Murder, Betrayal, Birthdays, and a Jedi Revealed
Solar waves blossomed out of the hole, knocking the RLS Legacy off of its course to freedom.
"We're...not…goin' to make it…!" The steersman was flung away from the wheel as another wave hit.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Captain Amelia ran up and desperately tried to steer her ship away from danger. But, as she put it, "Blast these waves! They're so deucedly erratic!"
Dr. Doppler surprised everyone by correcting her. "No, Captain, they're not erratic at all! There's another one that's going to hit in precisely 45.7 seconds, followed by the biggest wave of them all!"
He was panicking, but Captain Amelia made the connection instantly. "Of course! Brilliant, Doctor! We'll ride that last one out of here!"
Even though she knew the story, Kim had to do a double take to make sure she heard correctly. Well, it's not any crazier than taking on a Sith Lord unarmed, and I've already done that.
Mr. Arrow came to report. "All sails secured, Captain!" he called.
"Good man! Now, release them immediately!"
He, too, did a double take. "…Aye, Captain."
Turning around, he thundered, "You heard her, men! Release those sails!"
The crew didn't take this well. With much grumbling and complaining, they started back up, along with Mr. Arrow. Working quickly, they started to secure the sails. Captain Amelia called Jim back momentarily. "Mr. Hawkins, make sure all lifelines are secure!"
"Aye-aye, Captain!"
Jim jumped off the shroud he was on and ran over to the lifelines. He gave a sharp yank on each one, making sure each was tight. "All lifelines secure, Captain!"
"Well done! Now go help with those sails!"
Jim clambered to do as he was told. As she worked on the line, Kim felt a life cry out in fear as it was extinguished. She almost fell off with the shock of hearing a life, a luminous beam of energy, killed instantly. She also felt a nasty harmony of hate and evil smugness.
She had known, of course, that one sailor wouldn't make it to Treasure Planet, but actually being there when someone was killed...she hated it. Especially if she was the one doing the killing. Every time she'd had to kill some evil-doer to get out of a situation alive, as understandable as it was, she still hated that a life had to be wasted. And to make matters worse, she didn't know who the murderer was. While reading the tale late one night, she had drifted off and then had to speed-read the next morning. Somehow, one way or another, she'd missed the murderer's name. Then her mind turned to another problem; should she tell Jim someone was gone?
She decided against it. It was meant to happen, and to tell would mean revealing her Jedi skills. She couldn't play that ace card just yet.
They were incredibly close to entering the vortex of the black hole now. "Hang onto your lifelines, gents, it's going to be a bumpy ride!" Amelia yelled.
Jim pressed Kim against a mast, and Silver held onto them both. Kim felt an urgent desire to protect them coming from Silver, and noted it.
Jim was truly afraid, for perhaps the first time since she had met him. All three of them squeezed their eyes shut as they were sucked into a place where even light could not escape.
A faint boom sounded, and then the RLS Legacy shot out of the hole, the solar sails absorbing more energy than ever before, using the thing that would have killed them to free them.
The ship sailed out into open space with power to spare, and as Jim and Kim opened their eyes, the crew burst into shouts of joy and triumph. Captain Amelia signaled for everyone to come down, and walked off the bridge to meet them.
"Well, Mr. Silver," she said, coming down to the deck, "it seems your cabin boy did a bang-up job with those lifelines. Well done."
Silver nudged Jim proudly, and Jim playfully shoved him back. Captain Amelia continued. "All hands accounted for, Mr. Arrow?"
Silence was the answer to her question.
"Mr. Arrow?" she called again. But instead of the loyal, brave first mate, the shady Mr. Scroop walked forward, carrying with him the black hat Mr. Arrow had always worn.
"I'm afraid that Mr. Arrow has been lost," he said, voice dripping with false sorrow. He handed the hat to Amelia. "His lifeline was not secured."
Amelia shifted her gaze to Jim, hurt evident in her eyes.
