Chapter Nine- Execution Day

Valuan mornings were no less gloomy then their afternoons, perhaps they were actually more so by the knowledge of the absent sunlight. Landis opened his eyes, and saw the rusted metal of the ceiling above him. He yawned quietly and stretched out, turning to look around. Drachma was still sleeping soundly, the only man's snores generating considerable white noise, while Aika and Vyse embraced each other. The navigator smiled slightly as the two of them slept with affection.

Well, I won't be able to get any more sleep. I guess I'll get up. He sighed as he sat up and the metal bed creaked slightly in complaint. I'm getting fat. He chuckled morosely.

Drachma was the next to wake up. He had carefully trained himself in years of sleeping alone to always sleep exactly nine hours. He glanced to a small uncovered mechanical clock on the corroded wall and huffed in satisfaction. Nine hours four minutes. Good enough.

He also saw Aika and Vyse cuddling, and had much the same reaction. Who does that remind me of? He asked himself. Someone who died a long time ago. Rhaknam killed 'im in the sky.

It was a pleasant awakening for Vyse, as he felt the warm body against him, smelling Aika's scent before he opened his eyes and was almost blinded by the dazzling red hair. He was fully content, and was about to drift off again into sleep when Aika spoke up, her eyes still closed. "About time you woke up. I was waiting."

"Why haven't you gone yet?" He asked in a low, husky voice.

"Enjoying as much time with you as possible," She replied and Vyse blushed. Then she appended, "Plus, you've got me in a steel bearhug." He noticed he was holding her tightly, and quickly loosened his hold.

"I'm sorry… did I hurt you?" Vyse had a tendency to do that, clinging to the nearest thing on his bed, often his pillow.

"Nah, it was just… snug." Aika thought about the perverted inflections she could add and giggled silently. It's too early in the morning for that, though. "Say, both the old guys are gone." She slowly raised herself up on an elbow, looking around the room.

Vyse grinned; he was getting a face full of her large assets. Then he banished those perverted thoughts and rolled smoothly off the other side of the bed, arching his back as he landed and snapping up to a standing position. It's too early in the morning for being a pervert. Ah, hell, who am I kidding, it's never too early to start being a pervert! Heh! They had slept in their clothes, and so only needed to grab their gear and weapons before they stepped out into the hallway.

Landis was at the end of the hallway, looking out the half-broken window into the stormy skies of Valua. He heaved a sigh. Vyse and Aika exchanged glances and walked over to him. "Hey, man," Vyse greeted him and the navigator turned.

"Hey," He replied in a subdued tone. "I was just doing some thinking."

"Yeah," Aika nodded. "I think we all have. Well, everything rests on today, right?"

Landis nodded. "I'm amazed we got this far. You know, we've really got at shot at this working. Maybe, if we can rescue Dyne… maybe he'll forgive me for running and hiding when they attacked us." He head drooped slightly as he said that.

"Landis…" Vyse said with a sympathetic frown. "I thought you were getting better."

"It still bugs the hell out of me," He admitted. "I still feel wrong. That's why we have to win today. I gotta know that they don't blame me for this, irrational as it is."

Aika gave a big thumbs-up to both of them and grinned. "Hey, this should be no problem, right? Where's the Captain?"

"He went to the docks," Landis replied. "I saw that Harpoon Cannon as they were installing it. Damn, that thing is the biggest weapon I've ever seen… anyway, he says that he'll get the Little Jack ready to swoop in and rescue you. Use this flare to signal him when we've got them and are making a break for it." He handed him a small pistol. "He lent me his old hunting rifle so I can come with you two." He indicated a smallish wooden weapon slung onto his belt. "I might not be much for running, jumping or magics, but I'm an OK shot."

Vyse nodded. "Alright, then. Let's go. No time to loose."

0-0

Once again Dyne had come face-to-face with Prince Enrique. The two leaders sized each other up again, unable to read much from their stoic expressions. Enrique said, "Now is the time," As his soldiers unlocked each cell and ushered the Blue Rogues out into a long single-file line. As Dyne walked past him he said in the quietest whisper imaginable, "Your son is here. I will keep the Fortress open." The older man looked over in surprise but Enrique showed no emotion, merely turning and walking ahead of the column.

