Chapter 07

Tila struggled as she walked, helping Byra stay on her feet while the group was escorted through the corridors of the pirate ship. Byra's blood dripped onto the metallic floor, forming a dark red trail that made Tila's heart race even faster. Despite the chaos, she couldn't ignore the bodies scattered along the way—dozens of dead pirates, grotesquely sprawled, marked by gunshots, knife wounds, and even broken bones bent at impossible angles.

These reptilians were known for their brutality, yet here they were, utterly subdued. Tila knew that few known species possessed the power and skill to face the Drakar on equal terms. Whoever—or whatever—this armored being was, it was something entirely out of the ordinary.

"Ahh…" Byra groaned beside her, her voice heavy with pain.

Tila blinked, focusing back on her friend. Byra's golden fur was pale, matted with blood and sweat. Each step seemed like a monumental effort, and Tila felt a sharp pang in her chest.

"I've got you," Tila whispered, tightening her grip around Byra's arm draped over her shoulder. "You're going to be okay."

Byra let out a weak, short laugh, shaking her head. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?"

"I'll figure something out," Tila murmured, more to herself than to her friend, as she felt Byra's weight leaning heavier against her. Her companion's consciousness was slipping, but Tila knew she had to keep her awake.

Finally, the group was brought to the pirate ship's bridge. Jax led the way, his heavy steps and rigid posture radiating fury. The crew of the Krysalyn was forced to kneel in the center of the room, surrounded by the remaining pirates, who pointed their weapons at them.

Tila lifted her head, scanning the room and trying to process everything. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the figure dominating the space. There he was—the massive, armored being standing before Jax. His combat suit was imposing, even now, scarred with scratches, bullet marks, and the rotten blood of dead Drakar. Every detail of the armor seemed crafted for war, the perfect extension of something built to kill.

Jax stood in front of him, muttering something in his guttural language, his voice thick with frustration. Tila quickly realized the issue: the human clearly couldn't understand what he was saying. Communication between them was impossible.

Jax's eyes glinted with rage as he finally lost patience. Roaring, he raised his makeshift axe and charged at the human. The blow struck the armor with a resounding clang, metal clashing against metal. But the armor held firm.

The human, unmoving like a wall, grabbed the axe's shaft with one hand and, with a swift motion, disarmed Jax. Before the pirate leader could react, the human twisted and delivered a powerful kick to Jax's chest, sending the Drakar stumbling sideways. Jax let out a furious growl, regaining his balance and preparing for another attack.

Suddenly, the human threw a smoke grenade to the floor. The device erupted in a thick cloud of mist, blanketing the bridge and obscuring everyone's vision.

Chaos erupted instantly. Tila knew this was their only chance to escape. Ignoring the fear that froze her legs, she stood up, pulling Byra along with her. "Let's go!" she shouted to the captain and Loran, who also seized the distraction to move.

Tila and the others dashed toward the nearest corridor, the sounds of gunfire and shouting growing fainter behind them. She kept Byra supported on her shoulder, even as the others' hurried steps overtook her. The air was heavy with tension, and the metallic tang of blood seemed to linger everywhere.

"And that… that thing?" Loran asked, panting as he ran beside the captain. It was clear he was talking about the human.

Kador, leading the group, glanced back briefly, his expression grim. "He'll be fine."

Tila wasn't so sure, but she didn't argue. They kept running, the echoes of gunfire and the clang of metal from the bridge ringing in the distance.

---

| CloneMarine 42785/B | -- Location: Pirate Ship

First Human Republic -

The human stood at the center of the bridge, his breathing controlled, but his body constantly in motion as he faced off against two pirates simultaneously, and Jax was lying on the ground near a wall, being tended to by two of his companions. He was unconscious..

Both Drakar were massive and brutal, attempting to immobilize him with sheer force, but he used his agility and training to maintain the upper hand. One of the pirates tried to grab his arm, but the human spun his body, evading the grasp, while the other moved in, attempting to pin him by the waist.

He grabbed the first Drakar by the shoulder and slammed him to the floor with a powerful motion, the dull thud of the heavy body hitting the metal reverberating through the room. With a swift step, he stomped on the downed pirate's arm, applying enough force for the sound of bones breaking to echo across the space. The pirate's scream was short and hoarse.

