Creed's heart raced with a mixture of excitement and nerves as he heard the news. The weight of responsibility settled on his shoulders, mingling with the pride of his accomplishment. His crew, loyal and steadfast, surrounded him, their faces alight with genuine joy for their leader.

"Captain Creed," one of his crewmates called out with a grin, the title rolling off their tongue with playful emphasis.

"Better start getting used to that title, Captain. You're going to be giving orders left and right now." Another chimed in.

Creed couldn't help but chuckle at their teasing, feeling a surge of camaraderie among them.

"Thanks," he said, his voice tinged with gratitude. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We've got work to do, and I'll need each and every one of you at your best."

The banter continued as they returned to their tasks, but Creed felt a sense of purpose settle over him.

As they finished their tasks, he went back with his roommates to their bunks to rest but was stopped by a droid that was guarding the entrance to their quarters.

“Oh yeah, you’re not sleeping with us anymore captain.” one of his crew joked, reminding him of his promotion.

“I almost forgot.” Creed couldn't suppress the grin that spread across his face as he processed the realization.

He was the captain now, and with that title came certain privileges, including his quarters. It was a stark reminder of the new role he had assumed, one that filled him with both excitement and a hint of trepidation.

"Right," he replied, feeling a surge of pride at the reminder from his now ex-roommates. "Thanks for the reminder."

As he went to his new quarters, his mind buzzed with thoughts of what lay ahead. Upon his arrival, the door slid open to reveal the room that would now be his, Creed couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. It was larger and more spacious than he had anticipated, with a commanding view of the surrounding space through the viewport.

As Creed entered Munda's room, he was met with chaos. The space was cluttered with plundered goods, a disorganized jumble of precious metals, materials, and loot strewn haphazardly across every available surface. It was a stark reflection of the disorder that had once reigned under Munda's leadership.

Determined to make his mark as the new captain, Creed wasted no time in taking action. With purposeful strides, he moved to the center of the room and surveyed the mess before him. It was clear that if he wanted to command respect and instill discipline among his crew, he would need to start by bringing order to this chaos.

Setting to work with methodical precision, Creed began the arduous task of cleaning and organizing the room. He sorted through the plundered goods, categorizing them and arranging them neatly on shelves and in storage containers. Piece by piece, he cleared away the clutter, determined to create a space that reflected the professionalism and efficiency he aimed to cultivate aboard the Godright.

Hours passed in a blur as Creed worked tirelessly, his focus unwavering as he transformed the once-chaotic room into a model of cleanliness and order. Six hours later, he stood back to admire his handiwork, the room now a testament to his sense of order.

Satisfied with the transformation, Creed allowed himself a moment of pride before taking a seat at his new personal table and sat.

“I’m back Lily.” he smiled as he stroked the table with care.

“You still call her by that name?” a voice interrupted his personal time, waking him up from his stupor. “You should get married already.”

Creed looked at the source of his disturbance and smiled.

“This is why you will never get popular with women even among those in our fleet.” the man entered his room, teasing him.

"Ah, Bastille, always quick with the jokes," Creed replied with a chuckle. "But you know me, I prefer the company of my ship over any woman."

Bastille laughed, slapping Creed on the back.

"Well, lucky for us, you're the captain now, so you'll have plenty of time to spend with Lily here," he quipped, gesturing to the cleaned and organized room around them.

Creed nodded, a sense of pride swelling within him as he looked around at the orderly space.

"That's right. And I intend to make sure she's running smoother than ever," he said, his tone filled with determination.

"I have no doubt about that, Captain," Then Bastille grinned, clapping Creed on the shoulder once more. “But still, back to the topic, you still call her that huh.”

“I swore to never call Lily in private by that vulgar name,” Creed answered. “She’s much more than a battlecruiser. Such name as a great stain to her history.”

Bastille raised an eyebrow at Creed's passionate response, his curiosity piqued.

"A stain and a disgusting vulgar name?" he echoed, clearly intrigued. "Care to explain… Captain?"

“Do you still remember when we found Pon de Lily?” Creed asked.

“It feels like yesterday.” Bastille nodded.

