Ghost-Beard's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Lazer-Beard slammed his metal fist on the bar counter. The green glow from his beard flickered in the dim light. He needed a crew—the best hunters in the galaxy. Alone, he could take small marks. But legendary bounties? Those required a team. He pulled up a holographic list of targets. The deadliest names blinked red across the screen. Soon, he'd build a crew worthy of hunting them all. The hologram blinked off. Lazer-Beard stood and walked toward the spaceport. His heavy boots clanged against the metal floor. Outside, rows of ships lined the docking bay. But only one mattered. The Moonslicer sat at the far end, its blade-like shape cutting through the darkness. Its cyber-pirate design made other captains turn away. Perfect. This ship would be his base. From here, he'd gather the deadliest hunters. From here, his crew would claim every mark in the galaxy. He climbed the ramp and the door sealed behind him with a hiss. Inside the Moonslicer, the corridor stretched before him. Acid green lights lined the walls. His metal boots echoed on the deck plates. He passed empty crew quarters and weapon racks waiting to be filled. At the center of the ship, he found what he needed. The A.X.E. simulator booth stood in the training bay. Its insectoid lettering glowed in the dark. He stepped inside and activated the controls. Holographic enemies flickered to life around him. His mechanical arm hummed as he fought through the program. Each move needed to be faster, sharper. When his crew arrived, they'd train here too. They'd practice until they could take down any target. The simulation ended. Lazer-Beard powered down the booth and looked around his empty ship. The Moonslicer was ready. Now he just needed to fill it with the best hunters alive. He moved to the bridge and approached the Hellhound X display station. The black frame gleamed with neon red accents. He powered it on and watched holographic readouts flash to life. Available bounties filled the screen in bright text. Names, faces, and reward amounts scrolled past. These weren't simple marks. These were killers, smugglers, and war criminals. The kind of targets that required a full team to bring down. Lazer-Beard studied each one. He selected three high-value bounties and saved them to the ship's database. Once he recruited his crew, they'd start with these. His mechanical fingers traced the hologram of the first target. The galaxy was full of dangerous people. Soon, they'd all fear the name of his crew.