The Price of Victory...
Elisis was in the infirmary, it was the least she could do since the last time Nimbus had helped her when she got injured fighting the ether monster.
The place felt like hell; nurses ran back and forth, taking care of the wounded, and many soldiers moaned and screamed in pain, waiting for attention. Nurse Cristiane couldn't manage to organize the entire nursing staff of the ship to attend to the most severe cases. At that moment, Dr. Leonardo was examining Nimbus, who was unconscious on a stretcher.
— What's wrong with him, Dr.? Is he going to go blind?
Dr. Leonardo examined Nimbus' eyes, illuminating them and looking through a lens.
— I don't believe so. It seems he used his vision very intensely, causing some small hemorrhages in the capillaries that supply the eyeballs. A few days of rest, and he should be able to see normally.
— Hemorrhage? What could have caused it?
— I don't know; I've never seen anything like it. But under the guidance of Sir Lonios received from the soldiers who brought Nimbus here, we just need to sedate him a bit and let him rest. But if you'll excuse me, I have more severe cases to attend to. He'll be fine.
Noticing that everything was okay, Elisis left the infirmary. She had men to command, and the ship needed to be put in order.
She couldn't believe what had happened. Sir Adon had been the greatest hero she had ever seen in her life, and she had never witnessed anything more spectacular than his last charge against the enemy bridge. It was then that she approached the corridor leading to the bridge ascent, and in the middle of it were Lonios hugging a Valeros she didn't recognize. He looked like a frightened child crying on his father's shoulder. To get noticed, she began to quicken her steps in the corridor, and the two separated.
It was at that moment that she realized Adon was very important to Valeros. He had raised him since childhood as a squire; his love was now devastated. The relationship between knights and their masters was completely different from that between an Amazon and her squire. We were raised to be weapons, tools; our masters had no compassion or connection with their squires. If one didn't survive, it was just a matter of going to an orphanage and getting another disposable girl for the mission. This was even true for Elisis, who was a squire to her mother, who never showed a smile of affection to her.
So, even without knowing what Valeros was feeling and without saying a word, Elisis approached and hugged her love with all the strength she had, even getting emotional with the fragility that this man, who seemed so strong, was expressing now.
At that moment, the alarm began to sound on the Brand, two tolls; more pirates were approaching. Still a little shaken by that moment, Elisis ran to the bridge and, upon arriving there, looked out the window.
— Report! — It wasn't the time for emotions; it was a time for action. The girl ordered her subordinates with a commanding tone; now she was the officer in charge of Brand's security, the greatest responsibility she had ever had in her life.
— Commander, we have only thirty percent of our operational forces. We can mobilize about fifty percent of our soldiers if we count the less severe injuries. — Lieutenant Ka responded.
— Brand has several hull damages, giving us an eighty percent structural integrity. In terms of ammunition, we have seventy percent of our reserves, which would give us a few hours of combat. — First Lieutenant Wenra addressed her request.
— Then mobilize the Brand, Lieutenant; we need every man.
— Commander, you don't understand, we can't fight against that ship in our current situation. The enemies are not yet incarcerated, and we can't leave them unattended. In that ship, the danger of them taking it and having two ships fighting against us is high. — Lonios intervened, despite having resigned from the position.
— Then let's flee.
— I'm afraid it's not possible either. That ship — Lonios pointed to the ship standing on the horizon — is of the Vengeance class, a Frigate with a lot of firepower and very fast. We would be easily shot down from a distance by them. If only we had the Peregrino.
— What do you suggest, then?
— We should try to negotiate. A direct attack during negotiation would be an alternative, as we would be easily defeated due to the enemy's superior mobility.
— Do you think they will want to negotiate?
— I think that's why they haven't attacked us yet and why they're moving so slowly up there.
— Probably, the ship we defeated is part of their group, am I right?
— Without a doubt.
— Do something, you useless bunch! — the captain shouted incredulously at their conversation.
— You shut up. — Lonios approached the old captain, and he stayed quiet, anticipating another blow that would knock him unconscious. Elisis smiled; now Lonios was no longer a subordinate of the ship, perhaps just a passenger.
— Send a truce call on the radio to them; we'll go in a lifeboat to talk.
After the truce request was accepted through the radio transmission between the ships, Elisis, Lonios, Valeros, and, after much insistence, Captain Jones boarded a lifeboat and headed towards the enemy boat, which was positioned halfway between the two ships.
As they approached, a middle-aged man awaited them on a platform. Lifted by a hot air balloon near the ether, along with five more guards, he grinned mockingly.
— I see you've noticed the superiority of my ship, wise decision. Who's in charge here?
Elisis made a move to speak, but the captain interrupted.
— I am in command of this vessel. I would like to say that we accept your surrender. If not, my men will kill all the pirates captured aboard our ship. — Jones had stolen Lonios' plan and pointed to the men on the deck under the threat of guns and swords.
— Do you really think I care about them? They are pirates; you can kill them all. Thousands dream of sailing under my command. Surrender, I only want your ship.
— My ship, my ass. — Captain Jones pulled out the weapon he carried and aimed it at the pirate leader.
In the blink of an eye and before the captain could raise his weapon, he dropped it to the ground, while the pirate had his hand pointed at him, and a dagger was lodged in the captain's chest. Not knowing what happened, he looked at Elisis, staggered, and fell from the lifeboat, disappearing into the ether. Elisis had never seen anything like it; no one is so fast. It seemed like the pirate had acted before the captain drew his weapon.
But one thing made her more irritated: the damn captain had ruined everything. They had lost the element of surprise; now the pirates were alert. They wouldn't be able to kill that entourage. For the last and decisive time, the captain would have put everything at risk, trying to steal the glory for himself. Elisis removed the daggers she had prepared to throw from behind her back.
— Good idea, girl, that's a wise decision. As you've noticed, I am superior to you. You can't surprise me.
The pirate was right; his speed surpassed that of Valeros, by far the fastest among them.
— I repeat, do we have a deal now? Who's in charge?
— I am. — Elisis answered with a thoughtful bowed head.
This couldn't be happening; the lives of hundreds of people were in her hands, and according to Lonios, they would certainly be shot down if they engaged in combat against that pirate. The safety of the people was the priority.
— Well, well, such a young lady. So, what do you say?
— We surrender.
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Pirate Lord