, apparently stepping out of the very darkness to Arguyle’s right. ‘’Captain wants you and your brother back at the ship, ma shong. Seems we got some trouble brewing.’’ He said and leaned casually against the railing surrounding the shaft. He did not bother to take a look at it’s depth.

Arguyle, judging by the other man’s calm demeanor, figured the trouble he spoke of was probably not very pressing. His sister, however did not seem to share his opinion. She looked at Bishop her eyes wide and quickly clambered back on solid ground. She wasted no time in grabbing hold of her brother’s arm and pulled him towards the entrance to the space dock. ‘’Ta ma duh! Come on, guhn kwai!’’

Bishop followed them, looking no more excited than someone taking a relaxing stroll on a sunny day.

*************************************************

The McCulloughs arrived first at the ship. Arianne led her brother straight to the bridge. Ferret was sitting in the pilot’s seat, his bald head tilted to better listen to a rough voice coming out of a speaker located on the side of the console. Declan, one hand on Ferret’s chair, the other on the console, was also trying to listen to the voice.

‘’Mi tian gohn, captain, you ain’t my sweetheart, so how’s about you gimme some breathin space already!’’ The small man said, glaring at Declan over his shoulder.

The voice coming from the speaker was drowned in static.

Declan backed away from the console, turning to nod in greeting at the siblings. ‘’Ferret caught hold of a transmission just a while ago. Apparently it’s comin, from deep orbit. Seems someone has eyes on your little hole in the ground McCullough.’’ He said and gestured to the speaker.

Ferret held up a hand. ‘’Shut up already!’’

There was a burst of static and then they heard the same rough voice again. ‘’Doubt they even … coming. … easy … take ‘em out. Just make sure … consortium … to pay. We’ll take care… rest.’’

The static grew louder and the voice was impossible to seperate from it. Ferret turned a switch and the transmission was cut off. He swivelled the chair to look at the others. ‘’That’s all I got. Lucky you I was bored and decided to play with the comm array. Seems I caught some vultures circlin’ overhead.‘’ the dwarf said, looking proud.

Arianne rolled her eyes. ‘’More like you were hopin’ ta listen in on the locals talkin’ ta each otha, Ferret.’’ She said, accusingly though she could not hide a mischievous smile.

‘’Well, what else is there to do on this back-water hole? Can I say back water? Shouldn’t it be back-snow, or back ice?’’ Ferret drolled out. ‘’Arguyle…’’ Declan said, addressing the man. The others got the message and quieted. ‘’Ferret thinks it’s a pirate ship, paid off by the Corone Consortium to raid your mine. Sort of like mining without having to well… mine.’’

‘’Smart boss…’’ Ferret snickered.

‘’Thanks. Problem is, generally they ain’t interested in leavin’ witnesses behind, dohn-ma?’’ Declan said, crossing his arms and leaning against the nearest wall.

Arianne looked at her brother, biting her lip worriedly. Arguyle looked from Arianne to Ferret and then at Declan. ‘’Suren we aren’t geared fer a fight. Some o’ us gots a few guns, mostly fer huntin’ when the skies aren’t sa cold. Them pirates hit, not a lot o’ us are gonna live ta see the end o’ the fight. Mine ain’t made fer holdin’ back raiders.’’ He said, shaking his head. ‘’Hidin’ in the canyons just a ways off might be one o’ our options. Takes a keen pilot ta fly those though, any o’ you fit that description?’’ He asked, looking at the crew.

Declan shook his head. ‘’Myself or Ari usually fly the ship and we’re still gettin’ used to her, so that’s out of the question. Makin’ a stand in the mines sounds like we’ll just be savin’ them the trouble of diggin’ us some graves seein’ as we’ll already be under ground.’’

‘’I agree’’ Bishop said calmly, climbing up the stairs to the bridge. ‘’I toured the facility a few times during the last few days. Half a dozen of these miners could hold out during a fight, no more. We’re gonna need a plan if we’re to make the best of this little problem. Obviously surrendering is also not a very useful choice.’’ ‘’I ain’t in the know about ships and all…’’ Arguyle said ‘’But this here be a transport ship, no? No cannons or anythin’ o’ the sort? Kin ye really hope ta fight off them pirates wit’ jus’ a few huntin’ rifles?’’

‘’Arianne my dear, I think your brother is a true genius.’’Declan said, pulling his wife closer to him and giving her a kiss. He ignored his wife’s confused look and smiled at Arguyle. ‘’I think you have it right, McCullough. This ship ain’t got no cannons, nothin’ to fight with. That just might be the edge we need.’’ He grinned broadly.

