Incandescant

Adrift

After stealing potentially sensitive intel meant for Red Barrel's 3rd Commander, Nobu began to head for Ingram 4 an orbital satellite and Red's base of operation near Ingram Alpha; the central port for pirate trade. However before he could leave the solar system, he was hailed by a military war-craft;

"Hailing unmarked freighter," she said, "this is Lt. Reishi Itsuko of the Hebi-hime; please come to a full stop and prepare yourself to be boarded and search. This is by order of the Easland Industrial Republic Military and our commander Major General Aeko Ramos!"

Nobu paused for a moment; possibly considering his options. His eyes fell on his helmsman, both smiled deviously. Suddenly Nobu's ship released a fluorescent smog, blocking them from the Hebi-hime's view as they made their escape. Aboard the Hebi-hime; Lt. Itsuko reported the matter to his commander.

"Cpt. Shiryu, Gen. Ramos!" she said, "The pirate ship has refused our deal."

"Shiryu, give the order;" said the shady general, "I want that ship turned into space trash. If we can't procure that drive; all might as well be lost."

The Hebi-hime gave chase but seemed to be outmatched for maneuverability by the smaller vessel. Soon Nobu and his crew began celebrating, that was until Islaroz walked onto the bridge. He wasn't too sure what they were celebrating and for the most part he didn't care. He had become disheartened with the idea of being a pirate on Nobu's ship and yearned for his days on the Musty; flying Red's Banner and raking in millions at a time. Sipping some tea he made his way to the navigation board and sat down to have a look. He began to shake feircly. His tea fell from his hand and his jacket soaked in sweat. He turned to Nobu and pointed at the screen;

"N-n-nobu..." he said, still shaking, "please tell me that's not the Hebi-hime..."

"Yep but its in our particles now. Long gone." said Nobu confidently.

"You're kidding right?!" he replied staggering to his feet, "The Hebi-hime, the first vessel to perfect segmented-versatility travel. The most adaptable war craft ever designed; capable of effortless debris maneuverability and avoidance. The only craft to be designed with the specific intent of capturing pirate vessels. Commanded by the ruthless Major General Aeko Ramos; whose personal motto is – I'll hunt down any prey to the ends of the galaxy! – and you think you've lost them!!"

"Yep," Nobu said just as confidently, "this bucket's no joke either. The great pirate Black Fang developed this ship! I do believe nothing can out run it."

"For our sake, I hope you're right." he replied.

The ship continued to push forward without slowing, however its crew's joy cut short by Islaroz's fears. Suddenly the ship jolted to the side and began to lose power. Its thrusters went offline and it seemed to just float there. Nobu looked at Islaroz who had been staring at the navigation board for some time. He turned and pointed at it with his jaw dropped.

"You idiot!" he screamed, "They're in front of us!"

The bridge began to panic. The Hebi-hime had not only outrun them but also shattered their thrusters to stop them from escaping. Their situation seemed desperate. Islaroz rushed and prepared emergency packs for everyone, as they all stood frozen. Even Nobu, with all his pride in his ship; felt numb with fear. Islaroz pulled Nobu next to him and began explaining 'their' plan to the crew;

"Listen up!" he yelled, taking command from Nobu; "We can't win this fight! The Hebi-hime and its crew have been doing this a lot longer than you brats; so we have no choice we're going to try to run..."

"We tried that," shouted a voice in the crowd, "they're unstoppable!"

"That's because you're still fighting on their terms," he replied; "time you pirates learned how to fight dirty. First gather all the explosives near the ships rear, then rig it with a timer. Give it 5 minutes; that should be long enough for us to set up a bridge dive."

"A bridge dive!" the crowd murmured.

"Yes," he continued, "the other choices are surrender and spend the next ten years in Sol Grange or die fighting back. Ultimately its up to the Captain."

The crew turned and faced Nobu. He staggered for a moment but went ahead with Islaroz's plan but he knew in his heart he had lost the trust of his crew. The Hebi-hime hailed once more; threatening to destroy the ship should they resist the boarding party. Itsuko was the first off the ship; opting to lead the party and ensure the safety of those accompanying him. They had reached about halfway when a bright light appeared before them and explosion pushed them back toward their ship. When the smoke cleared the freighter was gone, leaving nothing but debris.