Chapter 05

The sharp sound of scraping metal echoed through the structure of the Krysalyn as the grappling hook latched onto the side of the ship. Despite Kador's orders to flee at sublight speed, the pirates had been too fast. The reinforced steel hook, connected to thick metal cables, clamped onto the merchant ship with an impact that made the entire structure shudder. Escape was no longer an option.

The pirate ship was larger and more robust, with a menacing appearance. Its hull was covered in patched metal plates, adorned with battle scars, deep scratches, and tribal symbols painted in shades of red. It seemed designed not only for combat but also to strike fear into its targets.

On the pirate ship's side, a flexible metal tube began to extend. It looked grotesque, like a living appendage, advancing toward the Krysalyn. Inside the tube, hydraulic cables shifted as it adjusted itself automatically, connecting with precision to the side entry of the merchant ship. A dry sealing sound echoed, and the two ships were officially linked.

On the other side of the door, the air was tense. Kador and his crew had locked themselves on the bridge, the ship's lights still flashing red in alarm. On the main screen, they could see the interior of the pirate ship thanks to external cameras: massive, muscular figures began advancing through the connection tube.

The invaders were reptilian and ferocious in appearance, clearly built to intimidate. They resembled bipedal crocodiles, with thick, scaly skin that ranged in color from olive green to dark brown. Towering at around two meters tall, they moved with confidence and brutality. Their yellow eyes, with vertical pupils, gleamed under the ship's lights, and their sharp, uneven teeth were exposed even when their mouths were closed.

The connection tube opened, and the first pirates stepped into the ship. The sound of their heavy boots striking the Krysalyn's metal floor was like a drum announcing the invasion. They carried crude but lethal weapons: improvised energy rifles, massive knives, and even reinforced clubs.

Among them, one figure stood out — the pirate leader. He was even more imposing than the others, his skin darker, almost black, and covered in scars that told stories of past battles. He wore armor made from recycled metal scraps, adorned with fangs and bones, likely trophies from his victims.

The most unsettling thing was what he carried in one hand: a piece of meat. It was large, bloody, and unidentifiable, but he ate it with delight, tearing chunks off with his sharp teeth as he walked through the ship. His steps were slow and deliberate, his claws lightly scraping against the metal floor with every movement.

"You two," he growled, pointing at two of his subordinates with a chunk of meat still stuck between his teeth. "Head to the cargo bay. I want to know what they've got stored."

The two reptilians nodded and quickly moved down the corridors, their weapons at the ready.

"The rest of you," he continued, chewing noisily, "with me."

He began walking down the main corridor of the Krysalyn, surveying the interior with a predatory gaze. His eyes scanned the halls, the doors, every detail of the ship. He knew he was looking at a lucrative opportunity.

"Not a bad ship," he murmured to himself, spitting a piece of bone onto the floor as he took another bite of the meat. "This'll fetch me a good price on the black market..."

As he advanced, he reached the door blocking access to the bridge. The security door was shut tight, protecting the crew behind it. He paused for a moment, staring at the security camera mounted above. His scaly lips curled into a cruel smile as he looked directly into the lens.

"I know you're in there," he said, his deep voice dripping with sarcasm. "Why don't you open this door? I promise I'll be generous. I'll let you live. Maybe."

He let out a low laugh, almost a growl, as he ran his tongue over his bloodstained teeth. "You've got... five seconds."

---

The tension on the bridge was almost unbearable, like the heavy air before a storm. Tila, her ears flattened and heart racing, drew her small pistol from its holster. The sharp sound of the device powering up echoed through the room. She held the weapon firmly, but the slight tremor in her hands betrayed the nervousness behind her determined facade.

Byra glanced at Tila, her expression mirroring the same unease. Without a word, she followed suit, drawing her own pistol. She let out a short, nervous laugh, attempting to lighten the mood. "Things are way too out of the ordinary for this ship today," she said, though the joke wasn't meant to be funny.

Kador, on the other hand, remained calm. He didn't respond to the pirate's threat on the other side of the door. Instead, he turned to Nyxis, his deep voice steady and commanding: "If the crew is killed, you know what to do. Destroy the ship."

"Understood," Nyxis replied without hesitation, her voice colder than usual.

Before anyone could react, there was the sound of pressure releasing and a prolonged hiss. The security door, meant to be the last line of defense, slid open. Everything happened too quickly. A barrage of smoke grenades was launched into the bridge, exploding and filling the space with a thick gray haze.

Tila panicked, her vision obscured by the smoke. She heard the heavy footsteps of the invaders before she could see them. Desperately, she fired her pistol in the direction of the sound. The pained growl of one of the pirates confirmed she'd hit her target, but the sense of victory lasted only a moment.

There were too many of them.

The massive silhouettes of the pirates emerged through the smoke, advancing like predators. Before Tila could fire again, a huge scaly hand grabbed her arm with crushing strength. She struggled, but his grip was overpowering. The pirate lifted her off the ground as if she weighed nothing. He roared at her, his jaw full of sharp teeth wide open. The sound was so loud and deafening that it left a constant ringing in her ears.

She screamed, dropping her weapon, unable to withstand the crushing hold. The pirate effortlessly hurled her into the center of the bridge, where she landed beside Byra, Loran, and Kador, who had also been subdued.

The smoke began to clear slowly, revealing the pirates now dominating the bridge. Their presence was overwhelming, every movement a declaration of raw power. And at the center of it all, walking in slowly and deliberately, was Jax, the leader.

He was still chewing the bloody piece of meat he held, tearing off another chunk with his teeth as he surveyed the defeated crew before him. He spat a piece of bone onto the metallic floor and wiped his snout with the back of his hand.

