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notyourramona · 7 months

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Chapter 3: The Key pt 1

It has now been a couple of months since our main character has last seen or contacted her friends. What has life on the Key had in store for them?

Tw: cannon violence, blood, drug and alcohol use, sexual suggestions Minors DNI (with any of my work honestly)

Word Count: 5,222

Thank you to everyone who suggested their ideas and concepts it really helped with putting this chapter together! I promise to soon post a list of the suggested ideas! I hope this chapter is well received!

Ao3 Index: Chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter three

Chapter 3: The Key pt 1

The sounds of stomping, shouting, aggressive slurs and insults filled the room were accompanied by smells of sweat, dirt, blood, and alcohol. The room was dark except for the center where a tall metal fence in the shape of a circle was illuminated. It was encompassed by feral and vigorous pirates that all came to The Key for nights like this. There were two people already inside, striped of armor, covered in blood, and each only having one blade or a set of brass knuckles. They had a score board off to the side that was really just a big piece of metal they repeatedly spray painted on to keep track of the winners from each caged fight and bets on who would survive the rounds. Ghoul watched the events of the current fight go down viciously as the members within the cage fought for their lives and everyone who surrounded them cheered on the blood sport. It was the fourth match and only one combatant was ever allowed to leave the cage at the end of each match, leaving a pool of blood that burned the smell of wet metal in their nostrils. Another killing blow and a blood-curdling scream triggered more laughter from the group of pirates as another one of their members had succumbed to their demise.

“Are you going to throw your lot in Rook?” A Crimson Fleet Captain chided at her as they threw back the lager filled cup in their hands. Ghoul’s eyes vehemently pierced into the challenger causing them to falter.

“Do you want to meet me in the ring then?” She goaded the captain with a twisted smirk on her face. When she was first brought to the Key she was awoken in the middle of the night and thrown into the ring as a ‘prank’ by a couple of the more seasoned Crimson Fleet members. She had nothing but a tank top on and a short blade that was thrown into the ring with her. Ghoul was in shock for the first half of the sudden duel she had to endure and she barely made it out alive. Her opponent was twice her size and their hands were practically the size of her head. Ghoul knew she barely survived that night but she was granted a small bit of luck when her opponent got distracted by something Delgado had shouted into the ring. He had taken part in this ‘prank’ and was there to watch how his new recruit would handle the brutality of the fights because at that time he was still wanted to test her loyalties. She never figured out if it was coincidence that he had distracted the opponent or if it was a subtle maneuver to see how she would use the opportunity. Whichever it was, it gave her the opening she needed to throw her blade into the fighter’s jaw and pierce the insides of their skull. When she watched the life leave her opponents face, she didn’t want to admit to herself how much adrenaline it gave her. The stench of the blood that soaked her had clung to hair and skin for two weeks after she had slayed through three more opponents.

“You dare challenge me, Rook? No one survives the cage with me.” The captain mocked Ghoul with a hand gesture of them slitting their own throat. She could see the tattoos on their neck that indicated this member of the fleet has been a seasoned member for 8 years prior to this day and who knows how many fights that would equate too. Ghoul stretched their arms out and cracked their knucks as a response, purposely being cocky to rile them up. She found the more she played along the more she enjoyed these ruthless games herself. It was all the captain needed as both fleet members started to take off the armor they wore. Ghoul used a long and thin pin to put her faded green hair into a bun and she was left with her grey ragged tank top, black cargo pants and combat boots. Her blade was tucked into the belt of her pants and one of her recently earned tattoos stood out and brightly decorated her right shoulder. It was a depiction of an Ashta on its hind legs with a bloodied skull by its feet. She was given it as a badge of honor for mauling the opponents at her the first night she was trapped in the cage.

“The Rook has a death wish!” Ghoul’s new challenger yelled out into the crowd and all the rowdiness from anticipation of the next match eased and eyes fell on them. This captain was slightly larger in build and leaner in the muscle category but Ghoul marked the fact that their wide shoulders could be an advantage for her later. In unison Crimson Fleet members started stomping their feet in a rhythmic beat as they did before the start of every match. It was tool used by the room to ramp up the emotions of the players and possibly give cold feet to those who are not prepared to be locked in a cage till their death. Ghoul could feel the energy in the room rile her up as it intended and the reaction was mirrored in her opponent. The makeshift door to the cage was opened by the one and only Naeva and she had the biggest smile on her face.

“Let’s see if the Rook can keep their current track record or if I’ll just have another dead fluke.” Naeva purred then she grabbed Ghoul’s shoulder and tossed her with all her body weight into the cage. The force made Ghoul fall forward but she had expected it and used the momentum of her body to roll back onto her feet, blade in hand and pointed it directly at her new enemy who walked in behind her. The onlookers were rattling the fence, making vulgar faces and shouting obscene threats like fucking Ghoul’s skull when the captain killed her. She didn’t allow any of the noise or attempts to egg her on affect her composure she was used to that type of treatment from being a lower ranking member. Being a rook occasionally had its disadvantages but one common advantage was the others always underestimated how far Ghoul was willing to go. There was a bottle thrown over the fence and it landed by her feet as an offering and without a second thought she broke off the top of the bottle with the back handle of her blade. The glass shattered around her feet, but the drink was barely spilled from the bottle and with a wicked smile on her face Ghoul placed the broken neck to her lips. She opened her throat to allow the vodka to pour down it like a waterfall. The edges of the broken glass left little cuts on her lips and around her mouth so when she finished chugging half of the bottle there were little streaks of blood mixed with liquor that ran down her chin. This excited the crowd even more as they roared and stomped to let it be known they wanted the match to begin now.

“Hopefully you enjoyed your last taste of liquor.” The captain said with confidence radiating their voice. They made a point to adjust the brass knuckles they had on their hands to intimidate. Ghoul felt the liquor start to burn her stomach, but that fire soon spread throughout her body and loosened her muscles enough for her to not feel so rigid anymore. Instinctually she ran towards her opponent head on to sike them out and as they were about to throw their hands in defense to her onward attack, she dropped her body to her knees and thrusted her blade in the captain’s thigh. The movement was extremely precise and she took pride in how easy that maneuver was for her. The enemy growled in pain but it did not stop them from being able to grab Ghoul by the shoulder and have their heavy fist impact the right side of her face. The sensation was like a rock was bashed into her head and she was left with painful cuts left from the metal they had wrapped around their knuckles. Ghoul still had her hand wrapped around the blade and she tore it out her opponent’s leg right before they were able to land a third blow. She could feel the blood oozing in her mouth but she ignored the burning of her face muscles to throw the blade into the captain again. This attempt was blocked with the hand that originally held her and it was what Ghoul wanted so she could escape the hold and regroup. She dodged the enemy’s second attempt to grab a hold of her and she used her free hand to wipe her face of the blood that leaked from it. Her enemy was the one who charged at her this time and Ghoul used the motion of the charge to her advantage by waiting till the last second to step aside and punch the back of their neck with the handle of her blade. The opponent started to falter but used the fence behind them to lessen the fall. Ghoul was in motion to swing at them but lost her own balance as the captain kicked her ankle. The temporary falter gave her enemy the edge they needed to pin her down to the blood-soaked floor. When their body had jumped on top of her, she felt the wind get knocked out of her and the crimson pool of liquid soak the back of her clothes and hair.

This fight was for survival and it was never entertaining for the crowd to hold back so immediately after pinning Ghoul down the captain started launching their punches into her again. The swings made her neck jerk with the impacts and it was becoming extremely difficult to focus or get out from under the captain. The pain manifested as a howling wind in her ears. The crowd made thunderous cheers and screams thinking that Ghoul was about to receive her final blow. They all lavished in the pain, the violence, the alcohol, the aurora, and even the pleasures of the body on these nights and these fights charged the excitement of the crowd. The pain in her face rocked her to her core and she could feel all the deep cuts and bruises these brass knuckles were leaving on her face. Moments like this were the only times she ever allowed herself to think of the people she missed dearly. The connections she had with Sam and Andreja reminded her she had something waiting outside for her off this space station as soon as she was allowed to free roam again. It was one of the few things she thought of so she wouldn’t let her life be lost here in the whirlpool of chaos and destruction. As the time went on with her being on The Key, she would occasionally feel herself on the edge of who she was and when she was close to letting herself lose everything, she used the memories as momentum to ground herself. The captain was breathing heavily as she sat on top of Ghoul thinking they had victoriously knocked her down and this was the long-awaited opening she was waiting for. With all of her might Ghoul managed to free her arms and grab the head of the person on top of her. She used her fingers to dig deep within their skin to hold them in place and then slam her own head into their nose with the force of a wild beast. There was a loud gasp from the crowd and the opponent screamed in writhing pain from their nose being busted into many pieces. Ghoul pushed through the dizziness from the attack to switch the position of their bodies to place Ghoul on top of her opponent. She did not allow herself to hesitate a single breath of a moment and raised her blade above her. The light that illuminated the cage gleamed on the blade brightly and with all of her might she threw her arms down and let the blade land in the captain’s throat. There was a small scream that was soon replaced with blood gargling in her opponent’s throat signally that their death was coming. Any sane person would have ended it there but Ghoul never let herself be a sane person within these metal fenced walls. She lifted her blade bearing it down with her soul while some of the blood sprayed with the motion of the blade, decorating her clothes. Ghoul repeated this over and over and the crowd went wild with crazed excitement as they watched her get covered in the bodily liquids and matter of the ex-crimson fleet captain. There was nothing but rage that filled Ghoul’s body, spirit, and mind and it was reflected in her golden eyes and blood covered body. She had won again and she would continue to win and rise up the ranks and take the respect she deserved from all of these fuckers. No matter how many people she would have to slay.

“The Rook!” Naeva screamed on the top of her lungs in pride as she abruptly grabbed Ghoul’s arm and held it up in the air. The watchful crowd of pirates cheered on the victory. Ghoul sat there on the body with her arm in the air panting from the amount of physical force ramming her blade into the body took. The gory sight was enough to entertain the crowd and after a few more cheers she was allowed to exit the cage. When she stepped out of the mini arena, Ghoul was surrounded with other members of the fleet who went to congratulate her and thank her for winning them their credits. She wasn’t looking at anybody’s face in particular while the room buzzed around her and the sounds of the people around her dulled in the back of her mind. She could feel her pulse was still racing from the adrenaline and someone had offered her a bottle of aurora. Ghoul didn’t hesitate as she ingested it with finesse hoping the drug would ease the loud buzzing and overwhelming panic that occasionally tried to take over after a fight. The room for a moment had extra color distortions and the thoughts of guilt and fear washed away like they never existed. When she felt her body again it was then she noticed an arm hold out a dirty blood-stained cloth in front of her. She took it no questions asked and begun to wipe off the brain matter, blood, and sweat off of her face and torso. Ghoul continued and took the pin out of her hair to let it fall down her shoulders as she leaned her head back to get the rest of the filth.

“You cease to surprise me, Rook. I expected to see your brains on the floor of the cage instead of Gijon’s.” It was the accented voice of the arm who handed her the towel that had spoken and when Ghoul looked up, she realized it was nobody other than their leader, Delgado. It was then in her slight intoxicated state explained why so many of the members had started to move on with their own celebrating. Most victories were accompanied with more drinks, being lifted into the air, or being pinned to a wall and congratulated with tongue. Delgado was watching her like an amused cat playing with a mouse and the gesture prompted her to lock her own eyes on him in challenge.

“Would you like to do the honors?” She invited him to a caged match with a playful smile. The drugs in her always made her feel 10x more fearless. Ghoul knew it was dangerous to even suggest such a thing but if she could kill him right here and right now. She no longer would have to be undercover anymore, assuming she could leave the space station alive afterwards.

“Ah, do you think an invitation like that is wise? I could have my men hold you down while I rip out your insides.” The way he laughed at her was as if they were old friends but his blade was on her throat without a hesitation. She did not allow her body to flinch at his quick motion nor break the lock of their gazes because she refused to show that type of weakness in front of him.

“I never claimed to be wise.” Ghoul said sarcastically to him without fear. She leaned into his blade to tempt him to slit her throat and in doing it dug lightly into her skin allowing a trickle of blood to fall down to her collarbone. His movements were smooth like a cat as his shoulders relaxed and he slowly reached out with his other hand to gently pull the bloody cloth he had loaned her out of her hand. Delgado had a musky scent of alcohol and dirt. Ghoul’s intoxicated mind fixated on his series of moments, her chest pounding, and her eyes keen on him.

“Come with me, then.” He dropped the blade from her throat to motion for her to follow him and as he turned the crowd parted in front of him. Delgado led the way through the crowd with his head held high and the room responded to him as if it was his natural given birth right to hold command over these fools. His armor was highly decorated and parts of his skin were covered in a variety of symbolled ink from all of his victorious battles. Ghoul followed him with a tension in her body that made her each of her steps feel hesitant but she pressed forward to obey his command. The drugs and alcohol that filled her blood stream only subsided some of her fear. She knew it was not wise to allow her guard down around Delgado no matter how much she felt herself become more like them. As they were walking out of the room that contained the metal cage, Ghoul picked up a shot glass that had a type of brown liquor in it and she tossed it back into her throat before throwing the glass off into the void. Her diet was consisted of alcohol, aurora, and the occasional package of Chunks they would receive the past two months so there was a quota she had to hold within her system to not feel the changes within her that were happening.

They walked through The Key and the rest of the space station was relatively silent since everyone was either at their bar, The Last Nova, or still where the caged fights were taking place. The whistles from pipes fluctuating in pressure and the clanks of the metal contracting on the ship were the accompanying sounds that echoed with their boots. Ghoul finally realized that they were heading back to Delgado’s private lounge area and that thought gave her relief that there was now a smaller possibility she would have to engage in any more physical combat for the night. She had to train herself to continuously ignore when her body was feeling pain, hunger or when exhaustion threatened her. Because it was better to not to think about the lack of sleep from the last few days of aurora binging and how the fighting was wearing her body down even as it gave her more strength. Ghoul could feel the bags had been forming under her eyes and the last time she saw her reflection she noticed significant weight loss. Whenever she had thoughts of her companions outside of the fight ring, she would bury them deep within her memory to continue the mask she wore even if that mask was slowly fusing into her being. She was more curt, less forgiving, more willing to just take both what she wanted and the lives of others who stood in her way. The moments when she felt her mask slip were becoming farer in between each time and that led to making easier unpleasant and volatile decisions. Delgado had stopped in front of her and she jerked herself out of her thoughts as she paused a few paces behind him. He was at the door to the private lounge and two of his men stood to guard it but when they saw him, they opened the door without a verbal command as if they had been trained all their life.

The door revealed to a two-story room with an opening in the center of the room and it had older equipment littered about from when the UC used the space station. A lot of the older equipment was transformed into tables, lounging chairs, weapon cases, and whatever else their Pirate King deemed necessary. In the center of the open space of the room there was that familiar table with cards, chips, weapons, and credits lying about as a few of Delgado’s preferred company circled around the table. One of them was another rook just like herself who had been assigned with her when they completed their first test to earn their ranks in membership. Mathis saw Ghoul walk in behind Delgado and gave her a sneer as a greeting. He was rook who suggested early on to take Delgado out themselves but Ghoul was unwilling to lose her undercover status so soon. Mathis never knew about her real intention when she joined along side him but he stayed weary of her from the beginning.

“You look like you a fucking corpse, Ghoul.” Mathis shouted out at her which he tried to mask as jest but Ghoul wasn’t fooled.

“And you look like you’ve been eating shit for breakfast, loud bastard.” She kept a smile on her face so no one would know the wiser of the insult. Mathis threw his card’s down to fold as they ended another round and Delgado wrapped his arm around Ghoul’s shoulder and leaned in.

“This lucky bitch took down one of our long-standing champions Gijon! Her reward is to celebrate with us tonight!” Delgado praised her and his crowded table lifted their bottles up to toast her a drink for her victory. His grip on her shoulder did not loosen as his eyes lit in excitement and with a tantalizing smile he added. “Any pleasures you seek to take tonight are yours to have, indulge yourself.”

