[In Previous Chapters: Jim Hawkins has been taken captive by none other than Admiral Amos Morgan himself. After being restrained and physically wounded, Jim remains unable to find a way to escape. Meanwhile the RLS Legacy, still docked on Alzrand, prepares to set course for the Broken Territories when they receive word from a civilian that the pirates who attacked Jim and Ray are being held on trial. Captain Amelia attends the trial to question the bandits when she encounters a familiar face: her brother Alexander Smollet. After discovering the pirates were working for Amos; Amelia, Smollet, Amherst, and Doppler prepare the RLS Legacy for pursuit when they are surprised by a survivor: Raymond Peters.]

Chapter 13
Dangerous Negotiations

There was a click and steady hum as the mechanical eye rotated to scan the surrounding empty atmosphere. Although, one could argue the skies were anything but vacant. The swirling colored spectrum cast the ship into an eerie glow as the dusty stellar pillars collided with the light of the stars. These columns of nebula extract were a beauty to any spacer that had the opportunity to gaze upon their magnificence. The eye finished its careful scrutiny and folded once more into its compact shape leaving Silver to sigh and rest his bulky arms upon the rail of the vessel.

He had been selected for night watch earlier in the evening, and while he knew the pillars could easily hide an imposing force, there had been no trace of any such danger yet. Instead he took a moment to draw out his pipe and have a smoke. Ever since a year ago when Jim and Alice, bless their hearts, had aided him in escaping Captain Amelia's charge once again, he had been on the run as a freelance rogue.

He took a moment to think back over the past year. Smithy, although a helpful ally, had chosen to leave Silver's company after their dealings with the Eternity Star. He returned to his planet, packing his things and choosing to move on to live a more private life in the country and away from the scrutiny of the Navy. It was for the best, Silver supposed. The man could easily have been arrested for aiding a wanted criminal, and beyond Captain Smollet (as well as her imperial connections), there were few that were privy to such information.

Silver had left Leah's company far faster than Smithy's. The minute they had touched down in a shady pirate port, Tortuga, she'd departed, giving no explanation, issuing neither of them a farewell. Silver, himself, hadn't been too fond of her company either. People always assumed all pirates were one and the same, Jim and Alice had been subject to this mistake as well. In reality, each criminal had their own means for survival. Brigands were never predictable. Silver could muster a crew fine on his own; he had an intimidating presence and a powerful body to achieve many immoral means, but it was difficult under such stress. If he showed any sign of weakness, any at all, they'd run him clean through. Such was apparent in his venture to Treasure Planet. He let his fondness for Jim and Alice betray him.

He had never stuck his neck out for anyone, but something stirred in his heart when he saw those two lost spacers. A deep throated chuckle escaped his lips before he composed himself. Beyond Jim and Alice, however, he still clung to his piracy. It was all he knew now, all he had left, and truly, he hadn't chosen the worst path. For Silver, it meant freedom from rules and regulations and confining occupations an honest citizen of the Empire had to abide by.

He had seen a similar spark in Jim's eye upon his first encounter with the boy. It was no secret to anyone who was lucky enough to meet the young man that he had an unquenchable thirst for adventure. Yet, Jim had chosen an honest life. One Silver had never been given the chance to take hold of. Who knew where their paths might have led them if Silver had been granted entrance into the prestigious Interstellar Academy at a young age.

For starters, he was sure that such an opportunity would be scantily cast aside by his younger self. Even then he was determined to ignore what society screamed was 'righteous'. However, he may never have met Jim or Alice had he become a true officer (he tried not to bust out a hearty laugh at that notion). Treasure Planet would have been lost, just an old legend. Alice would have remained living a life of solitude hidden away in a boarding school with no recollection of her parents. Jim would have been left on Montressor, picking all the wrong sorts of fights and landing himself, possibly, in Juvenile Hall.