"No! I checked them all!" Jim pushed past two members of the crew to see for himself and stopped in shock. One lifeline was missing. "No! I…I checked them, they were secure! I swear-"
Amelia's gaze now radiated disappointment and fury. She pulled it under quickly as she addressed the crew. "Mr. Arrow…was a fine spacer. Finer than most of us…could ever hope to be." Dr. Doppler hung his head in respect, and Amelia bravely continued. "But, he knew the risks, as do we all. We carry on." At that, she turned and walked back up to the wheel, trying to be strong, but Kim could feel the sorrow leaking past her façade.
Captain Amelia wasn't the only one. Jim was overcome with shame, guilt, anger at himself, and sadness. He rushed away, afraid to cry. Kim didn't know which one to comfort first, or even if she could do anything for either of them. She then noticed some peculiar scratches on the hitch where Mr. Arrow's lifeline had once been.
Walking over, she frowned as she got a closer look. The scratches were rather deep, made in a hurry. Putting her finger to one, she felt the roughness of the cut. It was made with something almost as sharp as a knife, but not quite. A fork, perhaps, or maybe…a claw. She instantly knew who the murderer was. A shady character that she had had the sense to proclaim an enemy the first day.
Mr. Scroop. He was the one who had committed the murder. For the first time since becoming a Jedi, she felt a glimmer of anger. She pushed it away, replacing it with determination to not let it happen again.
Night had fallen once more, this time with a very different feeling to it. Kim was looking for Jim, whom she hadn't been able to talk to since that afternoon. As she walked around a corner, waves of sadness swept across her internal vision, and she noticed Jim sitting forlornly on the shrouds. She started over, but stopped as Silver got there first. Smiling slightly, she headed to her hammock, now reassured that Jim was in good hands.
The rest of the crew was eating when she got to really talk with her friend. When Jim came down, he was now radiating peace and calm. Kim felt a new sense of respect towards Silver. Whatever he had said, it had done the trick.
"You ok?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied.
"Good. I was getting worried about you."
He stopped halfway into his own hammock. "You…were worried?"
"Well, yes."
He finished climbing into his hammock and turned to sit facing her. His face was serious. "I'm sorry I made you worry. I don't want you to be unhappy."
The two sat there for a moment, lost in thought. Kim decided to change the subject. "Um, do you know what the date is?" In all galaxies, the time was universal, and whatever day it was in this universe would be the same one in hers.
Jim looked over to a holographic calendar on the wall. "Sure. It's the 30th. Why?"
Kim was slightly shocked, but hid it quickly. Jim noticed it though, with as much precision as a force-sensitive person would have…
"What is it, Kim? What's wrong?"
She replied quietly, "Today's my fifteenth birthday."
Jim was at first surprised, then regretful. I had to mess up on her birthday of all days, he thought dejectedly. Kim felt pity for her friend.
"It's alright. I had a great time solar surfing earlier. That was all I really needed."
Jim thought for a moment, then went over to his pack, searching through it. When he finally turned around, he had a candy bar in his hand. He went over to Kim's bunk and sat down next to her. "I was saving this for when we reached Tr—our destination, but now seems more appropriate."
Kim was touched. On a ship, candy was a rare treat. "Jim…it's really not necessary. You don't…" She fell quiet as he ripped open the wrapper.
"There. Now you have to eat it."
Kim sent a glare at Jim. "I'm not eating any if you're not. It is your candy bar."
He shrugged. "And I'm giving it to you." He placed it in her hands. "Happy Birthday."
Kim looked at him for a moment, and then expertly broke the candy bar in half. "Here. In my old home, I always share what I get with people I care about."
As Jim took the candy, he looked right into her eyes, gratitude filling them. She didn't hate him for what he'd done! She cared about him! As they ate the candy bar together, neither one of them could remember ever feeling happier.
Morning came with the snoring sounds of the crewmember from Flatula. One pink tentacle flopped onto Jim. He moaned, tossed around, and flipped right out of bed. Moaning again, he sat up mechanically, exhibiting all signs of regular teenager reactions to morning. He sleepily reached for his boot and pulled it on, then reached for the other one. As his hand came down, the boot hopped out of reach and behind some crates.