"Since I'm a generous soul…" he began, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "I'm going to assume you just didn't hear my warning about opening the damn door."

He roared, the sound reverberating through the bridge, making even the bravest crew members flinch. Tila felt her fur stand on end as the pirate leader paced slowly across the bridge, observing each of them with his predatory yellow eyes.

"Now," Jax said, stopping in the middle of the room. He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as he looked directly at the group. "Which one of you is the captain?"

Kador, kneeling like the others, slowly rose to his feet. Though he was small compared to Jax, he maintained a firm posture and steady gaze.

Jax approached him, the sound of his claws scraping against the metallic floor accompanying each step. He stopped just inches away from Kador, lowering his snout until they were almost face-to-face. The stench of raw meat lingered in his breath.

"Pleasure to meet you," Jax said with a malicious smile. "You can call me Jax… and what's your name?"

"Kador," the captain replied, not breaking eye contact. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Let my crew evacuate the ship. I'll help you pilot it out of this sector. No resistance."

Jax tilted his head, pretending to consider the offer. A slow smile spread across his toothy face. "It's a good proposal," he said sarcastically before letting out a short laugh. "But what fun would that be… if you didn't resist a little?"

He stepped back a few paces, looking over the kneeling crew, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. "Besides," he continued, baring his teeth in a predatory grin, "you all look like a better appetizer than just the fish you've got in that hangar."

As he spoke, Tila noticed the gaze of one of the pirates. It was the same one she had shot earlier. The wound on his shoulder was still bleeding, but it seemed to have only enraged him further. He stared at her with eyes burning with hatred, saliva dripping from his jaws as he gave her a cruel, hungry smile.

Tila felt a shiver run down her spine, her heart pounding faster. She knew, in that moment, that they were at the mercy of monsters.

| CloneMarine 42785/B | -- Location: Unknow

First Human Republic -

The CloneMarine crouched beside his pod, eyes fixed on the panels as he adjusted the small controls. Although he didn't feel fear—something he had been conditioned never to experience—there was a growing unease within him, a sensation he could only describe as distress. Each second seemed to drag on, and the uncertainty of what was happening wasn't helping.

The silence was broken by Nyxis's voice.

"Human," the AI called, her voice softly echoing through the room.

He looked up, squinting. "Finally decided to show up," he replied sarcastically. "What was that shaking I felt a few minutes ago?"

Nyxis didn't hesitate. "Pirates have boarded the ship. They're about to steal the Krysalyn and take the crew as… appetizers."

He remained silent for a few seconds, blinking slowly as he processed the information. But there was no shock or surprise on his face. He sighed, shaking his head with a faintly ironic smile. "Well, looks like crazies exist everywhere." He raised his gaze, staring at the ceiling as if it were the AI's face. "And why are you telling me this?"

"I have a proposal," Nyxis said. "You're a soldier. Based on my analysis of your stature and mobility, I believe you'd be capable of infiltrating the invading ship and installing a virus in their systems. This would allow me to disable their FTL blocker and regain control of the situation."

A small screen lit up in the corner of the room, and beside it, a tiny flash drive materialized from an embedded compartment. He stood, walked to the screen, and picked up the device between two fingers, inspecting it closely.

"If you do this," Nyxis continued, "I promise I'll do everything in my power to help you return home."

He stayed silent for a moment, the flash drive still in his fingers. Finally, he let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "For an AI, you're quite sentimental, aren't you?"

He walked back to his pod, his footsteps echoing on the metallic floor. Nyxis immediately interjected: "What are you doing?"

He turned his head slightly as he began fiddling with a side panel. "I can't fight hostile aliens without my combat armor." He smirked, clearly amused by the situation. "Don't tell me you didn't realize my armor was also inside the pod?"

"That explains why I couldn't fully scan the pod," Nyxis replied, her tone almost irritated. "Its technology is far too advanced for my scanners."

Before the AI could continue, the human interrupted, opening a hidden compartment at the base of the pod. From within, he pulled out a large rectangular case, nearly the size of his own body. He placed it on the floor and opened it with a firm motion, revealing his combat armor.

"Now," he said, adjusting the mechanism, "what do these invaders look like?"

"The species is called Drakar," Nyxis replied. "They're reptilian, they stand about two meters tall, have extremely tough scaly skin, and exhibit aggressive and territorial behavior. They aren't part of the Federation because they're considered too barbaric for any form of civilized alliance."

He smirked slightly as he activated a command on the case, causing the armor to react. "There are many definitions of barbaric," he said, "but I think threatening to eat people is enough to convince me."

The rectangular case began to emit faint mechanical sounds and hums as pieces of the armor floated out, aligning themselves around the human with precision. The shiny metal moved like a second skin, attaching itself to his body with surgical accuracy. First, the plates covered his torso and limbs, forming a sleek yet durable carapace. Then, the internal systems powered up, blue lights flickering across the panels and mechanisms.

Additional pieces slid over his shoulders and legs, sealing every part of his body. Even his hands were encased in armored gloves that fit perfectly. Finally, a thin, transparent layer slid over the eye opening, creating a tactical visor. The design was unmistakably built for war: robust, functional, and capable of handling any environment, including the vacuum of space.

He picked up the helmet resting on the side of the case and placed it over his head. With a satisfying click, it locked into place, activating an internal interface. The visor lit up with projected data, displaying his physical integrity, armor status, and a basic map of his surroundings.

He took one last deep breath before reaching into the case again and retrieving a massive rifle. The weapon was intimidating, with a rugged and lethal design, complete with an underbarrel launcher. He inspected it briefly before strapping a large, sharp dagger to his hip.

Adjusting his helmet one final time, he muttered to himself, "Let's have some fun."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the room slid open with a soft hiss.