Meanwhile, the second alien managed to grab him from behind, muscular arms attempting to restrain his armored form. The human grunted, leaning forward and using the strength of his legs to slam the pirate into a wall. The impact was enough to break the hold, and the human turned, shoving the Drakar back with a direct punch to the chest that sent him stumbling.

A third pirate appeared, charging forward with a weapon in hand. He fired at the human, the energy projectiles striking the armor and leaving scorch marks but failing to penetrate the reinforced metal. The human looked at him with calm, almost amused by the visible frustration on the alien's face.

Wasting no time, the CloneMarine sprinted toward the shooter. His speed was astonishing—a blur the Drakar could barely track. Before the pirate could react, the human was already upon him, grabbing his rifle. With brutal precision, he positioned the weapon's barrel under the pirate's chin and fired a short burst. The creature's head exploded into pieces, and the body collapsed to the floor with a thud.

The human turned to the two remaining pirates, clearly intending to finish them off, but Nyxis's voice broke through the silence in his helmet.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, her voice calm but urgent. "But you need to leave this ship immediately. The four crew members have already evacuated… and on the drive you installed, I didn't just upload a virus to disable the FTL blocker. I also planted a self-destruct virus."

The human paused for a moment, his posture stiff as he processed her words. "And you're telling me this now?" he asked, incredulous but not entirely surprised.

He shoved one of the remaining Drakar with a heavy blow, sending the alien sprawling backward. When the second tried to retaliate, he quickly ducked, dodging the attack, and then brought him down with a kick to the knee that collapsed with a crack. The pirate screamed, but the human didn't waste any time. He bolted toward the exit, the clock ticking down.

"Nice work," Nyxis said as he sprinted through the ship's corridors, lights flashing in warning and sirens blaring.

"Don't thank me," the human replied, his voice firm but laced with sarcasm. "I didn't do this to save your asses. I did this to save myself. They'd have tried to kill me too if they found me."

He rounded a sharp corner, firing at a control panel to lock a door behind him, blocking any reinforcements from pursuing. He kept speaking as he ran, his footsteps echoing through the corridor.

"Don't get me wrong," he said, almost casually, "I'm grateful you found me and saved my life. But I don't know any of you. And you promised to get me home, remember?"

"Indeed," Nyxis replied, her voice almost understanding. "Your reasoning is logical. But from this day forward, this crew—and I—owe you a debt."

The human let out a low chuckle as he weaved through another narrow passageway. "Has anyone ever told you you're really sentimental for an AI?"

"I've been called many things," Nyxis responded, her tone slightly teasing.

---

The decoupling process was successfully completed. The Krysalyn quickly pulled away from the pirate ship, the sound of the sublight engines filling the air as the cables that had once connected the two vessels fully detached. The strange alien, still clad in his bloodied armor, was back on board, moving with the same controlled weight as before, as if the battle had been just another routine task.

On the bridge, Kador was checking the systems, his eyes fixed on the monitors. He activated the ship's communicator and called for the A.I.:

"Nyxis, how long until the FTL drive is operational again?"

Her voice responded almost immediately, smooth but with her usual precision. "The FTL drive is operational, but we'll need to refuel at the gas giant in this system before we can make the jump."

"Damn," Kador muttered, as if he had completely forgotten that detail amidst the chaos. He took a deep breath, adjusting the ship's position on the controls. "Alright. I'll set the ship into orbit. Prepare the refueling cables."

"Understood," Nyxis replied.

Kador adjusted the course, the engines responding as the ship began to maneuver toward the gas giant. While doing so, he activated the communicator again and called for Loran, who was in another part of the ship.

"Loran, how's Byra?"

There was a brief pause before Loran replied, his voice tired and full of tension. "She's lost a lot of blood, Captain. I'm no medic, and my first aid training is basic at best, but I'm doing everything I can. I've managed to stabilize her for now, but she needs real medical attention."

Kador ran a hand over his scaly forehead, feeling the weight of the situation. He called for the A.I. again:

"Nyxis, preprogram a jump to the nearest Federation world with medical facilities."

"I'm setting the coordinates now," she responded.

As the systems calculated the next destination, a massive explosion lit up the ship's sensors. Kador's eyes darted to the main screen, where an enormous fireball now occupied the space where the pirate ship had been moments before. He blinked, momentarily confused, before asking:

"What was that?"

