Fracture - Book One of the Glass Galaxy Trilogy

Chapter 4: Agreement

1:54 PM

I stared at the Captain in disbelief.

"I want your help," she repeated, glancing uncomfortably at the carbine against her torso.

I pressed down harder on her remaining good arm, my armoured boot threatening to leave her unable to eat without help. "You just tried to kill me," I said incredulously.

"Not the best start to a relationship, sure, but not a first for me," she stated flatly.

"That's not a problem for you?" I responded, shocked. "There's no way I could trust you!"

She shifted her broken arm uncomfortably. "I'm a pirate, I'm used to relationships built without trust. Works better than you think."

I felt a pang of sympathy grip my chest. I knew all too well the painful distance that permeated such hollow relationships. Frail bonds like those have been my standard for a long time...

I sighed, "Still, I can't risk my, nor Aria's, life so brazenly."

"I don't expect you to. Name your own price for helping me, let that encourage you."

"Your ships are made of scrap," I scoffed. "You don't exactly project wealth."

She grinned, though it was tinged with pain, "I may not have many credits, but my mother does."

I frowned, glancing down at the Captain's leg to see blood everywhere, her armour dyed a deep scarlet. She was doing remarkably well remaining calm, but she was in danger, and her gaze was growing distant, her face pale.

"You want me to help you rob your mother?" I asked in disbelief.

She shook her head feebly, "No. I want your help overthrowing my mother. Killing her."

Aria gasped, "Matricide!?"

The Captain glanced at Aria, her eyebrows shooting up, "There's a giant spider-person! I think I've lost too much blood."

Aria glared down at her, "I'm an arachnoid, and we don't try to murder our own mothers."

The Captain took a deep breath, "Look, my mother is the leader of our pirate band, and if you help me-" she paused, her breathing labored, "If you help me overthrow her then I promise you that I will give you anything you want."

I had to respect her tenacity and will; she was doing a fine job trying to turn around her terrible situation. I pondered for a moment what I could use from her when an idea burst into my mind, rapidly growing into a scheme, and then a plan. If it went well, it would become a lot easier for me to search for Kaeya.

I stepped off of her arm, smiling, "You know, I could really use a fleet of my own."

Her snow-pale face looked up at me, confused.

"If I'm going to help you with this, then I'm the one in charge; you will be my second," I proposed.

She scowled. "And why in the hell should you be captain?"

I shook my head, holstering my carbine and stepping back from her, giving her room to breath, "No, not captain. Admiral. Accept my terms or bleed to death, your choice."

I could hear her teeth grinding together, betraying the anger beneath her calm exterior, but she grudgingly accepted my condition, "Fine, fine! You will be the leader! Now can we please hurry up with the part of this deal where I don't die?"

"Aria, please pick her up and follow me," I ordered.

"Hey, Kalani," started Alizabeth, "the pirates are-"