With an angry grunt, Vrax yanked his hand away from the sparks bursting from the control panel of the blast door. His patience was wearing very thin, considering he was stopped by his prey’s little prank. However, it had given him ample motivation to dream up new and exciting ways to kill the pest as soon as he got his hands on him. The only problem now was just how to settle on ONE thing. Vrax could strangle him, a nice slow death with the added bonus of making his four legged friend watch him die. Or maybe he’d put them both in an air lock and launch them into the void; maybe he could make a few credits setting up bets on which one would pop from the decompression first.

A chirping from his helmet’s comlink dragged him out of his fun-filled fantasy land. “What is it?” He snapped at the caller.

“We spotted them in the market square, sir.” The voice of a henchman nervously answered him back. “But, uh, we ran into a small problem.”

“What sort of problem would that be, Ulmar?” Vrax asked him in a dangerous tone.

“A riot broke out across the market before we could move on them.” Was the quickly blurted out reply.

“Well, that’s very clever of you, Ortell.” Vrax commented as he tore a handful of wires from the wall-mounted controls. “Get the rest of the men out of the tunnels; I want every gun converging on the hangar. We’ll wait for him to come to us.”

After shutting off the com, Vrax gave the mass of metal blocking his way a long, hatful glare. No longer in the mood to play the Smuggler’s game, he produced a cylindrical object from his belt. Behind his mask, he eyed the trinket fondly as he remembered the day he took the trophy and its owner’s life. With a flip of a switch, a long grey blade of energy ignited from the hilt with an ambient hum. The Ubese plunged the weapon into the blast door, melting its way through the thick metal. He smirked at himself as he began cutting a hole to the other side; best trophy ever.

He had to hand it to Simon Ortell and his mystery friend. The pair was certainly full of surprises. Still, Vrax had every intention to end both their lives and was looking forward to it very much. Still, to have eluded him thus far, these two had to be something else.

Ambient, dull music flooded the cramped elevator from the speakers built into the walls, helping to drown out the sound of the motor lifting the metal box up and down the shaft. It also helped to fill the silence between Rarity and Simon as they stared straight ahead at the dirty metal doors. A childish grin sat on the humans face as he replayed the incident they just left behind themselves.

“C’mon,” He said as he nudged her side. “You have to admit, that was pretty awesome.”

“Simon, I’m going to need my clothes back.” Was the only answer she gave him as she kept her gaze riveted forward.

Rolling his eyes, Simon produced the bundled-up clothes from beneath his jacket, which were then quickly engulfed in a blue aura and wrenched away from him. “Can’t see why you’re so cranky, Princess. We just gave Vrax’s boys the slip for the second time today. It’s not because I saved your tail for the second time today, is it?” He teased her.

“Then I suppose it’ll be time for me to save yours again fairly soon.” She replied with a snort.

Simon shot her a deathly glare. “Excuse me, Princess, but from where I’m standing, your entire record is based around being in the wrong place at the right time.”

“And I’m sure you would’ve found a way out of that situation back in the hangar all on your own, darling.” Rarity bit back at him.

“Don’t you even start with me on that,” Simon snapped at her. “I had the entire situation under control!”

“Oh please,” Rarity exclaimed in annoyance, “If I hadn’t sneaked off the ship like I did, you’d be dead right now.”

“I said I had everything under control!” Simon shouted at her. “Besides that, you need me here more than I need you!”

“So being nearly gunned down by a whole band of brigands is under control, then?” Rarity asked him snidely.

“Yeah, well last time I checked, I know my way around this galaxy a whole hell of a lot better than you do.” Simon snarled at her. “So unless you want me to just leave you stranded on some back water hovel of a planet, you’d better start showing me a bit of respect.”

As the elevator doors opened, the redressed Unicorn briskly trotted out and away from her Human companion. “Make all the threats you want Simon, but I know you won’t ever make good on any of them.”

Not willing to let her walk off with the last word, he quickly pushed past the other Human and Twi’lek that had been waiting for the elevator in order to keep pace with her. “Oh yeah? And why is that exactly?”

“Because then you wouldn’t get paid.” She hissed back at him.

