Escape Through the Asteroid Field

Paula and Jaxon Rhylis watched as the last garrisons of Captain Opal and Rivers' fleet retreated hastily, leaving a trail of despair behind them. The pirate ships were approaching rapidly, their menacing shapes silhouetted against the darkness of space.

— We need to get to my ship, now! shouted Jaxon, turning to Paula with palpable urgency in his voice.

— Alright, let's go, replied Paula, determined. They rushed towards a side door of the dome, weaving their way through the dark and winding corridors.

Their sprint led them to a small launch bay where Jaxon's ship, a light and agile fighter, was waiting. Its engines were already warming up thanks to Nate, emitting a bluish glow.

— Get in, I'm prepping for takeoff, said Jaxon as he unlocked the cockpit hatch. Paula climbed inside, taking the co-pilot's seat.

Jaxon settled into the controls, his fingers flying over the dashboard with almost supernatural precision. The engines roared in response, sending deep vibrations through the ship's structure. In a cloud of silvery dust, they gently lifted off, leaving the lunar surface behind. The craters and rocky mountains below shrank rapidly as the infinite space welcomed them.

— Brace yourself, it's going to be bumpy, warned Jaxon, his eyes fixed on the detectors flashing with alarming signals.

No sooner had they left the launch bay than the pirate ships burst into view, their threatening silhouettes cutting against the starry backdrop. Bursts of green energy immediately erupted, tracing luminous lines through the void and illuminating Jaxon's ship with intermittent flashes.

— They've spotted us! cried Paula, her fingers clenching the armrests of her seat. Her heart pounded, each beat echoing in her temples.

Jaxon maneuvered with incredible skill, zigzagging the ship between enemy fire. Every move was precise, every decision swift and calculated. The sharp maneuvers made the ship's structure groan, but it held firm.

— Activate the countermeasures! Release the decoys! ordered Jaxon, his gaze still fixed on the control screens.

Paula activated the countermeasures, releasing a series of luminous decoys that burst around them in a dazzling dance. The decoys created false targets, disrupting the pirates' targeting systems and sowing confusion among them.

— That should keep them busy for a few seconds, she murmured, trying to contain her anxiety.

Jaxon pushed the engines to full power, and the ship leapt forward, accelerating at a dizzying speed. The pirates, disoriented by the decoys, readjusted their fire, but Jaxon gave them no time. He dived sharply toward a lunar ridge, using the rugged terrain to mask their trajectory. The lunar mountains and valleys flashed past them, creating a ballet of light and shadow.

The enemy fighters quickly regrouped, but Jaxon was already altering their course, forcing them to constantly adjust their attack angles. Space was a three-dimensional battlefield, every movement counting double.

— We can't shake them for long, murmured Paula, watching the blinking detectors with concern. They're catching up.

— I know, replied Jaxon, his voice calm despite the palpable tension. Get ready to use the rear cannons.

Paula activated the weapon systems, her fingers dancing over the controls with expert dexterity. The rear cannons lit up, ready to fire. The first pirates were within firing range. Paula opened fire, a burst of luminous projectiles shooting from the rear cannons and striking one of the enemy fighters. The ensuing explosion rocked the space behind them, disintegrating the pirate ship into a shower of metallic sparks.

— Got one! Keep it up! encouraged Jaxon, gritting his teeth as he performed a series of evasive maneuvers, dodging enemy fire with almost acrobatic precision.

Paula targeted another fighter, her shots hitting the wings of the enemy ship, sending it spinning out of control. One by one, the pirate fighters fell under their fierce counterattack, but the enemy kept closing in, determined to take down their ship.

One of the enemy shots grazed the side of the ship, shaking the cabin violently. Sparks flew from the control panels.

— They're pressing us harder, said Paula, scanning the detectors with restrained frenzy. We need to change strategy.

Jaxon quickly analyzed the situation, his fingers flying over the controls with calculated precision.

— We're heading for the asteroid field. Hang on.

He dived toward a nearby asteroid field, hoping the massive space rocks would offer cover against the pirate fighters. Paula responded by adjusting the countermeasures, releasing another volley of decoys to confuse their pursuers. The decoys sparkled like will-o'-the-wisps, drawing enemy fire away from their true target.

The ship plunged into the asteroid field, skillfully weaving between the massive rocks. The asteroids slowly rotated in the void, some large enough to crush a ship instantly. The pirate fighters hesitated for a moment before following them into the spatial chaos. Shots were fired, but Jaxon's ship dodged each projectile with sharp, precise movements, using the dense asteroids to deflect the attackers.

Paula fired again, hitting a pirate fighter that had gotten too close. The enemy ship exploded in a cloud of flames and metal debris, crashing into a nearby asteroid.

Gradually, Jaxon and Paula gained distance from the enemy flotilla. Jaxon found an opening in the asteroid field and accelerated sharply, emerging into a clear space. Paula readjusted the countermeasures, releasing a final wave of decoys to distract the remaining pirates.

The enemy fighters, disoriented and slowed by the obstacles in the asteroid field, couldn't catch up. Jaxon's ship slipped through the darkness, disappearing into the vastness of space.

— We're safe, for now, declared Jaxon, breathless but relieved.

Paula nodded, a slight smile on her lips.

— Well done, captain, she said, the adrenaline slowly subsiding as they moved away from the danger zone, leaving the remnants of the battle behind.

Space, with its twinkling stars and omnipresent silence, became peaceful once more, at least for a while.

---

Pier Benir had listened to the report attentively.

— This is a disaster, Pier sighed.

Opal looked at her hands clenched on the table.

— We had to retreat. However, as we were leaving, we saw the pirates chasing a ship that had escaped them. The ship's registration belongs to Jaxon Rhylis.

Pier Benir furiously twirled his mustache. With his other hand, he nervously scratched his hip, where his prosthesis itched.

— So Jaxon is alive, but I'm very surprised to see him on this mission without contacting us. If he managed to escape the fleet, I imagine he must have repaired his ship over the past few months.

— He might have been seriously injured, replied Rivers.

Pier nodded but wasn't convinced. He stood up from his chair, his eyes piercing the emptiness in front of him. The dim light of the command post only accentuated the deep wrinkles on his forehead.

— Possible. We mainly need to understand why he was in that area. And Paula? Do we have any news about her?

Opal shook her head, a shadow of sadness in her eyes.

— No, nothing since the last transmission. We only know that Paula's ship exploded, but we didn't see any escape pod.

Pier Benir frowned, his fingers tapping nervously on the table.

— If her ship was destroyed, there's a chance she managed to eject. Paula is a survival expert; she would have done everything possible to make it out alive.

Rivers, arms crossed, looked at Pier with a glimmer of hope.

— Jaxon knows what really happened near the dome. If he escaped the pirates, he could be our best chance to find Paula.

— Absolutely, Pier declared. We must act quickly. Paula could be injured or in danger, and we need Arkm to find her. We'll focus all our efforts on locating him.