EPISODE 8: FORCED DEPARTURE

"Well, Jim, I guess we're never coming back to Sentinel again." -- Gene Starwind

Prologue: Narrator: Gene Starwind, what are you looking for? Where will your heart's desire take you? What will satisfy you? Gene Starwind, are you going to live, or will you die here? The decision is yours. You're completely in charge of your own destiny. That's the only certain thing in life. So, believe in yourself and create your own destiny. Don't fear failure, you have nothing to lose. The young only acquire things. You've come into possession of the Outlaw Star and Melfina. The only question now is how will you use them? Go the the Galactic Leyline. No one can stop you. Adventure is waiting for you! You should understand this by now. Time is running out. Open your eyes, shout out, and continue forward! This is only the beginning of history!

Episode 8: Forced Departure

Gene lies unconscious on his bunk in the Outlaw Star, surrounded by Jim, Melfina, and Suzuka. Suzuka explains that Gene was poisoned in his fight with the pirate when the needles went through him. They need the antidote. Jim wants to know what they should do right now, and Suzuka surmises that this could be a tactic on the part of the pirates to force negotiation. Gilliam interrupts to announce an incoming transmission. Jim tells him to put it through. It's the pirate, alright, who divulges that Gene won't last until nightfall unless his blood is cleansed. He offers the antidote if and only if everyone leaves the Outlaw Star. Jim asks if he even has one. Gene opens his eyes, telling Jim to forget it. The pirates aren't really going to let them just walk away from this. The pirate chuckles over Gene's high spirits and asks what they're going to do. Jim orders Gilliam to stop the transmission.

In his hideout, surrounded by killer cyborgs, the pirate chuckles over the situation, addressing someone else unseen. He tells them things are going to get a little noisy, but if they look the other way, they'll be greatly rewarded. As soon as his injuries from the earlier fight are healed, a matter taking only a moment, he heads out with his cyborgs.

Gene's passed out again. Suzuka agrees with Gene's statement about the pirates, and uncertain as to them actually having one, proposes to go find them and steal it if it exists. Jim plans on going with her. Melfina pipes up, asking that she be given a chance to try to help Gene first. Jim and Suzuka watch worriedly as she lowers herself into her tank in the cockpit, Gene slumped against her. Gilliam warns Jim that the enemy is closing in. They're not giving them much time, are they.

The pirate chortles as he nears the Outlaw Star. In the cockpit, Jim hops into the pilot's seat and tells Gilliam to bring the systems up. Gilliam cautions that without Melfina they have a limited number of systems available. Jim tells him to put the pirate on the monitor so he can see what's going on. The pirate takes the opportunity to tell Jim that he's there to sell him the antidote. Jim counters that they're not leaving the ship and aims the ship's guns at him. The pirate asks if they're just giving up on Gene's life, imagining the pain he's suffering right now. Jim fires at the pirates, but is overcome with guilt at cutting off another option for saving Gene's life.

In the tank, Gene flashes back again to the attack on his father's ship, again hearing his father's insistence that he wants him to live as he's forced into the escape pod. Gene thinks to himself that he's alone, but Melfina's voice cuts through his haze to reach him. He opens his eyes to find himself nude in the tank, Melfina in front of him in the same condition as her thoughts tell him he's not alone, she's there to heal him. It would seem speaking out loud isn't necessary in this alter environment. Melfina holds her hand out to him, instructing him to open his heart. Gene hesitantly takes her hand, a connection establishing between them so that Melfina can take him into the cyberfluid of her tank world. Surrounded by the strange blue fluid, Gene finds himself with Melfina behind him, her arms around his waist as she repeats his name several times, then assures him that everything is fine now. She can be of help to him and she'll save him. The two float over a bright light as Gene relaxes in Melfina's embrace.

