Darian Kester

"Come on," she said. "Let's take a look around."

They cautiously made their way along the tunnel. They heard raised voices from ahead of them and so they crept forward to where the tunnel opened up into a huge cave. They peeked around the corner and saw that there were various space craft parked around the chamber. There were three men in shabby clothes armed with pistols standing around a thin man who wore a blue and brown high-collared suit.

"We just want you to override the weapon systems," said one of the armed men. "You owe us."

"I don't know how to do that," said the thin man.

"We know who you are," said one of the armed men. "You're Darian Kester."

"Then it's a simple case of mistaken identity," said the thin man. "I'm just an innocent bystander who got on the wrong side of the Solidarity."

"I don't think so. You're Darian Kester." the armed man gave him a shove. "Kester the legendary computer fraudster." He gave him another shove. "Your face was all over the net so don't try to bullshit us. And the solidarity caught you trying to steal 12 million credits."

"Okay, you got me." The Kester shrugged. "So I'll fix your computer and be on my way, okay?"

"No, we busted you out and now you work us. If we hadn't broken you out you'd be rotting on a Solidarity slave mine by now. "

"I'm not sure this is much of an upgrade," said the thin man looking around at the dirty cave.

The space pirate punched him the stomach and Kester doubled over.

"We've got to help him," whispered Stacy drawing her pistol.

Astra slowly drew her blaster.

Meanwhile Kester had got to his feet and was sitting at a control panel in the ships cockpit. He pressed a few buttons and suddenly loud rumble started and a was of exhaust gas blasted out from under the base of the ship, knocking the men over. The ship started to lift off the ground but then the engines whined and faded and it settled back again. Kester tried various controls, panicking. One of the space pirates leaped on board, his gun leveled at Kester's head. Kester raised his hands and the pirtate threw him out of the ship.

"You think we're idiots? We wouldn't let you get your hands on a working ship! Now you're going to pay for that."

"I'm no use to you dead!" said Kester.

"Oh, I don't need to kill you," said the pirate. "Afterall, you don't need both of your feet, do you?"

"Right, let's do it now," said Astra. She stood and started shooting, taking the space pirates by surprise.

Stacy followed her lead aiming at a pirate and firing. A beam of orange and red flashed out and cut one of the space pirates in half.

"Come on!" shouted Stacy to Kester. "Let's go!"

Kester didn't need to be told twice and he got up and ran to them. Together they left the cave running back into the passageway.

As they came round the corner and straight into a squad of heavy armed space pirates.

1. They are taken prisoner

Add New Option

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree