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The door slid open with a quiet hiss, and through it stepped a man with an air of confidence about him that would have rivaled a king. He wore a bright orange jumpsuit that stood out from the ship's gun-metal gray interior, distinguishing him as a pilot. His chest was puffed out, proudly displaying a black nametag with silver lettering. On it were the words ALEX M. KOROLEV, COMMANDER, NEW MOON. He stepped out onto the bridge of his ship and looked about with gleaming eyes. He was proud of his new ship. The New Moon had been christened just before he took command, and no sooner had he become acquainted, he had been sent on a mission of the utmost importance. He paused for a moment as his gaze locked with the black void of subspace starring back at him through the ships canopy.

He turned away before he lost himself to its mesmerizing affect. “Luna, what's our progress?" he asked aloud. But there was no one on the empty bridge to reply, and his voice echoed through the desolate space before him. In truth, the New Moon had only just been christened because it was a Frankenstein of a ship, cobbled together from hand-me-downs from some of the older ships that were being modernized. Alex, a drop-out from pilot training in the Federation Navy, had finally gotten his first flying gig with Taggart Transteller Hauling, and his mission of “utmost importance" was the delivery of cargo to the Rwuzu system. But he didn't care. The New Moon was his, he was making a living flying, and he was damn proud of it all.

At the sound of his voice, the consoles at the pilot's seat lit up and whirred into action. An electronic voice echoed from the speakers throughout the bridge. “All systems nominal, Commander Korolev. Estimated time of arrival is in 2 days, 17 hours, and 43 minutes." The numbers flashed onto screen as Alex stepped forward and settled into the pilot's seat. His seat, he thought smugly with a smile. And no one to take it from me and tell me I can't fly it.

“Thank you, Luna," he said to the screen before him. Before he had departed, Alex had had time to install a few personal upgrades. One of those was Luna, the ship's onboard computer controller. Rather than one of those fancy smart AIs used by the government and major corporations, Luna was a dumb AI, capable of carrying out tasks she was specifically programmed for. AI wasn't even the proper term. She was really just a collection of advanced software, including a package that enabled voice communication and really gave the appearance that she was smarter than she actually was. Still, Alex liked to personify the computer as a she, even naming her Luna to match the ship's name. It helped him to deal with the loneliness of his 9 day journey through subspace, with no one else aboard thanks to Luna's system management package. Taggart Transtellar Hauling likely wouldn't have hired an unknown such as himself if they had had to pay for a crew anyway.

Alex began tapping away at various icons on the screen in front of him, bringing up pieces of information on the ship's subsystems. He reached out a hand and grabbed a cup which was sitting on a console off to the side. Raising the cup to his face, he took a whiff and wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Ugh, how long has this been out here?" he asked as he tossed it towards the waste collector at the back of the bridge. Despite his perfect aim, some of the liquid still sloshed onto the floor. I'll have to clean that up later, he thought to himself.

“4 days, 2 hours, and 13 minutes, Commander Korolev." The electronic voice surprised him for a moment before he realized that Luna was answering his question.

“That was another rhetorical question, Luna," he explained to the computer. “I wasn't expecting an answer. I was using a question with an obvious answer to express my distaste." For the past six days, Alex had been having lots of frustrating conversations with Luna while trying to teach her the finer details of communication. He knew it was a hopeless venture; the computer wasn't designed for learning. But it gave him something to do on his long journey across the 1.3 parsecs between Lacaille and Rwuzu.

“Noted, Commander Korolev," Luna said in her usual, monotone voice. “Information stored for later use."

Well, there's some learning capacity, he admitted to himself. But it likely won't help her unless I ask the exact same question again. No pattern recognition.

Alex turned back to the console he had been busily attending, but as he did, there was a bright flash of light from the canopy. He quickly covered his eyes and turned away. When he looked back, instead of the empty black field of subspace, he saw the starfield indicative of normal space. “Luna, why did we just drop out of subpace?" he asked angrily as he furiously typed away, bringing up the information on the A-drive which powered the faster-than-light travel through subspace. The panel flashed red at his face, indicating the drive was in an emergency cool down state as it dissipated its exotic matter.

“Insufficient data. Beginning systems check." A checklist of the ship's subsystems popped up on a side screen, and a loading bar began to fill as Luna checked each system one at a time. Alex looked up at the viewport while he waited and noticed that the ship had begun to spin without the RCS thrusters active. There was a small, dim object just coming into view that caught his attention. He peered more closely at it, and he noticed that it seemed to be getting larger.

“Luna, do a quick passive scan of the surrounding area," he ordered the computer. There shouldn't have been anything out here in the interstellar void; it would have been extremely unlikely to find something like a free-floating asteroid. Alex knew it had to be a ship, and he didn't think it was a coincidence that he been pulled out of subspace right next to it. Zherdany pirates had been said to be operating around Rwuzu, but the chances of a pirate intersecting one's flight path were minimal. He had expected this would just be a safe, routine cargo haul. Apparently, he had thought wrong.

“Scanning," Luna said. “Two thermal signatures detected. Highlighting on HUD." The dot Alex had been watching suddenly became outlined in green, and a second, smaller dot was highlighted behind it. Alex likely hadn't noticed the second one because it was unmoving. But it was the first one which concerned him more. It was starting to get close enough for him to make out its general shape.

“Luna, switch to active scanning. Get me some details on the closer object."

“Scanning," Luna said again as she reached out with her radar. The invisible beams bounced back and Luna constructed a more detailed image of the ship's shape, displaying it on screen. The ship was of a long, flat build. It had the appearance of an octagonal prism turned on its side, then flattened so the front octagonal face was wider than it was tall. The general shape gave it away as a Zherdany creation, as most of the alien ships were constructed similarly. At also appeared to have a small turret on the top and bottom, each pointing straight at him. Bad news for Alex.

As the extrapolated 3d model rotated on the viewscreen in front of Alex, Luna began to analyze the new data. “Correlating data," she said. “No matches found."

“Give closest match," Alex prompted.

“Closest match: Shaerkaelee class freighter. Manufacturer: Dyukasye Latyizh. Model Year: 2627." She continued to give further technical details as a model of the freighter replaced the approaching ship. It was identical, except for the lack of weapons. Must have been aftermarket modifications, Alex thought. And that thing is old. Just about three decades old. Maybe I can outrun it.

