A Pirate at heart
Jim Hawkins gripped the helm of the RLS Legacy, the solar sails unfurling in a blaze of gold against the shimmering etherium. A lean, muscled young man, his body was sculpted by years of scrambling up masts and sparring at the naval academy, tight muscles under sun-bronzed skin, his dark hair whipping in the cosmic breeze.
His hazel eyes shone with pride as he surveyed his first command, the captain’s stripes crisp on his jacket. From delinquent dreamer to naval captain, this was his triumph, his ship, his stars.
He didn’t sense the venom coiled below.
Silas Silver lurked in the cargo hold... amber eyes burning beneath a wild mop of dark hair streaked with his father’s gray.
Taller and broader than Jim, Silas was a wall of muscle, thick arms under a scarred leather vest, his chest a slab of power earned from wrestling alien sharks and cracking heads. His father, John Silver, had been the greatest pirate Jim ever knew, a gruff mentor who’d shaped him on that fateful treasure hunt.
But Silas saw it differently.
To him, Jim was a leech, a kid who’d tagged along, stolen the map, claimed the loot of Treasure Planet, and left Silver a laughingstock, a washed-up cyborg spinning yarns in a backwater port.
Silas had grown up on those stories, his father’s glory dimmed by Jim’s name. Every cheer for Hawkins was a knife in Silas’s gut. This voyage, Jim’s first as captain, was Silas’s chance to rip it all back.
The mutiny struck under a canopy of stars. Silas burst from the hold, his thick frame leading a pack of stowaway pirates, blades glinting, blasters whining. Jim spun from the helm, his lean muscles flexing as he dodged a stun bolt and slammed a fist into a pirate’s jaw, sending the man sprawling.
“To arms!†he shouted, but the tide turned fast.
Silas charged, a bull of muscle, and tackled Jim to the deck. Something snapped around Jim’s wrists and ankles, etherium chains, forged from the void itself. Thin strands of silvery metal shimmered with a faint, otherworldly glow, their surface alive with tiny, pulsing currents of blue energy. Lightweight yet unbreakable, they tightened like living tendrils, buzzing with a low hum that sent a jolt through Jim’s limbs, locking them rigid. He hit the planks, breath hissing through clenched teeth.
Silas loomed over him, his broad chest heaving. “Well, well, Captain Hawkins. Look at you, all shiny and official.â€
Jim glared up, his toned frame straining against the chains. “Silas. Should’ve guessed. You’ve got your dad’s ugly mug.â€
Silas’s meaty fist cracked across Jim’s ribs, a dull thud echoing. “Funny, ain’t it? You took his glory, his treasure—left him a broken old man spinning tales for scraps. All the galaxy knows Jim Hawkins, but Silver? Just the fool who raised you up.â€
“Raised me?†Jim spat, his voice sharp despite the pain. “He taught me. I earned the rest. You’re just mad you couldn’t keep up.â€
Silas’s smirk twisted into a snarl. He grabbed Jim’s jacket, hauling him up. “Earned it? You stole it. And now I’m takin’ it back—every damn bit.†He nodded to his crew. “Get him below.â€
They dragged Jim to the captain’s quarters, his boots scuffing the deck. Silas marched in after him and ripped off Jim's boots, tossing them into a corner. “No need for fancy kicks,†he growled, tearing Jim’s jacket away next, then the shirt, buttons popping as the fabric shredded. Jim stood bare-chested, clad only in naval breeches that hugged his lean thighs, his muscled torso gleaming with sweat.
Silas shoved him into a chair, the etherium chains slithering and binding Jim to the chair, their glowing strands coiling around his wrists and ankles like serpents, the electric hum prickling his skin. “Let’s see how long that fire lasts,†Silas said, his thick arms crossing as he leaned in close.
The training was a slow, vicious dance. Silas unbound Jim’s right wrist, stepping back with a taunt. “Go ahead, captain. Take a swing.†Jim’s arm snapped out, muscle coiling like a whip, aiming for Silas’s jaw, but the chains flared, a sharp jolt surging through them, blue sparks dancing along the strands. Jim’s knees buckled, a choked grunt escaping as he hit the floor. Silas chuckled, his broad shoulders shaking. “That’s one.â€
He grabbed a tin cup, water sloshing inside, and held it inches from Jim’s lips. “Thirsty? Say ‘please,’ hero.†Jim’s hazel eyes narrowed, his dry throat scraping, but he forced the word out, low and bitter. “Please.†Silas smirked, tipping the cup—half splashed across Jim’s bare chest, cold rivulets streaking down his abs before he got a sip. “Oops,†Silas said, grinning.
