Chapter 7: Solar Edge

After some time they arrived to Watercropolis they could just wait for Dahl to approve the backup. Meanwhile they were waiting on Solar Thunder.

"We don't know when he'll attack, we don't know where he'll attack. We don't know anything." Cooper said rubbing his eyes. Doppler, Amelia and Cooper were at the table, Silver was leaning on the cupboard, Scarlet was sitting on the window shelf playing with the sextant. Jim was looking at here from the other side of the room. Suddenly she dropped the sextant and rolled her eyes.

"Solar Edge." She said. Everyone gaze her.

"Solar Edge?" Cooper asked.

"Did I stutter?"

"Do you have to be so sarcastic?"

"Sarcasm is my official language."

"What about that place?" Amelia asked.

"He's often around there. I dunno. Looks like a good hiding spot to me."

"Where's Solar Edge?" Jim asked.

"Right next to look on a map and shut up."

"It's on the edge of the galaxy. Somewhere near Treasure planet. It's like a meteor belt from planets that fell apart. They're floating around like islands." Doppler explained to him because there was no way Scarlet will explain him on a normal way.

"He's gonna be there? Well let's go then!" Jim said. Scarlet grinned. "What?"

"You don't have any idea how dangerous and unpredictable that place is. Especially when Flint is there. And you still want to go there. Enjoy your death!"

"You said you'll help us. This isn't much of a helping."

Scarlet rolled her eyes. "I'm not that much of a helper if you haven't noticed yet…" She said almost ashamed.

"You can start by telling how much men Flint has." Amelia said.

"Nobody knows exactly. But I think there are a lot of them. Maybe a dozen of boats, maybe more. I always stick around only with Savages. Well, used to."

"What weapons does he have?"

"Guns, swords, cannons, everything. You're dead if you try to get in a fight with them."

Amelia sighed and rubbed her eyes. "This is not going to work."

"We'll go to the Solar Edge. With or without backup. "Cooper said.

"You have balls…" Scarlet said.

"If he's there I'll find him." he stood up. "We're leaving as soon as possible." He left out to the deck. Everyone remained quiet.

"Well," Scarlet said. "If you don't mind I'll go to take a nap. Where's the bed? I haven't seen one for a while."

"Jimbo," Silver said. "Go and show the young lady where the sleeping quarters are."

Did he know he likes her? Jim opened the door for her and walked down below the deck to the nets. Scarlet's eyes popped out when she saw the nets.

"Nets?" She said surprised. "Are you kidding me? I'm a guest here and I get to sleep in the nets? I deserve better than this."

"There's-there's no more room in the rooms. Sorry."

"I bet you have a bed."

"I-I do."

"Fair trade."

"What? Wait. Captain said you need to stay here."

"Captain who? I don't care about her rules. Neither Cooper's."

"You'll end up in troubles."
"Go to hell." She said and walked up the stairs back to the deck. Jim rushed after her.

"Wait! Where are you going?"
"To Neverland. Where does it seem I'm going?"

"You can sleep in my room."

"No thanks. I'll pass…" She then stopped and looked back. "Really?"

"You have all my hospitality no matter your sarcasm, arrogance and cynic behavior."

Scarlet smiled. "Good on you Mr. Hawkins. Now that you can deal with all those flaws you can meet my temper and attitude."

"Wha…?"

"I'm just kidding you Jimmy! Let's move outta here."

Jim took her to the other side of the ship where the fancy rooms for Cooper, Amelia and company were. Jim actually ended in a single bed room with a nice view. It was a big fancy ship. A bit too big and fancy for a mission or whatever they were heading to.

"Now that's more like it. thanks for the hospitality." She said and sat on the bed. Jim wasn't leaving. She looked up. "Why are you still here?"

"Um… that's my bed."
"Umm… go something more comfortable. Like a coma or something."

"The bed is not that small…. I mean…"

Scarlet looked at him with a puzzled surprised look. "Excuse me… What are you trying to say?"
"Oh! Hell no! I didn't mean that. I swear I didn't mean for you and me to be in a… NO! I'm not that kind of… just… I didn't mean that." he tried hard to explain.

"Ok then. I never said I would mind that but if you insist… There's a very nice chair over there."

Jim sighed and rubbed his eyes. She was exhausting him with all the sarcasm. She was almost evil. He hoped she'll soon run out of ideas but that wasn't really about to happen.

"Ok…" she said, stood up and threw of the belt with all her weapons on the floor. "If you promise to keep yourself on your half of the bed with your back turned so you won't see anything you shouldn't."

That confused him a bit but he was more than ok with that. He liked that girl more and more. Then she took off the leather jacket and the goggles so she was only in the corset/shirt black thing and shorts with martens.

"W-what are you doing?" Jim asked confused.

