intergalactic pirate

In Somewhere in the Universe

"Captain, I don't think we're going to make it." Adam said, crouching down and gripping the helm of the space pirate ship.

The captain, now steering the ship, looked directly at the young man crouched beside him and cursed himself. He couldn't believe how he ended up in this damn situation he had been living for forty-four years. Amidst all the turbulence, he vividly recalled one of the moments that led him here, being hunted by the imperial order.

Jonathan Bakker IV, yes, that was his name. He was the fourth son of the late Emperor Nero Bakker. Despite being the son of one of the great emperors who ruled over multiple planets and civilizations, he barely touched upon those titles in his life. Just months after his birth, a war broke out. The Bakker Empire was at war with the Lykaios Empire, a race of humanoid wolves. The wars between empires were extremely lethal with both sides possessing advanced technology. In just a few months, the Bakker Empire fell along with its millennia-old dynasty. His father was personally killed by the enemy emperor. His brothers were tortured and killed shortly after their father. His sisters? Raped and murdered as well. Jonathan and his third cousin, Adam, were the only survivors of this entire mess. They were sent in a capsule towards a planet owned by the family—a place specifically designed as a refuge. Jonathan and his cousin were received by his father's servants and raised in utmost secrecy, which didn't last long once Jonathan reached the age of eighteen. Despite being raised to reignite the Bekker Empire and seek revenge for his slain family, what others didn't know... was that it didn't matter to him. He hardly knew his father or his brothers and sisters. The only person he could call family was Adam, and he didn't even hold much affection for him. They were vastly different, and Jonathan despised Adam for his cowardice while simultaneously seeking revenge for their deceased family—a family he barely knew.

However, despite his resentment towards Adam, he was essential to their escape plan from the prison the servants had created around him. So, he convinced his cousin to help him flee, persuading him that escaping this place was the best choice to rebuild the empire and avenge their murdered family. Adam, being a fool, believed him...

Soon, they became galactic pirates. Jonathan decided he would be the freest being in the universe. And of course, he manipulated his cousin, promising that accumulating enough wealth would make vengeance easier.

And now, here they were, fleeing from one of the largest existing empires—the Celestial Empire. They controlled numerous other empires as their puppets. The reason they were being pursued? Simple. They had stolen the Celestials' most precious item.

Jonathan, caught up in the adrenaline rush, looked down at the pocket of his pants where he took out a square, blue item. It was extremely shiny, like a cube. Nothing had happened when he stole this item; he felt no difference.

"JONATHAN, LOOK AHEAD!" Adam shouted, still crouched in a fetal position, resembling a frightened turtle.

In front of the pirate ship, a fleet of celestial ships had formed within seconds. Yes, they had planned this for a long time. Jonathan hadn't noticed, hadn't thought of this possibility. Well, it was too late to regret anything now.

Jonathan tightened his grip on the blue cube in his hand and looked at his crouched cousin beside him. He knew that his desire for freedom would eventually lead to his imminent death. He had made many enemies and was ready to die since he chose this life. But as he looked at the situation he found himself in now, he tasted the bitter flavor of blood in his mouth. The fear of death, yes. That's what it was.

"What does it mean to be truly free?" Jonathan said to himself as the ships approached, getting closer and closer. Soon, they would collide at high speed. The velocity was such that he knew it would lead to his death. It was like a car crashing into a wall at full speed. The wreckage would be evident from all sides. However, the celestial ship would emerge unscathed from this situation, fully equipped with the latest technology in the universe. Jonathan? He was on a classic pirate ship that the human ancestors used in their adventures on the planet called Earth's seas.

"If I could start again, I would find the answers I so desire."

At that moment the blue cube in his hand glowed more than usual.

*DING*

"THE HOST HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, INITIATING DEATH PROCESS."

Jonathan who was lost in his thoughts, suddenly turned his attention to the voice that emerged from inside his head.

"What? Death?"

Everything happened in a matter of seconds. Jonathan felt a sharp pain in his chest. And all he saw was his vision darkening and his body falling backward. The sensation of being dead lasted only a short while. Another feeling invaded his mind at that moment. He felt like he was in a river, being carried away by a strong current. It was all confusing; he didn't feel like he had a body. In fact, he felt nothing of himself—just emptiness and the sensation of being carried away by a river. He was being taken somewhere.

"THE HOST'S SOUL HAS BEEN DETECTED BY THE WORLD. WARNING, WARNING. ONCE THE HOST LANDS, HE WILL BE HUNTED BY THE CELESTIAL WILL OF THIS WORLD."

At that exact moment, the darkness ceased to exist, and a strong light entered Jonathan's perception. It felt like an eternity to him, but it finally seemed to be over. The intense light diminished, allowing him to perceive the world around him.

And it was extremely painful, quite literally. When he managed to focus on the first thing in front of him, he received a punch directly to his face. It was so unexpected that he didn't even have time to dodge.

"Take that!" a boy's voice followed the punch.

The impact of the punch was so strong that Jonathan felt the world almost spinning. He went from an agonizing feeling to another. How unlucky he was. Damn.

Recovering, Jonathan saw who had attacked him. It was a boy, roughly his own height. As a pirate captain for almost forty years, Jonathan's world perception was extremely quick. He didn't know how he ended up in this situation or if he had simply transmigrated into the body of another boy. But what he knew was that he had an enemy in front of him, and he needed to deal with it.

He quickly made a choice—the easiest one in this situation. Looking at the boy's vulnerable groin, he already knew what to do. "You think you're tough, huh?" Jonathan said as he recovered from the punch and looked at the child in front of him. Before the boy could respond, he received a strong kick to his crotch that made him fall to the ground.

Jonathan didn't waste any time and delivered a kick to the boy's face, who was now lying on the ground, followed by numerous punches to his torso.

Looking at the now unconscious boy in front of him, he felt a momentary regret for hitting him too hard. Now he would have to wait for several hours until the person in front of him regained consciousness after all this.

4 HOURS LATER

The child who had taken a beating had just regained consciousness and was extremely confused.

"Jonathan, you bastard! I'm going to tell my dad." he said, but, of course, it didn't come out as clear as he wanted. His teeth were broken. But he noticed something while he cursed Jonathan. He was now tied to a tree with a rope.

Jonathan, who had been waiting for hours, finally opened his eyes next to the tree. He had been waiting for this child to wake up. He almost thought the child had died. But time rewarded him.

Noticing Jonathan's presence, the child choked on his words, realizing that they didn't instill any fear in the monster. He began to cry and plead for forgiveness.

"Please, Jonathan, forgive me. I won't tell anyone. Just let me go, my mom must be worried." Daisuke said, crying pitifully.

Soon, the distance between the two closed. Jonathan crouched in front of the child.

"What planet are we on? Who is the emperor ruling it? What is the galactic year?"