Episode 36: The Mafia and the Rookie Pilot

"Argh! No, no, no! It’s impossible! I’m gonna die! I’m dead!"

Taro’s screams echoed through the comms as his H.A.D. flailed wildly near the Alpha Station pier.

"Hey, hey! Kid, I’m begging you—don’t go smashing into anything. Spare parts don't exactly grow on space-trees out here."

Squall watched Taro’s unit move with the grace of a caffeinated toddler and sighed over the radio. He maneuvered his own machine toward the spinning Taro, who was currently doing a convincing impression of an Olympic figure skater caught in a tornado. Squall used the BISHOP’s docking tether to snag Taro’s unit and forcibly steady the chaotic motion.

"Terrible luck, Teiro," Alan’s voice crackled through the speakers, dripping with amusement. "Looks like you’ve got zero talent for H.A.D. operations."

Taro let out a frustrated "Dammit!" but honestly, his pride wasn't his biggest concern. He was currently preoccupied with trying to keep his lunch from making a violent reappearance.

I’ve always dreamed of piloting a giant robot, but this is a nightmare... wait, am I the only one facing the wrong way?

Muttering to himself while being towed like a broken-down car, Taro finally arrived at the dock. As the cables snared the machines, the scene was nothing short of surreal: four H.A.D.s stood in a neat, professional row, while the fifth—Taro’s—was clamped into place completely upside down, dangling like a confused bat.

"You talk a big game for someone who can fly a massive spaceship like a god," Squall said, his tone turning suspicious. "Seriously, are you sure you’re not some elite military unit in disguise?"

"Unfortunately not," Taro groaned from his inverted cockpit.

"The Empire’s busy playing firefighter all over the galaxy. They aren’t coming to a backwater rim-world like this anytime soon... More importantly, have we found the Research Station yet?"

Despite the staggering numerical disadvantage, the station’s automated defenses, the ten H.A.D.s, and the Plum II’s relentless concentrated fire had literally ground the hundred-strong WIND fleet into space dust. There had been a few hairy moments where the Plum II had been swarmed, but its massive Shield Battery had proven more than up to the task. A Frigate-class WIND ship trying to punch through a Cruiser’s plating was like a housefly trying to headbutt its way through a blast door.

Currently, Lyza’s transport ships were busy scooping up the wreckage under Marl’s expert direction. As a veteran Salvager, she knew they couldn't take everything, so she was being picky about the loot. Alpha Station had been picked clean during its evacuation, so trying to set up a legitimate trade post here was a non-starter. Marl’s logic was simple: if they couldn't trade, they’d scavenge.

"That’s the 'unfortunate' part, kid," a voice replied. It wasn't Squall, but his boss, Bella. "We’re running directional scans on every suspicious blip we find. It’s only a matter of time."

Taro let out a low hum, his mind wandering to the man they were looking for.

Dr. Arzimof was supposed to be at the Alpha Research Station, a completely separate facility from the Residential Station they were currently occupying. According to the logs Koume had recovered, the research station had jumped coordinates to escape the initial WIND assault. After that, the trail had gone cold.

"I just hope they're still alive..."

With Squall’s help, Taro managed to tumble out of the H.A.D. and began the trek toward the station’s control room where Bella and Koume were waiting. He spent the trip "crawling" through the zero-gravity corridors—a sensation he still despised—and finally let out a breath of relief once he stepped into the gravity-stabilized command center.

"Welcome back, kid. How was the ride?"

The woman who greeted Taro was roughly his height, with sharp, narrow eyes that seemed to see right through him. Unlike Marl’s fiery red mane, this woman had wavy, ocean-blue hair that bounced as she moved. She wore her jacket draped over her shoulders like a cape, sleeves dangling uselessly. A large, jagged scar ran across her cheek, but it only added to the composed, dangerous smile she wore.

"Take a load off," she said, gesturing toward a seat.

"Don't bother asking, Bella," Squall grunted, pulling off his pilot’s helmet to reveal a face framed by short black hair. His tight pilot suit highlighted a physique that made Taro think of a slimmer, leaner version of Alan. "The kid’s a total amateur in the cockpit. He almost turned your expensive hardware into scrap metal."

"Hey! You didn't have to say that part out loud!" Taro barked.

"I saw it on the monitors, I know," Bella laughed. "Don't sweat the small stuff. The boy’s a lifesaver. Stand tall, kid."

Taro had been fidgeting, expecting a lecture, but Bella just pulled a thumb-sized cigar from her jacket and popped it into her mouth. She offered him one, but he shook his head.

"It’s a real cigar, you know?" she teased. Taro shook his head again, more firmly this time.

"Look, I’m sorry," Bella continued, her expression turning serious. "I should’ve been clearer, but I ended up leading you guys on. Like I said, the Doctor is definitely in this system. But he’s not on this station."

Bella locked eyes with him. Taro felt the sheer weight of her presence pressing down on him, but he forced himself not to look away. She had clearly misled them to get their help, but he wasn't about to pick a fight over it. Mostly because...

["TEIRO, REFRAIN FROM ANY SUDDEN MOVEMENTS. THE GUNS AND RULE CORP ARE MAFIA WHO PRIDE THEMSELVES ON CHIVALRY, BUT THEY ARE STILL MAFIA. I DOUBT THEY WILL HARM THEIR BENEFACTORS, BUT IF THEY MARK US AS ENEMIES, THEY WILL BE MERCILESS. THE STATION’S TURRETS ARE CURRENTLY TARGETING US, AND THEIR H.A.D.S HAVE US COMPLETELY ENCIRCLED. IT IS QUITE THE RECEPTION."]

Alan’s warning, sent via a private encrypted channel while Taro was docking, echoed in his mind. Yeah, I’m definitely not talking back.

"W-well, it’s a bummer, but it is what it is," Taro stammered. "Besides, if we don't know where the Research Station is, we’d need to use your Large-scale Scanner anyway."

It was a total rationalization, but it was true. The scanners on their ship didn't have the range to sweep an entire star system.

Bella flashed a grin. In this age of advanced anti-aging tech, it was impossible to tell her real age, but Taro guessed she was somewhere in her late twenties or early thirties.

"By the way, Bella-san... you’re a Mafian Corp, right? Why are you the ones doing station security?"

"Hmm? What, a Mafia isn't allowed to play cop?"

"No, I mean—that’s not what I meant..." Taro trailed off, shrinking under her condescending gaze. He couldn't tell if she was trying to be intimidating or if she just was intimidating.

"Heh. Out here on the frontier, the Empire’s reach is pathetic. When the law is weak, the type of people who show up changes. Rough types like us find it much easier to handle... various things."

She emphasized the words with a sharp twist of her lips.

"Various things, huh..." Taro muttered.

"It’s not like we’re out here breaking every law in the book," Bella said, waving a hand dismissively. "Compared to some of the freaks in deep space, we’re practically saints. Besides, every major corporation has a group like us on the payroll. Sometimes they call us a 'Union,' or a 'special department,' or a 'partner company.' Sometimes it’s just a secret handshake under the table."

Taro blinked. This wasn't the organized crime he’d imagined. Come to think of it, he’d never actually seen the news mention Mafian Corps in a negative light. I guess the Mafia is just another gear in the social machine out here.

"But hey," Bella said, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized him. "You’re a weird one yourself, kid. That ship of yours is a bit too 'authentic' for a simple merchant vessel, don't you think?"

"You mean the Plum?" Taro asked. "I don't know if you get the news out here, but these days, every company is arming their ships. Security Company patrols can't keep up with the chaos."

"Hmm... true enough, given the state of things. So, you a former military man? You’ve clearly seen some combat."

"Uh, well... you could say a lot of things happened."

He could hardly tell her he’d literally OVERRIDDEN an entire Military Academy’s worth of training data into his brain. Bella seemed to take his hesitation for a dark, mysterious past and nodded knowingly. "Right. Keep your secrets, then."

"Anyway, kid. I’ve got a proposal. Are you the sole owner of your company?"

Taro felt a chill down his spine but nodded honestly. "Yes."

Bella’s grin widened, looking very satisfied. She opened her mouth to speak, but the AI's voice cut through the room.

["MR. TEIRO. THE STATION’S DIRECTIONAL SCAN HAS DETECTED A LARGE-SCALE STRUCTURE IN TRANSIT. AS THERE ARE NO OTHER REGISTERED STRUCTURES IN THIS SECTOR, I ESTIMATE A 98% PROBABILITY THAT THIS IS THE ALPHA RESEARCH STATION."]

Taro jumped to his feet. "Alright!" he cheered, already sprinting toward the dock where the Plum was moored. "Let's move!"

"Hold your horses, kid," Bella called out. "If you’re staging a raid, you’re taking us with you. We won't get in your way, and it’s about time we showed you what we can really do. Besides..."

She gave him a grin that was genuinely terrifying.

"We’re about to be members of the same Union. And a community is all about helping each other out, right?"

It was phrased like a suggestion, but the tone made it very clear: Taro didn't have a choice.