"I'm an Idiot, I'm an idiot, I'm an idiot, I'm an Idiot, I'm an idiot, I'm an idiot, I'm an Idiot, I'm an idiot, I'm an idiot I'm an Idiot, I'm an idiot, I'm an idiot, I'm an Idiot..."

I was mumbling to myself, why? Don't ask me... Maybe it was because I was crazy. This would be sure enough proof to prove that I was... I was a very BIG idiot. Why?! Why did I do this?! WHY!?

"Crew members of the Arcadia, there is an intruder on board. If you find him or her, you can shoot, but not to kill. I want it alive. Alive you hear me?!"

Darn it! Now they know I'm here... Hey! I know that voice, but I can't quite place it... The comlink of the huge Battle ship crackle shut and I looked around the hall I was in. I scuttled to a small passage way at the same moment some men ran around the corner and sped past, I sighed. I had just made it.

I was now officially doomed. We were in space, so I couldn't just walk, or more like sneak, back off. I didn't know the colossal ship's halls at all and I was hungry. Ok maybe that wasn't my most pressing matter but it would become one... And my earlier statement wasn't exactly true. I know I've never been on this ship in my life, but I caught myself recognising some of the twist and turns in its maze of halls, like a sense of déjà vu.

I sighed... What was I gonna do? I will most likely never see Heavy Melder again, and frankly I didn't want too. I knew there was around 40 men, plus the Captain, First mate and second in command on this ship, I had seen the men board last night at departure, but I have yet to see the ranking members of the bridge. I sat down against the metal wall, my knees pulled tightly to my stomach and my arms wrapped around them. My poncho was spread behind me, and my hat was pulled down over my face, casting my slate blue-grey eyes into shadows. I sighed. I have to get a plan of action...

"I have to find a way to stay hidden... At least till we get to the next planet... But who knows when that'll be!" I mumbled to myself. I felt like crying, but I was no coward so I didn't. I was tired, cold, starting to get hungry and frustrated.

I eventually got up, my sore limbs protesting. I wonder how much time has passed. No more than an hour since I sat down more or less.

"First things first, in need to find somewhere to hide out, then the kitchen, and then," I smirked pumping my fist, "The Bathroom!"

I looked back and forth down the hall, making sure no one was around, and made my way thru the ship. Carefully and with weary senses I made the tour of the ship, sometimes getting close to being caught. It took I don't know how many hours, but by the time I sat down again too rest I had a mental map of 4 of the 15 or so floors of the ship. They were the two top ones, which were basically the technical and gun related floors, all the main wires and stations were place there. I figured the crew quarters and main computer room entrances were in the middle, with another technical and navigational section of floors underneath. Apart from the main build of the ship, there were the Captain's quarters in the far back, the bridge and its tower, the engine room and this mystery space in the far front of the ship, most likely behind the ram, that I was not able to see for the door was locked and heavily blocked off.

I had found the kitchen and the biggest bathroom by accident, stumbling upon them when I made to hide from a certain group of crew members that kept following me. 'All that's left now is a place to hide out...' I thought. I stopped near a wall and rested a bit, slightly out of breath. I looked up threw one of the many holes in my hat and poked at it.

"It's over there!"

I whirled around to see the same gang of men from before standing right near the corner where the hall took a sharp turn. They were three and all had guns blazing and war axes ready. I cursed myself for lowering my guard and took off like a bullet in the opposite direction, just has a laser shot hit the floor where my feet just were.

Heavy footsteps rang out behind me as the men gave chase and I fled down another hall way, rocketing round one corner or the next, trying to shake the growling crew members. Right, left, straight, left again, careful wet floor, wait, what!? All along the accursed men never laid up, sometimes at my heels and sometimes a mile off. Finally, I looked back once and realised that instead of 3 men chasing me, the group had expended to a roaring mass of 20 men all yelling for bloody murder.

We ran for what seemed forever, and I suddenly spotted a narrow hall to the right. 'Good' I smirked, 'the mass of pirates will defiantly not make it threw that all at once' I thought. The hall came closer and closer, and thank space too cause the men were snapping at my boots. 'Now!' I thought and vaulted into the hall, using my weight and momentum to rocket around the sharp corner and into the darkness beyond. I heard with no small amount of satisfaction the crew yelp in surprise and curse as they were pushed by each other in an attempt to follow me. The last time I looked back they were a rolling mess and in a rage to catch me, kept pushing each other down.

