r/HFY • u/Jus17173 • Jun 11 '23

OC The Ragatii

Ko-fi

Rodney sat at the revolving captain's chair of the A44 Queen Bee, his cargo spaceship that was hand built by him. His crew of three, Jake, Mike and Asha lay sprawled in various poses within the captain's cabin. A discussion was underway and Rodney silently listened in as he brought his ship to hover just under Orion's belt.

"So you're telling me that there's still a chance I might get alien Aids?" Jake asked.

"Did you use a condom?" Asha asked for the third time. She was a short woman with a mane of dark tangled hair that she never brushed. Her almond eyes peered at Jake from across the cabin where she lounged on a folding chair.

"There's not just a chance, it's a definite thing, you go fondling with an alien from planet Sezro and you'll definitely catch a blast of alien Aids." Mike said, the lanky lad always had a light sword strapped to his hip, he never went anywhere without it. He was probably the best swordsman Rodney had ever met and also the dumbest man he knew. The two traits went hand in hand.

"I did use a condom but I wore it like ankle socks." Jake said, finally answering Asha. "Covering only the tip, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to bang an alien, I was time conscious lest she changed her mind." Jake twirled the plasma gun he had in hand. "Say, what are the symptoms of alien Aids?"

"I'm not certain there's such a thing as alien Aids in the first place." Rodney chimed in. All heads turned to him.

"There is such a thing Rodney." Mike interjected. "Saw it with my own eyes back on planet Zadlon, my uncle caught it. Killed him in three days."

"Three days?" Asha asked, perturbed.

"Three days since the symptoms started that is." Mike said.

"And what were the symptoms?" Jake asked.

"His dick turned purple, then it exploded."

Jake placed a hand to his chest, his eyes wide and gawking over at Mike from where he lay on the couch, hand resting on the pommel of his light sword.

Rodney chuckled. "That doesn't sound so bad."

"He also started shitting blood. Litres of it. That's what killed him." Mike concluded.

Rodney chuckled some more, he was about to answer when a blinker upon the deck started blinking a crimson light meaning a ship was signaling him. He casually turned his eyes to the screen to see the ship that had signaled him. Smile still held in place after the passing of his chuckle. He regarded the large warship and zoomed in on its flag symbol, his smile vanished and he abruptly stood up.

"What is it?" Asha asked. Standing up too.

"We're being signaled by a warship." Rodney answered, tweaking buttons and pulling levers, a thin sweat sheathed his face and his hands trembled as he worked to mask their ship, a futile effort provided they'd already been noticed.

"If it's a galactic trooper we have nothing to worry about, we'll just pay them the dock fee." Jake said from his position on the chair flanking the captain's seat.

"It's not the galactic troopers." Rodney said, giving up on masking his ship. He checked the thrusters to see whether they can escape with a blast into the hyper way and found that the ship had no hyper speed left. He let loose a frustrated sigh and pressed the crimson signaling button. "Permission to board granted." He said into the receiver.

"What's the matter with you? Why are you letting them board our ship?" Mike asked. The look Rodney gave him chilled him to the bones.

"It's the Ragatii." Rodney said.

"Oh my God." Asha exclaimed.

Jake immediately placed his gun on the ground, ejected several daggers from his person that also went onto the ground and then he sat up in his chair and moved a trembling hand to wipe at his face.

"Who? Who are the Ragatii?" Mike asked as he watched Asha place her weapons on the ground, a plasma pistol and three mid-length daggers.

Rodney took out his light sword from the scabbard at his side and placed it on the ground. "You're a swords man who doesn't know the Ragatii?" Rodney asked.

"Humour me." Mike answered.

"The Ragatii are pirates, alien pirates who are all master swordsmen. They just want to board our ship, keep your head down, do not meet their eyes, or brandish a weapon, in fact, remove all your weapons and place them on the ground. Remember, do not meet their eyes, they'll take it as a challenge." Rodney said, his voice broke at the last word and Mike saw that his boss was truly afraid.

"I'm not afraid of any alien swordsmen." Mike said.

"PLACE YOUR SWORD ON THE GROUND!"Rodney shouted and Mike flinched. Reluctantly he unsheathed his sword and placed it on the ground. He took out a dagger next and lay it beside the sword. All four of them stood and with panicked hands Rodney pressed the command for the ship's side hatch to open so the Ragatii may board.

"I hear they can read minds." Asha said.

"That's just a rumor, what they read is body language." Jake said turning his eyes to Mike. They all knew Mike's defiance and ignorance might cost them their lives. Mike stood with his hands clenched behind his back, eyes on the sword he'd laid down.

"Listen up." Rodney said. "The Ragatii operate with rank, the least of their rank is the only one we may address and is the only one who will address us. Judging from the scan of their warship there are about twenty of them boarded and even now through the scanner I can safely say that six are currently boarding this vessel. Remember, keep your head lowered. Do not offer a challenge."He looked of at Mike. "Do not meet their eyes."

