Stealing From Kings

The Strahl was a ship that two people could live on if they chose. The back left corner of the ship was made up entirely of bedrooms. It had one room on each side and one room in the back. The room on the right was Marina's room. The room in the back was slightly larger than all of the others and belonged to Balthier. The extra room had two bunk beds in it. The bathroom was set into a corner that you rounded to get to the kitchen.

The kitchen was small with very little counter space. And whatever sat on the counter had to be bolted down. Across from the counter was a small half-circle booth and table that seated a maximum of six people.

--

Balthier yawned as he came into the kitchen to make himself some coffee. The coffeemaker was the only appliance bolted permanently to the counter. Balthier smiled a little when he saw Marina had already made him coffee. She hated the stuff but she still took care of him and made it just the way he liked it. He poured himself a cup and ventured into the cockpit. Marina was sitting lazily in her chair.

"Is she ready?" he asked as he sat down.

She nodded. "She's all set for Endor."

"Good."

Balthier flipped the switch for the hyperdrive, waited for it to charge, and they disappeared into hyperspace.

--

It was still another eight hours before they finally reached Endor. The capital was a miniature of Coruscant but most of the rest of the planet was still covered with forest and desert.

Balthier led Marina through dark and filthy alleyways until they reached the woods that surrounded the palace. Balthier remembered walking through the woods when he was young. His past memories were as fresh as yesterday's which did not please him. They walked through the woods until they reached the side of the palace. Balthier pushed a few bush branches away and then pulled some overgrown vines off the stone wall to uncover a small door. A man would have to crawl on his hands and knees to fit through the small opening.

"This is an old escape route that was built as a quick way to get the king and as much treasure as you could carry out of the palace as quickly as possible." Balthier explained as he began to pick the lock on the wooden door. Normally he would have just shot the rusted lock right off but he didn't want to make too much noise. He knew there were guards patrolling these woods.

"So this old escape route will take us straight to the treasure room?"

The lock came loose and Balthier opened the door. "Not exactly but pretty close. Ladies first."

Marina rolled her eyes and crawled through the opening. Balthier followed behind her.

The tunnel was about fifteen feet long before they stepped out into a larger and darker tunnel. Balthier held her hand so that she didn't wander off into one of the many long dead-end tunnels on either side.

"So how come there arn't any guards down here?"

"Because Cid doesn't want anyone close to his treasure. Besides, not even his Commander General knows about this place."

Marina kept silent after that. They walked for what felt like hours before Balthier finally stopped. He reached out in front of them and opened a door that Marina had no idea was even there. "Stay here" he ordered before walking up two steps and stopping. He pushed on the roof of the tunnel until it became loose. Then he pushed the heavy marble tile aside.

Marina blinked a few times from the sudden light. Balthier hoisted himself up through the hole and then helped Marina up. She looked around the room of the palace they had just entered. It was a parlor of some kind with dark blue chairs and couches and ornate rugs that looked like they had never been touched.

Balthier left the floor panel barely open and headed across the room to another door. "So what room are we in?" Marina asked as Balthier set to work on picking another lock.

"This is the South Parlor but it's never used."

"Because it's close to the treasure?"

Balthier nodded. "That's why there are no windows."

Marina looked around and noted that he was right. All the light in the room came from magic-powered lamps.

Another thirty seconds and Marina and Balthier were headed down another dark tunnel. It didn't take long and they were standing in the entrance of a room as large as a football field that was lit by magic. Treasure covered almost every inch of the floor. It sparkled and shined with rainbows of colors.

Marina opened a chest full of gems of all kinds. She picked out the largest and most rare of all and fit them into her coin purse. "We might have to make a habit of this place" Marina smiled. Balthier just smirked as he continued to fill his own coin purse.

Once both pirates purses were filled they headed back through the tunnel. Marina was just about to open the door but Balthier grabbed her wrist. Marina gave him a confused look but then she heard the voices of Cidolfus and his generals. Luckily they had not seemed to notice the slightly opened floor panel.

"And you're sure the rumors are true?" Cid asked.

"I'm positive my lord. The weapon could destroy an entire planet."

"And where is this planet that holds this great weapon?"

"No one knows sir. A mist surrounds the planet making it undetectable to all machines. There are only a handful of people in the galaxy that know where the planet is located" Cid's Commander General, Mattis, explained.

"Well then I suggest you find those people and bring one to me Commander."

"Yes sir." Mattis bowed and left.

Cid sighed sadly. "I wish you were here son. These fools have no idea what they are doing." Cid stayed in the room for a few more minutes before finally leaving.

Balthier and Marina quickly went back down through the floor panel and out into the main tunnel. They ran and ran without a word. They crawled back through the small tunnel and headed back into the alleyways.

Once they felt far enough away from the palace they wandered out of the alleyways and into the main street of the city. "Balthier, are you okay?" Marina already knew what he was going to say but she didn't want him to think that she didn't care.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay but what about the other thing? Balthier we can't let your father get a hold of a weapon of that power."

"I know. Which is exactly why we are going to find it first."

Marina smiled.