Later, Silas paced around him, a remote in his scarred hand. “Kneel, Hawkins.†Jim’s jaw clenched, his lean frame rigid. “Go to hell.†Silas pressed the remote, and the chains hummed louder, their currents tightening until Jim’s legs folded, slamming him to his knees with a thud. Silas grabbed his hair, yanking his head back. “There we go. Look at you, ain’t so high and mighty now.â€
He rigged a collar to Jim’s neck, sleek metal, cold against his skin, synced to the ship’s controls. A flick of the remote, and it squeezed, cutting Jim’s air until he gasped, his bare torso straining as the crew outside hooted. “That’s my captain,†Silas mocked, releasing the pressure just enough to let Jim breathe.
Jim endured, his muscles trembling but his spirit clawing for an edge. Silas loved it too much, parading him, breaking him. But Jim watched. The crew was sloppy, spilling plans over grog: they were bound for a pirate haven, an asteroid belt of chaos and profit.
Silas meant to sell the Legacy and flaunt Jim as his trophy. Jim palmed a tiny tool from a drunk pirate’s belt one night, hiding it in his breeches, and waited.
Days later, Silas escalated. “Time to make you a legend,†he said, his thick frame swaggering as he ordered Jim hauled to the bow. The chains dragged him, glowing tendrils buzzing, and lashed him to the hull, arms and legs splayed, bare chest exposed to the etherium wind. The collar hummed, a constant threat. Silas leaned in, his muscled bulk brushing Jim’s shoulder. “My figurehead. How’s it feel, Hawkins?â€
Jim’s lips twitched, his voice rough but steady. “Feels like you’re overcompensating. Daddy issues, huh?â€
Silas’s fist slammed Jim’s gut, air whooshing out, but he didn’t flinch. “Keep talkin’. Won’t save you.â€
“Won’t have to,†Jim rasped. “You’re sloppy, Silas. Just like your crew.â€
Silas didn’t see the spark, or the tool Jim had worked loose, tucked in his waistband. That night, he’d pried the chains’ lock, weakening their pulse. The collar held, but Silas’s habits were clockwork, always too close, remote on his belt.
Morning broke, and Silas strutted up, gloating to his crew. “Look at him, lads, Jim Hawkins, my pet!†He turned, smirking and Jim moved. The tool flicked, the chains’ glow stuttering, and he lunged, a lean blur of muscle.
His shoulder slammed Silas’s chest, toppling the bigger man with a crash. The remote skittered across the deck; Jim dove, snatching it mid-slide, and hit the release. The collar popped free, clattering away. He grabbed Silas’s blaster from his belt, rolling to his feet, and fired a bolt into the rigging!
Sparks rained down as the crew froze.
Silas scrambled up, roaring, but Jim drove a knee into his gut, dropping him again. Pinning him with a bare foot on his thick neck, Jim aimed the blaster down. “Stay,†he growled, then raised his voice, eyes sweeping the crew. “Listen up! You followed Silas ‘cause he promised you gold, power,chaos. But look at him, down like a dog. I know this life. I’ve sailed it, fought it, won it. Treasure Planet wasn’t luck, it was me. You want a leader who delivers? I’m right here. Throw this bastard in the brig, and we’ll take that pirate haven together, not as his pawns, but as mine.â€
The crew hesitated, then moved. Hands grabbed Silas, his thick arms thrashing as they dragged him below, his curses muffled by the brig’s slam. They turned to Jim, nods rippling through them, his now.
Jim stood at the helm, breeches torn, bare chest bruised but unbowed. The naval outpost flickered in his mind, order, duty. But the etherium sang louder, wild and free. He’d missed this lawlessness, the rush of it. The academy had caged him; Silas had cracked the bars. A pirate stirred awake.
He picked up the collar, its metal cool in his hands, and snapped it back on, unpowered, a weight of choice.
“Hold course,†he called, voice firm.
The Legacy surged toward the pirate haven, Jim’s lean frame steady at the wheel, hazel eyes alight with a new fire. Captain, pirate, reborn.