Chapter Text
"Captain! There's an incoming ship and I think it's the one we've been looking for," Lance shouts and with a nod toward Regeris, I pass the control towards him and as he takes control, I start walking down toward Lance.
I follow him to the edge of the ship and he gives me a scope. I pull it up to my face and take look out in see, easily finding the pirate's ship that was gaining on us. I could easily find the Galra's purple symbol on their black flag. I grit my teeth as I take a closer look at the ship. There are several boats in the Galra's fleet but only one is dramatically different than the rest and that's Lotor's ship, the captain over all Galra. After his father died by Kolivan's sword, Lotor easily took mantel and started privileging everything, showing everybody that he was crueler than his own father. He was a sick bastard.
I finally find the telltale signs of his ship. While the Galra's fleet is always rusted looking, Lotor's is almost as clean as the Kings and is outlined with yellow paint instead of the famous purple. I snap the scope and look over to Lance to see him looking over at me.
"Well... Are you going to leave me in suspense or tell me that's Lotor's ship that's flagging us down?"
I nod my head toward my right-hand man and give him back his scope, "That's the one. We must ready the others. By the speed of that incoming ship, they will dock us in roughly fifteen minutes."
Lance nods his head firmly before I start yelling out orders for everyone to gather their weapons and ready the cannons. I give instructions to Pidge and Hunk to stay with the cannons and to have five men with them. Lance will stay on the ship with half of the men and protect the Blade. The remaining men and myself will go on Lotor's ship and hopefully at least free the prisoners and, if we are lucky, kill Lotor and take over the ship.
I grab my blade, the one showing my family symbol, and start hooking ropes so everyone could easily swing onto the enemies' ship. Lotor's ship easily gets closer and closer by each minute that ticks by.
I wasn't always the captain of Blade. I used to just be an orphan until King Kolivan found me and raised me along with Shiro, the blood related prince. After fifteen years of growing and training, Shiro and I were finally able to be in charge of the King's ship and the head of Marmora's fleet. It only lasted for 5 years. More than a year ago Shiro was captured but it was under Zarkon's rule. We were hoping that Lotor might free him but there have been numerous reports that state Shiro has been kept on Lotor's ship and for months, among defending Marmora's lands from the Galra, we have been searching for Lotor's ship and hopefully Shiro as well.
The problem is, Lotor's ship is like a ghost ship. You only see it if the captain allows you to have visual and usually, they strike you when you won't notice them. Lotor may have inherited the fleet but he kept it a float and he didn't do that by doing nothing. He was a feared captain. Said to have killed men with his bare hands and have the ability to charm women with just a quirk of his lips and a wink, making women swoon.
I have met the man before. I was in the hospital recovering from a fire when he walked in and just sat down. He didn't do anything else but stare at me with his hands crossed on his legs. I didn't have any of my weapons by me at the time but I didn't need them. All he wanted was for me to join him. I was shocked by the upfront question but I quickly denied him. He looked at me before he fixed his hair and simply walked away, only saying before he left the room that he will make me join him or he will kill me the next time he sees me. Truthfully, I don't understand how a man like that could enchant any women he meets.
I shake my head when I see the ship come up close to the side of the ship, "On my command we will jump over! Our main goal is to free the captives and send them over! Secondary goal is to take over but that is only if we have the numbers! Do you understand!"
The ocean was roaring underneath us and the sky was turning gray, like it was getting prepared for a war between the ocean and the sky. Everyone shouted "Yes, Captain!" and before I knew it, I was counting down.
"One... Two... Three- Jump!"
All at once everyone jumps to their opposing ship, including Lotor's crew. Quickly I cut ropes from Lotor's people but I can only hope that Lance and the rest of the crew can keep up with Lotor's. I easily land on my feet before I'm facing some raging hulk of muscle, easily slamming into wood and pushing the air out of my lungs.
"I've been waiting a long time for this," the women's deep voice rumbled above me and before I could really stabilize myself, I was picked up from my neck and was face-to-face with a familiar big angry woman with half her face scared. She shakes me as she growls through gritted teeth, "You did this to me!"
