Damn me for valuing hot women over life and limb...

Your hands hover over the controls that would steer the ship around and send you out of range of the approaching fighters in a matter of seconds, mere millimeters from touching the console and saving your skin. It is what you should do. It'd be the smart thing to do, for sure. But, as you look over your shoulder at Teesha and Farrah who look back at you with nervous eyes and worried expressions, you heave a sigh and know that this is why you've never been accused of being overly smart.

Your hands move from the controls and you press a thumb to the comm controls instead, opening a line to the fighter that had hailed you. "This is Halloway. I'm powering down my engines and weapons. Do what you gotta do.", you say and then release the comm button to do as you said you were going to do.

"What?! Don't do that! You said that the captain of this crew is holding a grudge against you! Who knows what she'll do to you!?", Farrah cries out as she reaches out for you, surprising you by being the one to voice her worry for you instead of Teesha.

Teesha doesn't say anything but the look of worry on her face is clear as she looks to you and then looks away, knowing she can't say anything to stop you. After all, she probably knows very well what would happen if you made good on an escape attempt. They'd lose their chance to reconnect with their family, possibly for a long, long time and, as fond as she was of you, it looked like she wasn't willing to risk blood over a good lay. You could understand that. Hell, you could even respect it, even if it kinda stung a bit.

"Gotta do it, Farrah. If I don't, you probably won't see your sister and mother again for a very long time.", you reply and she stops just short of touching you at those words as they had struck a chord.

"B-but...", she tries to start and you shake your head as you power down your engines and weapons.

"No buts unless it's this one here.", you say and reach out to give her a slap on the ass, drawing a yelp from her and making her jump.

"What the fuck!? How can you be so fuckin' calm about this?!", she growls at you as she smacks you in the arm, her voice partly anger and partly worry as she looks to you with wide green eyes.

"Because that's how a guy like me stays alive doin' what I do, Farrah.", you say as you stand up from the pilot's seat, looking out the front viewscreen as the fighters come close and shoot magnetic tethers towards your ship to lock you in place and begin to tow you towards the cruiser, "If I ain't calm, then I ain't gonna be able to think of a way to get myself out of the worst of situations like a pissed off pirate captain who might want my balls on a platter."

"...Is there a way out of this, Derrick?", Teesha asks, voicing her concern while doing her best to remain calm and collected.

You grin over at her and give her a wink. "Who d'ya think you're talkin' too, sweetheart? I'm Captain Derrick fuckin' Halloway. There ain't been a situation yet I haven't been able to talk, fight or fuck my way out of yet.", you remark with all the cocky bravado you can muster before looking back out at the cruiser that is slowly becoming larger in the front viewscreen as you're towed towards it.

Cocky bravado is all well and good, but you know you might be royally fucked here because that old saying about hell having no fury like a woman scorned could be applied doubly to Captain Rose of the Crimson Bolts. But, still, you haven't ever been one to balk at a little risk and threat to your life and limb when it comes right down to it. You can deal with what's coming. All you gotta do is wait and see exactly what's waiting for you and you can go from there.

At least that's what you tell yourself as the cruiser's hangar bay opens up like a metallic maw and your ship is towed inside...