Disney/RLS (c) TP

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David couldn't move as Stumm stared down at him; his expression cloudy and unreadable. "I'm sorry Stumm! It just got so late and I didn't know where you two were – !" The alien waved a tentacle dismissively and motioned for the boy to enter. He obeyed hesitantly and walked into the room with timid steps, prepared to run back into the safety of the hallway, and as though the man could read his thoughts Stumm shut the door behind him. His eyes found Shepherd, lounging in a chair and shaking his head with amusement. "Haven't ya learned what sort of trouble ya can get into listenin' at doors, Puck?"

David was about to apologize again when a voice interrupted him. "So this is the little mutt?"

The boy turned. Ripleigh, for David recognized his voice, was as vile looking as he had imagined. He was tall and sickeningly scrawny; his limbs so thin they looked ready to shatter at the slightest touch. He wore no shoes for his feet were simply thick talons attached to pebbly legs and his fingers were also sharpened into fine points. The gauntness of his face was intensified by his hairless scalp and his nose was nothing more than a fleshy beak that protruded too far out. "We're gonna risk our lives over this waste of flesh?"

"Watch yar tongue, Ripleigh! I won't keep that sort of talk here!" Shepherd snapped.

"Well seein' as how I still got my tongue," the bird-like man snarled with a sliding glance to Stumm. "I'll talk as much as I damn well please!"

The thin alien laughed, exposing stained yellow teeth, and David's nose crinkled with disgust– he reeked of alcohol! "Miss Spouts taught me that a fool talks, but a wise man speaks; so talk all you want and leave the rest to us!"

The laughing stopped and Ripleigh's sunken eyes locked onto him. "You call me a fool you irritating little - !"

"Oh, stow it, Rip! Te lad's right, ye've done enough talkin' fer all of us and now I want ta hear him." He knew the warm voice; it was the one that had told the others of his presence in the hall. David glanced behind him. A large man, greater in size than Shepherd or even Captain Jacobs, was seated near the back wall half covered by shadows. He grinned and displayed a gap in his front teeth as he stroked his fat chin with a hand – a mechanical hand; a hand that gleamed in the light created by his shining golden eye as it locked onto the amazed boy. A cyborg! "Come 'ere, lad, and let me see ya."

David found his legs unwilling to move; his earlier assumptions had been correct, the sight of a true cyborg was quite frightening and hidden under his joy was a simmering layer of fear.

The cyborg's grin widened and he motioned with the metal hand. "Don't be put off by t'ese gadgets," he offered. Somehow he managed to take a step and then another and forced himself to continue until he stood in front of the man; even sitting down he was easily twice David's height! The eye moved, unfolding like a flower to reveal the core of the machine and without warning a bright red laser shot out and fell on the center of the boy's forehead. He gasped and closed his eyes, expecting pain, but he only heard a soft humming as the laser swept over his body.

"So pup, Shep tells me t'at ye've been askin' around for me." The man said when his eye finally clicked closed.

David nodded nervously. "I've been looking for a cyborg; the one that Jacobs is afraid of. I need help going home and - "

"We've heard all this already! I'm tellin' you we don't need to get involved – " The cyborg's gaze snapped up and Ripleigh's complaining immediately quieted; David could not help but feel awed by the power he had to command men with only a look. "Go on." He encouraged David.

"Jacobs wants to keep me trapped on his ship and I need help getting home to Montressor! I – I can't make it alone and I wouldn't have even run away from him except that his men said he's afraid of a silver cyborg. Is that you – sir?"

"Aye, I s'pose I've earned t'at title. Ya see pup, Jacobs once tried his lil' trick on me and me crew – only we didn' go down as quietly as t'ose merchants he's so fond of!"

"What happened?" David pressed eagerly.

"He got run off wit' his tail between his legs, t'at's w'at! I promised ta return te favor someday and he ain't fancied my company since." The boy felt a raw excitement creep through his veins just like when he had first heard of the man's existence down in the billet. He had found him! The one being in the entire galaxy besides God himself that could protect David from the privateers was sitting less than five feet away! The child was so caught up in his joyful thoughts he barely registered Shepherd's voice speaking to the cyborg. "Ya've got the boy here now and ya've heard him. So what say ya?"

"I say no! There ain't no point in getting mixed up in this mess!"

"Jacobs wouldn't be afraid of a drunkard like you!" David growled to Ripleigh. "I don't need your help!"

"The only thing you need, mutt, is – !"

The cyborg's laughter abruptly silenced them both. "Oh Heavens! Ye got yer pop's looks but ya bark just like yer dear mother!"