I tighten my grip on the sword and without any words, easily stabbed her on the wrist. She drops me with a howl of pain and I don't even fully inhale before I slice at her knees. She falls onto her hands and I don't hesitate as I bring my sword down on her neck. Her head rolls on the wood of the ship and I kick her body over so she falls on her side, an audible thump resulting to her body hitting the planks.
I don't have time to really celebrate my victory before I see other crewmembers running at me with all sorts of weapons. I take out my other sword, this one showing my rank as captain of the Blade, and I start fighting. It was always easy to get lost in the flow of fighting that everything else fades away and it's just me, my swords and my opponents.
I easily duck underneath a flying axe and I swing my sword at a different man who had a large hammer. He goes down and doesn't get back up. I spin around a yelling woman, this one holding a knife, and I quickly flick my wrist enough to stab her through the chest. I yank my sword out of her and she gurgles blood before she has fallen and doesn't get back up. I make an X with my swords to block another sword that aims for my throat. It's a test of strength for a moment, each of us trying not to give an inch to the other. I quickly kick him in the chest and he stumbles to the side of the ship and before he can get away from the edge, I jump and knee him in the chest. He goes overboard and doesn't come back up.
I turn around expecting more opponents but everyone seems to be occupied. I take a quick look around but I don't catch any sight of Lotor. I store the information away before I'm running toward the stairs that leads me to underneath the platform of the ship. Once I get halfway down the ships, I can hear screams of captives.
I continue down and I'm met with cages that are filled with prisoners. Most I don't recognize but there are a few that I remember seeing from missing fliers. There are two men guarding the others from people like me and once they catch sight of me, they whip out their weapons and lunge toward me. I stand there for another minute before I dive away from their swinging weapons. I hop up to my feet quickly and I make sure to bring both my swords up in time to block both their weapon from cutting me.
I push them both away and one stumbles away as the other ducks and sweeps my feet from under me. I fall hard on my back and before I can move, I catch sight of the man raising his sword above me about to strike me. I roll out of the way and he nips my arm though I barely notice the stinging sensation. The other man that stumbled away grabbed my leg before I could get up and I kick his hand with my other foot, hearing a crack as he howled in pain.
He lets go which was the plan and barely get up in time to swing out of range of the other man's attack. I don't hesitate to use one sword to hit his out of his hand and the other stab him in his gut. His eyes widens as he looks down but I don't wait and yank the metal out of him. He falls and only twitches a few times before he's dead. The other man is standing wobbly but he doesn't pose much of a threat.
I lunge at him and kick his knees inwards. He falls with a grunt and I kick away his sword from his reach. I grab the back of his head tightly and yank him so he is facing me. He spits at me and I bring sword to his throat, his struggles stopping as he feels the metal at his vulnerable throat. I kneel down until all he can see is my eyes before I speak.
"Where are the keys?"
He grits his teeth in defiance but I tighten my grip and push the sword closer to his throat, beads of blood dripping from the wound. He sputters out the location, "Underneath the table on the right side."
I nod my head and rip away the sword from his throat and hit him with the hilt at his temple. He crumbles to the ground as I walk over to said table and as I reach under it, I feel the keys. I hide my victory smile as I grab them and go to unlock the cells. Men and women thank me with smiles as I release them. I keep my eyes out for Shiro but I can't find any sign of him.
The last cage I open I feel my hope leave me until I catch sight of Sam. Pidge will be so happy to know her father was alive. Sam catches sight of me and smiles. Sam was the main engineer on the Blade and taught me more of the technical parts of keeping a ship going. I clap his shoulder and he grab my hand.
"It's good to see you, Sam," I honestly speak to him.
He nods his head as he pats my hand, "You too. How's Katie?"
"She's doing good. You would be proud of her since your year of absences. Taken over your position like a fish in water."
"And Matt? He made it too?" Sam worriedly asks.
I nod my head, "Don't worry. We rescued him months ago and the only thing that seemed permeant was a few scars. They're safe."
He sighs in relief before he tenses again and his other hand grabs my arm, "Shiro. They took him before you guys boarded. I think they took him to the captain's cabin. They had to have known you were going to board and want him."
I nod my head, "Thank you." I quickly let go of him and walk through the crowded prisoners and block their path to reach the exit, "Listen up! You guys must stay down here a little longer. My crew is fighting off Lotor's men and it's not safe for you guys to go up there. I will send my men down here when we win and if not then overpower the remaining forces."