"She was as beautiful as was at the day when we found her." Creed reminisced about the origins of their ship, memories of their first encounter with this battlecruiser flooded his mind. He remembered the awe and wonder he felt as they stumbled upon the derelict vessel, drifting aimlessly in the vastness of space.

"It was like fate had led us to her," Creed mused, his voice filled with nostalgia. "We were just a ragtag group of pirates, barely scraping by, and then we found her, just waiting for us to claim her as our own."

His crewmate listened intently, Bastille’s memories of that fateful day mingling with Creed's.

"I'll never forget the moment we stepped aboard," Bastille said, a wistful smile playing on his lips. "It was like stepping into a piece of history, a relic from an era that just ended."

Creed nodded in agreement, his gaze distant as he recalled the first time he laid eyes on the Pon de Lily's sleek, imposing form.

"She was damaged, that's for sure," he admitted. "But beneath all the scars and rust, I could sense her potential, her strength. I knew then that she was meant to be ours."

"It seems like quite the stroke of luck for Ubel, then," Bastille remarked, a hint of skepticism in his tone. "Finding a ship like that just floating around."

Creed nodded in agreement. They had poured their blood, sweat, and investment into restoring the Pon de Lily to her former glory. They had patched her damaged structures, upgraded her systems, and transformed her into the formidable vessel she was today.

"The Godright, our home, our sanctuary." Bastille said, a hint of pride in his voice.

“No matter what name they give her, she'll always be Lily to me,” Creed said.

“You still have not explained why though,” Bastille asked again.

“That is mine to keep that only Lily and I knew.” Creed grinned, refusing to answer. “Anyways, why are you disturbing me on my personal time to rest?”

“Wow, you are acting as a captain now huh.” Bastille joked. "I wanted to talk to you about our next move.”

Creed tilted his head, confused about what Bastille was referring to.

“You can take it up with Ubel though. I am just a captain of this ship.”

"That’s what I meant. I was talking about Ubel." Bastille said. "We can't afford to let our guard down, not with the UGTR Navy breathing down our necks after we just annihilated their fucking fleet and others were also thinking that if other pirate crew would hear about this, you know who would take this opportunity to take us down or usurp power."

“Ah yes… ‘we’… we are now actually part of Ubel’s fleet. I almost forgot the real implication of that.” Creed nodded then asked.

"Exactly," Bastille said. "We need to stay one step ahead of them, anticipate their moves before they make them. That's the only way we'll survive out here in the black. And maybe we can also avoid another… purge. Imagine if that kid- Ubel suspects us to be betraying him if you know... others starting to plan a mutiny due to their past loyalty with Munda."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"So… we take this up to Ubel?" Creed leaned forward.

"I don’t know. You’re the captain now so it’s your responsibility also.” Bastille shrugged. "We don’t know Ubel yet and what makes him tick. Especially when he has our lives literally on his hands."

Creed nodded, his mind already racing with ideas.

"We'll need to gather as much intel as we can before making a move," he said. "And we'll need to be prepared for anything. But to be honest, I don’t care. As long as we show Ubel that we are useful maybe there’s a chance that he will free us."

“I still have to remind you that Ubel is still a kid. Kids are far more unpredictable in their emotions.” Bastille said.

“Do you really believe that? After all that happened?”

“What?”

“Do you really believe that Ubel… is just a kid with great digital prowess?” Creed said.

Bastille raised an eyebrow at Creed's question.

"Come on, Bastille," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I do know that Ubel has been causing quite a stir among the crew. He's not your average kid."

Bastille shrugged nonchalantly.

"Maybe," he said, his tone dismissive. "But that's what makes him dangerous. We don’t know how he thinks or what would make him angry or pleased yet. Munda is a greedy fucking idiot it was always predictable how he thinks. But a kid with the power to fucking wipe us out with just a wave of his hand… we need some plans."

Creed sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know man," he said. “I will repeat again. To be honest, I don’t care. We are pirates. We follow the strong. And Ubel showed us that he is capable of overpowering both Munda and even the UGTR navy alone.”

"There's something about that kid that doesn't sit right with me. Something that disturbed me, like…" Bastille cut himself off.

