Adrian - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Adrian sat at the helm of the Raven, a medium-sized Guild cargo vessel with a crew of four. Like most Guild ships operating along the frontier, the Raven carried defensive systems and weapons. Pirate attacks were uncommon, but common enough that flying unarmed simply wasn’t an option.

Each station aboard the ship played a vital role. Captain Lisan Loc occupied the forward right station, which combined command and navigation. Adrian sat at the pilot’s controls to the left, where he managed the ship’s flight systems and power distribution. Behind them, Naggs monitored the weapons and defensive systems while Siggy handled communications.

It was the crew’s first mission together.

Their destination was the Beltran System, one of the most distant frontier outposts in the Trade Federation. Its isolation meant Federation patrols were few and far between, making the system a favorite hunting ground for pirates, raiders, and other opportunists willing to prey on lightly escorted cargo ships.

Their assignment was straightforward. Deliver medical supplies, machine parts, and other essential equipment to the planet Berto, unload the cargo, and return home.

Simple enough.

Within the hour, the cargo was secured aboard the Raven and the crew was cleared for departure. Adrian guided the ship away from the spaceport, following Captain Loc’s instructions until they were clear of local traffic and free to make the jump toward Berto.

The Raven settled into cruise velocity as the stars stretched into brilliant lines before returning to pinpoints of light. With the first few navigation adjustments complete, the bridge relaxed into the familiar rhythm of a routine cargo run.

Captain Lisan Loc rested comfortably in her chair, occasionally glancing between the forward viewscreen and the navigation display.

Adrian looked around the bridge. The atmosphere was far different from the simulators he had trained on. There were no instructors grading his every maneuver. No countdown clocks. No artificial emergencies.

Just the quiet hum of four people doing their jobs.

Siggy broke the silence first.

“So, Adrian. Ever been to the Beltran System?”

Adrian shook his head. “Can’t say I have.”

“Most people haven’t.” Siggy leaned back in his chair. “It’s one of the Federation’s newest frontier colonies. About fifteen years old.”

“That new?”

Siggy nodded.

“The colony itself is doing well, but everything around it is still largely unexplored. There are dozens of systems that have barely been mapped. Plenty of places to disappear if someone doesn’t want to be found.”

Naggs never looked up from the tactical display.

“Or somewhere to wait.”

Adrian glanced toward him.

“Wait?”

“Pirates.” Naggs answered with his usual economy of words. “Raiders. Opportunists.”

Siggy shrugged.

“Take your pick.”

Adrian looked toward the rear of the bridge where the tactical console displayed the Raven’s defensive systems.

“I didn’t expect a cargo ship to carry this much firepower.”

Naggs finally looked over.

“You don’t fly the frontier unarmed.”

“The Guild isn’t looking for fights,” Lisan said calmly. “But we’d rather have options if one finds us.”

Siggy smiled.

“The Federation patrols these sectors when they can.”

“When they can,” Naggs repeated.

Lisan gave a slight nod.

“The Beltran frontier is enormous. There simply aren’t enough patrol ships to escort every freighter carrying food, medicine, machinery, or replacement parts.”

“So the Guild fills the gap?” Adrian asked.

“Exactly,” Siggy said.

He folded his arms behind his head.

“People hear ‘Smuggler’s Guild’ and imagine criminals hiding from the law.”

Lisan smiled faintly.

“Some members actually deserve that reputation.”

A chuckle spread across the bridge.

“But most of us,” Siggy continued, “haul cargo where someone needs it. Frontier colonies can’t wait weeks for the Federation to assemble a convoy every time a hospital runs low on medicine or a fusion reactor needs replacement components.”

“The Guild moves because people need us moving,” Lisan said. “Sometimes the fastest way to save lives isn’t through bureaucracy.”

Adrian watched the stars drift past the viewscreen.

It wasn’t glamorous work.

There were no medals or cheering crowds.

Just a crew carrying supplies that strangers would never know had arrived because four people had quietly done their jobs.

He smiled.

For the first time since leaving the Academy, he felt like he was exactly where he belonged.

The Raven cruised steadily through the Beltran frontier, its engines humming softly as the stars drifted across the viewscreen. The bridge had settled into a comfortable silence after hours of uneventful flight.

Naggs broke it. “Two contacts.”

Siggy glanced over from the communications console.

“Civilian?”

Naggs shook his head. “Too small.”

