The console's glow painted tired faces as Max and Elan leaned over the scanner, tracing the faint signal of the Scavenger ship drifting ahead.
"They're moving slow," Max noted, fingers tapping a rhythm against the panel. "Looks like they're scanning for ice pockets on nearby meteoroids."
Elan's eyes narrowed. "They'll stop eventually, probably to mine or refuel."
Ren sat behind them, hugging her knees. "And then what? We just… hit them?"
Elan didn't answer immediately, eyes following the blinking signal as it drifted across the screen. "We'll wait for the right moment. When they dock with a meteoroid, they'll open their gates. That's when we move."
Shizuka and Kenta hovered near the doorway, listening in silence.
Max pulled up trajectory data, calculating drift speeds, distance, and potential docking points. "If they stick to this pattern, they'll reach that large ice cluster in about ten hours."
Elan nodded. "That's our window."
Ren looked up, her voice small. "What happens after we take what we need?"
Elan's jaw tightened, his eyes still locked on the scanner. "We survive."
The soft hum of the engines and the blinking lights on the console were the only sounds in the cabin as the crew watched the drifting signal, each lost in their thoughts, the weight of what they were planning heavy in the cold dark of space.
The dim cabin lights flickered as Elan pulled up the navigation schematics, projecting a small map onto the wall. The Scavenger ship's projected path glowed red against the darkness.
"Alright, we need to decide who's doing what," Elan said, turning to face the crew.
Max crossed his arms. "I'll handle navigation and keep us hidden in their blind spots."
Ren shifted, uneasy. "I'll monitor sensors and keep an eye out for any sudden changes."
Elan nodded. "I'll lead the boarding if we get the chance. We need to be fast and precise."
Shizuka stepped forward, her eyes firm. "We want to help too."
Elan hesitated, glancing at Kenta, who was clenching his fists, trying to appear braver than he felt.
"It's too dangerous," Elan started, but Shizuka cut in.
"We're not asking to fight," she said, her voice steady. "Kenta can monitor the external cameras, watch for any movement outside. I can assist Ren by jamming their communications if they try to call for help."
Max raised an eyebrow. "That would give us an edge."
Elan looked between them, seeing the determination in Shizuka's eyes and the quiet fear in Kenta's. "Alright. Shizuka, you'll work with Ren on signals. Kenta, you'll monitor external visuals and report immediately if anything moves."
Kenta nodded, swallowing hard. "I can do that."
Ren let out a breath, giving Shizuka a small nod. "We'll keep their signals down."
Elan pointed to the red dot on the projection. "We have ten hours to get ready. Check your stations, prepare for quick action, and keep quiet. We only get one shot at this."
The hum of the engines filled the silence as everyone scattered to prepare, the gravity of what was coming settling like cold iron in the cabin as they moved to play their parts in the hunt.
The hours before the planned ambush moved slowly, each minute stretching into quiet tension as the crew prepared.
Max was in the maintenance bay, checking the manual boarding connector. The improvised clamp and magnetic latch system needed to work perfectly if they were to latch onto the Scavenger ship when the moment came. Sparks flew as he tightened loose contacts, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cold.
Nearby, Elan sorted through their meager supplies, pulling out a few emergency tasers and multi-tools they had taken during their escape from Earth. He checked each one, ensuring the batteries still held a charge, and tied them to his belt with makeshift straps.
Ren sat cross-legged near the supply crates, organizing what little rations and first aid they had left. She tucked gauze and sealant spray into a small kit, biting her lip as she forced herself to focus, her hands trembling as she packed.
Shizuka and Kenta worked together in the comms corner. Shizuka was testing the signal jamming device—a repurposed broadcast scrambler from their emergency radio. It buzzed softly, and she adjusted the dials until the static cleared, then returned, a sign it was working.
Kenta checked the camera feeds repeatedly, memorizing the exterior layout of their own ship and the shapes of the drifting meteoroids around them. His eyes were red, but he stayed silent, determined not to slow anyone down.
