The masked figure aboard the scorched red starship drifted in and out of consciousness. Even in his weakened state, he clutched his helmet, refusing to remove it. A trembling hand stretched toward the approaching vessel—an enormous Ascender streaked with hues of blue, silver, and yellow.
Within moments, the crew of the starship pulled him aboard, rescuing him just before his ship was consumed by flames. The Crusaders gathered around the unconscious stranger, unsure of what to make of the new arrival.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Sky Raider asked cautiously, eyeing the figure. "This could—"
Before anyone could finish their thoughts, the hunter jolted upright.
"Where is my helmet?" he rasped, eyes sharp despite his battered condition.
Monette stepped forward and gently handed it to him with a soft, welcoming smile.
"We're—" she began, but the stranger cut in, his voice surprisingly steady.
"Sky Raider, Gunz, and Monette. The Starship Crusaders."
They froze.
"I know it might seem strange having someone aboard who already knows who you are," he continued, settling the helmet beside him without putting it on. "But I had nowhere else to go. I've been compromised."
Randall and Monette exchanged a stunned glance—eyes wide, lips curling with excitement. For all their wild exploits and reckless adventures, they had rarely been recognized for who they truly were. At long last, someone knew their names.
Monette beamed. "No pressure! I'm just glad you know who we are!"
Gunz, however, remained silent. Arms crossed, his expression unreadable. His gaze lingered on the stranger—but whatever thoughts he had, he kept them to himself.
The former bounty hunter offered a small, guarded smile, visibly relieved that the crew hadn't treated him with hostility—at least not immediately.
Gunz, however, was unmoved. He crossed his arms tightly and narrowed his eyes. "Stranger, huh? How the hell do you know all this? And who exactly are you?" His tone was sharp and unwavering, demanding an answer with the weight of someone who'd heard one too many lies.
Monette nervously twirled a strand of her hair, her fingers fidgeting. "But Gunz... he hasn't hurt us. That should count for something, right?"
Gunz let out a long, irritated sigh, rolling his eyes in response.
Randall stepped between them, raising a hand. "Let the man speak before we burn him at the stake, huh?"
Both Monette and Randall turned to Gunz with synchronized guilty puppy-dog eyes. Gunz glanced between them, grumbling under his breath before relenting with a single nod.
"You've got three minutes," Gunz muttered, lowering his arms. "Convince us we shouldn't toss you out the airlock."
All eyes fell on the man.
"I'm Tommy Daystar," he said calmly. "I'm from the Paragon Galaxy. I was... originally dispatched to eliminate you. There was a bounty. Issued by Polaris."
The moment her name hit the air, Gunz reacted like a reflex. His massive Helix Reaper was halfway drawn before Randall and Monette leapt forward, forcing his arms down.
"Whoa! Whoa—Gunz, stop!" Monette cried out, eyes wide.
"Let him finish!" Randall barked, using both hands to push the weapon down.
Tommy flinched but didn't move, holding his ground despite the sudden threat. His helmet sat beside him, untouched. His expression, though slightly tense, didn't shift into fear—just resolve.
"I said I was dispatched," Tommy clarified, locking eyes with Gunz. "I chose not to follow through."
The ship fell into silence again, save for the hum of the engine.
"I've waited a long time for someone to bring her down," Tommy said, his voice steady but laced with years of buried tension. "Polaris... she ruled through fear, manipulation, and unchecked power. I watched her destroy lives—entire families—without ever lifting a finger. And no one dared challenge her. No one... until you."
He looked around at the crew—SkyRaider's determined eyes, Monette's hopeful expression, and Gunz's calculating stare. "When I saw you stand against her... I knew. You weren't just reckless outlaws or another rebel band with a death wish. You were different. You fought back. You wounded her. That meant something."
Tommy exhaled, glancing down for a moment as if reliving the weight of it all. "So when I intercepted the bounty on Gunz, I didn't just hesitate—I intervened. I couldn't let them take away the first real threat to Polaris I've ever seen. I believed in you. Still do."
