Encounter at Mutara

Inspired (or ripped-off) from the Battlefield 1 official cover.

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Slick was a good name for him.

Slippery as a topsail schooner in a fully armored galleon, she spent the better part of two months chasing the ship simply known as the Wilde. Around the moons and across seas of stars, she had hunted this one prize; the most wanted pirate in the Mutara sector. And when she finally had the ship with black sails in her sights, the battle was grueling. While parts of her own ship smoldered and billowed black smoke into space, she ignored the blood dripping down her face as she banked around and away from the bow cannons. She heard the fighting behind her as it reached the doors of the bridge. Tactically sound, swift. Sly. He always managed to board without being noticed, strike before there was time to react.

As the doors to the bridge exploded inward and four armed mammals stormed in with pistols drawn, she turned to see the scruffy red fox wander in at a seemingly leisurely pace. Dressed all in black and crimson, slim and tall, with a long muzzle that held a smirk that said he knew he had won the day, he stopped and held his paws up in mocking surrender as she drew her own pistol and leveled it at his chest.

“I have to give you credit, Captain Fluff,” he said, his head cocked to the side as he glanced out towards his ship. She knew it was turning to drop another volley, and didn’t turn her eyes away from the deep emeralds that refocused on her. “You live up to your reputation of never giving up a chase once you have your eyes set on what you want. But there is nowhere to go, and surrender is the only option.”

Her muzzle curved into a vicious little grin as she swept the red cloak out behind her, placing foot and paw on the wheel to brace the ship as the countdown in her head ran to zero. The explosion was magnificent; the dozens of cloaked explosives lacing the hull of his ship tearing it apart, triggering the core. It was enough to turn black alloy and crew alike into a ball of molten fire that burned as brightly as a sun for a moment, and forced the stunned fox to shield his eyes from the glare of his loss. After the shockwave struck, when he found his feet and could look at her again, that savage grin remained on the bunny’s muzzle.

“I accept your surrender, Captain,” she said, watching his brows drop into an unhappy line when he realized he had fallen into her trap. “Now… Let’s talk terms.”

Special Thanks to Kulkum for this story snippet.