"A boat? A Kaltenecker? A plant? Klara?"
Reiya waved her arms up in exaggeration and shot Widget an annoyed scowl.
"What? I'm your interpreter, not a professional charades player. Try something different." Widget defensively shot back as she slouched in the pilot's seat of the shuttle, her back to the control panel while the autopilot prevented them from crashing into anything. Hearing a snort, she glanced over at Throk, who was currently seated in the corner and tightly bound to a pole. "What?"
"You two are by far the worst pirates I have ever seen." he sneered, causing Widget to raise an eyebrow.
"Is that so? How come we were able to capture you then?" She chirped smugly.
Throk glared bitterly at her for a moment before grumbling some indecipherable threat under his breath and turning his nose up at her. Shaking her head, Widget spun around in her seat and began rapidly typing on the ship's dashboard while Reiya folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot impatiently. Sensing the toxic aura radiating off of her, Widget shot her a questioning look over her shoulder.
"What? I don't know the answer and I have to send out another signal anyways." She replied before turning her attention back to the screen in front of her, lips pressing together into a tight line as her fingers flew across the keys. A sharp ping echoed throughout the ship's cabin to confirm that the beacon had successfully been broadcast, the high-pitched frequency making Throk to flinch due to his sensitive ears.
"You are extremely stupid. The last thing you should be trying to do is get the attention of Lotor's followers. They'll tear you to pieces once they catch you." He grumbled.
"Good thing they won't catch us then. I'm the best pilot in the entire crew and a natural with strategy. It'll take a whole lot more than a couple meager Galra soldiers to knock me out of the sky-" Widget began to boast, but her voice was drowned by a loud explosion and the blaring of the alarm as the ship gave a violent shake.
"As much as I despise them, Lotor's generals are anything but meager-" Throk stated, the corners of his lips curving upwards into a devilish grin, "-and it would seem that they just hit you, master pilot."
Clenching her teeth, Widget spun around in her seat and grabbed the main controls while Reiya sprinted towards her own seat. Slamming her hand down on the screen in front of her, the Syrose grabbed the aiming mechanism for the ship's blasters as the feed from the ship's rear view cameras popped up in front of her to reveal considerably large, blue and gray ship flying far too close for comfort.
"Well, what are you waiting for?! Shoot them already!" Widget barked as she struggled to stabilize the still shaking ship.
Biting her lip, Reiya pressed down on the two shiny, bright red buttons seated atop the controls in her hands and tightened her grip on the cold metal as the guns started to fire. The other ship sharply banked the side to avoid being hit before firing a few shots back. One of the lasers managed to graze the corner of the camera, making the feed turn fuzzy, and with another shot, two of the guns were disabled. Meanwhile, Throk continued to smirk as he watched the scene unfold.
"Still feeling confident in your skills, oh wonderful pilot?" He cooed mockingly.
"Shut up, Galra! We're still flying! Reiya, I need you to hold them off a little longer till I can make it to the asteroid field nearby. We'll lose them there."
"Are you sure about that?" Throk croaked.
"Positive. Now shut up before I have you ejected!"
As Reiya did her best to shoot back while half blind and lacking a few more guns, Widget took a deep breath and slammed the main controls forward, urging the ship to go faster. However, as the roaring of the engine and the screaming of the thrusters rang loud and true in her ears, the ship gave two more violent shakes as it was hint then turned sharply to the left. Widget cursed loudly and hurriedly strapped herself into her chair.
"Hold on! This is going to be a bit of a rough landing!" She called as she turned the ship towards the nearest planet and did her best to slow their fall. Flames curled up around the ship as it entered the planet's atmosphere, making the inside of the ship grow incredibly hot, but Widget didn't falter even slightly. As the ground drew closer, she closed her eyes and braced herself for the worst, inspiring Reiya to do the same. Fortunately, the ship didn't hit the ground head on, which would have killed all onboard instantly, and instead landed on its side, causing Reiya and Widget to lurch forwards in their seats while Throk flew across the room from the inertia. Throwing off her seatbelt, Widget sprang from her seat and ran to the craft's cracked windshield just in time to see the Galra ship drop down a few yards away from them and four female Galra pour out from inside. Clenching her teeth, she sprinted back to the main dashboard and began hurriedly typing out a series of commands.
"Reiya, grab Throk and get out of here while I finish wiping the system." she stated sternly as her fingers flew across the keys at incredible speeds and a bead of sweat trickled down her brow.
Reiya's brows immediately scrunched her brows and she feverishly shook her head.
"It's better that one of us get caught than both of us! I'll be fine, I promise. Just go!" Widget exclaimed.
Reiya was obviously less than pleased by the situation but she didn't argue any further. However, as she threw Throk over her shoulder and barreled towards the cabin's only exit, she skidded to a halt as the doors swung open and she received a powerful blow to the chest, knocking her backward. As her friend hit the floor with a considerable thud, Widget activated the reset process on the dashboard before whirling around, ready to fight, but she was almost instantaneously blindsided by some invisible force. As said force, which so happened to be Ezor, climbed on top of her, Axca made a beeline for the dashboard and began furiously typing, her lips pressed into a firm line. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as the progress bar slowed to a stop then vanished, leaving the system completely unlocked and at her fingertips.