Back in the cockpit, Gilliam warns of the approach of strange weapons. The pirate is seen in a cockpit as he gives the order that he wants the crew held here, but the ship undamaged. Well, alright, a little damage isn't a problem. Suzuka identifies them as the pirates mechanical soldiers, piloted walking tanks. Jim discovers that beams are useless against them and they're much too close for missiles. Gilliam announces a call from Mr. Luo in Hugo. Jim okays it to be patched through, although naturally he takes a bit of an impatient tone with Fred and his cheerful notice of Jim's cuteness. They are a bit busy. Fred wants to speak to Gene, but he's not available, so he gives his message to Jim and brightly informs him that several Kei Pirate ships are headed this way and should get to West Virginia Spaceport soon. Jim points out that they're in Ban Pirate territory, which Fred says only demonstrates how big a situation this is that the two would make a deal on the situation. Jim wants to know how Fred has this info, and Fred sheepishly points out that acting as an intermediary is his job. He pleads for Jim's understanding of the dilemma. To have turned them down would be bad for business, but he didn't want to jeopardize his relationship with Gene and Jim so he called them to warn them. A fed up Jim thanks him for nothing before hanging up and letting out his frustration in a good yell. The mechanical robots use anchor lines to pull themselves up to the Outlaw Star, Gilliam warning that they're attached to the hull exterior as Jim tries to think of anything they can do. Just when things look hopeless, Melfina and Gene emerge from the tank. Gene offers a nonchalant apology for the wait, raising the mood in the cockpit from despair to confidence as he takes over. Melfina points out that Gene's wounds haven't healed yet, but with the poison out of his system, Gene asserts he can handle the pain. He thanks Melfina and credits her with saving his life, but there's no time for more sentiment as Gilliam cuts in to alert them to the enemy trying to force open the hatch.

As the mechanical soldiers bang away relentlessly at the hatch, the pirate gloats confidently that he'll take back the XGP. The Outlaw Star crew rush to their positions as Gilliam points out the obvious, that the ship is presently in danger due to enemy attack. Gene declares that once Melfina is ready, they're blasting out. Melfina's navigation cylinder rises into position and she announces all systems green. Gene activates the Grappler arms and sweeps the mechanical soldiers off like irritating flies, but the head pirate manages to get his gear out of reach of the arms behind one of the support towers of the dock, chortling over the uselessness of Grappler arms if they can't reach him. His bragging is cut short by Suzuka, calling him a coward. She's outside the ship, standing atop a crane at the top of the tower. She tells Gene she hopes he can hear her because this one is all hers. The pirate wonders what a single unarmored fighter can do against him in his mechanical soldier as Suzuka leaps down to show him. With only her bokuto, she slashes through the cockpit, forcing the pirate to escape the mechanical soldier before it crashes to the deck far below. Hanging onto the side of the tower, his attitude seems to have changed as he whimpers in fear. Gene only calls Suzuka a show off as Gilliam puts out the fire from the crashed mechanical soldier. The pirate swings back up to the top of the tower, where Suzuka tells him it's over. He grovels for his life, then fires his poison needles from his wristband, Suzuka's bokuto knocking them all aside. Again calling him a coward, she rushes forward, ending him with the same technique she used on the other pirate assassin. Gene offers a comment this time of "Not bad, Suzuka." She replies that it's nothing when she's fighting Kei Pirates. Gene says they're about to lift off so she should return to the ship. He jokes about asking the Ctarl-Ctarl for help at this point.

The control tower hails the Outlaw Star to find out what's going on over there. Gene responds that it's nothing serious and casually informs them he's blasting off now so he'd like some launch data. The tower refuses to give him launch clearance until the disturbance is explained and the incident investigated. Gene's not hanging around for the port authorities though. He orders Gilliam to get ready for launch without guidance from the control tower.

Jim announces the loading of the last of the supply containers as Gene pulls on his light shield gloves. Melfina brings the launch systems online as Gilliam comments that his crew are a bunch of lunatics and futilely points out the recklessness of this idea to Gene. Jim hacks into the tower's computer to get the launch data for Gene. The control tower hails them again as the police drive up to the dock, the controller ordering Gene to exit the ship for arrest. He's in big trouble, but that's par for the course with Gene Starwind, isn't it? Jim asks what they're going to do, to which Gene casually replies they're never coming back to Sentinel again. He asks Suzuka if that's okay with her and she responds that she'll accompany them. Gene warns the cops below to move it or get burned as he turns the engines on. Gene gives the crew a final check for readiness. The tower makes one last desperate call for Gene to stop, getting a 'Bite me!' in reply. Incredulous that Gene is going through with this but resigned to his fate, Gilliam gives Gene clearance to take off. As Melfina counts down to launch, Gene's heart pounds as he realizes his journey is finally beginning and he finally says his own farewell to Hilda. The ship launches, causing extensive damage to dock 26.