David blinked, confused, as the man continued laughing. Just how many people in the galaxy had met his parents?! "I don't understand - how do you know my parents?"

"For the love of – " Ripleigh sighed angrily and shook his head. "You mean to tell me you don't even know who he is!? Silver, let's just go; this clueless mutt is gonna get us killed and – "

"Silver!" David cried and everything clicked together as fluidly as a pair of cogs. How could he have not realized it sooner? The Laelaps men had not been talking about a silver cyborg; they had meant that Jacobs was afraid of the Silver cyborg. A cyborg who's legend had been told to him and his sisters through their entire short lives. "You – you – you're Long John Silver! You were the one on the Legacy with my parents – the one that led the mutiny!"

"So ya do know 'bout me! I never figured yer folks would share my tale wit' ye lil' ones; it don't exactly make a fit bedtime story."

"They didn't! I mean, Mom doesn't like for me and my sisters to hear about it…But Jim told us all about you!"

Almost instantly the grin that had been spreading across Silver's face faltered but David continued, oblivious to the subtle change. "Whenever he came home Jim would always tell us about how you met, everything you taught him, the black hole and the gate and Flint's trove and – I – I can't believe it's you!"

"He gonna piss himself?"

"Ripleigh!"

"I can't believe it's you!" David cried again. "And you're here! You can take me home!"

Suddenly Silver's hand flew up and motioned for the boy to stop. "Slow down, now. Rip's right; I can't be te one t'at takes ya back."

"Wha - ! What do you mean you can't?! You're the only one who can!"

"Ya owe me, Silver!" Shepherd jumped in, pointing a forceful finger at the lounging cyborg. "Don't ya forget that!"

"Don't ye forget," Silver snarled. "I told ya I'd hear te boy out, and I did! I made no promises to ya or anyone else!" His voice rose into a roar with each word, the mechanical eye melting into a rich red that made the room seem like it was on fire. "And if ye t'ink I'm gonna take care of yer lil' errand, ye got anot'er t'ing comin'!"

"I'm not an errand!" David yelled above the screaming men. The burning eyes and twisted scowl snapped back to him; it was incredible the change that had so quickly overtaken the cyborg. This was not the sailor that Jim had looked up to, or the savior David had envisioned on the Laelaps – this was the Silver his parent's had not wanted him or his sisters to know about and now the child knew why. "I'm a boy and – and I just wanna go home! Here!"

Thrusting his hand into his pocket David fished out the pouch of coins Jacobs had awarded him with and practically threw the bundle into the man's lap. "That's all the money I have, but I can do chores on your ship too! I swear I'll work around the clock and I'll do anything you say, just please….!"

Silver's face remained as smooth and unresponsive as steel. He held the coin purse in his flesh hand delicately as though judging the weight of the meager collection, his eyes fixed onto David's. After several long seconds his wrist flicked and the bag fell unceremoniously to the boy's feet with an angry chorus of clinking coins. "I'm sorry, pup, but ye 'ave ta find someone else."

It felt as though Crag's fist had slammed into David's nauseous stomach and he couldn't breathe enough oxygen into his aching lungs. He stood there in horror and struggled to find his trembling voice. "….Jim was wrong about you."

Silver frowned. "W'at ya say?"

"I said Jim was wrong about you! He said that you're kind and a good person, and – and – and you're not! You're going to let Jacobs kill me just because I can't pay you enough! There's nothing good about you!"

"David!"

The child spun around, startled at the sound of Shepherd's voice; he had almost forgotten about the three men sitting behind him, all of whom were staring with mild surprise. Silver too seemed taken aback but David did not see his bewildered expression; his eyes were locked onto Stumm's bandaged arm. 'Soon he'll get tired of bein' crafty and just torch the place!' Shepherd had said, and in the depths of his heart he knew it was the truth.

David scooped up the dejected coin pouch, wiped his eyes with his sleeve, and made for the door. "I don't need either of you pirates! I'll take care of myse - yaalp!"

He yelped as a strong hand latched onto his collar and pulled him backwards onto Silver's good knee. "'Old on, Davie! Just 'old on. I can't take ya ta Montressor and it ain't got nothin' ta do wit' money. It's cause yer mother would sooner shoot me t'an look at me, 'specially if she catches me around one of her babes! But…." His thick voice had softened into nearly a whisper but the boy refused to turn and face him even as the hand dropped to rub his back comfortingly. "But I can bring ya ta Crescentia; it ain't but stones throw from yer planet."

That got David's full attention and he finally turned to gape at his now gentle face. "You'll take me all the way to Crescentia? Yes! That – that would be wonderful!"