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The smoke filled the room from the countless number of cigars, cigarettes, and aurora that was smoked between the members at the table. The music that loudly played reflected the grimy and rowdy energy that Delgado and his inner circle of members were exuding as they all played their rounds of different card games. Ghoul was invited to sit on the side of the table that Delgado, Naeva, and Jasmine had sat at while the other side had Mathis and a few long-standing pirates that were high in the ranks. There was plenty of laughter, threats, and alcohol to go around to continue the party well into the night. She had no issues fitting in with the rugged crew and even dared some to drink her under the table or play a round of five-finger-filet with her. Ghoul was loose and intoxicated but her dexterity never dulled. Mathis dared to challenge to the game and he almost lost his thumb from trying to keep up with how quickly she was able to stab the knife around her fingers. Unbeknownst to him, Ghoul had a trick up her sleeve each time and all she had to do was stab the outer layer of skin of her fingers so you wouldn’t actually bleed. Just like everything else he took his loss personally and vowed under his breath to make her pay one day which she laughed off to further the blow to his pride.

“Drink” Delgado would command her as he continuously poured both of their drinks. There were moments where she felt part of his arm or shoulder press against hers from close contact and she would have to catch herself from wanting to rest on it. No matter how intoxicated Ghoul would do her best to sit straight and keep her ruthless exterior up for the room to see. There were loud sighs of frustration let lose around the table as the final hands of each of the card players were revealed to see the winning hand. Delgado won the hand and everyone had to relinquish their credits to him once again. The Crimson Fleet leader was undefeated for the last three games.

“You got to be fucking kidding me, Del.” Naeva hissed at her commander. “There is no way in hell you keep getting lucky like this.”

“Are you calling me a cheater Naeva?” His question was both laced with sarcasm and threat.

“Are you admitting that you are?” Naeva quipped back and the table grew a little quieter from the rise in tension.

“Who are we to question our leader’s honor?” Mathis chimed in to kiss ass like he normally could be found doing in situations like this. It was normally his way to compensate for his backstabbing nature.

“Shut the fuck up, rook.” Naeva threatened with her pistol pointed at Mathis’ head. “Just because you were invited to the adult’s table this time doesn’t mean you get to participate in the adult conversations.” Ghoul leaned back in her chair as she watched the events start to unfold, a part of her was curious if this would lead to the demise of her ‘leader’. She felt a warm presence on her thigh as she lounged there and it was Delgado’s hand that gently traveled down to her knee and back up her thigh. He made no attempt to acknowledge that she knew or even make a point of it, he carried on with the situation that unfolded.

“Naeva, no need to blow his brains out tonight. He has a point; you shouldn’t question your leader.” His accent emphasized on the word shouldn’t was an indication that was going to be the last warning he was planning to give. Naeva lowered her pistol and tossed her credit stick to him while Jasmine sought to sooth her companion’s temper. Ghoul still did not move or flinch as Delgado’s hand crawled around on her thigh. She started to wonder in that moment if the threat was meant for more than just his second in command.

“I’m done with looking at your faces. Take your credits, leave now.” Delgado ordered to he make it a point that his kindness only extended so far with the rest of the fleet. Every one wasted no time to grab their things and begin to exit the room, except Mathis who tried to linger. Delgado did not bother to say it again and instead snapped his fingers and the men who guarded the door grabbed Mathis. They threw him out of the room before he could even get a word in edge wise. The guards started to make their way to Ghoul so she stood and threw her hands up to signal she was in fact leaving. Her body felt like it was wading through water from the drinks she had consumed as she took a few steps forward she felt something pull her back unexpectedly.

“You are going to stay, mi asesina.” There wasn’t command in his voice but he still said it from his chest as absolute fact. When his hand pulled her back, she lost some of her footing and it caused her to lean into him. His arm was wrapped around her waist and he looked at his men and with his eyes he signaled them to exit the room to leave it to just the two of them. They both smelled of sweat, smoke and alcohol and Ghoul wasn’t particularly finding it within her to pull free from his firm hold. Delgado leaned his face into her neck and breathed her in deeply before his fingers combed her loose hair back.

“Mi asesina?” She asked him sounding as if she lost her breath while his lips started to roughly travel up her neck. Delgado, the King of the Crimson Fleet was taking unquestioned liberties with her body with his hands and his mouth.

“My slayer, you have proven yourself to be a very valuable force to be reckoned with.” He growled into her ear before his teeth clenched on her lobe. She let out a small sharp sound from the pleasurable sensation it gave her. “My eyes have been on you for quite some time but after the ruthlessness displayed tonight in that cage. I knew then you were to be mine.”

His words echoed within her hazed mind and she felt a wave of mixed emotions from pleasure, fear, to guilt. They were alone and he was demanding something from her she normally would have given without thought as she had with others on the Key on lonely nights. However, his words allured to a commitment and she knew she would not be able to uphold such a psychotic proposal if she gave in to her body’s desire this time. The thoughts in her mind were jumbled and it did not help when he pushed her onto the table and ripped off his shirt. His shoulders and arms were broad and his chest was covered in dark small curly hairs that led a trail down to the zipper of his pants. The way his bright brown eyes stared at her in hunger like a lion who was about to pounce made her core heat with intensity. His body begun to tower over hers on the table so he could get more of his fill of her and right when his lips were to come into contact with hers, he was forced to pause.

Ghoul had her knife’s tip pressed into the middle of his throat and it was the first time she had let her mask down and felt her uncertainty show so deliberately on her face. Delgado stilled himself while his face was only a few inches away from her lips and his eyes analyzed her reaction with carefulness. She knew she had him vulnerable here and she could force it through his throat to end this whole assignment; but something strange and twisted inside of her made her hesitant.

“You shouldn’t start something you do not intend to follow through.” He taunted her with a purr and he pushed his hips onto hers to tease her body. Ghoul felt her skin heat up to his touch and her hand trembled slightly as she held the knife in place. She didn’t know if she had it in her to slaughter as many people as it would take to get to a ship after ramming this blade into his throat. Delgado seemed to sense her doubt because her grabbed her wrist that held the blade and pressed it further into his throat with a smug grin on his face. “What are you waiting for?”

#starfield #starfield fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #sam coe x spacefarer #starfield spacefarer #Delgado x spacefarer #The Crimson Fleet

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bearlytolerant · 7 months

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bright and new- |M| sam coe x oc

Sam helps spacefarer get ready for a gala and is pleasantly surprised by an unexpected kiss.

somewhere close to me- |M| sam coe x oc

Sam and spacefarer attend a gala and he experiences a twinge of jealousy.

deepest of cover - |E| sam coe x oc

Sam can’t get Shepard out of his head so he allows himself a little treat.

Shepard doesn’t realize what she’s walking into until she does.

love on your arm - |E| sam coe x oc

Sam shows Shep how he feels.

kill off the hours |E| sam coe x oc

Shepard drags Sam into the Coe Heritage Museum and things get frisky.

the world can wait |E| sam coe x reader

An NG+ prompt fill for the main quest Entangled.

loop |G| sam coe x reader

A very short drabble to dispose of my numb feelings after ng+.

facade |E| delgado x reader

You attempt to strike a deal with the Crimson Fleet but things are never that simple.

split skin mid fic |E| Delgado x oc | complete

Delgado needs the Legacy like he needs air. When he indulges himself in the pirate captain Verity Blanche’s loathsome little game of give and take, he finds that it might just be worth it if he can achieve his dream through her.

Renegade - long fic |M| sam coe x oc | wip

Shepard, on the run from her past, seeks asylum on Neon. With the funds from a few odd jobs and a shady loan, she purchases a small bookshop. Though her shop is practically failing, she can always count on her favorite customer, Captain Cora Coe to make a weekly purchase. But when she can’t make a loan payment on time, her life gets turned topsy turvy and she’s forced to depend on friends for help.

AO3

#bear writes #starfield #starfield masterpost #sam coe x f!spacefarer #sam coe x oc #sam coe x zero shepard #starfield fanfic #delgado x oc #vergado

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fangbangerghoul · 5 months

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Ao3 Masterlist

ALL OF MY FICTIONS: MDNI, 18+

Starfield Tales

Updated: 04/24/24 Word Count: 155,010

Ghoul series:

1. Neon City Delights (completed) TW: Drug use, SA, Cannon Violence

Walter Stroud has finally decided to talk to you (Main character) like you are a person at Constellation. So, to prove to yourself and the companion the association has assigned to you as of late, Sam Coe, you now get to walk the streets of your hometown to complete a mission with your lead. What happens at the Astral Lounge doesn't need to be told, right?

2. Settling with the Stars (completed) TW: Cannon Violence, Alcohol

Being grounded to a planet is worse when you know you could be out doing something better with your time. Sarah Morgan wants our main character to lay low while others have been out doing quests of their own. How has our main character been settling with their down time since their near-death experience at Neon City?

3. Fleeting Pleasures (completed) <Masterpost> TW: Violence, Murder, Addiction, CNC

Our characters Crimson Fleet Arc. After going undercover our main character now has to balance who they are versus who they have to be and the line starts to blur. (Sam Coe x MC x Delgado)

4. Cellar Door (on hiatus) TW: Grief, Isolation, SA

"This famous linguist once said that of all the phrases in the English language, of all the endless combinations of words in all of history, 'cellar door' is the most beautiful." - Karen Pomeroy from Donnie Darko

To discover the unknowns of time, space and the grand universe like a true adventurer was everything to the Constellation members but at what cost? In this small epic discover what eternity really means with our main character.

5. Heavy Metal Lover (in progress) Tw: cannon violence

Ghoul and Delgado are back! Ghoul is stealthy, aggressive, indulgent, and stubborn as hell. Delgado is rough, creative, intimidating, and a manipulative Crimson Fleet leader. These chapters will be windows into Ghoul's Crimson Fleet life if the ending of Fleeting Pleasures never happened.

This takes place separately from Fleeting Pleasures in a universe where Ghoul finds her footing within the Crimson Fleet. This AU is a year after Ghoul joining the Fleet and the Constellation and Sysdef foregoing any hold they felt they had on her.

Starfield Shorts

Offbeats/One Shot's:

Capacity Limit (Sam Coe x fem!reader) TW: Bondage, Cannon Violence

Reader and Sam Coe are on a mission to eliminate Spacers and Reader keeps picking up too much shit.

Tear You Apart (Pirate Sam Coe x fem!reader) TW: CNC, Facefucking, bondage, light forced voyeurism, it's very explicit and it's a pirate being a pirate so just be wary. This isn't your Sam Coe from Kansas anymore.

You are now Starborn in search for the remnants of what you have left behind in your new current universe. You rush to be reunited with a new version of those you cared deeply but things go awry.

soft leather and spurs (softdom!Sam x fem!reader) Tw: praise kink, soft breeding kink, language?

You are leaving the bar for the night after playing a game of let's meet like strangers with your favorite cowboy.

Bonus Stories:

Ghoul Adventures (Halloweenedition, in progress)

This Halloween edition of Starfield tales takes our Main Character and some of the crew of Constellation on a spelunking adventure in search of what is causing all of the spooky rumors at the local citizen outpost.

Ghoul Files (a miniseries in progress) TW: Smut (I honestly don't think I have anything too hardcore in this series to tag, I will update if that changes)

This is the start of entries from Ghoul's life. Not all entries will be cannon to the current series. These entries are also little tidbits to hold you over in between chapters and series! Some will be Crimson Fleet oriented; some will be regular Ghoul activities!

Ghoul's Time at Sandrock

Short 1000 words or less chapters:

That Damn Rock (completed) fem!builder x Owen Tw: Fluff, slice of life, maybe a smooch

Builder, Ghoul is struggling with gathering materials.

What Did I Get Myself Into? (completed) fem!builder x Owen TW: Fluff, slice of life, fun stuff

Builder Ghoul tries to socialize like a normal Sandrockian.

Baldur's Gatekeep, Gaslight, Gouge Eyes 3

Collection of BG3 inspired Fics:

Thorny Feelings (completed) OC Ghoul x Bearlytolerable's OC Valentine Blanche TW: smut, anal, cunnilingus, light bdsm, magic

Valentine follows his dear friend Ghoul out into the woods away from the camp of companions they've been traveling with in Faerun.

100 Followers Celebration - Bloodweave (completed) Gale x Astarion Tw: fluff, hurt/comfort kind of

While the party is taking a short rest; Astarion and Gale strike up a conversation.

100 Followers Celebration - Calm Nights (completed) Halsin x Astarion x Ghoul Tw: bathtub, relaxation

Halsin, Astarion, and Ghoul finally settle for the night into a paid room for the night after long voyaging.

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fangbangerghoul · 7 months

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Ao3 Link

Stages of Me, Chapter 4 Warnings: 18+, Minors DNI Blood, sexual themes, violence, drug use

The murder and mayhem of living on The Key can has its benefits and its disadvantages.

Chapters: One

Two

Three

“What are you waiting for?” His sultry hot breath caressed her ear. The blade against his throat had already caused a minor injury and some of his blood was trickling down onto her face. It dripped slowly and she was caught between his piercing hazel eyes and her own pool of thoughts. She should just do it, just push the blade deep into his throat and let this man drown on his blood. You know what you were sent here to do. Ghoul was hesitant for too long and they both knew it. Another drop of his blood fell but this time it fell onto her lips and the coppery taste slipped inside her mouth. Delgado no longer was feeling very giving with his time and he swiftly moved his hand that was around her wrist to apply pressure and caused her hand to drop the blade against her will.

The moment the blade hit the table so did his lips onto Ghouls and their bodies instinctively entwined with passion. Ghoul felt his teeth graze on her lips and his hands buried themselves into her hair to force her face deeper into his. Her mind was empty and, in this moment, she was only focused on how Delgado’s tongue and body felt against her own. They both panted into each other’s mouths from the desperation as if they starved for the other for centuries. She felt an overwhelming burning sensation all over her body that seeped into her core and it drove her mad. Delgado untangled his hands from her hair to tear off her ragged tank top that was no match for his ravenous desire and roughly placed his lips on her breasts. The feeling of the cold air to the sudden touch of his warm mouth made a small whimper come out her mouth. The soreness Ghoul felt from the caged fight earlier made his touch even more tender. His mouth felt greedy and demanding as she felt his teeth mark all over her skin. Ghoul watched him as he suckled, bit, and man handled her tender breasts how he wanted. The way he moved his mouth around her and stared at her it was obvious he wanted that wicked mouth of hers to be more vocal, so she obeyed his silent command without question. Her hands caressed his beard, his throat, and started to move down to his torso the sudden need growing in her. They were about to find their way into his pants but his teeth clamped down on one of her nipples and he held her wrist in place to stop her. The sudden force caused a small yelp in pain from her and when his mouth left her breast there were teeth marks that broke the skin.

“Ah, ah, ah. I don’t remember giving you permission.” He taunted Ghoul as his grip tightened. There was a bit of confusion on her face, Ghoul thought this is what they both wanted. Almost as if he heard her inner thought, he responded with a fervent smile.

“You think you can try to kill me then get rewarded for it? You’re lucky I cannot get the thought of how you might taste off of my mind, mi tesoro.” He sucked on their flesh again, his mouth taking in as much as he could fit. His eyes were fixed on her face as he tormented her with pleasure. Ghoul didn’t know what to do with her hands after he had let go so they tangled them into his soft chestnut hair and one of her thumbs gently stroked the scar on his right eye. The warm and wet sloppy sensation from his mouth made her skin tingle and goosebumps appeared all over her body as she tightened her grip on Delgado. The sweeping in sensations were sending mini ripples of electricity throughout her body. She felt her body leaned into his mouth more as if it had a mind of its own. Delgado allowed his hands to wonder around on her body and was grabbing parts of her that fit his hands perfectly. At one point, one of his hands massaged her throat gently as he shoved his tongue back into Ghoul’s mouth. She moaned from the firm but gentle touch of his hands and mouth on her. She melted into his touch and his command without hesitation allowing herself to be devoured by him.

