"DAMN IT!" Amelia's scream echoed through the brig.
Jim cast a frustrated glance over his shoulder at her as he joined Jane on the floor in the back of the cell. "She's taking this well," he said, snarkily.
Jane flicked her eyes from the dirty metal floor, not bothering to raise her chin from where it sat on her knees that were pulled to her chest. She heaved a sigh. "Well, how do you expect her to act?" she replied, bitingly. "Her ships has been captured by pirates, the crew taken hostage, and her son is unguarded somewhere. I'd say she's entitled to being upset."
Jim heaved a sigh, and looked at Jane sympathetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that. It's just-" His face grew dark at the image of Silver standing over him hours before.
"What?" Jane said after several minutes of silence.
Jim shook his head. "Nothing."
"Can I confess something, Jim?"
"Go ahead."
Jane pulled her knees closer to her chest, and she looked at him sidelong. "I'm scared."
Jim reached for her hand, holding it firmly.
"Amelia, please calm down," Delbert insisted, having a hard time keeping up with his wife's sharp pacing along the cell door.
Amelia whipped around, loose strains of hair flying in her the slits of her eyes. Delbert looked down at her hands that were trembling then quickly flicked his gaze back to her face. He'd never seen his cool and collect wife in this kind of panic before. "How can I calm down, Delbert?" she hissed. "Our son is somewhere on this ship unprotected. No telling what these pirates will do to a little boy." A sob caught in her throat, but Amelia muffled it with practiced ease. "I should never have brought him."
Delbert's droopy ears drooped even lower. He reached out, securely but gently lay hands around his wife's arms. Usually Amelia disapproved of affection in front of the crew, but this time she didn't move to pull away. "Darling, we didn't know that when we decided to let Benjamin come that a band of pirates would attack us."
Amelia took a deep breath, running a gloved hand over her head to smooth out the loose strains of hair. "But we knew of the risks."
Just then, the heavy sound of footsteps coming down the brig stairs could be heard. Every crew member of the Legacy watched, horror filling them as three different alien pirates appeared. Amelia quickly pulled away from her husband's grip.
"Captain Crosser has requested a meeting with the captain and her first mate," the sneering tentacle pirate said.
Amelia straightened her coat, and took a step forward showering her face with courage. Delbert touched her shoulder, and stared at her desperately. Amelia only glanced at him before saying, "Ms. Morgan."
Jane gnawed at her lip as she stood up on shaky legs. Jim squeezed her hand just before she stepped forward to join the Captain. The tentacle pirate unlocked the bars, sliding the door open. The other two pirates trained laser guns on them as Amelia and Jane walked out. The cell door clanged loudly shut. The tentacle pirate took the lead up the stairs with the two gun welding ones behind Amelia and Jane.
Anguish contorted Delbert's face as his wife disappeared out of sight. They had close calls before, but this one was turning out to be the worst.
Their eyes were on them, but Amelia kept her gaze forward. The pirates, lined all the way to the Captain's chambers, made catcalls and some grabbed at Jane, but the pirates welding guns pushed them away. The Captain's chambers were open and the two women were unceremoniously pushed inside. Crosser sat lazily behind the desk. He smirked at them.
"Good of you to join me, feline," he spat out.
Amelia stood rail straight, hands behind back, not a stitch of emotion on her face. "What are your plans for my crew, Mr. Crosser?" she asked, not wasting time.
"Not one for small talk, are you, feline?" Crosser shifted, the chair creaking from his excess weight. "I know of a slave trade on Tortellual. I could get a good bargain on your men."
Amelia took a deep breath, keeping composed. It wasn't easy rescuing men who have been sold to the slave trade, but it wasn't impossible either. "What about-"
"You and your fine second mate?" Crosser interrupted. He smiled, wickedly. "My crew will have a grand time playing with you and the girl."
Jane suddenly clamped a hand around Amelia's arm, making Amelia flinch. Her eyes were wide and frightened. "Captain," she shrieked out.
"What if we refuse to coporate?" Amelia asked, ignoring Jane.
Crosser slipped a knife from his sleeve, and began fiddling with it. "I know there's someone on this ship that is very dear to you." He flicked his gaze to Amelia, knowingly.
The blood rose to Amelia's face, her steely exterior shattering into fear. "You wouldn't DARE hurt my son! He's just a little boy!"
Crosser halted, the silence tensing. He cocked his head, ogling eyes trained on Amelia. He indulged in her sudden horror. "So, you have a son on board?"