“Rose, are you ok?” asked Ferf in a concerned tone of voice, as he came running down the hall. “Ugh, I’m fine, how’s everyone else?” Asked Rose as she got up slowly, feeling sore almost every where possible. “Everyone’s fine Rose, there a bit shaken up but that’s normal under the circumstances.” responded Ferf “Alright, I want a full health report on everyone on this ship. Then a ship scan and check over once we reach Nexus HQ.” Said Rose as she made her way to the bridge.
“How long till we reach Nexus HQ?” Brick asked one of the crew members monitoring the navigation systems. “Not long sir, we should be there any minute now.” responded the crewmen “Good, let me know when we get within viewing range.” Responded Brick, as he turned around he saw Roseanne come into the room. She was very beaten up, though she wasn’t about to admit it; Brick also noticed that the Nexus Guards who had stayed behind with Rose hadn’t returned.
“How’s she doing Brick?” asked Rose as she approached the captains chair. “Good, aside from shield power being low she doesn’t have a scratch. I can’t say the same for you though, you doing ok?” asked Brick. “I’m fine, right now we have to worry about the others.” said Rose as she motioned for Brick to leave the chair. “Captain, we are approaching Nexus HQ.” reported the crewmen whom Brick spoke to earlier.
“Very good, have Ferf, Doom, Zax, Atom, Brick, and Matt meet me at the landing port.” Ordered Rose as she stepped down once more from the captains chair. “Yes captain I’ll be sure too....” The crewmen would have finished but was interrupted by a sudden communication coming through the ships emergency frequency. “Hello, is anyone there? This is Zach, Flex has been infected but I think he’ll be ok. Some of his friends Alec and Christopher were able to assist me. We are at Nexus HQ now, Flex is with Alec and Chris who have taken him into Flora Nightgale’s office.” Said Zach with the biggest breath he could.
“Zach this is Rose, we have just landed at Nexus HQ and are coming in. Tell Flora not to let anyone near Flex till we arrive.” ordered Rose over the communicator. “Ok I’ll let them know you're here.” said Zach, then he turned off the communicator and went to tell Flora.
Meanwhile back on the pirate ship, captained now by the mysterious skeleton known only as the Master. The previous captain, Goggles has just awoken from his sudden unconsciousness.
“Ugh, what happened?” asked Goggles as he slowly regained consciousness. “You were about to ruin a perfectly good plan, so I had to knock you out.” Answered the Master. “Huh, perfect plan; If it’s was so perfect then why isn’t the crew of the Nexus imperium in the brig and there ship being probe for parts? And how were you able to knock me out in the first place? None of my crew would dare lay a hand on me!” Restored Goggles so was even more sore at the Master then he had been previously.
“So many questions, but I expected so questioning of my plans, for the sake of time I’ll put my answers in terms you can easily comprehend. You see pirating a vessel weather sea or spacecraft is a fairly easy venture and can be accomplished with minimal planning and often is very rewarding, if done correctly. That is why I have recently been assisting your crew, you have a very good system of pirating that will be a very good use to me later on.
At this time though I didn’t need you to pirate the Nexus Imperium, I gave most of your men a good battle and fighting chance. But I needed the Nexus Imperium in one piece to ensure us safe passage into Nexus Harbor. Now that is has landed you may pillage it once we arrive.” Said the Master.
“I see, but you still haven’t told me how I was knocked out without being hit.” Retorted Goggles still recovering and trying to get up to date on his ship and crew’s current state. “As you probably recall I have been with you for several months prior to this attack, so I have had the opportunity to inplace within each of you a tiny bit of Maelstrom. It isn’t much of course but enough for me to decommission anyone who gets in the way of my plans.” Answered the Master
“I see, I guess that there isn’t much I can do to relieve you of the command you so rudely took up!” Shouted Goggles feeling betrayed at the least. “No there isn’t, I know this may seem like a total betrayal but I do have within my plan many benefits for you and your crew to pay you back for you help and trouble.” The Master replied. “There better be some benefits, if there isn’t then I’ll do whatever I can to see you don’t get any where near my ship again!” Shouted Goggles once more.
“Don’t worry we should be reaping on the benefits any minutes.” said the Master. “Huh, how do you plan to do that with us just sitting here?” Goggles asked the Master slightly teasing him. “We’ll first we’ll get this ship moving, then using so Maelstrom mechanics will take on the form of the Nexus Imperium, then the terribly wounded Roseann will get in touch with Nexus HQ; requesting landing permission.” Said the Master, while he was listing of the steps Allen and Finely were firing up the engines and preparing for hyperspace.
“Alright we’re on our way, agh Master, now what?” asked Goggles, struggling to call the Skeletal being Master. “N ow we change shape, and make the call.” Retorted the Master as the pirate ship changed into an exact copy of the Nexus Imperium, then he turned on the communicator, and everyone within the pirate crew was dumbfounded by the sound of the Master’s voice.
“Hello, hello, this is Roseann, captain Roseann of the Nexus Imperium. My crew and ship are injured and very badly damaged, I would like to request permission to land in Nexus Harbor.” Said the Master in the voice, of Roseann Shadowflame.