“Like?” Creed frowned, considering Bastille's words.

"Nothing… never mind." he conceded.

“Yeah, exactly. Nothing. Once again, we are mother fucking pirates. We always know that each of us has our own demons. Munda has hundreds or more yet we were fine with him. What’s the difference between him and Ubel now?”

“The problem is that I feel Ubel has thousands or more demons.”

Creed considered Bastille's words for a moment before responding.

"Fine, fine… You make a valid point," he admitted while also wanting to end this unending argument about their new commander. "But I trust in the strength of our crew. We've weathered storms before, and we'll weather this one too."

Bastille sighed, knowing that Creed wasn't going to be swayed easily.

"And don't worry," Creed added. "I'll keep an eye on Ubel. I’ll use my time to get close to him and get to know more of him. But for now, let's focus on the task at hand. We've got a ship to run, and I intend to see it done right."

Creed's expression hardened as he thought about Munda and the events that had transpired.

"Munda may have been a capable leader in his own right," he conceded. "But he let his ego and greed cloud his judgment, and in the end, it cost him dearly."

Bastille grimaced, remembering the chaos that had ensued under Munda's command.

"Yeah, it was a mess," he agreed. "But at least now we have a chance to start fresh with Ubel at the helm."

Creed nodded then Bastille started laughing.

“I don’t understand why you’re laughing.” Creed frowned.

“It’s because I almost forgot.” Bastille showed a holo recording of Ubel. And it was about Bastille being promoted as the vice-captain of Godright.

Creed's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he watched the holographic recording, his expression shifting from confusion to contemplation.

"Well, I'll be damned," he muttered, impressed by Ubel's proactive approach to leadership. "Looks like the kid's got some foresight after all."

Bastille nodded in agreement.

"Seems that way," he said, a hint of pride in his voice. "Guess he sees something in me that I don't."

Creed chuckled, clapping Bastille on the shoulder.

"Well, I trust his judgment now," he said firmly. "Because I would have done the same, to be honest."

“What?” Bastille was surprised.

“Hey, no one in Lily knows how to… steer her better than any of us two.” Creed shrugged.

“Pfft. Yeah right…” Bastille then asked. “So… what now?”

Creed leaned back in his chair, considering Bastille's question carefully.

"Honestly, Ubel hasn't shared much with me yet," he admitted. "But knowing him, he's probably got something big in the works. We just need to be ready for his call."

“By the way, what was the state… the crew’s thoughts about Ubel?” Creed asked.

“Mostly mixed,” Bastille replied. “Although we can safely say that there won’t be any risk of mutiny yet. We still have to be careful and rein in the most troublesome crew from making Ubel suspect incorrectly. I don’t want any purge at the moment.”

Then two droids came to them in the room, interrupting their talk. And they remembered that these were the same droids that injected them with poison.

“Captain Creed, Bastille. We are here for your daily dosage.”

“Ah, shit.” Bastille cursed and Creed just closed his eyes for the inevitable.

Both of them then undressed their upper clothes and let the droids inject an antidote through their chest. Injecting the dosage into the main artery quickly spreads the temporary reprieve of the toxin in the body.

Bastille winced slightly as the needle pierced his skin, delivering the life-saving antidote. Despite the discomfort, he knew the importance of these regular injections in keeping them safe from the deadly poison lurking within their bodies. Creed, standing beside him, underwent the same procedure without flinching, his expression calm and composed.

Once the droids had finished administering the antidote, Creed and Bastille straightened their clothes.

As the droids departed, Bastille cast a glance at Creed, his expression a mixture of resignation and determination.

“It's becoming normal, to be honest, that I almost forgot about it," Creed remarked, echoing the sentiment shared by many among their crew.

“But I will never get used to such a thing,” Bastille complained. “I hope you fucking get the trust of the boy, Creed.”

Creed chuckled wryly, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Why should I? I can see you cringing in pain everyday with injections. I have a feeling these injections will be a regular part of our routine for a while longer."

“Fucking no.” Bastille rolled his eyes which made Creed laugh. Bastille

Then Creed gazed at the window of his room and saw the massive ship of Ubel. Bastille caught his eyes looking at the Blitzkrieg and teased him.