Throk grinned like a child on Christmas as he gazed up at the faces of Narti, Kova, and Zetherid. "I was starting to wonder if you would ever show up."
Zetherid's lips curled back in disgust, leaving her pointed teeth on full display. "Where's Lotor?!"
"I don't know. They escorted him off of the ship a few quintents ago. However, if I were per say to be returned to my former position in the Galra empire, I might be able to recall something." Throk croaked smugly.
Zetherid ground her teeth angrily and snatched Throk up by the throat, squeezing with all her might. "Tell us where he is now or so help me I'll-"
"Got him." Axca interrupted, pulling up a picture of a large, entire green planet. "According to the ship's log, the mother ship is stationed just outside of this planet, so we can assume that Lotor is stashed someplace there?"
"You mean we have to search that entire planet? That will take forever! We'll never find him before he is sold!" Ezor moaned.
Axca's brows scrunched together in thought, her bottom lip jutting out into a sort of pout. After a few moments of connecting the pieces, she turned to the dashboard and began typing again. Curious, Ezor did her best to catch a glimpse of the panel while still remaining perched on top of Widget.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Sending a message to the main ship." Axca replied flatly. "They going to bring him right to us."
Lotor groaned as he furiously rubbed his head against the wall behind him in hopes of loosening the unbearably tight French braid Klara seemed so fond of. Wincing as one of his bruises throbbed, he sighed in defeat and leaned back tiredly, his eyes on the ceiling above him.
"Can you undo this cursed thing yet?" He asked Torc, who was currently seated across from him on the floor.
"Nope, and if you keep trying to loosen it then I'll tighten back up. You should count yourself lucky that you only got this and a couple of cuts and scrapes after what you pulled last night. If it had been up to me, I would've done a whole lot worse to you." the Lepidoptan spat back as he carved a design in the floor of the hut with the tip of his spear, clearly bored out of his mind.
"How lucky indeed." Lotor grumbled sarcastically as he shifted positions again, hissing slightly as the cuffs fastened to his wrists bit into his skin.
Suddenly, the door to the hut flew open, causing a Torc to jump before he desperately scrambled to his feet as Klara entered the room. As soon as he saw her, Lotor could tell something was off. Was it her hair? No. Her skin tone? No. Was she wearing a new top? No. Suddenly, it hit him; she was smiling, not some artificial, forced smile but rather a genuine smile. It made his stomach churn.
Torc also seemed to be caught off guard by this sudden change in demeanor. "Princess, is everything alright?"
"Better than alright. We just secured a very generous offer for his royal highness here. Oli and Taicus are on their way down now to pick him up and deliver him." Klara practically sang as she shot Lotor a taunting look.
The news made Lotor's blood run cold, but he attempted to hide his distress with a confident sneer. "All this fuss over me, your majesty? I'm flattered."
"Shut up and show some respect, Galra!" Torc spat but Klara dismissively waved her hand.
"Let him say what he likes; it changes nothing. Within the hour, he'll be on a ship heading to his doom and I'll be plotting our next raid while sitting on a mountain of cash." She cooed before strutting over to Lotor and giving his hair one final, playful yank. "I'm going to miss playing with this mop of yours though."
"You could keep me around for a little longer." Lotor remarked, half hoping she would change her mind. Klara, however, shook her head.
"Not a chance. The longer I keep you here, the more likely you are to be found. You're hardly worth that kind of trouble to me." She remarked before casually pinching the tip of his pointed ear, making him flinch.
"Do you know who bought him?" Torc asked.
"Some race called the Narezzeax."
"I don't think I've heard of them."
"Neither have I."
"I have." Lotor interrupted, having caught the hint almost instantly. "I implore you to reconsider this trade."
Klara raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Scared?"
Lotor said nothing, donning a mask of fright and desperation to hide his inner delight at things turning in his favor. Klara easily took the bait and flashed him a cocky grin.
"Don't worry. No matter how you die, it'll eventually be over right?"
Lotor forced a shudder and looked down so Klara wouldn't see the mischievous gleam in his eye.
"Perhaps."
Lotor sighed loudly as he stared at the ceiling of the ship's cargo hold, shivering slightly as his breath condensed into a cloud right before his eyes. Shooting a glance at Fletch, who had been left to guard him, he struggled to keep his teeth from chatter as he spoke.
"I do believe your clients will be highly disappointed if I freeze to death before you hand me over to them. They might even demand that you return the payment." he said, doing his best to look completely at ease despite how cold he was.
Fletch raised one very fine and very pale eyebrow at the prince, but nonetheless he silently reached over to the digital panel on the wall and adjust the room temperature a few degrees higher. Although the difference was slight, it was enough for Lotor, who relaxed his tense muscles as the first faint waves of warmth brushed against his skin.
