Chapter Twelve:

Jim POV:

This day began pretty poorly for a multitude of reasons. One chiefly being that I broke my promise to Kalena, I told her I would return to her once I was done but I ended up talking to Silver instead. Two, I crashed after my talk with Silver and woke to find Morph messing around with my boots. I chased him to the galley and into a barrel of purps. This wasn't all bad, and I was definitely awake after the whole ordeal but the third and final piece is what killed the morning entirely. I ended up overhearing a conversation between Silver and the rest of the crew that should not happened at all.

"Look. We're sick of all this waiting-" one voice declared.

"There's only three of them left-" another added.

"We are wanting to move." Impatience was evident in their tones and the general consensus was that things were progressing far too slowly.

"We don't more until we got the treasure in hand." Silver declares until he is undermined by Scroop."I say we kill 'em all now-" he begins there are appreciative murmurs at this suggestion until Silver silences them.

"I say what's to say! Disobey my orders again... like that stunt you pulled with Mr. Arrow... and so help me, you'll be joining him!" At this he throws Scroop into the barrel and I react quickly enough to hush Morph before he gives us away. My thoughts are totally frantic as I process what Silver is insinuating, not only was Arrow really murdered but Scroop is the killer! I strain to hear the rest of what they're saying but soon forget it when I see one of Scroop's claws incoming.

"Strong talk, but I know otherwise." He begins.

"You got something to say. Scroop?"

"It's that boy." He hisses gleefully. He reaches in the barrel for a purp and I pass one to him tricking him into thinking he successfully grabbed one all on his lonesome. "Methinks you have a soft spot for him." The sailors who had been listening chatter in agreement.

"Now, mark me, the lot of ya! I care about one thing and one thing only!" He cries indignantly. "Flint's trove! You think I'd risk it all for the sake... of some nose-wiping little whelp?"

"What was it now?" Scroop interjects. "'Oh you got the making of greatness in ya.'"

"Shut your yap! I cozied up to that kid to keep him off scent. But I ain't gone soft."

I feel absolutely crushed inside and almost grateful when Onus cries, "Land ho!" The crew scurries out of the galley and I release Morph so that he can partake in the excitement. I climb out of the barrel unwillingly, more in the mood to remain in a fetal position amongst the purps than think of how thoroughly I have been duped. I will my feet forward until I'm running to Kalena's quarters I don't even bother to knock once I reach her door and burst into her room.

She was sitting at her desk journaling in one of her many notebooks and upon my arrival she fixed her burning stare on me. I knew that I wasn't at all forgiven for leaving her last night but that was another entirely different matter and could wait.

"Kalena! We have a problem." I related to her everything that had transpired in the galley and once I was done she stood, slipped on the outer piece to her light uniform, attached her sword, tucked a pistol into a holster on her leg that I didn't even know she had, and walked past me and to her door.

'Follow me.' She said steely before wrenching her door open. 'And whatever you do, act like you know nothing.'

We calmly strode but with a purpose, Kalena would walk ahead from time to time and speak with various crew members about the status of their affairs. I trail silently behind, attempting to not draw attention to myself. Suspicious glances are cast my way and I do my best to not glare at the crew in return. They're pirates; all of them, including Silver... especially Silver... Kalena was right. With this knowledge I enter the Captain's stateroom with a heart heavy from betrayal, fury, and sadness. I stand off to the side gloomily, letting Kalena do all of the talking. I nod when it's needed but overall I am silenced.

'...Doctor I suggest that you get out of this flabbergasted mentality and into one more suitable for battle.' Kalena told him briskly.

The Captain nodded in agreement before tossing him a pistol. "Doctor, familiar with these?"

'"Oh, I've seen—well, I've read-..."' he begins and accidentally fires the pistol almost hitting the Captain whose expression jumps from sternness to surprise. '"Uh, no. No I'm not."'

Kalena and the Captain look at one another, their faces identical and both briefly shake their heads when their eyes meet. "Mr. Hawkins! Defend this with your life." She tosses me the map but Morph intercepts it before I could catch it.

"Morph! Give me that!" I snatch it from him and tune in to what Kalena is saying now that I've been snapped out of my reverie.