“Delgado!” The both of them did not hear the doors being slammed open but Jazmine’s voice carried through. The leader of the Crimson Pirates broke their kiss and continued south, swirling his tongue around Ghoul’s nipple one last time before he dragged his teeth across the tender areole. His eyes had darkened and the pleasured look that had been on his face disappeared. He had transformed back into the ruthless leader he was supposed to be. Delgado playfully slapped her breast from his mouth and placed his hands on each side of her on the table with his weight against her. She could not turn or move from where she sat but she could definitely feel his hard member pressed against her, teasing her. Delgado looked past her as if she wasn’t there and glared at Jazmine who was stammering an apology before continuing. “We have a problem.”

“Can’t you or Naeva solve it?” His voice heavier with his normal accent and gravel with irritation. Ghoul could feel the rumble within his chest, and a twitch from his groin. He did not appreciate his entertainment being interrupted and for those who were in the room with him could feel that throughout the entire lounge.

“No. I wouldn’t have come if-.” Jazmine begun to argue looking frazzled by what she walked in to but stopped herself for a moment to breathe. “You need to see it for yourself.” It was clear Jazmine was unsure of how much of the emergency to share out loud and Ghoul saw that he started to understand. Delgado stood straight and his eyes found themselves on Ghoul as if he was searching for answers that were written on her somewhere. His fingers reached for the hair that was in her face and he gently pushed it behind her ear.

“We are not finished.” His hand moved to lift her head side to side to inspect her neck and then let go of her with a small toss. Ghoul sat there her skin feeling flushed and a part of her was embarrassed for the way she had just acted with him, for him. Desperate and starved. The way his eyes saw through her made her feel like whatever he was searching for she would never be able to find herself. Delgado’s arms stretched as he reached for his own shirt and it showed off the multitude of scars and his natural body build. Ghoul found herself honed on the shape of his face, the way his brows furrowed, the way his body moved. Delgado had stood before her in a manner she never imagined him in before; topless and throbbing. He normally had decorated armor on or was surrounded by others who would do his bidding with a subtle command.

“Go back to your quarters, don’t leave until I call for you.” He ordered her. The cold air against her skin was bringing her back out of her mind, as her sobriety crept up. She huffed a bit of a laugh before rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

“It is not like I can leave this damned station. I am going to at least go wherever I want.” She was frustrated in many ways and the words slipped out. Her mask had slipped in front of him again. Delgado looked at her with amused smile as if she just told him a joke.

“For someone who just tried to murder the leader of the Crimson Fleet, I suggest you shut the fuck up or you’ll find yourself leaving this station without a suit.” His laugh sounded organic but laced with the threat and she was reminded where she was once again. The Key, an unforgiving place that she may have just blown her cover for. He looked out towards the door and soon there were footsteps of others walking towards them. Before she knew it two pirates were there to escort her. One was staring without shame at her bare breasts and she glared back at them while getting off the table. She was very tempted to punch the guard. She was upset with herself for not ignoring her body urges and just pushing the damn dagger in. It could have been her ticket out and back to what was supposed to be normal. She went to follow the other men even though she loathed the cold air against her skin. Ghoul was now irate about the thought of losing one of her only extra shirts on this station and only had a few credits left to her name. It was not like she was allowed to leave and pirate to get credits. She only had gotten to take a few steps away before Delgado grabbed her wrist and twirled her into his body like he wanted to dance with her. Moving her around with such ease was something that seemed to amuse him very much because his foxlike smile was back. Their bodies were pressed close together again and Ghoul felt her chilled skin warm to his touch. In his free arm he had a compressed black sweater waiting for her. “Take this, mi tesoro, so you don’t look so pouty anymore for me.”

Ghoul’s eyes looked at his face and then back at the shirt in suspicion. A part of her prideful self, wanted to reject it but another part of her really needed that shirt now that the other was on the floor from being torn off. She couldn’t wrap her mind around what these interactions between them meant. Ghoul took the shirt and threw it on immediately to combat the chilly air around her torso. The smell of sandal wood and sage filled her nostrils which was a change from the normal dirt or blood she smelt on a regular basis, she tried to hide the smile that threatened to show. Delgado looked content with her accepting the shirt and signaled to the escorts of hers it was time to leave.

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Her quarters were a small room with a bunkbed that belonged to another just like everyone else’s room on the ship. It was hard to keep personal items on such a communal ship of pirates and she did her best not to become too attached to things or immediately slit throats when something went missing. Her slate was under her mattress where she recorded some of her thoughts but she never allowed herself to go into too much detail in fear that her cover would be blown. Ghoul laid on her bed with her arm draped over her face to avoid looking at anyone who may still be guarding her door or worse the onlooking pirates who wondered why she had an escorted service to her room. Ghoul was still extremely angry at herself for not finishing the act. He wasn’t even going to fight back but why didn’t he fight back? She had seen him kill for so much less. They both had before. Where was her ruthless nature when she needed it the most? The number of pirates she had killed before going undercover to now was quite a pile of bodies and she didn’t understand what about him had made her hesitate. It was moments like this she missed Andreja and that thought made her feel hollow. All that she has done and all that she will do in the future would not be something she could ever share with Andreja or Sam. She caught where her thoughts were heading and repressed them to cleanse herself of those underlying depressive feelings that threaten to halt her very breath. Instead, she focused on the killer headache she was feeling from the lack of liquor and aurora in her system.

The headache was starting to drum within the side of her temples and it was driving her up the walls of her quarters. Ghoul took a moment to breathe and analyze the situation with her two guards at the door. They looked fairly bored and she knew that if she did it right, she could get past them both without too much of a hitch, hopefully. The itching to get ahold of some more aurora also started to affect how angsty she was feeling as she sat in the confined room. She dug her nails in her skin momentarily for a distraction so she could think on she could play out successful getting out and to The Last Nova. Once a clear picture appeared into her head she walked up to the archway of her door and leaned on it casually. Both the pirates that guarded her ignored her as she stood there and Ghoul couldn’t tell if they really didn’t care or if it was a power play.

“I am going to the bathroom. I need a shower.” She announced and as she stepped forward. In a unison, they both placed their guns in front of her to stop her.

“You are not allowed to leave until you are called for, bitch. It’s boss’ orders.” The lanky tall one said with unearned confidence. The other rolled his eyes but snickered a bit at his companion’s comment. Ghoul crossed her arms and stared at the lanky idiot with distaste.

“I would watch how you address me if you’d like to keep that tongue of yours.” She threatened and the lanky one laughed.

“I don’t think you are in a position to be giving threats right now, stupid bitch.” They both laughed this time around and Ghoul felt her eyebrow twitch from anger. She wanted to let it consume her to dull the fact her skin was feeling incredibly itchy, her brain was incredibly fogged, and the anger could fill the hallow pit in her stomach. She pushed her hair out of her face before she bent over to tie her boot. They were still laughing and now had let their guard down in front of her. She used the opportunity to grab the knife out of her boot. Ghoul stood quickly and as she did, she brought her foot up to kick the gun out of the other guard’s hand. The impact made the gun fly down the hallway some and then she jumped onto the dick who wouldn’t watch his mouth. Ghoul managed to make the jerk and her both fall to the ground with her surprise tackle and immediately she grabbed his cheeks and pressed them in with her free hand in an effort to force his tongue out. The anger drove her every move forward and as he struggled with her; she positioned her legs to hold his arms in place. He was now yelling and kicking for her to get off of him and she continued to place the pressure on his cheeks and laugh in his face. The other guard was about to grab her off of him but it was too late for the tall and lanky pirate. His eyes widen as Ghoul successfully yanked his tongue out of his mouth and with such brute force tore the tip off with her dull knife. Blood was gushing out of the wound and he started choking from the excessive amount red liquid that fell into the back of his throat. The other guard stared in shock for a few moments before he made the move to try to rip her off his companion. Ghoul pushed him with a strong force and it threw him off balance long to have him tip over and fall.

“I warned you pig.” She growled and then spit in his direction. The darkness in her eyes and the blood on her hands put fear into the second guard. Once she knew the second guard had eyes on her, she smiled at him. “Here, catch”

She tossed the piece of flesh like a small ball. When it landed in his hand a scream of disgust came from him and he immediately dropped it on the ground. The pirates tongue laid there on the ground wet and red.

“See you later, idiots.” Ghoul gave them a little cute wave before walking the opposite direction of where the guard laid with his fellow mate trying to help him stop the bleeding. She was ready to unwind, maybe eat some, maybe gamble some more. She felt the exhaustion in each of her steps from the lack of sleep in the last two cycles of day but that could easily be fixed with a supply of her favorite drug. The Last Nova was around the corner and she could hear it was still bustling with fellow pirates. She opened the doors to see that beers were still being sold and there was a table set up for hookah that Mathis sat at. His feet were propped up on the table and his hair was neatly put together as usual. Sometimes Ghoul wondered what he cared about more, being an actual pirate, or just being able to pirate hair products. He noticed she was walking over and immediately gave her a cross look.

“What do you want?” He said with irritation and watched Ghoul carefully with suspicion while she slid into the chair next to him.

“You hurt me, Mathis. It’s if we aren’t brothers in arms, becoming Rooks together and rising up in ranks hand in hand!” Ghoul placed her hand on her chest in a dramatic fashion to sell her sarcasm. Her enthusiasm wasn’t match as he looked at her bemused with her presence. She swiped the hookah hose from his hands and took a long drag and put her feet up besides his as he watched her. The space around them was clouded with the bellow of smoke Ghoul pushed out of her lungs. The heavy music played in the background and the air was feeling stuffy from the amount of pirates spending their time in there.

“I don’t know who you think you are but-.” Ghoul held up her hand to interrupt Mathis and she wagged her finger.

“No, no we aren’t playing that game. I do not feel like ripping out another tongue out.” She sighed in exhaustion and Mathis didn’t look any less confused. He did however look passively annoyed. “I came to relax, spend some time in the bar. See what is going on before I am summoned to Delgado again.” The last line made Mathis’ eyebrow raise in interest. He was always trying to wiggle his way up the ranks or kiss the leader’s ass if he wasn’t saying something stupid.

“What does Delgado want?” Mathis inquired with an extreme interest and Ghoul knew she was in a position to hold over the information till she got what she wanted.

“I could tell you but…. I don’t know if I should.” She teased the information dangling it over his metaphorical watering mouth. “He didn’t really tell me it was need to know so maybe- ugh no, I shouldn’t.”

“Stop playing your games, Ghoul. What do you want?” Mathis snapped with a bruised ego from him not being the one with the access of information.

“I need a fix, some drinks, maybe dinner.” She started with her teeth flashing at him in victory. “And a nice shoulder massage would be really gre-.”

“Fuck you. I’m not your fucking errand boy.”

“I never said you were, Mathis.”

“I’ll give you the aurora and some credits but I’m not going to buy your fucking drink for you.”

“You’re too kind.” She heckled him and her fingers traced up his arm but Mathis recoiled from her. Ghoul was always so amused by how much he seemed to despise her and she knew it was because of his failed attempts to convince her to kill Delgado in the beginning. She threatened to spill the information if he didn’t help her out at a later point and Ghoul still hadn’t picked up on that later point and it drove him mad to owe her still. He tossed two small vials of aurora to her and she caught them with ease and he placed a credit stick on the table.

“Spill” He demanded but Ghoul took her time to place the vial in place of her hookah chamber to begin smoking it. She grabbed the stick of credits and put that along with the extra vial in the pocket of her grimy cargo pants. It reminded her how badly she really did need to take a shower from the dry coated blood that still stained her, dirt, and who knows what else on her.

“Jazmine rushed in to tell Del something. She didn’t say any details because she saw me but he said he would summon me later after they discussed whatever it was.” Ghoul inhaled her pen some more and the colors in the room started to ripple a little and the itching that was underneath her skin slowly subsided. She even started to feel a little bad for that pirate’s tongue she ripped off. “I am assuming something is going to go down soon and maybe if I am lucky. I will be trusted enough to fly off this fucking space station.” Only some of what she said was a lie but Ghoul didn’t really care to be to honest with the skive Mathis was.

“That’s it? What am I supposed to do with that?”

“Are you a fucking idiot? Do I have to spell it out for you?” Ghoul said angrily. Whenever she had a conversation longer than ten minutes with Mathis it felt like she was scolding a younger brother. “Talk to Jazmine or Naeva. Or someone who works at Jazmine’s booth.”

“How do I know you aren’t lying?” Mathis asked and as if right on queue a pirate rushed through the doors of the bar and it just so happened to be one of her original guards. The one that still had his tongue. Ghoul pointed at the man who walked through and Mathis looked stupid as usual. The pirate walked over to their table this time with extra gear, blood still on his hands, and she could see some blood was also on his armor.

“You fucking cunt!” The pirate’s voice cut through the music in the bar and garnered everyone’s attention. All eyes were on the two of them and it made the room feel smaller. He reached to drag Ghoul out of her seat but she kicked his arm away from her while taking another puff of her pen. She exhaled the smoke into his face with a smile taunt him further.

“I didn’t think I would have to say it again but you should really watch what you say, jackass.”

“You are coming with me unless you want to end up thrown out of an airlock for what you did to Joeseph!” He threatened through his teeth as if that gave him the upper hand. He was bringing more attention on the both of them and there was a small chance it could turn into a brawl in a room full of pirates. Nobody in this room knew what he meant but all they saw was one pirate getting in the face of another. Mathis was sitting back trying to stay out of whatever problem the man had with Ghoul. It reminded her that Mathis was always a coward.

“I doubt you’d be able to walk out this room if you so much as tried.” She threatened back with confidence, confidence in hindsight she shouldn’t have. Her head wasn’t entirely there because of the drug she had been puffing on. The dark room was vibrating bright colors, her perception was starting to narrow, and it felt like her body was rocking on a gentle wave. The man sent to retrieve her attempted to grab her again but she swiftly moved herself out of his grasp again and her body sat on top of Mathis. He grunted, pushed her off and said something along the lines of leaving him out of it before he left the table in a huff.

Ghoul slid out the side Mathis left the table on and the pirate managed to grab her hair forced her back towards him with a yank. Her body fell back with the pirates pull and he was about to force her in a chokehold but with a small twist of her foot she invaded it. She laughed at his failed attempt and it egged him on. He didn’t try to grab her for the third time but instead threw his fist at her and she was not so lucky. The punch knocked her back a step and the dizziness she was experience became 10-fold.

“You fucking bastard.” She yelled as she held her face. Ghoul was trying to blink the stars she kept seeing away but at this point it was hard to tell if they were from the punch or the hallucinogen. Ghoul didn’t recover in time before the man threw another punch and this time it landed directly into her nose. She heard a crack and the impact echoed throughout her head causing a sharp pain to encompass her entire neck and skull. “Fuck!” She staggered back as she held her nose and it started bleeding. “Had enough?” The man asked and she nodded her head wincing in pain. The last punch was enough for her to tap out. It was hard to tell which side was the floor and which was the ceiling at the moment and the pain that leached throughout her body was just made worse from being high. The man smiled in victory and grabbed her by her free wrist to escort her away. Ghoul smiled to herself as she stopped holding her bloody purple nose and grabbed a bottle off the nearest table. She lifted it high and smashed it over the man’s head with a force that knocked him out instantaneously. The move alone riled up the eyes of those who had been watching the two of them fight for the past few minutes. The shattering of the glass caused an explosion of events that led to the whole bar breaking out into a brawl. More glass was shattering, the music was turned up at maximum volume, people were shouting, and bodies were being thrown across the room. Ghoul leaned herself against the wall side of a booth and held her head back momentarily to try and stop the bleeding. She had to admit to herself that a part of her savored the mayhem.

#starfield fanfiction #starfield #delgado x spacefarer #Delgado starfield #Delgado #Crimson Fleet #sam coe x spacefarer #Love triangle #slow burn #Sam Coe

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fangbangerghoul · 3 months

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Below is a masterpost of my Delgado centered fics, all links lead to Ao3 all fics MDNI, 18+, heed the tags please post will be updated as needed

Starfield Fanfiction, Delgado edition:

Ghoul Series:

Fleeting Pleasures (in progress) 8/10 chapters complete TW: Violence, Murder, Addiction, CNC

Our characters Crimson Fleet Arc. After going undercover our main character now has to balance who they are versus who they have to be and the line starts to blur. (Sam Coe x MC x Delgado)

(photo not mine, unsure of credit)

Bonus Stories:

Ghoul Files (a miniseries in progress) First 2 chapters are with Delgado TW: Smut(I honestly don't think I have anything too hardcore in this series to tag, I will update if that changes)

#starfield #starfield fanfiction #masterpost #crimson fleet #delgado x spacefarer #starfield delgado #ghoul vibes only #fang writes

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fangbangerghoul · 5 months

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WOW ITS HERE, FINALLY!! LOOK AT ME GO!!!

MINORS DNI, 18+

Fleeting Pleasures

Chapter 7: No Rest for the Wicked Ghoul has confessed her sins to Delgado while Andreja and Sam finally have a real lead to bring themselves closer to their captain. Our characters stories are getting closer to tying back together once again and wow there are some misconceptions for both parties.

Fanart of our dear, sweet innocent Ghoul below: -by me

Ao3 Link

No Rest for the Wicked

Tap. Tap. Tap. His fingers struck the edge of the control panel in front of him rhythmically waiting for the call to come through. He was hyper aware that it would and he was surprised the Chair didn’t come here to lecture them herself. Andreja sat to the left of Sam, engrossed in her tablet as she exchanged notes and intel with Vlad to decipher some of the Crimson Fleet messages they had gathered. On the surface they seemed like garbled nonsense but Sam was no stranger to cracking ciphered messages from his youth.

“How much of the truth are you going to tell her this time Sam?” Andreja muttered sarcastically into the silence and Sam couldn’t tell if it was rhetorical or not.

“That makes it sound like you are accusing me of lying to Ms. Morgan.” Sam’s mouth twisted into an unappreciated smirk. He wasn’t too keen on having this conversation with her again. The months were starting to add more pressure on the delicate relationship they had to begin with. “I never lied to her.”

“Yet, you never told her about the fact that we have had no communication with our Captain for 3 months now.” Andreja’s rigidness in her voice reflected how she felt about their actions for the past few months. Her tolerance for Sam’s deceitfulness towards the others was drawing to an end and he knew that. It was over when she went behind his back to tell Sarah the missing details.

“She knows, to an extent.” Sam exasperated while his head was trying to remember which parts of the truth he had hidden from Constellation. There was a moment in his pursuit to find their friend where he crossed the line and instead of thinking rationally like he normally would he let his emotions take over. The results of that broken boundary were bloody knuckles and a dead man underneath him.

“I mentioned communications were spotty when I decided to drop off Cora.” He muttered back to her in defense as if that should have been enough. They both knew it wasn’t.

“Sam, we have been chasing leads for months now with no hope of getting any closer. It is time we ask for help.” Andreja demanded, her voice breaking into a higher pitch from the stress. She had circles under her eyes but they both did and the wear and tear from stress and being continuously on the go was getting to them. Burning them out even. Sam conceited with his hands held up and tried to turn his body in another direction to find something else to distract himself.

Sam’s chest felt heavy and to relieve some of the pressure he let out a large sigh. The way his chest expanded with his lungs and then released had him feeling some of the soreness that ached in a few of his muscles. The last ship they infiltrated had more bodies on it and for once Sam wasn’t 100% sure if he was going to make it out of that one. It was one thing to be doubtful of his abilities and another to just be statistically out matched. Andreja came through with her viciousness and all of the excessive training she had been pouring her energy into.

“And this is for the Carmilla file?” An unfamiliar voice spoke in a low volume and Sam perked up realizing that Andreja was whispering to someone. The way the name was said made him suspicious of the conversation along with the fact she never brought up the fact she wanted to have a private call. Andreja had whispered to the other line but he couldn’t quite make out what she was discussing and that made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle in alert. Andreja tried to look within her peripheral vision to discreetly see if Sam was listening but then she very carefully tried to wrap up her conversation.

“What’s the Carmilla file? Is it another lead?” He asked with hope that perhaps it was more useful information than compared to what they had managed to gather thus far. The both of them were keeping the vagueness of the intel they received from Sarah because what they really had was nothing, just hunches. Several hunches that seemed like miscellaneous puzzle pieces that almost fit together but couldn't quite stick. Andreja and Sam had been using the coordinates and data from each of the ships they raided and interrogated to map out possible routes the Crimson Fleet frequented in hopes that maybe that was the key to all of the pieces and leads.

“Yes and no.” Andreja said very carefully, her mouth slightly parting as if she wanted to add something but the words wouldn’t come out.

“Well, if it’s going to help. I’d like to know. It’s not like I’ve kept any information from you.” He gritted his teeth trying to not let his quick temper get the best of him. He hated how easy it was for him to get riled up nowadays but even with the thought of something possibly being kept from him raised a special kind of hurt and anger within him.

“Carmilla is Ghoul’s given name.” She caved to his questioning in a hushed tone as if there was someone else listening on the ship. “Delgado has been requesting information on that name in particular. Which means somehow, he knows it.”

“Carmilla?” Sam said the name and it flowed off his tongue like sweet wine. He repeated the name within his thoughts a few times, becoming acquainted with it and trying to add it to the familiar face he would often think of. Ghoul, Carmilla, his captain, all titles to a person who was shrouded with mystery and never bothered to share much of herself with anyone. At least not often with him.

“How do you know it? I never even heard the commander refer to her as anything other than Ghoul.” Sam’s eyebrow peaked, skeptical of Andreja. The SysDef never seemed inclined to use that name and they knew practically everything albeit the information was occasionally out of date.

“She told me, privately, when we were in each other's company.” Andreja looked away, seeming embarrassed by the confession and that gave Sam feelings he couldn’t even explain to himself. That was when a darker realization started to spread into his head like a swarm of Flying Leeches that infected the air space of his mind. It was a flash of an image, a scene of her tied, breathing heavily, and badly injured. Delgado stands over her starved and broken body, forcing her to confess to him. Sam felt he was going to bubble over with flames and fury before he tried to confirm this fear, “How did he find out?”

“I’m….I’m not sure honestly.” Andreja said in a hushed voice her eyes becoming distant, possibly coming to the same conclusions. Sam saw her start to fidget with the tablet within her hand before she began to make herself look as if she was pulling up information she had been gathering. “She said, only her adopted mother knew.”

“Imada?” He said with displeasure remembering that conversation with disdain. That particular event in Neon that correlated with the thought was when she acted impulsively and put the rock Walter and the Constellation wanted over her own damn life. He felt more of his anger start to spread to his temples, his knuckles whitened. The rage he felt over the things he had seen her go through and the possibility that Delgado was making her go through even worse. If given the chance Sam planned to kill that man with his bare hands over principle.

“The information that has been traveling between the Fleet and their spies has been extensive. I might have their next location pinpointed. I planned to send the information to Vlad for him to look it over.” Andreja’s eyebrows were drawn together the more she read what was on the tablet in front of her and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask her anymore.

“What do you think it says?” Sam pushed for the information and even though he looked calm on the outside he was feeling the mask slowly start to slip away. Every thought he had was a question or a concern and he felt his body energize with all of the frustration and tension that he had accumulated over the past three months. Sarah would be calling them soon and he needed to breathe before she would. His boots clamored on the metal floor of the ship while he now started to pace back and forth, breathing and trying to soothe the ever-present anger that ate at him.

“It’s strange because it gives out the location of The Sondor but it is followed by announcing a public execution. Which is absolutely unheard of according to some of the contacts I have been in touch with.” The pieces of their puzzle were looking more and more foreign to each other.

“Public execution?” Sam couldn’t stop the growl that came from his throat when he repeated the notion back to her. It was not the usual style of the Crimson Fleet and he felt a pit in his stomach. “Delgado could be making an example out of her, for the UC SysDef and anyone else who tried to infiltrate The Key.”

Andreja just nodded slowly refusing to hold eye contact with him as if it made the situation any less real. Sam couldn’t hold his mind to the present and he felt himself slip into a disassociated headspace.

Sam blamed himself for a lot of things. Blamed himself for not being more honest with Constellation who, as he would say himself, was basically his family. He felt guilt for leaving Cora behind when he swore, he would take her everywhere no matter what. This blame would turn to guilt that spun into frustration and eventually led to a deep bubbling pit of anger within himself. A growing bubbling pit of flame and fury that wanted to exit his being with haste as it eroded his insides. The vicious cycle he felt his emotions go through was wearing him down but every time he felt himself ready to turn in the towel there would be a glimmer of hope. ‘She was alive,’ or ‘These coordinates brought us that much closer’ something would drag him back to the original mission and that was bringing Ghoul back from hell. Or Carmilla. The thought of the name left a sour taste in his mouth, it was another example of the walls she placed around herself when he was too close. Another reminder he was always one step behind or just out of reach of all the things he cared and longed for.

“Sam?” Andreja’s voice was distant but the void of space he found himself staring into was now present in his consciousness and he blinked himself back onto the ship. His eyes turned to her now worried and grimace expression while her eyes checked him over to see if the lights were still on upstairs.

“Yeah?” His voice sounded far away to himself and he cleared his throat in an attempt to call it back home. “I got lost in thought.”

“Sarah is going to be calling in any second, are you going to be able to talk to her about this?”

“Yeah, of course.” Sam rolled his shoulders as if he was pushing his problems off his back.

“Sam-.” Andreja began to say something but a small arrangement of melodic beeps interrupted her and she looked more defeated as usual. They both knew what the notification was and a part of Sam wanted to try to avoid this conversation all together but he knew he had a lot to answer to and he could at least be a man about it. Not run whenever the Chair of the Constellation was going to give him a lecture worse than any of the ones he ever received from his father. He accepted the call and Sarah Morgan was on screen, lips pursed, eyebrows furrowed, and more stress lines than Sam thought he had ever seen on her face.

“Are these reports real? Am I to believe that two members of Constellation have gone on a pirate killing spree?” There was an incredulous tone within Sarah’s rhetorical questions. No greeting just straight to the point as she seemed to reread the slate in front of her. There wasn’t any real way of denying her questions and it was clear how she lunged in at the start of the conversation they weren’t going to be allowed the chance to try. Her blonde hair and poised stature was visible on the screen as her face scrunched together more and more by the minute. Sam was in no position to disagree with her. He knew the consequences but that voice in the back of his head also wanted to say 'damn the consequences’. The SysDef refused to save their own agent and no one knew the actual condition their captain was in.

“We did what we had to. A lot of those ships left us no other choice-.”

“Choice? The choice should have been coming back to The Lodge so we could plan a course of action!” She interrupted him immediately and it packed quite a bite. “If you two would have told me the gravity of the situation months….and seriously MONTHS AGO? It could have been dealt with properly. Not to have Delgado and his Fleet of pirates’ keen on killing the both of you now!”

“There’s nothing I can say that will change the decisions we ultimately made.'' Andreja spoke out loud and looked between the screen that displayed Sarah and where Sam stood looking hesitant to speak. Sam knew the hesitance was mostly because it was her idea to come to Sarah earlier on and Sam refused. “However, we both came to the conclusion that less members involved is safer for Constellation.”

“That’s not your decision to make.” Sarah’s voice was like a calm fury now. Her blue eyes trying to penetrate the screen that was between her and them to burn holes into their heads. “You both are representative of what it means to be a member of Constellation. As of lately you both have made choices that are no better than the pirates you have been trying to go up against. I expect you two back to The Lodge immediately.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Sam said halfheartedly. His body was stiff as he tried to look convincing. He didn’t have any plans of going back immediately but she didn’t need to know. One more lie wasn’t going to affect anything. “I may have not made the most respectable choices lately but you have to know I did it for Ghoul, for Constellation. And I would do it for any of the others.”

“Trust me. I know that.” Sarah's exasperated and it seemed to release some of the fumes that were burning within her eyes earlier. “We look out for one another together. You of all people should have known that and out of everyone I expect you to operate with better caution.”

Sam felt the sting of disappointment from her words and he sucked in his breath. He knew his actions were far beyond what he normally would do. He could see himself from the outside, worn down, tired, battered and all for one person. He also knew he would do it again in a heartbeat for her and he wasn’t sure if that made him insane or something entirely else.

“Yeah. We can talk more about the situation when we get there.” He said trying to wrap up the call to end it already. He felt his fist tighten from the tension of the situation. He was having to lie to someone he respected again but he knew if The Sondor led them to Ghoul it could finally be over.

“I have organized most of the intel and other information we have gathered on the situation. So, I will share that with everyone when we reach the Lodge.” Andreja added her focus torn between the conversation and the tablet in her hand. Sarah ended the call after saying a few more things for Andreja to focus on but as soon as he was sure it was completely over he turned to her.

“You are probably going to have to go ahead without me.” Sam told Andreja once the room fell silent.

“Yeah right. After all this time?” Andreja rolled her eyes at him, a sight he never thought he would ever see from the likes of her. “To the Sondor?”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Delgado heard the water turn on from afar as he still focused on calming his temper, his breathing. He was angry, livid, at the truth that spilled from her mouth. She was a traitor all along and she slipped past his defenses so easily. It was shameful for him to think about and the hit in his pride just consumed his thoughts. He stood in his room looking out the window to the black sea of stars that was out there tapping his foot while his jaw felt so tight and rigid. She had a hold over him that he was trying to shake off. Her whimpers, the way her mouth and skin tasted, everything about her had him feeling like he could lose himself inside of her for hours more. Delgado knew he was rough with her, not as rough as he could have been. She took all of him, submitted to him even if it was in exchange for her own sweet release, and watching her underneath him was sublime.

‘That fucking bitch’ The thought repeated within his mind in annoyance and frustration. Delgado was trying to think of anything else but then he heard her faintly get into his personal shower and soft whine came from her. A whine probably from the pain and soreness within her tender muscles, he thought begrudgingly. He was able to tell she hadn’t cleaned herself in a few days with how much blood and dirt was caked onto her skin and in her hair. Delgado wondered if Ghoul even ate in the last few days. Several of his assigned contacts that kept tabs for him within The Key would always comment on the obscene amount of aurora she had been ingesting, something that needed to end if he was going to utilize her to her fullest potential.

Delgado knew he couldn’t kill her. He acknowledged if she was anybody else, he would without a second thought. The UC had made several attempts in the past to get past the defenses of the Crimson Fleet and most were painfully obvious from any perspective that wasn’t military. The last attempt the man had faltered so easily with his lies and his attempts to be something he was not. After the third time hesitating with an order Delgado was swift to fire his gun directly into the traitor's head. It was as if she belonged within the Fleet and everything about her was the complete opposite of what the UC SysDef’s or Ranger’s could ever produce. Ghoul was a wild card, she did not shy from violence or moral ambiguity, and at the end of the day was more ruthless than some of the members he had with him over the years.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the water in the bathroom was no longer running and he heard soft steps creep into his room. That was when Delgado turned to see her naked body and reddish-brown hair dripping wet and it reminded him of a painting he saw in his parents’ house long ago. A memory so far back he never thought of it to resurface ever again. She stopped in her tracks and he noticed how relaxed the muscles in her shoulders were compared to when he normally saw her. Her confidence transcended the room and Delgado felt himself catch his breath even if his mind was still consumed with her betrayal.

“About time, you reeked like an animal.” He wanted to make his annoyance with her known and dragged out the emphasis of the insult. Delgado was unwilling to waver from his anger towards her not just yet. She gave him one of her lazy, bored looks. Her skin was decorated with all the marks he left on her and the water glistened off of her perfectly. It was causing mixed emotions and the vortex within his mind was giving him a headache.

“Do you need something else?” He growled as his thumb and index finger began to rub his temples for relief. It at least gave him an excuse not to look at her any longer with his furrowed brows and tense jaw line.

“Clothes, you ruined mine and no one pays me anything because I can’t leave this fucking place to do work.” Ghoul snipped at him. Her voice was not as aggressive as she usually was but there was still that rugged undertone to her that demanded for others to steer clear from her. He understood a part of why it existed but she was still rude as fucking hell for it.