The confused pair of bystanders watched as the Unicorn and Human stormed off shouting back and forth at one another. Silence ruled them both until the human jabbed his elbow into his alien friend’s side. “Ya see that? That’s the reason I don’t ever wanna get married.”

The squabbling actually seemed to help time pass much faster for the pair as they navigated their way towards Vrax’s hanger. As they drew closer, Simon couldn’t help but smirk at the sight of one his sealed blast doors. It looked like Vrax’s team wasn’t very handy when it came to slicing.

“A dead end; a good thing you know your way around the galaxy, after all.” Rarity quipped.

“Relax, Princess, it’s one of the blast doors I sealed to slow down Vrax and his men.” Simon informed her as he tapped away at the control panel. “Fortunately for us, I happen to have the access codes to walk right through them.” With a loud clank and hiss, the thick metal wall began to separate and slowly open as all the safeties shut off. “You see that? Not a problem.”

As the doors slid apart, they could see they were at a three-way intersection, the path branching off clearly leading towards the hangar. They could also see the still-glowing hole that had been cut in the blast doors across from them, as well as the Ubese holding a lightsaber in one hand and the mystery box in the other. Time stood still as Simon, Rarity and Vrax stared one another down. The Ubese was the first to make a move as he flung the active energy blade at the pair. Simon and Rarity quickly dove in opposite directions from each other.

Rarity could feel the blistering heat of the weapon as it passed uncomfortably close to her face. Her mind quickly leapt back to Twilight’s account of being stabbed with one, and the mind numbing pain that it could cause. She watched in horror as it sliced through a part of her mane, ruining it all the more.

With the pair distracted and his hand free, Vrax drew his blaster pistol and began rapidly firing bolt after bolt to pin the pair down as he jogged around the corner to his waiting forces. “Get out there and take them alive if possible; I don’t want them dying until I’ve had my fun with them.” He barked to the nearest mercenary.

Simon drew his pistol as he rand to Rarity’s side. “You alright, Princess?”

“Y-yes, a bit singed but I’m alive.” She stated with a saddened glance at the further abuse her mane had suffered.

Neither of them was given much of a breather before a hail of blaster bolts struck the floor around them. Simon darted back towards the control panel for the door as he let loose a volley of return fire that seemed to go in completely random directions. Thankfully, they had the desired effect of forcing them to slow their advance. Punching a few keys, the door’s emergency shut sequence was kicked on and the thick metal door slid back into place.

“Doesn’t look like we’re going that way anymore,” Simon commented with an annoyed sigh. “We’ll have to double back, maybe find another route. Hopefully we’ve ticked Vrax off enough to stick around until we’re dead.”

As they turned the corner they found another group of mercenaries. Before they could brace their weapons, Simon let loose several bolts of energy in their direction to force them back around the corner. The pair moved back to the safety of the other side of the corner before a fresh smattering of blaster bolts began striking the walls and floors. To make matters worse, sparks began to shoot out from the door Simon had just sealed.

“They’re cutting through.” He snarled before firing a few more blind shots. “Rarity, if you have any kind of Force magic powers that can get us out of this, now is the time to use them!”

She looked back and forth between the sparking doorway and the constant streams of super-heated death running down the hallway. Her mind raced as she examined every inch of their tiny corner and picked apart every object they had at their disposal. Then one thing came to mind; it was a long shot, a very long and dangerous shot.

“Well, there is something we could try, but…” she said hesitantly, “there are a lot of factors that can go wrong with the spell.”

“Oh really, do tell.” Simon said impatiently as fired a few more rounds around the corner.

“It’s a very high level spell, Simon and I’ve only known one pony who can pull it off with ease.” She snipped back at him. “I’ve only just recently learned it, and only successfully cast it three times to go six feet. There is a good chance that if things go wrong, we could die.”

“Rarity, if we stay here, we WILL die.” Simon griped at her as a blaster bolt struck the corner of the wall near his face.

“You have a point; I’ll need some details, then, to make this work.” She stated as she began running Twilight’s magic lessons through her head. “I need to know in which direction we’re going to be moving, how thick these walls and doors are, as well as the chances of objects in our path of return.”