Lisan shifted her attention to the tactical display. “Range?”

“Closing.”

Adrian leaned toward his sensor display.

“They’re matching our speed.”

“No transponder,” Naggs added.

The bridge grew noticeably quieter.

Lisan never appeared concerned. “Maintain course.”

The unidentified ships continued to close the distance.

One eased toward the Raven’s port side.

The other drifted toward starboard.

Adrian watched the tactical display.

“They’re separating.”

Naggs nodded. “Classic boarding pattern.”

Adrian looked toward Lisan. “Shouldn’t we alter course?”

“Not yet.”

Within seconds, both ships had moved into position, leaving the Raven boxed between them.

The communications speaker crackled.

“Freighter. Reduce speed and prepare to be boarded.”

The voice was calm. As though they had done this dozens of times before.

Lisan calmly pressed the transmit button.

“Negative.”

For several seconds, no one spoke.

Then both contacts accelerated.

“They’ve committed,” Naggs said.

Lisan nodded once. “One warning shot.”

Naggs rested his hands on the weapons controls.

“Target locked.”

“Fire.”

A brilliant blue-white plasma burst streaked across space, crossing several hundred meters ahead of the lead ship’s bow. The flash expanded into a glowing cloud before dissipating into the darkness.

The lead pirate vessel immediately veered away.

The second ship hesitated only a moment before breaking formation and following.

Within seconds, both contacts were almost out of sight.

Naggs continued watching his display. “They’re retreating.”

Adrian let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “That’s all it took?”

Siggy smiled. “Most pirates aren’t looking for a fight.”

“They’re looking for easy credits,” Naggs added.

“If a target proves it can defend itself, they’ll usually move on to someone else.”

Lisan folded her hands in front of her.

“The Guild’s objective isn’t to destroy ships.”

Adrian looked over. “It’s to complete the mission.”

Lisan nodded. “Every firefight risks lives. Ours… and theirs.”

She looked back toward the stars stretching endlessly before them.

“If a warning accomplishes the same thing as a battle, the warning is always the better choice.”

The bridge fell silent once more.

Adrian found himself looking at the two disappearing contacts.

He had expected his first mission with the Guild to be filled with daring heroics and spectacular battles.

Instead, Captain Loc had resolved the encounter with a single warning shot and less than a dozen words.

He couldn’t decide if that was disappointing…

…or exactly what a good captain was supposed to do.

Behind him, Naggs continued studying his tactical display.

“They’ll remember us.”

Lisan’s expression never changed.

“I hope they do.”

She glanced toward Adrian.

“Now let’s finish delivering those supplies.”

After another ninety minutes without incident, the bridge settled back into its quiet routine. The tension from the pirate encounter had faded, replaced once again by the steady hum of the Raven’s engines.

Siggy glanced at the forward viewscreen and smiled.

“Looks like we made it.”

Adrian followed his gaze.

Suspended against the blackness of space was a yellow-green world wrapped in wisps of white cloud. Broad emerald continents stretched across its surface, broken by shimmering inland seas that reflected the system’s star. From orbit, Berto looked vibrant and alive.

“It doesn’t look much like a frontier colony,” Adrian said.

“It isn’t anymore,” Lisan replied. “Fifteen years can change a lot.”

As they drew closer, orbital traffic appeared on the tactical display. Cargo freighters, mining barges, passenger shuttles, and local patrol craft moved along established approach corridors. Several orbital platforms circled the planet while construction vessels slowly expanded another docking ring.

“The colony’s growing,” Siggy said. “Every shipment helps.”

“Especially this one,” Lisan added.

Adrian eased the Raven into the designated approach lane as docking control transmitted their clearance.

“Guild freighter, Raven. You are cleared for approach to Cargo Terminal Three. Proceed on your assigned vector.”

“Approach acknowledged,” Lisan replied.

The Raven descended through the upper atmosphere. Sunlight reflected from rivers and lakes below while sprawling settlements spread outward from the primary spaceport. Beyond the city limits, forests and rolling plains stretched toward distant mountain ranges.

For a frontier world, Berto looked surprisingly peaceful.

The landing was routine.

Adrian guided the Raven onto its assigned pad with barely a vibration as the landing gear settled onto the deck.

“Nice landing,” Lisan said.

Adrian couldn’t hide his grin. “Thank you, Captain.”

Outside the cockpit, cargo crews were already moving toward the ship with grav-lifters and transport skids.