'Alright, here's the plan.' She casts a glance at the locked door and notices the faint burning ring the pirates are trying to carve into it. 'We don't have much time, so Captain you are going to have to get everyone into a longboat and attempt planet fall. I believe the pirates' mutiny is now well underway and their primary objective is to retrieve the map. I can pose as a distraction long enough for you all to escape and then I will join you on the planet as well.' She takes off the rifle she had been given and blasts a hole into the deck. I look at her ready to protest and instead she tosses me the rifle and screams, 'Go!'

The Captain shoves the Doctor down the hole and then follows suit, Morph goes as well, and I pause long enough to watch Kalena use the pistol strapped to her side to shoot a hole in the wall and slink through it as the pirates came blasting through the door, effectively flanking them for a one-woman ambush.

I catch up with the others promptly while the Captain presses a lever to open the hatch. "To the longboats quickly!"

The Doctor tumbles in but before I can join him Morph swipes the map away from my pocket and takes off with it in his mouth. I chase him while the Captain defends our position.

"Chew on this you pus-filled boils!" Her cries fade into the background as I move further and further away from it all.

"Morph. Here! Morph!" I call to him and he turns to face me but is soon sidetracked by another voice.

"Morphy, come here." Silver starts whistling to him. Poor Morph must make a choice as we both beckon to him. Eventually he hides inside a coil of rope and I end up beating Silver to it. As fast as I can I return to the longboat and dive in.

"Now!" The Captain shouts as she and the Doc shoot out the cables holding us in. We begin flying away, the Captain steering us to the planet. "Parameters met. Hydraulics engaged."

'"Captain! Laser ball at twelve o'clock!" screams Doppler. The Captain attempts an evasive maneuver but the cannonball collides with us anyways. We sustain damage and begin an extremely rapid descent onto Treasure Planet's surface.

xXx

Kalena POV:

Meanwhile on deck...

I had blasted a hole of my own to escape the pirates as they forced their way into the Captain's stateroom. I dove through the small hole I'd created and rolled to ease the impact. Using the precious seconds that remained before I planned to attack the pirates I pulled my bottle of emergency pills from a hidden pocket and swallowed as many as I could before stashing the bottle once more. I unsheathed my sword and called to the bloodthirsty horde clustered around the door.

"Oy! Scumbags! How dare you lot think that you can mutiny under my watch. Whoever implanted the idea in your think skulls must truly be daft." I ran across the deck before they could retort, took cover behind a few crates as they rained fire upon me. Using my pistol I easily dispatched their gunners and took a few out of permanent commission. More arose from the depths of the longboat bay and their guns tore my hiding place to shreds.

As I ran I realized that I was out of hiding options. The deck was relatively clear, with nothing more than a few coils of rope taking space here and there. I ducked behind the center mast to catch my breath only to have to block an incoming attack immediately. Though they had stolen the element of surprise away from me there was no doubt I was better experienced.

I leaped forward only to realize that leaving the minor safety of the mast was a mistake, at least there I could have climbed a close set of netting and lose them in the wild tangles of the ropes. But instead I was caught dead center with an angry pirate staring me down in every direction. They were loose cannons, all of them, and given the signal to fire they would rampage until nothing was left.

Hidden in the ring at various locations were Silver and Mr. Scroop. I glared at them both in turn as I did a total 360 degrees, surveying each of my opponents one by one. "Give it up lass. You're hopelessly outnumbered, so do yourself a favour." He said as the rest of the mutineers chuckle menacingly.

'In my opinion Silver, it is you and your band of lackeys that are outmatched. I'm not even sure if I can label this as a fair fight! After all, you're dealing with Kalena Aderyn, the finest weapons specialist to ever grace the Interstellar Academy. It is you who should be begging for mercy, not me.' All this banter was exactly what I needed to steel myself for such a grossly uneven fight. Silver was right, the odds were not at all in my favour and it would be better to surrender...were I a weaker person.

"Take her out! We'll use her as a hostage in exchange for the map."

"Attack!" Scroop roared and they all closed in around me. I unleashed a war cry of my own and leapt to engage my first opponent.