Patriotism is loving your country all the time and your government when it deserves it, Enrique recited within his mind, remembering that piece of wisdom given by one of his close friends; Vice Captain Rivers, of the HMS Cygnus. He was dead now, and it was Alfonso's fault.

Alfonso. Merely the name made him angry in a way he very seldom was. The man was the perfect example of why Valua would run stagnant on aristocracy; incompetent and arrogant enough to think he wasn't. For once you had me agreeing with Lord Galcian, bastard.

Galcian had called a meeting of the Valuan Admiralty. The top commanders were all assembled for the first time in over a year, at a simple oak table covered with classified reports written by each of the distinguished individuals. Enrique was also in attendance, seated on the throne looking over them all, but Teodora had declined, having other business of some sort.

Admiral Alfonso was the first one called upon, to explain the loss of his priceless flagship. He had no clue that the Blue Rogues had released the ship and her crew after plundering it's holds, and that they had all filled out their reports by now. Thusly, he believed he could get away with an utter lie.

"Well, my lord," He began, his high and annoying voice grating in Enrique's tired mind, "I was traveling on another quest for that… girl. Little did I know a pirate attack was about to hit us. Me and my crew dueled with the vile rogues for many minutes of furious battle, before we were finally… betrayed.

Yes, distinguished colleagues. The only reason that the enemy could have bested me is that I was sold out by my own Vice Captain to the Blue Storm. When I discovered this, I was so transported with rage that I struck him down, as our law allows for such offense. Then I fled, in disgrace but comforted with the knowledge that I had done all I could against an inferior foe."

Enrique could stand it no longer. He stood up, his hand going to the hilt of his rapier, but before he could draw and challenge his worm of a brother to a duel, he was stayed. Vice Captain Ramirez was at his side, and as they gazed into his eyes, the Prince found himself entranced. The officer said in a low tone, "My liege, please, collect yourself. Such measures are not necessary. Lord Galcian knows of his treason well as you do, and he is not a… forgiving man. Risking yourself is not advised."

Angered as he was, he had to concede that point. He sighed, and after a heartbeat, resumed his throne, pacified enough to observe from a distance. Ramirez smirked and also turned to watch.

"You are a liar," Galcian declared simply, looking right into Alfonso and glaring with a mighty furor. The other Admirals all looked to the two of them in surprise.

"Wh-what? But Lord Galcian, I tell you that-"

"Then you tell lies, Alfonso. Your crew has already returned to us, and they have told us the truth. I have 200 sworn statements from every single officer and marine surviving that were assigned to the Cygnus that contradict you completely. You are a coward, and a traitor."

"No," He gasped, eyes wide and voice even more girly than usual, "No! It cannot be! I tell you I did all that I could-"

"You're incompetent," Galcian continued icily. "You were bested by Air Pirates. And instead of throwing yourself on your sword, something I am not loath to do to you instead, you threw your loyal officer upon it and fled. You're weak. Weakness is something I will not tolerate in the Grand Armada."

Alfonso continued to sputter out half-dead excuses and rationales.

"I would kill you, but for your royal status. For failure such as this, no punishment is too great. You are hereby assigned to joint operations on the Lost Continent with Admiral DeLoco, never to return to Valuan skies again." It was equivalent to banishment, and everyone knew it. Alfonso began to object but another hatred-filled look from Lord Galcian silenced him utterly.

The genius DeLoco was a very strange man. Short and high-pitched, he wore a glass cage over his head and was always arrayed with his newest gadgets, and had furnished over 30 percent of the modern Valuan weaponry of war. His flagship, the Chameleon, was an odd-looking creation that did not in any way resemble it's namesake. He chuckled. "Excellent. Another use for my experiments…" The look of dismay on Alfonso's face was priceless, and Enrique savored it.

The rest of the meeting was fairly more dull, mostly good news about new peoples subjugated, and that most of the Admirals had met their death and doom quotas for the year.

He had told no one of his plans. Now that Rivers was dead, murdered by a fool, no one could possibly understand.

He knew it was the right thing to do, and it gave him a certain thrill to know he would directly be defying his mother in helping the pirates escape. He had been arranging his plan for days.

The Grand Fortress was quite a work, and even he admitted he was still awed by it's magnitude. To open it required the operation of thirty massive motors hidden in the deepest recesses of it's armored surface. There were forty, which ensured that even if 1/4th of their engines failed, they could still provide an exit from Valua in case of emergency.

He had subtly altered engineering assignments and guard posts, filtering in people who were loyal to him and slowly pushing apart squads that he knew disliked his merciful approaches to governance. It had been done so secretly and quietly, he doubted even the illustrious Lord Galcian could have caught it's action. By now he was confident he could order the shutdown of fourteen motors at his will, which would lock the Fortress's gate in whatever position it was in. Timing was critical, but he could make it stuck open long enough for the Blue Storm and his men to escape aboard the Little Jack.

His mother believed him a naive fool, when in fact she was the fool. He had been making connections, and had access to information that she did not. Besides, the Air Pirates hadn't been bothering to mask their presence much- he doubted the citizenry of Lower City was eager to 'do their duty' as 'loyal Valuans' to their country who had 'screwed them sideways'.

Yes indeed, He thought with a covert smile. This will be fun.

Dyne was smiling as well, shaking his head. Son, you've got the Prince of Valua on our side. If I ever see you again, remind me to congratulate your swashbuckling. He wasn't sure about any exact plans, but he told his crew that something big was definitely going down to rescue them. They all seemed buoyed by this news, and with good reasons.

0-0

"It smells like something spent a week in the Little Jack's main hold, then died from the smell as it shit itself," Landis declared, his voice echoing in the large stone tunnels. Sickly green water flowed past them, in the middle lowered section of the sewers. Aika was the last one down the long access ladder leading down, and again only stopped herself from vomiting by moments.

Vyse pulled out his weapons and took the point as the group of three pirates slowly moved along the twisting maze of underground passageways. "Stay on your guard," He commanded, "No one comes down here so there's probably plenty of monsters."

"Knowing the ethical standards of the Valuans, they probably intentionally breed horrors down here, to deter any ruffians from… oh, sneaking in and rescuing prisoners." Landis grinned slightly, but as his face was scrunched at the smell it looked like a grimace. He took a fresh clip of ammunition and slapped it into the rifle, the weapon making a reassuring clack that echoed throughout the tunnel.

They passed across a long open section and down a level, using another rusted but serviceable ladder. One part of the sewer was collapsed, with rubble partially blocking the flow of noxious liquids, and the other side branched off into two paths. A sign on one said, "Upper City District A-1", the other one said "Middle District I."

"Which way?" Aika asked, and Vyse shrugged. She turned to Landis. "Well, you are the navigator. Which way, then?"

"Wait, I remember this one," Landis said. "They call the Middle the place where the Coliseum and Army Barracks are, and it's the only place where Upper and Lower Valuans are allowed to mix."

He had barely had time to say that when a roar echoed through the hall. "Uh-oh."

"Let's not stick around to find out what's pissed off," Aika said, jogging forward towards the tunnel that lead towards the Middle. The two men followed her, and again they navigated narrow passages and leaped across the vast ravines of ugly sewage that flowed near them. The hideous odor began to affect them less as they spent more time in the dark, dank place.

Shadowed forms appeared ahead of them in the gloom. They were not human. Approaching them were a pack of rabid creatures that may at one time have been wild animals. The sewers had changed them, mutating the four-legged beasts. Their skin pulsated and glowed green as toxic sludge oozed from their fangs and their hollow eyes bored through them hungrily. They were horrid to look upon.

"Holy shit," Landis exclaimed, taking a step back. "Now I've seen some ugly things, but damn. I mean, come on!"

"Calm down," Vyse said, raising his blades. "We can take them."

"I wouldn't recommend melee attacks, Vyse. Looks like powerful poison…" She thought for a moment, becoming nervous as the beasts stalked in a plodding stride forward. "Wait, I got it!" She dug her gloved hand into a pouch on her belt and retrieved one of the mysterious crystals they had looted from Shrine Island. It's surface shone in the semi-artificial gloom of the sewers.

"What does that do?" The navigator asked, reading his rifle for combat and clicking off the safety lever on the side.

"No clue," She replied, and tossed it at the sewer creatures.

Light and noise overwhelmed her, literally shoving her back onto the uneven stones of the walkway as the ground seemed to shake. Her ears rang intensely, but as it faded she heard Vyse cursing in a manner that was most unbecoming, and sight slowly returned to her. She was staring at the ceiling. Looking down with a shiver, she saw a large crater were the creatures were. Sewage filled in the gap easily since it was the same level as the center canal.

"What the Moons was that?!" Landis demanded in surprise.

"Looked like an Electres Crystal," Vyse replied, rubbing the back of his head tiredly as he sat on the ground. "Powerful. It vaporized those things." He sighed, then looked over at Aika. "You know, I just realized something."

"What's that," Aika said quietly, still recovering.

"We're trapped." He nodded to the hole in the walkway. It was flowing with sewage as deep as the regular path it took, and make the path on the left side of the tunnel impassable.

"Great," Landis said. "Let's just jump for it, I guess. This is the only way forward."

Aika frowned. "Great. This is already disgusting enough for one lifetime." She got to the edge of the jagged crater, and leapt, easily landing on the far side without touching the green liquid. Vyse silently followed, the athletic young man also achieving the feat. Landis was significantly less in-shape, and gulped as he closed with the edge. He leapt, and missed by several inches, landing waist-deep in the most disgusting of liquids possible with a loud splashing noise.

He paused for a moment, closing his eyes in annoyance and disgust as Aika and Vyse suppressed their childish urges to giggle at him. The teenagers leaned over the other side, extending their hands out to help him up. He took them with both of his own hands, and they managed to hoist the portly navigator up.

They all took a moment to sit and rest, then continued onwards. "You know," Vyse noticed. "Unlike most Valuan creations, this is brickwork. I would have thought metal would be a sturdier materiel for their sewers."

"Yeah," Aika agreed. "Even with it's rusting tendency, it's still a lot better for stuff like this…" They came across a large metal bulkhead. It sealed off any further path, the thick Valuan steel warded with protective glyphs and immune to their best efforts to destroy it. Even the sewage filtered through one very small slot in the armor that had five cycling locks. There was no way to proceed.

Aika nodded to them, waving them back down the path. Along the wall was a large stone archway that they had missed completely, marking a side-passage. Runic notes covered the front of the mantle, glowing a faint electrical color as if enchanted. "This is Yellowite," He declared, looking at the inscriptions. "The language of the ancient Yellow Civilization."

"Really," Aika said sarcastically.

"Wait, these weren't originally sewers… they're catacombs," The navigator declared, acting as if he hadn't heard Aika. "Built by the ancient Yellowites an age ago… that means these passages might have artifacts from the Yellow Civilization. Rare ones."

"Rare artifacts? You mean… like treasure?" Aika asked, now seriously interested in this side-passage.

"Possibly," He answered. "So, shall we go for it?"

Vyse shrugged. "We don't have much of a choice now. I'll take the point- I'm the best melee combatant." He raised his blades and walked forward, on guard for more threats or monsters.

0-0

Fina walked, head down, through the bustling crowd. Two plainclothes officers 'escorted' her, pushing her along subtly through the Coliseum's grand vaulted archways and halls. Vendors called out to her for a variety of odd products, snacks, and less savory delights, but she ignored them all. The beautiful girl's eyes were red from crying.

They reached a sealed entrance, and the plainclothes vanished. The Valuan soldiers at the door pulled her in, shutting the bulkhead behind them and taking her up a narrow staircase into the Royal Stands, the highest-elevated seating area. The Valuan Admirals were all there, minus one very downtrodden Alfonso who was packing for his military exile, as well as dozens of the highest-ranking of nobility. Prince Enrique sat to the left of Empress Teodora, and Lord Galcian towered to their right, dwarfing both of them.

