Just staring blankly at the sea, waves crashing against the hull. She’s fast — faster than St. Francis, who now rests in peace at the bottom of the ocean.

  She’s new. Just laid down.

  The interiors look the same — the partitions, the floors, the halls — all the same, only cleaner. No dripping pipes. No leaks. No mold and rust lining the walls. Most of my crewmates loved it.

  But some missed the old one — they even missed the bad smell of their quarters.

  Hahaha. Yes… even I missed it.

  But time to move on. Or at least force myself to.

  Why not? The ship’s new.

  Harvey — yes, the rat bastard — said Marcus designed it especially for us. For me.

  The name? St. Francis’ Revenge.

  I don’t know. Maybe it’s Marcus’ way of mocking me… or mocking the Empire. But I kinda like it.

  “The Revenge” sounds cool.

  I toured the whole ship, seeing what she had.

  Three power plants, powered by a new crystal battery Marcus calls the “NOAH Reactor.” It propels the ship — oh, I mean there’s no props anymore. Harvey said it uses electrostatic magnetic railings along the sides to skim through the sea. It’s like the hull pulls the water backward to push the ship forward. Easy to maneuver too. She can turn 360 degrees with a twist of a dial.

  On the top deck, instead of the wide flat flight deck of St. Francis, there are six massive cannons — dual 50-inch diameter, 50-meter-long turrets. Plasmaic electropulse. They can easily sink a heavily armored ship.

  At the back, a giant hatch for launching our all-new Phoenix II and the Dragonflies. No need for a long runway.

  There’s an automatic anti-missile system that can intercept incoming attacks from 100 kilometers away. Smart torpedo systems for sneaky submarines. And just like St. Francis, it has a cloaking engine — wrapping the entire ship in a photonic bending matrix that lets light pass through, rendering us invisible.

  And the infamous teleportation engine.

  I still don’t understand how it works. Even the rat bastard can’t explain it. I think the only one who knows all the tricks… is that paralyzed piece of cow shit — Marcus.

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  Huh.

  Yes, it’s much more high-tech. More advanced. It sounds like nothing can take it down.

  But we don’t get confident.

  Jerry — since the agreement, I’ve distanced myself from him. I just don’t want to talk to him right now — he loves the ship. He and most of the crew see it as a good bargain. But some see it as blood money.

  And I’m thinking the same.

  While walking on deck toward the bow, I tried reflecting — thinking about our strategy for tomorrow’s mission. But I just can’t. Every time I think of that place — the Union’s capital — my guts shake. My bones tremble.

  As I stepped onto the front viewing deck, there she was.

  Gina.

  Black shirt. Military pants. Boots. Just standing there, eyes closed, feeling the wind rushing against her pretty face.

  I stared at her like I was in some kind of trance.

  Then suddenly she turned her head toward me and smiled.

  “Oh, hey there, boss. Ready for tomorrow’s mission?”

  “No,” I replied, my voice shaking.

  Gina laughed. “Well, that’s new. Jericho Sanchez not prepared for a mission? Why is that?”

  I stayed silent. I didn’t really want to talk.

  She walked toward me and wrapped her arms around me in a warm hug.

  “Don’t worry. Just like Prince Marcus said, you’re the best tactical soldier there is. And that’s coming from an evil genius.”

  She held me tighter.

  “And whatever it is you’re afraid of… don’t worry. I’ll be right behind you. Watching your back.”

  I felt the warmth. The sincerity. The care.

  “Lieutenant.”

  Jerry’s voice called from behind.

  “Yes, Admiral.”

  “May I have a word with my brother? Please.”

  Gina looked at me and twitched her eye playfully. I leaned closer and whispered, “No.”

  She smiled.

  “Yes, Admiral. He can have a talk with you.” She winked at me before leaving. “Admiral, he’s all yours.”

  “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

  As Jerry stepped forward, I moved to the railing and leaned against it. He leaned beside me — though much farther away.

  Awkward silence.

  Wind gushing. Sea calm.

  The silence stretched until I spoke first.

  “So… if you’re here to apologize, you’re wasting your time. Not yet.”

  “I know that,” Jerry replied. “I’m not here to apologize. Well… not yet.”

  “I’m here to tell you the truth. It may anger you more. Or hopefully lessen it.”

  “What truth?”

  “For starters… I didn’t defect from the Empire to follow you.”

  “What?” I shot back, brow raised.

  “It was Prince Marcus who persuaded me. To protect you. He said you know things. Secret things. And he knows you make wild decisions. Bad decisions. That’s why I’m here — to guide you. He may seem ruthless, but deep inside… he cares for you.”

  “Well… he chose the right person.” I sighed. “And yes. I do know many things. But I made a promise to him. And yes… I make a lot of wild, bad decisions including that.”

  We both laughed.

  “So, Jerry… as hired by ‘Prince’ Marcus — what’s the plan?”

  He grinned.

  “Meet me at the bridge three hours from now. Harvey got you a new toy.”

  I nodded and smiled as he walked away.

  That talk was…

  I don’t know.

  I’m still nervous about tomorrow.

  I looked up, gazing at the stars. Breathing deeply. Letting the cool breeze wash over my face.

  Savoring this moment.

  Because maybe…

  It might be my last.