"Morph?" Jim rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up. He tottered over to the crates and slumped over one, trying to find the little shape shifter. "C'mon Morph, it's too early…"
His boot, aka Morph, whacked him soundly on the rear, driving away any clouds left in Jim's mind. He jumped. "Hey, MORPH!"
The shout woke Kim, who thrashed about and fell out of her hammock as well. "Whaa!"
Jim flinched at the effect of his cry. "Sorry, Kim. Its just Morph."
"Nah," she yawned, blinking sleepily. "I needed to get up anyway."
Morph, who had reverted back into his original form, pulled Jim's real boot out from behind a different crate and flew towards the stairs to the deck. The memory of the kick energized Jim. "Hey, come back here!"
He rushed after Morph, and Kim followed quickly after. Morph dropped the boot on the stairs and sped into a grate. The two kids fell on their knees next to it. "I'm gonna get you, you little squid…" Jim playfully growled.
Morph popped up, this time in the shape of Jim's head. "Little squid," he mimicked. Jim, growing playfully irritated, tried to hit Morph with his newly recovered boot. Morph ducked under, split himself into more Jim's, and popped back up and down. Jim flailed around with the boot while Kim made an effort with her hands. Finally, Morph grew tired of the game, and sped off to hide somewhere else. The two kids looked down the grate to see where he'd gone.
Jim stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen, finally pulling on his boot as he went. Kim looked under the tables while Jim checked the counter. They quickly narrowed it down to the perp barrel. Both kids peeked cautiously over the rim. A lone perp opened one eye then quickly closed it with a small squeak. "Ha! Busted!" Jim and Kim leapt for the shape-shifter simultaneously, bumping into one another and falling into the huge barrel. Morph flew around until Jim caught him. Kim grinned from the other side of the barrel, almost sitting on Jim, who blushed when he noticed. But their attention was distracted from each other by the sudden arrival of the entire crew in the kitchen.
Jim found a knothole to look out of, and Kim merely listened. Silver came in, livid over something. He stormed up to Mr. Scroop and almost yelled, "What do y' think yore doin'? Pull another stunt like that one y' did with Mr. Arrow, and I'll chuck y' overboard myself! Y' almost blew the whole mutiny!" He threw Scroop against the barrel, a feat for someone of his age and stature, almost knocking it over.
Inside, Jim started when Silver mentioned Mr. Arrow, and put two and two together. Relief mixed with anger rolled from him, the anger less than the relief that he wasn't responsible. But both kids were stunned when Silver mentioned mutiny. They had come to trust the old cook, regardless of what Kim had read. Kim thought that Jim regarded him as a father figure. They were still stunned when their own cover was almost blown by Scroop knocking against the barrel. Kim wryly thought, I guess Silver's stronger than he looks.
Scroop stood up, rubbing his chest from the blow. "You talk a brave deal, but I knows otherwise."
He reached a claw into the barrel, grasping for something, but keeping his eyes on Silver. Both kids pressed themselves up against the sides. "Is that so?" Silver's voice was dripping with sarcasm. Scroop continued to grasp, and it clicked in Jim's mind what he wanted. Jim held up a perp where Scroop could get it, careful to keep his fingers out of the way. Scroop seized it and pulled his arm out, much to the relief of the teenagers.
Scroop pulled out a fresh perp. "It's those kids."
Silver paled, and his mouth opened slightly.
Scroop pierced the perp with his claw. "Methinks y' have a…soft spot for em'."
Silver took in the stares of the crew, and pulled on his commanding shield. "Now, mark me…the lot of ya! I care about one thing and one thing only."
Inside the barrel, Jim listened attentively.
" Flint's Trove!" Silver continued. "D' y' think I'd give it all up for some nose-wipin' little whelps?"
Kim's face grew tight, as it always did when she was fighting pain. Jim bit back a gasp/sob. This was the second time he'd lost a father.
