As Jaxon, Astra and Axel made their way back to the Star Explorer, the sun had already set and the stars were shining bright in the sky. They were all feeling dejected after their loss, and the weight of their debt to Krynn hung heavily over them.
As they approached the ship, Axel couldn't help himself but admire the sleek design of The Star Explorer.
"Look at her," he said, "She's a beauty. I just can't get over how gorgeous this ship is." Running his hand over the smooth metal exterior.
Jaxon chuckled. "Yeah, she's a beauty all right but she's also our ticket out of here, so let's get inside and see what we can do about our situation."
As they entered the ship, S.A.M started throwing out humorous comments.
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. Our own and only losers. I hope you all had a good time because you certainly didn't win anything."
Astra rolled her eyes her tone serious. "SAM can you please focus on the task at hand?"
"Of course. I apologize." S.A.M's tone now serious.
"Wow that's one hell of an AI." Axel stated.
"Don't mind him. The man behind the programming was sure one of a nut case." Jaxon replied as the trio burst out in laughter.
"Haha. Do I need to remind you guys that you owe someone a lot of credits?" S.A.M. asked.
Jaxon took a deep breath. "We need to figure out a way to get back the artifact, pay Krynn his credits and retrieve our artifact. Any Ideas?"
Astra replied, "We could try to make the credits through legal means, but that could take too long. Or we could try to steal back the artifact, but that would be risky."
"Incoming transmission, Sir." S.A.M. cut their conversation short.
"Put it through." Jaxon said.
Krynn's holographic image appeared on the screen in front of them. "You three owe me a lot of money," he snarled. "I suggest you pay me back soon or face the consequences."
Jaxon gritted his teeth. "We're working on it, Krynn. We'll have the money soon."
Krynn scoffed. "You better. I don't take kindly to those who don't pay their debts." The image disappeared.
Astra sighed. "We need to move quickly. We don't want to anger Krynn any further."
"Axel you know you can leave before this becomes something terrible." Jaxon stated looking at Axel with concern.
"I hear you but my life as a mechanic in a workshop is rather boring and I wouldn't going on an epic adventure. Besides it's not like me to leave friends in a bad situation." Axel replied with a smile.
"If that's the case then welcome to our team." Jaxon replied.
"Wow!!! Someone new to nag." Came S.A.M.'s voice in the intercom.
"Come on SAM not now." Jaxon said. "Take us to orbit."
"Aye aye Captain."
As they ascended into orbit, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by what looked like a group of heavily-armed bounty hunters in ships of all shapes and sizes.
Axel pulled up the ship's scanner "We've got two on our left, one on our right, and three coming in hot from behind. We need to take them out fast if we want to make it out of here in one piece."
Jaxon took control of the ship and maneuvered it to dodge the attacks, while Astra manned the weapons and started firing back.
The Star Explorer shook and rumbled as the bounty hunter ships started to fire their weapons at them. The ship sustained damage from the repeated blasts and Jaxon struggled to keep control of the ship. Axel was frantically trying to modify and do repairs to what he could, but it was difficult to keep up with the damage they were taking.
"Axel, we need more power to the engines!" Jaxon yelled over the noise of the ship shaking.
"I'm working on it!" Axel shouted back as he worked on the ship's systems. "But we can't take much more of this!"
Astra joined them in the cockpit and listened to their conversation. She quickly came up with an idea to try and lose the bounty hunters in an asteroid field near the planet they were leaving.
"Guys, I have an idea!" Astra said. "What if we head for the asteroid field near the planet and try to lose them in there?"
Axel looked at her skeptically. "We'll never make it through there in this condition. The ship can't take it."
"But if we can't shake them off, they'll destroy us," Jaxon said. "Astra, can we do it?"
"I think so," Astra replied. "SAM, can you calculate the maneuvers we need to take in order to out run the bounty hunters?"
S.A.M.'s voice sounded over the intercom. "Calculations complete. Initiating course change."
Jaxon pulled the ship into a sharp turn and headed towards the asteroid field. The bounty hunters followed hot on their tail as they fired their weapons as they went.
"Here we go!" Axel shouted.
Jaxon weaved the ship through the asteroids, trying to avoid the bounty hunters' attacks. The Star Explorer shook and rattled as they narrowly avoided collisions with the massive space rocks.
Astra monitored the ship's sensors, calling out the locations of the bounty hunters as they closed in on them.
"Two on the left!" Astra shouted.
"Got it!" Jaxon replied, banking the ship to the right to avoid their fire.
"Three on the right!" Astra called out.
Axel was frantically working on the ship's systems, trying to keep them flying as long as possible.
"We've got a hull breach on the port side!" Axel yelled. "I'm trying to patch it up!"
"Keep at it!" Jaxon said as he dodged a blast from one of the bounty hunters.
The Star Explorer continued to dodge and weave through the asteroid field, taking hit after hit from the bounty hunters. The ship was sustaining serious damage, but they couldn't give up.
"We're almost there!" Astra shouted. "Just a little further!"
Finally, they emerged from the asteroid field, leaving the bounty hunters behind. The ship was badly damaged, but they had managed to escape with their lives.