“Luna, power up the RCS and primary EMDrive thrusters." The computer ceased her technical babbling and responded with a quick “Yes sir" as the screens showed the systems powering up. He settled more comfortably into his seat and grabbed hold of the stick and throttle before him. As soon as the systems had minimal power, he brought the ship around and set the throttle to maximum. “Alright, girl, let's hope you can hold together long enough to get us out of here," he muttered under his breath to his dilapidated ship. “Luna, bring up the rear viewscreen on the secondary monitor."

The monitor to his right switched to the same display he had had earlier, showing the same two blips outlined in green. Only this time, as the New Moon slowly gained speed, the freighter began growing smaller. “That's it baby, nice and easy," he said as he watched the power consumption of the thrusters climb upwards.

“Luna, shut down all non-essential systems and redistribute power to the A-drive. I want us back in subspace ASAP."

“Complying. All non-essential systems powered down. Alcubierre drive is charg-“ her voice came to an abrupt halt. Alex frowned as he wondered why Luna had suddenly cut out, but before he could enquire, she spoke up again. “Viral intrusion detected. Quarantining all systems."

The lights cut out, the gravity shut down, and Alex glanced at the readouts in front of him. The engines had been cut-off from power immediately and were no longer providing thrust. “No, no, no!" he shouted. Luna would have quarantined the reactor first to prevent a meltdown, and essential systems would be operating off battery reserves. That gave him a full week if he was conservative with his resources, but without thrust, he had bigger problems to deal with. The Zherdany ship was only minutes away now, and he had to think of something fast.

“Luna, any ideas?" he asked, hoping by some miracle she would suddenly evolve the thinking capacity to get him out this mess. Instead, he was entreated to a wall of eerie silence and the sight of the console monitors flickering in the dark. Flight Controls had likely already been quarantined, and he would have to visit the computer's mainframe if he wanted any advice.

He looked again at the flickering monitors. He could see the ship approaching, growing ominously larger on the screen, and he knew he was running out of time. He flipped the switch to turn the screens off, getting the looming thoughts out of his head. He needed to focus on what to do next. My quarters are too obvious, he thought, and there's nothing there of much use. But the cargo hold… As soon as he made his decision he shot up out of his seat and launched himself towards the door, leaving behind the starry view as the New Moon drifted helplessly through space.

…

The Zherdany freighter slowly accelerated toward the drifting human cargo vessel. It was old, but it was a worthy ship to have lasted so long, and now that its prey was disabled, it would have no problem closing in on it. Jets of air puffed from the ship's side as airlocks cycled and equipment rustled in preparation for the catch. Steel girders extended from the lateral line, ready to snag whatever might fall within their grasp. The gimballed railguns tracked their target like the eyes of a focused predator. Everything about the ship was meant for one purpose, and one purpose only. With a utilitarian feel about its design, it lacked any form of decoration save one exception. Stenciled onto the side of the ship in large, black lettering was a series of angular, foreign symbols. To anyone fluent in the Zherdany tongue, the strange symbols translated loosely as the Unjust Fate.

Commander Kyeshoekoe stood at the center of the Fate's bridge where he was surrounded by the few Zherdany who passed for his bridge officers. The name of the ship had a heavy significance with himself and his crew. Zherdany males were often thrown out of their hives at a young age, forced to band together and survive on their own. The drones resented the female castes for such treatment, particularly Kyeshokoe. It was an unjust fate indeed, and they were all too happy to pass it along to their innocent victims if it meant a means of putting food on the table.

Kyeshoekoe was one of the largest, strongest, and most respected of his crew, which is how he had gained his command. Still, he was short by both human and Zherdany standards; any female would have towered over him. His insectoid appearance brought to mind a large beetle-ant, though with a green coloration and only four legs. He watched the approaching ship on the forward viewscreen; his wings unsheathed and rustled briefly in anticipation of the boarding action which would be happening shortly.

“We are 300 damiechraser out from the human vessel," his navigation officer said from his console. “Slowing approach and lining up for docking." The drone was young and new to the crew, but he had shown a high degree of proficiency for piloting. The commander had quickly put him in charge of navigation when the previous officer had left on their last planetside visit.

Kyeshoekoe watched the screens as the Unjust Fate pulled up alongside the cargo ship. The magnetic clamps reeled the hulk in and secured it firmly just off the starboard maintenance deck. There was a metallic clang which reverberated throughout the ship, and a small, cylindrical tube began extending from the Fate. It made contact with the alien vessel and began melting its way through the hull, creating an entrance for the pirates. “Good," he said when he saw that the boarding system was diligently working away without any problems. “Is the boarding party ready?"

“Ready and waiting, Kyesh. All they need is you." It was Myatechi, the communications officer, who spoke up this time in a gruff voice, calling him by his shorthand used by the more familiar members of the crew. Myat and Kyesh had come from the same hive when they were young. Thrown out into the wild and chased away by the hive's knights, the two had originally had much trouble getting along. But they had been through a lot trying to survive, first in a band of drones planetside, and then as young pirate recruits after they had made the long journey to a city with a space elevator. The hardships of the past had molded them into brothers with an undeniably strong bond.

“Tell them I'll be down shortly," Kyesh replied. “You'll be in charge of the ship while I'm absent." He turned from the monitors to look at the comms officer directly. “Make sure nothing happens to her while I'm gone, Myat." Against an unarmed and defenseless hauler, Kyesh didn't have any fears of physical harm to the ship. But the undertones of the command were clear enough between the close friends. Without a formal hive structure like the rest of the Zherdany, there were constantly mutinies and vies for power among rogue drone packs. As his own pack's current leader, Kyesh had to insure he returned to a loyal crew. He knew he could trust Myat, and as added insurance, he was taking the biggest threat with him on the boarding party.

“Won't be a problem, sir," Myat replied with a nod of understanding. Kyesh handed him the Fate's data crystal necessary to command the ship, and the comms officer tucked it away in his underside pack. The two exchanged a final glance before Kyesh turned and headed for the starboard maintenance deck.

After a few twists through the winding corridors, the Zherdany commander arrived at the boarding prep room. A small squad of insectoid bandits awaited him, itching to see what goods they would find on the human ship. The largest of the waiting group approached Kyesh and handed him a headset, which he quickly placed over his head. The headset powered up and linked with his equipment, giving him a Heads-Up Display with various readouts and panels. He quickly brandished his prized plasma pistol, made on the Aekyesh homeworld itself, and swept it across his field of view. He saw the reticule on his HUD track the weapons aim-point and, satisfied that everything was in working order, holstered the weapon. He turned his attention to the large Zherdany before him.

Nearly the same size as Kyesh himself, this Zherdany had a black outer shell indicative of the Ledyian subspecies. “All ready to go here. Just waiting for your order," the crewmember said, eyeing Kyesh's pistol. Zherdany-made weaponry was hard to come by for drones, as the hives were unwilling to sell technology to the bands of trouble makers. Being the only piece of Zherdany weaponry among the crew, the pistol's rarity was as much a sign of Kyesh's command as it was of his pride. The crewmember was clearly jealous of what it represented.

“Excellent," Kyesh said. “Renledki," he addressed the Zherdany by his full name. “I'm putting you on my boarding team this time." The boarding party was usually divided into three teams; two for hunting down cowering or otherwise resisting crew, and one larger team for securing the goods.

Renledki looked back at him, a quick expression of surprise washing over his face before he caught himself. “Me?" he asked. “I was expecting to lead the other hunting party, as usual."

“This time's going to be different," Kyesh replied. “Koerushae has shown some promise, and I want to see how he handles leading a team." It was true that the young Zherdany had shown some signs of potential leadership, but the real reason for the commander's last-minute change was his wariness over Renledki. He knew the drone desired his command, and lately, he had been growing a little close with the rest of his team. Putting them all together and giving them weapons wouldn't be the brightest idea, especially given that the boarding action would make the perfect cover for an attempt on the commander's life.

Renledki narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but eventually submitted. “Yessir," he said with a hint of a snarl. “You're the commander." He scuttled over to his own equipment and began gearing up with Kyesh's team rather than his own. When they saw that he had failed to join them, Renledki's former teammates urged him over, but quickly turned their backs when they saw Commander Kyeshoekoe starring at them.

A loud clank was heard from the boarding hatch as the system finished melting away at the captured ship's hull. “Alright," Kyesh said loud enough to address the entire room. “We'll be boarding shortly. Take up standard boarding formation. My team up front, followed by team two. The final team will come through when we give the all clear." It was a routine they had done a hundred times before, and there was really no need to review it. But just as the routine had become a habit for them, so too had the instructions that Kyesh was so used to issuing. Besides, he thought, it helps maintain my image of authority.

The band of pirates readied their weapons, many of which were makeshift melee gear, though there were a few human kinetic weapons gripped clumsily in the alien hands. As they took up their positions, Kyesh felt Renledki move up behind him. “Shame it's just a standard boarding. I was hoping for a little excitement this time around," he said quietly to the commander.

“Excitement'll be the death of you when the whole of known space is out to get ya," he replied. “I don't want any surprises on this boarding until we know it's going smoothly. Easy in, easy out. Now stay quiet and get in position."

“Hmm" Renledki grunted. The Zherdany backed up and took his position as the rest of the team made last minute adjustments to their gear. Kyesh unholstered his pistol and pointed it at the hatch before him. “Ready to board!" he shouted into his headset. A moment later, the hatch popped open and the team burst into the unknown, ready to pounce on whatever awaited them.

…

Alex flinched as he heard a loud thump echo through the bulkheads of the New Moon, followed by a quick flurry of lesser commotion. He had run out of time, and the pirates had boarded the ship. Giving up his search for something that might help him in the cargo bay, he instead turned to the nearest metal shipping container and opened its access port. The dark interior was filled with packages of clothing, but Alex squeezed his way in without a second thought. He needed a place to hide, and this would have to do.

He left the access port cracked open just enough to observe what was happening outside. It wouldn't be enough that anyone would notice from the outside, but it gave him a view of the aisle created by the numerous containers. He would be able to identify the boarders if they approached.

Floating in the dark container, Alex's thoughts began to flicker aimlessly. What would he do if they found him hiding here? Would they kill him, or just take his cargo and leave him be? What if he didn't make it back? Would his family ever find out what happened? The thought of his parents never knowing how he died gave him a sickening feeling in his gut. He didn't want to think about how his mother would feel. And his father would surely be disappointed, though perhaps the former Federation Marine would be even more disappointed to find out his son had been helplessly killed by pirates while cowering away in a dark box.

Alex closed his eyes and rested his head against the crate beside him, clearing his mind of the depressing thoughts. He knew he couldn't just sit here and hide. He began to consider the options of his current predicament. He tried to take inventory of his surroundings, but in a box full of clothing, there would be nothing for him to use as a weapon. He seemed to have arrived at a dead-end, so he instead tried to anticipate the pirates' next moves. Well, pirates aren't pirates without something to pirate, he thought. He considered the obvious statement for a moment before he was hit by its implications. Idiot! He frowned at his realization. Of all the places I could have hid, I had to pick the one room the pirates would actually care about!

Realizing the pirates would likely be approaching the cargo bay already, Alex pulled himself closer to his makeshift spyhole. He peeked out, but saw and heard no one. Perhaps he still had time to make it to his quarters, where he might stand a better chance of hiding. When he was sure the coast was clear, he opened the hatch and floated out into the corridor. He began to pull himself quickly in the direction of his room, thankfully away from the commotion he had heard earlier.

…

The band of Zherdany had rushed through the boarding hatch prepared to meet any challenge. But when they had burst into the corridor of the captured cargo ship, they were greeted with a distinct lack of anything. No ship defenses, no weapons fire, no clash of knives. Not even a group of humans ready and willing to surrender as they had sometimes seen before.

Adjusting to the microgravity within the seemingly derelict ship, several of the Zherdany fluttered their wings and reoriented themselves. As a few of the group continued to struggle with their newfound weightlessness, one of the Zherdany who had already oriented himself spoke up. “Perhaps it's a computer-controlled ship?" he suggested in reference to the lack of crew.

“Perhaps," Kyesh responded as he grabbed a handhold to steady himself. “But I wouldn't put my bets on it." He recalled the manner in which the ship had tried to flee, and it didn't give him the impression of an automated pilot. He could be wrong, of course; the Humans were known to rely on advanced AIs and computers.

“We'll head to the bridge," he decided. “We'll be able to find out for sure if there's a crew there. Team two will start a search of the rest of the ship, and everyone else will head over to the cargo bay." He turned back towards the hatch they had just burst through and called back towards the rest of the boarding party. “All clear!" he shouted. Several Zherdany began emerging from the hatch like swarming ants, and he directed them towards the cargo hold.