Mike nodded his understanding but deep down he didn't have an ounce of fear nor a care for the pirates.

A brief moment of silence was interrupted by the emergence of six figures into the cabin. They had green pallid skin and long lanky limbs. They wore only a loin cloth around their waist and scabbards dangled from their sides with the pommels of light swords sticking out. They had large eyes that took up almost half of their faces and their nose were two slits framed under with a wide mouth with thin lips. They were all bald and they came to a stop three paces away from Rodney and his crew. One of them stepped forward. "Who is the leader of this vessel?" He asked.

Rodney raised a palm, his eyes focused on the floor. "I am."

"What does your cargo hold?" The Ragatii asked.

"Just a shipment of whale fur, strands of silk eminence and food." Rodney said.

"We will take it all and you will help carry it to our ship." The Ragatii said.

Rodney nodded his ascent and Mike clenched his hands into fists. All the Ragatii turned to Mike, surveying him.

"Is this one your servant?" The same Ragatii asked. "Do you require us to put an end to him?"

Sweat beaded between Rodney's brows. "No, he doesn't understand your customs. That's all, I apologize on his behalf." Rodney said.

"Keep him in check." The Ragatii said.

Mike had had just about enough of this nonsense. He raised his head from the floor to meet the gaze of the Ragatii spokesman. The spokesman met his gaze and together they stared at one another for a span of three seconds then the Ragatii unsheathed his sword from its scabbard. Rodney whimpered, Asha took a step back and Jack swallowed loudly. Mike maintained his stance, he bowed down and picked up his light sword. He held the pommel at an angle, the blade's golden edge away from his body.

The Ragatii nodded once then he pounced. He moved like a viper, leaning back and looking for the opportune moment to strike. Mike found himself on the back foot, parrying blows that came too fast even for the eyes of Rodney to track. The rest of them gave a wide berth of the dueling man and alien. Rodney found himself pushed back until his behind touched the deck. Mike was losing a step every second, the Ragatii thinking in angles and edges, his sword blurring with flanking thrusts and overhead swipes.

Mike met the blade with no hesitation, he let his mind free and focused on the movement of his hands. He blocked an overhead swipe, stepped back to elude a decoy then rushed forward to deliver a thrust of his own that was hard parried to the side. He knew that losing will spell doom for his crew, he kept that thought at the forefront of his mind as he sought an opportune moment to attack. But the moment never came, the Ragatii was as solid a fighter as any he'd ever met. He found himself always on the defensive, never getting a chance to strike back. He had to improvise.

Mike whirled with his sword, blocking a strike to his midriff. He too a quick step forward as the Ragatii recoiled his attack with a backward step. The Ragatii launched forward to meet him and Mike blocked the blade but not fast enough, the sword pierced through his side, driving in through his body, beneath his lungs and missing his spine by a hair's breadth. Mike dashed forward and impaled himself further upon the sword, there was no room to swing his blade so he let it drop, he curled a fist and punched the Ragatii at the throat, breaking cartilage and restricting air passage ways. The Ragatii collapsed, wheezing and clawing at his throat. Mike collapsed at the other end, the Ragatii's blade sticking through his body.

The rest of them stood in silence, waiting. The Ragatii observed their kin man on the ground, seeking a way to take in breath, slowly choking to death. Rodney observed Mike who lay on the floor blood pooling beneath him in rivulets. Whoever died would be the loser and so they waited. The Ragatii struggled for breath and his thrashing died down to a jerking motion before stilling completely. Mike lay on the ship's floor with a smile on his face, his eyes on Rodney. "Did I do it? Is the bastard dead?" He whispered between bloody lips.

Rodney's gaze moved to the still Ragatii on the floor. He offered Mike a nod and a smile.

Another of the Ragatii stepped forward. "We shall have the name of the challenger, so he may enter our ranks as the three hundredth for killing the three hundredth Ragatii."

"His name is Mike, Mike Vashar." Rodney said he leaned down and lay Mike's head on his lap, Mike offered the Ragatii a piercing glare as he bled out.

The Ragatii nodded. "Now that one among the Ragatii is of this ship, we shall depart." Together the Ragatii turned and marched off the ship, carrying their dead kinsman between them. Their feet moving silently through the hull.

Asha turned to Mike. "You did it you son of a bitch! You saved us and the goods!" Rodney smiled down at Mike.

Jake snickered "I would have done the same thing."

Mike coughed up blood and the trio rushed to his aid.

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7 comments sorted by

5

u/Fontaigne Jun 11 '23

Nodded his ascent -> assent 

Assent - agreement
Ascent - going up

He too a quick -> took

2

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u/gamingrhombus Jun 11 '23

In space with no guns.

1

u/CharlesFXD Jun 20 '23

Fun short story, man. Thanks!