Chapter Text
The sun’s rays beat down upon the sand and sparse cactus, waves of heat simmering from the golden ground. The desert was torrid, but it didn’t stop the ship caravan from crossing these scorching plains, however.
Small in design yet possessing the ability to travel unhindered by the desert sands, the caravan boat sped across the golden expanse. A big white aft sail and topsail carried the boat with the blowing winds.
Aboard the ship was a small crew, with various trade materials hidden below the ship’s deck. They kept it locked shut at all times, with a lookout in the crow’s nest, searching through the bright light for threats.
“How’s the view up there?!” The captain asked from below.
“All clear, Sir!” His crew member replied.
“Then let’s keep going! At this pace, we’re sure to hit cityfall within the day!” The tanned captain ordered, receiving a resounding whoop in reply.
The crew sent the message to the other two boats tagging along. They opened their masts further, catching more wind and speeding up.
“Sir! We’ve got company!” The barrelman suddenly yelled.
The captain looked up to acknowledge him. He then turned for the boat’s shroud. Leaning against the railing and taking the binoculars his crewmate handed him, the captain searched for their uninvited guests.
Off in the distance, a large cloud of sand was billowing, and it was heading right for them. And as the shape came closer, the captain was able to make out a group of boats heading their way.
“There’s more than double of what we have…” The captain muttered.
“What do we do, Sir?!” Someone asked as panic rose.
“Stay calm! These bandits are well-known around here!” Said the older man, turning to his crew with a shout. “Everybody! Do not engage! I repeat, do not engage with the bandits! I will try to convince them to leave us be!”
His crew looked uneasy, and the captain would be lying if he said he wasn’t either. But these bandits weren’t the type to start murdering for no good reason, and if he wanted to avoid any bloodshed, he’d have to try bartering.
With the bandits coming closer, the captain ordered his crew to slow the ships down; Topsails were folded and any and all precious items were locked in the deepest parts of the ships.
Khan made sure his own Treasure was tucked away into a safe chest under the floorboards of the captain’s cabin. It was the safest place on the ship, and Khan would rather avoid having his Treasure be in danger.
Within a few minutes, the large dust cloud had split up into smaller ones. The three caravans were surrounded on all sides by larger boats. On those boats were Worker Drones, wearing equipment and clothing suitable for the desert.
“Where is your leader?!” The captain shouted over the rumbling of the boats.
“I’m right here, dear captain!” A male’s voice replied.
A loud thump reverberated across the deck. The captain spun around, spotting the desert bandits’ leader, N.
Long and messy, ruby-red hair followed in the wind. An identical tail mimicked it. Multiple swords hung off the back of a thick black belt around his hips. Wearing the weapons was a pair of brown shorts, the hems stringy and frayed.
Beads clinked together as he stepped closer to the captain. His feet were patterned like hooves, with a dull red spot on the toe joint and short heel. Turquoise gems sit on leather straps going down his feet. More leather climbed his calves, along with twine.
The sun’s rays were absorbed into the cropped, black tank top he wore over his chest plates. A buckling band kept it secure at the bottom hem. The top hem traveled up his neck, protecting it from damaging light.
With a blow of the wind, his black bandana-headband, its two tails, and his peeking bangs ruffled. His ruby red horse ears flicked some drifting dust particles away. Tassels and beads hung off strings on one side, more tiny belts kept the bandana in place.
“I take it you’re going to try and bargain?” The male Operator Drone smiled knowingly, his silver eye lights narrowing.
“Sounds like you’ve done so before.” The captain returned with an attempted smirk.
“It’s mostly been pleads for mercy, really.” N shrugged. “So, how are you going to plead for mercy?” He then asked, a hand resting onto the hilt of a sword.
“Well, I’d say it’s less of a plead for mercy and more of a plead to leave us be. We don’t have much on board, and certainly nothing you’d want to take.” The human told him, sweat rolling down his temple.
“Is that so?” The robot pried with a smirk.
“It is!” The captain replied. “We don’t have jewels or gold, and you don’t need food like us humans to survive! And as you can see, we aren’t toting around on any mechanical caravans, so we have no oil.” He went on.
