Piracy
Chapter 20
An Inconvenience of Sorts
A young Kira walked the busy streets of December quickly; he dodged folks who were scurrying around rapidly in order to get the season's works done. It was trading season and with ships only coming in once a year everyone had to be prepared.
Kira clutched a list of things Murrue had told him to get while she battered with local ships and trades men. The list was simple enough, basic groceries that needed to be purchased.
Looking around Kira's bright violet eyes scanned the crowds.
"Oh, shot. Don't know how anyone gets anything done this time of year." Kira grumbled to himself. At the age of 7 already he was annoyed with the busy life style of shore lines.
Making his way to a local shop Kira entered a scowl on his face when a man bumped into him and didn't apologize.
"Hey you scalawag!" Kira shouted causing the man behind the counter to gasp and ladies in the shop to cover their ears and hearts with fright; such dreadful language from a small child.
"Young man, where did you hear such polluted vocalizations" Kira looked over, a pretty lady with cobalt hair and an emerald eye was talking to him.
"Huh?" Kira asked not knowing what in holy Moses she had just said.
Sighing she approached him, her primly dressed son behind her. Kira made a face at him.
"Where did you learn to talk like that?" She asked again.
Kira looked at the woman in confusion. She was dressed mighty nice, too nice to be in this part of December, she had money that was a given and Kira did not understand what she was asking him.
"What do you mean? I always talk like this." Kira said looking around the woman's skirt to glare at her son.
She seemed annoyed. "Can you read and write son?" She asked, Kira thought she sounded snotty.
"What kind of mess deck lawyer question is that!?" Kira shouted at her. "Of, course I can read and write! Been reading and writing for years."
The woman did not look impressed but she smiled kindly at the boy a look of charity seeming to come about her. "I'm Lady Lenore, and this is my son Athrun. What is your name?"
Kira glared. "I don't care who you are." With that Kira made a move to leave the store in a huff.
"Avast you little varmint!" a deeper voice called out to him.
Kira turned and saw the shop keeper storming towards him. "Apologize to Lady Lenore and show some respect to a better person and tell her your name."
Kira sneered he was used to be looked down upon; already he was marked as the poor boy who would be treated lowly for the rest of his life.
"I will not say sorry, my name is Kira."
The boy known as Athrun dressed in clean white cotton and a petticoat stepped towards Kira in annoyance. "You are very rude."
"And you are a scum ridden weevil shagger! Talking like you is better than me." Kira snapped his defenses lowering and tears came to his eyes. He hated people like this.
"You aren't better than me; I've worked harder than any of your family. I talk bad alright but I don't know any other way." Kira sobbed.
Lenore looked at the poor boy as he tried not to cry, he defiantly felt ambushed. She could tell that her son did not know the extent of what the young boy was saying but she did.
"Don't talk like that ever again you hear me boy?" Lenore said gently. "Now how about you let me pay for those groceries? I didn't mean to upset you."
"Nome, that won't be necessary." Kira said as he stepped backwards for the door.
"Why not?" Lenore asked puzzled as did Athrun.
Kira looked up his long brown bangs falling into his eyes. "Cause I already got me what I needed, a loaf of bread." Kira said showing the bag in his hand before sprinting out the door.
The store manager howled. "STOP! THEIF!"
Shinn choked out a sob as he clutched Stellar closer to his chest. He rearranged the limp body in his arms to help accommodate his hurting shoulder. Hot tears burned his face as he chanted over and over a prayer for Stellar to be alright.
Reaching the Archangel Shinn sprinted as fast as he could to a small medical room where he knew Murrue and Lacus would be, tending to the wounded, ….and dead.
The door was open and Shinn barely missed knocking a fellow crew member over as he stumbled into the room.
"Whoa there Shinn." Mwu who was sitting on a bed getting his hand wrapped.
Shinn looked up his vision blurry. "Please, I need help. Someone get over here now!"
Murrue looked up from her work on Mwu's hand about to snap at the boy for his rude behavior but stopped cold when she saw the boy, and the unmoving girl.
Rushing over Murrue inspected Stellars head and saw the blood. "Lacus…" the brunette woman called, Lacus who was helping another patient looked up "You better go get the Captain."
Lacus looked confused for a moment but one look at her hurt friend sent Lacus running out of the room and up the stairs to the main deck to find Kira.
"Put her down on the bed, nice and easy now, watch her head." Murrue ordered gently as Shinn placed Stellar on a small cot.
Stellar did not stir when she was moved, nor did she give any indication of life. Shinn felt his throat close up. "Is she…will she be alright?"
Murrue gently prodded at the young girls head. Dabbing a wet cloth to clean up the blood and moving hair to see the damage. Frowning Murrue looked to be fighting back her own tears.
Shinn was alarmed. "I asked you if she would be alright! Answer me!"
"I think we should wait for Kira. Mwu, please take Shinn outside so I can work in peace." Murrue said to the blond man who nodded and guided the young male out of the room. Shinn surprisingly obeyed.
