@craftyhal sent me a Ko-Fi and I wrote out some sci-fantasy pirates as thanks!
Over the course of her 500 years of existence, Xoie Carrington had seen some things.
Her first internship had been on the remains of Earth VI, helping excavate the remains of San Francisco the IIIrd. She had been there when the last trolley ever built was pulled from centuries of dirt and slime, the whistle still pristine despite the passage of time. That wasn't the last of the wonderful and strange sights she had experienced - historical work, despite its reputation, had many of them.
This was the first time she had been so terrified.
She had been on the way to Sector VIX, heading for Vadfar. An archivist had called, wanting her opinion on some discovered documents. It had been an ordinary space flight for an ordinary purpose. She had been reviewing things in her cabin, working on her newest book.
Even the spaceship being attacked and hijacked by pirates was normal. What wasn't normal was the pirates or the ship they had come in on.
They were human, dressed in clothes that Xoie had only seen in old pictures and portraits of a period that historians had called "The Golden Age of Piracy." The exact details had been lost over the years, especially after Earth I had exploded. The ship itself looked like the depictions of the ships used, including the mast she was now tied to.
The pirates had burst in, demanding to know if she was "the historian", aiming swords and old-fashioned pistols at her. She had agreed, more shocked than anything by the sailing ship somehow suspended outside, among the stars. They had guided her out, ignoring the flames and screams of the attack, and guided her up to the airlock.
Somehow, the airlock was open, and she wasn't suffocating as she was forced to walk across the plank (real wood, real Earth wood) that connected the two ships. There was no sign of a life force shield, but neither she nor the pirates were suffering exposure from space. The pirates had guided her to the mast and tied her up, dropping her satchel with her most important notes next to her feet before they left.
At least they had done that.
At least she was still alive.
Soon, the pirates had returned, hauling cargo and such, before pulling away from the now doomed ship.
Xoie shifted, unsure whether to speak and draw attention or stay silent and hopefully try to escape. The ropes (again, real Earth rope), rubbed against her wrists, and Xoie bit back a complaint. Her species, the Asni, had extremely sensitive scent glands on their wrists and ankles, and the rope was irritating them.
Hopefully, they would untie her before they did whatever-
A cool, smooth voice made everyone on the deck, mid-squabble over what they had gotten from the ship, snap to attention. Xoie found herself standing to attention as well- or more at attention, considering her position kept her upright and from slouching too much. Silently, everyone else moved out of the way, revealing a figure.
Ah. This must be the captain.
She marched forward, straight for the mast and her. Her steps were soft thuds of leather, and her belt jingled softly. If this were any other situation, Xoie would be amused. She looked as though she had stepped out of a history book about that mystical Golden Age of Piracy, but her face cut any amusement.
Like everyone else who was expected to work in a public-facing job, Xoie had been given a lowdown of the different species of the universe. Humans were known for expressing their emotions on their faces, using their mouths and eyes to gesture out how they felt, similar to how the Asni's tails wagged and their ears moved to show emotion. Her own tail was stiff, and her ears were pinned back against her head. This woman…
She had nothing on her face. Her face was bare of emotion, not even a twitch to give a hint. She stared down Xoie, and she had no idea what she wanted or how she felt about it.
Forget the pirates. Forget the ship pieces now flying around, disrupting the stars.
The captain stopped in front of her. She looked her up and down, her face never twitching.
"…yes?" She cleared her throat. "I'm-"
"You know the location of Earth, right?"
"Which Earth?" Xoie had to ask. "There are several Earths now, so you need to be more specific-"
A flare of heart burned up next to her head.
Had she… had she just thrown a fireball at her?
What the fuck? She didn't look like she had enhancements, but she was wearing loose pants and a tight shirt, as well as a long-sleeved coat, which could hide any enhancements. Her fingers snapped, and more flames lit her fingers… without the common red glow of the fingertips that would suggest a fire manipulation enhancement. Her face still didn't change, and the gleam of the flames only made the terror rise until-
Oh. I'm actually in danger.
The realization sank in with one way to respond.
"Yes, yes, I know Earth! You're talking about the original Earth, right?! I know it!" She had learned about in class, including the common routes archaeologists used to dig up the remains of the planet. Tears beaded up in her eyes, and she could feel a sob come up. "Please, please, don't-"
At the same time that the ropes released, paper was shoved into her face. Xoie scrambled to catch it, only to barely push back a scream. The paper looked old, old enough that it should have been in something to preserve it. At least, she should be wearing gloves.
It looked like a map. A map of an area that… Xoie didn't recognize.
"When we get to Earth, take us through that route. Williams, show her her quarters."
And with that, the captain turned and walked away.
Xoie was left standing there, with a map that she couldn't read, and a looming realization.
I'm actually going to die at the hands of pirates.
