Naomi's heart was heavy. They had no choice but to head toward an outpost that was likely a trap. Still, despite her dread, the Grim Reaper was ready to fly.
"Naomi... all set. Time... to link up with Girard," Rim Zap said, urging departure.
"Yeah, I know. Alright then—main engine, start up sequence!"
Panels across the captain's chair lit up. The bridge glowed as monitors showed the outside world.
"All sensors clean. No anomalies," Shino reported from the control seat.
"Osaka, how's the engine? Any problems?" Naomi asked.
Osaka's voice burst with energy.
"No problems at all, darlin'! Runnin' smooth as butter. We can blast off whenever ya feel like it!"
"Then let's launch the Grim Reaper. Head straight about two thousand klicks at cruise speed."
The ship slid through the dock's airlock gate and back into the wide black of space.
"Baroque... you sure about lending me these two?" Naomi asked.
"Of course. They volunteered. A good commander listens to her crew. And who knows what might happen out there—these two can handle close combat. They'll keep you safe."
On-screen, Baroque smirked.
"Hmph. The captain here fought to come himself, you know," Shino added dryly.
"Wha—hey, don't go blabbin' like that! I just thought Naomi might need backup with pirate diplomacy, that's all—"
"Yes yes. Cutting the line now," Shino said, ending the call before Baroque could finish.
Naomi blinked. "Wait, Baroque really wanted to come?"
Shino nodded. "Yes. He's not very honest with his feelings, but he was worried for you, Ms. Naomi."
Naomi tilted her head, uncertain, then shook it off. She had more pressing things to check—like spotting Girard's landing craft, the Gremlin.
"Visual contact. Signal confirmed—it's the Gremlin. Forwarding rendezvous time to your panel," Shino reported, spinning his seat to face Naomi.
The bridge layout spread around her: captain's chair raised at the center, control station with radar and comms on the right, gunnery seat on the left.
"Yo, rookie," Girard's voice sneered through a private channel. "Thought you'd chicken out. Today, there ain't no babysitter—so don't drag me down, just follow orders."
Naomi grumbled. "Ugh, arrogant jerk. He's not even my superior..." She grabbed the mic anyway.
"This is Grim Reaper to Gremlin. Seeeenpai! Be a good guide and show us the way, yeah?"
Shino stifled a laugh. "You always tease them like that. When the Abyss first heard you call Girard that, our whole bridge froze. I bet the Gremlin crew's jaws just dropped the same way."
Naomi smirked. "Well, I don't feel like answering politely to rude people."
The Gremlin cut comms after that. At rendezvous, it sent a stripped-down star map showing just one route to the outpost.
"Osaka, check this map against ours. And make some backup escape routes, just in case."
"You got it, boss. Gremlin's map? Same as ours, so no worries. And hey—made three extra getaway routes for ya too. Sendin' 'em over to Shino-han right now."
Shino blinked. "Three? There should only be two left. Oh... wait. That's the old Valdis Empire star map, isn't it? Those routes were meant for military ops. Makes sense."
He nodded. Naomi had quietly loaded the map they'd stolen from Serena's pendant into the Grim Reaper.
"So Girard really did just send one single route, huh," Naomi murmured.
"Arriving at warp point... the Gremlin just jumped," Shino reported.
Naomi drew a deep breath. "Alright then. Guess we're diving headfirst into that trap. Oh, and—mark the Gremlin as a potential hostile. If they twitch funny, blow 'em sky-high."
She glanced at Rim Zap and Shino. Neither objected. Serena's battleship had been attacked by supposed allies before. Osaka had always warned her—never trust unknown ships. Girard was no exception.
"Rim Zap—battle prep! First cannon starboard ninety, second cannon port ninety, third straight back. Small turrets set to auto-defense. Missiles armed. Shields full forward!"
Naomi braced the ship even before the jump.
"Osaka, soon as we warp out, push her to max speed. Be ready."
"Roger that! I'm revvin' her up, sugar. She'll kick like a bronco the second we land!"
Naomi eased the controls toward the warp point—just shy of the marked coordinates.
"Shino, begin long-range warp."
"Starting warp in three... two... one... jump!"
"Warping out in three... two—"
The alarm blared shrill.
"Osaka! Full speed now!"
Before Shino even finished the countdown, Naomi slammed the stick down and stomped the pedal, rolling the ship hard.
"Enemy ships all around! Missiles inbound, port side!" Shino shouted.
"Rim Zap! Guns and turrets, intercept now!" Naomi barked, overriding the chaos.
The Grim Reaper's cannons roared, compressed energy streams ripping into incoming missiles. They exploded close, the shock rattling the hull.
"Interception successful! IDs confirmed—Imperial fleet. Two battleships, three cruisers, seven destroyers... plus the Gremlin."
Naomi exhaled, bitter. "Knew it. Mark Gremlin as hostile. Shino, can you raise Baroque or any allies?"
"No. They're jamming comms."
"Figures. Fine then—we'll keep every scrap of battle footage logged. With proof, no one can twist the story later."
Even as she spoke, she threw the Grim Reaper into evasive arcs, dodging fire while charging headlong at the destroyers.
Osaka whooped, "Yeehaw! Got all their jersey numbers down already!"
"Rim Zap, hit the two destroyers starboard side first. And when we pass, fire three missiles into that lead cruiser," Naomi ordered.
She rolled the ship, Rim Zap swung the cannons, and the missile bays slid open.
"Course locked. Thirty-two degrees starboard, eight up. Shields angled right. Full speed—charge!"
The Grim Reaper thundered forward into the trap.