When he had finished directing the other two teams, Kyesh set off towards the ship's bridge with his own team in tow. He kept a wary eye on Renledki as they made their way through the dimly lit corridors. The drone carried a human pistol, but surrounded by Kyesh's more loyal crewmates, any attempts at a coupe de 'tat would be met with stiff resistance. He carried on until he felt they were approaching the fore of the ship, and he stopped the team at an intersection of corridors.

He hailed the Unjust Fate on his headset. “Myat, this is Kyesh."

There was a brief interlude of static before the reply came back. “I hear ya, go ahead."

“Can I get a positional update? We're trying to reach the bridge and should be close."

“One moment." The radio went silent as Myat conferred with another Zherdany on the Fate. The sound of his voice crackled in Kyesh's ear once again. “Assuming the viewport upfront correlates to the bridge, you're about 50 damiechraser out, plus another 30 too far starboard."

“Got it," Kyesh replied. He started down the left corridor and his team followed close behind. It was only a few seconds before they found a doorway to a room that looked to be aligned with the coordinates Myat had given them. Kyesh signaled to his team and they fluttered into position around the door. Renledki made a point of taking up a position as close as possible to the door, eager to burst in and smash whatever was in his way.

Kyesh floated smoothly up to the opposite side of the doorway and faced him. “Alright, since you're so eager, you'll be going in first. On my signal." Kyesh took a moment to analyze the door controls. It was a standard human interface, and he had used them hundreds of times before. He found the button he was looking for and raised his hand in signal to Renledki. He quickly dropped it and opened the door at the same time, and with his quick reflexes, Renledki rushed into the bridge. Kyesh followed close behind, weapon at the ready, and the rest of the team filed in behind him.

When he saw that Renledki had already stopped in the center of the bridge, he knew they faced no threat. Had there been any hostiles present, the aggressive bug would have torn into them at once. He floated aside to let the remaining members of the team through the narrow doorway. He looked around and took in his surroundings.

It was clearly the ship's bridge. The large viewport that had been visible from the vessels exterior now faced them from across the room, presenting them with a grand view of the stars. Sitting just in front of it was what appeared to be the pilot's seat, complete with a surrounding system of monitors and a stick and throttle system clearly designed for human hands. The room was also quite large, comfortably fitting the entire hunting party, and probably would have fit several humans at once. To the team's left and right, the walls were covered with more consoles that would have allowed complete control of all the ships systems had they been functioning. As of now, the screens were black and unresponsive, likely a result of Myat's ECM efforts, Kyesh knew. But what the room clearly lacked, were any humans to operate those controls.

The same Zherdany who had spoken up after boarding now spoke up again. “See? No crew. We don't have to worry about it now. Let's get back to the cargo bay and help them with the loot." He could barely hide the eagerness in his voice, and the other members of the team nodded their agreement.

Kyesh took a second look around, looking for any details he might have missed the first time. “I still don't get the impression it's an automated ship," he thought aloud to his team. Renledki grunted his agreement, perhaps the first time he had ever sided with the commander. Kyesh continued. “Why install control panels if there's no one to use them?" A splotch of liquid clinging to the floor caught his eye. It had been behind them when they jumped in, explaining why he had missed it at first. “I've got a feeling…" he said as he approached the curiosity. He took a whiff of the spill. It smelled repulsive to his alien senses, but it was clearly organic; perhaps some sort of beverage or soup more attuned to human tastes. “…that we've still got a crew to hunt down."

…

Alex floated silently above the cold floor of the cargo bay. He pulled himself along the makeshift aisle-way of crates and boxes, grabbing handholds in the metal containers wherever they presented themselves. He was cautious and alert. Even though he was heading away from the direction he thought he had heard the boarders, he had wasted a lot of time hiding. It was entirely possible the pirates were already searching through the cargo bay. His eyes scanned from side to side and he kept his ears pricked for even the slightest sound.

As he drifted along the makeshift pathway, he thought back to his brief interlude in the cargo container, and the image of his father's disappointment surfaced once again. Why did I hide away like a coward? he thought to himself. I ought to know better than to hide from my problems. While he may have been dropped from the Federation's pilot program in the Marine Corp, Alex had still made it through basic training. It was something he had been deeply proud of at the time and bragged about to all his friends back home. But presented with the first opportunity to put those skills to the test, he had blown it and buried his head in the ground.

It wasn't typical of him to do so either, and he knew it. He had always been one of the first in his squad to step up to the plate and face new challenges. He had even been one of the top performers in many proficiencies, including piloting. Ironic, given his dismissal from pilot training.

Of course, his independent streak had gotten him into trouble with the military's disciplinary system, and that's what eventually got him kicked out. It had been one of the most depressing moments of his life when the paperwork finally came through. Knowing as a child that one of his great grandfathers had been a pilot during the colonization of Ross, and seeing the films of colony ships flying up and down from the planet's surface, Alex had spent his whole life dreaming of becoming a pilot. His dismal had sent those dreams up in flames until there was no hope. Almost no hope. That's when he had the bright idea to invest his life savings, meager as they were, into the New Moon, and start a life as a freelance cargo pilot in the high seas of deep space.

And now his entire way of life was at stake. He couldn't just let that all slip out of his grasp. No, he thought. I've got to find a way to fight back. But how? He considered his options for what felt like the hundredth time that night, but again, he couldn't think of anything on the ship that might help him. He finally settled on attempting to reach Luna's mainframe to get back into communication with her. From there, he could get a more accurate picture of the situation he was in, and maybe even gain control of the ship back.

While he had been thinking away at his plan of action, his hands had been mindlessly pulling him along, crate by crate and box by box. Only this time, they reached out and grasped at thin air. He was pulled out of his thought-induced stupor and looked around. Damn, I did it again. Wasn't thinking straight. I've gotta pull myself together if I want to make it through this. He had inadvertently pulled himself into one of the bisecting pathways that were interspersed throughout the hold for ease of access to the cargo. He was now floating out in the middle with no cover, and just down the aisle, starring right at him, was a Zherdany drone.

“Uhh…" Alex trailed off as he wondered if he should try to speak with it. It had been a long time since he had practiced the Zherdany language, and he had never spoken with an actual bug before.

