"What are you going to do Reegen?"
"What do you think I will do?"
"Something crazy."
"You're right."
"Papa?"
"Yes Aiden?"
"Come back alive please."
I chuckle at my child's innocence, no matter how hard he tries to hide it, "Don't worry. I will."
"Take some gun will you?"
"I wanted to take the plasma rifle that I slipped from George's robes."
"George carries guns?"
"I know right! See ya."
"I won't transport you down."
"I know." Amanda dashes towards me as my vision transfers to my old quarters, which are empty. I sigh, my heart heavy. I promised myself that I would never leave a childhood friend behind, and yet the last one I hadn't left yet, I just did.
I walk through the functioning doors into the bright outpost hallway; they seem to have gotten rich recently. My breathing is short and words flash by, being briefly read. Daily pushups save my life as I come to a falling halt by the door to the outpost jail. Throwing myself back up I swing around the corner and shout out as I head down the hall, "Juna? Juna! Juna where are you?"
I go through hall after hall after hall. Every time I am disappointed, soon my voice becomes sore and my feet get tired, I think I will find her when I question something, where are the guards. I take two lefts to make a large u-turn and just as I'm turning the second corner I see him. A few feet down the hall I quickly turn on my heel, pulling the rifle in the process and pointing it at the guard, "You will tell me where she is or you will no longer have a functioning brain."
"Woah dude!"
"Start talking."
"What's your deal? It was a one-night stand dude!"
"That's what we tell them."
"What were you two dating?"
"For a few months."
"Oh… I'm sorry."
"For what? Give her to me and I'll let you live."
"She's set for execution. Second blames her for your disappearance."
I charge the rifle, "I remember you… you challenged me once."
He opens his mouth to shout but the acidic plasma has already started to burn a hole through the floor behind him.
I march through the halls, my footsteps echoing down the corridor. One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, one, two, three four. I round corner after corner, brick after brick that I lay myself, hand over hand. Past the first rooms of us. Past the towers I built. Past the world that I used to call my own. Past the world I built. I have a secret. A secret that no one knows. This world belongs to me, and they will remember that. I burst through the doors and see a gun pointed at Juna's head, my previous second looks over at me, his eyes going wide.
"Captain?"
"Hello there. I suggest you put that gun down."
"You first."
I raise the rifle level with his head, "I'll only say this once. Either you eliminate the threat to her, or I will."
"You are sup-"
His vocal cords ring with the final vibrations traveling through them as he thuds on the ground, "Who else wants to point a gun at my girlfriend?" The other pirates get uncomfortable.
"Thought so, let's go." Juna and I walk away when another pirate stops us.
"What is it?"
"We have no leader now, sir."
I sit there and think for a moment, "Yeah?" He nods, "I don't have a crew, what's your point?"
"No sir. What's YOUR point?"
"Good answer. United edit that transporter count."
"To what sir?" Nagor responds.
"Ever pirate on this planet. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a crew."
Everything distorts around me; with my hand still holding Juna's my view changes to the mess hall.
"This place will not seem as empty as it did before." Amanda comments as she walks up with Nagor.
"What in the hell made you want to trust pirates?" Nagor says.
"Very few of us recognize you, sir." The others tease him about calling me sir already.
"Who wants to know my old pirate name?" The pirates instantly turn into little school children, I their teacher.
"My name is," Pause for dramatic effect, "Rust." All continue to stare at me as if I was insane.
"Who the hell is Rust?"
"Ok ok fine, I guess you don't know my old pirate name, what about my new one? Red?" The pirate's eyes light up with recognition and I hear a few oohs from the crowd.
"Mom? Mom!" Aiden comes rushing in behind Nagor and Amanda, oblivious to the surrounding pirates he jumps into Juna's arms and gives her a hug only a child can give.
"Oh Aiden! I missed you."
"Mom, can we stay here?"
"Baby, I wish we could but we have to go back to Grandpa. I'm surprised he let you even on this ship."
"Grandpa didn't know until I didn't come home and then he didn't send anyone to look for me!"
"You kidnapped our son?" She turns to glare at me.
"No. Our son is still small enough to fit inside of a barrel. I accidentally smuggled our son, a big difference."
"Uh, huh? Is that bit true though?"
"Yeah, he lost a bit of face."
"He will lose more when his daughter doesn't return home because she hates him."
"Wait what?"
"You will stay Mom?"
"Yes Aiden, I will stay and help your father make some money so he can afford to feed hundreds of soldiers."
"I thought this through."
"Oh yeah? How are you going to feed them?"
"I will… Ok yeah I need help."
"Thought so. Besides you also have to feed me and I am a very picky eater."
"Perks of growing up rich."
"Hmm…"
"What?"
"I have an idea. Computer open a link to my father."
Link Open
"Hello?"
"Hi Dad so can I stay here?"
"Where? The United?"
"Yes."
"Absolutely not!"
"Ok then. Computer access the main vault computer."
Main vault computer activated. Welcome to the Solaris IV vault, how may I help you today?
"Withdraw all money from princess accounts. There see, more money."
Suddenly George appears in front of me, grabs me and then teleports us away into what looks like a prison cell. Oh wait. It is.
"George this is not a good idea."
"How so? My daughter will not leave without you and no one ever gets out of here."
"What is my pirate name?"
"Why would I care?"
"Because it's Red."
He sits in silence a moment before saying, "And?"
"Three."
"What do you have a small pirate group?"
"Not small. Two."
"How big?"
"An entire planet. One."
An army appears just outside of the jail cell door, Juna at the front with a plasma rifle in hand, "I said I was a queen. Not a princess." Before I know it, the door is flying past me and George is in the corner with a critical plasma blast.
"Get everyone you know is with us out and let's get out of here!" I tell the pirates as I rush through the halls to get to a clear space to transport, "United! Get Juna and I out of here!" We come skidding to a halt as the world around me disappears.
Juna struggles to keep up with me as we stride past my new pirate crew bustling about to battle stations just outside of the Solaris prison. It fires a shot, I hear it but I don't feel it, "Who fixed the stabilizers?" I shout into the surrounding madness.
"Gingo sir." One of the other pirates around me says.
"Tell him congrats from me, I could never get that blasted thing to work."
As we rush into the battle read bridge, Juna takes her place as the tactical officer and gives me a readout, "All officers on board, shields at 20% and… what the hell? Why don't you have a targeting system?"
"She works better." I point to Nagor.
"Do you?"
"25 years and I ain't never missed."
"Ok then, Captain, we either fire or get the hell out of here."
"Get us out of here Nagor."
"Going to Jump Speed." We shoot off, stars and planets streak past us like mere blurs in the night sky.
"We need a vacation."
"Sir?" Nagor offers.
"Yes?"
"May I suggest Voldep III? It's an amazing station next to a beautiful star."
"Set a course than, and when we get there let's tell the pirates to behave."
She smirks, "Yes sir."
"Ok since we are just going to be sitting here, I like the one sitting next to you and the other one is just like you but that's all I know."
"Right, time for introductions."
"I'm Amanda love. Second-in-Command on the ship."
"British?"
"Yes."
"Nagor. I like your taste."
"Naga."
"Correct. I run most things on the bridge but I hope that will change with the new crew additions." Her round pupils go straight and she glares at me.
"Ok ok jeez."
"Nagor you need to teach me that."
"Please don't."
"Sorry Captain but your girlfriend will have complete control over you."
"I hate you two."
"Sure hon."