In a golden dining hall, they have gathered, and a plan to steal treasure on one side and a plan to rescue a kidnapped child on the other.
...The fight raged on, a chaotic dance of power and desperation. Jack, using his quick wit and whatever objects he could find, tried to keep Moor at bay. Nomsa, her movements a blur, weaved through Moor's attacks, trying to create an opening for an escape. Merry, huddled behind Jack, watched in terror, her past trauma resurfacing.
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the ship. The entire vessel shuddered, and the lights flickered and died. Panic rippled through the crew of the Celestial-class ship.
"What was that?" Adam demanded, his voice laced with unease.
Before anyone could answer, a voice boomed through the ship's communication system. "This is the Destiny's Bounty. We're here to collect our crew."
Bolk, his voice rough but determined, echoed through the speakers. "And we brought some fireworks."
The hull of the Celestial-class ship shuddered again, followed by a series of explosions. The ship began to list to one side, its advanced technology struggling to compensate for the damage.
As the ship rocked, a section of the wall beside Adam cracked, revealing a hidden panel. Inside, a holographic projector flickered to life, showing a fragmented memory.
It was a young Adam, no more than a child, standing in a grand, opulent hall. The hall was filled with Celestial Dragons, their faces haughty and disdainful. Adam, however, looked different. He was smaller, weaker, his eyes filled with a desperate longing for acceptance.
"You are a disgrace, Adam," a stern, imposing figure, presumably a high-ranking Celestial Dragon, said, his voice echoing through the hall. "Your weakness taints our bloodline."
Other Celestial Dragons scoffed and jeered, their words cutting through the air like daggers. Adam's shoulders slumped, his gaze falling to the polished floor.
"I… I only wanted to…" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.
"Silence!" the figure roared. "You have no right to speak. You are nothing but an aberration."
Adam's eyes snapped to the projector, a flash of rage momentarily overtaking the fury already present. He tried to reach the panel, to shut it off, but Okada seized the moment.
"You can't run from your past!" Okada shouted, his fist colliding with Adam's jaw.
The impact sent Adam reeling, the holographic image flickering in the background. The fight continued, but now, there was a new layer of intensity. Adam fought with a desperate ferocity, his movements fueled by rage and a deep-seated pain. The images continued to flicker, showing more scenes of Adam's past: him being dragged away, studying ancient texts, his eyes filled with a burning resentment.
"They will pay," a younger Adam muttered on the projector, his voice filled with a cold determination. "They will all pay."
The images, combined with the ship's destruction and the crew's relentless attacks, began to take a toll on Adam. He was no longer just fighting to win; he was fighting to erase his past, to prove his worth.
Okada, seeing his chance, unleashed a final, powerful blow, sending Adam crashing against the wall beside the now damaged projector. The holographic image flickered and died, leaving a lingering silence in the room.
"Let's go!" Okada shouted to his crew, grabbing Nomsa's arm.
They raced towards the nearest escape route, the sounds of explosions and panicked shouts echoing behind them. Merry, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and hope, followed close behind.
As they reached the escape route, they saw the Destiny's Bounty, its sails billowing in the wind, drawing alongside the crippled Celestial-class ship. Bolk, his figure silhouetted against the flames, stood at the helm, a triumphant grin on his face.
"Hurry!" he shouted, throwing them a rope ladder.
They scrambled onto the Destiny's Bounty, their hearts pounding, their bodies aching. As the ship pulled away, they watched the Celestial-class ship, now a burning wreck, disappear into the distance.
The fight was far from over, but for now, they were safe. And they had gained a new member of their crew, and a new reason to fight. The lingering images of Adam's past, however, hung heavy in the air, a reminder of the pain that fuelled his power.
To be continued...