Work Text:
“You sure you wanna be here for this?”
“I have to see it through, Sam. After months of being undercover, it wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t.”
He grunts softly. “Alright. Just prepare yourself for pirates to be, well, pirates.”
Doors open on the other side of the transport deck. A squad of UC security and Naval troops, all decked out to the nines, file in, holding mean looking rifles.
The sounds of trouble already echo through the open door.
“Ya fuckin’ bastards! Let me go, I didn’t do jack shit!” A mane of red-brown hair comes in the doorway first as Mathis is quite literally shoved through. It was no surprise that he’s giving everyone trouble.
It doesn’t take much time for him to notice you standing to the side. “You!” He snarls. “I’m gonna put a bullet through your head if it’s the last thing I ever do!”
The laugh that comes out of you is rough, full of vile, and cruel delight. “Shut the hell up, Mathis. The last thing you’ll ever do is rot in a two-by-four cell. I hope they make it cold just for you!”
Mathis screams more explicit insults, most geared toward your mother. The guards fight and yank at the man, rifles raised. Still, they manage to subdue him, robbing you of a chance to put Mathis down yourself. You’re laughing until he’s well past the other doorway and out of sight, you hoped he could hear it from down the hall.
“Seems like a real winner. Good friend of yours?” Sam asks, studying you.
“Fuck no. Hated that asshole from the moment he opened his mouth, to be perfectly honest. I’m going to sleep well knowing he’s going through his worst nightmare.”
Sam’s face pinches together, you only catch a glimpse of it from the corner of your eye. His mouth twists, as if he has more than just, “Ah, I see.”
“Have something you wanna say?” The response is snappy, challenging, automatic—something you had to adopt in the midst of pirates, and you regret it immediately. “I…I didn’t mean that…” You sigh, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of your nose.
“It’s alright. I get it. Just try to remember you’re not a pirate anymore.”
“Yeah...I’m working on it.”
His eyes linger. You can feel his thoughtful gaze. It makes you itch.
Pirate life was at least simplistic. Somebody had a problem? You’d know about it immediately. A short knife fight or a brawl and it’d be over. Done.
Being around Sam again was…well it would take an adjustment period.
Months of pirate life, a life you’d adapted to very quickly, and you’re spit back out into civilization on the other side. There was no guidance on how to go back to “everyday life”—on how to shed this new person you’d become.
It’s infuriating. Everyone expects you to pick back up from where you left off…but you can’t. You’re not the same person anymore. Sometimes you wake up and think you’re still on the Key.
Sometimes you wish you were still on the Key.
“I can see you thinking behind that wall of silence.” Sam gently says. His voice sounds so loud on the empty transport deck. “Just know that I’m here for you—always will be. You wanna talk about what happened during those months, you can come to me, judgement free. Promise.”
When you don’t respond, Sam chuckles. “You’re always so quiet now—which is fine,” he’s quick to add, “I just want to help.”
“Yeah…thanks.” Is all you can manage as the transport deck’s doors open again and more armed personnel file through.
Naeva is silent, head held high…until she catches sight of you.
“Oh, it’s on when I get out of here, Rook!” She spits through her teeth, trying to lunge for you. The guards stop her, pull her back into line, but her body remains tense.
“Looking forward to it, Naeva.” A cruel grin breaks free. “You know, I never killed that other Rook you sent me after. Austin Rake. He’s at some Starport, drinking for free right now.”
“You fucking traitor! You’d better be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your damn life! ‘Cause when you don’t, I’ll be there to put a knife through your back!”
“We’ll see about that. I’m sure you’ll get a knife through yours first. Delgado probably isn’t happy that it was your recruit who brought his empire down around him.”
She grins, something dangerous lurks in her expression. “Oh, I’m sure Delgado has some plans for you, Rook. After everything, I can’t imagine how you’re gonna look him in the eyes.” They’re nearing the other doors, Naeva’s trying to twist back to face you, fighting the pushing and pulling of her security escort. “You know he trusted you. Honest to God. Have fun living with that for the rest of your life, traitor!”
Her words hit a nerve. You were very careful not to let it show. Still…it hurt.
As the doors close, Sam turns to face you. “Listen, why don’t we just go? This isn’t healthy.”
“Not really focused on whether it’s healthy or not.”
“That’s part of my point. You have to get away from this stuff, away from the Fleet. This whole thing is just going to give you more to think about and keep you awake at night.”
Lashing out and snapping back a retort is what you want to do. But instead, you take a deep breath and let it out slowly.
His voice turns soft, pleading. “Don’t go silent again. Please, talk to me.”
“Sam,” you start, very carefully, “I need this. This is my closure.”
“Are you sure?” His blue eyes were soft, full of worry.
More questions—and feelings. It agitated you. Made you grind your teeth together. “I’m sure.”
He looks away, frowning. He’d probably bring it up again, but future you would have to deal with that. Right now, you were more focused on—
Doors slid open. Your heart skips with that familiar flutter while a hard knot forms in your stomach.
Delgado walks, freely, without any guards touching him, through the doorway. He’s given space and walks leisurely as if he owns the Vanguard. There’s no hassling, there’s no pushing.
You’re expecting the worst—or for him not even to look at you. Instead, he holds your stare with a faint smile. “Hold up.” And the guards around him actually stop.
You know that look in his eyes, you’ve seen it a hundred times, your feet move without any command or thought.
Delgado. Leader of the Crimson Fleet. Even if you tried, you couldn’t spare him.
He steps away from the security unit. One last private meeting with the man who owned you, heart and soul, for the last few months.
“I was wondering whether I’d see you here.”
Why are you smiling? “Couldn’t resist the urge to tell Mathis one last time to go fuck himself.”
He chuckles. It sends your nerves out of whack. “I’m very impressed by you. Playing the part that well…” he tilts his head, a secretive smile just for the two of you catches at his lips. “…certainly had me fooled.”
Late nights in dim lighting. Cigarette smoke. Legs tangled up in sheets. Whispers. Rare laughter. It floods back, threatening to break your tough façade.
“Tell me, mi tesoro, are you prepared to go back to the life of normalcy? With your,” He leans over, looking Sam up and down with open distaste, who stands further back—arms crossed and glaring, “little Vaquero?”
“I’m working on it.”
Delgado barks out a laugh. “I know this person you are now. You’ll never be satisfied again.” There’s a teasing glint in his eye that you’re stubbornly avoiding.
“My life before the Fleet was just as exciting and satisfying.”
He hums, his smile turning darker. “I doubt that very much. There isn’t anything so thrilling as robbing a GalBank transport and returning home to celebrate with drinks and…” He pauses, eyes scanning you. “Well, that last part is just between you and me, eh?” His eyes flickered to Sam, then back. “Can he give you that?”
You chuckle, it’s forced. “Delgado. Jealous to a fault. Some things never change.”
“You know he can’t.”
“He can give me something else. Happiness. Security. Maybe even be a life-long partner.”
“And I couldn’t? You insult me, my dear. I would have given you everything.”
“Just as long as you had what you wanted first.”
He holds up a finger. “We obviously know one another very well. So, I offer you this. If you ever get tired of playing nice in a universe that is anything but, you know where to find me.”
“You’re serious?” Your voice lowers to a hiss. “And what, break you out of high security prison just for you to kill me? No thanks.”
“On my word, all debts and grievances would be squared. Think of it. I’d have you by my side—we could build something better than the Fleet ever was. Be free of the UC, the Rangers, everything. Like we always talked about.”
A guard behind him starts walking over. “Alright, time’s up. Let’s go.”
You’re frowning, eyes flickering anywhere but his. “You’re insane.”
Delgado’s expression turns. The light fading from his eyes. “You’ve never been satisfied. It’s something I really like about you.”
He lets the guard corral him back to the others. Your fists are tightly gripped. “The person you knew was undercover.”
“Tell yourself whatever makes you feel better.”
As he’s escorted away, you want to follow. Your legs tense, trying to keep still. His parting words before he passes through the door are, “I’ll be seeing you.”
Then he’s gone. The transport deck feels emptier than it ever has been.
Never satisfied. A life of normalcy. Going back to surveying planets and doing odd jobs for the Rangers. The idea claws at you. Your mind battles with the concept, with the unspoken feelings. Remnants of your past self against whoever you are now.
We could build something better than the Fleet ever was.
You know where to find me.
Sam walks up, standing by your side. Watching. You hadn’t moved. Still staring at the closed doors.
“What did he mean, ‘I’ll be seeing you’?”
The lie is easy. “No idea.”