"I know this kind of ships have a possibility of showers. I see the bathroom there and I take the shower every time I have the chance. You never know when's next to settle down."

"O-of course."

He knew Amelia told him to keep her away from their quarters but what harm can she do? They were actually becoming friends. Jim knew she'll be gone for a while so he looked at her shark pin shaped blade. When he looked closer he saw blood stains on the handle. He quickly put it back in the leather blade jacket. The other dagger was wide the handle and narrow as a needle on the top. It seemed deadly. In the pocket that was attached on the belt she had a necklace with Flint's skull on it and some other jewelry she probably stole from someone. Suddenly he felt bad for digging trough her personal stuff but he couldn't help himself but to notice a piece of paper that fell out the pocket when he put all the things back. He kneeled down and opened it. It was a half burned picture of two people, obviously a couple. But their faces weren't visible. The clothes were telling him they were some royalty. Were they Scar's parents? She was royalty? It seemed almost impossible. But it just might happen Savages killed them, took all their things but let Scarlet live taking her as one of them.

"I'm not sure who they are." He heard a voice behind him. Scarlet was out. "Terrance, one of the Savages, told me they are my old folks."

"Do you believe him?"

"I hope not. They seem to die in fire."

"Do you remember anything from that day?"
"No." She said and put on the jacket. Jim was surprised she didn't break out on him when he was digging trough her things. "Maybe I don't want to remember. But I was just a kid."

She liked this kind of Scar. Calm and a great person to talk with. There was no sarcasm there.

"My father left me when I was 9."

"What about your mom?"

"She took good care of me. But she never spoke about him after that."

Suddenly the ship shook like it rapidly moved. "Are we moving?"

"Seems like that."

"I should go up and check out what's going on." He said and went up to the deck and saw Cooper at the wheel with another alien. "Cooper! What's going on?"

"They saw a ship similar to Savages' near Solar Edge. We're going there."

"Do we already have backup?"

"On their way."

"Is smart to go away without them? And Amelia's permission?"

"Did you already forget I'm in charge here?"

Jim rolled his eyes. He walked back down but he was stopped by Silver. He seemed pretty confused and worried.

"Jimbo! Where's the girl?"

"In my room…"

"What is she doing there by thunder?"

"I dunno. Resting by now probably."
"Didn't you hear Amelia? She's strictly forbidden in the sleeping quarters."

"She'll do no harm. I'll keep her bored." He said and returned to the room where on his surprise Scarlet was still there.

"What the hell is going on?" She asked confused.

Jim was in a dilemma to tell her or not. He still wasn't sure on his side she was. "We're just moving on, nothing much."
"We're going to Solar Edge, right?"
"How… How did you know?"

"Where else we would be going?"

Later there was the problem when they both became tired. Scarlet took over almost the whole bed and what was even better, Jim found her already asleep. Only in her improvised bra from a bandage and in pants. That was awkward. In the end he actually sat on the chair and crashed out. The next thing he knew was a loud crack coming from the deck. Jim rapidly lifter his head up and looked around. There was no time to ask what happened. He rushed up the stairs to the deck. He looked around but saw nothing.

"Jim! Look out!" Silver yelled. Jim looked up and quickly moved away from the falling mast. It collapsed only inches from him.

"What happened?" Jim asked shocked and breathy.

"Something was shooting on us."
"Where are we."
"Near. Very near."

Jim looked over the deck and saw pieces of crushed planets in front them floating like islands. In the distance he could see a huge piece of planet with a giant crack where the shutted down core was visible. It was covered with some weird petrified plants. The ship slowed down and stopped completely. After some moments of thinking he couldn't remember to see Scarlet in the room.

"Duke," Cooper said. "Report."

"Report what?"

Cooper rolled his eyes. "About what happened."
"I dunno."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I wasn't here."

"Then who was?"

"Wade. Or Wallace. I dunno."

Very qualified men… very.

"Wallace! Wade! Get over here."

They both ran towards Cooper. "Which one of you two was on the guard?"

Wallace lifted his hand.

"Can you tell me what you were doing?"
"Apparently I wasn't here when this happened. "He pointed on the mast that was lying over the cracked deck.

"Why can't anyone from you do anything right?"

"It's Wade's fault boss! I told him to take over when I went to take a piss."

Cooper rolled his eyes and smacked his face. Amelia was shaking her head.

"Isn't it obvious what happened?" Scarlet then said coming from nowhere. "Flint and his fellows were here."

Everyone gaze the mast and back to her.

"Are you sure?" Cooper asked.

"Cooper, this was all clear without your brainstorming. We're at the Solar Edge. You brought us here. It's your responsibility. And your fault." Amelia said. She probably enjoyed watching him guilty. Duke then turned to Scarlet.