Tis better this way, Silver thought with a small quirk of his lips. Instead he turned his mind to the captain of this particular vessel. The skull and crossbones rippled high above their heads as the word: Assemblage gleamed beneath the bow of the small cutter. Silver was free-lancing at the moment. It would take a long while before he managed to regrow his reputation. In the pirating community, word swept fast. His defeat on Treasure Planet leaving the remainder of his crew to be captured by the Navy was no small matter. Lying low was now his best option, especially after a second evasion during the venture to seek the Eternity Star.

Silver knew his charisma was what kept him alive, but he could not ignore the itch beneath his skin to rise in the ranks once more, to secure his own crew and sail his vessel into unexplored territory. However, that would take time –

BOOM!

Silver's metal hand gripped the rail of the cutter to prevent himself from being thrown onto the deck.

"What teh devil?" he growled, switching his metallic eye to a scope as the captain ordered all hands on deck. They'd been hit, but by what? At first Silver figured he'd been so deep in thought he had missed the impending threat, but that was not the case. Upon closer inspection of the skies he found them to be as empty as they were moments ago.

The crew was now wide awake, crawling from the belly below the mainsail. There was a commotion as each member (catching up on sleep mere moments before) searched for what could have blasted a hole in their flank. The captain, a six armed creature, passed the wheel to the helmsman and skittered onto the deck.

"Silver," he barked, unsheathing two cutlasses from his belt. He twirled them expertly around his hands before pointing both tips at Silver. "Give me one good reason not to gut you like a stuck pigglet for wrecking me ship."

"I've been watchin'," Silver argued, his cyborg eye turning a dangerous orange. "There's nothin' in these here skies."

"Then where did that bloody hole come from?" the captain roared. Silver opened his mouth to retaliate when another hollow explosion could be heard not far off. Needing no further hint, Silver turned to the crew.

"Brace yerselves!" he roared, his voice carrying with the next detonation which knocked the vessel into a westward position. The crew was rattled, and terrified. Thankfully, the Captain maintained his dignity. He slipped Silver a last look of disdain before taking command. The helmsman kept grip on the wheel, righting the ship. Gunners were aiming their cannons in strategic locations. The lookout was hanging from the crow's nest, searching. Ropers were at the ready; riggers on the masts. There was a moment in which the captain demanded a damage report. The entire crew held their breath in anticipation.

Anticipation for what? Silver thought, his cybernetic arm a loaded pistol. Smoke billowed from their engines and hull. The outreach of the nebulous pillars was still.

That's when Silver saw it.

It was faint, but there, and almost impossible to distinguish.

A break in the cloud line.

He froze, unable to cry out, which unnerved him, because Silver was always ready. His pulse quickened and a frown etched itself on his wrinkled brow. He had seen ethereal clouds part like that before, when a ship moved through them.

But no ship was visible.

Silver hesitated. Murmurs rippled about the crew. The captain ordered them to hold as their ship's engines rumbled to a halt. Silence intermingled between the apprehensive glances. Silver clenched his toothy jaw as the fate of the crew hung in the balance. Then, just as sudden as the eruptions had struck their ship, the vessel in question shimmered into view. Terror swept across the deck as Silver took a step back. The juggernaut was inches from their cutter, casting its shadow across the sails of the Assemblage, but this was not what sent the crew into a frenzy. The ship was like nothing Silver had ever seen.

"Oh have mercy…" he breathed, as the sublime left him short of air. It was a vessel entirely composed of steel and silver, the hull an armored beast. There were no sails anywhere on board, no way to power the engines which shot blue flame while smoke stacks belched clouds of poison into the atmosphere. There was no way to describe this monstrosity, and no comprehensive thought even crossed Silver's mind. For once his head was empty, unable to function.