"No it bloody hell will not be!" Shepherd bellowed; his deep voice monstrous in the cramped room. "So ya'll take him ta Crescentia, eh? And then what? Ya know damn well that Jacobs will be waitin' ta snatch him up the moment he steps foot off yar barge!"

Silver looked ready to respond but Ripleigh jumped to his feet and cut the cyborg off. "Ey! The mutt asked to be taken back; there weren't no word about any babysittin' once he got there! If he's too slow and stupid to make it home without us holdin' his grubby little hand – "

"I warned ya I won't keep that talk!" Both men hissed like vipers and moved to meet each other, Shepherd's massive form exaggerated by Ripleigh's scrawny frame, but before they could lay hands on the other Stumm was there; he bounded between the rivals and immediately began signing at a desperate pace. David understood none of the motions but the others watched with interest as Stumm silently spoke and when he finally finished Shepherd was seated again and nodding approvingly. "Damn Stumm, that ain't such a piss poor idea! If ya two can't go all the way ta Montressor just have someone come and meet him on Crescentia!"

"Aye, but who? I don't know anyone on that back hole planet, and it can't damn well be his parents – they're the ones were tryin' to dodge!"

"Don't ya worry about t'at, Rip." Silver said with a grin and a sharp pat on David's back. "I've got someone in mind that'll do just fine. T'ere won't be a moment Davie won't have a set of eyes watchin' him and I wager te boy will be beggin' fer some privacy 'fore long!"

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The sky was still dark as David stood on the docks, although the sun was just beginning to teasingly peek over the horizon and announce the new day. Silver had ordered that they leave before morning and even though the boy was exhausted and constantly rubbing the weariness out of his eyes he had not argued. Now, caught up in Shepherd's arms, he said his second goodbyes as the two pirates readied the small schooner for their trip home.

Hs friend flexed his arms one last time before finally releasing David and placing him down long enough for Stumm to also hug him with his uninjured arms. "Ya still got that blade, David?"

David patted his boot. "Right here, Shepherd. I don't even feel nervous with it there anymore."

"Good, now ya just listen ta whatever Silver tells ya and ya'll be home with no trouble. I wouldn't send ya off with him if I didn't trust the man."

"I wanted to ask you, what did you mean when you said he owed you?"

"Just what it sounds! He's owed me a single favor since the time I met him and I figured it was time ta cash in."

"Wow! How did you ever get a favor from him!?"

Shepherd grinned. "I broke him out of lockup with only some twine and a shoe buckle."

"Don't listen to that crap!" Ripleigh was suddenly beside him, looking even sicklier under the soft glow of the moon. "He changes the damn story every time you ask him! Now get on board or get left behind." A low groan issued from Shepherd as the tall man turned back to the gangplank. "Ya know, Puck, if ya get fed up with that dirty fowl I'm sure Silver wouldn't mind if ya take that blade and…."

A surprisingly strong punch from Stumm ended his sentence just in time for Silver's bellow to be heard from on deck. "Get a move on, Davie! It's time ta launch!" The boy's feet scrambled to run up the gangplank as he yelled "Yes, sir!" and as soon as his feet hit the deck the ship began to hum with life. Pipes buried deep within the wood rattled as the stored energy rushed through them and the solar sails swelled to life in response. "Did t'ose low-lives 'appen ta teach ya w'at ta do in a launch, pup?"

"No Silv - Captain, the only time we launched I was unconscious in a barrel!"

"…Yer gonna 'ave ta explain t'at part ta me later, but fer now just 'old on!"

David wasn't sure why he should hold on but his grip on the railing tightened at his new Captain's command. Over the humming of the engines David heard his friend's voice carry over to him. "Remember Puck, write ta me as soon as ya get home! And come back when ya'r ready for that drink! Haha!" But before the boy could call back the sails brightened like a revived star and the ship thrust forward into the open Etherium. Shepherd and Stumm grinned up at him as the ship drifted away like a leaf caught on the wind and his heart was also lifted on the currents. This was it, he was going home! It was only a few moments later that David's stomach turned and suddenly his heart was not the only thing that was lifted – he was hovering nearly a foot off deck!

"Anytime, Rip!"

"Yeah, yeah!" And with that a strange force washed over the ship and his feet stomped back safely to the wooden floor. "In - Incredible!"

"Silver, do you remember somethin' about swearin' to do chores? Round the clock is what I heard."

"I t'ink yer right!" Silver laughed and David felt a hand collide with his back. "Well Davie, I hope yer ready, te last cabin boy I had left ya some mighty large shoes ta fill!"

To be continued