I didn't look back no more. I sprinted to the faint light at the end of an otherwise pitch black hall and soon exploded out the other side. I had just enough time to turn before I ran into the wall opposite and stopped. I looked around, and let out a breath. I was sore and took a moment to catch my almost gone breath. Thought I soon got going again when I heard curses come from the narrow hall.

I swear I've never ran like I did that day... thank space for all those harsh years alone on Heavy Melder, without the stamina, speed and endurance I gained I would have fallen prey to those brutes a long time ago.

I jogged towards the end of the bigger hallway I was in, this one having lights in the walls. I realised once I got nearer that the end of the hall was in fact an elevator, and before the crew could even catch up I was in it and waving at them with a sheepish grin on my face. As soon as the doors closed I let out a sigh, bending down and letting my now extremely sore muscles relax a bit, for now, in this elevator, I was safe. I had no idea where I was or where I was headed, but I was safe.

That is till those blasted elevator doors opened and I realised I was in the main bridge. The helm. The place where the Captain directs his mighty ship.

"Oh Dan it all..." I swore but looked into the huge room with awe.

The elevator was on the far right corner of a raised platform, which held the main controls, an old styled boat wheel, and what looked like the engine controls. The wheel was in the middle of the platform with the two main control stations further out onto the platform on either side, behind it was what I thought looked like a chair and right next to the elevator was the so-called engine controls. On both sides of the platform were curved, beautifully carved black staircases, and on the lower floor I saw glimpses of navigational, radar, aiming systems and cloaking controls. The ceiling was high above my head and a map for light speed transport stretched across it. The walls had all kinds of dials, gauges and tubes for various uses hooked on them and the far wall, the one facing the elevator, was made up entirely (except the reinforced space metal alloy bars laid vertically to hold it up) of doubled 13 inch space glass.

The room was a sight to be seen, and I'm sure I looked like a fish with my mouth agape, but it was deserted. Not one soul could be seen... Except the one that cleared its throat just then. Oh great... Just great. I gulped and looked at the figure now standing in front of the wheel.

I knew who it was just by the Gravity Sabre held firmly in one hand (*cough*and the wild brown hair*cough*), but it shocked me all the same, after all, who expected him to be here? Ok, Ok whatever, maybe I should've expected it but come on...

"Mr. Creepy Van Creepy-stein!?" I managed to choke out. For it really was him, the same stranger from the bar on Heavy Melder.

"What are you doing on my ship?" He questioned viciously, his words full of venom, all sighs of bitter playfulness from our meeting at the bar evaporated. As if I was an old enemy he was butt determined to erase from the face of the universe. His eyes were cold and hostile, a look that would make the most cold-hearted pirate in the universe flinch and look away. I gave all my courage to the devil the moment I locked gazes with him without flinching. That's it I realised, he was no cargo Captain like I had assumed... he was a pirate. And in that moment I laughed bitterly inside my head, I left Heavy Melder and stowed away on a bloody pirate ship. That's why the dark aura that was with him then and now was there. He was in fact "The most cold-hearted pirate in the universe" quoting my own thoughts just moments before. I stared at the tip of his Sabre held without so much as a millimetre of movement, like the man who was holding it was made of stone. It was aimed squarely between my eyes.

"If I had known it was your ship, let alone a pirate ship I wouldn't have stowed away..." I muttered softly, my voice hoarse and my throat dry under his never ending glare.

Just as I finish my words Harlock lunged at me, Sabre aimed for the heart. I had just enough time to throw myself to one side and draw my own Sabre before he turned for another attack. This blow I parried and before he could counter again I back flipped away, just to get some distance between me and him. Thank god the bridge was so big and deserted... I didn't want to trip over anything in an unknown space. The captain thought had that advantage, this was his ship and he kinda obviously knew it like the back of his hand.

I backed up, feeling the back of the chair brush against my poncho, I had a light bulb moment, and when Harlock lunged next I threw myself to the side, the sharp sound of metal against metal rang out as his Sabre collided with the chair. I took my chance with the distraction and made to hit his shoulder with a nice powerful swing. It never hit. He moved so fast that he not only parried my hit, but also sent me a solid kick to stomach. I flew back and landed with a crash against the helm. I still had my sabre in hand and I quickly got back to my feet, just in time to avoid a laser shot from his weapon. I leaped at him, changing from defence to offense.