I hear disgruntled grunts and cries of dismay but nobody moves closer toward the exit. I make eye contact with Sam and nod my head before I turn and run up the stairs. As soon as I am up the stairs and, on the platform, I have to duck from a fired pistol. I look up in time to see the man holding the firearm reloading and I take one of my throwing knives from my boot and throw it at him. It strikes his neck right underneath his jaw and he quickly grasps it to stop the blood before he falls overboard.
I take a quick look around through the battle between the two crews before my eyes land on Lotor's cabin. I duck and make sure to stay low and out of everyone's immediate attention as I move toward the captain's cabin. I get there soon enough without much distraction. I take a quick look around to make sure I wasn't noticed and I quickly enter as I close the door behind me.
It's dark inside. There's no windows and no type of light to illuminate the room. I take a step forward in hopes I could find something to brighten the room but before I could do anything else, I hear a boom from behind me and next thing I know wood is flying. The force of the cannon flies me across the room and into the wall. I slide down and my head hits something but I swear I hear a muffled scream just a few centimeters to my right.
It takes me a few minutes to find my bearing before I open my eyes only to immediately squeeze them shut. There was now a hole where the cannon ball must have flown through and the light shining through solves my earlier problem of walking in the dark. I inhale deeply before I exhale slowly and start opening my eyes. Once my vision clears of all the bright spots, I start to push myself up with my swords tight in my grasp and lean heavily onto the wall to keep my balance once I get onto my feet. I shake my head in hopes of clearing the light fog that has settled onto my mind but there's some muffled noises that alert me to somebody being in the cabin with me.
I snap my eyes open and raise my swords up in a prepared move of defense. My eyes move around the cabin before it snaps to a body strapped to a table with somebody covered with a blanket. I hear another boom, this time followed by the boat shaking instead of shards of wood flying everywhere. I find my balance before I start walking slowly toward the body. Once I'm close enough I rip the blanket off the person quickly, instantly putting my swords up in case it attacks...
Only I barely keep my grip on my blades because in front of me is my older brother, Shiro. My brother who has been missing for a year, who I have been searching since he was first taken. I see my brother for the first time in a year and he is wearing a blindfold, a muzzle and strapped to a table like a lab experiment.
"Shiro?"
His muscles loosen a little from their tense position and he makes a question sound through the contraption covering his face. I don't even wait for a response before I'm ripping off the blindfold and cutting the ropes that are binding his limbs. I start with his legs but once I get to his right arm, I realize he only half of his bicep. I barely contain the anger I have for whoever injured him. I cut off the restraints from the rest of his body, trying my best to ignore my pounding headache and the changes on his body like the scar across the bridge of his nose and the while poof on his forehead now instead of the pure black hair he had before he was captured.
I sit him up before I break off the muzzle they strapped onto his face with. Once he's sitting up relatively on his own and completely free of anything that was on him prior, he falls onto me and hugs with his good arm, tears seeping through my shirt. I squeeze him back as I finally release all my pent-up emotion.
"I missed you so much," I whisper, too afraid that the moment but disintegrate if I say anything too loud.
"I missed you more," he responds.
Before I can say anything, the ship shakes after a boom echo in the distance though it doesn't come near the cabin. Shiro shoots up and looks out toward where a mix of crew members are fighting against each other.
I sheath one of my swords before I shake Shiro's shoulder so I can get his attention, "We need to go. You need to go with the other prisoners and wait there until this battle is finished."
I help him roll off the desk and make sure to catch him before he crumbles once he gets his feet under him, "Where are you going?"
I swing his good arm over my shoulder and we start navigating over debris, "I'm going to kill Lotor."
He stumbles a step but I just tighten my grip on him, "You can't. He's too powerful."
"I have to. When we cut the head of the snake, the rest of its body would die with it. We can finally get rid of the Galra empire and all of her vessels," we continue toward the door of the cabin.
Shiro just shakes his head but he doesn't speak against my plan. I open the door and quickly start dragging Shiro toward the other prisoners. The battle is still intense though there is more blood on the planks of the ship. It was a good ship before the fighting, now it looks like one of its own lesser ships. I can only hope my ship doesn't look too bad.
"I believe you have something of mine," a familiar voice booms over the sounds of battle and death.