"Hold!" the captain ordered, but even he appeared shaken. Each and every sailor on board knew that their guns would barely dent that armor. Their opposition knew this too, for a moment later a wail went out as the rail atop the ship folded down and began a mechanical descent toward the Assemblage's deck. The crew backed up to the far side of the vessel as the metal walkways clunked down. There was a still tension crackling between the crew until it happened. They came in twos, marching down the gangplanks, charged laser muskets at their backs, their hips decorated with pistols. Each wore the baby blue uniform with the symbol of the triangle imprinted across their breast.

They were Procyons.

Their numbers increased as more and more streamed onto the deck. The first fourteen men aligned themselves shoulder to shoulder, knees to the wood, their muskets out and at the ready. The last of the Procs followed suit. However, they took up a standing position behind their comrades and removed their pistols instead. The crew of the Assemblage was outnumbered, outgunned. Silver's stomach knotted. These weren't swabbies, they were soldiers.

"The captain?"

Silver snapped his eyes to the right as around the rows of men and women came the devil himself.

"The captain," Amos ordered again, fixing one of his white gloves. "Who is the captain?"

"I be the captain," the six-armed leader spat, coming forth. "What do you want aboard my ship?"

"Oh," Amos blinked before tsking and shaking his head. "Oh no, no, no, no. This will not do." He turned to Silver causing the cyborg to regard him with disdain. "Are you the first mate?"

"No," Silver grunted, his mechanical eye flaring.

"Is there a first mate?" Amos called. When silence greeted him, he shook his head. "Very well."

Amos Morgan drew his pistol, cocked, aimed, and fired. The shot found its mark as the captain of the Assemblage fell, arms twitching as the plasma ate through his heart. The attack was so sudden, so calculated, so raw with malice that Silver took a small step back. He had seen men die before his eyes, seen his own blaster fire upon the innocent and not-so-innocent, but nothing like this. Amos tucked his pistol back into his belt before turning to Silver.

"Now, on to business, Captain."

Silver wanted to object, he wanted to speak to say anything against the foul cretin that now sauntered toward him over the dead body of the previous man-in-charge. His crewmates parted from him, their eyes wild but trained on him. Silver straightened his back. Whether he wanted to pilot the ship and its crew or not, these men and women now looked to him for guidance. It was an act, a performance, a display of authority. Silver's cyborg eye glowed red and cast its flare down upon Morgan as the Procyon admiral stopped but a foot away from Silver's imposing figure.

"I do apologize for the mess. I prefer to settle these disputes over a cup of coffee, but I know your time is valuable. Here is my proposition: gather your allies. Spread word in your community that Amos Morgan is looking for recruits. I need weapons, ships, spacers. No need for morale. I want them bloodthirsty. And…" Amos trailed off as he turned in a slow circle, assuring himself the rest of the crew could hear. "...Vengeful."

There was a pause as the ethereal winds howled across the deck. Then Silver laughed. The crew joined in, erupting into nervous fits of humor.

"Ah Admiral Morgan," Silver finally managed to say as he controlled his rumbling chuckles. "You're askin' renegades with no ties ta anyone ta fight for yeh? We pirates have no claim ta governmental disputes, and why would we want 'em? Empires rise an' fall, yeh think any one superpower cares about us?" The crew murmured in agreement, some of the pirates taking threatening steps forward. "Take yer yellowbellied lapmaids and get off me ship. Like you said, we have a mess ta clean up."

Amos Morgan had set his lips in a pursed line before they suddenly cleaved upward. Silver hated it when an opponent smiled. It often meant they knew something you didn't.

"Yes I suppose this would sound like a hilarious caper if not for one thing: I am not trying to be funny." The Admiral adjusted his stance and surveyed the deck of the Assemblage as if he owned the vessel already. "Pirates, rogues, bandits, thieves, criminals, filth. You have all heard the names. You have been cast out by the so called society sworn to protect its inhabitants. And why? Because you could not find food to feed your family? Because you could not secure the safety of those you loved? Because you find thrill in preying on the weak and your line of work elevates you to the strong? Well I say unto you now that in the new world there is no room for weakness, there is no room for decay, and no room to fear. Join the Procyon Armada, and you will be great."