“Uh, the walls are real thick. This place is made to withstand barrages from entire fleets.” Simon exclaimed. “Probably a couple inches or so, the same with the doors.”

“I would prefer precise details!” Rarity stated in a panic.

“So would I; what are you about to do, and what did you mean by path of return?”

Glancing over her shoulder, Rarity could see the door was already starting to budge; the mercenaries on the other side would be through soon. To make matters worse, she could hear the advancing footsteps of the others beyond the bend in the hall. Desperation and a desire to live forced her to focus on the spell, regardless.

“It looks like I don’t have time for details, either.” Rarity cut him short as she tightly locked her hooves around his midsection.

Her face scrunched up in concentration while her eyes nailed themselves shut. A few beads of sweat began to roll down her face, and her horn started to glow a soft blue that only intensified and deepened the more she focused. Rarity cut the rest of the world out of her mind before going back to that open field where she and Twilight had been practicing. All of her friend’s words of wisdom and cautions came flooding back to her mind as she willed the spell into being all around her and Simon.

As Vrax entered the hangar, he took the added precaution to lock the door behind him. No sense in tempting fate, after all. Especially when he was this close to being both off of this dump of a station and done with that pair of annoyances. Then he would have ample time to relax and focus on the big picture. His advance halted, though, as a bright flash over his shoulder drew his attention. Grumbling a few choice words into his helmet, he set the case down on a nearby packing crate and resigned himself to the new task at hand.

In a bright flash of light and a loud pop, both Rarity and Simon manifested into existence. The pair tumbled violently through the air, still latched tightly to one another as they knocked over crates and shipping barrels alike in their path. Head over heel, they rolled until coming to an abrupt stop with Simon’s head smacking against a very heavy metal crate.

Groggy, sore and disoriented, the smuggler forced his eyes to stay open as he tried to force himself to sit up; his vision became blocked by strands of purple curls. The world started to slowly clear up for him, bringing weight on his chest into focus. Rarity was laying over-top of him unconscious, her face buried into the side of his neck and hair lying across his face. Her limbs clung tightly to him, bringing a light tint of red to the spacer’s cheeks.

With an annoyed grunt, Simon unceremoniously shoved her off of him while getting back up on shaky legs. His vision was clearing but was still blurry and out of focus; he gave his surroundings a quick once-over before checking himself. Everything seemed like it was still where it should be and from the look of it, the hangar was totally empty.

On the far wall he spotted the control panel for the hangar bay’s entrance. Thinking quickly, he tried to steady his shaky aim, the blaster swaying back and forth. When he finally drew a bead on it, he let fly several bolts of energy that reduced the controls to scorched slag.

“One problem out of the way…” Simon muttered with a tired grunt before grabbing his com link. “Zee, hey Zee pick up.” A few beeps and whistles came from the other side. “Lock on to this signal and swing around for a pick up.”

Nearly home free, now. That kept him moving on his shaky legs as he scanned the room from behind the sights of his pistol. He had to find Vrax, take the case back then get himself and Rarity on the ship and get out of here. With a pained grunt he trudged forwards, his pistol quickly shifting in the direction of every little sound and shadow. Simon’s heart raced with every step; he could feel those predatory eyes watching him.

“Captain Ortell,” The gravelly rasp of the Ubese came from his left. Quickly turning to face him, Simon’s arm was grasped tightly in a vice grip before the sharp pain of Vrax’s elbow slammed into his gut. Letting out a gasp of pain, Simon double over and was caught by an uppercut before his captured arm was twisted violently, sending his world into a rapid inversion, followed by the familiar feeling of the cold metal ground catching him.

Vrax took quite a bit of pleasure in watching the blindsided Human try to regain his wits and scurry away from him. “And here I was worried that my trigger-happy mercenaries were going to kill you.” He stated gleefully. “But here you are, delivered to me of your own free will; how very thoughtful of you both.”

To accentuate this, Vrax’s boot caught him under the ribs forcing him to roll away from the attack on reflex. Simon did all he could to get some distance from the Ubese gangster. His currently throbbing gut and still-pounding head made movement just a bit of a chore for him. Fumbling with a nearby storage drum, he managed to get back to his feet, despite his legs’ insistence that he stay down.

