Boom Time

Akira's ship was a sizeable freighter used for hauling cargo and contraband.

Although light freighters held their own in combat against other fighter craft most of the time, larger vessels, such as his bulk freighter, tended to be less capable.

With its imposing size, sluggish speed, and modest armament, Akira's ship was a sitting duck in the vastness of space.

In a strategic countermeasure, the pirate master always had two nimble corvettes as escorts.

His crew, too, had been picked for their ability to fight if cornered, and they fit the typical pirate cliches.

When she and her brothers entered the bridge, one of the gang waved a weapon at Katya and her brothers.

They sank into their crash couches as the man glowered over them.

Katya nodded to him, wondering if he recognised her from the old days when she was Akira's girlfriend.

His name was Grax, a towering hulk from the asteroid belt of Malon-7. His brute strength and unwavering loyalty made him the perfect muscle for any sticky situation that might arise during their travels.

As Akira and the crew prepped for a hyperspace jump, Katya studied the other Black Claw gang, trying to remember who she knew from the past.

They were a fascinating mix of beings from diverse corners of the galaxy.

Rho, the weathered ex-soldier from the Draconian system, was the ship's formidable weapons expert. His icy, calculating stare gave even the most ruthless pirates pause.

Beside him was a woman, the pilot, whom the crew called Kora.

She was unknown to Katya, and given her cybernetic implants, she was a sharp-tongued pilot from the technologically advanced planet of Cygnus. She tapped away at her console with lightning speed, scowling as she worked.

Also present were several Falasian mercs, a glowering Siriuxian engineer and a few Allorian deckhands flitting in the shadows.

Akira's voice cut through her musing as he rose from his captain's seat. ‘Now that we're on our way to Eden II let's pow wow. It will be a long haul to that end of the System, so it's best to use the time in hyperspace to finalise our plans. With me, guests and friends.'

‘Where to?' Katya asked.

‘My ready room,' Akira invited, loping to the room to the side of the bridge.

The D'Hanna siblings followed.

They walked into a small meeting space reeked of burnt kahawa and stale cigars.

Katya's brothers, Korin, Kiros and K'Zito, settled in beside her, their expressions suspicious and wary.

Akira lounged back in his chair, his gaze fixed on Katya with a hint of amusement.

‘Share your plan, sweetheart, and I'll tell you whether it holds water,' Akira drawled, smirking.

Katya threw the Sable tech tablet on the desk surface.

‘Like I said when we met on Zanyria, that's our in. It'll give us access to the spaceport, specifically to a small berth deck. We can offload there and use it again to get past any controls and check-ins.'

She flicked a button, and a holographic map of Eden II flashed on. The route to the Sable vaults was also lit up, and the vehicles they could use to enter the city and the vaults were outlined.

‘They are a few off-duty ambulance flyers in one of the hangars near where we'll be landing. We can requisition them, use them to get close to the vault without raising suspicion,' Korin suggested, his eyes gleaming.

‘Once we're in, we can use the comm tab to bypass the security systems again,' Kiros added, tapping his fingers against the table.

Sounds doable,' Akira interjected, a sly grin spreading across his face. ‘We just ought to make sure we can get in and out before anyone catches on.'

‘How will we discover the artefact we're after?' K'Zito asked.

‘That's where I come in,' Akira drawled.

He pulled a box from his jacket, placed it on the table, and levered it open.

Katya raised a brow as she recognised the crimson gem within. ‘The Iris.'

‘Too right. K'Sumi entrusted it to me. We require it on Eden II to locate the Viper's Eye within the Shard by matching their frequencies. See why you needed me? You'd be lost without my unique touch.'

‘You've any idea what might happen if the Iris and Eye are reunited?' she asked.

‘No clue.'

‘You don't say,' Katya sniped, tamping down the desire to roll her eyes.

In the past, by now, adrenaline would be pumping through her veins, the thrill of the heist calling out to her like a siren's song.

All she wanted to do was walk away from the inanity of her previous life, but the blatant greed and ease with which K'Sumi and now Akira were playing gods with a planet-level weapon were astounding.

There was no way she'd let them succeed.

‘Let's wait until 2 AM, early morning to approach,' she continued. ‘With the access from the Sable device, we'll be able to move more freely once we're inside the spaceport when there's less traffic around,' Katya murmured.