Silver wanted to dismiss Amos' argument once more, but a shiver passed down his spine when he saw the looks in his crewmembers' eyes. The haunted looks. Amos Morgan's words were all too true. Even after all these years Silver could still remember the scream and the betrayal in her eyes as the one he loved was lost.

"'A new reign', you have heard the deceit before. You trust no one, as you should not under imperial rule. What I offer, however, diverges from all other sects and parties. I present you a galaxy to traverse as free men and women. But this galaxy cannot be achieved unless you fight for the one thing you want most in this world. I do not ask for your cooperation after this endeavor, all I ask is for you to follow me up to its end."

Silver took a threatening step forward. The hairs on his arms were standing straight as his crew began to whisper and nod amongst each other. As the bloodlust grew in their minds.

"Get off my ship," Silver growled, his cybernetic eye once again an occuli of scarlet fury. Amos heaved a dramatic sigh.

"I was afraid you might say that." Amos lifted his arm and motioned behind him. the ranks of soldiers parted as another grim Proc stepped forward holding what looked to be a pearl white cloth. Amos took it almost reverently from the Proc's hands before turning around and unfurling it so Silver could see what it was. A white jacket with a gold trim. A uniform. A uniform of an Interstellar Academy student. Jim. Alice. Silver ripped the coat from Amos' hands and studied the blood patterns, the tears in the fabric. The injuries had not been fatally inflicted which meant - "If you want him to live you will acquiesce to my request. It is your choice, Captain Silver. I will let you walk away right now and you may continue on with no further damage or threat to your life. I care little for the cadet. To be sure, I will slaughter him if you do turn down my entreaty. Be swift, and be true. The hour of my rule is coming. I hope by then you know whose side you'll be on."

Silver's voice was lost as Amos' soldiers rose and retreated back up onto their iron vessel in two's. It was lost when Morgan swept after them and the gangway rose away from the Assemblage. It was lost when he felt the eyes of his new crew on him, awaiting his decision. Jim or the Empire?

Silver fisted the coat with unrestrained rage. With mechanical eye still crimson, Silver strode toward the helm, stepping over the body of the dead ex-captain as he did.

"Dispose o' this," he ordered, not bothering to spare the lifeless man another glance. "Set course for teh Broken Territories!"

As he took up position at the helm, he watched the crew scurry about the deck, several men and women lifting the body and hauling it overboard.

"I won't let them murder yeh, Jim," he breathed. The blood on the deck was quickly soaking into the wood and becoming a stain. "I'm comin'."

A/N: Well, well, look who is back. I honestly did not expect to ever come back to this story. I don't write serious fan fiction anymore as I prefer to dedicate my time to my original work. How long has it been? Two years at least? I woke up this morning, spent a bit of time writing my manuscript when I took a stroll down memory lane and decided that I just needed to finish this chapter. I had half started it after uploading the previous chapter two years ago, but had decided to drop my Jim and Alice stories to pursue college essay writing and my own fantasy novel endeavors. I will NOT be regularly updating this story. This was a chance happening that resulted in posting a new chapter. I have been reading Jim Butcher's The Aeronaut's Windlass recently as well as playing Bioshock Infinite so airships and steampunk were on my mind. Rather than trying to force myself to write fantasy, I decided to indulge in an old love: Treasure Planet.

A lot has happened in two years, but I won't dive into it here. Enjoy this chapter in which half of it is older writing and half of it is fresh. I am also practicing writing antagonists, politics, and religion. While I will never explore such heavy topics in detail in my Treasure Planet fan fiction, the free writing I can do with these fan fictions allows for greater practice to be applied toward my original work.

Special Thanks goes to all of my readers, reviewers, supporters. Seriously, you guys rock and have helped me thrive as a writer.