“Look over in that storage crate. I am sure there is something in there even for a traidora.” He felt his tongue roll the perfect r’s with his venom and was satisfied with the landing. Delgado watched her face pinch in annoyance and heard a soft sigh come from her and for once she didn’t bother to argue back. The lack of response had a smile tug at his lips thinking about how perhaps he should have fucked her delirious sooner.

Delgado walked over to his night stand where an older bottle and a glass sat waiting for him every night. It was his favorite dark liquor he kept a supply of from his home planet. He fell into his nightly routine of pouring a glass and throwing back the first shot before refilling for the second time to sip on for the evening. He could feel her eyes on his back and it made the air around the skin of his torso feel colder and give him goosebumps. Instinctively he rolled his shoulders to release some of the tension he felt before he bothered to acknowledge her.

“Am I allowed to leave or-” Before she finished with something smart to say he interrupted.

“You are not allowed out of my sight until I decide.” He said with a sharp warning. She was silent again and this time he turned around to look at her again. She was wearing another one of his older shirts and it hung off of her cozily. He felt his groin twitch at the sight and he leaned back on the nightstand, grinding his teeth.

She tilted her head at him as she observed what he was doing and her eyes locked onto him like a snake after something in particular. That was when Ghoul started to slowly move closer to him with her movements delicate and well thought out. He watched her curiously and sipped on his glass as she stopped only a step in front of him. She reached out unapologetically and swiped the glass from his hand and before he could protest she held her finger up at him. Delgado thought about yelling at her but decided to let her quench her thirst for the moment. She did lose quite a bit of blood because of him.

“Are you done?” He asked her as she made a small gasp for air after downing his glass within seconds. She ignored his question and went for the bottle beside him. Delgado grabbed her wrist and stopped her within an instance. “How about you ask? Or do they not teach you manners at SysDef?”

“The SysDef didn’t teach me anything and I am thirsty.”

“You really do act like a fucking animal sometimes.”

“You would know.”

“What you should know is how lucky you are to be alive right now. I could have just placed a bullet within that thick skull of yours already and cut my losses.” Delgado sneered at Ghoul with disdain.

“It’s never too late-.”

“Cut the crap, Rook.” He used the grip on her arm to make her face him and their bodies were now close enough to touch. “Did you infiltrate My Fleet just as a death wish? Where is the ambition I see burning in your eyes when you are in the cage?”

“You act as if I wanted to be here in the first place.” She snarled at him and reaffirmed the feral nature inside her that caught his gaze in the first place. He looked at the way her lips curled and for a moment he was going to lean in and kiss them again. She had a gravitational pull on him and he wasn’t ready to satisfy it. “What part of ‘they made me’ did you not understand?”

“For someone who was made to join the Crimson Fleet you did a helluva job getting in.” Delagdo said with a cocky grin thinking of the irony of Ghoul’s words and how her actions were the complete opposite. She was in denial of her place among the Fleet and that was something he could use to his advantage.

“It’s not like it was hard.” She scoffed at him as she yanked her wrist back and poured the glass. Ignore the underlying threat written across his face. Delgado didn’t know what the hell he was going to do with her. He knew there were things he’d like to do to her but when it came to the Fleet only a few ideas came to mind and one of them was locking her in a room until he didn’t feel this rage when he looked upon her stupid face. He felt another rise of anger with how nonchalant she was about joining the Fleet as if there weren’t dozens of graves from those who failed to meet his standards.

“You still have a lot to learn, Rook.” His body leaned more towards Ghoul's, their faces inches from each other’s as he towered over her. His body was stiff and rigid and he knew he was at his limit with her smart mouth, once again.

“Enjoy the night in your cell.” He snatched the glass back from her and she gave him a stupendous look as if he just muttered gibberish to her. He walked towards the door of his room and once he reached the archway he snapped and grabbed the attention of the two men who were still dicking around with their game of cards. They did not make him wait as the two taller captains came into his room to grab Ghoul. Little did she know he already had spoken to them prior to letting her roam about and clean herself in his private quarters. There was a lot she didn’t know and that made him tickle with delight. Ghoul was thrusting herself around amazingly, having the sudden energy to try and take down the men who held her but they were now more experienced with her wild antics, enough to know when to loosen and tighten their grip on her.

“Fuck you, Delgado! And fuck your stupid Fleet!” Ghoul screeched as the men passed him with her. She tried to lunge at him but he only laughed at her attempts.

“Now you are starting to sound more like a real traitor. Maybe in the morning I will find it in myself to forgive you but for now, enjoy your cold, dull evening bitch.” He slammed the door in her face and tried to block out her loud threats and anger. He had to finish getting himself together for his meeting with his Second in Command.

#starfield #starfield fanfiction #coemancer #crimson fleet #sam coe #starfield delgado #fang writes #starfield fan art #delgado fanfic #starfield art #delgado x oc #sam coe fanfiction #sam coe starfield #sam coe x spacefarer #ao3 writer

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fangbangerghoul · 6 months

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Get 'Em Cowboy

Chapter 5 of Fleeting Pleasures (aka Stages of Me): Ao3(comments and kudos are appreciated) It's been two months since Ghoul's crew members have seen her in person. What lengths will Sam and Andreja go to, to find their captain? What has Delgado found out about his Fleet members? Minors DNI, 18+/TW: Violence, cursing, mental health struggles I appreciate all the love and support that is poured into this fic! A big shout out to @thatsgoodsquishy0 and @spookyspecterino for being amazing and helping me out when I was lost with it! Fleeting Pleasures (aka The Stages of Me): Link

Chapter 5: Get 'Em Cowboy

The cockpit of the ship was dark and the space felt so hollow and alone. It had been several weeks since either Sam or Andreja had heard or seen from their Captain and at this point it was becoming easier to assume the worst. Sam didn’t want to succumb to those thoughts even as he jumped from star system to star system. He was following various leads of Crimson Fleet activity with no evidence that suggested anything positive. They still had yet to find the coordinates to The Crimson Fleet’s main base of operations and even if they did, Sam knew it would be a suicide mission. Hell, he even showed up at UC SysDef to see if they would assist in their searches but just like the rest of the UC those corporate funded dogs didn’t give a shit about anything other than the possibility of losing money and blowing cover. That day was a catalyst for Sam’s current mental state, as the UC Marines dragged him out kicking and shouting at those pigs for them to do something, anything for Ghoul. She didn’t have to agree to help them out but she did and this was how they were going to repay her?

Sam finished another drink and threw the glass bottle into the pile of bottles and wrappers that had collected in the corner. He practically lived in the cockpit of the ship and only left when he was going to check out another abandoned ship or mine, or had to go to the bathroom. There had been several nights where he woke up in the captain’s chair with a stiff neck and a migraine from the hangover of the previous night. His head was a swarm of thoughts and emotions that ranged from anger, guilt, sorrow, and frustration. Sam knew before she even left their ship, he should have stopped her. He knew and felt it through his entire being but he just took a step back. The whole ploy by that murderous bastard was a trap and Sam just fucking despised not speaking his mind when he had the chance. Delgado probably had her murdered on the spot once he figured out who she was really working for. Sam vowed to himself that he would never let that man live a day of peace in his life if Delgado harmed her in any way. He had taken the time to read up on some of the files Ghoul had left behind in her locker so he knew more about the leader and ranking in Crimson Fleet than he ever wanted too. Delgado was a bastard from a rich family that decided that wasn’t enough and now is left unchecked in the settled system, thinking he can be a ‘king’.

Sam would never admit to getting into Ghoul’s locker but he knew her passcode from his eyes, always drifting their way onto her while she’s around him. Some of those moments were when she would visit the Galaticat she had found and for some reason hid in her captain’s locker. He remembered when they were searching for clues for a piece of the Artifact and she thought she was being sneaky after finding the toy cat and taking it back to the ship. The way she looked at it tugged at something in his chest to watch someone so hard on the exterior be frozen at the sight of something soft like a Galacticat. The bombardment of thoughts and memories started to make his temple pound and he brought his hands up to start relieving some of the tension in his face.

“Any other leads?” Andreja’s voice came from the dark hallway that connected the ship to the cockpit. She had insisted in staying with Sam as he traveled looking for Ghoul. Her reasoning was logical and if anything, he knew he needed someone with him so he didn’t lose himself in his anger. There were a few moments where he was unhinged and ruthless to the one’s he left alive to interrogate, and occasionally it would throw him back into the dark and murky headspace of when he still was a Freestar Ranger.

“No.” His response was short, hoarse, with a tinge of disappointment. He leaned his body back into the chair and continued to rub his temples, his beard, his jaw anything to help himself soothe the dark pool of emotions that threatened his current mentality. Sam knew things were bad for him, maybe worse than they had been in awhile and it was one of the main reasons he ultimately decided to leave Cora with Sarah. That day he had to finally admit to Cora that something was really amiss with their captain; it tore him apart even further. The look of betrayal and worry on the face of his sweet daughter’s face summoned a deep well of guilt, then having to leave Cora anywhere was never in normal circumstances, on the table. His guilt and anger fueled him to chase down every Crimson Fleet pirate and gun them down for answers and revenge for just existing. It wasn’t safe for Cora to be near him like this and every passing day he knew eventually the time would come where he would be backed into a corner that had no exit.

“Have you heard from Vlad for any more leads? Or even any of your old contacts at The Rock-.”

“No, Andreja.” His tone was sharp as a blade and Andreja stood there with him in silence watching his grimace expression. She found herself staring out at the stars out of the cockpit's view because she was never sure what to say to him when the pain was written on his face. He was not alone; she was struggling with the thought that she may have lost one of her closest companions too. The only time she ever felt any type of relief was when she was forcing herself to train harder than her body wanted or when she was with Sam in the mines bashing pirates faces in. Andreja always had feared that type of pain that loss brought and it was one of the many reasons she never opened up to others often and here the fear was staring back at her. In the beginning she refused to even entertain the thought. Her captain was strong, confident, even a little eccentric sometimes and if she were to be backed in a corner, Ghoul would find a way out. Or so Andreja thought till the days turned into weeks and weeks turned into two months.

Sam saw the void in her eyes that he knew was a mirror within his own. Their lives had felt less joyous with the knowledge that one of their own was still out there and without aid. There was a small beep at the console and on the screen appeared another set of coordinates from an old contact on a location to meet up. Sam didn’t say a word as he entered the coordinates and began the grav jump process to another star system. He was not looking forward to being reunited with some of the people he used to work alongside of and it was something he never thought in a million ages he would have to do.

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“What do you mean?” Delgado hissed for clarification as his second in command and her companion showed him the list of recently deceased. Someone was going around The Settled Systems and taking out his fleet one by one and it was obviously not a team from the UC. It was too messy, too thorough. He could feel his jaw tighten and teeth clench from being wound up in frustration.

“Exactly what we said Del. Either someone is a fucking selling us out or we have another faction to worry about. All of these deaths have happened in the last two months that is an abnormal coincident even for some of the fucking idiots we have.” Naeva was just as infuriated and the way her hand ran through her hair demonstrated that. Delgado was brainstorming all of the possibilities; was this a full-on onslaught or if there was someone within the ranks selling out their members? He went to great lengths to vet the people who joined his fleet by setting up trials to test that those he recruited were fierce, loyal, and among the strongest. If this was from within his ranks, he would have to start making examples out of them. They knew all he asked for was loyalty and if that loyalty wasn’t received then they could find the cold embrace of death awaiting them.

“Where were the last ships that were destroyed?” He demanded to know as his fingers tapped rhythmically on the table. Delgado’s mind was torn between the problem that was presented to him and the feeling of his attempted murderer’s body against him. He was still extremely frustrated from being interrupted by Jazz during those last few moments. The fierceness within that recruit’s eye’s reminded him of a feral trapped animal, it was definitely how she fought within the caged matches they held for entertainment. That untamed energy that exuded out of her is what caught his eye the very first time he saw her and what made him wait to see what she would decide to do when her cold blade was pressed firmly against his throat. It was a smart move on her part, catching him when they were alone and vulnerable. She was not someone to underestimate and the challenge she presented in Delgado’s eyes was something that excited him. He couldn't tell within her intense stare what overwhelmed her more, the thought of a hardened past or the possibility of an uncaged future. Delgado found himself scratching at his mustache and then pushing back his dark shaggy hair. His hair was normally well kept but the Rook’s fingers had ruffled it in their moment of passion. As he watched, she released her inhibitions. She did it with such an immediate, passionate, desperation that the thought of witnessing that release sent unfamiliar shivers against his skin.

“Volii.” Jazz responded as she pulled up the latest report she put together on her tablet. Her and Naeva had used all of their contacts to trace every single member that had been murdered recently. Her face had smudges of oil and dirt from working around the Key and its starships that day.

“Volii?” Delgado knew that Neon was within that system but it was rare he ever had to worry about the factions out there aside from the Freestar Rangers. He knew for a fact the destruction caused to his fleet wasn’t done by the hands of the UC but there was a possibility that the Ranger’s had their filthy hands meddled in this. He felt his nostril flare as if he was breathing out fire in anger. It was hard to keep himself calm when it came to the members of his fleet, they were the closest thing he had to family and he wanted nothing more than to lead them to a future where they dominated without the worry of being hunted.

“There have been whispers that it could be an ex-Ranger that is doing all of this.” Naeva said softly, unsure if she should even bring it up. “We don’t have anything concrete yet but someone with the name of Coe has been named for poking his nose around in the business of our fleet.”

“Coe?!” Delgado was taken aback at the sound of the name. That particular name he hadn’t been reminded of in many years and it brought back thoughts of the sand dusted streets of his hometown. A place that worshiped the surname Coe.

“An ex-ranger you say?” He closed his eyes momentarily and tried to breathe. Naeva and Jazz were the only two he attempted to control his temper around only for the fact that in the case of an argument they were always louder. It would give him a migraine and sour his mood more than it already has been with this new knowledge. A Coe who’s also an ex-ranger was trying to take down his fleet one member at a time. Delgado didn’t give a shit what the reason might be for this in the end he needed retribution for the moral of his fleet and because no one fucks with the King of the Crimson Fleet. “Track this man down and stay low profile. I want to take his head off myself. That motherfucker will regret the day he decided to fuck the fleet and get away with it.”

“Delgado!” A rugged voice yelled after someone yet again walked into his private lounge without permission. The flagrant hair for a pirate and unnerving sound of his voice gave the culprit away before Delgado’s eyes were even on him. Instead of acknowledging the dimwit he snapped his fingers and the men who were at the table in the corner playing cards immediately scooped him up and started to drag Mathis out.

“Wa-Wait! I ran to tell you-.” Mathis shouted out as he struggled with getting free of Delgado’s personal dogs. They held him tight and were about to throw him out completely but Mathis managed to turn his head one more time to shout again. “There’s a huge brawl in The Last Nova because Ghoul-.”

“What the fuck did you just say?” Naeva growled at the information and stood up with fierce conviction. “I know they aren’t destroying my motherfucking bar.” She cocked her gun and started out the door.

“Naeva, where the fuck do you think you are going?” Delgado demanded but she ran out with her braids whipping the back of her head as she turned around the corner. Jazz didn’t wait to see what Del’s reaction was and followed her partner in case she needed help. He held up his hand to signal his men to let Mathis breathe so the invalid could speak.

“Without being an annoying idiot, tell me what is happening, and quickly or I will break your neck.” Del flashed his teeth that looked as sharp as fangs to Mathis in warning.

“Uh, yeah, um.” Mathis was trembling a bit with sweat beading down his brow from the run he just did to make it here. He looked unsure of himself and Delgado was one second away from getting up and bashing the man’s skull in himself.

“Ghoul! She attacked another member of the fleet. Unprovoked. She just decided to start assaulting other members and last I checked that’s a sure way to get you killed.” There was a small gulp that came from Mathis as he vomited the words to Delgado. The man appeared to shrink as the intensity of anger from Delgado’s eyes burned themselves into Mathis. The anger radiated off of Delgado and spilled into the room, causing the air around the others to feel dry and suffocating.