I feel Shiro stiffen in my arms before he starts to shake with small shivers, barely noticeable unless you weren't touching him. I straighten my own back before I shift Shiro enough to where he could put his weight on the railing of the ship without falling. I reach for my sword before I whisper toward my brother.
"Head toward where the other prisoners are. Wait there until the end of the battle."
"Keith-"
He tries to reach for me but I'm already turning to face the Galran leader who is smiling with all teeth. There is a breeze in the air, enough of one to be a threat of a storm coming soon. Fitting for what might happen.
"You seem familiar, have I threatened you before?" He takes out his own sword and lazily twirls it, "No, that can't be it."
He takes a step forward and I raise my blades higher in warning of what I would do once he is in range. He just smiles as he rolls his neck.
"No, you are that little boy who declined to join me," he raises his blade in preparation, "Are you regretting your choice of joining me?"
"I'm regretting my choice of killing you on spot."
He laughs before he smirks with something gleaming in his eye, "I doubt you could have then just like I doubt you could kill me now if you tried."
I raise an eyebrow as a challenge, "I didn't come here to chat," and I lunge, my swords aiming for his chest. He hops backwards as he blocks it with his weapon. I kick his knee and he go down but before I could kick him in the chest, he punches me in the gut and tries to swing his sword for my neck. I stumble away a couple of steps to avoid my beheading. He snickers before he runs up the stairs to get to the steering wheel.
I follow suit, barely far enough that I couldn't reach him with my swords. Once he is up top, he quickly spins and tries to stab me but I sidestep his attack and counterattack. He steps back before he attacks me with a flurry of moves, I barely block in time. At the last attack he nips me in the side. Not enough for me to worry about in the moment, be he does make me lose a few drops of blood.
I get squat and quickly kick him in the ankles, making him trip and fall on his back. I stand with the pointy end of my swords facing him, I slam both blades down. He's able to roll over out of dodge but I slice his arm enough to see a trickle of blood.
He stands and makes distance between us as he grabs his arm, "You are better than you seem. I didn't think you were able to draw any blood, if I am to be frank," and he looks down at his injury, "Though I must kill you. Can't let you think you are better than I."
"I was already going to kill you so it doesn't make much of a difference."
He hums loud enough for me to hear above the roar of the sea below and the battle below. I tighten my grip on my sword but we both stand there for a moment. I can hear thunder from a distance.
He quickly turns and runs toward the side of the ship. I follow suit but he pulls out a pistol and aims for me. My eyes widen as I slide to an abrupt stop. He cocks his gun and I catch side of the stack of crates to my left. I jump behind them in time before he starts shooting. I cover my head as wood flies everywhere. He fires three times before it stops.
I inhale before I check him and have to duck behind the wooden crates when he throws the firearm at me. I quickly get up and get out from behind the crates to see him climbing the net to where the sails are at. I start to follow him but he notices me with a snarl and cuts the net below him, stopping me from trying to following him. It doesn't take him long, a few seconds, to cut the rope and there is no way for me to safely follow him up.
I growl under my breath as I look around to find another way to catch him. I am so close to beating, to finally cutting off the head of the snake. I can't stop now.
My eyes land on a free rope that was used to board the ship. I look up to see Lotor still climbing higher and with the last glance, I run to the opposite side of the ship before I turn. I put my swords in their sheaths and I take deep breathe before I start running toward the rope. At the last second, I jump over the side and barely grasp the rope, sliding down it a little and earning myself a rope burn.
I hiss through my teeth at the initial pain but I ignore it as I start climbing up. I wrap the rope around my leg in the usual 'J' form and start climbing. I keep my eyes on Lotor and watch as he finally gets high enough to climb onto a piece of wood that supports the main sail. I keep moving up as he searches below for me and I quicken my pace once he catches sight of me.
I'm halfway up when he starts walking over to my rope, his sword unsheathed and ready to cut the rope. It only takes him a few minutes to finally be of reach of the rope and he doesn't take long to start swinging. My heartbeat roars in my ears and I finally start to feel the strain of my muscles.
"I won't allow you to win this!"
"I didn't... Ask you for your permission," I gasp above the battle below and the approaching storm.