“Well, I do think that Blitzkrieg is fucking badass ship than our puny flagship. Just look at its size and style. Damn. I’d rather have that.”

Creed smirked at Bastille's teasing, his gaze lingering on the imposing silhouette of the Blitzkrieg.

"Blitzkrieg may have its charm, but there's something about Lily that's irreplaceable," he replied, his voice tinged with fondness. "Lily may not be the biggest or the flashiest ship out there but she is the best partner for me.”

Bastille chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

"You've got it bad for this ship, Creed."

Creed's gaze softened as he turned back to the window, his thoughts drifting to fond memories.

"Lily was the first ship I ever served on, back when I was just a green recruit fresh out of training. She may not be the most powerful or intimidating vessel in the fleet, but she's always been there for me, through thick and thin."

"I see. There's a certain sentimentality to serving on a ship like that." Bastille nodded understandingly, then got an idea. “Hey, I heard that you can put an Artificial Personality on this ship. So your dream of talking with your ship wife is not impossible nowadays.”

“You fucking shit.” Creed laughed.

“Buuuuttt… I think you’ll have problems when you want to have sex with Lily though.” Bastille added more words to tease Creed.

“Bastille, just shut the fuck up please.”

His vice-captain just laughed with him. Then another thought came into Bastille’s mind.

“Hey, do you know where Ubel got that massive ship?” He asked.

“We both knew him at the same time so I don’t know a thing.” Creed just shrugged.

“Yeah, but what is your best… you know, theory on how he acquired such ship.” Bastille egged him for his thoughts.

“Hmmm…” Creed mused for a moment then answered. “To be honest, I thought either he was a colonial or corpo agent that probably stole the ship. But I heard Munda uttering a word on his last call with others on the bridge of Lily during our skirmish with the drones.”

"What did Munda say?" Curiosity piqued, Bastille leaned in slightly, his interest evident.

Creed recalled the moment, the memory surfacing clearly in his mind.

"He mentioned something about the Terra, something about the moon… then… veska?"

“Veska?” Bastille repeated the word.

“Ah no, I remember now. It was Vestal.”

"Vestal? That's an unusual term. What do you think it means?" Bastille got curious.

"I'm not entirely sure, but it seems significant. Munda wouldn't just throw around a term like that without reason." Creed furrowed his brow, mulling over the implications of the word.

Bastille nodded, his expression thoughtful.

"Agreed. It's worth investigating further. Perhaps there's some hidden meaning behind it."

“Well, you can ask others about it. I tried asking others who knew much of the background around Terra but they got nothing also.”

Bastille's brows furrowed in thought.

“Did he mention that word in what situation?”

"Who knows? I only heard the call. Maybe it was during when they were caught in an ambush on Ubel’s mining ship." Creed shrugged, uncertainty creeping into his expression.

With that, the two men fell into a contemplative silence, each lost in their thoughts as they pondered the mysteries surrounding Ubel's acquisition of the formidable Blitzkrieg.

“Ah, I don’t care anymore. Maybe we will find out later in the future.”

Then both of them received an incoming call from Ubel. With a deep breath, they accepted the communication. Their expressions were neutral as Ubel's image flickered to life on the screen before him.

"Captain Creed, First Mate Bastille," Ubel greeted them, his voice carrying authority despite his youth. "I trust you're settling into your new roles?"

"Yes, Commander. We're adjusting to the changes smoothly." Creed nodded respectfully, masking any hint of doubt or hesitation.

"We're ready to follow your lead, Commander. Just say the word, and we'll make it happen." Bastille chimed in, a confident smirk playing on his lips.

"Good. We have much to discuss. Tell the entire fleet to prepare themselves in ten minutes. There's a situation I need to address with the crew. I will address all of them on their Holos. Wake up those who are asleep and stop those who are currently working, I already had the droids on their way to take over their jobs at the moment." Ubel's gaze lingered on them for a moment. His eyes betrayed a flicker of something unreadable before he nodded in approval.

As the call ended, Creed and Bastille exchanged a knowing look. Then went on their way to complete the new task that they were given.