Vrax grinned from ear to ear as he watched his prey desperately scurry away from him. Glancing at his feet, he saw that the Human had carelessly dropped his pistol. Placing his boot on the weapon, he kicked it back towards him. “Go on, pick it up. I want you to at least feel like you died fighting. It’s the least I can do, after all.”

Simon looked between Vrax and the pistol a few times, very weary of the violent alien. His head immediately settled on the fact that he was probably going to need the weapon. Simon quickly grabbed the blaster and brought it up to level it with the Ubese. The weapon only made it halfway before it was stopped mid-swing by the gangster. Simon’s mind tried to pick apart how he could have closed the distance so fast, but this was stopped by a rapid succession of knuckles that slammed into his face from the enemy’s free hand. Vrax brought his assault to a close with a swift kick snapped into the smuggler’s chest that sent him smashing into a stack of empty barrels.

Laughing at the spectacle, Vrax tossed the pistol towards Simon. “C’mon, you can do better than that; try at least to shoot me, this time.”

Anger flared through Simon’s veins and drove his arm to snatch the weapon from the air as he quickly sat up. Once the welcoming weight of the pistol was in his hand, he wasted no time in firing several bolts from it. Any touch of hope that had filled him quickly vanished as Vrax was no longer in front of him.

In the space of a breath, the Ubese was once more on top of him. With a swift motion of his hand, Simon’s pistol was knocked across the room. Disarmed once more, his face impacted against Vrax’s knee, sending him to the ground with a trickle of blood running from his nose and lip. Simon’s vision continued to blur as the figure over him began pacing back and forth; the spacer began to consider his fate.

“How disappointing,” he grumbled at the Human, “I was hoping you’d last a little longer than this.” Vrax dropped one knee squarely on Simon’s chest to keep him pinned before drawing a knife from his belt. “I suppose I’ll just have to finish this sad display.”

Raising the weapon over his head, Vrax plunged the dagger towards Simon’s neck. The weapon never found flesh, though, as a blue aura encased it and yanked it from Vrax’s grip, flinging it into the ceiling where the expertly-sharpened blade stuck into the metal plating.

“Get away from him, you brute!” Rarity growled from behind the gangster.

Vrax watched as the glow around her horn spread to a number of the crates around the hangar and began to lift them into the air. “A Force-user,” he stated as he left Simon where he laid. “Now this should be a challenge.”

Her eyes narrowed into daggers on the Ubese who began stepping away from her companion. For a moment, the pair sized each other up and braced for the coming conflict. In a heartbeat, Vrax began the fight as he made a mad dash towards the mare. She was caught a bit off guard by how quickly he could move, considering he only had the two legs to propel him; she was not about to let him win, regardless. Setting off at a full gallop along the outskirts of the room, she began letting loose the collection of crates, barrels and various equipment she had levitated around herself.

Vrax ducked and dodged the incoming projectiles, narrowly avoiding them as he tried to keep pace with her. Unfortunately her four legs gave her the advantage on speed, keeping her well outside of his reach. His growing frustration pushed his body as he avoided her constant barrages. His target swiftly darted behind a large shipping container that suddenly became engulfed in that same blasted aura; the massive metal box took off like a freight train, rushing to meet the short humanoid.

With long, practiced motions, he used the hinges of the container’s door as foot holds and scrambled up the front of the large projectile. From there it was a simple task to scurry across the roof of the crate and become airborne. A sneer came to his face as he landed in front of the surprised Equestrian who’d lost the advantage of distance. To his surprise, her look of shock quickly shifted into one of smugness as her aura suddenly encased him, freezing the Ubese in a bubble of blue energy and suspending him.

Her victory was short-lived, as a strange shift in energies within the bubble caught her attention. Before she could react, Vrax’s hand punched through the energy sheath and slammed into Rarity’s chest. She gasped in pain as the sensation of the blow went from one end of her body to the next; the strength in her legs suddenly failed her as she stumbled backwards onto the ground.