"Thank you. I will repay you for your kindness."
Fletch tilted his head to the side in puzzlement but before he could utter a single syllable, the ship gave a mighty shake.
"Sounds like your buyers are here. If I were you, I would lay down on the floor with your hands over your head." Lotor remarked.
Fletch narrowed his eyes at the Galra before dashing out the door. Lotor sighed and shook his head.
"Simpleton."
For several minutes he sat there, the screaming of blasters and desperate shouting of the pirates as they scrambled to defend themselves along with the occasional thump of a body hitting the floor. More time passed and the noise began to grow quieter and quieter till all was silent except the purr of the engine. As the door to the cargo hold opened, Lotor looked up behold Narti and Kova coming towards. Despite not having a typical facial features to convey her feelings, the Galra prince could tell from her body language that she was utterly relieved as she knelt down to undo his bonds.
"Thank you, Narti. I don't know what I would do without you." He smiled as the last of the chains fell from his wrists. Immediately, he reached up and undid the extremely tight French braid that had plagued his scalp for hours, shaking the now loose locks from side to side while Narti and Kova stood and watched. After using his fingers to comb the silken strands of snowy glory into place, he made his way towards the door and beckoned for her to follow him.
After a long walk and a few wrong turns, the two entered the cockpit of the shuttle where Zetherid, Ezor, and Axca were currently stationed.
"And sent! As of now, the mainland believes that the crew has been invited to a festival in their honor." Ezor chirped as she hit the send button on the main console. Catching a glimpse of Lotor out of the corner of her eye, she released a shrill shriek that made the other generals wince and ran to him, nearly tackling him in a hug as happy tears streamed down her cheeks. "You're okay!"
Lotor's stoic expression softened as he gently patted the girl's head. "I am, thanks to all of you."
"We rounded up the rest of the crew as well as picked up two other members along with Throk in a ship three galaxies over." Zetherid stated as she hovered over the tied up crew, gun in hand.
"Good. However, we still need to capture the captain otherwise this was all pointless." Lotor stated as he strutted over to the pilot's seat and eased himself down into its plush grasp.
"Do you wish to launch an invasion, sir?" Axca asked.
"No, I have a much better idea." Lotor purred, his lips curving into a devilish sneer. However, his grin fell when he noticed Fletch glaring at him from where he sat hunched on the floor with his hands and wings bound. Raising an eyebrow, Lotor lifted his hand and pointed at him.
"Bring him to me." He stated sternly.
Zetherid hastily obeyed and pulled Fletch to his feet before giving him a rough shove towards Lotor that sent him stumbling to his knees. Rising from the chair, Lotor knelt down so he was looking the pirate dead in his milky white eyes.
"Since you were the only one to show me any scrap of decency, I would to offer you a way out of the condemnation your friends currently face. Your skills could be of great use to the Galra Empire."
Fletch stared up at Lotor for a moment, his face void of all emotion. Then, with a sound that resembled a bird-like hiss, he spat directly in the prince's face and tried to jump him. Fortunately, Zetherid was close enough to grab him and throw him to the ground before he could harm the prince, who casually wiped the spittle from his cheek as if was no more than a drop of rain that had fallen during a storm.
"How...disappointing." He stated coldly before shooting a disapproving scowl at the still seething pirate. "Narti, set a course for the nearest cruiser. Zetherid, take the prisoners and place them in the cargo hold. Axca and Ezor, come with me."
None of the girls argued. As Zetherid forced the prisoners to their feet and Narti began tapping away at the main console, Lotor, Ezor, and Axca made their was down the ship's main hallway and boarded their own cruiser.
"Sir, where are we going?" Ezor asked.
"To the nearest swap moon. I need to do some research before I execute my plan to capture the captain." Lotor stated before glancing at her over his shoulder. "By the way, are you any good at dancing?"
"What?"
"Are you any good at dancing?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Ezor!"
"Well, I..." Ezor began to answer but stopped. As she glanced at Axca, she suddenly started to smile in a way that made the other general uneasy. "I'm not very good actually but Narti told me Axca is actually a pretty good dancer."
Axca's cheeks immediately flushed pink. "What are you talking about?!"
"Oh, there's no need to be shy about it, Axca!"
"Shy about what?!"
"Axca, can you dance or not?" Lotor barked, sounding somewhat annoyed. Axca immediately stiffened.
"...Y-Yes sir." She lied before shooting a glare at Ezor, who shot her a teasing wink in return.
"Then you shall stay with me to look for guides on different dances. Ezor, you shall be going on a different errand. I need you to gather whatever information you can on the culture of a species known as the Lepidoptans."
"Yes sir, but can I ask why we're doing all this?"
"I have a theory about a possible chink in our enemy's armor. If I'm right then I know how to take her down."
"Oh."
"Ezor, I also want you to find out what a 'French' is and how to properly perform its torture technique known as a 'French braid'. I have a feeling it will prove useful to us."
"...Yes sir?"