New Alliance

Awakening with a gasp, the sharp sting in my shoulder brought reality crashing back. The battleground, now still, was dotted with the remnants of the firefight. Pirate bodies were scattered around, a silent testament to the chaos that had erupted.

As I sat up, my vision swam, the scene before me a stark reminder of the desperate fight we had been in. Where the pirate ship had once loomed was now just empty space. And Ravager... Ravager was nowhere to be found.

Just as I was taking in the desolation, the hum of an approaching ship echoed across the barren landscape. It was the Freestar deputy. As his ship landed, he climbed out, eyes wide at the scene of carnage.

"What in the...?" Deputy Soren stammered out, taking in the scattered bodies and the wreckage.

Gramps, who had been hiding behind a large mound of rocks, stepped up to him, "They intercepted our message, Deputy. Ravager's crew."

The deputy looked at me, then at Gramps, disbelief writ clear on his face, "You're telling me you two did all this?"

I managed a weak shrug, ignoring the pain that the action caused. "They started it."

"Where's Ravager?" Deputy Soren asked, glancing around.

"We think he got away," I responded, my gut sinking at the thought of the cunning pirate on the loose once more.

"Damn," the deputy ran a hand through his hair. "This was a hell of a situation for a kid and an old man. You two are tougher than you look."

We shared an understanding nod, the kind born from surviving chaos. Before he left, Deputy Soren pointed us in the direction of Akila City. "Head there. They have good medics, and you could use some downtime. I’ll handle things here."

As the deputy’s ship lifted off, I turned to Gramps. "Akila City it is, then?"

Gramps, looking out towards the horizon, nodded. "Seems like it. Let's get you patched up first."

As we headed back into the 'Nomad', an unfamiliar smell greeted us. It was food... cooking. A sinking feeling hit my gut. I drew my blaster and moved slowly through the ship, Gramps following closely behind.

As we entered the ship's small galley, a shocking sight awaited us. There, at our stove, stood Ravager, a pan in his hand and a half-cooked meal in front of him. He turned to us, a nonchalant look on his face.

"So," he began, flipping whatever he was cooking, "Where are we headed next?"

The shock rendered us silent, as Ravager, the notorious pirate captain, continued cooking as if it was the most normal thing in the world. I felt a sudden, strange feeling of familiarity... and an unexpected sense of alliance. It appeared that our journey with Ravager was far from over. And maybe, just maybe, we had gained an unexpected ally in this lawless corner of the cosmos.