"You…" he said and walked to her pushing her towards the fence of the ship. "You brought him here! He's following you! It's a trap!"

"Slow down! Let me remind you that you brought me here. I'm trying my best to help you so I don't end up hanging. Why the hell would I bring him here?"

"Because you're a pirate!"

"That's a good reason…"

"We should throw her over of this ship. Or tie her up down in the engine room till the end of the journey."

"No." Amelia said. "That was not the deal we had. She's helping us. Until she makes no major troubles she stays here."

Then something hit their ship again. It shook so everyone almost fell on the ground.

"What was that?" Ben asked confused grabbing one of the remaining masts. The ship shook again. Scarlet ran to the fence and looked down and saw a hole in the trunk.

"I think we look like a target." She said. "Turn around the ship! Do something if you want this ship to be in one piece!"

The surrounding wasn't the best terrene to fly. Rocks were everywhere.

"We'll have to hide somewhere." Amelia said pushing the alien away from the wheel taking over. "Hawkins!"

"Captain." He said from the deck.

"Go down and take one of the longboats. Fly as fast as you can towards Montressor Space Port. Find Dahl. Go! We need backup."

"I can't go by myself."

"Hawkins there's no time. Go."

he looked at Scarlet and grabbed her hand pulling her behind him towards the launch pad.

"Hawkins! She stays here!" Amelia tried to stop him but they were already away.

"Jimmy! What the hell are you doing! Let me go!" Scarlet said fighting back.

"We need to find the ships of RIA. Please Scar. Come with me."

"Fine… better than to be stuck on this ship with Cooper and his pathetic trinity."

Then they heard metal hitting at metal from upstairs. It was Ben and Morph flying after him. "Jimmy! Wait! I'm not leaving you alone!"

"Oh no… not him." Scarlet moaned.

"Just move Ben! Come on." Jim said. They ran to the launch pad where three longboats were. They jumped into the smallest one and opened the launch pad. Jim started the engine and flew away from Solar Thunder.

"Are you sure this boat will last long enough?" Ben asked holding himself.

"It will have to."

But then something they didn't expect happened. Jim saw the sail was ripped and the engine was smoking.

"Get down!" he yelled and covered Scarlet and his head. The engine exploded and stopped working. "No… No!"

The boat started falling down towards a piece of planet with petrified plants. Jim tried to do anything with the engine to start again but there was no use. They were getting closer and closer until the boat hit the ground several times until it stopped. There was a moment of silence. Ben and Jim lifted the boat up and climbed out with Scarlet and Morph.

"Great." Ben said. "Great! We're stuck here! What happened?" he panicked.

"Looks like we picked a boat with a screwed up engine. Nothing weird if you look at the mess." Scarlet said.

"What now?" Jim asked. Nobody said anything. "Fine… Let's look around."

"You and which army?"

"I suppose its better we stick together."
"No worries. I can take care of myself. Maybe I'm better without you guys. I have a feeling you bring troubles. And I'm in enough troubles already."

"That hurts, ok?" Ben said offended. Scarlet said anything. She walked to the ship and started looking trough it.

"What are you doing?" Jim asked.

"Getting away from here."

"Not with this."
She rolled her eyes and turned around. "Why don't you slip into something more comfortable? Like a coma or something!"

"I'm ju-"

"My intelligence is not on such a low level as yours is if that's what you're thinking."
"Oh so you're saying we're stupid?"

"It's not your fault."

Jim rubbed his eyes. Ben just walked a bit away to look around. "I thought we stopped with this sarcasm."
"Sorry. Not gonna happen."

They were on their own no so he could have a talk with her. He sat down on the bench in the boat. "There's something bothering you. I can tell by your cynic behavior."

Scarlet just gave him a quick cold look and continued looking for useful things in the boat but there was nothing smart. She jumped out, followed by Jim. "Come on. Tell me. It won't do any harm."

"What is your problem? You want to act some kind of a shrink or something to get to know me better. If we share a room doesn't mean we're friends. Besides, opening myself to others proofed as a failure. So no thanks. Let's keep the distance."

"Then just stop being sarcastic and arrogant. I can't stand it."

"Cover your ears."

"It won't help."
"Kill yourself."
"You see? That's the thing that's so annoying."

"Ok fine. I'm a mean, cynic, sarcastic screw up because I have no point, luck or potential in life. I don't have any future, I don't know my parents and now that you're planning to kill Flint and his company you really took everything I got. Think a bit Jimmy, how would you feel?"
"First tell me how you feel now that you told me this."

This surprised Scarlet. She thought a bit. "It actually… it actually helps."

"You see? That's called a talk. It helps you open yourself and bring out the sorrow. Not that hard."

"But…" she started with a nicer calmer voice than before. "Why are you doing this? Most of people wouldn't."

