Beauty.

Danger.

Death.

These were the first words to enter CAL’s mind upon laying eyes on the infamous pirate queen. Much to his surprise, she was human, Japanese to be specific, though the question of whether she was a live or dead one remained unanswered as the porcelain, grey pallor of her skin gave her a deathly appearance. Clad in a mixture of a fine, blue silk dress, ornate patterns weaved into the very soul of the dress, and black leather armor.

CAL stared uncomfortably at the leather as it seemed to squirm and writhe as she moved. A large part of him hoped it was crafted from animals, however, the occasional semblance of a face screaming in silence as it flowed across the padding, filled him with a sick sense of doubt and despair.

Luckily enough for him, her long silver hair brought attention away from the morbidly dubious armor. Even pinned up with a pearl crown pin, her hair stretched down below her shoulders. A single strapless eye patch adorned her right eye, matching her blue dress perfectly. Everything about her was a class act in power through appearance, a fact reinforced as she exited the doors to the docks, and the chains attached to her waist became visible.

Being unwillingly dragged behind her were four people. The first, a human female whose arms had been forcibly torn off, evident by the skinned broken bones jutting out of the stumps of her arms. Her jaw and eyes had also been removed, leaving her tongue hanging and a bloody tear filled cloth over her eyes. The second was a Demia, his entire body was impaled with a multitude of barbed mechanical spears, each rotating slowly in his flesh, leaving a trail of bodily fluids behind him. The Third, a massive Tiger-like humanoid, whose chest and back were skinned to the bone, revealing a hollow ribcage save for a single haunting green light. The same green light which filled his zombie-like gaze. The last one could barely be called a person, being merely a wheeled container of organs and blood. The same sickening green light filled the container as well.

Dragging the unwilling dregs across the crimson carpet, she stopped three quarters of the way up it’s length. Tapping her foot twice, four more of the bone plated warriors quickly entered the docks, carrying with all their strength an enormous throne. Crafted from the finest black gold, and thousands of skulls from a plethora of beings. The backrest topped with the monstrous visage of a draconic skull. The struggling warriors set the tomb of a throne down with meticulous care, each walking to their grim mistress and lifting her into the throne with grace and dignity. Hooking her dregs to the sides of the throne.

Several moments of silence passed as she sat in her throne, gazing attentively at the gathering before her. Broken only by her hauntingly psychopathic laughter.

“Right then, shall we get this splatter party started?”

Her voice was cruelly deep yet stunningly sultry, strong enough to weaken the resolve of even the most resilient men. British in tone and inflection, CAL could swear he heard a second voice echoing her every word.

“Naught! What a dear you are to present these prisoners to me personally.”

The monolithic Sanctus stood before the prisoners, gesturing for her to inspect them. CAL was so focused on the presentation before him, he failed to notice Naught leave the room.

“These are the remaining pirates and raiders from Negas’ crew. While many of them are from his original armada, a majority are slaves forced to fight from various planets he raided prior to his stranding on Durst. I present them to you as required by the Treaties of Slaad and Sload. Though I humbly request mercy and kind judgment be taken into consideration, when making your final decision.”

Alt, now standing next to CAL and Wahno in the viewing platform, looked down on the situation with disgust.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Ugh, I hate how much he freaking prostrates himself before her. It’s degrading!”

Pious placed a hand on her shoulder. “You know he has to, as temperamental as Calica is on a good day, a single misstep could start a war.”

Calica laughed again, gesturing for Naught to leave. “Thank you Naughty-Waughty, you always know how to show a girl the respect she deserves, but I don’t need you down here anymore. Let me “consider” your plea and I’ll make my judgment in a couple minutes.”

“Thank you Calica, we eagerly await your judgment.”

Naught walked back through the Prisoners and into the elevator as Calica relaxed into her chair.

Back up top, everyone waited with baited breath as she sat in silence.

“I-Is she actually considering mercy?” Wahno said eagerly, practically pressing his forehead against the glass.

“Knowing that psycho bitch, I doubt it.” Alt crossed her arms pensively awaiting the verdict.

As the others spoke, CAL’s focus was on a single person, Izsabella. She almost stood right in front of Calica, only two slots to the right of staring at her eye to eye.

CAL and everyone’s else’s attention snapped to Calica as she stood up from her throne.

“So I thought it over, and I have come to the conclusion that green is dead, until I change my mind, the color of the day is red!”

“Shit…” Wahno said solemnly.

“That’s that then.” Alt added walking back over to the couch.

“Those poor souls.” Pious slowly floated away from the window.

“”Wait! What does she mean?!”

CAL asked with genuine confusion. Getting his answer as he heard the screams of the prisoners below him. He turned back to the glass, quickly wishing he didn’t as the sight before him was a horror show. She was dismembering and skinning the prisoners one by one, making her way to each one as they attempted to break their chains and flee.

“All of you pathetic excuses for pirates should have died with that bird faced shit stain Negas! Since he wasn’t kind enough to bring his junkrat ass up here for me to personally kill him. I’ll settle for turning you all into new wall decorations.”

CAL slammed the glass angrily, watching the slaughterhouse below.

“Is there really nothing you can do to stop her?! She is killing everyone out there! It’s not even killing, she is barbarically torturing them!”

Pious poured herself a glass of water, trying her best not to look directly at the window. “Politically, she has all the cards. Our hands are tied, if we get involved there is no limit to the amount of galaxy wide destruction she can cause.”

“Yeah man, as far as we are concerned Tetra’s Blades can’t do a damned thing to stop her.”

CAL looked back to the window, placing a hand on the window, watching Calica effortlessly cut off Izsabella’s arm before driving her rapier deep into her shoulder. The poor girl crying out in pain and pitifully attempting to pull the blade out of her chest.

The lights on CAL’s body shifted from their standard white, to a deep crimson. His fingers cracking the glass, he whispered under his breath.

“Then it’s a good thing I never signed on to the team.”

Calica grabbed Izsabella by the neck, lifting her into the air as she twisted the blade deeper into her flesh.

“It has been so long since I have had a nice Demia Skin rug, and you’re so young too. Lots of fresh flexible space to grow.”

She cackled, moving her blade through her body and closer to her spinal column.

Her cackling was cut short as she felt the hard metal boot of CAL’s shoe violently crash into the right side of her face. Dropping Izsabella and her blade as she went flying across the docks.

Carefully grabbing Izsabella, he pulled the blade out of her, broke her chains and set her down next to several of the cowering prisoners.

“I really wasn’t expecting to survive that.” She said weakly, passing out from the pain.

CAL Laughed, “And I wasn't expecting to save you.”

Breaking CAL’s line of thought was the pulsating force of power emanating from behind him, and the stern rage of Calica’s voice.

“Who the fuck are you?”