‘’That’s it…’’ Ferret said, falling back against the chair, sighing in despair. ‘’Captn’s lost it… we’re done for.’’

*************************************************

The captain of the pirate ship looked at the vid screen near his ship’s helm and grinned. Apparently the miners had caught word of their attack plan but had foolishly revealed their plan of escape with an badly encoded distress call.

He called his first mate to his side and showed him the transmission he had captured. On the screen was the face of a rather ugly old lady. She was dressed in a frayed dress with a floral pattern and wearing a bonnet over her head. Probably the leader of the small remote community they had chosen as their target.

‘’Needin’ some help.’’ The old woman said in a high-pitched grating voice. ‘’Some ruffians want to do us harm, they do. We ain’t got no weapons to fight so we’re haulin’ everythin’ we own on a ship and leavin’ the mine. Hopefully theys won’t be noticin’ us as we leave. If ye get this message and mean to come to ou raid, we’ll be leavin’ aboard a firefly.’’

‘’Sure is an ugly hag’’ the first mate said, clapping his captain on the shoulder in recognition for capturing the distress call. ‘’I’ll get the boys ready. We can board that ship easy and take ‘em out.’’

‘’Right, might be we can even make us some extra cash sellin’ their ship. Didn’t the Consortium tell us all theys had was a slow barge only good for atmo though? I was lead to thinkin’ theys only travelled overland to dump their ore in the city over the mountains?’’ The captain said, looking confused.

‘’Aww who cares what crappy ship they have, we know in which one they’ll be, ain’t it all that matters?’’

His captain nodded in agreement and they both left to prepare for battle.

*************************************************

‘’I sure hope you know what you’re doing, captn’ ’’ Ferret said as he switched off the video transmitter. He removed the bonnet that his his bald head.

‘’You know Ferret…’’ Bishop said, showing a rare grin. ‘’You look rather nice in a dress…’’

‘’Kwai jio kai’’ The little man replied. He hopped off the pilot’s seat and started pulling the dress - one of Maggie’s old night gowns - off of him.

Declan gave the dwarf a pat on the back. ‘’Good work Ferret, I think that convinced ‘em. Keep monitorin’ their chatter to see if anythin’ new comes up. Meanwhile Arguyle and I will start rounding up the folks that can aim a gun half straight. The rest of you get to work. I want the cargo hold turned into a death trap for anyone that tries to board us. Hopefully we can end the careers of those pirates a might sooner they the’re expectin’.’’

*************************************************

Arguyle stood on the highest catwalk overlooking the cargo bay. Below him Bishop was positioning some miners for the upcoming fight. Evidently the man knew what he was doing. Each miner was given ample cover while having a clear shot at the airlock door. As usual Bishop was greedy with his words, sometimes not even bothering to give detailed instructions, prefering to simply point at a spot a miner should take position. Maggie walked onto the catwalk from the ship’s upper level and stopped at Arguyle’s side to join him in his survey of the preperations below.

‘’I always hated guns…’’ She said in her smooth voice. ‘’Don’t mistake me, I’ll join in the fighting but men always seem to become dumber when bullets are involved.’’ She winked at Arguyle, her dark eyes trying to read the man’s expression. She suspected he was nervous but wise enough to hide it. ‘’Well not all men I suppose.’’ She said and nodded at the scene below. ‘’Bishop there, he is always a cool kid. He’ll pick his shots carefully, you’ll see. Never one to waste his time, that’s for sure. So, how are you holding up?’’ She asked, turning to look at him fully.

Arguyle sighed deeply and took a moment to reply. ‘’Well, just a bit overwhelmed with everythin’ is all. Half a week ago I was workin’ on me fixins. Just more o’ the same as it usually is. Suddenly me sister shows up, all smiles after bein’ gone some ten years and her wit’ a man an’ a ship in tow. Now she’s wantin’ me ta come with and here we are usin’ our own selves as bait fer some brutes whats got eyes on everythin’ I care fer. Makes a man a might shaken is all.’’ He glanced at the woman and shrugged. ‘’Don’t ye fret, a McCullough never gives a poor show o’ hisself.’’

‘’I sure hope you don’t!’’ Ferret said also coming out of the upper level to join them. Contrary to the others he was busy watching half a dozen round objects he was juggling in his hands rather than the cargo bay below.

‘’Ferret what in the worlds are you bouncing in your hands?’’ Maggie said, frowning at the small man.

‘’Grenades. ‘’ Ferret said nochalantly. ‘’Well actually four of them are the normal ones that go boom, the other two are flashbangs. These babies ought to wipe a few grins off those bastards comin’ to pick us clean, provided they aren’t strong enough to punch a hole clean through the hull!’’ As he neared them he lost his grip on one of the grenades and it bounced off the catwalk, dropping between two crates near a miner. The man picked up the explosive and looked up, a puzzled expression on his face. The grenade remained as it was, there was no explosion of any sort.

