Amidst the banter and laughter, Aldred and Shinari found themselves engrossed in a deep conversation.
They spoke of their pasts, the challenges they faced, and the dreams that fueled to move forward.
Shinari, usually reserved, opened up to Aldred about her unique ability to manipulate shadows. She shared the struggles of harnessing this power and the fear it instilled in those around her. Aldred listened attentively, offering words of encouragement and understanding.
"The normal citizen mostly fear my existence, you know. Children not daring to look at me in the eye."
"I heard you," Aldred said. "People fear, what they cannot understand."
"What do you think I should do?"
"Nothing. Let them feel and think however they like. You just have to be you. Don't let the assumption of others change who you are."
Shinari was glad to hear that. "Thank you. People in your world must fear you too."
Aldred chuckled. "The normal citizen actually liked me. It's those with super powers that fears me."
"Why?"
"Because I am far stronger than them." Aldred laughed. "I never kill those without power. I don't need to anyway. That's why the normal people don't fear me, but they do respect me, especially since I built a lot of useful things for them."
"You build stuff for them? Are you a builder?"
"No. I have the resources and manpower to do that."
"You build infrastructures for people. That will require a lot of money, not to mention you have to bribe the local government to let you do that."
Aldred laughed again. "No one dare to stop me. Besides, I only build infrastructure for my territory."
"Territory? Are you a noble in your world?"
"Not exactly. You can say I am an independent warlord, conquering land and take it as my own."
"You're an invader? A colonizer?"
"Ugh… you can't really say that either, though I can't say that you are wrong. Well, the people lived much better under my rule rather than their previous lord, so I don't feel bad about it. I do extract the local resources to fund my expansion even further though."
"That's exactly what a colonizer do…"
Aldred shrugged. "At least I don't do evil to those who do not deserve it. Like I said, I only kill people who stand in my way."
"How many have you killed?"
Aldred stayed silent and looked at her in the eye. The innocence in her eyes begged Aldred to lie, but he could not. "Millions. Countless people have died because of me."
Shinari grabbed his hands. "Thanks for telling me the truth."
"Are you okay with that?"
"I have been in this journey with you for months, Aldred. I can see that you can kill without hesitation. But I can also see that you never harm those not worthy of it, like you said earlier."
"The millions you killed in your world. Perhaps you believe they deserved to be killed."
Aldred sighed. "Who can judge who deserve to be killed or not? A lot of people might judge that I am deserved to be killed. I don't think even gods could decide someone's fate like that, but that is the world we live in. The strong decide the fate of the weak. That is why, being weak is a sin in itself."
"Being weak is a sin?"
"The incapabilities to protect your loved ones. That is a sin." Aldred's eyes seemed distance.
"Why do you consider weakness as a sin?"
"By not having the ability to protect, you are indirectly letting others to harm you or those you hold dear. Strength is virtue."
Aldred fixed his sitting position. "People consider me evil, arrogance, ruthless, etc. But they misunderstand me. It's not that I am ruthless, but I am capable of ruthless. It's not that I am aggressive, but I can be if I needed to."
"I think I have heard something like that before," Shinari replied. "A former soldier living in a farm. He sharpened his sword every single day for years and years. His neighbors wondered why he keep doing it and thought he was weird and scary. That was until a group of bandits raided the village, and the former soldier brandished his sharpened blade and fend off the bandits, saving the village."
Aldred nodded. "Yes. Just like that."
As the conversation flowed, they discovered common ground and shared values. Aldred's sincerity and honesty made Shinari felt safe and connected.
Meanwhile, the repairs on the Stardust Voyager continued. The crew worked diligently, salvaging parts from the wreckage of the pirate ships to patch up the damages. Despite the temporary respite, the looming threat of more encounters with hostile forces kept everyone on edge.
As the crew navigated through the intricate process of repairing the ship, Shuzib approached Aldred and Shinari.
"Aldred, we need to discuss our strategy moving forward. The journey ahead is unpredictable, and the pirates won't be the last challenge we face."
The crew assembled in the ship's command center, where Aldred and Shuzib laid out their strategy. The discussion ranged from navigating through potential hazards in space to fortifying the ship's defenses. Cleome, ever the strategist, offered insights on dealing with unexpected threats.
As the crew delved into the strategy meeting, the atmosphere became tense with the anticipation of the challenges that lay ahead. Aldred and Shuzib outlined potential routes through the Veil, discussing the unpredictability of the cosmic landscape and the necessity of staying vigilant.
"I just fixed the ship's radar and detection system. It is fully repaired and activated, so we aren't going blind."
The crew breathed a collective sigh of relief, knowing that having a functional radar was crucial for navigating the hazardous cosmic terrain.
However, the relief was short-lived as the radar detected a group of human forces ahead. The screen in the command center displayed blips representing the approaching vessels.
Shuzib, analyzing the data, reported, "Aldred, we've got human forces on our radar. Their intentions are unclear, and we can't determine whether they are friend or foe."
Aldred furrowed his brow. The crew exchanged uneasy glances. The encounters with the pirates were still fresh in their minds, and the prospect of facing more unknown adversaries heightened the tension on the ship.
Cleome, quick to assess the situation, suggested, "We should establish communication with them, try to understand their intentions before making any decisions. We can't afford to make enemies recklessly."
Salamander added, "But what if they're hostile like the pirates? We need to be prepared for anything."
"Should we make contact or avoid them entirely?" Shinari put the question on the table.