Vrax’s raspy laugh scratched at her ears as he towered over her. “Your Force powers are impressive little girl, but useless against me. With my skills, I’ve killed Jedi and Imperial Knights alike. So I hope you’ve got something a bit better than tossing boxes at me.”

Rarity’s gaze went from Vrax to the blue energy field that separated them from the harshness of space, a smirk moving over her muzzle. “Who needs boxes? I’ve got a funny little robot.”

Before Vrax could question this statement, the hangar was filled with the sounds of engines and the deafening squeal of metal scraping against metal. Turning quickly he found Simon’s ship, roughly pushing its way into the hangar and roughly shoving his own vessel off to the side. The landing gear of the pushed ship gave way to the violent shift in weight, causing one to snap and topple a side of the ship into the deck.

The Meaningless Venture hovered a few feet off the floor of the hangar with the astromech R8-Z7 at the controls. Z7 gave a triumphant whistle as he angled the ship awkwardly into the landing bay; with a few twists of his control spike, he willed the main landing ramp of the ship to lower.

The surprises weren’t finished for Vrax and Rarity however, as a humanoid form crashed into the Ubese. Rarity sat up and quickly discerned her attacker’s new opponent. “Simon?!”

“Go, get to the ship!” He shouted at her as he tried to restrain the disproportionately strong alien.

With a great deal of reluctance, Rarity forced herself back on her hooves and took off at a full gallop towards the freighter. Venturing a glance back at her companion, she saw to her horror that Vrax had broken Simon’s hold and was once again on the war path against the human. She forced her legs to keep moving, trusting in his judgment. Turning back towards the ship, her sharp eyes caught sight of the case Vrax had been willing to kill both she and Simon for. Her blue aura quickly engulfed it and brought it in tow.

Simon backpedaled away from his opponent to gain a bit of breathing room from the Ubese’s constant assault. Every inch of his body was wracked with pain, but the surging adrenaline kept his knees from buckling on the spot. Playing defensively wasn’t getting him anywhere; he had to go on the offensive and at least try to give as good as he’d gotten.

Charging forward, he took a wild, arching swing at the alien with all the force his body could afford. Vrax easily knocked the blow aside and struck the Human under his ribs, knocking the air from his lungs. As Simon doubled over, he was greeted with an open palm that connected with the side of his face.

Rarity raced up the ramp of the ship, not wanting to slow her pace for even a moment. The mysterious case was unceremoniously tossed onto one of the empty seats of the lounge as she tore a path towards the cockpit, to be immediately greeted with a cacophony of beeps and whistles from the droid plugged into the console of the ship.

“Robot, we have to help your master.” She pleaded in a worried tone. All she was given was a long stream of nonsensical noises as the droid’s circular head rotated about at random intervals. “I… I don’t know what any of that means, but we have to do something; Simon doesn’t stand a chance against that monster!”

Once more another string of noises came from the droid. Rarity looked between it and the scene outside the cockpit, which only seemed to be getting worse. Simon did what he could to stay on his feet, despite his knees thinking otherwise. The majority of his blows, though, were knocked aside and answered in turn with a swift counter-blow from the murderous alien. With the one-sided fight and the goofy noises coming from the droid, her frustration continued to boil over until finally she lost all control.

“Blast it; I don’t understand what you’re saying! Just help him!” She yelled at the stocky metal being before slamming her hoof down on a nearby control panel.

Zee let out a shrill whine at her actions before a thick bolt of green energy shot forth from over-head. Rarity watched in horror as it flew across the room and struck a box that was affixed to the ceiling with a number of thick wires protruding from the sides. Sparks flew from the impact and only seemed to cause the droid to produce more panicked noises. A cold ball of ice formed in Rarity’s gut as she couldn’t help but feel she may have done something very wrong.

Vrax brought his hand back to unleash a final blow on the barely-standing smuggler when the roar of a ship’s cannon filled his ears. Both he and Simon stared on in horror as the massive bolt of green energy struck the generator unit that had been placed in the ceiling. They both followed the path of the wires which, to their horror, plugged into the force field that kept the hangar protected from the harshness of space.