We exchanged blows for a bit each coming to a stale mate. I was surprised at my skill, I had never had a proper sword to sword duel before. Harlock was faster, stronger and had more experience than me, but I held fast. I jumped back after another spat of blows, sparks flying. We circled each other, eyes never leaving the other. My arm stung in several spots where he nicked me and a longer cut on my shin was slowly bleeding. I knew that on the contrary I hadn't even touched Harlock yet... 'Damn he's good' I thought. I was getting tired, my breath came in heavy gasps. My little run right before certainly didn't help much. I lifted my sword In front of me, grabbing it with my other hand, waiting for his next move. He looked at me, and shifted his weight to one side, I tensed knowing he was going to lunged, and he did.

What happened next seemed like slow motion. Harlock shot forward, I swiped my sabre to cut across his chest. In a fluid motion he ducked, and brought his sabre from his left straight across my stomach. I got thrown back again, this time with a shallow but painful cut to my belly. I gagged because of the force behind the hit and fell back 5 feet from where I was. I landed hard, my head bouncing of the metal floor and making a small snap. I moaned in pain a bit and closed my eyes, the real world spinning so much it was making me dizzy.

I opened them a moment later, letting my eyes readjust to the gloom of the bridge. They focused onto the tip of his sabre, maybe a centimetre away from my nose. I bit my lip and looked past it to the man holding the weapon. I knew he had no objection whatsoever to offing me and getting back to whatever space pirate captains do. I knew I was going to die. I didn't want to die, of course, but hey, what can I say? Bad luck comes to me like pirates to gold... Ok bad pun but whatever. I sighed.

"Are you going to kill me yet?" I said, getting annoyed that he was just standing there not doing anything. I was flat on my back, my arms spread out and my sabre out of reach. It would be fool hardy to try to make a grab at my gun, and tall, dark and creepy was staring at me.

"Answer my question." Harlock growled. I had to keep myself from flinching at the cold sound. Yet I managed to meet his gaze every time. I looked at him with one eye brow lifted.

"Um... Say what now?" I asked confused, I couldn't remember him asking a question... Unless he was talking about—

"Why are you on my ship?!" Harlock spat viciously. An edge to his voice that just dared me to not answer. I gulped, looking back down to the sharp point in front of my face. To tell the truth I was freaking terrified! I fumbled for my words, the reason I was on this ship... But all I came up was my need to be off Heavy Melder's surface, the need to be in the sky. That would never fly...

"I'll ask one last time." Harlock said slowly, and in those words more venom lay then in any others. "Why are you on the Arcadia?"

I looked him straight in the eye. "Better to die and honest fool then a worthless liar." Words that my thought-to-be-father taught me long ago. I made up my mind and set my face in grim determination. Yes, determination even though I'm pinned to the floor spread out like a goose and without my sabre in hand. Determination that I was ready to and gladly would take to my grave. I took in a big breath and told him why.

"For Freedom. I felt trapped on Heavy Melder, Grounded, like a bird with no wings. In the few hours I've actually had flight... other then the fact you found me and I was chased around, I've loved it. I'm fully aware that your gonna kill me, but please do so in the air." I finished, waiting for either a shot to the brain or a good old head chop off.

A moment passed.

And another.

Neither of us broke eye contact. It was the staring contest of the century. I was waiting for death... Hell if I know what he was doing... contemplating how to kill me perhaps?

I was prepared. Completely prepared. For death, the afterlife, nirvana, Hell whatever came my way I was prepared. I narrowed my gaze, and was just about to ask him what his problem was, when he lowered his sabre.

Remember I said I was prepared? Course you do it was not even 2 seconds ago... Unless you have gold fish memory... Anyway off topic! I was prepared, yes, for anything and everything. Or so I thought.

I was prepared for things like this: "That's a fool's wish!" Or "Idiot." And then bang, death.

Harlock sheathed his Sabre looked down at me, one hand on his hip.

"Welcome to the Arcadia."

You can sure as hell bet I wasn't prepared for that. Ever. In that moment the world seemed like one big puzzle and the only thing you can say when the world is one big mind blow... is this trusty sentence.

"What tha heck?"