But the drone made the decision first. It hissed and clicked at the sight of the human floating before him. It looked back and forth, but it didn't seem to have any friends nearby to alert. Alex froze for a moment as he took in the sight of the green insectoid, with its gangly legs and black eyes. Having never seen a Zherdany in person, he was surprised by its size. It was much smaller than he had anticipated, about the size of a household dog. He saw the carapace on its back open up and its transparent wings began to flick behind it. He briefly wondered what it was doing before he realized it was charging him, propelling itself toward him with its wings.

Upon the sudden realization, Alex flailed his limbs wildly in an attempt to move out of the way, trying to swim through the air. But momentarily stranded in the microgravity as he floated across the aisle way, his efforts were unable to remove him from the path of the rapidly approaching drone. He had to do something fast. As the bug drew closer, he could see it was holding a metal crowbar gripped as though it were a club.

Alex instead twisted himself to face the oncoming threat. With no means of escape, he felt the adrenaline pump through his body, preparing him for a fight. His breath quickened and his muscles tensed. He thought back to his military training, where endless exercises had been drilled into him until they were reflex. Once he was in the right mindset, he didn't have to think about what he was doing, only act.

The drone intended to use his velocity as a weapon against him, but Alex had the advantage of mass. He braced himself and prepared to grab the makeshift club as the drone approached. It drew closer and swung, but its aim was slightly off center as Alex continued to drift to the side. He took advantage of the drone's mistake and grabbed ahold of the crowbar, swinging it around his body. The drone, surprised by Alex's actions, was reluctant to part with his weapon and clung to it as he was swung around. The energy from the drone's momentum caused the pair to orbit about each other as though they were a double planet, each clinging to the crowbar that kept them anchored together.

Suddenly, Alex let go and the drone flew off, its low mass imparting it with speed. It impacted with a violent thud on one of the nearby shipping containers, and its body went limp, the crowbar slipping out of its hand and drifting away. Alex had also been sent off in the opposite direction, but at a much safer speed and prepared to absorb the impact. He hit the opposing container and bounced off with his legs towards the floating drone, at the ready in case it tried to jump him again.

As he neared the drone, he grabbed the crowbar for added security, but the insect still remained limp and lifeless. When he reached it, he saw red blood oozing from the Zherdany's misshapen head. The impact had been much harder than Alex had anticipated, and he wasn't sure if it was even still alive. He saw no sign of breathing. The blood continued to ooze profusely, and it coalesced into an undulating sphere that broke away from the body.

With the fight over and no signs of any immediate danger, his body began to calm. The flow through his veins slowed, and his breathing became deeper. He had acted on instinct and reflex alone, but now his thoughts were catching back up. He reassessed what he had done with a clearer head.

He had killed it. There was no longer any doubt judging from the extent of the wounds up close. It dawned on Alex that he had killed another living, thinking being. Someone with a name, friends, and a life. Granted, it was a life of piracy, but the thought still made him uneasy. Despite his military training, he had never taken another life. He was a murderer now, and there was no going back.

But he didn't have time to dwell on the fact. The noise of their quick scuffle might have alerted any nearby pirates. Alex had hoped that if he had been caught, he might negotiate with the pirates, but once they discovered the body before him, there would be no doubt about their intentions. They would likely shoot him on sight. Or worse. He needed to get out of there fast.

He reoriented himself and pushed off the nearby crate. Crowbar still in hand, he floated back into the aisle way of boxes, away from the scene of the crime before the pirates could find him. He was once again pulling himself along, albeit this time at a much faster pace and with a much more alert posture. He headed towards the port doors that would take him away from the cargo bay, and hopefully the pirates. From there, he would make his way through the maze of smaller corridors until he reached Luna's mainframe, where he could finally get a grip on the situation. He wasn't sure how yet, but his faithful computer companion had to have something he could use to regain control.

He had gotten some distance from the Zherdany and was starting to feel a little more secure, but just as he began to relax, he heard alien chatter and screeching behind him. He flinched and turned to look behind him, but there was nothing in sight. The noises were distant. Must've found the body, he thought. He turned forward again and quickened his pace through the cargo bay.

Almost there, he thought as he approached the doorway to relative safety. He looked behind him once more, but saw nothing. He turned back and nearly slammed into the wall in his rush. After recovering, he quickly keyed the door open and pushed through. He slammed his fist into the keypad on the other side and shut door behind him, escaping the turmoil in the cargo bay.

…

Kyesh starred at the lifeless body of Doedkyenyu drifting in the cargo bay before him, blood just beginning to coagulate on the traumatic head wound that had killed him. As Kyesh and his party had exited the New Moon's bridge, they had received a call from the cargo bay team about the drone's death. He had made his way to the hold as quickly as possible to assess the situation himself, putting the other hunting party on alert along the way. When he arrived, he found out the looting party hadn't seen anyone on board that might have killed the poor lad, but it was undoubtedly not an accident. The whole thing was an unpleasant confirmation of his suspicions. If only he'd been a bit more cautious and stern with the crew, the whole thing might have been avoided.

Doedkyenyu had been with the crew for quite some time. He was always inquisitive and curious about how things worked, and he often went off on his own to explore the tech on captured ships when it was safe. Only this time, it wasn't. He had been an outstanding technician though, and the drone had been a loyal and productive member even before Kyesh had taken command. It was tragic for his life to end this way, and Kyesh felt absolutely horrible.

There hadn't been a death among the crew since the previous commander had been killed by a human who thought he might be able to turn the tables. The human had been dealt with quickly, but not quick enough to save Commander Ienielyuch. A respected leader, Ienielyuch had run the crew efficiently and effectively, and his sudden absence had been a real damper on the gang's morale. Kyesh had been voted into command soon after, and he had done everything in his power to live up to the former commander's legacy. Up until now, he thought he had been doing a fine job. Three years of smooth operations and there hadn't been a single scratch among his drones. But his gaze was still locked with the body of poor old Doedkyenyu until a voice broke him away from his reflections.

“This is despicable," Renledki snarled out at no one in particular. He raised his head to look at the Commander.

“Aye," Kyesh said. “And I'll make sure whoever was responsible pays." He motioned towards two of the other drones nearby still starring at Doedkyenyu's body. “Take him back to the med bay on the Fate."

“Not him," Renledki said. “You!"

The Commander's head whipped around to look at the large drone. His words had surprised him, and apparently everyone else as well. He saw the rest of the boarding party staring at him with looks of surprise, waiting to see how he would respond.

