The ship has been flying for about ten minutes now. Sebastian is very confused because it seems as though the majority of the crew has gathered in this room with him.

Who’s flying the ship?

There is chatter throughout the room. Several of the pirates, including Dusty, smoke cigarettes. June sharpens her knife. Ringo enters the room with a grim expression on his face. His eyes briefly lock on Sebastian, then quickly look away. He walks up to Dusty, leans in close and whispers something into her ear, then steps away.

Following behind Ringo, heavy footsteps descend from the main stairwell. The mood of the room suddenly changes. Everyone stops talking and stands at attention. There are several stomps on the ship’s metal floor as cigarettes are extinguished. The heavy footsteps continue to grow louder and louder. Ringo steps back towards the stairs.

Emerging from the darkness, Captain Indigo steps down from above. Her eyes are obscured, yet she seems to be scanning the room carefully. She stops when she faces Sebastian. She stands completely still for a moment.

"Captain." Ringo speaks first.

"Who is that?" The Captain asks. Her voice is gentle and steady, yet it carries a presence that overtakes the entire room.

"He’s… a hostage—" Ringo attempts to answer.

"He’s some lune that Dusty brought along with us!" June interjects with a devious smile.

"Yeah. He’s some lune that Dusty brought in. Apparently, he can cook." Ringo says.

The Captain is quiet. Her posture relaxes. "Dusty."

Dusty’s shoulders become tense. She takes a nervous step forward, then half a step back as the Captain approaches her.

"Yes, Captain?" Dusty answers.

"Your… implausible plan actually worked. Good job getting the fuel. You too, June." The Captain says.

"Thank you, ma'am." Dusty and June say in unison.

The Captain returns her focus towards Dusty. "You’ve saved us. We all owe you our lives."

"Thank you, Captain—" Dusty begins to relax.

"So, I’ll give you the courtesy of asking before acting…" The Captain interrupts.

Dusty’s shoulders tense up even more.

The Captain steps closer.

"You brought a stranger aboard?" She asks. Her voice remains calm.

"…yes."

"Why?"

"…he seemed useful, Captain."

The Captain turns towards Sebastian, then back to Dusty. "In what way?"

"…he helped us get the fuel we needed. And he can cook... and I think good food would be good for the morale around here…" Dusty answers nervously.

Ringo subtly nods and winks towards Dusty. The Captain thinks silently for a moment.

"Things have been rough around here lately, Cap." Ringo says.

"He has a phone, yes?" The Captain asks.

"He did. June took it—" Dusty starts.

"June." The Captain interrupts.

"Yes, ma'am?" June pipes up nervously.

"Give me the phone."

"Yes, ma'am…" June walks forward reluctantly. She pulls out Sebastian’s phone and hands it to the Captain.

The Captain extends her arm. It is a battered steel appendage that has been scorched into a deep blue hue with bright orange along the fringes—metal that has been repeatedly exposed to intense heat. She holds the phone, then powers on its screen. A low hum emanates from her blue steel arm. The screen on the phone flashes a rapid series of colorful glitchy images just before…

POP!

The screen goes black as a tiny puff of smoke emits out from the phone’s speakers. The Captain offers the fried device back to June, who takes it back with a frown. The Captain then turns towards Sebastian.

"On your feet." She says.

That strange thing that the Captain just did to his phone has freaked Sebastian out. He trembles, frozen in place.

"Stand, lune!" The Captain raises her voice for the first time.

Sebastian quickly stands up. The Captain extends her steel arm forward to shake Sebastian’s hand. He freezes. Anything could happen if he touches that metal hand. His arm could explode! The Captain senses Sebastian’s hesitation and slightly smiles.

"No need to be afraid, Sebastian." She says.

He is left flabbergasted by her sudden knowledge of his name. Concurrently, the calm tone of her voice is eerily soothing. Sebastian cautiously steps closer and takes the Captain’s steel hand with a wince. She grabs his hand tightly and forcefully yanks him forward, pulling him in close.

"I am Indigo. You are aboard my vessel, Tyrannis. Around you are my loyal crewmen. We are the Dead Tyrants." Her calm tone is replaced with a quiet intensity.

As soon as she says their name, the Dead Tyrants shout a brief hurrah in solidarity. She leans back, lets go of Sebastian’s hand, then steps away.

"You are alone now, Sebastian. There’s no Vanguard here to protect you. So, tell me the truth…"

The Captain turns back to face him.

"Why are you here?" She asks.

"Um… I was kidnapped—" He starts.

"Not against your will."

"Um… hm?"

The Captain leans closer.

"You were in the city. You had the power to remove yourself from this situation at any time. Why are you here, Sebastian?"

The whirlwind of emotions inside his head causes him to blink rapidly for half a second. His face can’t hide the conflict within. Dusty watches him carefully. Her fingernails press deeper and deeper into her palms.

The Captain stares at Sebastian—or at least he assumes she is. Half of her face is obscured by hair. Her other eye is covered with a thick, diamond-shaped eye-patch, decorated with an intricate, faded gold weave pattern that spirals like a black hole. With two dark voids for eyes and a consistently neutral expression on her face, she is impossible to read. He has no answer to the Captain’s question and now she knows. The look on her face changes for the first time as she begins to smile.

"I see… Well, Dusty has made a good point. But let’s see if she made the right decision." The Captain speaks softly.

Then, she raises her voice loud so that everyone in the room can hear.

"Everyone here is famished. We’ve been eating gruel for weeks. So, how about we put these supposed skills of yours to the test?"

The vibe of the room shifts from intense to excited in an instant.

"If you can cook us all a satisfying meal… I’ll let you live." The Captain smiles more.

The entire room fills with shouts of joy and eager applause. Dusty’s grip relaxes. She exhales for the first time since the Captain entered the room.