Scroop sneered. "'Oooh, y've got the makings of greatness in ya…'" he mimicked. From Jim's reactions, Kim correctly guessed that this had been part of a personal conversation.
Silver whirled on him, mechanical eye going briefly red. "Shut yer yap!" Seeing the pirates watching him attentively, he smirked and continued. "The boy's nothin' but a fool, and the girl's not good for much else 'cept somethin' to look at. I cozied up to those kids to keep 'em off our scent. But I ain't gone soft!"
This lovely debate was broken by the cry of "Land Ho!" The pirates all rushed up, Silver included. Inside the barrel, Jim was looking lost, and Kim's expression was unreadable. Morph flitted around, not understanding why he was the only one still in good humor.
Up on deck, the "crew" was excited. A planet with two rings had appeared through the mist in front of them. This was Treasure Planet, the place where the "Loot of a Thousand Worlds" was hidden. Silver naturally wanted a closer look. He reached into his pocket and drew out…nothing. "Now, where'd that spyglass go?"
The object in question was sitting on the table across from the perp barrel. Jim and Kim stumbled out, still reeling from the betrayal of trust. Jim was taking it the hardest. Kim put her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. He looked at her, and the unspoken verdict was passed. Together, they started to run up the steps.
And met Silver halfway.
He was as shocked as they were. "Jimbo? Lass?" He glanced around, and then continued down the stairs, forcing them to back up. "Playing games, are we?"
Jim and Kim backed up against a table. Jim was the one who spoke for both of them. "Yeah. Yeah, we're playing games." His tone said, more clearly than words, We trusted you, Silver. We trusted you, and you just threw it away.
"Ah," Silver mused. "I never was much good at playin' games." Behind his back, he quietly loaded a pistol that had been concealed in his mechanical arm. "I always hated t' lose."
Jim also reached for a weapon. A knife on the table would have to do as a distraction. With one hand he held it at the ready, and with the other, he found Kim's hand. He squeezed, letting her know it would be time to run soon. "Yeah…me too!"
In one fluid motion, he shoved the knife into the mechanical workings of Silver's leg, and as the pirate cried out in shock, Jim grabbed Kim and dashed up the steps. Silver staggered after them. Reaching the top, he used his mechanical eye to search for them. He was just in time to see Jim slam the door to Amelia's cabin shut.
Struggling to stand up, he switched his pistol out for a machete on his mechanical arm. "Change of plan, lads!" he called out. "We—move—NOW!" The pirates let out a cheer and hurried to re-arm themselves.
In the cabin, Amelia was having a tantrum. "Pirates on my ship, I'll see they all hang!" She threw open the safe doors and tossed a pistol to Dr. Doppler. "Doctor, are you familiar with these?"
Holding it tentatively, the Doctor responded, "Well, I've read about their use and—" The gun went off, blasting a light almost right by Amelia's head. "No, no, I'm not," he finished lamely.
Amelia resisted the urge to roll her eyes and turned her attention to Jim. "Mr. Hawkins, guard this with your life," she said, tossing the small golden sphere that served as the map to him. Morph, who had snuck into Jim's pocket, caught it and hovered just out of reach.
"Morph, no!" Jim wrenched it from Morph and stowed it securely in his pocket.
Something silver flashed by his face, and he turned to see Kim catch a small, silver, metal cylinder with a small red switch and a black handgrip. She had tied her hair up, and her face was hard with determination.
"Kim?" Amelia asked. "What are you going to do?"
Kim responded in a voice that seemed to have aged two years. "You three head down to the skiff and shove off. I'll hold them off up here and join you. I can't promise I'll take care of all of them, but it'll give you some time."
"What! Are you nuts?" Jim was dumbfounded and slightly furious that she would put herself into danger so casually. "How can you possibly take on an entire gang of pirates?"
Kim answered that by pressing the button on the handle. A blade of light blue light sprang forth, radiating power, and with it, she cut a circle through the wood. The hole now led to the lower deck…and freedom.
"Because," she said, assuming a fighting stance, "I am a Jedi."