"She's…she's really hurt isn't she. I-I moved her too soon, she'll be out cold for quite some time won't she." Shinn stammered trying to gain some control back over his voice and emotions.
Mwu frowned. "Yeah, she'll be out for some time. What happened anyways?"
Shinn blinked and whipped at his eyes furiously. "Oh, tears! They burn like fire."
Looking anguished Mwu said. "She was important to you, I know."
The dark haired boy was ready to answer when foot steps could be heard rushing down the steps to great them. The owners were Kira, Lacus and Athrun.
"Where is she?" was all Kira asked.
Lacus indicated to the room and told Kira that Murrue was waiting for him inside, nodding Kira left them for the time being.
Lacus and Athrun remained outside with the two others.
"What happened Shinn?" Athrun asked, all he knew was that Stellar was hurt.
Shinn gulped and cleared his throat before re-telling the act of events. How him and Stellar were fighting off the natives, when Stellar was struck from behind by a club of some sort by a large man.
Minutes began to feel like hours.
Medical Cabin- Kira and Murrue
Kira looked down at the young blonde and sighed grimily. Running a hand gently threw the girls hair Kira spoke. "She's gone alright… I suppose this saved her from a hempen halter." Kira mused.
Murrue glared sharply. "Wither this saved her from a worse death such as being hanged from the gallows I see no bright side to this situation."
"Never said there was one, I loved this girl just as much as you did 'mum', ever since she gone account I knew there was something special about her. Uneducated, had practically no social status, hell, the girl couldn't even write her own name, but she was special alright, I right candidate for a life at sea."
"A right candidate for a pirate life, and the death of one" Murrue murmured.
Kira looked at the older woman and gave a sad smile. "Right you are, I swear though Murrue, I'm gonna make me a kill."
Sighing the older woman shook her head. "As much as I would love to see the dog that did this dangle from your mass, you don't know who done it and it won't bring Stellar back."
Frowned Kira ran a hand through his own hair as he looked sadly at the dead girl. His eyes tearing but he held them back. "I suppose, but we have another problem on our hands. Who is going to tell Shinn? He's still out there you know."
Murrue turned away from Kira. "Yes, I know. I was hoping you would tell him."
Nodding Kira looked at the older woman. "That's why you called for me?"
The ageing woman nodded. "Wasn't ever good at breaking news to people, especially when I knew it would devastate them."
"You got around alright before." Kira stated. "You told me about my fathers defeat and death, my dead mother, and even my long lost sister who you had kept me away from all those years, and I forgave you for it."
Smiling Murrue spoke in a low voice. "I know, but heck darlin'…" Kira winced, Murrue never called him 'darlin' since he was a young boy "…I was all you had, it was forgive me our cast out the last remaining person who cared a damn about you from your life. I know that you could have easily gone the other way, but it was different for you. With Shinn it's not like that. That boy will not forgive anyone who gives him this news, or he won't forgive himself."
Kira looked at Stellar. "I see, you think that if I tell Shinn he won't do anything, he won't go after anyone, you think he will fear me."
Murrue nodded.
"I'll tell him, reckon' he knows anyways, deep down I think he knew the moment he left the room, but I will say this wither he fears me or not he's not going to act any different, he's a stubborn one."
Murrue looked at her charge. "Why do you say that?"
Kira shrugged. "I saw that boy when I came down. He looked like a man who had just lost everything, he knows, but doesn't want to admit it, he's holding on to that last bit of hope that she's alright. I suppose she is, now that she is not longer on this hell on earth."
"When are you going to tell him?" Murrue asked timidly.
"Now, better he knows sooner than later."
With Luna
Luna smiled brightly as she saw the sun disappear behind the horizon and the darkness of night swept before them. Turning to her soldier she let out a breath.
"Alright, you all know your positions. Auel you will take the ship and set sail for the other side of the island where the Archangel in an hour, they will set sail and we will make sure to get on their ship when they do. The rest of us will head north into the woods and attach them face to face. Remember to try and get as close to the ship as you possibly can to avoid cannon fire. Yzak, you and your group will take the right, Rey you have the left and I will take the middle. Everyone got that?"
Every soldier nodded but no one cheered.
Luna smiled. "Alright let's head out. Remember Auel, you leave an hour from now, no sooner. They can't see you coming from behind or they will avoid the ship."
Auel nodded and gave a cocky smile along with a fake salute.
Luna turned serious. "Remember, no one is to kill the captain but me."
Rey and Yzak did not like the sound of that but nodded as did the rest.
"Alright then…" Luna said and began walking into the woods. "Keep your touches lit but be prepared to out them when I give the word. I don't want any screw ups; we only get one chance at this."
Men carrying torches followed close behind along with men carrying water to out the torches.
Luna turned to look at her men one last time.
"MARCH!"
