Chapter 1

The air was permeated with a pungent and repulsive aroma, a fusion of dampness, rust and stale sweat, intertwined in a pungent and pitiless stench. This unpleasant odor clung stubbornly to every corner of the environment, in a desperate attempt to escape this disturbing, gloomy and desolate atmosphere. 

 I find brief relief in a tattered shred of his tattered clothing, whose rough, worn fibers barely offered a glimmer of comfort against the merciless cold that infiltrated mercilessly. The clothing became a fragile shield against the inclement temperature, although it could not prevent the shiver from penetrating to the most hidden corners of his body. 

— Do you think someone will come to our rescue? — someone whispered in the gloom. 

— I... I don't know — 

A choked sob drifted through the air, intertwined with the whispers of wailing and the prayers of children longing to return home. It was a collective wail, a heartbreaking chorus of fractured childhood, that seemed to permeate the worn and chipped walls. 

Each child's tear stood as a living testimony to the betrayal of those who should have watched over them. Gloom hung over the scene, while the dim light from languid spotlights in the hallway barely caressed the exhausted, haggard faces.

A pitiful moan escaped from the lips of a small, curly-haired boy, whose eyes shone with the innocence of childhood, but also with immense sadness.

— I miss my home. I miss my family. — His words, spoken in a broken voice.

— Everyone here misses someone? — whispered another child, his own eyes, reflecting the sadness they all shared.

A rusty door creaked open with a stealthy creak, revealing a green, shadowy glow that bathed the silhouette of two guards as they advanced with deliberate slowness. Their every step echoed ominously amidst the wailing that emerged from the depths, their sharp claws scraping viciously against the bars of the cells as they advanced, each contact producing an ominous metallic crunch. Suddenly, a chilling chorus of fiendish laughter echoed through the air.

— Alert, alert, alert! — 

The deafening roar of alarms echoed through the ship, whispering a chaotic symphony in the ears of the crew and tearing me from my thoughts. The lights, in response to the pandemonium being unleashed, flickered frantically, their intermittent flashes dancing in a constant back-and-forth between fuchsia and orange hues. That sensory dissonance, like a cursed spell, enveloped the crew in a state of unyielding confusion and despair.

— Damn it! What the hell is going on? — he shouted angrily, struggling to stay on his feet as the ship shook under the roar of the alarms.

— We're under attack! A group of assault ships has intercepted us, — Nalor's voice boomed.

The displays on the bridge showed a chaos of red flashes and damaged systems readings. My expression became more tense as I evaluated the available options. I moved toward the control panel, my nimble eyes quickly scanning the flashing indicators. The holographic display showed a bleak sight: a fleet of enemy ships was closing fast.

— We're losing shield power! We need to redistribute power immediately. The Probe-Hacks are trying to get into the system. — Harlox, a Crelorian systems technician with translucent, gelatinous skin, exclaimed in a tone of alarm that echoed through the room.

— We have to make sure they can't access our critical information, — said our engineer, Aizza, as she moved her alien fingers nimbly over the keyboard, — I'm working on encrypting our main systems. — 

— Understood, I will be in charge of restoring the systems and preventing any attempt of blocking.— I added, in response —Brakthar, could you give us more time keeping the Plexus stable. — 

— To that I went, Evadne — Brakthar, a Zyvarian with four agile and muscular arms, firmly gripped two blasters (energy pistol), ready to face any threat.

An unusual roar erupted in the chaos of the control room. All eyes turned to Korg, the most eccentric member of our crew, a rocky-bodied Lithorians, as he fumbled clumsily among the wires, creating chaos behind him, with a wretched brown spreading mercilessly over the panel.

— I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I think I just discovered a new way to stop the alarms from going off! — Korg exclaimed, trying to clean up the mess.

Although the situation was dire, I couldn't help but let out a slight, silent chuckle at Korg's clumsiness. His attempt at humor had accidentally managed to ease the tension in the room, at least for a moment.

— Korg, always finding new ways to solve problems! Perhaps we should consider adding your "magic coffee" technique to the emergency procedures manual,— Brakthar joked, before walking away.

— Coffee has always been my secret ally in times of crisis! — replied Korg, with a nervous smile.

While Korg tried to clean up his little mess, the rest of us concentrated on our task. Nalor, with his tactical expertise, proposed an alternative plan:

— If we managed to redirect the engines' power to maximum takeoff, we could try to get as far away from the danger zone as quickly as possible. Evadne, can you make sure they can't hack into our communication systems? — 

— Sure, I'm fortifying our communication systems right now. — 

While Aizza continued his encryption work, Harlox made sure to maintain shield strength, and Nalor redirected engine power to maximum takeoff, I, amidst the tension that filled the room, successfully managed to prevent the Probe-Hacks from locking down our system. 

This action would allow the ship's weapons to be activated with Brakthar's assistance from the Plexus, and thus we would defend ourselves against the group of ships that were intercepting us. The time we gained would prove essential for the rest of the crew to effect a smooth takeoff.