Naggs powered down the weapons systems. “No pirates here.”

Siggy laughed. “They tend not to operate inside the spaceport.”

Lisan stood from her chair. “Let’s get these supplies unloaded. The sooner the hospitals and maintenance crews have them, the sooner we can start our trip home.”

The cargo bay doors lowered with a hydraulic hiss as ground crews rolled grav-lifters into position. Dock workers moved with practiced efficiency, unloading pallet after pallet of medical supplies, machine parts, and maintenance equipment destined for hospitals, factories, and public utilities across Berto.

Adrian remained aboard, watching the organized activity from the open cargo ramp. It was his first Guild delivery, and despite the routine nature of the work, there was something satisfying about seeing the cargo finally reach its destination.

Siggy stood near the ramp with a datapad in hand, checking each crate against the cargo manifest while the station’s cargo chief verified every shipment.

“It looks like that’s everything,” the cargo chief said as the final container disappeared into the warehouse.

Siggy glanced at his datapad one last time before nodding.

“All accounted for. Nice doing business with you.”

The cargo chief extended his hand.

“Likewise. Safe travels.”

Siggy returned to the bridge a few minutes later.

“All cargo has been unloaded, Captain.”

Lisan smiled. “Thank you, Siggy.”

She looked toward Adrian.

“It’s time to head home. Set a course for Earth.”

“Course laid in, Captain.”

“Then let’s get underway.”

The Raven slowly backed away from Cargo Terminal Three before turning toward the open sky above Berto.

Adrian guided the ship through the established departure corridor as traffic control sequenced outbound vessels into orderly lanes. One by one, freighters climbed through the atmosphere before disappearing into the darkness of space.

“Departure corridor clear,” Siggy reported.

Lisan nodded.

“Take us up.”

The Raven climbed steadily through the upper atmosphere. Blue skies gradually gave way to the blackness of space as Berto’s yellow-green surface slowly shrank beneath them. Within minutes they cleared orbital traffic and accelerated toward escape velocity.

“Escape velocity achieved,” Adrian announced.

“Excellent,” Lisan replied. “Resume our course for Earth.”

Naggs activated the tactical console once more. Status indicators across his display shifted from Safe to Standby as the ship’s defensive systems came online.

“Weapons and defenses on standby.”

Adrian glanced over his shoulder.

“Think those raiders will come back?”

Naggs gave a slight shrug. “They might.”

A faint grin crossed Siggy’s face.

“Or they may have found an easier target.”

Naggs never looked away from his display.

“I’d rather be ready.”

Lisan offered a small nod of approval.

“That’s why you’re sitting at that station.”

Nearly two hours had passed since the Raven departed Berto. The ship cruised quietly through the Beltran System, its engines humming steadily as stars drifted across the forward viewscreen.

Siggy leaned back in his chair. “Uneventful trip. I could get used to these.”

Adrian grinned. “Careful. You keep saying things like that, Captain Loc might think we’re becoming predictable.”

A faint smile tugged at Lisan’s lips. “I certainly hope not.”

Naggs, however, never looked up from his tactical display.

His brow narrowed.

“Two contacts.”

Adrian glanced over his shoulder. “The same two from earlier?”

Naggs watched the long-range sensors.

“Unsure.”

Adrian shrugged.

“Maybe they came back hoping we forgot about them.”

No one answered.

The bridge settled into silence.

A soft tone sounded from Naggs’ console.

He leaned closer.

“…No.”

His fingers moved across the controls. “Four contacts.”

The humor disappeared from Adrian’s face.

Another sensor tone.

Naggs’ voice remained calm, but it had changed.

“Five contacts.”

Adrian slowly turned back toward the front viewport.

“That cannot be good.”

Another indicator appeared. “Eight contacts.”

Siggy sat forward. “Captain…”

Nobody spoke.

The only sound on the bridge was the steady pulse of the sensor console.

Naggs swallowed.

“Twelve contacts.”

Silence.

Adrian stared at the tactical display. “Twelve?”

Naggs gave a slow nod without taking his eyes off the screen.

“Twelve.”

Lisan remained remarkably still.

“Confirm.”

Naggs checked the readings again.

“Confirmed.”

Another long second passed.

Then Lisan’s voice broke the silence.

“Bring weapons and defensive systems from Standby to Armed.”

Naggs acknowledged immediately.

“Arming.”

