Patterns of Piracy

By C. D. Tavenor

Once a pirate, always a pirate. Right?

Raith has flown with the Iron Dagger for quite a few years, but never before has he been placed in the crosshairs of one of their runs. After a heist gone wrong, Raith must use his synthetic piloting skills to outwit racers, traders, and a pirate king hell-bent on revenge.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Two Doctors Media Collaborative LLC
• Release date: Nov 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781952706158

C. D. Tavenor

C. D. Tavenor is a science fiction and fantasy author based in Columbus, Ohio and the Director of Editorial Services for Two Doctors Media Collaborative! He's excited to tell stories that engage readers beyond a desire for entertainment, whether through philosophical inspiration or social inquiry. And he's a firm believer in connecting every piece of fiction to reality, whether through their themes or their settings. When not writing, Tavenor enjoys the more than occasional board game, his favorite being Eclipse.

Book preview

Patterns of Piracy

C. D. Tavenor

Patterns of Piracy by C. D. Tavenor

Twitter: @tavenorcd

Published by Two Doctors Media Collaborative, LLC

www.twodoctorsmedia.com

[e-mail]

© 2020 C. D. Tavenor

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Cover Graphics

ID 116900606 © Tom Cerny | Dreamstime.com

Patterns of Piracy

Tales of Shattering Worlds

Part IV

_____________________________

C. D. Tavenor

Emerald Jewel. The pride of the ICH, the planet more perfect than Earth itself. Billions lived on its surface. Many of their ancestors fled Earth’s archaic ways to find a new life, a new world, a new hope for the future.

That’s what everyone said, at least. Raith hated the planet. It was too green. Way too green. Whoever named it Emerald Jewel was playing a sick joke on everyone, describing it literally. The planet was practically a continuous lush forest, with almost no arid regions except near the poles where everything simply froze. From its beaches to its mountain vistas, Emerald Jewel stank of the opulence of the wealthy and opportunistic.

For where the wealthy congregated, humans—and SIs, like Raith—made their mark. It was way too easy to take advantage of the unwitting, unsuspecting, naïve tower-dwellers.

Hence Raith’s present predicament. He was hanging from a carbon-steel wire from one of the tallest towers in Emerald City, slowly laser-cutting his way into rich person #5,274’s apartment. Who they were, he didn’t care, because they had exactly what he wanted. What he needed, actually.

Three minutes, Roark said over the comm. You’ve got three minutes before the tower’s power cycle resets security.

"I’ll be out in two, don’t