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She watched the new ship fly down like the angel of judgment come to burn her world down.
Red. Aggressive. This ship was imposing as hell. Three stories of rounded windows lined the sides of a sunfish-shaped hull. Sharp fins on top and bottom, one jutting straight out on one side.
The newcomer’s craft turned in sudden, startling movements, all the more frightening for its massive size. It revealed its other side, cratered in scorch marks and sporting a loosened pectoral fin. The little metal wing flailed as the ship veered this way and that.
She was as in love with the aggressive monstrosity as she was appalled.
Mismatched weapons were welded into the hull like clay, solidified into a scrap-golem that she found inexplicably beautiful. Something told her that the ship’s owner acquired guns at random and kept them all.
In a mesmerized trance, she watched as the red ship fired a dark orb that annihilated pirate ship #1 on impact. Shards of composite erupted where an entire ship had been. All its atmosphere. All its passengers.
Dust.
Thatwoke her up in a winding instant. That could have beenhership.
She began to sneak away.
The red ship looped behind her so fast that her cloak dissipated, revealing her hidden ship. Lucca’s body ran hot with terror.
“Research ship.” A steady male voice burst through the comms. “I did not see you there. You must be the one who drew out these pirates.” He hovered in her area, sizing up her vessel. “I see you are unarmed. Stick around and I will escort you somewhere safe.”
If he wanted to come off as non-threatening, he was out of his mind.
“Wait here.” He took off, engaging the other ship and sending a shot back. He kept the channel open to both her and the pirates, growling some taunt that translated into nonsense.
Then he was back to her—the pirate ship still hovering around in bee-like patterns, trying to get a good strike on him. But his ship moved too unpredictably for them to target.
“Let me know you’re alive? Any losses? Emergencies?” he asked.
Lucca tried to flee again. The instant her cloak came up, he cut her off once more. Her controls were scrambled by his interference, throwing her cloaking efforts off. Red-hot frustration pounded through her.
“Has this ship been hijacked?” he demanded.
“I’m alive,” she begrudgingly answered. “Not hijacked.” Her voice sounded even smaller to her ears with the lie. The ship had been straight-up stolen, repurposed, and given to her research team, but she wouldn’t say that.
“Oh, you’re—” He cut himself off abruptly.Don’t say female, don’t say human—I’m already having a hard enough day.“Your ship is pink.”
What?
His tone grew even friendlier. “I don’t see many people flying these. It’s a newer model, yeah?”
“Uhhh.”
“I like it.”
“Thank you??”
The battle resumed. But he wasn’t attacking the remaining ship so much as keeping it occupied while making sure she couldn’t flee the scene.
He was multitasking… during a battle. This man was a freak.
Lucca drifted into the zone of crossfire, losing control of the Selkie.
“Science ship, it might not be wise to try to get shot at… unless you were trying?” he said. She could tell it was a plausible theory to him.
“I wasn’t trying!”
Her attempt to move sideways sent her head first at the pirates. Through the monitor she saw the pirates all crammed behind their windshield, reversing in a hurry.