All three turned to look as their prisoner was escorted up. She looked devastatingly beautiful in her Valuan dress, but her face was that of untold gloom. She cast a single sideways glance to them, a defeated look on her face. Galcian made no reaction, turning back. The Empress grinned like a predatory bird, sensing she was almost broken. Enrique had pity and sympathy on his face.

The Prince put a gloved hand on her shoulder, and she nodded a little in thankfulness. In my darkest hour, I still have one friend, I guess. Vyse, Fina… where are you? Why didn't you come?

Standing in the middle of the large vacated Coliseum, the huge executioner and his two Spelltroopers stood watchfully as the thirty Air Pirates were brought out in irons, escorted by a squad of regular teal-armored troopers. Despite their fate, they looked around at the huge cheering crowds with nothing but proud defiance on their faces. If we die, we die as men, they all seemed to think as one. Even Mabel, although she seemed amused at it.

The Executioner looked up at the crowd. "People of Valua! Listen up! These Air Pirates have been tried and convicted in a royal Court of Law of the following offenses…"

Underground the facility, sitting near the ladder that would take them up from above directly into the spotlight and the Coliseum floor, three Air Pirates gasped for breath. "What the hell was that thing?" Coughed Aika, surveying the bile-filled room they were in. Corrosive acids ate away at the brickwork. The large corpse of a bulbous creature laid in the middle of the room. It had small flapping fins and a vaguely pig-like face. It's huge stomach was semi-transparent, revealing floating skeletons and weapons. It was another of the mutated creatures that infested the catacombs.

"I thought that this place just simply couldn't get any more disgusting," Landis whimpered. "I'm covered in this… this stuff. It stings. What the hell are we going to do?"

"I think I can cure that," Aika said, standing up. "Moons, Give Me Strength!" A magical circle of blue power appeared, but it flickered out within moments. "Oh, man. I must have used more strength than I meant to…" They had just fought and killed that gigantic blob of disgusting bile, and Aika had given them heavy spell support. "Got any Blue moonstones?" Vyse tossed her one silently, and she channeled her magic through that, which amplified her remaining power.

Water poured down from an invisible source in the air, washing over them. It was gentle but firm- not an attack spell, but just a summoning of a shower. The acids and fluids all over them were washed away, and by the time it was over, they looked somewhat better. They were now drenched, but it was in magical water that was already beginning to evaporate.

They were dry and relatively clean, looking a little tired and with barely torn clothing and dented weapons. Vyse stood up shakily and sighed. "Whoo," He said. "Now that we're all ready, let's bust this party."

"Yeah," Landis and Aika replied, and they turned to begin climbing up the huge ladder.

The Executioner was winding down his speech, his accent a heavy and gravely noise. "… and twenty counts of Air Piracy in the first degree. For this enormous roll of crimes, these felons have been sentenced by her royal majesty the supreme empress of all the Valuan Empire Teodora to die." He turned to the first prisoner in line, Dyne himself. "Dyne, the Blue Storm. First in command of your rogue band, and the first to die."

A steel manhole in the middle of the field shuddered and started to slide to the side. Vyse climbed up, standing and drawing his weapons. The crowd began to roar as they saw that, and Aika and Landis appeared, also with their ranged weapons at the ready. The spotlights all turned towards the three pirates.

Fina stood up in shock. "Vyse!" Enrique smirked. The Prince had been worried that they had been too late, but now his fears had been allayed. So, this is the illustrious Vyse. Teodora gasped in disbelief, and Galcian scowled. The nobles and Admirals talked excitedly amongst themselves.

Dyne moved quickly. Taking advantage of the momentary spectacle, he crashed physically into one of the spelltroopers, rocking him back. Seizing his staff he channeled his magical knowledge. "Moons, Give Me Strength!" Ethereal cords appeared, a spider web in the sky as everyone was stunned by bright white light. Eterni was a spell of the Silver domain, which was life and death. It killed a single living target instantly.

The web descended from the sky, and landed in lattices of light around the huge Executioner. He shuddered, gasped and dropped his huge metal scythe, kneeling and falling with a heavy thump. He was dead.