But Renledki continued. “You are despicable," he shouted. “You're the Commander. You were responsible for his death!" he hissed vehemently at Kyesh, his eyes full of anger. “Had I been with my team, we would have hunted them down before this could happen!" At the mention of Renledki's team, Kyesh looked around and noted that many of the surrounding Zherdany were friendly with Renledki. He had many loyalists in the crowd too, but if a fight broke out, the angry Zherdany would clearly have the numerical advantage. He would have to handle this cleverly.

The gathered aliens were silent as they anticipated their commander's response. “Renledki," Kyesh began. “I've taken every precaution possible on this expedition and you know it. I've done so for every mission I've commanded and we haven't had a loss since. Doedkyenyu will be sorely missed, but accidents happen."

“This was no accident!" Renledki retorted. Several of his supporters added their own cries of outrage to his voice. “Your leadership is putting our lives in unnecessary risk. You are unfit for command!"

And there it is, Kyesh thought. This isn't about Doedkyenyu. This is about command of the Fate. His own anger beginning to rise, Kyesh responded in kind. “I've brought this crew more profit than the last three commanders combined!" he yelled. “Given command, you'd send half the crew to their deaths in a single raid, just because you can. Don't call me unfit for command." He nearly spit out his last few words. “If you really think your crewmates want to serve under such leadership, bring it up on the Fate, but this isn't the place. We've got a threat to deal with now." Several of Kyesh's own supporters gave grunts of approval.

“No," Renledki said. “You're just as much a threat to us now as whatever killed Doedkyenyu." Kyesh saw the matter couldn't be delayed. The seething drone was working himself up, making any hope of a peaceful resolution fade away with each passing moment. He briefly fluttered his wings, moving himself through the air and bringing him ever closer to the commander.

“I wouldn't harm a single one of any of my crew!" Kyesh yelled at the insubordinate bug. Renledki was playing with him, he realized. Working up his anger by insulting what he cared about most. He was egging him on into a fight, and it was working. Kyesh's muscles tensed up beneath his hardened skin, and his blood began to pound in his ears.

“We'll see about that!" Renledki screamed as he gave one final flick of his wings, launching himself at the commander. Kyesh rolled with the impact and the two became locked in a floating, spinning tangle of thrashing limbs. Several Zherdany fluttered aside to let the pair pass as they continued their fight, but no one stepped in. They watched in suspense as the two drones fought it out, waiting to see who would emerge victorious as the new commander of the Unjust Fate.

Renledki had gained the initiatve with his sudden lunge and had three of Kyesh's limbs locked in an embrace. But his lunge had also sent them tumbling towards the hold's wall, and the pair impacted with a hard thump. Kyesh took advantage of the moment and spun the other drone around so that he took the brunt of the blow. The crash knocked the wind out of him, and Kyesh seized the opportunity. He delivered several punches to the Zherdany's head to keep him dazed. It seemed as though the fight might end there, until Renledki lashed out with his legs, catching Kyesh in the underbelly.

The force caused him to lose his grip, and he went flying away from the brute of a drone. Renledki, taking only a moment to recover from his opponent's blows, launched himself off the wall, overtaking his commander again. He caught Kyesh from behind, locking his arms and legs in place and putting him in a choke hold. Continuing to keep one arm wrapped his neck, Renledki began to reach down towards Kyesh's holster.

Realizing what he was going for, Kyesh lashed out with one final effort to escape the death grip. He managed to work an arm free and elbowed Renledki in his stomach. The blow was enough, and Renledki's grip loosened. Kyesh spun around, knocking the drones hand away from his holster. He swung an arm and made contact with Renledki's head. He grabbed the drone's limbs to hold him down and swung again. He hit again, and Renledki realed back from the force of the blow.

Now having seized the initiative, Kyeshoekoe swung again and again, coming away with a sense of satisfaction each time as Renledki's eyes began to roll back into his head. The drone lost consciousness, but to be sure, Kyesh struck him three more times. When it was clear that the troublemaker could offer no more resistance, he shoved him away, stabilizing himself with his wings. The limp Renledki floated away, and Kyesh reached for his holster.

He pulled out his prized Aekyeshe pistol from its pouch and pointed down towards his opponent. He lined up the sights with the helpless body, and squeezed the trigger. A bolt of bright white plasma leaped out of the weapon and soared towards Renledki. It struck his body dead center, burning a hole through to the inside. Dissatisfied, Kyeshoekoe fired again. The bolt struck the lifeless body again, searing it further. He fired a third time, and the body became unrecognizable. His grip on the pistol tightened in anger, but he stopped his firing and lowered it.

His position as commander of the Unjust Fate was now secure. Without Renledki to rally behind, his followers would fall back in line and accept Kyeshoekoe as their leader once more. He stared at the former Zherdany's body a second longer, charred to the bone, before turning around. With his mind focused on the fight to the death, Kyesh had tuned out everything else. There had been nothing in the world except him and his enemy. But facing him now was the crew who had watched the whole thing, and their blank stares snapped him back to reality.

He starred back at them, then at the pistol still in his hands. He recalled Renledki's last words. “We'll see about that!" Then he remembered his own words just before. “I wouldn't harm a single one of any of my crew." Who had he been telling? Renledki, or himself? He slowly holstered the pistol and looked back at his crew, shame in his eyes. He put his thoughts aside and returned his focus to the mission. There was a silent nervousness about the crew before Kyesh finally spoke.

“Everyone back to work," he said quietly as he gathered his fireteam again. The crew wordlessly turned their backs and returned to sorting through the ship's cargo, leaving Renledki's distorted body floating through the hold.

The commander turned to his team, who viewed him with a new, unfamiliar look on their faces. Ignoring the change, he gave them their orders. “We've got work to do, boys. Whoever's still on this ship is giving us a lot of trouble. I want them secured in the hold by the end of the kyakder, dead or alive." He stormed off down an unexplored hallway, intent on hunting down his unknown nemesis, and the team followed obediently behind him.

…

After what felt like an eternity of sneaking through corridors, flinching at every creak and groan, Alex had finally arrived in the ship's midsection. He approached the door to Luna's mainframe and keyed it open. Inside, the dark interior was pierced only by a few blinking lights on the ship's flight computer, casting red and blue shadows on the walls. Alex moved in cautiously, insuring there was no one inside. Once he was sure, he closed the door behind him and approached the computer.

“Luna?" he enquired aloud, but there was no response. He tapped the console and the interface booted up from sleep mode. The screen flickered briefly before stabilizing, and text began to appear onscreen. Greetings. You are interfacing with Lovelace Software FCS-C100v7.49 Luna. Please enter credentials:

Alex quickly tapped in his credentials and queried Luna for a status report.