Axel collapsed in his seat, breathing heavily. "That was too close."
Astra nodded in agreement. "Let's get out of here."
"I'm running a damage report now," Axel said as he started tapping on the console. "Looks like we took a lot of hits. We've got some serious damage to the hyperdrive and thrusters, and the shields are down to 20%."
Astra's brow furrowed in concern. "What does that mean for us?"
Axel sighed. "It means that we can only make one hyperdrive jump. We won't be able to make a long one. We'll have to find a nearby planet or station to make repairs before we can jump again."
Jaxon rubbed his chin as he thought. "What are our options for repairs?"
Axel shook his head. "Not many. We don't have the equipment or the resources to make extensive repairs on our own. We'll have to find a repair station."
Astra tapped her foot impatiently. "We don't have time for that. We need to get the artifact back and pay Krynn his debt."
Jaxon nodded. "I know, but we can't jump blindly into the next system without making repairs. We'll be sitting ducks."
Astra crossed her arms. "So what do we do?"
Axel nodded. "I'll see if I can find any nearby planets with repair facilities. In the meantime, we need to get out of here."
As Axel went back to work on the console, S.A.M. chimed in. "I must say, this is quite exciting! I haven't had this much action in quite some time."
Jaxon shot S.A.M. a glare. "This is no time for jokes, SAM. We're in a tough spot."
S.A.M.'s voice became more serious. "My apologies, Captain. I understand the gravity of the situation."
Jaxon nodded. "Good. Let's focus on getting out of here and finding a way to make repairs. Axel any luck on finding any repair stations?"
"Yes I've found one near our location."
"SAM, set a course for the nearest station. We need to get this ship fixed up."
"Of course, Jaxon," S.A.M. responded. "But I must inform you that we have limited resources and funds for repairs."
"That's okay," Jaxon said. "We'll figure something out."
As they made their way to the station, Jaxon couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something. "Why were those bounty hunters after us?" he asked. "We're not even wanted criminals."
Astra looked up from her console. "Could it be Krynn?" she suggested. "He might have put a bounty on us to try and recoup his losses."
"That's a possibility," Jaxon said. "But we still don't know for sure. We need to be careful from now on."
They arrived at the station and immediately got to work repairing the ship. As they worked, they discussed their options for dealing with Krynn and the debt they owed him.
"We could try and earn some credits by doing odd jobs," Axel suggested. "Or we could become bounty hunters ourselves."
"I don't like the idea of being a bounty hunter," Astra said. "We're not killers and besides we have a bounty on our heads. I'd rather try and earn the money honestly."
Jaxon nodded in agreement. "I'm with Astra on this one. We'll find a way to earn the money without resorting to violence."
Just then, S.A.M. chimed in. "I may have a solution for your financial troubles. Have you considered joining the mercenary guild?"
"The mercenary guild?" Jaxon repeated. "What would that entail?"
"They offer a variety of missions and contracts for mercenaries like yourselves," SAM explained. "You could earn a decent amount of credits and potentially make some valuable connections."
Jaxon and his team considered the idea for a moment. It wasn't ideal, but it might be their best option.
"Okay, SAM," Jaxon said. "Set a course for the mercenary guild. Let's see what they have to offer."
As the trio made their way towards the Mercenary Guild, they received an unexpected audio communication from an unknown person. S.A.M. immediately picked up on the incoming signal and informed Jaxon, Astra, and Axel.
Astra looked at Jaxon with a frown. "Who could this be? Should we answer it?"
Jaxon nodded his head, his hand hovering over the accept button. "Let's hear what they have to say."
Axel leaned in closer to the communication device, his eyes narrowed. "I don't like this. We don't know who's on the other end."
As they debated what to do, S.A.M. chimed in. "I suggest we listen to what the unknown caller has to say. We can always terminate the communication if we feel uncomfortable."
The trio exchanged glances, each silently considering their next move. Finally, Jaxon made a decision and pressed the accept button.
A distorted voice filled the communication device, making it hard to distinguish the caller's gender. "Greetings, Jaxon, Astra, and Axel. I have a proposition for you."
Jaxon, Astra, and Axel exchanged confused glances. "Who are you? And how do you know our names?" Jaxon asked.
The distorted voice chuckled. "Let's just say that I have my ways of obtaining information. I can help you get out of the rough situation between you and Krynn and get your artifact back."
Jaxon considered the offer, weighing the risks and rewards. "What do you want us to do?"
The distorted voice provided them with a set of coordinates and instructed them to meet at a specific location. "I will give you more information when you arrive. But be warned, time is of the essence. Krynn is not someone you want to cross."
Jaxon, Astra, and Axel looked at each other, each silently considering their next move. Finally, Jaxon nodded. "We'll be there."
As they headed towards the coordinates, the trio discussed their options. "I don't know about this," Astra said, her voice full of doubt. "This could be a trap."
Jaxon looked at her reassuringly. "We don't have many options right now. We need to take a chance and see where this leads us."
Axel nodded in agreement. "Besides, we've faced worse before. We can handle whatever comes our way."