Archangel
To say that Kira and the others were surprised would be an understatement as they laid Stellar on a quickly made raft of spare wood. They placed branches and other dead shrubs around her in preparation for her cremation. Shinn was taking this whole ordeal very well, he wept of course, had sworn and cursed like no tomorrow but he did not attack or blame anyone, not even himself. The only one he blamed was the native man who had killed the frail blonde girl.
Cagalli who had only heard when she saw Shinn staggering out with Stellar in his arms covered in a white sheet a sign of death. Kira, Athrun and the others had followed close behind and whisked Cagalli away to tell her what happened before she could say anything to Shinn.
Lacus approached Shinn as they watched the others prepare Stellar quickly.
"What are they doing exactly?" Lacus couldn't help but ask.
Shinn who still had silent tears streaming down his face answered. "This is her funeral of sorts. We usually just dump the body over board but sense we are on land we place them on a raft with dead shrubs, light the raft on fire and push them out to sea."
Lacus frowned and wiped her own eyes of dry tears. "I see. I'm really going to miss her."
Shinn nodded. "We all are, this shouldn't have happened, not to her. I know that it was no ones fault but still I can't help but wonder…what if? What if I had made it to her sooner?"
Lacus placed a hand on Shinn shoulder a sign of comfort but not too forward, after all she was not close with the boy who was a few years younger than herself.
"Alright, ready whenever you are Shinn." Athrun called out as he and Dearka got ready to light the raft that held Stellar on fire."
Shinn took a step towards the raft, but then thought better of it and took a step back. He nodded.
"This is your last chance for good byes. Anything you want to say Shinn?" Kira asked from the sidelines.
Shinn shook his head. "I have nothing left to say, she can't hear me now."
Athrun and Dearka looked like they wanted to protest but said nothing and placed their torches on the raft. The flames quickly caught with the dead foliage and they pushed the raft out into the waters of the fast current.
Everyone stood and watched for awhile as the light from the flames was the only thing that could be seen in the dark, a light that was drifting further and further away from shore.
Lacus looked at Shinn who was still beside her. He had stopped crying but was not looking out towards the water.
"Shinn?" Lacus asked quietly.
He did not answer but turned and left for the ship.
Kira watched from afar and sighed. "Alright that's enough, back to work everyone. I want this placed cleaned up and those Cannons reloaded. I have what I came to get." Kira said placing his hand on the hilt of his father's sword which was strapped tightly to his side.
No one bothered to protest with the Captains orders and quickly went back to work. The light from the torches would only last so long and if they were to be ready to depart tomorrow morning they would have to act fast.
Lacus was the only one who remained on the beach after all the bodies and debris was picked up and moved accordingly. She sat on a rock the same one she had been sitting on when Stellar had saved her from the arrows. This time however she was turned facing the ocean instead of the woods.
"I really am just a bother." Lacus commented to herself. She and Murrue had finished up patching up the wounded long ago. Luckily not too many had been hurt severely with the natives and no one else had joined Stellar in death. She was glad for this of course but now she had nothing to do.
Kira would not let her near any of the weapons or cannons to help, and she could not give orders like Cagalli and Athrun. So what was her role?
"Bed mate to the captain?" Lacus asked no one bitterly. She had been very moody over the past few days, ever since she had slept with Kira. She found herself either sick to her stomach or just plan irritated.
"I could do more than just sit around doing nothing, if he would just give me a chance." Lacus said sadly stretching out her legs in front of her.
Suddenly Lacus thought she heard voices and the sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling. She turned her body so that she was now facing the woods. Lacus swore she could see the dim glow of torches but as soon as they came they were gone again.
"H-Hello?" Lacus called quietly and made her way towards the woods. Surprising even for herself she was not afraid. Perhaps it was because the Archangel was just a sprint away but either way.
Cautiously Lacus approached the edge of the forest her eyes desperately trying to see into the darkened shrub. She swore she could see something behind the trees moving about, but to get a better look she would have to enter the woods. Lacus paused and licked her lips in hesitation.
The Archangel was not far, if she was attacked she surely could run back fast enough that she would not be harmed. Besides what was the worst that could happen?
Stepping into the darkness Lacus blindly followed a small path; using only the trees for a guide she soon found herself a good 100 meters from the beach. Lacus didn't dare call out to anyone, which would be foolish.
"Must have been my imagination"
Turing on her heel Lacus made a move to head back when she heard twigs snapping behind her. Whipping around quickly Lacus opened her mouth to let out a scream when a hand planted it's self over her mouth.
Gasping, clawing, and biting, against the hand that held her Lacus went wide eyed as a torch was lit and her surroundings became clearer.
"Hello, Pirate."
A/N: Yes, I am still alive and kicking. I know that I am probably nothing more than an annoyance with not updating for months at a time, but hey, I do this for myself and all the loyal fans out there that don't care when an update comes as long as it does. Ha-ha, anyways as always I apologize for the long wait. I do plan on finishing at least this story. Only a few more chapters