Akira raised an eyebrow, a slow smile spreading across his face. ‘Sounds like a risky caper, my dear, the kind I like,' he said, his voice filled with amusement. ‘But what a notch on my belt it'll be if I can best the Sable Riders.'

Katya's brothers exchanged wary glances but shrugged their agreement.

Pulling the comm tab back towards her, she put it away while flicking on a secret button on its side that Xion had shown her.

The metanoids hidden within a secret compartment poured out.

She caught the hint of a small silver cloud rising into the air, shimmering, disappearing into a vent.

They'd been programmed to infiltrate the ship's systems.

She imagined their digital tendrils snaking through data streams and security protocols, fokkin' it all up while gathering data and any evidence of King K'Sumi's conspiracy.

The group returned to the bridge, where Katya sat and strapped in, bracing herself.

Akira didn't take long to rise from his chair and approach her.

‘Woman, I've been busy and ignored you for too long. My apologies.'

He reached for her hand as if to kiss it.

She pulled it away before he had the chance, sucking her teeth in annoyance.

‘Twas this same smarmy appeal that had lured her when she was young and more naive.

No longer.

She met his gaze, her eyes calculating. Despite Akira's charm and charisma facade, Katya saw right through him.

When he reached out a hand to touch her arm again, she deflected, maintaining her distance. ‘Save your apologies, Akira. I've seen enough of your act to know better.'

‘I meant it, beautiful,' he whined, playing the aggrieved card.

Tilting her head, she let a wry smile play on her lips. ‘Oh, how could I ever doubt your sincerity, Akira?'

His expression darkened at her words, his charm faltering for a brief moment before he composed himself.

She also caught a sliver of raw emotion and jolted. The man was still in love with her?

She sighed, sensing his hurt at her breaking up with him.

But hadn't he abandoned her, preferring to take off unannounced at whim on many a long pirating caper?

‘You always did have a sharp tongue, my dear,' he murmured, masking his frustration. ‘But let's not dwell on the past. We have more pressing matters to discuss, such as why you've been stealing from me.'

She pressed her lips. ‘It's not like you missed a jewel here and there. Others required your generosity.'

He huffed. ‘So what, you're now a do-gooder phantom lady thief?'

Katya's smile widened at his sarcastic remark. ‘I've never pretended to be anything else. You on the other hand -.' Her words hung in the air, heavy with the truth they carried.

Akira's facade cracked further, revealing a glimpse of the distressed man beneath the charm and charisma. His eyes narrowed as he studied her, a dangerous glint appearing. ‘You always did think you were better than me, didn't you? ‘Tis why you left me. Played me then, and I wonder whether you're playing me now.'

His voice was laced with contempt.

Katya remained unfazed, her demeanour calm and collected. ‘I'm not playing at anything, Akira. As for the jewels, I was righting the wrongs you and your crew have perpetuated for far too long.'

Akira's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing in them. ‘You always did have a flair for the dramatic, Katya. But let's not forget who holds the cards here.' He gestured around the sleek spaceship, a silent reminder of his influence and control.

‘You owe me,' he went on, ‘and I intend to ensure you never return to your family until you pay back every schill.'

She raised a brow. ‘I'm to be your slave then?'

‘The right title is bondwoman. Regardless, I intend to make you pay, Katya.'

Akira's voice was like ice, his gaze piercing through her with a cold intensity. ‘Trust me, you'll be working off your debt in all sorts of ways for years.'

His words hung heavy in the air, his face twisted, leaving no doubt that Akira was dead-set on exacting retribution to assuage his bitterness.

He turned away from her with a brow lift and sneer.

Katya sat back in her chair, her hands clenched around the armrests, gazing at the stars streaking by, waiting for the man she adored to help her save the day.

She sighed, hoping against all that Xion was safe and able to catch up with her.

Because this whole plan would go tits-up without him.

The tension inside the Tachy was palpable as Xion and Mirage sped through space towards their destination.

The Rider's eyes scanned the endless expanse of stars outside the cockpit window while Mirage focused on navigation.

The vision of Akira and the D'Hanna siblings fleeing the chaos at the hotel kept replaying in Xion's mind.

Even though he'd seen them lift off safely, and his holo map was tracking Katya's signal, worry gnawed at him.

His fingers drummed on the armrest. ‘ETA?' Xion's voice was curt, and his impatience was evident.

Mirage glanced at the coordinates flashing on the screen before responding. ‘Fifteen minutes.'

A soft beep from the control console sounded.