The status indicators across his console shifted from amber to crimson.

Lisan looked at Adrian.

“Reduce speed.”

The joking was over.

The Raven had just become the smallest ship in a very dangerous part of the Beltran System.

The pirate formation accelerated.

“Range closing,” Naggs reported.

The lead interceptor surged ahead of the others.

“Freighter. Prepare to be boarded.”

Lisan pressed the transmit key.

“Negative.”

A heartbeat later, the reply came.

“You will be fired upon if you do not comply.”

“We are capable of defending herself. Break off and leave this sector.”

Silence.

Siggy glanced at his console.

“No further communications from the lead ship, Captain.”

Naggs’ eyes remained fixed on the tactical display.

“They’re powering weapons.”

Lisan didn’t hesitate.

“Adrian… Delta Five.”

“Executing Delta Five.”

The Raven rolled hard to port, weaving unpredictably as crimson plasma bolts sliced through the space she had occupied only moments before.

“Naggs.”

Twin plasma cannons erupted.

The lead interceptor tried to follow the turn, but the burst struck squarely across its cockpit. The pirate ship spun wildly before disappearing in a brilliant explosion.

“Target destroyed.”

“Alpha Three,” Lisan ordered.

“Executing Alpha Three.”

Adrian shoved the controls forward before snapping the Raven into a steep climbing corkscrew. Two pirate fighters overshot beneath them.

“Take the one on the left.”

Naggs tracked smoothly.

“Locked.”

Another controlled burst.

The pirate’s port engine erupted into flame. The fighter cartwheeled helplessly away from the battle.

“Second target eliminated.”

The remaining ships spread apart.

“They’re changing formation,” Naggs warned.

Lisan watched the tactical display.

“Echo Two, Gamma One.”

“Executing Echo Two.”

The Raven broke sharply to starboard before rolling over the top. A missile streaked through the empty space where the transport had been less than a second earlier.

“Gamma One.”

“Executing Gamma One.”

Adrian leveled the ship behind the pirate formation.

“Naggs, take out the ship in the rear.”

“Target acquired.”

The plasma burst slammed into the pirate’s engines.

The interceptor lurched violently.

“I’ve crippled him.”

Flames poured from the stern as the damaged ship drifted out of formation.

“Good hit.”

Naggs looked back at his display.

“Nine ships still combat capable.”

Lisan nodded once.

“Sigma Four.”

Adrian smiled despite himself.

“Executing Sigma Four.”

The Raven’s engines roared as she surged forward, accelerating through the narrowing gap before the remaining pirates could close it.

Lisan asked, “Ideas?”

Silence filled the bridge.

Naggs studied the tactical display before switching to the navigation overlay.

“There is something.”

He enlarged a region just above their current course.

A faint ribbon of distorted space curved across the display.

“A gravity shear.”

Siggy looked over.

“I thought those were marked as hazards.”

“They are.”

Naggs nodded toward Adrian.

“But hazards are relative.”

Lisan looked at her young pilot.

“You know it?”

Adrian leaned forward.

His eyes traced the twisting distortion.

A slow smile crossed his face.

“I’ve flown one before. Smaller gravity shear. Smaller ship.”

Naggs looked at him.

“Why?”

Adrian shrugged.

“I had a bet with another runner. Loser bought the drinks.”

Naggs raised an eyebrow. “In a simulator?”

Adrian shook his head. “No.”

The bridge grew quiet.

Lisan waited.

Adrian continued studying the display.

“If I enter here…”

He pointed to the narrow edge.

“…the shear should pull us off the standard corridor.”

His finger traced a graceful arc.

“I compensate here.”

Another point.

“Then ride the outer current until it releases us.”

Naggs looked unconvinced. “If you’re wrong?”

Adrian didn’t answer immediately.

Finally…

“We either lose control…”

He looked at Lisan.

“…or we come out several minutes ahead of them.”

Silence.

Naggs folded his arms.

“I’ve never seen anyone intentionally fly through one.”

Adrian smiled faintly.

“I’ve never seen twelve… well nine pirates intentionally chase someone into one.”

Lisan considered the display for another moment.

Then she made her decision.

“Do it.”

Adrian looked over his shoulder, “Everyone strap in. Once we enter the gravity shear, there’s no turning back.”

Harnesses clicked into place around the bridge.

Naggs secured the final buckle across his chest. “Comforting.”