Gunz slowly lowered his weapon, his eyes still locked on Tommy, studying him. The tension faded, and he slid the Helix Reaper back onto his back. "Well... at least now we know where you stand."
Tommy gave a small, tired smile. "You saved me when you didn't have to. And now, I'm asking for something more. I need your help, Crusaders."
SkyRaider stepped forward, extending his hand. "You've got it. You believed in us when no one else did. Now it's our turn to believe in you. Welcome aboard."
Tommy took the handshake, gripping it tightly. "Thank you. Just an hour ago, I was running for my life. I failed to save my comrade. Talbein told me to keep going, to make it to Prireem..."
Monette tilted her head, her voice gentle. "But we're heading in the opposite direction. Why couldn't you get there?"
Three Hours Earlier…
Across the star-swept expanse of the Paragon Galaxy, a crimson Iron Fang Drifter blazed through the void, streaking past stars and debris while a fleet of Stormveil assault ships closed in from all sides. The sky behind it flared with bursts of gunfire and missile trails, but none of the chaos reached the serene blue surface of Planet Prireem below.
"Talbein? Sir—are you there?" Tommy's voice crackled through the comms as he tore through the star field toward the planet. No answer. Just more interference. Just more enemy fire.
A wall of ships emerged ahead, boxing him in. More Stormveils flanked him left and right—too many to dodge.
And then came the voice. Cool. Mocking. Familiar.
"You're finished, Tommy."
Tommy narrowed his eyes at the dark, tinted window of the lead ship in front of him. The silhouette inside was unmistakable.
"Kyknos!" he snarled, recognizing her instantly.
Before he could react, Talbein's voice screamed through his earpiece. "Ky—! She's turned! Tommy, she's initiated a Thraq alliance! They're staging a coup—La'sylix is just the start! We're only stage one in something much bigger, I—"
The message cut out in a burst of static.
"Damn it!" Tommy growled, slamming a fist against the controls.
But Talbein had bought him a window.
The Iron Fang burst forward as Talbein's vessel rammed head-on into Kyknos'—an act of defiant sacrifice. Explosions bloomed behind Tommy as he broke free from the trap, engines roaring.
"You have no escape, boy!" a Zen-barian taunted from the fleet above. "Surrender the Iron Fang and maybe we'll let you die with dignity!"
Tommy slid his helmet back on.
"You talk too much."
With swift precision, he flipped the Iron Fang to auto-awareness mode, snatched a grav-device from his belt, and snapped it to the soles of his boots. Then, without hesitation, he climbed through the canopy and out onto the roof of the ship, standing tall against the storm.
Laser bolts tore through space. Tommy spun, ducked, and weaved between them, his star saber igniting in his hand. Each strike of the blade ricocheted the blasts back to their origin—exploding hulls, ruptured wings, scattered chaos.
He wasn't just surviving. He was dominating.
Then he saw her. Kyknos—leading the charge, her ship's turrets shifting and morphing into a massive plasma cannon. Aimed directly at him.
He barely had a second.
The cannon fired.
The Iron Fang shuddered violently as the blast hit.
Tommy was launched into the void—his silhouette disappearing in a flare of fire and metal.
Now...
Tommy turned to SkyRaider, his voice steady beneath the low hum of the ship's engine.
"We need to make a stop. There's someone I have to get out—Arthur Eros. I'm the reason he's in this mess."
He clipped his helmet on with a firm click, the tone in his voice sharp with accountability.
SkyRaider spun around from the control panel, disbelief etched across his face.
"Wait—what?! You don't just drop a bomb like that and expect me to roll with it!"
Tommy shrugged with a knowing grin. "And yet… you're rolling with it."
SkyRaider blinked.
"Don't—"
Before he could finish, the others chimed in without hesitation.
"Yes!" the crew shouted in unison.
SkyRaider threw his hands up in surrender and slumped back into the pilot seat.
"Unbelievable. I swear, we're one dramatic monologue away from becoming an intergalactic soap opera."
Tommy chuckled softly beneath his helmet.
"Good. Let's go get our rockstar."