Nyxis responded calmly, though there was a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "I installed a virus in the pirate ship's systems. It overloaded their engine, causing an explosion."

Kador chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair. "And they called those pirates monsters. You're the real monster here."

"I wouldn't have done it alone," Nyxis replied without hesitation, making her implication clear.

Before Kador could respond, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the corridors, heading toward the bridge. The rhythm was unmistakable—firm and controlled—and he knew exactly who was coming. He straightened up in his chair, his eyes still focused on the monitors as he waited for the strange alien to arrive.

Then his gaze shifted to the corner of the bridge, where Tila sat silently. She looked small and fragile, completely lost in thought. Byra's blood still stained her fur and clothes, a cruel reminder of what had transpired.

Her eyes were empty, fixed on some distant point as if her mind was thousands of miles away. Kador watched her for a moment, his expression softening. He knew the battle had been hard on everyone, but for her, seeing her friend in such a state had clearly left deep scars.

---

Tila was lost in her own thoughts, the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on her mind like an overwhelming storm. Her vision was unfocused, her eyes fixed on the bridge's floor without really seeing it. The background noise—the distant hum of the ship's systems, the drone of the engines—was muffled by memories flooding her mind.

Three years ago, everything had been different. She remembered how her life had changed so abruptly. Her homeworld, a small colony planet of her species, had been peaceful and largely forgotten by most of the Federation. They had no sprawling cities or advanced technology, just communities living in harmony, with families supporting one another.

But that peace was shattered when the planet was attacked by a dissident group from the Federation—mercenaries seeking to use the territory as leverage in their shadowy dealings. They arrived in massive warships, spreading destruction through the skies and across the ground. Tila remembered the sounds—explosions, screams, the roar of war engines. She remembered running desperately through the streets as her home was reduced to ashes. Her family... all of them... killed in the attack.

She survived, but at a great cost. Everything she had known was gone. For months, Tila wandered as a refugee, driven only by the need to survive. It was during this time that she met Byra. Byra, too, was a refugee, someone who had lost everything in a distant conflict but who still carried a spark of determination in her eyes. The two of them crossed paths on one of the refugee planets, both homeless, both without a clear direction.

Byra was searching for work, and the two of them eventually heard rumors of a merchant in need of crew members for his ship. Fate brought them to Captain Kador's homeworld—a hot, arid planet that was a stark contrast to the lush forests Tila once called home. Despite the differences, they found purpose there, together. Tila remembered the day she first stepped onto the Krysalyn, unsure of herself, but with Byra by her side, courage seemed easier to find.

Now, Byra was injured, teetering on the brink of death, and Tila felt as though that nightmare was repeating itself.

"Byra..." she murmured softly, her voice trembling.

"Tila."

The captain's voice pulled her from her trance. She slowly lifted her gaze, meeting Kador's steady and reassuring eyes.

"You need to be strong," he said, his voice low but weighted with meaning. "Byra's going to be fine. She's strong. We all care about her."

There was something in the captain's words that made Tila swallow hard. She knew he was trying to keep everyone together, trying to offer a spark of hope, even if the situation was grim.

Kador's eyes shifted, and Tila followed his gaze, turning toward the entrance to the bridge. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw who was standing there.

The strange alien.

He stood there, his imposing presence filling the space, his impressive armor now even more marked by recent battles. Slowly, he stepped onto the bridge, the sound of his heavy footsteps making the metallic floor vibrate. Without a word, he stopped and raised his hands, removing the helmet of his armor.

As the helmet came off, Tila saw his face for the first time. His features were strong, almost severe, but there was something in his eyes that wasn't just brutality. Something that made her feel uneasy, yet also... grateful. He had saved them, and that much was undeniable.

The human looked at them for a few moments, his eyes moving from Tila to the captain, as if assessing the situation. Then he said something, his voice deep and guttural, the words incomprehensible to Tila.

"I'll translate," said the A.I., breaking the silence. "He's thanking you for saving his life."

Tila looked at the being, the words slowly sinking into her mind as she processed what was being said.

"He also said," Nyxis continued, "that he's sorry about your friend. He hopes she recovers."

Tila couldn't find any words. She just stood there, staring at the strange being who, against all odds, had become an unlikely savior.