Diary of a Drunken Space Pirate

Crackling

, the beam-swords met between them, and the young man could feel the heat on his neck, as he barely blocked the strike at his shoulder. The older man struggled with both hands to force his energy-blade against Zaül's throat, but his eyes widened as both of the blades held firmly in place. The clean-shaven drunk took a shot of rum off the counter and awkwardly stepped down from his stool at the bar, as he held the attack at bay.

Zaül had chiseled features and stood nearly six feet tall, while he grinned and inquired curtly with a gruff voice, "And to what, might I ask, do I owe this pleasure?"

He already knew the answer to his question and took his shot of rum, careful not to break the stalemate as the older pirate replied, "You slept with my wife!"

He chuckled and turned his head to look at the patron beside him, who had turned to look at the scene nonchalantly leaning back against the counter. The other patron was smaller than him with short, spikey blond hair; while Zaül had long black hair braided into corn-rows with braids down the back. He spoke to his blond friend with cheer.

"I think he knows not how many wives I sleep with, Gardeon."

Gardeon Neptur shook his head at the display and raised one brow at his friend and leader, as he looked up with blue eyes. The older man broke away and took a few steps back, as he growled. Zaül turned back to face him with care-free blue eyes focused on his collarbone and visibly relaxed, as the man spoke again.

"Carol," the angry man continued, when the drunk gave him an amused look, "short, brunette. Amber eyes…"

"Oh, Carol! Yes, I'm afraid I did sleep with your wife… excuse me, I never did get your name," the drunk half-lied and briefly paused, "she was too busy screaming mine."

"Zaül Xavior, I'm gonna kill you."

Zaül dropped his shot glass and swept his trench coat aside with his elbow to reveal a laser pistol, magnetically holstered on his gun belt, in a fluid motion twisting his hip. The glass broke, he drew with his off-hand, and hip-fired into the man's chest at nearly the same moment. The pulse pistol sent a short burst of condensed light energy into the man's chest leaving a coin sized hole there, as he replied with venom.

"At least introduce yourself if you're gonna threaten me."

Xavior holstered his pistol magnetically, as the man fell dead; before he deactivated his sword, sat back on his stool, and turned back around. He set the hilt on the counter, as he tapped twice for another drink. The bartender set down a new shot glass and filled it, before he set the bottle down and retreated to another patron down the bar.

"Was that the last of em, Zaül?"

Gardeon asked, as he filled his shot glass with Zaül's rum and set the bottle back between them. The young Xavior was no longer cheerful, as he looked up and stared off into the mirror behind the bar. The blond took his shot and patted his friend on the back, before Zaül answered aloof with widened eyes.

"I don't even know, to be honest. I can't keep track anymore."

"I know what this is about. You don't have to jest with me, Captain."

He looked at his friend with surprise, as he thought, '

If

only

my

father chose respected families to betray,

I

could

just

challenge

them

instead

,

but

we're

not

safe

with

so

many

enemies

amongst

our

own

people

.' Gardeon smiled back warmly, before he shook his head, as Zaül looked at his shot glass. He took a deep breath, took his shot, and spoke frankly.

"I'm no Captain yet, I've failed so far to obtain us a means of survival."

"You're still my Captain. Just how many enemies does your family have?"

Zaül let out a single laugh and replied, "considerably less, after these past few months of debauchery."

"So, got any work lined up?"

"Might actually," he replied, as he poured another shot and drank it immediately.

He observed another target approaching from behind in the mirror, very upset by the looks of it. He casually scooped up his sword hilt, as he turned around on the stool too quickly and fell off; stumbling over the corpse and into the man who approached. He forcefully pushed the man backwards and yelled.

"Hey! Watch where yer goin!"

The man went for his gun and yelled, "Zaül Xavior…"

Zaül interrupted him by taking two quick steps and pointing his hilt at the man's throat, activating his blade. He let the man fall dead gurgling on his blood just as quickly, as he deactivated the device and stepped around towards the tavern's swinging doors. A well dressed, dark-skinned man by the door stopped him with a hand.