“The Rook did what?” His voice was eerily calm and his lips pressed into a thin line. Delgado stood up and walked directly to Mathis while not breaking eye contact. He motioned the two men that once held Mathis to lead the way to the bar. Delgado straightened his hair out and then waited for Mathis to move ahead but the dumb recruit was staring at him like a small prey would a predator.

“Let’s go and I hope for your sake you are being an honest man for once in your life, Mathis.” The threat was enunciated clearly so there would not be any misunderstanding between Delgado and Mathis before they continued on. There was a calm rage that engulfed Delgado’s body from the actions of this headstrong recruit on the loose. Who already had tried to kill him but now was going around trying to slaughter other members and for what? One of two things were true about her; either she is really brave or is very brazen and miscalculated her true skillset. There was something about both of those options that tugged a smile out of him even if he was ready to throw her out a damn airlock.

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The rain was pounding on top of the brown adventurer's hat Sam wore as he walked to the security post in front of the entrance of Neon City. There were puddles around him that reflected the bright fluorescent signs that glittered the outside of the crowded city. On the surface they were colorful and fun to any newcomer but Sam knew the truth behind the illusion from past experience. The cowboy preferred to never come back under any circumstances but this was urgent, desperate even. This was the means to an end.

He tried to push his way through the entrance but a security guard caught him by his arm, stalling him. Sam’s brow scrunched up and his eyes narrowed at the hand that stopped him in his tracks. He didn’t have time for their nonsense nor was he interested in their games.

“State your business.” The guard commanded as she loosened her grip on Sam. Sam whipped his arms out to force her to give him more personal space before he tried to wipe off her invasive touch. His boot was uncontrollably tapping and he felt his body grow rigid and tense from being at a standstill.

“Freestar Ranger, need to know basis.” Sam had pulled out his old Ranger badge from his back pocket. He was hoping he wouldn’t have to use it at all but he knew if he wanted the information he was after it would be easier to pretend he was still enlisted. The guard’s suspicious gaze shifted between Sam’s face and his badge before reluctantly giving him the motion to pass. Sam didn’t wait for reassurance and continued into the lift that led him into the Neon Core section of the city.

He pushed his way through the crowd once he stepped off the elevator and headed straight for the Freestar Ranger’s office. Sam could feel every muscle in his body screaming to head back into the stars and find more Crimson Fleet ships to raid but in order to do this while also finding a substantial lead he needed to visit the Neon Core office. Regretfully, he had contacted the last person in the Settled Systems he would ever want to ask a favor from to gather this intel and he was ready to grab it and leave. Lillian promised this was the information he wanted after hearing he was on a rampage looking for his ‘ex-girlfriend’ as she said it with a tone of jealousy. He was beyond his wits end when she had made that snide comment and lashed into her with all of the resentment and anger he had bottled up over the years. Cora wasn’t around to hear their argument and that made it all the more satisfying. She tried to withdraw her assistance after the remarks he made but thankfully he still had a favor left with Marshall and played his hand well. Now he just had to deal with her partner who worked with her at the Neon office and that was something else he didn’t feel like he had time for. Sam made it to the office and hurriedly pushed through the doors to find Jaylen.

“Y’know this office isn’t open to the pu-.” Jaylen’s drawl was interrupted when he saw it was Sam who walked in and his face soured. “Oh, it’s you. She said you’d come by.”

Sam was standing in the office, his leather coat and hat dripping from the rain that poured onto him when he was outside. Even practically running through the crowd didn’t dry him off and his soaked clothes started to leave a little puddle underneath him.

“Where’s the information?” Sam bit his cheek to refrain from saying anything else that could draw out the conversation longer than it needed to be. It felt like his soul was yanking him in one direction while his mind had to use an extreme amount of force to keep him in the now.

“You really are a piece of work.” Jaylen huffed. “Leaving the Rangers for your little science club and now using our intel to find your pirate girlfriend is laughable at most.”

Sam ran up to the counter to grab the collar of Jaylen’s shirt. The force of this maneuver almost pulled Jaylen to the other side of the counter and Jaylen’s eyes were wide with surprise from the immediate aggression Sam displayed.

“Where is the information?” Sam growled no longer wanting to entertain the asshole he held in front of him. Not only did Jaylen just insult his captain but he brought up a topic he had no business speaking about and that was almost enough to make Sam knock his teeth out. His nostrils flared but his face was stern and calm on the outside.

“Let go of me fucker.” Jaylen pushed him off after he regained his senses from the surprise attack. He pulled out a slate from under the counter and held it up to show the angry cowboy that it was right here. Sam did not ask any further questions and swiped it from his hand before he turned to leave.

“No wonder Lillian and your girlfriend both left your ass.” Jaylen sneered as he walked out. There was a brief second Sam stopped at the door and turned to look back at the Ranger that stood proudly behind the counter. If it hadn’t already been months of searching, he would have spent the time to deal with Jaylen’s insults, the way only Akila men knew how, but for now he continued forward after convincing himself it was better to head straight to Longsword. He finally had the information he needed.

It was quicker to head back to the ship than it was to enter the city and as soon as he boarded onto the ship Sam made a line straight for the cockpit to access the navigational terminal. Andreja had asked for him to wait for her before making the next call but Sam couldn’t sit in one spot any longer. He knew Ghoul was out there somewhere and he knew once he found her nothing would stop him from reaching out to her. The memory of the feeling of her face against his before she left the last time was bittersweet. He had too many arguments with her prior and that one moment of peace was worth every last one of them. He loathed himself for letting her go aboard that ship but he knew, even if it was the last thing he did, he’d bring her home.

Sam plugged the slate into the navigational table, drumming his fingers in impatience while the coordinates loaded. When it finished it showed a location in the Narion system which wasn’t too far from Neon. His eyes scanned over every possible piece of information that was available on the file. The slate contained details about the next possible hit from the Crimson Fleet based on information from the Ranger’s protected contacts. The Fleet was becoming antsy about the recent attacks so they were starting to travel in bigger numbers and in addition needed more medical supplies. The Freestar Rangers are led to believe that there will be a few members sent looking to make a deal with one of the doctors at The Clinic for those supplies. There were also two odd names mentioned with another hit they expected down the road but there were no real details. Sam pushed his wet hat off of his head as he ran his hand through his hair with a large sigh. This was a lead but he was worried who their protected contacts could have been. The names were blacked out so there was no way to tell who they could have been based on this slate alone and he didn’t have the time to search for any further information.

Sam threw his slopping coat onto the other chair and threw himself into the captain’s chair to begin putting in the coordinates for a moon called Grimsley. The moon was not far from The Clinic itself and it would give him enough space to trail whatever Crimson Fleet ship appeared to make this assumed deal. There was a part of him that doubted the information and it pestered him in the back of his mind that he was missing something vital. He rolled up the cream sleeves of his damp sweater and began to copy the information within the slate to send to Vlad. If anyone were to catch something from this information that was Crimson Fleet related it would be Vlad. Sam just hoped the man wasn’t too lost in the stars.

The work Ghoul used to do with Sam and Andreja was delegated to the other members of the Constellation as evenly as possible. Since Sarah and Cora were on The Eye with Vlad his job was a little less time consuming than it used to be when he was by himself. Because of this, Vlad was more willing to send whatever leads he could remember about the Crimson Fleet but he refused to give the coordinates to The Key. Whenever Sam would try to pry the information out of Vlad, the ex-pirate would reiterate how if he really wanted to see their friend again, he wouldn’t run off into a suicide mission.

Sam's thoughts were interrupted by Andreja's careless steps as she entered the cockpit. She was hunched over, panting. The excessive strain of her workouts seemed to deprive her of her basic needs; sleep, hunger, and rest. Her consistent training revealed a disheveled version of her no one had ever really seen before. The sight of his friend worried him but he didn’t have much room to talk. They both were doing their best to conceal the truth of their current state from the other Constellation members, at least until they were close enough to retrieve their captain.

“Did you get the information?” She asked in strain as she rested her body on the passenger chair before sitting in it completely. Her body seemed to quiver and Sam gave her a second quick glance in fear she was about to pass out where she was. She noticed his concern and shook her head to dismiss his worries.

“Yes, waiting on a response from Vlad.” He was still sitting in the captain’s chair but he managed to lean far enough over to grab one of his warm beers from the corner behind him. He popped it open with the back of his pistol and immediately threw it back to ease the need to rush. To rush in and tear the heads off of anyone with a Crimson Fleet symbol strapped on their personhood till he found the scum that would actually give him information. His knee was bouncing and his foot was tapping like the energy within him was about to explode outward.

“For what?” Andreja asked with a bit of an impatient tone. She may have looked worn out but her eyes were fierce with the same impatience Sam felt. Andreja was ready to get back out there and find more skulls to crush in order to get back to their captain.

“The slate. It feels like there is information missing.” Sam said with a displeased look. The thought was eating him up as he continued to read the slate over and over again.

“Let me see.” Andreja reached out and grabbed it from the navigational terminal that was part of the console. She made no attempt to remind or ask him to move and instead just pushed him slightly out of the way with her shoulder. He wasn’t trying to pick a fight so he ignored her bluntness. It was at least a reminder of the old Andreja. Her eyes moved left to right quickly as she read over the information herself but in the end, she was at as much of a loss as he was.

“It is written too plainly. Some of these words also do not seem to fit.” She murmured reading it over again. Sam could see the gears in her brain firing away now that she had something else to concentrate on. It wasn’t long after that he heard a few sounds come from the console and it was finally a response from Vlad.

‘Nosy Boraha and Tortuga are both names of Old Earth islands. They are mentioned in between mission details most likely for being references for who will be on the job. Back in my day we only reserved those types of names for important members; they had higher bounties. Hopefully that helps. Be careful and catch a smile out there.’ - Vlad

“They are code names.” Andreja said, looking over Sam’s shoulder and he let out a sigh.

“It explains some of it.” He said softly and something Jaylen said earlier creeped into his mind, ‘your pirate girlfriend’. Sam assumed it was just an unnecessary low blow but how would he have known she was supposed to be undercover? No one knew except the UC SysDef and Constellation. Unless he didn’t know and she was really out there still undercover. Still alive. Either of these island names could be her. Andreja took notice of the shift in Sam and she was about to ask him something but he forced himself out of his train of thought.

“This is the lead.” Sam said with a tinge of hope in his voice and a bit of light in his eyes that had returned for the moment. “We need to go. Now.” He didn’t give Andreja any time to ask questions or process what he could have possibly meant before he was setting the course for Grimsley.

-x-

They wasted no time in heading straight for the moon named Grimsley. They agreed on a position and turned on their upgraded scanner that was better at detecting if new ships came within the area they were in or The Clinic’s.

“How long do you think we are going to have to wait?” Andreja asked softly as she stared out into the stars with Sam. They were both focused on what was ahead of them.

“As long as it takes, unfortunately.”

“What were you thinking earlier?”

“What?” Sam asked, puzzled as the question.

“You made a face as if you knew something. What was it?” Her eyes gazed into his, challenging him to try to lie and letting him know she would know if he did.

“The Neon contact.” Sam sighed heavily thinking about what he would do the next time he saw his face again. “Said something to me that didn’t make sense but I brushed it off thinking he was just trying to get under my skin for Lillian.”

“Did he get under your skin?” Not the follow up question he expected and it showed on his face.

“Perhaps.”

“What was it?”

“Your pirate girlfriend” Sam murmured unwillingly and with slight anger as he looked away from Andreja’s gaze.

“Pirate…girlfriend?” Andreja repeated back to herself. “Does that mean…?”

“It could mean a lot of things but one thing that is certain is that no one but us and UC knew she was undercover. But somehow that fucker knew of her being in the Fleet.”

“Ghoul’s alive then” Andreja said as if a huge pressure on her chest had been lifted.

“For how much longer?” Sam snapped the anger mostly for himself. “If she is known as a pirate now and the wind catches that we are out here looking for her it could get her killed.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a series of beeps and low voices that came from the comms on the console of the ship. They had a system in place that was set up to listen on the incomings and outgoings of ship activity there. There was a ship that had just briefly docked onto The Clinic with an unregistered identification as if they had received a delivery.

“Time to take a peek.” He said out loud while he slowly put more power back into the engine and thrusters to get closer. Once they drifted close enough, they scanned the ship one more time to see the make and model of it with clearer vision. It was a compact ship that was slate gray and had painted red marks on it, one of them included a red skull.

“Crimson Fleet.” Andreja growled, confirming what Sam thought. Sam piloted the ship with fervor as he managed to swoop behind for a surprise attack. Without warning he hit their grav drive with ease and it immediately stun locked their engine, it was a piece of cake.

“Ready to board?” Sam asked with excitement as he slid into the other ship and initiated the docking sequence. He could feel his blood drum in the back of his ears. When they cornered the Fleet members like this, it was free game and he no longer held himself to the stricter moral code he usually practiced. They were all complicit as far as Sam was concerned.

“Let’s go.” Andreja said as she clipped her last gun she wanted to carry on her. He knew she relished in the relief they received from this ritual as much as he did and it would probably be something they took to their grave together. Sam nodded and led the way to their airlock door that connected to the Crimson Fleet ship they were about to venture on.

The inside of the ship was not as big as the Longsword’s but was slightly bigger than what the Frontier’s ship size was. Immediately as they climbed up to the living quarters of the ship there were three Fleet members who stood armed and ready. Sam didn’t think twice before he shot one in the foot and then pushed himself up the ladder to roll onto the floor. While one of the enemies cried in pain, Andreja was right behind him holding her gun at them ready to pull the trigger.

The second Fleet member was about to aim and shoot at Sam but with all his might he landed a fist into the fucker. He heard his jaw make a slight cracking noise and the pirate fell back in shock from the force. The pirate was trying to get back up but Sam took the moment to pistol whip him. The third member on the ship lunged at Andreja but before they could make it to her she already placed a bullet in between his eyes without blinking. There were only two that remained alive and that was plenty for Sam.

“Go ahead and look for any information. I will take care of these two.” The cowboy crouched down so that his face was close to the one he just pistol whipped. The man grunted at him in anger and then spit in his face. Sam responded with his gun to the man’s head.

“I only need one of you.” He clicked the trigger in anticipation to fire yet another bullet. “But I can be persuaded to keep you both if you answer some of my questions.”

“Fuck you!” The man spit again and his eyes had darted to the left of Sam. Without looking behind him Sam pointed his gun and pulled the trigger effectively knocking the second man onto his back with the shot to his abdomen. The pirate in front of him looked at the situation in disbelief and Sam could see that the realization of the situation was starting to hit the man.

“You’re lucky I haven’t asked my question yet.” Sam chuckled while he positioned his gun to the thigh of the other before him. The pirate was bleeding where he had hit him earlier and the bullet wound in his foot was still bleeding.

“Has your dick head of a boss killed anyone recently? Any new recruits?” Sam asked calmly as he pressed the gun further against the man’s leg to remind him of the consequences of his decision should he choose not to answer.

“Why the fuck would I tell you?” BANG, the pistol fired into the man’s thigh and he started howling from the added pain of another open wound.

“What are code names like Nosy Boraha used for?” Sam continued his questioning, ignoring the pleads that the man started to desperately make as he laid there in pain.

“I don’t kno-.” Sam interrupted the weak answer by forcing the barrel of his gun into the bullet wound it just made. The sudden pain started to send the pirate in shock and his eyes began to roll back but Sam wasn’t having that. He slapped the man.

“Keep your eyes open!” He commanded. “I suggest you start talking before I use a trauma pack to keep you wide awake while I cut off some fingers!” Sam was starting to get frustrated at the lack of cooperation.

“Okay! Okay!” The pirate screamed and Sam leaned back a bit to give the man some space to breathe.

“Who are the new recruits? I need names, places, code names.” Sam demanded from the man. The pirate was becoming rather pale and a small voice in the back of Sam’s head whispered, you might have gone too far.