‘Katya has hit payload,' Mirage said, with a smile on her face.

In seconds, the quantum computing intellect parsed through the data the metanoids were transmitted to the Tachy.

‘What do we have?' Xion murmured.

‘Holo call logs, recordings, bank transfers from K'Sumi to Akira and not just for this op. Going back months. Akira ran contraband freight of stolen money and treasures from Iccythria to various foreign holdings. He's been helping K'Sumi raid the planet of its wealth.'

Xion grunted as he accessed the information, eyes widening at the incriminating evidence against Akira and his involvement in King K'Sumi's conspiracy. ‘Just like the Khosana DKRT claimed.'

‘Is it enough?'

‘More than enough,' the rider growled.

‘So what now?'

‘I don't want to let them land on Eden II. He's got two weaponised escorts, and when cornered, Akira will fire at will, which might harm civilians. We need to force them into a confrontation in a neutral zone. Are Kage and Kisan close?'

‘Naam. Notus I and II are within hailing distance.'

The Sable frigates were the most mighty ships of their size and armed to the fokkin' teeth.

‘Good,' the Rider grunted. ‘We'll retrieve Katya, and after, if Akira doesn't play nice, we'll blow his incoming joke of an armada into pieces.'

The stars shimmered like diamonds against the dark expanse.

Clawed Vengeanceand its pair of corvettes escorts were tucked behind a cluster of asteroids within sight of Eden II.

Around them, space was silent and vast, the only sound coming from the soft hum of the ships' engines in hover mode.

The holo screen displayed the busy spaceport's traffic, which was lighter now that it was late into the night on the rock.

Akira's convoy had exited hyperspace and had been treading space for the past few hours.

Waiting for the hour to strike.

Akira tracked back to Katya's seat, his flaming gaze flicked to her.

She tagged his desire to own her, lust swirling in the depths of his eyes. ‘I can't wait for all this to be over and you and I get some quiet time together,' he murmured as he drew up to her.

She tamped down a shiver of disgust and leaned away from him, crossing her arms over her chest and meeting Akira's stare with one of her own.

‘Don't think that by strong-arming me, you will be loved by me. Doing so will only increase my regard of you as a theatrical creation of a failed Iccythrian, who's so pathetic it's almost sympathetic. By aligning with K'Sumi, you've only dug yourself a deeper grave.'

Akira's face reddened, and his eyes flamed. ‘You're the one who'll be in a grave if you don't shut the fokk up.'

Katya stared back at him, unwavering. ‘You're forgetting one thing, Akira,' she murmured. ‘I always have a backup plan. You keep me away from my daughter, and I'll find a way to escape you.'

‘Try your best,' he shot back at her. ‘This time, I won't be so naive to your machinations.'

He turned away from her, feigning boredom, hiding hurt. ‘Pilot, get us away from the asteroid belt and aim for Eden II. Our payday can't come any sooner.'

On the Tachy, the holo screen displayed the positions of Kage in Notus I and Kisan in Notus II.

They were hovering on an arrow vector with the Tachy in the lead.

The view outside was dark, the distant stars casting a cold light over the scene.

Xion's grip on the controls tightened as he stared out into the darkness, his mind racing with the possibilities and risks of their plan.

Beside him, Mirage's expression was unreadable, their gaze fixed on the approaching blips on the radar.

The seconds stretched into eternity before Mirage's voice broke through the silence.

‘Contacts incoming,' the Sable AI announced, their voice calm but laced with readiness. ‘Sable attack frigates copy?'

The seconds ticked by agonisingly slow until finally, the comm crackled to life with Kage's voice. ‘Xion, we also have visuals on Akira's ships. Ready when you are.'

Kisan confirmed the same soon after.

The Sable warships were positioned, primed to intercept and engage at a moment's notice.

Xion focused on the holo displaying Akira's convoy.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins; his senses heightened as he prepared for the showdown ahead. ‘Before we go in, make sure the freighter stays untouched. My woman's on it.'

‘Copy,' his fellow Riders said.

Xion switched the neural band to his Katya's link. ‘Khaliya, brace yourself. We're about to attack. As soon as we do, you focus on getting the fokk out of there.'

He caught a double tap as Katya returned the signal that she understood.

With a nod to Mirage, Xion issued the command to engage.

Mirage's hands flew over the controls.

The Tachy banked at a higher elevation than Akira's freighter, giving it a panoramic view of the vessel and its escorts.

