The Shady Shade

Chapter 4

Has been a while since I updated this one but hope you're still with it.

He was dazed. He couldn't remember boarding his ship, nor getting off that cursed planet. All he knew was that someone had deliberately killed his friends and family and for once the answer to their deaths wasn't him. All those years of guilt hadn't suddenly vanished, no, but there was something to be said about having someone specific to blame for all the shit you lived through. And now it was time to make her pay.

Grave set course for Ryshini in the Killimen system, a trader's planet that had everything he needed, supplies and information. He punched in the destination coordinates but when he went to apply them the power went off. He tried to restart the engines with no success so, with a few choice curses he headed for the engine room.

He was just passing through deck 3 when the lights flickered and stayed on, the rest of the ship coming back to life a breath later.

- What the...?

It wasn't like he could ignore the power outage so Grave continued on, to find out what was going on. He tapped in the code to open the door as soon as he reached the engine room and quietly went inside. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary at first but then he heard soft curses coming from behind one of the cell chambers. Considering that Officer Ghier hadn't found a single soul on his ship at the docks it was unexpected to find someone that had embarked while he was on Frilla. Carefully not to alert the stranger to his presence Grave stepped around the chamber and blinked his surprise.

On the floor with a tool almost bigger than his arm stood a young boy his short dark hair a complete mess and his eyes glued to one of the circuit boards that controlled the cells in the chamber.

- What are you doing there, kid?

The tool dropped with a piercing sound that echoed through the room making both of them cringe. A moment later the intruder turned around abruptly with a mixture of fear and surprise on his face. He went to run left, though Grave wondered where did he think he could run to as he grabbed the boy's arm pulling him back and restraining his flailing hands to avoid getting hit.

- Let me go! The intruder demanded.

- No, was all Grave said then picked him up throwing him over the shoulder and walking out.

- Put me down, now! He insisted though there was a slight tremor in his voice that Grave didn't miss.

- Hmmm, let me think...no.

- No matter what you think I'll do I won't, you deviant. I'd rather die than do that again! You can't make me!

Grave stopped in his tracks surprised by the boy's insinuation. Out of all the things to be told he hadn't expected to be called a pervert, especially regarding a child. If he hadn't caught the implications of the word 'again' in that statement he would be insulted by the mere thought that he would be willing to put his hands on a kid. As it was, he set the said kid on his feet and stared into his eyes. They were very strange a shade of gold with their vertical pupil staring back at him. In some strange way they were mesmerizing and, although he didn't condone the behavior, he could see how someone might become too infatuated with them. Shaking his head to clear an unexpected fog that had settled there in the few seconds he'd stared in his trespasser's eye Grave decided to set him straight before he found out what the little guy was doing on his ship.

- Listen here kid...

- I am not a child! The intruder interrupted.

- You look like one. As a matter of fact you look young enough for me to be your father, so whatever it is you think I'm thinking of doing to you, let me be clear: I am not into rape or child molestation. Actually I'm not into molestation of any kind. I was going to take you to one of the holding cells, throw you in it and keep you there until I found out what you are doing here, why you were damaging my ship and who sent you.