"Blue Rogues, take em down," He commanded, turning and leveling the stolen staff. The prisoners crashed into the outnumbered Valuans, taking a key from their sergeant and unlocking the chains on each person, who started to fight with the squad of guards who tried to rally back. Vyse and Aika joined the fight, further evening the odds. Landis took careful aim at the other spelltrooper, who was starting to chant, and shot him in the face. The bullet was deflected by his helmet, but it was dented inwards and the man fell off the guillotine platform from the force of it.

Briggs ran over, helping Dyne beat the Valuan mage into unconsciousness. Having eliminated the most powerful threats, they went back and helped their men. By now the brawl was winding down, and the remaining Valuans were disabled. Luke the Raider had been wounded by a guard's blade, and clutched his arm. Aika tossed him a Sacri crystal, and the red-dressed pirate teen grinned. "Thanks."

"Hey, just paying what's due," She answered. "Sorry we could be here sooner, Cap'n."

Dyne grinned. "Late as usual. I'm just glad you got here- another minute and you'd have found me a grave man."

The Empress stood, livid with fury. One of the lights focused on the old woman as she waved her scepter wildly. Enrique ducked and Galcian scooted away about a meter from the eccentric monarch. "Guards, shoot them! Shoot them all down! Kill them!" She screeched, and appearing in the rows were over a hundred Valuan soldiers. They all carried automatic carbines, and leveled them, powering up. The entire stadium glowed with the light from their guns.

Vyse looked to Aika. "Why does this feel really familiar," He said with a sigh, then a thought struck him. "Aika, the Electres crystals. Toss them into the sky." She complied without thought, throwing up the sack of the eleven remaining crystals. "Dad! Hit the bag!" Dyne took aim at where the bag would be in a moment, and chanted Electres himself. A bolt of lightning connected the spelltrooper staff and the bag.

This sparked off all eleven of the bomb-like crystals.

Everything went white for over three minutes. Everyone fell, writhing as all their senses were overwhelmed completely. A column of pure electricity spiked up into the clouds, visible throughout the city. Secondary steams of natural lightning spiked out like tributary rivers, adding fuel to the inferno of ionized power.

The Little Jack was floating in the middle of the city, and her Captain easily spotted such an amazing display. The crusty old man at the helm chuckled slightly to himself. Nice flair in that flare, boy. Guess I'd better get a move on. He shoved the throttle forward, bringing the ship forwards towards a very certain point below the Coliseum.

When this titanic power surge was finally over, Enrique rubbed his eyes, timidly looking around. "Fina? Are you ok?" He asked. She was clinging to him, and his cheeks tinged slightly red. "Err… Fina?"

Fina shook her own head to clear it, and looked up. She was very close to Enrique. Realizing this, she detached, immediately pulling back in embarrassment.

"They're gone!" Teodora's observation broke their awkward moment. Indeed- the blast had melted the entire ground of the Coliseum into a tar-like molten slag, and liquefied the prone bodies of the Valuan troopers. There was absolutely no sign that the pirates existed, not even ash or cinder.

"No…" Fina said, shaking her head and coming to the only possible conclusion. "No, Moons, no… they're… they're …" She couldn't bring herself to say it. Enrique put a comforting arm around her while Teodora cackled madly in delight.

Abel the Gunner made sure the hatch was sealed, and then slid down the ladder much like how Vyse had done back on Pirate Isle, days and a lifetime ago. The bald man said, "Holy shit. That was… that was just amazing, Vyse."

"Yeah," Briggs nodded. Even his usually stoic complexion was beaming. "Even the smell down here is tolerable. Good job, Vyse." The rest of the crew chimed in with their own positive opinions, agreeing with their Vice Captain.

The teenager practically shone with his pride, and turned to his dad. Dyne chuckled, crossing his arms. "Son, you've made me proud. You've accomplished what no one ever has- we have just escaped the Valuans." He turned to the festering corpse of the blob-monster. "What the Hell is that." Vyse shrugged helplessly.

"Hey, where's Fina?" He asked, suddenly examining everyone in the room. She wasn't to be found. He looked down. "She was with the Empress, wasn't she." Dyne nodded. "… Fuck."