The night was still, the only sounds in the port were of deep exhalations and shuffled feet. Captain Killian Jones stared up at the stars, watching as each one dimmed and burned, calling his name in shining patterns. Being stranded on Planet 1.51.23, or "The Enchanted Forest" as was its ancient moniker, with the Jolly Roger in disrepair was disheartening to say the least. He had missed the wind in the sails, the light of distant planets bringing promises of adventure. He had taken up a close ear at the tavern the past few days and had learned from drunken guards that the Queen's ship, The Maiden, would be free of watchers on the full moon due to an event at the palace. He had quickly gathered up his crew and snuck out to the docks, keeping watch for a few short hours to make sure no bodies were in sight. It was late into the night now and Killian closed his eyes to take in a breath.
He flexed the fingers in his left hand as he opened his eyes again and peered over the stone wall of the dock. They still felt heavy and strange. The gears inside groaned in a soft, high-pitched whistle but he felt every click of the appendage. It had been a year since the run in with him. Revenge had filled his heart and kept him from sleeping. He would often wake with sweat on his brow and nightmarish visions frozen on the back of his eyelids. He would forget about his stolen hand for a fleeting moment before he touched his forehead and felt the alarming cold of metal. It frightened him, made him angry, made him into something that he wasn't necessarily proud of. The terror kept him motivated, the rum kept him from dwelling, his ship kept him functioning. She was his home and he would keep her running for as long as he could.
"Captain...now?"
Killian rolled his eyes and grabbed Smee by the collar of his ragged shirt. He brought him up to his eye level and sneered. "Smee, if you ask me again, I swear by all the gods, I will drop you at the farthest port in the galaxy with just that cap of yours. I will let you know when we are ready, do you understand me?" Smee gulped and nodded emphatically. Without letting him go, Killian peered over the wall again, searching the perimeter. He lowered his head in annoyment. "Now, we're ready." Smee passed on the word to the men down the line of the wall. They followed Captain Jones as he hopped over the wall and walked low to the ship fifty paces down the dock. He stopped in front of the hull and admired The Maiden as she swayed in the night. She was made of the best wood and metal, heavy duty but light as sails on the mast were tied down, aching for freedom. A large bust of the Queen hung under the bowport, a delicate arm with an apple in hand reaching out to the stars. She certainly wasn't the Jolly Roger but she held treasures of her own. He motioned for Smee to stay and keep watch as he started climbing the ladder up to starboard.
The winds whipped across Killian's body, the cold loosening up the metal in his hand. His nerves were turning into excitement, the thrill of piracy filling his veins. He swung onto the deck, the fresh polished wood and metal of the ship moaning softly under his feet. The stars hung above like a canopy of trees, the ports of entry floating about two miles above them. The crew followed suit, searching the deck and pocketing anything useful that could get the Jolly Roger running again. Killian, however, was looking for other important things he had heard about from whispers in the tavern.
Finding the entrance to the decks below, he weaved through the narrow walls until he found the Captain's Quarters. The room was much grander than his own, with a large mahogany desk and bay window that looked over the stern. A clear glass table that kept the cartography hologram stood in the middle of the room, a green stand-by light slowly pulsing. The smell of the electronics were quickly drowned out by the musty smell of old books covering the shelves. It surprised Killian-naval crews hadn't used handwritten or printed materials for almost a hundred years now-but he smiled at the nostalgia. Liam had read to him from old books when he was a child, a young apprentice on the Jewel of the Realm. Killian shook the memory away, pushing it to the back of his mind. He didn't need any distractions tonight. He reached inside his coat pocket for his telescope.
Without pulling the length of the main tube out, he held it to his eye and pressed the electronic trigger on the side. A blue light flooded from the glass, its bands searching around the room for treasured material. The light danced around him while he looked on his own, finally resting under the wood of the bay window.
"No need to hide any longer, love," he whispered as he threw the cushions onto the floor. His metal hand pulled apart the wood from the planks, splintering it into pieces. He wasn't quite used to the strength of it yet. He looked in the hidden compartment and smiled. A dim, red light cast shadows under his eyes. The color snuck out through the cracks of a metal box carrying the royal insignia. He snickered, reaching for the box with his good hand.
The cold feel of metal to the back of his head and the sudden whirring of a laser rifle made him freeze. "Well, well, if it isn't Captain Jones...so very nice to see you again."
Killian stood up, a disappointment clearly on his face but he dared not show it. He turned around slowly, looking the man in the eye and gave a sly smile. "My dearest Colonel, the pleasure is all mine."
"There's a nice warrant out for your arrest, Jones. Why in all of the galaxies would you want to trespass on the Queen's ship?"