The man spoke in warning, "Careful, Zaül, that last one didn't even have a chance to challenge you."

He halted and took a step back, as he shook his head and gestured to the crowded tavern, "Everyone here knows I screwed his wife out behind this very establishment just last night. Do you not think they will say as much and that he went for his gun? You're not on the council yet, Nora'Droke."

Zaül walked around him followed by Gardeon. Once out of the tavern, he made for the 'lift', a large tower of elevators off-center within the mountain city Valhalla. Nora'Droke followed close behind and informed him with malice.

"Your father is at it again too, looks like you'll have more mess to clean up. I just ran into Captain Ronald Faltori on his way to the Council to report him for breaking a contract."

He stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes to take a deep breath. Noticing the absence of the sound of footsteps, he opened his eyes and continued down the short alley to the elevators. The large marketplace tier had its own artificial environment complete with clouds and a sunny sky. He pressed the key to call an elevator traveling up and entered once one promptly appeared. He chose the key for tier one of Valhalla and put his sword hilt into his trench coat pocket.

Zaül leaned back against the elevator wall, as many others entered the elevator. Gardeon joined him and sighed, tucking his thumbs behind his holstered laser pistols that hung from his gun belt under his duster; while both of them looked to be in their early twenties and were well dressed beneath their jackets with white, dress shirts and black, dress pants. Nora'Droke was content to follow them to the council chambers, as the elevator quickly rose and released them.

The top tier of Valhalla was smaller than the rest; if each tier was a city, then tier one was the Capitol. Everyone currently on the elevator stepped off into the well lit garden at the top of the mountain, the sun's red rays shone through camouflaged windows built into the surface of the mountain itself. Mirrors were situated to amplify the amount of light produced by them and spread it throughout the tier.

Cobblestone pathways led through the garden in every direction, but he followed the largest pathway; which led directly to the center, where the council chambers stood - a giant auditorium with state of the art sound and holographic projection systems. The abruptly flat tops of the 'lift' and the 'tower' stuck out of the ground off-set to the large building surrounded by a moat and lush gardens. The 'tower' was a staircase that ran the depth of Valhalla in parallel to the 'lift', down to the very last residential district.

"I thought we were friendly with the Faltori family," whispered Gardeon, as they crossed the bridge and the sound of running water filled the air around them.

Zaül just gritted his teeth and quickened his pace, as they reached the marble staircase leading up into the only building. The sound of many boots echoed through the short tunnel to the chamber, while the murmur of the crowded chamber grew louder as he entered. On any given day hundreds, if not thousands, of pirates might be gathered here to hold court or report feats of valor to the council.

The hall was so large that it was almost never fully occupied. Around the outside were stands that went several stories high and wrapped around behind the four tunnel entrances of the circular structure, off-set to the center was a table with seven chairs that faced the center of the room. There was a holo-screen above the crowd in the center showing video of a horrific space battle, large enough for all to view.

His expression turned dire, as he watched. His father's ship, the 'Swan', was depicted turning against friendly pirates just before the battle was to end; pirates who had agreed to undertake the venture with his father. The only other pirate crew that survived were the Faltoris; who stood near the center of the grand hall, across from the Xavior crew near the council table.

He caught sight of his father and quickly began pushing his way towards the center of the crowded room. The video ended and a loud murmur began to fill the room. Zaül yelled above the noise.

"Let me through! I'm Zaül Xavior!"

The crowd slowly began to part before him and he quickly made his way to the clearing near the table. Jaiden Xavior was almost fifty years old, but strong as an ox and still bigger than him; his father's face was weathered with time with blue eyes and a long unkempt black beard with gray hairs. He wore dress attire under his trench coat like his son did, but his hair was buzzed short on top and his head had several large scars.