“I think I’ve almost…” muttered Arsha as she used her magic to fiddle with the tumblers inside her chains’ locks. Just then, the chains opened and she was freed! “Got it!” she quietly cheered. She then got to work on Bashoon and Yotek’s chains. “Hm, smart,” she mused. “They used different locks for each of our chains.”
“Well, hurry up!” hissed Yotek.
“Don’t rush me!” snapped Arsha. “Lockpicking is very delicate, even when using magic!” The chains then fell from Bashoon as she rubbed her wrists. Arsha then went to Yotek as Bashoon kept watch. Just then, the cell door slid open. Everyone in the cell stopped and stared at the new entry, scared stiff! The new guy was a disheveled Frostik male.
“Uh oh,” gulped Bashoon. The Frostik then looked at Arsha and grinned. He then held his hand out. Arsha then gingerly stepped forward and held her hand out, then the Frostik lightly touched the back of his hand to hers. Arsha then held her other hand above the hands touching their backsides and the Frostik pressed his other palm to hers. They then clasped hands, twirled, and jumped up, clapping each other’s hands.
“Morla, what are you…?” cheered Arsha before he held his finger to his lips.
“Rescue attempt!” he whispered in explanation. “I’m supposed to take you to ‘Reb’ for ‘interrogation’.”
“Well, don’t just stand there,” whispered Arsha as she put her wrists together. “Take us away.”
“One sec,” urged Morla. He then strode towards Yotek and slapped handcuffs onto his wrists while he cast an illusion spell on Arsha and Bashoon’s wrists.
“Wait, why’s my Ex getting real cuffs?” asked Bashoon.
“It WILL become clear to you, I promise,” replied Morla, “but, right now, we need to get to the Endeavor. This way.” He led the three through the main stronghold. As they walked, Arsha noticed members of her crew being led away in the same general direction.
“You move fast,” she whispered.
“Frigandor Militia operations,” mused Bashoon. “Smart and secret.”
“Not so secret,” countered Morla. When he was a safe distance, he pulled out his wand and fired a flare. The other pirates turned to him.
“SECRECY IS NO LONGER NECESSARY!” bellowed a voice. “ATTACK!” The Militia shed their disguises, tossed wands to the Endeavor’s crew, and they began a massive firefight!
“SECURITY BREACH!” screamed one of the pirates.
“Oh, dear Melgem, this whole day has been SO stressful!” sighed Reb as she and Melgem relaxed in a tub filled with her slime. She had positioned herself onto his lap so she would allow his arms to wrap around her. “They simply DON’T appreciate what I’m doing here. All I want is to make my way in this MESSY world. Is that so wrong?”
“Of course not, my Crimson Queen,” assured Melgem as he gave his wife a shoulder massage. A moan escaped Reb’s lips as she shut her eyes. “Realmfleet, for some odd reason,” continued Melgem, “can’t seem to grasp that what we do IS right, making sure our clients are happy in some fashion.”
“Yes, somehow, it has to be by their OUTRAGEOUS standards,” sighed Reb. “Can’t they understand that THEIR methods are just too strict? Too…too…” she tried to find the right word.
“Rigid?” supplied Melgem.
“THAT’S the word,” replied Reb.
“ADMIRAL!” screamed a voice. An Incubus burst into the room, then proceeded to yelp and cover his eyes while Reb and Melgem screamed, turning away from him.
“MARTAKAN! PRIVATE TIME!” shouted Reb.
“We have a rule about Private Time!” snapped Melgem.
“Sorry!” replied the Incubus, Martakan, as he turned around. “But this is too important! The Frigandor Militia’s infiltrated the stronghold! The crew of the Endeavor is free! They’re fighting back!”
“WHAT?!” shouted Reb. She collapsed her slime into a skintight suit with tendrils coming out of the back. Melgem snapped his fingers and his clothes appeared back on his body. Reb grabbed her cutlass and flintlock wand harness. She set her wand into the harness and pulled the hammer back. “Come on!” she ordered as she set her scarlet tricorn on her head.
The fight was still going on. All Endeavor crewmates and Militia members were fighting their way through the pirates. “Are we even making any progress?!” muttered Bashoon.
“It’s slow and steady,” remarked Arsha.
“Well, I wish it would hurry!” snapped Bashoon.
“I want this to end too,” replied Arsha, “but rushing it will bring about a whole mess of casualties.”
“Admiral inbound!” called a pirate. Arsha just barely ducked from Reb’s cutlass. She blocked the next swing with her own sword.
“You just couldn’t accept my GENEROUS hospitality, could you?!” snarled Reb.
“You kidnapped me and my crew!” Arsha shouted back. “You stranded my ship! You tried to sell us off!”
“And you would have been FINE!” argued Reb as she shoved Arsha backwards. “Instead, you make a mockery of my fleet AND myself! Your DREADFUL actions are nothing short of RUDE!”
“You want rude?!” snapped Arsha as she ran forward, swinging her sword. “I’ll show you rude!” Their blades clashed as Reb blocked while Arsha tried to find an opening. Bashoon was trying to keep the pirates off of hers and Yotek’s backsides.
“Will you fight back already?!” she snapped to Yotek.
“If I were free, I would!” snapped Yotek.
“Don’t!” urged Morla as he shot a pair of pirates.
“Why not?!” snapped Bashoon.
“Because he’s…!” Morla didn’t complete his sentence as a wand blast hit near his foot. The offending pirate tackled him and the two tussled.
“That’s it, keep fighting,” muttered Yotek as he got away. He pulled out a communicator and chanted an unlock spell, letting his chains fall away. “Operative Yotek at the Scarlet Stream Pirate Fleet Stronghold to Supreme Under-Splitter Ansark.” Ansark’s face filled the screen.
“Report,” boomed Ansark.
“Phase 2 is well underway,” reported Yotek. “The Scarlet Stream Pirates and the crew of the Endeavor are engaged in battle.”
“Splendid,” replied Ansark.
“There’s more,” continued Yotek. “The Frigandor Militia is here, led by Delga himself.”
“Delga?” remarked Ansark. “Now this IS a turn of events I can enjoy. How fares the battle?”
“Too much chaos…for them,” reported Yotek. “Phase 3 can commence.”
“Well, don’t keep me waiting!” cheered Ansark. “Destroy them!”
“With pleasure!” grinned Yotek as he cast a spell to disintegrate his chains.