#starfield #sam coe #starfield fanfiction #delgado starfield #Delgado #sam coe x spacefarer #spacefarer x sam coe #starfield fanfic #ao3 fanfic #fanfic #andreja #andreja starfield #fang writes

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notyourramona · 7 months

Text

Chapter 2 of Stages of Me

Tensions increase as characters do not see eye to eye like they used to. Main character struggles to feel respected by her crewmates while some of them desperately just try to reconnect with MC.

Word count: 7,516

No Tags

18+(for future chapters)

Minor Crimson Fleet spoilers thus far.

Chapter one

His boots were propped on the console and his hat tipped to cover a part of his face as the ship flew itself into the stars. Sam was trying his best to hush all the noise that was at the forefront of his thoughts in this moment and it was becoming extremely difficult. The new ship felt impersonable and cold but he knew it was because of his knee jerk hesitance to accept change at first. Still, he wasn’t fond of the new knowledge of how the ship was obtained and he was even less fond of how the last conversation he had tried to have with Ghoul turned into another argument. He knew what he was trying to say it was just the delivery, per usual, came out wrong. She didn’t have to subjugate her life to those dark impulses out of necessity any longer. It felt like he was a witness of how much of her soul was being drained from the perpetual motion of events she put herself through. If it wasn’t pushing her body through stars know what when she made physical contact with the Artifacts; it was the alcohol or drugs, even if she tried to deny the use of them, that deteriorated the real version of Ghoul he knew months ago. The version of her that pulled him in with such intensity as if they were two stars who were succumbing to a gravitational pull to come together as one. He could still taste her sweet lips on his tongue when he looked at her sometimes and it pained him that she never really acknowledged what happened between them. It wasn’t like Sam expected a commitment after one kiss but he knew deep down they had some chemistry. Some very real chemistry and that chemistry was slowly turning into tension that was repelling both of them as fast as they started colliding.

Chapter 2: Hemostasis pt. 2

“Dad.” Corra’s voice interrupted his thoughts and honestly, he was relieved she did. He slowly sat his body back into a normal sitting position to give his daughter his full attention while also trying to ignore the stiffness in his joints.

“Yeah kiddo?” He said fondly.

“Do you miss the Frontier?” She asked and he was curious where this line of questioning was going to go. Corra was standing there hugging herself nervously and it then occurred to Sam that his little girl was having some goodbye blues.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think I do. Come here, sweat pea.” He always made sure to be as honest with her as was appropriate. She may have had a birthday recently but she was always going to be his little girl. She approached him with a bit of a scuffle and when she got close enough, he stood and gave her an Ashta sized hug. “It has only been a couple hours but I do miss the coziness of the ship. It was our home away from home.”

“I miss it a lot already too.” Corra looked up to him. “You looked sad, like you missed it too.” Now that last line surprised him and he started to stammer a bit.

“Uh, well. I didn’t think I looked that sad now.” Sam always did his best to shield her from any of his woes and he was just grateful she thought it was because of the ship and not the real reason. That was a conversation if he could avoid forever, he would.

“But this new ship is really nice and I think it will grow on the both of us. Captain has some good taste but don’t tell her I said that. It might get to her head.” He pointed to his own head when he said that for emphasis and to get a small chuckle out of his daughter.

Corra did respond to him with that little joyous laugh of hers and he could see that the small joke had eased a some of her distress from her mind. That was enough for Sam and one of the main reason’s he loved telling her his little silly jokes even when she would get embarrassed by him.

“Thanks dad.” She squeezed her arms around him one more time before she let go. “I am almost done organizing all of my books! I have so much more room for new books now!”

“Is that so?” He raised his eyebrow as his hands instinctively went to rest onto the belt that held his pants. It felt like a default position for him most times and occasionally brought him the most comfort for some reason. “Well, we will see how well you keep up with your area of the room and with your chores on the ship and maybe. And hear me when I say maybe, you will get a larger booker allowance.” Corra squealed a bit with delight and did a small twirl of excitement. Sam knew right then and there he was most definitely going to have to increase her book allowance anyway because once she had her mind on something she was going to find a way to get it.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best Dad!” Corra hugged him one more time before skipping away and seemingly forgetting she was even upset about The Frontier. The conversation had distracted him as well and it was one of the many things, he appreciated about being a father. No matter how distraught things felt some days he knew that as long as Corra was set up with a better future that was all that mattered. In fact, it was the driving point for him to come clean with a lot of his older habits and for him to quit his binge days on Neon. He stood alone in the cockpit once more and a part of him had the urge to just start walking. Sam followed his feet through the hallways of the ship and in the distance, he heard faint whispering. It was then he realized his intent was to try to reconnect with Ghoul again even if it was to just for them both to hash it out until they were on the same page again. He hated seeing her so defensive and to watch her slowly push him away. Sam was hoping desperately there would be a point very soon that made her see that he truly cared about her enough to stop her from hurting herself and it wasn’t a ploy to control what she does. It reminded him of himself within the first weeks before he decided to come clean. The world felt like it was after him for simply just trying to live but in reality, he wasn’t living at all. His boots echoed within the hall and the whispering ahead soon stopped and he heard Andreja speak with confidence about something.

Sam looked ahead and saw that Andreja was close to Ghoul even from where she stood and something about that closeness gave him a ping of jealousy. He knew they heard him come in when Andreja had looked at him in a skeptical gaze that she liked to give people. It was when her brows furrowed a fraction but her brown eyes looked as if they were daring you to challenge her.

“Wake me up when we arrive. Sarah ordered me to rest.” Ghoul spoke and that was when Sam noticed how annoyed Ghoul looked even with her eyes closed. In that moment Sam chickened out from his original plan of confronting her and walked over to the kitchenette to make a fresh cup of coffee. They only had about four cups to chose from and the closest one was a red coffee mug that said ‘I’m a House Va’ruun Spy’. Sam started to heat up the water in their electric kettle so he could at least have instant coffee and while he waited his fingers gently tapped the counter.

“Do you want to me to watch the ship?” Andreja said softly as she stood next to Sam and it almost made him jump because he didn’t even hear her walk up. Her stealth skills always got the best of him when he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings.

“Uh.” It was that moment he had realized that while he was so lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t greeted either of them when he walked in. It wasn’t like he had to but he was trying extremely hard to play it cool even if his mind was all over the place. If he didn’t think Andreja could kick his ass with a few close-combat moves he would have liked to take a moment to try to interrogate her about what she was thinking when she agreed to encourage their captain to play cards on The Key. Andreja, out of all of them, was normally the strict personality with the least amount of morally grey qualities to her so it made even less sense that she was okay with being there any more than he would of.

“Yeah, if you are comfortable with it. I could use a bite to eat and a wink of sleep myself.” Andreja was now leaning back onto the other side of the counter they were both standing at and her arms were crossed as she watched him make the cup of coffee. He thought for a moment he saw a small smile appear on her face after she had read what the mug had said but he was also serious about needing a bit of sleep so he could have imagined it.

“Piloting isn’t my expertise but considering it’s mostly going to be in autopilot from here out I think I can manage.” She said with a bit of humor in her voice. Andreja had taken a quick peek at Ghoul for a moment before she continued and the notion made Sam brace himself. Then she softly spoke to him. “I won’t pretend I do not know what is going on but I also know nothing I will say will make much of a difference.”

“Then why say anything at all?” Sam said with a passiveness that slipped before he could stop himself. He took a sip of his coffee to try to ignore that happened.

“Because you both happen to have grown on me very much and I am not enjoying how long this conflict is lasting. You need to let her learn on her own.”

“Yeah, and how long will that be?”

“As long as it takes.” Andreja shrugged as if it was an obvious answer. “You forget she didn’t have a someone lay a foundation for her when she was younger like some of us. We both may have not had the best of families but at least we had one.”

Sam thought about Jacob Coe for a moment and hated that he couldn’t disagree with her even if he didn’t really have fond memories of his father. He didn’t know the details about Andreja’s past but had an idea that she grew up like some of the LIST families do just outside of the Settled Systems, independent and all alone out there.

“There comes a time where you have to accept responsibility for your actions no matter what your past has been like.” He said with conviction. Sam could hear the harshness in his tone but he truly believed Ghoul was bigger than what she has been through. Hell, he had seen her recover from the worst with his own eyes and he was more than willing to be the anchor she needed to keep herself grounded. Andreja sighed at him and stopped leaning on the counter transforming her stance into something a bit more intimidating. Sam couldn’t tell if she was doing that subconsciously or purposely.

“I think you should consider being… softer with your approach. I know she may not always be in the right but I believe in her to make the right choices when it comes down to it.” Andreja’s accent was emphasizing her words and her eyes burned with a confidence in their Captain. Sam rarely saw that passion within her unless it was to slay their enemies so he knew in this moment she was talking from the heart. Sam was mulling over what Andreja had said for a moment. Ghoul did say some really fucked up shit to him earlier today but he also was the one who came off more judgmental than he intended. They both heard a small gasp and it made them both tense up as they turned to see Ghoul sitting awake and covered in sweat.

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The feeling of falling overwhelmed Ghoul’s nervous system as she suddenly sat awake from her deep slumber. It was easier to blame the lack of sleep on a small ship with no room on it than to acknowledge the fact that some of her nightmares had slowly been coming back again. There was a time period in the beginning of her travels where she seemed to be free of the terrors her dreams brought her but lately it felt like her brain was trying to plague her all over again. Her skin felt sticky in sweat and she applied pressure to her face with her hands in an attempt to soothe herself for the moment, to feel she was real. Ghoul felt eyes on her and it distracted her enough from her nightmare.

“I’m fine.” Her hands muffled her voice but she didn’t bother to wait for them to ask. Their concern was written on their faces as if she was shot and bleeding out. The both of them could be overbearing when they worked together and it was something she both loved yet hated.

“That seems to be your new catchphrase.” Sam said sarcastically at her before he went on with whatever he was doing in the first place. Ghoul dropped her hands from her face just to roll her eyes at him. She enjoyed that they each had their own bed at this point but she thought about having bigger goals next time like for everyone to get their own rooms in the next upgrade. Andreja had yet to say anything to Ghoul and honestly, she appreciated it because Andreja was skilled with knowing when words were preferred or not. Ghoul pushed herself off her bed and tried to fix her bed hair and smooth out her clothing.

“Are we close to Cydonia? How long was I out?” Ghoul looked around the ship to see if there was a clock but she remembered the Constellation watch on her left wrist and it showed she had only been out for 25 minutes. That newfound knowledge made her want to scream. “Never mind.”

“I was heading to the cockpit to take over for Sam unless you wanted to operate the ship, Captain.” Andreja offered and that was when Ghoul realized none of them were attending the ship. Sam had heated up something and was sitting at the table, stuffing his face full of brown gravy and some kind of meat. Even if the sight of that goop made her want to gag, she couldn’t blame him because they didn’t have a lot of time to eat on the last planet. Ghoul couldn’t tell if Andreja either really didn’t want to man the new ship or she knew Ghoul would rather be distracted after waking up like that.

“Yeah, good idea.” Ghoul’s hand found itself tangled in her hair once again and then on the back of her neck subconsciously trying to release some of the tension. “I’ll go do that. You both should rest, you deserve it.” Her last line is what caught the attention of Sam before she finally walked her way to the cockpit as she snapped and clapped her hands. Her eyes felt heavy but she was going to do her best to be in a better mood than earlier.

The cockpit was dark but all of the controls and buttons were lit up in different shades of green, yellow, white, and red for their various categories. When Ghoul sat in the blue faux leather chair, she felt her body relax into it as if it was made for her. The captain’s chair on this ship was bigger and it was just another benefit this ship had to offer that gave her pride for being able to pull this big purchase off. Though there was a lot to marvel in front of her, her mind felt clouded and heavy as she sat there with the accumulation of all her thoughts. She regretted not grabbing herself a cup of coffee before manning the ship but she knew it was only a bit of time before her mind would clear again.

She went to prop her feet on the dash and as she did, she accidentally kicked a switch that triggered a chain of events that abruptly caused the ship to lurch forward a bit and stop in place. Ghoul herself fell face forward onto the console with a rough smack and the sharp pain from impact made her hiss.

“Damnit.” She growled at herself and she looked out ahead into the stars to see if she could tell where they stopped. That was when she noticed this ship’s dash had the navigation center built in to the left of her and she was excited about the convenience of this. It indicated that there were just on the outskirts of the Sol system and that provided some relief. The feeling soon ended as she watched two Va’ruun ships warp into their field of vision. Ghoul was trying to think quickly on whether it was smarter to go in hot or cut the power to the engines and hope they didn’t pick them up.

“What is that?” Ghoul heard Sam ask as Andreja, and Corra walked behind him into the room of the cockpit to see what exactly caused that minor malfunction of the ship. Ghoul was a bit embarrassed about knocking them out of warp in such a silly manner but she didn’t have time to be coy.

“Two House Va’ruun ships warped into the same space we just did and I accidentally kicked the ship out of autopilot.” Ghoul said with composure as she initiated the process to power down the ship to its minimum output levels. It felt like it was taking her longer than usual to perform this particular task because she had yet had an opportunity to go over the controls before she took her very short nap. She found herself looking for the reactor gauge for a moment and Sam silently pointed to it as if he read her mind. She gave him a grateful smile as she finished up the process. There were two passenger seats that sat one on each side of the captain’s chair and Andreja and Sam got in their positions without question or further context.

“Hey Kiddo, my mind would be at ease if I knew you were buckled up over there.” Ghoul said to Corra with a softness she only reserved for the tiny Coe. Corra didn’t say a word but immediately sat in one of the extra seats behind the three of them. Ghoul caught Sam giving her a smile of gratitude while he finished setting up his own buckles. She knew that Corra was less likely to ask questions if Ghoul said something from her captain’s chair because that kid knew when it she was giving orders from the chair it was go-time.

“Plan?” Andreja asked as she stared at the other ships with disgust. Ghoul knowing why she would make that face looked at Andreja with a subtle sympathy.

“I would prefer not to get a scratch on our new ship but if we are detected we are most likely going to have to blast them out of space.” Ghoul now went into command mode and it was a role she was felt comfortable in when they got into situations like these. “Sam please keep an eye on ship vitals and you have a better shot so I will switch missiles to your seat. Andreja ballistics will be your friend today and if I cannot get us to warp before being caught then I guess we are going to see how much mobility this ship really has today.” In a unison they both said ‘Aye, Captain’ and took over their positions while Ghoul slowly begun to move the ship forward.

“Corra, please grab the spacesuit above you and put it on while the ship is still stable. I am sure your father would rather us be safe than sorry.” Ghoul threw the command behind her before locking her eyes on the path ahead. The ship was larger than the Frontier had felt and she could feel how sensitive the throttle systems were. It was a delicate balance of not using too much power to be detected but still make some progress to get out of their scanner radius. Over the comms they could hear the enemy ships hail each other and it sounded like that were looking for something in particular.

“Easy now.” Sam whispered to Ghoul after her hand slipped and pushed the ship forward a little too fast. The enemy thankfully was still unaware of their presence and if she could help it, she would keep it that way till the very end. The three of them were feeling the immense pressure to not make a sound and be a hair trigger a way from engaging with hostile ships. The time seemed to be dragging out as they were getting closer to their targeted area to warp out. Ghoul could taste victory on the tip of her tongue.

“What’s that?! Get them!” They heard the voices of the Va’ruun ships come through the comms and Ghoul’s heart sank as she quickly begun to power up the Longsword. She was really hoping she wouldn’t have to fight in her new baby today but it looks like the universe had other plans for her, as per usual.

“Fuck” She cursed under her breath as she tried to control her initial reaction. The last thing Ghoul wanted to do was alarm Corra and she could see that Andreja and Sam were both doing their best to stay commposed. “Weapons ready?”

“Missiles.” Sam confirmed.

“Ballistics.” Andreja confirmed as well.

“Well let’s see how she flies.” Ghoul said as she heard the ship warm up to the new surge of power. She applied full force to the thrusters and they begun their path to the other two ships.

