Dora and James

Dora glanced at Rigo who just replied:

"It's a secret of our empire, and I'm not obligated to tell you anything."

Dora looked at James as she sneered:

"He is funny, from where did you find this old scrap metal again?"

Rigo didn't react to her sarcastic comment, neither did James who knew she was underestimating his droids, but he wouldn't.

These droids were a strong weapon, the only disadvantage was the small numbers in his possession. If he could manufacture more, or find a way to lay his hands over much more, then he would be satisfied, very satisfied.

"We need a message to be short, not too long, but gets to the point. It must include secret code that only your crew could decipher and follow the orders written in it," Rigo said calmly.

"Oh he can talk properly, have you checked his inner memory circuit? I heard these things live for very long and can have many fascinating memories," Dora wasn't ready to let this arrogant droid off the hook.

Rigo glanced towards James who shook his head silently, he needed her to cooperate with him, or he would lose the chance to save Eli, but James was still discontent with Dora's attitude towards his droids, so he intervened to end this state of cold war:

"Let's pass over small things and focus on the bigger picture please, we have lives to save here, and more to rescue out there."

Dora and Rigo looked with disapproval on their faces to James, who continued to stress over his words:

"I won't tolerate any other offenses from both of you, let's send the message and save all the people we could save and then we both go separate ways."

Dora smiled evilly as she muttered:

"What a shame, I started to like both of you dumb headed," she then looked towards Rigo with the same amusing look, "Send this message to my ship out there, the code of the ship is Bloody princess 0, and the frequency is AO034RE859. Write them down so you won't forget any."

"I never forget anything, or anyone," Rigo said calmly.

"Neither do I, you know I'm starting to like you more, we can make a perfect couple, why don't you leave this hopeless cruiser and come to work under me?" Dora said with a smirk over her face. Rigo ignored her as James interfered again:

"He isn't for sale, and we aren't here to chitchat, if you want to have some fun, then why don't you go out and have the fun you need with that Immortal? He seems funny to me, and nice too, you will make a perfect couple together."

This time Dora's face changed and that play look over her face was wiped out, instead there was a deep hatred look, a look of someone deeply immersed in vengeance. James noticed these obvious changes over her face, so he knew he hit her hard where it pained hard.

"Listen carefully you lucky bastard, you don't know me or know what I went through to get here, so don't say any words like a joke, or else it would choke you to death," Dora said with threatening tone towards James, who knew he pulled a string he shouldn't get near to, but he wasn't regretting it.

At least, he now was aware of how deep the hatred between this Immortal and this crazy princess was, so if he wanted to live longer he needed to get away from her, so he wouldn't delve deeper in this conflict.

He was only here for Eli, and once he saved her he would leave here and go to the farthest place in the galaxy where no empire or rebels or Immortal could find him.

"We are just collaborating to beat this Immortal, then we will go separate ways, cool?" James said as he wanted to make his stand clear. His words were met by a small smile from Dora that turned into a sneer as she said:

"Run away? No one interferes into that bastard's business and manages to run away. Take my advice and run away now, at least he didn't notice you yet."

Her voice held a mix of pain, a deep pain coming from a distant memory that she tried always to suppress and forget, but she always failed.

A memory where a little girl was crying over her father's body that was full of blood, and the place was full of the echo of a devilish laugh, a laugh of a demon, not a human. Dora took a deep breath as she collected her scattered thoughts and said:

"Send the message, and wait for their reply and give it to me."

"You didn't say the message yet," Rigo said without any emotions in his voice or over his face. Dora remembered she didn't say the message she wanted to send, so she hurried to say:

"A lone bird is standing over a branch waiting for his family, but a falcon was what came to him. The bird must escape inside or else fire will burn it all, him and the branch he is standing on."

Rigo and James both looked with stupid faces to her, as she said something strange.

"This is a coded message, just send it now and tell me the response immediately."

Rigo started sending the message, as his looks became attracted to somewhere in the horizon. James moved near Dora as he whispered:

"You know it's not wise to irritate those droids, as they have a short temper and narrow mind."

Dora looked at him strangely, as she didn't expect he would come here to talk to her about that. James then added:

"And I don't know what the coded message you sent meant, but I felt you didn't send a request to warn the rebels fleet from the incoming imperial attack."

Dora left her eye while fixing her gaze over James, who felt awkward, so he added:

"I mean, they are your people too, right? I heard before your mother was there, the queen of rebels, so why don't you send a message to warn her?"

"Are you finished?" Dora said with a serious tone.

"Y…Yes," James felt more awkward, as this bloody princess seemed not to appreciate his gesture to advise her.

"Then thanks, but I don't need some country servant, military deserter like you to come here and tell me some lame advice that I don't need."

She was harsh, and cold like always, but James just shrugged his shoulders and returned to his place again, swearing not to go to help this arrogant bastard ever again.