I unwrap the rope from my leg and I start swinging toward the net that Lotor was climbing. I look up in time to see him about to strike the rope a final time. I swing one last before I let go and not a moment too soon, I see the rope fall from the corner of my vision. I grasp the net with a grunt and look up in time to see Lotor snarl. I'm not too far now from where he is. I hurriedly climb up and jump the last bit to grasp the wood.
Lotor swings down in hopes of cutting my arms but I shift enough out of his way through the pain on my palms makes me hiss. His sword gets stuck and he starts yanking on it. I take my chance and quickly lift my legs and start slowly turning so I'm lying on the wood. Lotor chooses to finally get the sword free and starts stalking me.
I quickly stand though I immediately start to feel unbalanced. I swing my arms in hopes of not falling to my death before I finally take a step and gain some sort of balance. Lotor swings for me and I lean away from his strike as I take out my own sword and thrust for his chest.
His sword hits mine away and he takes a step forward to punch which lands on my jaw. My head rears back and before I know it, I'm getting kicked in the gut. I barely stay on top of the narrow wood as he advances toward me. I roll my neck as I take out my other sword and block his next attack.
He brings his sword back before he snarls and attacks again except this time with more strength. I make an X with my swords and grunt under the pressure he adds. He puts his other hand on the handle and puts his whole-body weight behind it. My left knee buckles and hits the wood as I grunt in exertion.
"You can't beat me. You should give up now while I still give you the chance."
"Oh, wow," I breathe out as I gather my strength, "they really weren't kidding when they said you were cocky."
Lotor growls but before he can say anything else, I quickly stand and kick him in the knee. The move surprises him and the kick knocks him down. His knee buckles from underneath him as he falls on his hands and knees so he won't fall off.
I take my swords and put them above his head but before I can cut off his head from his filthy pirate body, he takes his sword and strikes right toward my chest...
I barely have time to move his sword away from my racing heart but instead right below my chest. I gasp at the feeling of it. I never been stabbed before. Sure, I've been sliced and glanced by swords, even been shot a few times but it's something different to be stabbed. It doesn't feel like how you would imagine. Nothing to really indicate the feeling except for a pinching feeling and coldness seeping into your bones.
"Who's the cocky one now?" He taunts as he rips the sword out.
I fumble with my own swords as I take several unbalanced steps backwards until my back is leaning against a wooden pole that holds the sails. I look down to see water just below me, roaring as the storm finally greets the battle.
It starts pouring rain, my blood mixing with the falling water. Lotor doesn't slip- lucky bastard- but he walks slowly as I try to catch my breath. I grip my sword in my hand tightly, knowing my knuckles turned white.
Lotor doesn't give a final speech once he approaches me, only an evil smile as he looks down at me like I'm some ant under his boot. I almost laugh at the mere thought but it would pain me too much for just the simple gesture.
He rears back and takes his time with his movement, making them precise as he finds a way to kill me. Well... If I fall, he'll fall too. With the last bit of my strength, I sit up away from the pole and lunge my sword toward his thigh. He screams as he kneels to stop the blood from his new wound. I take this chance to swing my other sword toward his neck.
The last thing I see of him is his eyes widen and his head flying off and down below. His body instantly stops moving like a puppet getting its strings cut off and it falls.
It takes a second for me to realize what I did and I smile at the victory. That's when exhausting hits and I'm reminded that I'm bleeding out above several feet from the dock. I try to stand but my body feels too heavy and weak. The storm starts affecting the ocean and the ships finally starts rocking violently.
I close my eyes as water falls onto my face and I whisper an apology to Shiro and my father and my mother and to the kingdom. The next time to ship leans forward too much to one side, my body slides off and falls. Wind moving too fast and noise getting faster at a speed I wasn't ready for.
The water shocks my body but not enough for me to try to swim, my body already sinking. I open my eyes one last time to see the sky but instead I see a face framed by white air. I'm met with gorgeous blue eyes that are sparkled with pink in the pupil. I just stare at what must be an angel as I feel her hands touch my face softly. She leans forward and she closes her eyes as her lips touch my own.
She kisses me softly and with it, I feel something warm enter my body. She leans away but before I could do anything else, I feel my body start to succumb to exhaustion and my eyes are forced to close. The last thing I'm consciously aware of hands on my body and warmth spreading around me.