Galaxy Pirates

Chapter 24: Arubah's Tyranny

"Playtime is over, Doc. D. Burnmark, now we get all serious".

This funny, unique reference he could never forget – 'Doc. D. Burnmark' – and that gruesome chuckle that followed rendered already-maddened Dohta completely stupefied:

"H... How do you know that name?"

"Come on, how could I not know the name I made up myself? Oh, right, you had never really seen my face, had you? But judging by your jaw-dropped pose, I should assume you've already recognized this peculiar voice of mine? Well then, here's to discard your remaining doubts, amigo," Arubah took a crimson crystal mask out of the breast-pocket of his coat and put it to his face: "Behold the Scarlet Mask of the good old days! Such a long time I haven't called myself that name... but Blood Diamond has a much better ring to it, don't you agree?"

Beholding the too-familiar crimson skull mask of his prison days, shudders ran down Dohta's spine – Crimson Ardour energy, that scarlet mask, this vile grin, and that impish voice...

"Arubah?! You're Arubah Arruroe?"

"Good guess!" Young Captain cackled and took the mask off, returning it back into the pocket. Then, he grabbed the coat off his shoulders and wrapped his hands into its sleeves. "Now then, since I know I am against a genius adversary who's been able to master the Black Matter and even injure the Divine Emperor, I am to fight seriously. Oh, and, let's form a bet, like in elder days, shall we, Burnmark?"

"A bet? Are you kidding me?! This is not playtime!" Dohta sparked up his black fire once again. "Get off my way! I was busy here with my family problems_"

"Hold your crystals," Arubah's frown deepened, "I am not playing, Burnmark – everything is for serious. You say you're busy with family problems? Well, so am I, or whose family do you think these two were?" he pointed on collapsed Jedha and Zehu, "You think Zehu is only your family? He is my third-mate, my sworn brother! Jedha is my second-mate, my brother, as well! And, while we're at it, I have yet to subdue one more brother who's nearly consumed by the very blackness he thinks he controls... Yeah, what are you sneering at? Is it I burning with black fire that damages one's very innards if not controlled properly? Is that how you've admired my grandfather – to actually run off and use his teachings to grow into a rotten crystal? It seems I'll need to teach you a lesson, Burnmark... no, Dohta!"

"Shut up, Arubah!" Dohta pranced forward with his black-fire fists ready, "You know nothing of what I've been through!"

Arubah prepared his scarlet fists, and the two young men soon collided, spreading red-to-black smoke around, which blinded everyone's eyes. The people in the hall could no longer see the fighters, but could well hear hideous shrills and roars belonging to Dohta and Arubah, as well as blasts and hits accompanied with crimson and black sparks within the smoke from time to time.

Maluma, Roderigo, Baxus, Gunther, and the pirates managed to repel the admiral's armies so that Zenon even preferred to leave Dohta behind, who had direly failed his mission, or so he considered. The Planetary Chaos and the Galaxy Navy ships fled from the Daluma Asteroid as fast as they had appeared. Once done with them, Maluma worriedly ran up to the collapsed Daluma – Jedha and Zehu – and began infusing her Crimson Ardour energy into their bodies in order to save them before it was too late. The pirates meanwhile aided the Daluman guards with people's evacuation, while Baxus carefully guarded Violet and Gunther in all this mess.

Soon, the smoke lifted, to reveal Dohta collapsed to the floor burned with new bloody wounds added to his old scars. Arubah, his precious scarlet shirt torn while his black coat still remained unharmed, breathed heavily as blood trickled off his wounded chest.

"Aru!"

Maluma ran up to him to treat him, having already finished treating Jedha and Zehu, who lay unconscious on the floor. Arubah leaned onto his mother's shoulders, much tired, and looked back at collapsed Ethna and Yuma, who had grown so terrified of these sudden events that were rendered completely speechless.

"So you guys have lost your glow?"