On the planet surface, a boy and his father watch the ship lift into the stars. The boy is determined to be a spaceship pilot when he grows up, which his father says might happen if he works hard.

Jim congratulates Gene on the success of his first planetary launch as they achieve orbit. Gene seems to experience a moment's doubt, but soon returns to his usual confidence, proclaiming himself awesome at everything he does. Jim doesn't buy that, prompting a giggle from Melfina and amusement from Suzuka. Gilliam congratulates Gene, but has some bad news. Pirate ships are closing in. Melfina confirms it. The three pirate Grappler pilots comment on the inability of the guys on the ground to get the job done and head in to take care of the Outlaw Star themselves. Attempts to hail the ships fail and Gene orders the Outlaw Star into Grappler mode. He's never done this before, though, and has to ask Gilliam how to arm the Grapplers, which Gilliam responds is automatic. Good thing, because it looks like Gene doesn't have time to learn extensive operations. He's going to have to go by instinct in his first true Grappler battle, outnumbered. Gene proclaims his expertise with manipulators, but confesses he's going to need Jim's help to pull this off. They switch to Grappler combat mode with 30 seconds to encounter, Gene asking Jim to scatter the camera pods so he can see what's going on. The enemy Grapplers also deploy their cameras, as well as multiple missiles, which Jim counters with anti-missiles as they close in. Gene fires on one of the Grapplers with his Grappler gun, the pirate commenting that Gene's acting tough, but he's also history. Don't write that history yet, though; Gene takes his Grappler cannon out with a direct hit, retorting that they aren't as good as he is with a gun. There's a slight problem with that, though, since Gene's magazine is empty and it'll take a minute for Jim to reload. Gene breaks out his blade Grappler and goes hand to hand. Gene grabs onto one ship, firing into it from point blank with his reloaded gun, then moves to using his Grappler anchor as a bolo to tie up another and send it flying into the disabled one, causing both to explode. Two down and one to go. Gilliam and Melfina announce a problem in engine 3 as output drops by 30%. Gene declares he'll make it quick with the last one and heads in, but the remaining pirate is bent on revenge for the deaths of his two comrades. The two ships engage in a heated dogfight, bashing each other with everything they've got and firing heatedly as they dodge and evade only to come at each other again. The Outlaw Star turns out to be superior at withstanding the onslaught though, and the pirate grudgingly admits Gene's 'pretty good" as his ship explodes, Gene flying the wounded Outlaw Star out of the blast zone. Jim congratulates him as they stand down from Grappler mode, Gene admitting it was a workout that made him ready to hit the baths. The crew all congratulate each other on a job well done. They've exited the gravity well of Sentinel and are ready for sub-ether drive. Gene sets the destination as Heifong, explaining to Jim that it's Ban Pirate territory, so they should be safe from the Kei Pirates. Suzuka's not so sure. Jim points out that Heifong has a lot of big cities, so they should be able to find work. Gene wasn't thinking work, but Jim reminds him they've got to have money to pay for the Outlaw Star's maintenance, docking, and ammo. Gene grumbles about the big pain in the ass they've inherited from Hilda, which Gilliam takes insult at. He's not a pain in the ass, he's Gilliam II, and the name of the ship is the Outlaw Star. Melfina lays in a course for Heifong, a distance of about 20 light years according to Gene, and Gene says a jaunty goodbye to his homeworld, Sentinel III.

To be continued!

Next Episode: Surviving the biggest crisis of your life is all well and good, but just remember that you'll have nothing left to do after it's over. Is this that big letdown thing I've heard so much about? Well, all I know is, at a time like this, raising some hell and doing your job is the best medicine. Isn't that right, Jim? What are you so mad about?! Next time on Outlaw Star, A Journey of Adventure.. Huh? So you better get ready!