"Breathe," Shizuka whispered to him, squeezing his shoulder. "You're doing good."
He nodded, forcing a small smile.
Elan glanced around the cramped interior of the ship, watching everyone work. Despite the fear and uncertainty, there was a quiet determination in each movement, an unspoken understanding that they would do whatever it took to survive.
He closed his eyes briefly, steadying his thoughts, before checking the clock. "Four hours left."
Outside, the stars remained indifferent as the crew prepared for the hunt, the cold glow of distant suns reflecting off the metal hull as they readied themselves for what was to come.
Time went by, the team planning the ambush on The Scavengers.
"Two hours left," Elan announced, the countdown ticking louder in everyone's mind than the soft hum of the engines.
Max brought up the projection of the Scavenger ship's last known trajectory, aligning it with their projected intercept point near the drifting ice cluster.
"We'll approach from the shadow side," Max explained, fingers moving swiftly over the console. "They'll be scanning the ice, so their sensors will be focused outward, not back."
Ren sat at the sensor console, running a silent simulation. "I'll ping scans at low intervals, just enough to watch for surprises without lighting us up."
Shizuka adjusted the dial on the signal jammer, practicing timing for activation. "Once they open their gates, I can cut their comms for a few minutes, but that's it. If they have backups, we're risking exposure."
Kenta watched the camera feeds, switching angles rapidly, eyes darting between the simulated overlay and the live feeds outside. "I'll call out any movement. Anything."
They ran through the plan again and again—Elan would board first with Max if needed, while Ren and Shizuka managed signals, and Kenta kept eyes on external movement.
During one run, Ren's hand hovered over the console, her voice shaking. "What if they're armed? What if they fight back?"
Elan's jaw tightened. "Then we adapt. We're not here to kill them, but we're not here to die, either."
The silence that followed was cold, but they pushed through it.
Max's eyes met Elan's. "This isn't just about supplies. If we pull this off, we prove we can survive out here."
Elan nodded, tightening the straps on his belt where the taser was clipped. "Then let's be ready to prove it."
They completed the simulation one last time, each movement quiet and deliberate, before shutting down the lights in the cabin to drift quietly toward their target, waiting for the moment when planning would end and action would begin.
One hour remained.
The cabin lights were dimmed, the crew moving quietly as final checks were made. The hum of the engines was barely noticeable as they coasted in the cold shadow, following the Scavenger ship as it slowed near the ice cluster.
Kenta's voice came softly from the camera station. "They're opening their gates."
A ripple of tension passed through the group.
Shizuka's hands hovered over the jammer controls, eyes focused. "Ready to cut their comms on your mark."
Max adjusted the thrusters, keeping the ship steady. "We're in position."
Ren swallowed, her eyes locked on the sensor panel, tracking the Scavenger's movements. "No other ships in range."
Elan stood near the manual boarding latch, taser secured to his belt, jaw set. "This is it."
Kenta's small voice wavered, "What happens if they fight back?"
Elan looked back at him, his expression calm but unyielding. "I'll say it again. Then we fight back."
Silence settled, cold and absolute, before Shizuka's voice broke it softly, "We can do this."
Max locked eyes with Elan. "On your signal."
Elan inhaled, the weight of their survival pressing on his shoulders, but he didn't let it show. "Cut their comms."
Shizuka flipped the switch, the jammer crackling to life, washing out signals as the Scavenger ship's gates finished opening.
Max nudged the thrusters, the ships aligning as the manual latch extended with a soft clang, connecting them with a dull thud.
Elan's hand hovered over the hatch release, the moment stretching as the team braced themselves.
"Let's survive," Elan said quietly.
With that, he pulled the latch, and the hatch hissed open, the cold air rushing around them as they stepped into the dark corridor of the Scavenger ship, the quiet before the storm breaking as the hunt for survival truly began.