Bullets fizzled past my ear as I darted back to those loyal to my ship.

"Give her cover," Darian shouted. More bullets flew by me in the opposite direction. As I slid behind our barrier shield, Darian asked, "how are the others?"

I spit blood and wiped my mouth before answering. "Dead. Gridde executed them point-blank." Darian looked over his shoulder and sighed. I nodded. "We're the only five left."

"That leaves five of us. Jenny isn't in any condition to fight, and you're starting to get beat up as well."

I laughed. "You should see your brother. No amount of technology will let him walk again."

"David, that vurt..."

"Hey, I'm still captain of this ship, and I still don't want to hear that kind of language."

"Aye."

"We need to get Jenny out of here."

"But they are blocking the pods," Matt said after ducking away from another volley.

I pulled two grenades from my holster. "I managed to pull two from the armory. We can distract them, but we need to time it just right. Will you be ready on my mark?"

Darian, Matt, and Kylisa all nodded. We assumed Jenny would agree, but she fainted from loss of blood. Darian and Matt picked her up delicately, and Kylisa unloaded a volley at the mutineers. I pulled both of the pins, and counted to four before throwing them over the shield. They exploded just over out enemies heads, and they shouted in pain and ducked for cover. Now was our chance.

Everyone bolted for the blast doors, and I came up in the rear to cover the men carrying Jenny. I could hear the mutineers moaning, but we didn't have time for a counter-attack As everyone passed the threshold, I slammed the controls and blasted it with my gun.

I heard Darian shouting from the other side, "What are you doing!?"

"They're not taking my ship!"

I could barely hear his response as I ran down another corridor, "Then what are we taking the escape pods for?"

In case I fail...

I passed through another threshold and locked the doors, but the mutineers fired a volley that pierced below by knee just before the doors sealed. It convulsed in reaction.

Those vurt mutineers! ... "Heh. I didn't hear it."

"But you were thinking it."

Within microseconds, I heard a terrible screeching of metal on metal, the power went out, and someone's voice whom I didn't want to hear spoke. I didn't have time to react before a heavy object hit me over the head. Because of my weakened knee, I fell down to the ground, but quickly sat myself up with my right arm. A fully charged Titanium Saw cackled and sparked inches in front of me. With all the commotion, I hadn't noticed that the bullet hit my leg from the wrong side.

"You're not going to take my ship." I stated defiantly.
[PICTURE INTERMISSION]
I heard David chuckle, "it's your ship or your life."

I turned my head and spat blood where I thought David's face would be. "You're not taking my ship." I raised my gun as quickly as I could, but I never got to pull the trigger. I saw his glasses gleam, before my head hit the floor. I heard him laugh as he hobbled away on an improvised prosthetic. "I think I'm taking both!"

I never got to hear my body slump to the floor.

I couldn't breathe, but I wasn't uncomfortable; that made me uncomfotable. I opened my eyes and saw the world in a purple haze. "Interesting. I was hoping death would be better than this."

"Mira?"

"Strange, or bad. Darian is here too."

"How are you feeling Mira?"

Darian wasn't just dead too, he was here with me. I turned my head, and the kaleidoscopic haze materialized Darian into view. A room was forming around him, but it was so blurry that I couldn't make it out.

"Where am I?"

"You're not dead, but... well... here..." He offered me a mirror. I took it and gazed into my reflection. I didn't like what I saw.

"WHY IS MY HEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF MY BODY?!"

"Now, before you get angry let's figue out the other business..."

"DARIAN!!! I'M GETTING ANGRY!"

"Then let's quickly take care of the other business."

I was angry, confused, but I quickly realized what he was talking about. "How's Jenny? Where are we?"

I heard Jenny towards my right. She was back to her typically bright mood. "I'm fine, Mira! I'm here. They weren't able to save my arm, but I'm well."

I nodded, and asked again. "Where are we? What happened?"

"I stayed behind," Darian stated, "I knew what you were going to do." I looked down at my lap. It was a lot closer than it should've been. "I snuck around the ship going through the armory. I knew David wouldn't have stayed there, and the rest of the mutineers were already accounted for. When I found the darkened hallway, I hoped I would find one of you dead; I didn't expect it to be you."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I dragged you back to the matter immobilizers and put your body in one stasis, and your head in another. I sent the pods en route to Shev."

"You brought me to a witch?"

"We didn't have a choice," Darian said.

"It get's worse, Mira," Kylisa added.

"David called Shev. He didn't know we were there, but he offered more than triple our pay for her to not assist us. She kicked us out shortly after."

"I had constructed that device to sustain Jenny's arm, but after Shev, we realized that you were more important than an arm," Matt interjected.

"Sorry Jenny."

"Don't worry. I consider this an upgrade thanks to Matt."

I looked up at Darian and processed this information. Shev preserved me, but David paid her to stop, and instead of saving Jenny's arm, they saved me; that explains my current state. I'll have to ask Shev why my head was shrunken and stuffed into some crystal. I was grateful, but Darian shouldn't have come back for me.

"You shouldn't have done that. Only a sibel..."

"Mira! Mind your language."

"I'm the captain; I make the rules..."

"My house; my rules. You were dead; I'm the captain."

I looked up at Darian, not with anger, but with pride. That said, 'I' was the captain thus, my mouth instinctively said, "You're going to relinquish that authority very quickly."

"Aye; I am. But that rule stays."

I smiled. "Fine. I'm sorry. What is my punishment, Captain?"

"Hearing you say that is punishment enough." He always had a sense of humor. Darian turned to the others and said, "I nominate Mira, once again among the living, to be captain over us, and those who fly with us. All in favor?" Around the room, I saw that Darian raised his hand, Matt raised his hand, Jenny waved her hand, and Kylisa raised hers. "Mira?"
[PICTURE INTERMISSION]
I laughed. "My arms are already over my head. What more do you want?"

"We want to follow you, Captain."

I looked down to hide my face. I have never been more proud of my crew than now. I stood up and nodded. "Well, let's go see this witch. Where's your ship?"

"Uh... you might want to fly in the back. It's fairly tempermental."

"I'm the captain... wait... what's fairly tempermental?"

Darian looked down sheepishly, but his next statement was quite blunt. "You are."

"It breaks? The machine keeping me alive breaks?!"

"Yes."

I sighed. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I knew there was a reason I liked you."

"Because I'm stupid?"

"Of course not! Your lack of safety protocols. I never liked rules myself. I just made some so I wouldn't have to listen to you guys argue and whine. But it's clear to me that you can govern yourselves with ease. And that makes me proud. You don't need rules anymore."

"But that rule stays, Captain?"

I smiled. "Aye, that rule stays."