They shared a look of dread as the energy field blinked out of existence and the atmosphere of the room began venting into the vacuum. Both scrambled to grab hold of something before they shared the same fate as the contents of the sealed hangar. Any kind of luck Vrax had been running on clearly ran out as a cargo box struck him in the gut, knocking him off his feet and sending him toppling into the void.

Simon watched with a touch of satisfaction as the alien vanished into the black. The beating he had taken and whatever Rarity had used to get himself and the Unicorn into the hangar had taken the strength from his muscles. His fingers held as tightly onto the metal grating of the floor as his arms would allow but he quickly began to lose his grip by the second.

One by one, his fingers lost their hold until he too was sent toppling towards the endless embrace. He closed his eyes and braced himself for what he hoped would be a quick end; to feel something, anything other than a cold, suffocating death. Only it didn’t come. Instead, his body was suddenly draped in a strange, tingling sensation as he felt himself being yanked towards something new.

Opening his eyes, he found his entire world had taken on a blue tint that seemed to cover everything around him. No wait, it wasn’t around the room; it was just around him! Furthermore, he was now being pulled towards the ship’s ramp where Rarity waited anxiously for him.

Rarity guided the airborne spacer towards herself and the ship. She kept herself anchored against the pull of the vacuum with a touch of magic around her hooves; her will and magical strength were pushed to their limits as she gave Simon one last, powerful tug towards her. Beads of sweat began to roll down her face as she pulled with all her power to keep him from sharing Vrax’s fate.

From the cockpit, R8-Z7 watched the entire thing play out while maintaining the level of the ship against the shifting gravity fields. The moment Simon was well inside the ship, the droid gave a squeal of victory before shutting and sealing the ramp as quickly as he could.

The Unicorn let out a gasp of shock as her magical pull was no longer fighting resistance but still pulling Simon towards her. She was quickly hit by the Human’s form, sending them both sprawling across the floor.

Rarity found herself upon her back with Simon looming over her, their bodies pressed against each other and their eyes locked onto one another’s. Within seconds, Rarity realized that his lips hovered dangerously close to her own. A deep red bled into her cheeks as she laid there, frozen in his stare. For a moment neither of them said a word, simply laying there in silence as their bodies decompressed from the harshness of their recent ordeal. It wasn’t until Z7 began squealing happily over the com link that either of them broke free of the moment.

Simon rolled himself onto his back with a haggard sigh. “Good job, Zee; now get us out of here.” A few more beeps and whistles chimed in response. “Take us to Lorn’s; let him know we’re going to need some patching up.”

With the influx of adrenaline starting to wear off, Simon’s body quickly became a mass of dead weight while pain jumped from one end of his body to the next. Blindly, he managed to find his savior’s shoulder to deliver a reassuring squeeze to it. “Hey, Rarity, thanks.”

Her mind was still in a haze until her heart beat returned to a normal rate and her head stopped throbbing from pushing her magical talents so hard. A pair of tired sapphires found the ragged human beside her and gave him a weak smile. “No problem, Simon.”

Vrax’s toppling through the emptiness of space played hell on his senses as he tried to find a way to steady himself. A small projectile shot out from a device strapped to his wrist, trailing a long cord behind. To his thanks, the projectile caught the side of the station and stopped his drifting. With a tap of his wrist mount, the cord began pulling him back towards solid ground. As he touched down and the gravlocks of his boots kicked in, he watched the Meaningless Venture make for the depths of space.

“Mister Vrax,” Oh Ulmar, such good timing. “Warning sirens have been going off throughout the station since we lost sight of the targets. Now control is saying the hangar’s been vented into space. Are you alright, sir?”

“I’m fine, Ulmar.” Vrax said with a touch of annoyance. “Though it seems Captain Ortell and his little friend have managed to slip away.”

His gaze drifted over the boxes floating through the void. A deep twinge of anger seeped into his bones as he realized that his package was amongst those pulled into space. What was in that case was irreplaceable and the crux of this entire plan.

“Ulmar,” he said with a strange sense of calm, “I want you to retrieve my trophy; it should be in that hall with you. Then you’re going to get us a ship; ours is a bit damaged at the moment. We’re going after the good Captain and his companion, and we are going to kill them.”