Page 4 of Obsessed

I pause, the food halfway to my mouth. "Hey, it's not about pride. It's about freedom. Out here, I answer to no one but myself."

"And Freynal," Navi adds helpfully. "And every other crime lord signing your paychecks."

I wave dismissively. "Details. The point is, I'm good at this. I get to see the galaxy, live on my own terms. Sure, it gets lonely sometimes, but..."

"But?" Navi prompts.

I sigh, looking out the viewport at the star-studded blackness. "But it's worth it. This is where I belong."

I'm about to take another bite of my rehydrated meal when Navi starts making a series of distressed beeping sounds. Before I can ask what's wrong, a violent jolt rocks the ship, sending my food flying across the galley.

"What the hell?" I shout, scrambling back to the cockpit. "Navi, how did you not pick that up?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you!" Navi's voice crackles with static. "A ship just appeared out of nowhere. It's like it materialized right next to us!"

My stomach drops. "Pirates. They're using a hacked stealth module." I slide back into the pilot's seat, my fingers flying over the controls. "Give me a damage report."

"Port thrusters are down to 60%. Shield integrity at 75% and dropping," Navi rattles off. "They're coming around for another pass."

I grit my teeth, engaging evasive maneuvers. The stars blur as I push the ship into a tight spiral. "Can you get a lock on them?"

"Negative. Their stealth tech is scrambling our targeting systems. Thrusters are also down, and oh, even better! A fuel leak!"

Another blast rocks the ship, and warning alarms blare throughout the cockpit. I curse under my breath, trying to outmaneuver our attackers. But it's like fighting a ghost – I can't see them until it's too late.

"Davrik, I hate to state the obvious, but we're outgunned," Navi says, her usual sarcasm replaced by genuine concern. "That ship is at least three times our size."

I spot a massive cruiser decloaking off our starboard side. Its hull is scarred and patchwork, a clear sign of a ship cobbled together from stolen parts. "I see it. Any bright ideas?"

"Well, we could always politely ask them to leave us alone," Navi quips.

"Now's not the time for—" My retort is cut short as another blast slams into us. The ship lurches, and I feel the sickening sensation of free fall. "Navi, what's happening?"

"We're losing altitude fast. The last hit took out our stabilizers. We're being pulled into the planet's gravity well."

I fight with the controls, trying to level us out, but it's no use. The ship's nose dips, and I watch in horror as the planet's surface rushes up to meet us. "Can you plot an emergency landing trajectory?"

"I'm an AI, not a miracle worker," Navi snaps. "Brace for impact!"

The ship enters the atmosphere, and the cockpit becomes an inferno of heat and noise. I strap myself in, my knuckles white on the controls as I try to guide us down in some semblance of control.

"If we survive this," I shout over the roar, "remind me to install better shields!"

"If we survive this, I'll remind you to find a new career!" Navi retorts, her voice starting to digitally degrade.

The ground looms ever closer, and I close my eyes, bracing for impact.

CHAPTER 3

ALICE

The jungle's alive this morning. I can hear it in the rustling leaves, feel it in the damp air clinging to my skin. My eyes are fixed on the Meltorian oak—at least, that's what I've been calling it. Its bark shimmers with an iridescent blue I've never seen anywhere else.

"Look at you," I whisper, running my fingers along its trunk. "You've grown another inch since yesterday." It's an enormous thing, and compared to a few others I've seen around the planet, it must be very young. I knew they got big —bigger than any other tree I've ever observed— but they also seem to grow so quickly.

I have to wonder how tall one of these can get before it just stops. Or does something else in the environment make it stop?

A blinding flash interrupts my observations. I throw my arm up, squinting against the sudden light. "What the?—"

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