Ferret caught the remaining grenades he still had and stuffed them in one of the pockets of his trousers. ‘’ ‘Course they are a bit old, some of them might not work at all…’’ He shrugged.

‘’Wonder iffin’ we shoulda took our chances in the mines… Suren it would be betta than bein’ blow ta bits out in space…’’ Arguyle mumbled, returning his gaze to the cargo bay below.

‘’Mmhmm…’’ Maggie agreed.

Just then they heard the captain’s voice over the intercom. ‘’Everyone into position, we’ve just cleared atmo and the bastard pirates already have us plumb in their sights. I’m thinkin’ they’ll come right as us with magnetic grapples and blow through the airlock. Time to send us some fools to the hot place. Good luck.’’

A short time later Declan and Arianne came onto the catwalk. Declan was carrying a rifle and his wife had a pair of pistols on her belt. She stopped in front of her brother and handed him a shotgun. ‘’Here,’’ she said ‘’I’m supposin’ ye haven’t bothered to improve your shootin’ any so at least with this ye won’t need to aim.’’

Arguyle mumbled a thanks and turned to Declan. ‘’Where ye be wantin’ us then?’’ he asked.

‘’Well, Bishop, Maggie and Ari are going to hold the higher ground here. Ferret can make good use of his small size by the stairs near the airlock.’’

‘’Not to mention it’s a great place for dumpin’ grenades on their fool heads’’ the dwarf snickered.

‘’Ferret, don’t blow up me ship!’’ Arianne said, frowning at him.

‘’Aww you’re no fun Ari.’’ He said. ‘’As for you and I, McCullough, we’ll be with your fellow miners down in the cargo bay. Try not to get yourself killed, I still want you as a mechanic on MY ship.’’ He said, looking pointedly at Ari with his last words.

His wife raised a dark eyebrow and gave him a challenging stair. Declan looked away first.

‘’Right, into position folks, I killed our propulsion, made it look as if we we’re given up. Won’t take long for ‘em to reach us.’’

Everyone quickly moved to their assigned posts. Arguyle took a moment to look at the miners around him. Like him they looked just about scared witless, every man gripping his gun tightly, eyes wide and trained on the airlock door. He noted the difference in attitude the crew of the Fortitude had. Declan was watching the airlock but he seemed concentrated rather than scared. Ferret was sitting on the edge of the catwalk just above the entrance, swinging his legs back and forth, whistling a tune and playing with a grenade. Maggie was kneeling next to Ari, the two women talking in whispers. He knew his sister well enough despite being apart for so long to know she was on edge but he was still surprised to note there was a lack of that primal fear he saw in his fellow miners in her eyes. Her gaze fell on him just then and she gave him a wink. Next to her Maggie was grinning. Not far away Bishop was giving his rifle a final inspection. The man seemed to have a love of precision weapons. The sniper rifle he had chosen looked to be of a very high quality. Seeing the others so calm gave him confidence and he turned his gaze to the airlock, leaning the cannon of his shotgun on the crate in front of him.

Arguyle and two other miners were the closest to the door, discounting Ferret, of course. Declan and three others were positioned farther back. If things got too rough, Arguyle was to help his mates retreat to the back of the cargo hold using their allies cover fire and threading their way through the maze of crates and obstacles Bishop had thoughtfully placed in the hold.

They waited in silence. To Arguyle it seemed like they waited for hours. Finally the whole ship shook violently and a loud boom was heard.

‘’Gorramit! I hope they didn’t choose to blow a hole through the hull and sort out the mess later instead of boarding us…’’ Delcan said, his teeth clenched in frustration.

The question on everyone’s mind was soon answered when the flash of a cutting laser came pouring out of the airlock door.

‘’Shiny… they came knockin’ on our door…’’ Ferret said. Arguyle noted the small man had backed away from the edge of the catwalk, using it to provide some cover. He had somehow found a large pistol and was holding it with both hands. ‘’Joo koh!’ Delcan said. Everyone trained their eyes on the door, fingers near the triggers of their guns. The pirates had almost cut through the door.

Suddenly the airlock door was thrown open. The defenders did not get the hoard of screaming pirates they were inspecting. Instead two cylinders from which a thick cloud of smoke was pouring from came sailing out of the door and into the cargo hold.

Arguyle was soon coughing ceaselessly and did his best to keep an eye on the general direction of the door though he could barely see beyond the crate that provided him cover. From somewhere in front of him a gun went off and suddenly the cargo hold was filled with the crack of gun shots, coming from both sides. He thought he heard someone scream in pain but his poor hearing made it unable for him to tell who’s side the scream came from.

