She begrudgingly made her way out of the chamber.

Lucius looked at his father perplexed for a moment.

“Hahaha a real chip off the old block hey? Look at those shoulders huh, strong and upright. And that scar, I bet that wasn't from fence wire huh boy? Thats a real fucking sword scar that is! Ha ha no wonder you gave my boys a hard time.” He clasped Lucius''d shoulders and seemed genuinely merry.

“What’s the matter boy? Aren’t you happy to see your old man? Ha ha i knew you’d find me I just knew it.” Although Lucius was overjoyed he couldn't help but notice how his fathers attitude had changed so quickly.

He found it somewhat unsettling.

“Dad… I've come so far… I knew you were still alive! And here you are! Where are we anyway? And who is that evil woman captaining your ship!”

“Ahhh come, come my boy, follow me and let's have a drink, we have a lot of catching up to do.”

Darius led his son into the captain's quarters where they drank and talked.

Lucius told his father of his exploits of him growing in the cheap streets many parsecs away. He told him of his adventures as a cosmic sailor, of how he made his way through the galaxy.

He told him of the jungle tavern and of the hard labour and of his beloved Avery.

He told Darius of his love lost and eventual recruitment into the navy.

Conversely Darius told his son of his exploits. Of his many adventures throughout the galaxy.

His scandalous affairs, his mishaps and fortunes whilst gliding through the stars.

These stories were exactly what Lucius expected.

His father, the legendary pirate that he imagined, galavanting through the galaxy without a care nor consequence.

Darius also told him of his run ins and tragedies at the hand of the Galactic government and of how he had become king of the pirates of the blight and how he was planning to fight back against the tyranny of the galactic core.

Lucius was torn hearing this. He thought that his father had escaped the hate that kept them in the cheap streets, he thought out here in the stars were where man could come to be free and leave the grim shadows of humanity behind.

But it wasn't quite so simple.

Those shadows seemed to follow you, the closer you get to the light of the infinite suns, the bigger they become.

This fact struck Lucius with great force, sinking his heart down to his gut as he listened to his father express his hatred and contempt whilst sitting in his dilapidated throne of jagged metal waste.

He thought of his deceased mentor Straddus, who now lay dead on the floor of a pirate bridge, being spat at, laughed over and trodden upon by pitiful brutes who didn’t know any better.

A surge of emotion raced through his heart and propelled him to action.

He interrupted as Darius spoke.

"Father! You must turn yourself in! You must pay the price for your wretchedness! Or be stuck out here agonising in your hate, grovelling in your guilt for eternity." He spoke, his own words surprising himself as much as it did his father.

His fathers mechanical eye began to turn from green to red again.

"What did you say boy?"

"Or not even turn yourself in, just come away from this… this kingdom of filth! You and I can escape into the stars, we can adventure just like the way you used to do! From the sweat of our brows and the muscle of our own backs just like you said. Lets just not stay here, hey dad?" He asked, his eyes filled with hope.

His fathers expression softened from the hollow, mechanical grimace that it held for a moment as he turned in his swivelling captain's chair.

"It's too late for me boy… this is all I've got…" he mumbled as he cradled his head in his calloused hands.

"Go now boy… go while I still have control… it's too late for me…"

"It's not dad! Come on aye!" Lucius went over to his father only to be met with a roar and a backhand so strong it sent him breaking through the table and to the door.

"I said leave!" The red eyed glowed crimson as tears streamed down the other.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

His laser pistol pointed at his own son's head.

Lucius' heart felt as heavy as an elephant on Jupiter.

Malia ran into the room following the yell and crash.

"What's the matter boss!"

Lucius pulled the storm that was his emotions into equilibrium and got to his feet, taking one last look at his father. Lucius took his fathers sword from where it was lent before bolting off down a corridor.

"Well! Are we going after him!?" Malia yelled at the old man who stood there unblinking and unfazed.

He dropped his arm and let his gun from his grasp allowing it to hit the floor.

"Boss?!" She shouted again in agitation.

"Go boy… and be the man I never could be…" his eye turned back from red to a neutral greyish blue before he sat down and swivelled his chair to face the glass window that looked out into the starless void.

Malia merely scoffed and ran out of the room.

"Take this universe, it's at your feet and ready. Ready for one like you." He said in a low grumble before biting the cork off of a bottle of rum and sculling it down.

Lucius began to race his way through the rum soaked maze that was the pirate fortress.

He had studied a map on his fathers table whilst they spoke and headed for the brigg to free his crew once again, hoping they weren't dead already.

In hot pursuit was Malia, a rageful, predatory glint in her eyes.

Suddenly red lights began to flash and an alarm screeched through the hallways.

Giant gates slammed shut in front of Luicus blocking the path in front of him and when he turned he saw Malia standing in front of a gate shutting behind her as well.

She drew her sword with a smile and began to strutt towards her prey.

This time Lucius was ready and drew his father's sword, taking a defensive parrying stance that Straddus had taught him.

She launched herself at him in a flurry.

Her sword slicing through the air where Lucius was milliseconds ago.

She was fast, Lucius could barely dodge in time and with her last deadly pirouette she caught the outer layer of his cheek.

She was no ordinary swordsman, behind the taunting smile and malicious showmanship there lay a ruthless, cold, practised killer.

Lucius took an attacking pose and launched himself at her in a rapid flurry of feints and slashes, only to cut through nothing but air.

She was even faster than he had thought.

Suddenly the tip of her blade came whistling through the air, Lucius just found his balance in time to dodge before his chest cavity would have been opened like a can of fish.

She chuckled mirthlessly.