Emergency Power Mode. Viral intrusion detected. Quarantine initiated. 2 subsystems infected.

• Mainframe – Quarantined

• Power – Quarantined

• Life Support – Quarantined

• Flight System – Infected

• A-Drive – Infected

• Communications – Quarantined

• Cargo – Quarantined.

Alex gave a sigh of relief. Most of the subsystems seemed to be alright; they were just isolated from each other due to the quarantine. If he could convince Luna to lift it, there was hope that he might be able to do something. He typed away at the console and asked her, Can you remove the quarantine and restore functionality?

2 subsystems infected. Quarantine cannot be lifted without manual reboot of infected systems.

Reboot them, please.

Manual reboot must be physically initiated.

Damn, Alex thought. He would have to reach the flight control system and A-drive himself to reset them. But he wasn't sure what good it would do him with the pirates still onboard, not to mention the weapons on their ship. Any ideas on how to deal with the boarders? he asked Luna on the console.

Query failed, she replied on the screen.

Alex didn't expect to get an answer so easily, but her response was still a disappointment. He thought for a moment before typing another question. If we can lift the quarantine, what kind of systems would I have available? Perhaps there would be something he could use to his advantage.

Luna presented him with a long list of components that he scrolled through. Several items caught his eye, but nothing that was particularly useful. He would get the comms maser back to call for help, but at light speed, that could take years. Power plant control might allow him to cause a meltdown, but that would kill him just as quickly as the pirates. Environmental controls sounded promising, but he wasn't sure what they entailed.

He considered for a moment before he recalled that masers had once been used on old military vessels before being entirely replaced by MACs. The masers were quickly made obsolete by the heavy armor of station-constructed naval ships, but against a freighter such as the pirates', his comm maser might still pack a punch. So that gave him a weapon against the ship. But what about the boarders?

He brought his hand down from his chin and back to the console, entering another query. Specify details on the environmental controls. A list of more specific functions was returned on the screen. Alex saw temperature and humidity controls, pressure systems, and air and water filters. He suddenly realized that the pressure systems could be used to evacuate sections of the ship of air. He would have to take care to select the right sections, but it would easily neutralize the pirates. He hoped.

Alex, with a clear objective in mind, whirled around and made his way for the flight system. He carefully opened the door and checked for pirates before running down the hallway, excited now that there was something he knew he could do. The chance to turn the situation upside down had revived his spirit, and he was beginning to feel a little less scared, exhilarated, even. As he rapidly flew through the twisting corridors, he was reminded of the challenges he faced in basic training with his squadmates, striving to succeed against unfavorable odds. The satisfaction he had had upon completing such challenges had been what he lived for in those days, and it was starting to contrast with his dull existence as a lonely freighter pilot. Ironic, that it would take something like this to get me going again, he thought to himself.

He swiftly reached the flight system computer, isolated from the mainframe for safety, and stepped through the bulkhead door. Glancing around, he saw the main console and powered on its display. He tapped away at the keypad until he found what he was looking for and hit the final keystroke. The return key gave a satisfying click as the console powered down, then rebooted with a fresh install. Alex watched it load up the new files for a moment before he was satisfied and turned to head for the A-drive system next.

Alex floated out into the hallway, forgetting to check for the pirates. He was brought back to his senses when he heard a sound from down the corridor. He looked back with a sudden sense of concern, but saw nothing. He paused for moment to listen and heard the faint hiss of a door opening beyond the bend of the winding hallway. At that, he turned and quickened his pace to the A-drive system, making it through to the next room before he could see anyone tailing him.

He didn't have to go far before he reached his destination. He could hear the constant buzzing of the exotic matter generators from well beyond their housing in the center-most room of the ship. It was dangerous equipment to be around, but he wouldn't be here for long. Just as before, he found the console and rebooted it from a fresh install. This time, he waited for it to finish, and when it was done, the ship's regular lighting flashed back on. “Yes!" he shouted as the artificial gravity slowly came back online, gently tugging him to the floor. “Luna, you there?"

“All systems restored and fully functional, Commander Korolev," she said. The sound of her voice, artificial as it was, filled him with glee, and he couldn't help but crack a smile.

“Good to have you back," he said. “Now down to business. Get to work with that maser. I need to figure out where these bugs are."

Outside the ship, the communications maser spun to face the Zherdany freighter, then hung silent in the black void. To the human eye, nothing appeared to be happening. But within its own invisible spectrum, the maser was firing an intensely powerful beam of synchronized microwaves directly at the pirate ship. After a few seconds, the turrets on the ship began to glow an intense orange, then deformed as the pressure became too much for them to bear. The maser immediately shifted its aim towards the freighter's own communications package, entreating it to the same fate. Finally, it targeted the engines, crippling the old ship as it clung to the New Moon.

Back inside, a nearby console flickered as Luna brought up a schematic of the vessel. Three different rooms, including the cargo hold, were highlighted in red. “Three unidentified parties detected," she said. “Two parties estimated to be heading aftwards." As she spoke, one of the highlighted rooms blinked off, and the room just below it winked on in its place. It was the corridor just outside the A-drive system, exactly where Alex was now.

“Luna!" he shouted. “Seal the doors now!" But as he was shouting, the door to the room hissed open, and one of the green Zherdany pirates stepped through. Behind him were several more, each one armed and ready to fight, but Luna was fast enough to slam the doors shut before they could hop through. The pirate who had made it through whirled around in surprise at the closed doors which separated him from his crewmates. Just as quickly, though, he turned back and lifted an oddly shaped, curved pistol towards Alex. Despite his alien appearance, it was clear he had murderous intentions.

…

Commander Kyeshoekoe led his team in the search for the human occupant, rapidly maneuvering through the twisting hallways and corridors, barely pausing for the sake of caution. The human, or humans if there was more than one, had caused a great deal of trouble for him and his crew, and he was hell-bent on getting revenge.

The team fluttered through the air, checking and clearing rooms as they passed them. They had adapted quickly to the microgravity environment and were moving fluidly throughout the ship, like a flood of water through a narrow channel. But their synergistic movement was suddenly disturbed as the lights flickered on, and an invisible hand grabbed them from mid-flight, pulling them to the floor. Several of the aliens skidded across the floor or crashed into walls, but a few managed to keep their balance and land softly, if somewhat ungracefully, in the restored gravity.