Realising his question should be answered in the affirmative, Ethna let out heavy sobs, for she still found it too hard to believe both she and her heiress had become powerless for eternity.

"I guess Yuma cannot rule then... Not that she ever could but anyway, now we've got more reasons_"

"Aru!" Maluma glared at him in a reproachful manner, "What are you saying amidst this ruckus? Let them get over with all this mess first and come to their senses, then go on with the business!"

"No, the earlier the better... I declare Hitha as your next chiefess, you guys. We will remain here to give her our blessing after the proper ceremony is held. Oh, and one more thing – what did you learn from this current rampage of your prince?"

"He is no prince! He is not a son of mine! I demand him to be killed!"

"Oh, pity I am not obliged to follow any of your demands, Ethna, but you are to follow all of mine, since I am not only Arruroe but Prince man Herminn of the Herminoids. I can freely cast my divine wrath upon you regardless of the fact that I am a man. We Herminoids do not care about gender, we are equal in all terms – whoever was the best would become a ruler, and it remains thus even nowadays. Your asteroid is under my protection, hence you will obey my every word, or else I will finish you off in Dohta's place, who so greatly wished for it_"

"Arubah!" Maluma's eyes flickered with incense now, "Be a bit more considerate! You are a Daluma, too!"

"Yes, I am, but Arruroe – not from some puny crystals, but the very red ones originated on Planet Hermin... and be honest, mother – don't you agree with what I'm saying?"

Maluma palmed her face with irritation, while Arubah smirked and turned to petrified Ethna and other, no less terrorized Daluma nobles presenting in the hall:

"I repeat my sentence – Hitha will be your new chiefess. Since you've failed to learn a lesson from Prince Dohta's current rampage, as well as his life full of bitterness which I greatly sympathize with, I shall share the moral with you: the Daluma men deserve a little more consideration than you are currently giving them. If you submit to some of their requests regarding their rights, you shall avoid such maddened but talented boys attacking you later on. If you do not learn your lesson, people worse than Dohta will be coming someday. The craft of the Black Matter exists, and the Mordor Universe is right next door too, so boys will follow Dohta's example and ravage your asteroid sometime in the future if their humble demands are not met. Hence, I am to leave one of my most treasured crewmates here as a supervisor of you all, and he shall ensure that every step of yours is reported to me. I declare the Daluma Asteroid officially a part of my Pirate Empire from today on, and to ensure my policy, I demand Chiefess Hitha Vaagard be married to my second-mate, Jedha Mahut, who shall adopt the name of Vaagard along with preserving his own one, and shall be titled not Hral, but the Chief!"

Ethna was left dreaded – a chief?! Conquered by the Pirate Empire?!

"You cannot!"

"I perfectly can. I've been patronizing this asteroid for a while now, yet you still managed to let those rats from the Galaxy Navy sneak in. Our contract was that I wouldn't invade your asteroid if you held the Galaxy Navy at a distance. You failed your job. I have no other choice but to take severe measures. My pirates will arrive here shortly. This country will be to pay me tribute as all the others do. I shall ensure your protection from any naval or Reptilish forces, in return, and will provide you with my complete benevolence, etc. It's all written in the contract and I'm in no mood to relay all of it right now. Oh, as for Dohta Vaagard – he is now under my custody and you've no right to lay hands on him. That's my final word".

While Maluma and Roderigo watched their son so ferociously announce his radical reforms to the Daluma, who had fallen in indignation but could say nothing against the mighty god, Violet contemplated the events in quite some distress:

Tributes? Pirate Empire? What is he talking about? Is that title 'Galaxy Pirate Emperor' not just for show but... for real?!

Only now did she come to realise that she had fallen in the hands of a man far more dangerous than any of her previous captors could ever be. The 'Galaxy Pirate Emperor' was not just a flashy title this young man had made up for himself. He indeed proved to be the bloody tyrant of the Seven Universes they so often described him as.