Chapter Three: Trouble Finds a Way

Axel sat in the mess hall of the Renegade Dawn, chewing on something that might have once been meat but now resembled a tasteless rubber brick. The ship's interior rattled slightly with every jump, but the adrenaline from the earlier drone attack had worn off, leaving him restless. Across from him, the captain, whose name he'd learned was Riley, sat hunched over a datapad, scanning the latest ship diagnostics.

"So," Axel said between bites, "what's our next move? More death traps, or are we taking a break from nearly dying?"

Riley didn't look up. "We're headed for Helios Station. We've still got cargo to drop off. Paying customers tend to get cranky when you're late. Also, you'll be able to find someone there who might know more about… whatever mess you're trying to get into."

"Helios Station," Axel repeated. "That's not exactly a tourist spot, is it?"

Riley snorted. "Tourist spot? You're lucky if it's still standing. But it's got what you need—information, gear, people you can pay off to look the other way. It's the Wild West of the galaxy, if the Wild West were crawling with smugglers, thieves, and the occasional homicidal bounty hunter."

"Sounds… cozy," Axel said, setting down his fork. "I'm assuming they won't be rolling out a welcome mat."

Riley finally glanced up from her datapad. "Helios Station has two rules: don't steal what you can't defend, and don't shoot unless you're sure no one's going to shoot back. Simple enough."

Axel scratched his head. "Comforting."

"Look, kid," Riley leaned back in her chair, her cybernetic arm whirring softly as she folded her hands behind her head. "I don't care what vendetta you're chasing, but you need to realize something. Out here? You're nobody. Earth might've been your playground, but out here, the game's bigger. And people play for keeps."

"I'm not worried about the game," Axel replied. "I just need the players."

Riley shook her head, smirking. "That's your problem. You should be worried."

The conversation stalled as the mess hall door slid open with a hiss, and a gangly figure entered—Victor, the ship's engineer, who had a permanent layer of grime on him and smelled faintly of burnt circuits. He plopped down next to Axel, cradling a steaming cup of what Axel could only hope wasn't recycled engine coolant.

"You break anything important?" Riley asked without looking at him.

"Just my pride," Victor sighed dramatically. "Nearly got fried trying to reroute the power from that little 'incident' earlier. Don't worry, though—I slapped some duct tape on it."

"Slapped duct tape on what?" Riley's eyes narrowed.

"Relax, Captain," Victor said, waving his hand dismissively. "The critical systems are still intact. I just… you know, improvised. We've got at least a fifty-fifty chance of not exploding during the next jump."

Axel blinked. "Wait—fifty what?"

Victor grinned. "Relax, newbie. I've got a great track record with this ship. She hasn't exploded on me once. Yet."

"Yet?" Axel muttered, suddenly wishing he hadn't finished his dinner.

Riley's comm device beeped before she could comment, and she glanced down at the flashing screen. Her expression darkened.

"We've got company," she said, rising from her chair. "Someone's following us."

Victor choked on his drink. "You're kidding."

Riley shook her head, motioning for Axel to follow her to the cockpit. "Sensors are picking up a small ship on our tail, and it's gaining fast."

Axel's heart pounded in his chest as they made their way to the cockpit, the familiar low hum of the engines filling the air. When they arrived, the screens confirmed Riley's words. A small, agile ship was rapidly closing in, moving with far more precision than a repurposed drone.

"What do we do?" Axel asked, staring at the display.

Riley's jaw tightened. "Hope they're not looking for trouble. But let's be honest—they're probably looking for trouble."

"Great," Axel muttered, his eyes glued to the approaching blip. "Just what I needed. More life-threatening situations."

As the ship drew closer, a crackling sound filled the cockpit—the unmistakable sound of an incoming transmission.

"Renegade Dawn," a gravelly voice barked over the comm. "Cut your engines and prepare to be boarded."

Riley rolled her eyes, hitting the mute button. "Oh, here we go. Let me guess, they're pirates."

Axel's stomach twisted. "Pirates? We're in the middle of deep space, why would—"

"Because deep space is exactly where pirates hang out, genius," Riley interrupted. She unmuted the comm and spoke into the mic. "And if we don't cut our engines?"

There was a brief pause, and the gravelly voice returned, sounding even more amused. "Then we blow you out of the sky. Your choice."

Axel clenched his fists. "Okay, yeah, definitely pirates."

Riley cut the transmission again and turned to Axel with a deadpan expression. "You ever heard of 'don't poke the bear'? Yeah, we're the bear. But unfortunately for them, we've got claws."

Victor sauntered into the cockpit, looking far too relaxed for someone facing imminent death. "I vote we don't get blown up. Anybody else?"

Axel stared at him. "How are you this calm?"

Victor shrugged. "Eh, first time's always the worst. After that, it's like falling off a bike. Over and over again."

"Are we… are we still talking about pirate attacks?" Axel asked, his brain struggling to keep up.

Before anyone could respond, the ship rocked violently as a blast from the pursuing vessel struck their shields. The entire Renegade Dawn groaned in protest, and Axel was thrown sideways into the wall.

"Okay, I'm voting for the 'don't die' plan now," he coughed, pulling himself up.

Riley's hands flew over the controls. "Alright, boys, hold on. We're not outgunned, but we're definitely outrun."

"You got a trick up your sleeve?" Axel asked, gripping the nearest chair as the ship rattled again.

Riley shot him a wicked grin. "Kid, you have no idea."

The next few minutes were a blur of chaos. Riley fired up the engines to full throttle, the ship roaring as it hurtled through space. The pursuing pirate ship let off another round of blasts, but the Renegade Dawn weaved and bobbed through the stars with surprising agility for something that looked held together by spit and duct tape.

"Can't shake them," Victor muttered, staring at the screen. "They're too fast."

"Then we don't shake them," Riley growled. "We make them wish they hadn't found us."

She reached for a switch Axel hadn't noticed before, flicking it with a sharp snap. Immediately, the ship's power surged, and a low hum echoed through the hull.

"What's that?" Axel asked.

Riley didn't answer, her focus on the controls. The pirate ship was nearly on them now, the crackling of energy weapons growing louder.

Victor grinned, clapping Axel on the shoulder. "That, my friend, is a surprise."

Axel was about to ask for more details when the Renegade Dawn shuddered violently, and a pulse of energy exploded from the rear of the ship. For a moment, everything went silent—no alarms, no hum of the engines, just pure stillness.

Then the pirate ship behind them erupted into a burst of light.

Axel blinked in disbelief. "What just—"

"They were close enough to our EMP pulse," Riley explained, cutting the engines and leaning back in her seat. "We fried their systems. They're dead in the water."

Victor let out a low whistle. "Nice hit, Captain."

Axel stared at the viewscreen, watching as the now-disabled pirate ship drifted helplessly in the void. His heart was still pounding in his chest, but a slow smile spread across his face.

"Not bad," he muttered. "Not bad at all."

Riley shot him a sideways glance. "Told you we had claws."

Victor, lounging in his seat like nothing had happened, chuckled. "Welcome to space, Axel. Always a good time."

As the adrenaline slowly drained from his system, Axel realized something: this was only the beginning. If that was how pirates operated, he could only imagine what would come next on his search for the truth about his father.

"Helios Station better be worth it," Axel muttered, his grin fading as he stared out at the endless void of space.

Because if it wasn't, he might not survive the next attack.