The commander screamed in rage as he landed on his four legs. “They've got the ship back online!" he shouted at no one in particular. He halted himself and the team paused to briefly reorient themselves. Kyesh put a hand to his headset and spoke in an angry tone. “Myat, what the hell is going on? You're supposed to have the ship locked down and secure! If you can't keep it that way, I'll have you off my ship!" He was being aggressive and rude with his old friend, but he was too angry to care.

Kyesh waited briefly for a response, but there was only static. The drone shouted in anger again, then grabbed his headset and smashed it into the floor. It shattered into several pieces that scattered across the hallway. The team starred at him, surprised at his unusual outburst of anger. “Get back to work!" he yelled at them. “The reactivation changes nothing." In fact, Kyesh knew it meant a lot. It was possible ship defenses could be back online, if there were any at all, and the fact that Myat hadn't responded to his radio call worried the commanding drone. He persisted forward regardless and led the team through to the next corridor.

“Clear the rooms," he called out in a forceful tone. Kyesh himself walked up to a door and prepared to step through with two other Zherdany behind him. He tapped the control panel and the door slid open. As he entered the room beyond, he saw a human male standing near a computer console. He instantly began lifting his pistol, but the door suddenly slammed shut behind him. He swiveled his head around at the noise to find that his two partners had not come through. The human must have locked the door just after he passed through it. He turned back to face his opponent and lifted the gun again, this time intending to fire.

But as he lifted the weapon, the human dove behind a large, gray crate. He shouted in his human tongue, but Kyesh did not understand what he said. “Luna, hit the lights!" Almost immediately, the lights in the room flashed off, and the Zherdany was blinded before he could fire. He fired anyway, already having been half way aimed, but the plasma bolt missed the crate and slammed into a console on the other side of the room, blowing it apart. The faint blue glow of the weapon's discharge illuminated the impact site, but there was no sign of an injured human in the smashed components.

Kyesh heard scrambling feet to the left, shifted his aim, and fired. Again, the shot impacted the far wall, and there was no sign of the human. Instead, the mess of electrical equipment caught fire, and the room became illuminated by the flickering orange light. Kyesh saw the human now, charging straight at him. He was about to fire a third time when he was abruptly knocked to the ground. The heavy weight of his nemesis fell on top of him, arms reaching around to prevent escape. The strike left him breathless, and he lost his grip on his prized pistol. It was sent clinking across the floor of the dark room, beyond his grasp.

The human began pummeling the pinned bug on the floor, pounding him with his fists. Kyesh threw up his arms to protect himself and kicked out with his legs. The force was enough to roll the human over, putting Kyesh in a more favourable position. In a one on one fight, he would need as much of an advantage as he could get; the human was nearly twice his mass. Once on top, he pinned the human's arms in place with his own, then began striking out with two of his legs.

The human winced with each blow, but even through his alien facial expressions, it was apparent to Kyesh that he was not about to give up. A sudden surge of strength overpowered Kyesh's grip and the human grabbed him by the shoulders. He rolled him over, but Kyesh kept the momentum going, and the pair tumbled across the room, embraced in a fight for survival.

They had rolled near to where the Aekyeshe pistol lie abandoned on the floor, just beyond reach, and Kyesh could see it out of the corner of his eye. The human saw it too, and they glanced back at each other to see how the other would react. The human reached out an arm, but the Zherdany reacted faster. He knew the human had a longer reach, so he grabbed his collar and slammed him into the ground. Stunned for a moment, the man was unable to grab hold of the weapon, and Kyesh attacked his arm, preventing him from making further attempts. The human shifted his attention, and bucked underneath the bug. The force was strong enough to knock the Zherdany off altogether, and the human scrambled towards the pistol again.

Kyesh, his underside free now that he was no longer locked in combat with the man, reached for a small sheath by his belly. He pulled out a wicked, serrated dagger, ready to spill blood, and lunged back towards the human. The dagger flew towards its target, gripped tightly in Kyesh's hand. But at the last moment, the human spun around, alien pistol in hand, pointing straight at Kyesh. Time seemed to freeze as he stared down the barrel, then in the eyes of the alien before him. For that briefest moment, starring into the eyes of his adversary, he saw something. Not the rage he himself felt during the fight. Not the fear of an animal fighting for survival. But sorrow. There was a bright flash of blinding blue light. Then nothing.

…

Alex was hit by the limp body of the Zherdany as it continued towards him, dagger slipping from its hand and narrowly missing him. He fell back to the ground as the body hit him. He lay for a moment to assure himself that he was still alive and breathing. Then he groaned, rolled the body off, and stood up, starring at the mess before him. The bug was clearly dead, its face imploded from the blast of the plasma pistol. He looked away in disgust. He only hoped it had been a quick and painless death. It was more than could be said for the bugs just outside; they had been slowly asphyxiated to death when Luna had locked the doors and evacuated the air. But it had been necessary. Alex couldn't think of any other way to save himself.

“Luna, restore the pressure outside please," he said in a somber voice. Still holding the pistol in his hand, he took a moment to examine it. It was of an alien design, curved and organic in appearance, with a dark green, glossy sheen. He tucked it away in a pocket as Luna spoke up.

“Air pressure restored, Commander. Doors unlocked. Zero unidentified parties detected." The door to the room beyond clicked as the internal locks freed, and it swished open as Alex approached.

He stepped through and saw several bodies littered across the floor. He gingerly stepped over them and began making his way back to the bridge, where he wouldn't have to see the Zherdany. He should be happy, he realized. He had countered the pirate raid and successfully taken back his ship. He would live to see another day. But he couldn't help think of the lives he had taken that day. Of the price he had paid for his own survival, and of the price they had paid for theirs, without even realizing it.

Alex slowly wandered through the corridors of the New Moon until he reached the bridge, silently brooding to himself. When he finally stepped into the ship's control room, he collapsed into the pilot's chair. “Luna," he said heavily. “Is that ship still attached to us?"

“Affirmative, Commander," she said in her usual monotone voice.

“Cut it off with the maser. Then take us home."

Luna directed the maser once again and began burning through the umbilical which tethered the two ships together. After several minutes of constant firing, the pirate ship was finally cut loose. Jets of expanding air pushed the craft away, and it began a slow spin into the void. Luna, taking control of the New Moon, fired up the thrusters and powered away. The A-drive began charging, and a few moments later, the cargo ship blinked out of existence, disappearing into the depths of subspace.