Killian shrugged with feigned nonchalance. "I'm an admirer of a good intergalactic ship, Colonel. Just simply taking in the-" He stared at the cushions that surrounded his feet. "-interior decor."
The Colonel sneered and pulled out a small metal ball from his coat pocket. Once triggered, the metal would expand into handcuffs. "Hands," he motioned. Killian stuck them out in front of him-one flesh, the other metal cast in shining silver. "Good gods, the notorious Captain Jones...a cyborg now?" He laughed at him, spit falling into Killian's face. Another high-pitched hum filled the room, this time coming from Killian's hand. He snatched the Colonel's rifle and held it to the side, the power from the appendage short-circuiting the gun and tasering the Colonel in the process. He hit the floor, his head landing on a cushion. "Gods, I hate that word." He turned for the box again, lifting it from the compartment and stepped over the Colonel's body on the way out."Until next time, Colonel." He could hear scuffling now-the sounds of blasters firing into the wood, the familiar clang of sword and the thumps of bodies as they hit the deck. Killian walked quietly through the passageways searching for another exit out of the brig but coming up short. He reached for his own sword to join in the fight but stopped when silence hit the decks like the aftermath of a storm.
He took cautious steps up to the main deck and stayed in the shadows. Most of his crew were sitting with cuffs around their hands, a couple splayed on the deck with empty eyes. Killian cursed under his breath. From the corner, he saw Smee's red cap, a splash of color in the moonlight. A crop of palace guards paced back and forth, standing watch and waiting. Waiting for him. He let out a big sigh, hearing shuffling in the distance behind him. The Colonel would surely be getting up at any moment and he'd be trapped. Killian searched around the entry, his eyes finally landing at his feet. He stepped down from the stairs and kneeled down, the robotic hand touching the wood. He couldn't feel sensations there any more but he felt something more-the feeling of empty space underneath the planks. He smiled, ripping it open. The hand did not lie, that he could appreciate. He placed the metal box inside and pressed down on the plank again, sealing it tighter than it had been. With a long breath and a final foot press, he walked up the steps and made his way up the deck.
All rifles pointed squarely at him upon his arrival. "Good evening to you, mates. How goes it?" Half of the guards were cyborgs themselves, glistening metal and robotic eyes flashing in the moonlight. Killian felt disgusted, his own hand flexing and stretching the bolts. Plans began rapidly calculating in his head.
"Captain Killian Jones, you are trespassing onto royal property and attempting to commandeer the Queen's ship. By order of Queen Snow, you and your crew are to be taken into custody and appear before the court. Will you come peacefully?"
"Gentlemen, despite what this looks like, my men were acting under my direction. I am the one to blame and I will offer myself willingly should you let them go."
"And what makes you think we'd do that, pirate?" one of the guards spat.
"Because I have something that the Queen wants...the whereabouts of the Lost Princess." The men slowly lowered their guns at the words, the androids still positioned with their heavy fire. Killian rubbed his finger and thumb together and began pacing on the deck. He got Smee's curious glance and smiled with dubious intention. "Let my crew go and I will be happy to speak the details with the King and Queen myself." He placed his hand at his side, using two fingers to motion a person walking up the steps. He motioned with a subtle nod to the entrance of the cabin and Smee gave his acknowledgment.
The Colonel barged up the steps in disarray, the threads of his coat still emitting sparks of voltage. "Arrest this man! He has assaulted an officer of the Royal Guard. He-"
"Sir, he says he knows where the Lost Princess is," a lieutenant interrupted.
The Colonel looked up at Killian, then back down at his hand. Killian felt a rush of embarrassment strike his face but he stood his ground. "What do you say, Colonel? My help for my freed crew?"
The Colonel brushed his coat sleeves and looked at Killian with consternation. "This is nothing to joke about, Captain Jones. You know what this will mean to the Kingdom. And what it will mean to you should you be providing a falsehood."
"I'm well aware, Colonel. And I plan on delivering. You can keep your guards here if you would like-make sure my men don't step out of place." He looked at Smee with his emphasis, then back to the Colonel with a reassured nod.
"A cyborg pirate...what in the gods' names would make you think they'd believe you?"
Killian pushed the rage down into his stomach. There it would remain until a flask of rum could mask it again. Instead, he smiled, pushing out his hands for the cuffs. The Colonel, apprehensive now, took out the metal ball again and tapped it on Killian's arm. Immediately, the ball expanded and placed two tightly bound metal cuffs around his wrists, the alloy clinking together like chimes against his left hand. "I've got enough charm for Queen Snow, dear Colonel, don't you fret about that."