The pirates laugh and cheer. Lively conversation fills the warm-lit walls of the mess hall. An eclectic collection of stolen furniture fills this space—a common aesthetic throughout the ship. More paper lanterns hang from the tall ceiling. Various blades have been stuck into the lacquered surface of a large, gold-trimmed, walnut wood dining table that occupies the center of the room. Plates of all shapes and sizes hold professionally seared wagyu. The famished pirates can’t hold back, they devour the enormous bricks of meat they’ve been given. The crew gathers around as Ringo regales the crew with a tale about the last time he dined in a fancy establishment.

"It was just like this, but wee!" Ringo says as he pinches his fingers small. "I was done after a bite. A fookin’ bite! And ye wouldn’t believe the bill they brought me!"

The crew laughs. Dusty turns off the stove. She picks up her plate of wagyu and smiles at Sebastian. He smiles back. She nods and makes her way to the kitchen counter where she begins devouring her food immediately. Sebastian plates the last brick of wagyu. He lifts the plate to offer it to the next pirate in line but sees no one.

The Captain approaches. "It’s yours, lune."

"Oh…"

Sebastian has been cooking and plating a dizzying array of decadent meals for over six years. Not once has he ever been allowed to enjoy his own work. Though this makeshift dish pales in comparison to the standards that he’s used to, this gesture is a surprisingly pleasant change of pace.

"Thank you." He says.

"You’ve earned it. I have to admit, you’ve surprised me."

As the adrenaline drains, it leaves room for the validation to go to Sebastian’s head. He gains the confidence to respond, "A red to pair with a red."

The Captain smiles. "Indeed."

She walks over to the small purple door on the far side of the kitchen. She opens it and steps back, leaving room for Sebastian to come over.

"Any suggestions for a pairing?" She asks.

Sebastian nervously makes his way over to the purple door and looks inside. This little door leads to an entirely different room— a wine cellar! There’s enough room to climb through and walk between the racks. He is left momentarily speechless, but quickly snaps out of it and throws out an answer:

"How about a Cabernet Sauvignon—"

All the pirates in the other room laugh at his answer. They have habitually had their ears out for the Captain’s voice. Dusty shrugs. The Captain smiles.

"Why so simple?" She asks.

"Yeah, lune! The whole ship came to that conclusion before you even got here!" Someone yells.

More voices join in the discussion.

"A Shiraz would complete this masterpiece!"

"Oh, come on! Bring out a Chianti! We need some acidity to cut through this fat!"

"You and your Sangiovese! If we wanted tannins we’d go with the fucking Cab!"

The pirates in the mess hall make their way back to the kitchen.

"What about a Chardonnay? Something buttery would be nice—" Dusty chimes in.

"Are you actually suggesting a white right now? Somebody shoot her!" Ringo yells jokingly.

The pirates laugh as a dizzying number of varietals are shouted throughout the crowd. Dusty remains quiet. The timing of that joke has made her incredibly nervous. Sebastian is flabbergasted. This was a development that he did not expect.

These pirates are wine enthusiasts.

"Besides, any right bloke with decent taste would know that this meat would pair optimally with a Bordeaux—particularly from the right bank!" Ringo yells.

These pirates are wine snobs.

"Just grab a Merlot and be done with this!" Someone shouts.

The Captain straightens her posture.

"How about I just grab them all and be done with it?" She suggests with a smile.

There is a loud hurrah that fills the ship. The Captain momentarily wonders if such a sound could be picked up by the Lunar Federation’s low altitude radar. But she looks around, and after a moment of internal struggle, decides to relax and enjoy the moment. The ship continues to fill with the sounds of celebration as bottles are uncorked and cups are filled. She wonders if maybe things are actually beginning to improve.