Chapter 2: A New Mess

The Outlaw Star finally went off of Sentinel III's atmosphere and streaked out into the planetery horizon like it didn't care as it's thrusters leaped off of the grasp of the planet's gravity well. The crew and all were calm and knew of the routine when the ship launched.

Its captain, Gene Starwind was a bit than less thrilled. He had that streak of a smirk whenever the Outlaw Star went off.

"This gets good everytime!" He shouted as he smiled when his face shot upwards on the cockpit. Jim turned his head a bit on him with a slight smirk.

He then relaxed his hands against his com chair as Gene maintained composure.

Jim then looked back on his panel. "How will I ever do without you, Gene? Always looking for that adventure ahead."

Gene then smirked more as he maintained control. "I sure do, partner. Danger is my middle name!"

And to his left, Suzuka chuckled a bit and smiled. "You are such an interesting fellow, Gene. Mind telling me who this Hilda is and what you learned from her before I met you?" She asked while looking slightly at her panel as well.

The red-haired outlaw smiled and narrowed his eyes a bit when he heard of that name. "Sure. Just some other time, Suzuka."

"Agreed. Then another time it is." She resplonded.

Aisha on his right seemed a bit unnerved due to her Ctarl instincts, but smiled a bit with her optimism knowing she has Gene in her pay to get her back into the Ctarl Empire. "Grrr, Gene you always dodge me with that! Had Hilda been alive, I would've had you both captured by me! Haha"

"Ah put a sock in it Aisha." Gene answered. Aisha then frowned a bit with a raspberry tongue at him.

The catgirl then swung both her fist up and down on the control panels and let off with a smile once more.

"Oh man you guys haha". Gene smirked.

He then charted a new course on his comlink and relayed it to the ship's computer, Gilliam. "Let's set a new course, Gilliam. Back to Blue Heaven please because I'm damn starved."

The rest of the crew couldn't agree more. Melfina in the blue console behind him smiled knowing fun times are up ahead knowing they've been to Blue Heaven before. "Of course Gene. Setting up right away." Gilliam responded.

Melfina did the rest with the coordinates. And went with a positive tone. "It's been awhile now since we've been to Blue Heaven after everything we've went through. I can't wait to come back there, Gene." She added. However, just as the Outlaw Star went in course towards the space retreat an alarm then sounded.

"Oh yeah Melfina. Those were good times indeed, especially with Hilda too..." Gene said with a slightly happy worried tone, but he was strong enough to see out in the here and now.

"BLEEP!" "BLEEP!" "BLEEP!"

Gene looked over to his instrumental panels as well as the others. "What now? Anyone want to join in on the fun after we just launched?!"

Then Suzuka went off with some hunch with narrowed eyes. "It seems like someone is out there on the hunt for us. I don't think its the Kei pirates this time." She said with a cautious tone.

"Incoming transmission!" Jim shouted.

"Put it on." Gene said. Knowing that danger isn't anything new to him as trouble abounds. Hilda did taught him a thing or two on that.

The screen then flickered showing a video of a masked man and crew in traditional Chinese gear. With all shadowed behind him, he looked no older than being in his 20's, however he had a dangerous glint in his mask.

He then proceeded with a saber pointing towards Gene and crew in the video. Dangerous in part to his personage.

"Is this Gene Starwind and the Outlaw Star?" The mysterious man said.

Gene smirked. "Who wants to know? Picking a fight like him will be those last words one would say, buddy!"

The masked man still raised his saber even more towards him on the screen. "You'll regret this. I am Zhao Di, the enforcer of the Tenma Empire. You'll surrender the XGP and Melfina to us. If you don't comply in 5 minutes, you'll be set adrift into space with your blood along with the wreckage!"

"You'll regret it for sure as well! We don't take threats lying down!" Gene responded back.

Jim looked at his partner in worry about what he has gotten them into this time.

"Fool..." Zhao said as he ended transmission. Then a fleet of Tenma ships and cruisers appeared in front of the Outlaw Star in the quadrant as they were prepared to open fire on them.

Gene and the crew looked around and knowing how much the Tenma forces have been deployed against them. Suzuka and Aisha were both a bit worried how they are gonna see it through

"I got a real bad feeling about this..." Gene said as he was worried now how this is real different from the Kei pirates he faced before.

Jim sounded more apprehensive. "Yes a real bad feeling again, bro." As he shook his head.

To Be Continued

My second chapter here is up after a bit of a hiatus coming up of ideas since rewatching Outlaw Star again, so I'll be more on a fast pace with this as I come up with more! I hope you enjoy this one after such a while! :)