Chapter 282: Escalating Situation

Words : 1117 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

Chapter 282: Escalating Situation They were almost out. Killian Nox was familiar with the designs of these ships; after all, these had been part of many contended cases in the Ministry. Yet, only now did he appreciate taking the time to look at all those blueprints. And right now, all they needed was to drop through one more maintenance shaft, and then they’d hit the emergency escape pods tucked behind Engineering. Just one more. And it would be right there. But then it happened. A scream. Not a shriek of panic—it was raw, piercing, and unmistakably filled with the kind of desperation only a parent could produce. "Let her go! P-Please—SHE’S JUST A KID!" "!!!" Ollie froze mid-crawl. Killian noticed this and immediately blocked the cadet who had instinctively leaned forward at the sound. Another scream followed, louder. Gut-wrenching. Then came a hollow crack. A dull, sickening thud of something solid meeting flesh. Ollie wasn’t sure if it was just a fist or an actual blunt weapon, but he was sure that something hit the father. Hard. "Shut your mouth, old man!" Ollie’s mouth went dry, and for once, he hesitated to peer down through the ventilation slits as his pulse hammered in his ears. The main passenger lobby was now a theater of horror. Below them stood a group of pirates—rough, armored, masked—and one man, clearly a civilian, slumped on the ground, arm bloodied from being wrenched too hard. His hand still stretched out toward the small child being dragged across the floor. Ollie couldn’t move. Couldn’t blink. The child wailed, calling for her father, her tiny voice shaking in terror. She couldn’t have been older than six. Her shoes even had cartoon stickers on them. Characters that his brother even once liked. "I told you, boss said no casualties!" one of the pirates snapped at the aggressor. "And I told you," the other snarled, "we’re done waiting for Veeka’s approval." "She’s too soft. If she won’t push the leverage, I will." Killian’s jaw tensed. This was likely the start of a coup. The pirate yanked the girl forward and stepped toward the rest of the passengers. He sneered as he waved his gun at the terrified group. "LISTEN UP!" Every head snapped toward him. "You all want to live? Then maybe you should start by demanding answers from the two people hiding on this ship." He held the girl by the collar and pointed his weapon at the crowd. "Yeah, I’m talking about the cowardly nobles who are hiding to save themselves while letting this child suffer as they sneak out!" Murmurs started, but this time, he didn’t stop it, not when that was the goal. A few looked toward each other, unsure. Some just cried. "Yeah, you’ve all heard of ’em. The big-shot guild. Dungeon Guardians. Healing your pets, saving the sick, smiling for the camera—" He spat. "Bastards act generous, but look! They could’ve stopped this—but didn’t." Ollie’s stomach turned. He felt the words hit. Hard. And not just because of the pirates. Because some of the passengers had started nodding. Whispering. Ollie couldn’t see it as clearly as he wanted and felt like it might be a good thing. Or he would’ve seen the weight of those eyes and the suspicion. The blame was beginning to shift. Killian, who was used to seeing this, turned to Ollie and shook his head. They couldn’t speak. But he kept on mouthing to the young lad, "Don’t." Ollie felt strangled, his hands trembling as he thought about what he should do. If it was his good brother, he’d likely face them head-on. And somehow, he’d be able to go there and emerge victorious even against the scum of the Universe. His brother, who could’ve hidden his gifts and riches, was out there trying to share them with everyone while he was here hesitating to fight in lieu of a child. But what could he do? He’d long known that the world wasn’t that kind. People weren’t that kind. But what if you were the one trapped in the vent while a girl was being used as bait for you? Who ends up becoming the monster? It was an odd combination as guilt and understanding slithered up his throat, strangling his breath. Ollie looked down again. That father was still on the floor, bleeding, trying to stand. That girl was still sobbing. He wanted to help. He really, really did. But then—he heard it. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, really. Okay, he always eavesdropped. His ears caught something—something nastier, filthier than anything so far. "You know what I heard?" sneered the rogue pirate from earlier. "Once we’re done here, we sell the army bloke. Ransom the guild brat, and maybe sell Veeka for some Star coins." "She should still be worth something even as used goods." "Even Veeka? Ramir sure is something!" "He said, especially Veeka. He says that she’s too loyal to the half-dead captain and is willing to let us all suffer just to extend his life. It’s a waste of time." "I’m with Ramir on this one. I say we ditch the Ravagers, take the cash, and let that cultish guild deal with the fallout." "That’s possible?" Asked the clueless one. "Of course! Imagine the headlines when they focus on how that shit out-of-luck noble decided to use that kid as a shield. By then, no one would really focus on us." "Ohhhhhh!" The pirates laughed. And that was it. Ollie’s wide eyes narrowed. Not in righteous fury, but in realization that these people couldn’t be reasoned with. They were just greedy. So greedy that it was enough to even turn against each other. Killian watched this cadet closely. He was worried, considering how such a rousing speech would affect even most adults, but then he saw the change. They couldn’t speak to each other, so he was surprised to see him tapping on his terminal, asking to look for a bigger empty space. The Chief of Staff raised an eyebrow but decided to lead the way. They weren’t going out but were instead going back in. But with such determination in that kid’s eyes, he figured something must be up. It was a quiet realization. One mechanic decided that it was enough to have one hero in their guild. And that he could just get another role, like the whistle-blower or the manual alarm. Because he sure as hell wasn’t going to take this sitting down! But he also wasn’t built to tank these guys, and as someone who could only use explosives, he didn’t really want to be space debris. So, the next logical step? Get help. Hopefully, that was possible.

Chapter 282: Escalating Situation

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