“Is this all you’ve got? This is what the old man let live? A pitiful progeny you are. Oh well, all the more fun for me!” She dashed forward and launched another series of attacks on Lucius.

He dodged and countered where he could but ended up catching a slash on the chest sending him into a moment of agony.

Another chuckle from Malia.

Let the blood from the tip of her blade drop into her mouth.

He took that as an opportunity to attack and swung his own blade in a frenzy towards his enemy, but to no avail.

He was outmatched and he knew it.

He looked around the corridor frantically for any escape but the chamber was sealed shut.

He let out a sigh of desperation before gathering himself in a grimm resolve.

If this was to be it, it would not be in vain.

He would take this demoness with him.

She smiled again, the red blaring lights around them reflecting off of her bio-enhanced, metallic sword arm.

Just as the two were about to clash, the alarms abruptly stopped, the lights went dark and the doors began to open.

The two stood there equally confused for a moment.

“Go my boy, your time has just begun…” An old, deep voice crackled through the speakers.

“Father…” He whispered before bolting off down the corridor.

He heard Malia screaming in a fit of rage as he made his way through the dark maze, down to the brig.

The lights began to sequentially reactivate from behind him and he could see he had lost the woman.

He did not slow his pace though.

Much to his surprise he bumped into a dozen or so of his crew mates, led by a strong young soldier, Dominic.

With an excited sense of relief Lucius hugged him.

“Haha! What are you doing here? How did you escape by god?”

“Well we were all awaiting execution until the alarm blared, all the guards ran off and then the gates suddenly just opened a second ago. We're making our way up to the shipyard to escape! Honestly never thought I would see you again though boss!” He informed Lucius as they smiled and clasped hands together.

The festivities were cut short though as the sound of pirates running approached from the dark corridors.

Malia’s raging voice spurring them on.

“Quickly! We need a ship!” Lucius ordered.

They began to make their way to the shipyard.

The pirates, being more familiar with the ship, had caught up and were right on their heels.

Malia could be heard screaming orders at her blood crazed lackeys.

"Quickly! Through here!" They had made their way to the shipyard.

Lucius created a shortcut by busting the window to the dock with the hilt of his blade before jumping down into the hanger.

His crew followed in a swift manner.

"Quickly over there!" He pointed towards a small surveillance vessel docked relatively near and began to make a run for it.

All of a sudden a flash of red fizzled passed his ear and left a burn mark on the floor in front of him.

He looked back. Pirates! They were in the hanger, led by the she-devil herself.

"Fire!" She screamed as she pulled her own las cannon out and began letting it loose.

There was laser fire everywhere as the crew ran in desperation to the vessel.

Lucius took out a pistol and fired back in reply.

He miraculously made it there unscathed and gave cover fire while waiting for his crew.

A few of them made it whole but some weren't so lucky being gunned down or maimed on their marathon to freedom.

Malia screamed in anger before taking half of her henchmen and heading to the control terminal.

Ordering the other half to keep firing at Lucius and his crew.

"Up we go men!" He shouted, urging his crew up the rope ladder and into the ship.

He was the last one up, waiting for the enemy to reload before holstering his pistol and scurrying up the ladder faster than an eight armed monkey.

As soon as he made it in he rushed to the cockpit where Dominic sat strapped in as co pilot.

"Nice work men. Now, get the engines!" His exhausted yet desperate crew hurried about, hoisting the small sails and priming the fusion engine.

The alarm started blaring through the hanger again and the entry door began to close.

Lucius swivelled the craft around, confident they had enough time to float out before the gates shut on them.

Just as he had turned he saw in through the window to the control panel, a smiling Malia holding a rifle steady on her shoulder.

"Bye bye little boy…"

She pulled the trigger and with pinpoint accuracy she destroyed one of the pulse engines.

The ship's own alarm now blaring rapidly as they began to slowly descend to the hanger floor.

"Abandon ship! We must find another! Before it's too late!" Dominic yelled in a panic.

Lucius looked around the hanger frantically, the nearest ship was at least another five hundred yards away and the grates were closing fast, there was no way they would make it in time.

"No." He said calmly and resolutely.

"What do you mean no! Do you intend for us to die?!" Dominic became dramatic, he looked like a tomato being squeezed.

"I mean no! Men! Overload the fusion generator and prime the rear pulse engine, we're getting way out of here." He said with a confidence and calm that could only be described as insane.

Dominic looked at him in disbelief, now as white as snow.

"We're gonna die…" he mumbled out before Lucius gave a manic smile.

"A wise man once said, dying is the day worth living for!" He slammed down the pulse engine button and pushed the pulse lever to maximum.

Suddenly he could see Malia’s disbelieving face scratch and contort with the environment around them as they accelerated to unimaginable speeds.

The crew screamed in confusion and braced as reality around them became warped.

And suddenly they stopped.

Surrounded by bright shining star clusters and colourful cosmic dust, the fusion generator had blown in order to get them trillions of kilometres away from the blight.

Looking out through the cockpit window they were now in the inner clusters.

Safely sailing through the void in silence.

Everyone let out a collective sigh before all yelling out a big "hurrah!"

They had made it.

Lucius looked down at his crew with a smile, they all looked up at him, admiration in their eyes. They were his crew now. This was his ship.

And in front of him lay a whole universe of wonders.

"Well sir.. what now?" Dominic asked.

Lucius looked around with a cheerful smile.

"How long will it take to repair this vessel?" He asked.

"No more than a couple of standard hours sir!" Came back an eager voice.

He looked out into the stars.

'Tinkle tinkle' the sound of the compass as he pulled it out and pointed in front of him.

"Well what are you waiting for you bunch of beached whale barnacles! Hoist the colours and fix that bloody engine!"

The end.