Still stealthed, the Tachy fired a spread of metanoid projectiles intended to disrupt the Clawed Vengeance's mechanisms from the exterior.

Kage focused on the left escort while Kisan fired on the central vessel in the tiny fleet. The surprise attack was coordinated with precision and unity, leaving the pirates reeling.

The arrowheads of the Sable weaponry were tipped with a metanoid disassembler device.

When their weapons punched through the hulls of all three ships, thousands of ‘noids poured out like a stream.

They smashed through hull plating, chewing reinforced armour and walls like soft candy.

The objective was to access and strip all data from Akira's systems, using Mirage's quantum touch to guide the metanoids.

‘Mirage, you need to tell me the second we've got Katya safe, then it's BOOM time.'

Fingers flying across the console of the ship's controls, Mirage nodded. ‘Of course, khosi.'

Katya's fingers dug into her hand-rests when the Clawed Vengeance lurched, throwing everyone on the bridge off balance.

She winced when a few of the standing Claw members tumbled, some colliding with their stations.

Fires broke out of some consoles as panicked voices cried out.

Alarms blared throughout the vessel, and the crew members scrambled to their positions, shouting orders back and forth.

‘What's happening?' Katya demanded in mock terror, knowing full well what was unfolding.

‘What the hell is going on?' Akira growled, rising from where he'd fallen and staggering forward to check the monitors.

Kora, the pirate ship's pilot, was staring with horror at the holo screen. ‘Boss, unknown bogeys are targeting us. They're stealthed and masking their signals.'

‘Prepare for evasive manoeuvres,' Akira roared.

The navigator obeyed, digits moved over the controls, her face screwed in dread.

The sound of explosions reverberated through the cockpit as lasers and missiles streaked past their ship, narrowly missing them.

With chaos unfolding around them, Katya saw an opportunity to make her move.

She unclasped her restraints and lunged towards the door.

She'd almost made it when she was kicked off her feet, flying to the ground.

A body landed on her, and grabby hands rotated her.

She locked eyes on Akira, hovering over her, blood dripping from a cut on his temple. ‘Just where the hell do you think you're going?' he roared.

She wrestled back, kicking hard, throwing him off her.

‘You can't and won't keep me from my family,' Katya growled, her eyes blazing. ‘I'm leaving.'

She darted forward but didn't get far. Korin appeared before her. ‘Leaving so soon, sis?' he smirked.

Just then, the freighter was rocked with the impact of more missiles, and her brother went flying in the air, crumpling into a heap over the environmental controls.

Her traitorous pair of other siblings ran to his side without a second glance at her.

The lights in the corridors flickered, and then a boom sounded as a wave of energy passed through the ship, wiping out all electrical signals.

Darkness fell, leaving only a few emergency warning beams and flames flickering.

‘Hey!'

Lit up by the glowing blaze behind him, Akira had risen again and charged towards her.

Katya lost all inhibitions and lunged at her ex, catching him off guard with a decisive right hook to his jaw.

His disbelieving expression was followed by even more of the same when she landed a roundhouse kick.

The satisfaction of seeing him stagger, fall and pass out gave her life, and she bent over him, searched his pockets, stuffed her own zipped compartment with what she found and then wheeled around to her feet, racing for the yawning bridge exit.

Xion's voice rumbled into her Sable node earring, his tone calm yet commanding. ‘Katya, we're close. Find a way out, preferably in a space suit.'

‘On it,' she called out, sounding bolder than she felt.

Heart pounding, Katya made her way through the besieged ship, dodging fires and navigating the chaos of collapsed bulkheads and walls.

She cried with joy when she came upon an emergency hatch.

Yanking open the lever, she let herself inside.

Eyes wild, she nabbed one of the suits hanging on a hook.

‘Katya, talk to me,' Xion rasped.

‘I'm at an airlock; I think it's on the ship's starboard. I've got a large space suit, and it says I've got enough air for an hour. I'm going to jump.'

She paused for a second. ‘Come for me, kodan.'

‘As if I'd abandon you, khaliya,' he growled. ‘We'll use your node signal to triangulate your position. Be safe.'

Gasping, Katya hauled on the oversized suit over her tighter-fitted one, zipped it up, crashed the helmet onto her head, and checked her HUD.

All was green for go.

With another ragged breath, she hit a button to lever open the external portal and, in seconds, was sucked out into space.