Ferret’s cackling laughter came to him clearly though since he was positioned closest to the dwarf’s perch. The little man shouted ‘’Here comes the BOOM!’’. Arguyle peered into the smoke, hoping to see the blast of a grenade but there was none. Overhead he heard Ferret whine ‘’Gorram piece of horse shit…’’

The smoke was beginning to clear a bit behind him though it was still thick near the airlock door. He fired a shot at random into the smoke. The shotgun kicked back hard into his shoulder. Arguyle winced and frowned at his weapon. Just what kind of gun did his sister give him? He chanced a look behind him. Bishop and Arianne seemed to have a clear vision of the fight since they seemed to be picking out targets before shooting. Maggie was on the floor near Declan, holding a bandage against one of the miner’s legs. Declan was firing randomly into the smoke as well.

Overhead he heard Ferret shout again ‘’Here comes the BOOM!’’ and this time the grenade seemed to be a good one. A bright flare of fire followed by a loud explosion appeared in the thick of the smoke. The dwarf cackled and shouted in triumph. Several bullets pinged against the catwalk near the little man. ‘’Ta ma duh…’’ Ferret said, retreating back a bit and firing off his huge pistol with his two-handed grip into the smoke.

Arguyle thought the smoke was thinning out and he prepared himself to find himself a target when a man emerged out of the smoke in front of him. His face was covered in blood and burnt marks and he wielded a nasty looking axe. The pirate screamed in rage and rushed towards Arguyle, axe held high. Arguyle swung his shotgun towards his attacker and pulled the trigger. The shotgun spat fire and the pirate’s chest seemed to evaporate. Blood and gore spattered Arguyle’s face, stinging his eyes. The pirate dropped dead to the cargo bay’s floor.

Soon After the sound of gunfire dwindled down. Arguyle wiped his eyes with the back of his hands. Strangely, despite the ringing in his ears and the lingering smoke he managed to hear Bishop’s monotone voice state calmly from above : ‘’It’s over.’’

*************************************************

Arguyle stood outside the entrance to the mine. It was snowing again though only lightly. The peaceful scene was a sharp contrast to the chaos of the battle aboard the ship. Although it was only a few hours ago it seemed like ages had passed since then. Arguyle wondered if he had already gotten used to danger and unpredictability or if his nerves were simply waiting before turning him into a babbling wreck.

He heard the crunch of boots on snow coming closer but did not bother turning around. He knew his sister had come for her answer. After they had come back to the mine as victors the community had wanted to express their thanks with a reward and their hospitality for a few days but Declan had declined. ‘’We’re only here for Arguyle and we’ll be leavin’ as soon as we know what’s he decided.’’ Arguyle understood that he could delay his decision no longer.

‘’Apparently the name will stick…’’Ari said stopping beside him. Her dark hair was loose and contrasted with the white of her coat. She had her hands in her pockets. ‘’The Fortitude will be renamed Declan’s Decoy in honor of his great idea to use the ship as bait. Sometimes I think I have a gift for coming up with good names. It certainly sounds more fun than Fortitude…’’.

‘’Ari…’’ Arguyle started to say. He turned to his sister and looked her in the eyes. He had tried hard to decide between taking Declan’s offer or staying in the mine but his sense of adventure had never been as developped as his sister’s. He was curious about the ship’s mechanics but was it really the life for him? He had heard enough tales about the ‘verse and how nothing was ever certain there. However his indecision did not manage to stand up to the deep sense of loss he knew he would feel should he watch his sister fly away without him. Would he see her again soon, if at all? There was little he would not do for his sister and that fac twas stronger than any argument he could think of for staying. ‘’Ari, ye kin tell yer capn’ I’ll be hitchin’ a ride with ye.’’

His sister smiled broadly and pull her right hand from her pocket. She held a small comm device which she brought to her lips. ‘’Maggie, he said yes’’ She said as she pressed a button on the side of the small object. ‘’You can release William now and tell the captain we’ll be back to the ship soon.’’ Arguyle heard Maggie’s cheer coming from the communicator before Ari pocketed it again.

‘’Release William?’’ Arguyle asked, frowning.

‘’Oh yes, we took him hostage in case ye would said no. Strangely enough though he actually offered hisself, I think he’s to taking a fancy to Mrs mayflower.’’ She grinned mischievously at her older brother and looped her arm around his. ‘’Iffin I ain’t surprised… ye think that be a good sign?...’’ Arguyle asked though it was mostly to himself.

Arianne chuckled as the two made their way back to the ship and the beginning of their life of adventure together.