“Fuck now there are three of them!” The enemy ships yelled and that statement took the three crew members by surprise. Behind the two Va’ruun ships were two Crimson Fleet vessels and they didn’t appear to be the usual outfitted Crimson Fleet ships.

“Andreja please run a scan on those ships.” Ghoul commanded and her body tensed with anticipation till she saw the ship IDs within the scanner. Those identification numbers were eerily similar to ones she had been reading about earlier and then the realization hit her. It was Delgado and Naeva. She felt her heart sink.

“Sam, remember that conversation we had about those of us who are on a need-to-know bases?” Ghoul leaned into him and asked softly so Corra wouldn’t hear them. She knew even if the tiny Coe did, she most likely wouldn’t figure out what they were talking about. Sam caught the cue and even though he didn’t look extremely pleased he went ahead to unbuckle himself from position.

“Get us the hell out of here as quickly as you can.” Sam whispered back to her before he motioned for Corra to come with him.

“What? Why are we-.” Corra began to protest but Sam wasn’t allowing her any wiggle room for protesting in this moment.

“It’s the Captain’s order. We have to go now.” Ghoul saw in Sam’s eyes it pained him to be so abrupt with his daughter but they had both agreed under no circumstances should Corra know about Ghoul’s involvement with the Crimson Fleet. It was not only for his daughter’s safety, were anything happen, but because Ghoul also could not bring herself to share that side of the world with the child. Once the two of the Coe’s were out of the cockpit and for sure in the crew’s station of the back of the ship, Ghoul sighed heavily. There weren’t a lot of options and it looked like the battle had already begun.

“The missiles are now assigned to me but I would appreciate it if you kept an eye on ship vitals for me.” Ghoul said to Andreja who hadn’t said a word. She knew Andreja recognized what the scanner had inferred and understood the short conversation Ghoul had with Sam.

“Yes, Captain.” Andreja’s voice was controlled and calm. Her cool composure was the one thing that was helping Ghoul not unravel herself and she was supposed to be the leader. Ghoul directed the ship forward with max speed and as she swung it around the House Va’ruun ships there were lasers that hit one of the wings of the ship. Inside she cursed herself to hell but she kept her hands steady and Andreja without needing command already started to deliver the might of their new ballistic weapons system. The Crimson Fleet ships were originally shooting at all moving objects within their field of vision but they soon noticed that the Longsword wasn’t engaging with them. Once both of the House Va’ruun ships exploded into smithereens from the combined forces of the three ships was when Ghoul finally received a hail from Delgado and Naeva.

“Do we got ourselves a friend or a foe?” Naeva’s spunky voice came through laced with challenge. Ghoul took a deep breath trying her best to get herself into the headspace of the ruthless Rook they welcomed into the Fleet not so long ago.

“Could be either depending on how many fucking times your weapons make contact with my ship, Naeva!” Ghoul added a bit of cocky gravel to her voice that sounded almost out of body to her own ears. She even noticed a shift in Andreja’s body that noted that it sounded off to her as well.

“Oh, would you look at that Delgado? The Rook is alive and well. Looks like she has been dicking around instead of meeting with your contact.” Naeva completely ignored the threat Ghoul gave but that was the type of game she liked to play. Naeva was the first to smile in someone’s face then smash their skull on the closest blunt object. She wasn’t second in command to Delgado for nothing.

“I really hope you have a good explanation for this, Rook.” Delgado’s voice came through this time. His rough mannerism traveled through the comms as well giving Ghoul a shiver down her back.

“You can see the reason if you open your eyes, Delgado.” Ghoul quipped with the sound of disbelief as if the reason was so obvious it was offensive that they didn’t notice. It was like a knife’s edge when she spoke to the King of the Crimson Fleet. She couldn’t be seen as a weak individual but there was a pecking order that was to be adhered to or there would be consequences.

“Are you referring to that large trash heap you are piloting? You didn’t take me as someone who would pride themselves with trash.” Ghoul could hear the smile within his insult.

“Well, if you think so poorly of my new vessel. I guess that just confirms the man’s life I ended to retrieve it had nothing to lose after all.” She lied through her teeth as she laughed about her imaginary murder.

“Enough games, Rook.” Naeva commanded through the box, “We have some catching up to do and it’s clear you can’t get something done without a fucking tight leash.”

“Naeva, don’t.” Delgado warned his second in command. “You do owe us an explanation, Rook, for missing in action for over a week now and not even completing the task assigned to you. If I were to know any better, I would think you are trying to leave the Fleet.”

“And no one and I mean no one, leaves the Crimson Fleet.” Naeva threatened. This was slowly becoming a very complicated situation and Ghoul knew she couldn’t just follow them to the Key with Corra on board, Sam would never forgive her even if he stayed on ship with her.

“This can all be easily explained if you want me to lay out my entire schedule including when I have eaten, took a piss break, and slept.” She deflected to humor because it felt like the safest option without seeming suspicious. Ghoul’s humor was a mask for the fear that was creeping up inside her. It was normally very easy to persuade herself out of sticky situations but this time it was obvious she was backed into a corner and it was quite possible they had been out here looking for her.

“I’d be careful with who you are speaking to.” Naeva threatened Ghoul again.

“If it’s so easy to explain then there shouldn’t be an issue with you docking onto my ship and coming aboard to explain.” Delgado didn’t leave any room for her to refuse and she knew if she did, she’d be putting the other lives on her ship in danger.

“Fine, if that’s what it will take to get you both off my ass.” She let some of her genuine frustration come through with that statement. “Give me some time to dock and gather some of my loot on this ship. I’ll have someone retrieve the ship later so I expect you both to leave it unharmed.” Ghoul wasn’t in a place to be making demands since they were both already suspicious of her and her last whereabouts but she need to at least try to ensure everyone else’s safety.

“If it means so much to you, then fine. But if we suspect you are telling us anything other than the truth the ship will be blown to pieces and you will be floating along with it.” Those were Delgado’s last words before they ended communications and both ships waited for Ghoul in the black void to come on board. When Ghoul was sure their comms was no longer connected, she let out the biggest sigh of relief and sunk into the back of her chair. There were a lot of thoughts and emotions swimming violently in her head. It was a few moments later when she noticed the face of an extremely unhappy Andreja.

“Did you just agree to get onto Delgado’s ship, alone?” She asked and Ghoul knew it was a rhetorical question and more of a ‘what the hell were you thinking’ type question.

“What was the alternative?” Ghoul challenged her, not really wanting to hear any criticism about how she could have handled the delicate situation. It wasn’t really like they had given her a list of options or without it ending them being space dust.

“I am not sure but I don’t think going onto a Crimson Fleet ship with no backup was the right call.” Andreja protested some more and Ghoul just looked at the two ships ahead of them trying her best not to engage with the argument. Normally Andreja knew to just trust Ghoul but she could see the worry on her friend’s face.

“Perhaps not, but you need to remember I am undercover. I have to be in these situations and I have to be able to keep you all safe while putting myself into these situations.”

“What situation?” Sam had come back to the cockpit alone thankfully, but it was horrible timing. Ghoul wasn’t ready to hear it from him as well.

“Delgado requests our Captain to get onto his ship and explain what she has been doing the past week instead of meeting with his contact. Alone!” Andreja beat Ghoul to the punch of giving him an explanation and Ghoul gave her an angry stare.

“Excuse me?” Sam said in disbelief and Ghoul felt the room tense up further. The thoughts that swarmed her mind were getting to a point where she couldn’t really hear anything else that was going on and she felt on the edge of exploding.

“Again, sorry for choosing the path that kept all of you alive. Next time I will just let our enemies blast us out the sky and if there is a next life you both can be angry with my decisions then!” She was feeling extremely defensive and annoyed with the two of them and decided instead of hearing anything else either of them had to say she would rather not be in the room. So, she got out of the chair and pushed past Sam in anger. Sam however was not about to let her run off so easily because he was livid himself. It wasn’t long before his heavy footsteps quickened their pace behind her and she felt herself get cornered into one of the storage rooms.

“Hey! Stop!” He said with an irate vigor in his voice. Ghoul was staring at the shelved wall in the storage room acting as if she was trying to look for something. She had no interested in repeating the same conversation over and over. Last she checked she was their captain and they were supposed to trust her, even if it seemed like she was throwing herself to the wolves. Sam’s hand was on her arm as he twisted her around with a force she wasn’t expecting. It was a force she hadn’t felt from him since before they left New Atlantis.

“Stop, stop pushing us out and listen.” He practically begged her and his eyes were burning into hers as both his hands held her into place in front of him. “I don’t know what has been going on in that pretty little head of yours lately but we need to talk, now.”

“Talk to you about what? The same conversation? How you don’t agree with my actions? How neither of you seem to trust in my decision making when it matters?” Ghoul responded back as quick as a gunshot and her face was masked with anger but really, she was just tired of having these fights with Sam. She missed the silence they use to be able to share comfortably or when he would just know when she needed something to make her laugh. The tension was just so fucking overwhelming. “I’m undercover. Do I want to be? No! But it seems like everyone in this fucking universe needs something from me and I can only do so many fucking things right.”

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“Ghoul you-.” Sam looked as if he was ready to fire right back at her but he felt the sudden defeat in her body before he saw the tears that begun to swell in her yellow eyes. His posture and grip softened for a moment and he remembered the advice Andreja had given to him earlier. He found his right hand gently pressing her bright red hair out her face and he thought about the several colors she had changed it to in the past three months they had traveled together and something about that made him smile to himself. It was just something that was very her and he held on to that thought. “It’s just-. We do trust you-.”

“You have a hell of a way to show it.” Ghoul interrupted him angrily and he saw how much effort she was putting in to not let any of her tears fall. The guards she was constantly putting up was painful for him to watch and he could only imagine the lengths she went through to keep them fortified.

“I can’t stand to think about anything happening to you, okay? Especially if…especially if I could have done something about it and I didn’t stop you.” Sam stammered with his choice of words and he was trying his best to clearly communicate. It was not easy with how bad his heart was pounding from the whole situation. The thought of her just putting herself on line and walking right into that trap, it riled him up.

“I can take care of myself.” Ghoul said softly and she gently nudged Sam to let go of her arms so he did. Her eyes looked past him and into a void of thought he wish he could hear so he knew what the right words were. It was obvious she was going to at least stand there for a few moments longer and he was going to do his damned best to get her to at least know how much he cared for her wellbeing. At the very least.

“No one is denying that, darling.” Her eyes snapped back to his as if calling her darling beckoned her back to him. “I need you to know that I…we have your back.”

“Yeah?” She sounded skeptical and that was a tiny blow to his ego. Had he really been acting in such a way where she really thought he wasn’t in her corner anymore?

“Yes, I promise. You made your decision and I know you chose it with everyone’s wellbeing in mind, even if it is not…well…just, I cannot thank you enough for the things you do to keep Corra safe. I am not sure I ever will be able to. But you have got to know that.” He found himself emphasizing the last line and practically begging for her to hear him, truly hear him.

“You are not alone and honestly you havent been at least not since the day I watched you convince a whole gang to just walk out of that Galbank and cut their losses. And yes, the universe has been stretching us to the ends of it all to figure out exactly what these Artifacts are for but Ghoul.” Their eyes were still locked as Sam tried to find the right words he wanted to use and he felt they were truly the only two on this entire ship. He wondered if she felt it too.

“Please…just…stay alive.” He leaned forward towards her. Connecting his forehead with hers, breaking their eye contact but he needed to be close with her. He felt the hitch in her breathing but she didn’t step back this time and instead leaned more into him as their eyes closed and they just felt each other’s physical connection. It was the first sliver of peace they had have between each other for weeks. Sam felt the gentleness of Ghoul’s hand on his beard and when he looked back at her there was now a slow flow of tears falling from her eyes.

“Of course, I will cowboy.” She sniffled softly and the crook of a small smile appeared on her lips. “I couldn’t just let them on this ship Sam not with Corra, not with them finding you or Andreja.” Sam absolutely hated the prospect of Ghoul giving herself up for his welling being yet again. The fears that he had when they were on Neon pained his chest but he held it in and chose not to argue. She was right they needed to trust her. Ghoul was wiping some of the tears off her face and Sam lent a finger to rub one off of her cheek.

“I’m going to be fine. It’s only going to be for a short period of time and I will be back before you can say, ‘are you sure you want to carry that?” She teased him and there was relief on her face that accompanied the smile that was in her eyes. He hesitated before deciding to step back from her and allow her some space. They both took an awkward moment to dust themselves off because they were normally not this physically close and even though there was a strong urge in him to touch her skin again, he held himself.

“Are you going to say goodbye to Corra? What are we going to tell her?” Sam asked directing the conversation away from the awkward silence that filled the storage room they were in. He would rather this awkwardness any day over the tension they had both were originally feeling.

“You, are going to tell her whatever you want because you are her father. I am going to go on Delgado’s ship and make them believe I am just another stupid Rook.” Ghoul said without pausing and Sam crossed his arms not entirely happy with the decision that it was up to him to pick the lie for his daughter. He was a bad liar and if Ghoul didn’t come back what was he going to tell Corra then? He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. But he knew it was a temporary and he also didn’t want Corra to stress over their captain. Ghoul’s hand was now on his shoulder and she gave him a confident smile.

“What is that thing Vladmir says? Catch a smile out there?” Ghoul gripped his shoulder and he laughed at her for trying to impersonate Vlad’s accent.

“Yes. Catch a smile out there.” Sam’s voice was nonchalant but the inside of his body was screaming to not let her go out there alone and onto a ship of wolves.

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Ghoul had her pirate suit on and the airlock had finally finished stabilizing the air for her to walk through the door to Delgado’s ship. The process was long enough for her to rehearse in her head who she was to be now that she was going to be on Delgado’s ship. She was a Crimson Fleet pirate, she took what she wanted, she lived to fight against the UC and Freestar Rangers, and most of all she did not give a fuck about anything other than her own gains. The airlock door finally opened and there Delgado stood with two other armed men on each side of him. He had a foxy grin on his face as if he expected her to chicken out of this meeting.

“Ah, there she is.” Delgado crooned and he snapped his fingers ordering his guards to relax their position and allow her to walk nearby. “I am extremely interested in these excuses you have for not meeting with your contact as ordered. You are lucky you were the one who helped us find another clue to Kryx’s legacy or else you would be dust by now.”

“I didn’t realize you were being so kind, Del. Next time I will make sure to bring you a fucking bouquet of flowers to show my gratitude.” Ghoul wanted to make it clear that his threats, no matter what they were didn’t disarm her. Delgado looked her up and down and he seemed to be amused at her response. He snapped again but this time his men went to grab both of her arms to restrain her. Immediately Ghoul tried to fight them off because she knew if she just allowed herself to be captured it would be a sign of weak submission in the eyes of this pirate. She used her foot to trip one of the men and it loosened his grip enough for her to slip her arm out of his hold, and then push the back of his helmet into the other guard. The two men collided and before they had the chance to both turn back onto her, she had disarmed them of one of their guns and pointed it directly at them.

“Is this really necessary?” Ghoul hissed at Delgado and he watched her like a hawk ready to swoop in and pluck her eyes out at any moment.

“Perhaps not.” He waved them away and then looked back at his other crew. She wasn’t sure if she saw it correctly or not but he looked pleased with her response. “Undock from that piece of garbage and set coordinates for The Key. We have much to get to in the next few months.”

“Months?” Ghoul snapped suddenly and slightly out of her usual pirate character. Delgado had an eyebrow raised at her suspiciously from her response.

“Do you have somewhere else to be that’s more important than Kryx’s legacy?” He challenged her and the tone in his voice made it very clear this was a dangerous rhetorical question. Ghoul shook her head and tossed the gun to the side trying her best not to think about the fact that she had absolutely no way to communicate with the others about this development. She had left anything that tied her to Constellation on the ship. That included her watch given to her when she first joined that was her primary telecommunications device. What in the fuck was she going to do?

#sam coe #starfield #starfield fanfiction #fanfic #Delgado #crimson fleet #ao3fic #sam coe x spacefarer #a wee bit of fluff #Please enjoy!#and if possible show support on ao3!

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