“...” The Operator Drone was silent, his optics closed.
“You really think I’m going to fall for that?” N then asked, a subtle threat in his optics.
The captain stiffened, his smile faltering. But he kept it up, trying to look confident.
“We’re only three small ships! How do you know we’re holding anything of value?” The human asked.
“I know you aren’t holding any treasures, that you can be assured of.” The Operator Drone waved. “But as the saying goes “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” right?” He then questioned.
“CREW! TELL ME! WHAT IS THE FIRST ‘P?!’” N suddenly asked, pointing a finger to the sky.
“PLAGUE!” The six other, large ships filled with Worker Drones replied in a shout.
“AND TELL ME! WHAT IS THE SECOND ‘P?!’” The Operator Drone questioned.
“PILLAGE!” His crew roared back.
“NOW TELL ME! WHAT IS THE THIRD ‘P?!’” The leader inquired.
“PLUNDER!!” His crew thundered jovially.
“WELL THEN, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS! LET US NOT WASTE ANYMORE TIME!!” Their leader shouted.
His crew replied with their own shouts of glee, clambering onto the three caravan ships. They easily overpowered any humans that tried to fight them, and just as easily broke down doors or opened hatches leading to the lower decks.
“I admit, you have courage for trying to barter with me.” N spoke above the uproar. “And so calmly, too! You’re a great captain for this tiny team!” He laughed with a waving horse tail.
“But unfortunately, we desert bandits don’t just let caravans like you free. Who knows? You could have a very precious treasure on board that we don’t know about.” His optics narrowed dangerously.
The captain could only stare back in shock. All around him was chaos, and at the center of it, the very cause, a defected Operator Drone. All he could do was let his ships be raided and order his men to cease fire.
“At least keep our ships intact so we can get home.” He requested in defeat.
“Of course! We aren’t here to kill you!” The Operator Drone chuckled. “But still, thanks for the treasure. We’ll make sure to put it to good use!”
With that, he turned for the door of the captain’s deck. Right as the doors were burst open, the said captain ran towards him.
“NO! DON’T TAKE ANYTHING FROM IN THERE!!” He begged, a scared look in his eyes.
“Oh? But I thought you didn’t have any treasure?” The bandit leader spoke with an intrigued wave of his tail. “I guess that was just a bluff, huh?” He shrugged with a laugh.
The human captain begged and shouted for the Operator Drone to leave the cabin be. Worker Drones kept him held back, tossing him against the mast to tie him up.
Stepping into the captain’s cabin, N found it to be just the usual cabin. There were some maps here and there, as well as clothes and a small bed tucked into the back wall. There was no jewelry or gold to speak of, just as the human said there wasn’t.
“Has anything of value been found yet?” N asked one of his crewmates.
“We’ve found plenty of supplies and clothes!” Sarah replied, decked out in desert wear. “We also found some repair materials! Though, it’s mostly in the form of nails and screws.” She added, turning her gaze away.
“That’s good. We’ll have something to make sure our home doesn’t fall apart.” N nodded.
He walked deeper into the captain’s cabin; Searching through drawers and plucking any nice-looking things from inside. Any money that was forgotten or tucked away to be hidden found their way into the Operator Drone’s pockets.
The last thing N did was take a sword and its sheathe from his hips. He bumped it against the wooden ground, searching for a hollow space. A hollow sound was quick to be found, a smirk etching on the operator’s face plates.
With one good smack, the floor broke into splinters. N placed his sword back onto his hip, hauling the large chest out. The captain had a terrified look overcome his face at seeing the chest.
“DON’T TAKE THAT! PLEASE, I’M BEGGING YOU!!” He hollered.
“It’s far too late to start begging, captain.” N mocked back.
With a wave of his tail, he picked up the chest and brought it outside. Some of his brethren took it from him, packing it onto their own ships. As the rest of the items were transported, N walked up to the captain.
“It’s been nice raiding you, human.” He said, his tail blowing in the winds of the moving ships. “Should we see you next time, we’ll make sure to drop by and say hello. For now, however, we’ll take your things and leave!” He laughed as he grabbed onto a rope.
He ran and swung his way back onto his own ship, his brothers and sisters boarding with him. They let loose any humans they tied up and made sure to leave them unharmed. As they returned to their own ships one by one, the humans slowly picked themselves up.
“MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS! SAIL FORTH TO HOME!!” N called from the bow of the largest ship.
His crewmates yelled in cheer and turned their sand ships around. Departing from the few human ones, they set their masts to full and sped off. Each drone’s cheer faded with the billowing of sand.
The humans were left behind to pick themselves up. They counted their numbers, glad to find there were no deaths. The only injuries came in both their pride and some scrapes and splinters.
“Captain?” One man asked quietly.
But his captain didn’t respond. He just stared after where the desert bandits had fled. It was as though he was stuck in a trance.
“S-Sir? Are you alright?” Another crewmate questioned, looking worried.
“They took my Treasure…” Their captain finally whispered.
It took a few moments to realize what he meant. A somber silence hung heavy in the air. Among their counts, they forgot one person.
“I’m so sorry, Captain Khan.”
The six ships slowed to a stop at some shoddy ports. The large crew stepped off via ramps, hauling with them their fresh loot. The other Worker Drones cheered at their return and helped them carry all the treasure inside.
N was among the last to get off, making sure everyone else was alright and accounted for. He carried the large chest he found with him, Sarah helping to haul it off the ship.
As the two traveled through the clay-made town tucked inside a ravine, many different fabrics hung above. Domes of clay made as houses, drones roaming everywhere, the pathways old and shoddily painted, and dust blowing about at every turn.
Small decorations in silver, copper, and even dusty gold bells, discs, and rods hung off houses or hanging ropes. There were a few machines here and there, rusted and shuddering, but still working.
“Just what is in here?!” Sarah asked through a grunt, adjusting her grip on the chest.
“I’m not sure, but its weight must mean something good!” N returned with a smile and a wagging bushy tail.
“Where do we set it?” The female Worker Drone questioned.
“Let’s set it with everything else. We’ll distribute it as usual-” N went to say.
“No, Sir!” Someone else yelled, startling the Operator Drone.
“H-Huh-?” N muttered, his silver optics hollowed from startlement.
“You deserve to get the biggest treasure!” Darren spoke. “You’ve been helping us so much, and have always gone on dangerous excursions!” He added, a sparkle in his eye lights.
“C-Come on, I don’t deserve this-” N smiled back, finally putting the chest down in the town square.
“Nonsense!” Sarah chimed in now. “You’ve risked your life for us, have given us a new purpose, have freed us from human reign! You deserve all the treasure in the world!” She went on excitedly.
“Take the chest, N!” Another worker told him.
“The least you can do is take the biggest of the bunch!” Yet another of his brothers exclaimed.
More and more, Worker Drones surrounded him and urged him to just take the darn chest already. N sighed, trying and failing to stop his bushy red tail from wagging.
“Alright, alright! I’ll take the treasure chest!” He laughed with placating hands. “But someone’s gonna have to distribute the treasure evenly and help me carry this thing!” He said.
“I’ll distribute the treasure!” Emily volunteered.
“I was already helping carry it before, so let me!” Sarah spoke up.
“Okay, it’s settled then!” N nodded.
‘Maybe I can at least convince them to sell off this stuff. It wouldn’t hurt to have more money on hand.’ He thought as he glanced around.
Shaking his head, the Operator Drone turned down to the oddly heavy chest. Taking a sword and its sheath, he bashed the lock right off.
“Alright, everyone!” N spoke loudly as he crouched to open the chest. “Let’s see what’s in here-!”
N froze. So did everyone else. All of their eye lights went void.
Some coughs rasped from the box. A hand grabbed onto the side, something lifting up-
No. Not “something.”
Some-one.
As the purple-haired girl finally spotted the robot looking down at her, N swiftly took out a sharp sword and pointed it at the woman’s neck.
“Who the hell are you?” N asked with a cold glare and tone.