Skyrun

Chapter 43; A chase through the clouds.

It seemed then that the entire ship held its breath, waiting.

Never once did the main mast creek, nor did the sails flap as the wind around them died to little more than a flutter of chilled air, and all on the main deck paused their work to stare.

That, perhaps, was the worst of all, for now as Liam stood facing the captain he wondered if those who looked on now had had a part in the destruction of his hometown. Those he had fought alongside for the past months, those he had considered comrades, brothers, his new-found family-- they were nothing but murderers, thieves, liars.

And he had considered himself one of them.

Finally, Valentine sucked in a breath and cleared her throat, breaking the spell of silence. "Look here Liam, it's unfair of you to think we've never killed anybody on our raids. Aye, I try to avoid it best as I can, but things happen and I'd rather it be a civilian than one of my own crew."

For a moment he simply gaped at her, his entire body tense. "That broach, captain, belonged to my sister. Not some nobody, not a faceless girl. My sister. And even if she wasn't my sister, she would be someone else's sister, someone else's daughter." pausing, his mind drifted to something his cousin Archer used to say often, the words piercing through the pain clouding his mind, sharp and fierce and spoken with anger. "'Someone is someone to someone.' That was who she was, Valentine. And you murdered her for a broach!"

"Liam!" Sinclair barked then, as if to stop him, yet Valentine only raised her hand, her shoulders slumped in an almost defeated manner.

"Easy now, Sin. I don't want any fights today." Shifting her gaze to Liam then, her eyes were full of what appeared to be regret. Sorrow, perhaps. Though whether that simply did not make him angrier, he could not tell. "I understand your anger-- blimey I've felt it myself more than once-- but you've got to understand; it's either doing away with the few villagers who resist, or swinging on the end of the rope ourselves. Bloody heck, Li, you think that when I saw Coin kill that girl I ever forgot her face? I haven't the faintest idea if she was your sister or not, but do you think I can fall asleep at night without hearing the way she screamed curses at us all? I kept that broach as a reminder. A penitence, so to speak. And never do I forget the pain I've caused. The death I've delivered. But I know I've got a duty to this crew and I'd harm anyone to ensure that not one of them is ever hurt."

"Is that supposed to make you seem like the hero, then? To make me see the reason as to why you ruined my life?" Liam spat, a small part of him wincing as the words left his lips. Tears stung at his eyes, his heart feeling as if it had been torn to bits as the woman he had loved stood before him, a betrayer in his midst, a band of killers surrounding her.

They were monsters. Every last one of them. In favor of the lawless they had ended innocent lives in order to save their own wretched ones.

 Blimey, they had ended his as well-- taking him away against his will, killing his friends, leaving him to wonder if his parents even cared of his whereabouts of if they were in a shallow grave somewhere. And the thought that Valentine was allowing it all-- that perhaps hurt the most.

And thus the two of them stood facing one another, Liam's soul beginning to crumple as Valentine no doubt searched for whatever nonsense of a phrase she could use to make things seem better. To gain him on her side once more. To make herself appear to be the hero he had thought she was.

Yet before she could open her mouth to speak, there came a shout from the crow's nest.

"Sky Guard off the port bow!"

Immediately, the crew rushed to the side of the ship and Valentine drew out her spyglass, the argument apparently forgotten in the sudden matter that they were all going to die very, very quickly.