Before he could answer, the pirates opened fire. The first volley hit us broadside, cannons roaring like thunder.The Valiantshuddered under the impact, wood splintering as the balls tore through our hull.
I grabbed the speaking tube. “Return fire!”
Eric snatched it from me. “Hold your fire!” he ordered.
“Sir, we’re under attack! We need to ready the shield!”
“Stand down, Lieutenant Commander! That’s an order.”
The crew hesitated, caught between conflicting commands. In that moment of indecision, the pirates launched their boarding hooks, metal claws biting into our railings.
Charging out of the bridge, I drew my sword as the first boarders swarmed over our railings. All around me, my crew fought desperately, outnumbered and caught by surprise. I cut down two pirates, rallying nearby crewmen to form a defensive line.
Through the smoke and chaos, I saw Captain Vex herself storm aboard, her gray wolf coat billowing behind her as she cut down two of our officers with brutal efficiency. She barked orders to her crew, then headed straight for the captain’s quarters.
Eric slipped away from the bridge, following in Vex’s wake. My instincts screaming, I fought my way after him, ducking beneatha swinging cutlass and plunging down the corridor toward the captain’s quarters.
I reached the partially open door just in time to see Eric unlock his personal safe and hand Vex a leather document case—one containing classified aerial charts and patrol schedules for the entire Eldritch fleet.
“You were right on schedule, Captain Cunningham,” she said, examining the contents with evident satisfaction.
“As promised, Captain Vex,” Eric replied. “The ship is yours.”
Understanding crashed over me. This wasn’t an ambush—it was a delivery. Eric had led us here deliberately, had sold us out to pirates. Had betrayed everything and everyone, including me.
I stepped into the room, rage burning through me. “Eric! What have you done?”
He turned, his expression oddly calm. “What is necessary, Max.”
“You betrayed us! Your crew, your oath—”
“I chose freedom,” he cut me off. “The chance to make my own rules instead of following someone else’s.”
Captain Vex studied me with predatory interest. “So this is your first officer. The one you spoke of.”
Eric nodded. “Lieutenant Commander Maximus Blackwood. The finest officer in the fleet.”
“Should I kill him for you?” she asked casually.
“No.” Eric’s eyes never left mine. “I want to offer him a choice.”
Outside, the battle raged—screams of the wounded, the crack of pistols, the clash of steel on steel. My crew was losing, cut down by pirates who’d known exactly where and when to strike.
Eric stepped toward me, lowering his voice. “Come with me, Max. Join our partnership. Nothing has to change, aside from the fact that we’ll continue to work with Vex.”
I stared at him, unable to reconcile this stranger with the man I thought I knew. “You’re asking me to betray everything I believe in?”
“I’m asking you to be free.” He reached for me, his fingers brushing my cheek. “What I felt for you—that wasn’t a lie.”
I recoiled from his touch. “Everything about you was a lie. You’re a monster.”
Something hardened in his expression. “I hoped you’d understand. That your love for me would be stronger than your misplaced loyalty.”
“My loyalty isn’t misplaced,” I spat. “It’s with the people you’ve condemned to die today.”
Eric sighed. “So be it.” He turned to Vex. “He’s made his choice. Take the ship. Kill the crew.”
“And him?” She nodded toward me.