The laser cannons prepared to fire, and the energy torpedoes were loaded ready for launch. I looked at the control screen on my spacecraft and was met with a graphic image sent by Brakthar.

— The cannons are ready. — Brakthar announced.

— Perfect, start the attack tests, the shields are losing power fast — I answered while I stood up to take the flight control— Aizza, I need you to cover me in the restoration of the damaged systems.

— Aye, aye, Captain,— he said with a military salute.

— You know I don't like it when you call me that, we've had this conversation hundreds of times,— I reproached as I placed my fingers on the control screen and turned to the Brakthar hologram. — Ready for a little fun and jolt?

Aizza interjected with an amused warning— Kong, you better hold on. — 

— Oh, not again,— he sighed resignedly, anticipating the impending jolts that would cause discomfort in his stomach, not very resistant to space jolts.

— Redirecting power! — Nalor exclaimed, typing rapidly on the screen in front of him, — We have 90 seconds to complete the download, Azyrra, secure the seat belt.

In the blink of an eye, a robot emerged on the back of each crew member and secured belts specifically designed to fit their bodies perfectly. However, in Kong's case, an unfortunate slippage of his body occurred due to the sudden shaking of the ship. This violent shaking coincided precisely with the moment when the manual pilot was activated, just as the robot was trying to secure him, resulting in Kong being deprived of the security offered by the belts.

— Kong, make sure you hold on! This could get wilder than we expect,— Brakthar warned from the hologram, his voice taut and firm, as he pointed our ship's cannons at the flotilla of enemy ships looming menacingly in dark space.

The enemy ships were intensifying their attacks, their laser weapons unleashing a hail of deadly flashes, illuminating the starry void with devastating ferocity. Our shields were under extreme pressure, and each impact of their projectiles shook our ship like a space earthquake.

— Brakthar, keep a steady fire on that destroyer on the right, it's about to fire its main cannon,— I instructed Brakthar, as I deftly maneuvered the ship, executing turns and evasions to dodge the enemy's accurate fire.

Brakthar nodded with determination and adjusted his fire, concentrating a hail of deadly laser beams on the destroyer that threatened to inflict critical damage on our ship. The laser cannons flashed with lethal precision, tracing a deadly dance that culminated in a spectacular explosion that completely consumed the enemy ship.

— That destroyer will never know what hit it! — Brakthar exclaimed with a satisfied smile on his face, his gaze glowing with a mixture of pride and adrenaline as we watched the wreckage of the enemy destroyer scatter into infinite space.

— Captain, the shield won't hold much longer! -Harlox shouted as he clung to his workstation.

Nalor worked with determination, his fingers flying over the keyboard as the download progress bar slowly filled. The hum of the engines echoed through the ship as power was redirected.

— Thirty seconds! — Nalor shouted, his eyes fixed on the screen. The time felt like an eternity as the ship continued to be buffeted by a few enemy impacts.

At that critical moment, a flotilla of smaller enemy ships approached, coordinated to surround my ship and weaken its defenses. With my fists clenched over the controls, I quickly assessed my options as the shield failed and energy reserves depleted.

The battle intensified with each passing second. The enemy ships continued to attack with cunning and coordinated tactics. They were approaching in close formation, firing laser beams and energy torpedoes with deadly accuracy. Our defense strategy was a deadly dance in the midst of space chaos. Brakthar and I coordinated our movements with pinpoint accuracy, firing and dodging with a synchronization that seemed almost supernatural. Despite our efforts, the enemy ships kept coming in waves, giving no respite.

— Our information system is encrypted — almost in unison, Nalor also spoke.

— Download completed! — he announced with a touch of hope and relief in his voice- Ready for maximum takeoff.

— Damaged systems are restoring — Aizza mentioned again, her voice trembling slightly as she felt the adrenaline rush through her body.

The news was a ray of hope amidst the chaos. We knew we couldn't stay in this fight forever, and the option of escape presented itself as our best chance of survival. With a determined gesture, I took control of the ship and began the process of maximum takeoff.

The engines roared with impressive power, and the ship responded with dizzying acceleration. I felt the force pressing me against the seat as the ship sped away from the enemy fleet. The deafening roar of explosions faded as we pulled away.

— We made it! — Korg exclaimed, entangled in the wires of the sirens due to the jolts the ship suffered during the battle, and his expression of joy was tinged by the awkward position he was in.

— Let's not celebrate yet, Korg.— Harlox warned, with his focus still on the ship's critical systems and assessing the state of the shields,— We're not out of the woods yet. We need to find a safe place to repair the ship and assess the damage.

The grim reality of our situation still weighed on us, but at least we were alive and on our way to a safe haven. The battle had been fierce, but our determination and teamwork had prevailed once again.

 The battle had been fierce, but our determination and teamwork had prevailed once again.

°The Plexus is the nerve center of the ship. Here, the weapons control room is located, where the ship's personnel handle and operate advanced weapons. In addition, it houses the stabilizing power core, crucial to keep the ship in optimal operation. It also integrates defense systems.