The Raven banked toward the shimmering distortion. Outside the canopy nothing appeared unusual, but the navigation display painted twisting ribbons of gravitational stress across the stars.

“Entering in five seconds,” Adrian said.

The ship crossed the boundary.

The deck lurched hard enough to throw everyone against their restraints. Adrian had expected the first pull and compensated immediately, rolling the Raven into the current instead of fighting it. The transport steadied for only a moment before another invisible force grabbed the stern and tried to swing it sideways.

Adrian countered with a burst from the maneuvering thrusters and eased the nose back onto the path he wanted.

Naggs kept one eye on the tactical display.

“They’re still behind us.”

“They’ll stay behind me,” Adrian replied. “For now.”

The pirates entered the gravity shear at full speed, following the exact course the Raven had taken.

“They’re committed,” Naggs said.

A stronger current swept across the corridor. Adrian anticipated it, banking left before the force hit. The Raven rode the current instead of being pushed by it.

The lead pirate reacted a fraction of a second too late.

Its starboard wing lifted sharply. The pilot overcorrected, the ship rolled nearly vertical, and the gravity shear caught it. Within seconds the interceptor tumbled away from the corridor and disappeared into the distortion.

A second pirate tried to avoid the same fate by pulling away from the current.

He found another one.

The interceptor pitched violently upward before vanishing into the same shimmering chaos.

Naggs couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Two of them are gone.”

“The others are slowing,” Naggs reported.

“They’re realizing this isn’t a race anymore,” Adrian said.

The remaining seven ships fell farther behind, unwilling to match the Raven’s speed.

Adrian didn’t have time to watch them.

The gravity shear tightened around the transport, and the controls grew noticeably heavier in his hands. Every few seconds another invisible current reached for the ship from a different direction. He wasn’t flying from waypoint to waypoint. He was reading the currents as they developed, making dozens of tiny corrections before each one could push the Raven off its line.

The nose drifted left.

He corrected.

The stern started to slide.

A touch of starboard thrust brought it back.

The next current lifted the ship unexpectedly. Adrian rolled with it, allowing the Raven to climb before easing her back down into the center of the corridor. Another surge followed almost immediately, trying to push them below the safe route. He anticipated the movement and let the transport rise naturally before using the maneuvering thrusters to settle her back onto course.

The bridge never stopped moving.

Everyone else felt the violence of the ride.

Adrian seemed almost relaxed.

His hands never left the controls, but every correction came smoothly, as though he already knew what the gravity shear intended to do.

Lisan watched him work without saying a word.

The alarms remained silent.

The hull held.

Minute after minute, the Raven rode the invisible river through space.

Then, almost as suddenly as it had begun, the pressure eased.

The controls became light again.

The stars stopped drifting.

Normal space returned.

Naggs looked down at the tactical display.

“They broke off.”

Adrian finally allowed himself to relax his grip on the controls.

“I figured they would.”

Lisan looked at him for a long moment before speaking.

“Set course for Federation space.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Within a few hours they were back on Earth. Captain Loc had made it back to Commander Rayden’s office.

Commander Rayden looked up from the mission report as Lisan entered.

“I’ve already read the preliminary report.”

Lisan took a seat across from the desk.

“I’m sure you have questions.”

Rayden nodded.

“Twelve pirate raiders.”

“Twelve.”

“And you returned without a scratch.”

“We had a few scorch marks.”

A faint smile crossed Rayden’s face before she looked back at the report.

“It says you entered a gravity shear.”

“It was Adrian’s idea.”

Rayden set the datapad on her desk. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Neither were the pirates.”

The room grew quiet for a moment.

Finally Rayden asked, “How did he perform?”

Lisan didn’t answer immediately.

“He was composed from the moment we left Berto.”

She folded her hands in her lap.

“When the pirates appeared, he never panicked. During the engagement he executed every maneuver exactly as ordered. Inside the gravity shear…” She paused. “I stopped thinking about whether he could fly it.”

Rayden looked up.

“I started wondering how many pilots could.”

That caught Rayden’s attention.

“That good?”

Lisan nodded.

“He wasn’t reacting to the gravity shear. He was anticipating it. Every correction came before I expected it.”

Rayden leaned back in her chair.

“And your recommendation?”

Lisan didn’t hesitate. “I requested a co-pilot.”

She smiled ever so slightly. “I think I found one.”

Rayden glanced once more at the report before closing it.

“I’ll make it official.”