"It's not that everyone is an asshole."

Scarlet smiled. "True."

Then came the awkward silence. "Umm… we should probably find your iron maiden friend and the blob." She then broke the silence.

"Hey, don't worry abut them. They probably didn't go very far." He then looked up in the sky to see if he can spot Solar Thunder. "I hope they made it."

Scarlet sighed. "Look… I'm sorry for this. It shouldn't happen like this. But its part your fault you took me with you. Flint will search every corner of the universe to find me. And the map."

Jim took out the map and looked at it. "So many troubles for this little thing." He then sat down leaning his head on his hands. "We'll never make it to the backup in time."

"Will you stop with this?" she rapidly stood up. "I can't help but to feel guilty about it. But Jim, Savages weren't my choice. There was no other way. They took me, I had nothing to do with this."

"I'm not blaming you for this. It's just that… you're right, it was part my fault to take you with me. But you are very important now. But there are some good things you have to admit happened because of this for example: I saved you from the noose."

"That's only one good thing. What's the other?"

"Well… I met an interesting person."

Scarlet smirked and blushed a bit. "I must say I met an interesting person myself."

That surprised Jim. He never expected that. He smiled back and also blushed a bit. Maybe she also liked him but she didn't want to admit. After some time they heard metal again and Ben stumbled over the petrified plants and collapsed in front Jim.

"I think we found your iron maiden friend." Scarlet said. Ben stood up and gave Scarlet a snobbish gaze.

"Jimmy, there's nothing around here. We're stuck on a piece of floating rock!" he said like they were doomed. Well… it all seemed so. "I don't wanna die like this. Not here. Not with her!"

"Ben," Jim said and picked him up. "Don't worry, there's always a solution for everything. The boat is not in such a bad condition."

"No… Just that the sails are ripped and the engine exploded."

"Wow, he cot the sarcasm flu from me. I like that." Scarlet said.

"That was so unnecessary…" Jim said.

"I know. But hey the boat actually isn't in such a bad condition. We can fix it. I mean, I can. I dunno about you guys."

"You're not the only smart ass here." Ben and Jim said in one voice.

"Stop bragging and look around for anything useful. I doubt we're the first ones who crashed here." She said and walked trough the plants. They were high and looking like a mixture between bamboo and wrappers. Jim wanted to follow her but Ben already started talking.

"She'll run away. I'm sure she will." He said.

"Maybe I should go after her."
"NO!" he said and pulled him back. "Leave her! Please! She's a nightmare! Look, Jimmy, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. You'll get one, she's not perfect."
"What are you talking about?" he said nervously.

Ben smiled. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. I noticed it as soon as you found her. You like her."

"I-I don't."

Morph laughed and changed into a beating hart. Jim flipped him away. "Seriously, I don't."

"Oh come on Jimmy. It happens to anyone. It happened to me. Did I ever dance with someone called Lupe!"

"Ben! Pssst! We don't know if we're alone here."

Scarlet was wondering trough the tick layers of plants. There were no wrecks around as she expected.

"Hello Scar." A dreary voice said. Scarlet pulled her blade out and pointed it to a neck of a very familiar face. She was surprised when she saw him.

"Mitch?" he was one of the Savages. He was 20-something, with dark brown almost black messy hair.

"Good to see you too."

"You came for me." Scarlet put away her blade.

Mitch smirked. That surprised her. "Not exactly."

"Does Flint know you're here?"

"He sent someone to see if you're ok. I was always taking care of you. I was worried."
"That's all? You'll leave me here? Take me back Mitch. Please."

"No."

Scarlet pulled out her blade and placed it on his neck. But instead of threaten him she urged. "Please. Why did you come if you'll leave me here?"

"If you'll put away this blade I'll tell you."
"Sorry…"

"Flint has a plan. When we attack you'll step on our side. Kill Cooper. Will you be able to do it?"

"How strong do you have to be to pull the trigger?"

"Good. After that the captain and the boy. You'll take the map and then we'll pick you up and run away. We can't risk to be hanged."

"Captain promised me they'll excuse me from my sentence. And… I can't kill them."
"You mean you can't kill the boy."
Scarlet's eyes widened.

"That's… that's not true."
"You'll replace me with him, right?"

"You? When did I ever…? What the hell are you talking about?"

"I took you from streets of Trinity planets when they burned that house down, I took care of you, I was guarding you from everything that happened. I think you owe me."

"That doesn't mean anything!"

"Maybe its better you stay. I shouldn't come."

"No. You need to take me back. Mitch! Tell Flint to take me back! Mitch!"

He wasn't listening to her anymore. He jumped in his longboat and flew of. Scarlet followed the ship leaving in the starry sky. "You can't leave me…" she whispered to herself again.

…

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