Threat detected!

The ship’s digital clock chimed a noon sequence like the grandfather clocks from millennia ago.

A humanoid pink jellyfish with neon blue eyes sat in a plush, grey wingback chair. Their curvy bell rests at head height and in one tentacle they sipped their afternoon tea. The rest of their many tentacles along with their oval arms are sprawled against the armrests and down past the legs of the chair.

Gravity worked differently for Hanarth's and so their weight was never wholly against the chair. They were at all times slightly floating.

Alert! A Galaxy-Class Heavy Cruiser is blocking our bow. We have no way forwards.

The strange creature placed the teacup down in a nearby cupholder, and with a thousand-yard stare looked out from above the control centre into the vast dark of space.

They looked past vibrant green plants that sprouted out from the dashboard where trails of moss and snaking vines coexisted with metal buttons and electronic screens.

Even as danger approached the Hanarth was proud of the uncommon, Ecot ship desgin. They too viewed ships as an extension of the worlds all people originally come from and from which spaceships were first made.

Crimson shades bursted from inside their bell as they flushed a specific sequence of signals in the langauge of the Hanarth.

“Designation?” asked the Hanarth with a machine-translated soothing voice.

Pirates.

The AI named SF1 hovers two inches tall on the dashboard in the form of a semi-transparent sea turtle. The small green projection spoke in blue boxes and audio cues.

“Egad,” the Hanarth said continuing to flush signals of bioluminescent red. Their voice electronically transmitted after they flushed.

What are your commands, Captain Delanmyidis?

“All stop, SF1,” Delanmyidis said.

Anxious, Delanmyidis extended one long tentacle and snacked on a variety of biscuits: ones with a creamy middle, others with jam in the centre and the last one had a spread of chocolate on one side.

Hanarth's can, as the case usually is, create mouths even if the entirety of their bells can absorb food and drink. It is a learned action, and one that allowed them to fit in with the many other species in the galaxy.

How they managed the Hanarth absorb food and drink, let alone have faces, when they had no bones is a profound mystery that no one truly understands: not even the Hanarth themselves.

Dull musings on Hanarth biology aside, Delanmyidis had a single pressurising thought - I’m screwed this time. They wished they could pet their cat for comfort, but he was most likely napping near in the engine room.

Incoming video call.

Delanmyidis flushed a sequence of blue-green, “Accept.”

The image of an ape appeared on the largest screen. One with thick black fur and half their face bearing gruesome plasma burns. He wore a black hat, his eyes were dark red souring to black-like dried blood, and he glared with ominous ferocity.

He was not, in fact, an ape, but rather a Cherán. A member of a species of intelligent, sapient beings.

Behind him were other Cherán. They sail on a metal ship with blue screens, but one devoid of plant life. A common design and one that indicated the ambition to scorch your homeworld to fly out among the stars.

The Cherán with the scarred face leaned forward, snarled and said,

“The name is Koda, before you get any funny ideas jellyfish, I am the deadliest outlaw in the sector. If you fail to hand over your cargo in a prompt and orderly fashion, I will not hesitate to rip your tentacles off one at a time and serve what is left for dinner. Am I understood?”

Delanmyidis shrivelled and wilted like a daisy in the desert. I understand.

“Speak! You ignorant invertebrate!”

They gathered up their courage and with wavering tentacles flushed a complex structured sequence of blue-greens, and orange-reds. They said,

“I have on my ship fifty tons of tea, the most precious luxury product from the Hotel of Himaliya to the Delta Black Hole. You dare impede this holy journey!”

Koda faltered with open-mouthed shock, “How did you?”, he wondered.

”I know the last location where Tea is still grown. I discovered where the Red Rot, that foul fungi didn’t reach. I am tasked with divine ordinance to pass this freighter of goods, the golden liquid, the black beauty to any allied port within the Quort alliance.” Delanmyidis elucidated.

“Interesting,” Koda grinned, a low and devious smile and he poked the point of a laser sabre at the camera, “Hand it over or die!”

They sipped on their tea for a long few seconds, pursed their lips and exaggerated their slurp to be heard over the voice communication.

They were a picture of calm, enjoying a luxury that empires went to war over, “You seem to have mistaken our respective positions. If you destroy my ship, the cargo, as well as its origins, are lost.”

Koda slammed his fist against his desk, creating a crater in the metal harder than marble.

He growled, “Tell me the location and hand over the goods. This is my last warning.”

Delanmyidis turned purple and the bell part of the body shrunk deeply and then expanded and they flushed crimson red, “Never!”

“Launch the fighters, cripple the ship’s engine and bring back the loot. I want the fish brought in and cooked for dinner!”

Delanmyidis watched as out of the Pirates’ crude pillar-like Heavy Cruiser, sleek Fighter ships; shaped like arrowheads, launched out of the sides like homing missiles.

The Pirate Fighters flew to either side of the Cutty Sark. One at the starboard side and the other at the port side. Each with a single shot could cripple the ship.

“Hahaha… now you will die!” declared Koda with a menacing grin.

The Pirate Fighters shot, the blue plasma rounds launched to destroy.

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It was at this moment that Captain Delanmyidis’s chubby Three-eyed cat - Admiral Fussypants - leapt on the dashboard and, in doing so, pressed many buttons with their big belly and sprawled out paws. Then, the Admiral settled on top of SF1's projection: where it was warmest.

The Cutty Sark, Captain Delanmyidis' small bulky freighter spun wildly. The beloved pink space truck went...

Round

and

Round.

Captain Delanmyidis slammed onto the ceiling. They flushed orange and sprawled out like starfish.

The plasma rounds flew past the Cutty Sark. Instead, the scorching bullets clipped the wings of each Fighter and sent them spinning out of control.

In the ensuing moments, the respective pilots struggled to fly their ships to the Heavy Cruiser and back to safety.

Admiral Fussypants was also fired forward like a cannonball.

He let out an indignant yowl as his furry face bounced off the ceiling. Claws extended, he clung on for dear life. On his way down, as any proper cat would, he made sure to rip and tear through the plants.

He also left several scratches across Delanmyidis' sprawled tentacles and oral arms for good measure. Then, the fat ginger cat left the pilot’s station with a low purr that promised further retribution.

Alert! Enemy ship’s main forward cannon is charging.

Delanmyidis floated upright and they looked outside the window and saw the charging energy beam. They flushed blue, and their eyes dilated their pupils expanding wide.

Incoming attack in ten seconds. What happens after Death, Captain?

Captain Delanmyidis, faced with the grave moral responsibility of preparing someone for death, braced themselves to tell a white lie. (Side note: How a Space Jellyfish braces themselves, I do not know, but for sure there was definite bracing involved.)

“We will go to a better place.”

It was then that deus ex machina number two came to save the space trucker.

Captain Delanmyidis saw them first, a grove of interconnected ships or a forest of mobile tree ships; a fleet of trees - alive and flying.

Captain!

Delanmyidis collapsed into a pink pile of goo, “We’re saved.”

SF1's little turtle body, in celebration, did a one-hundred and eighty degree spin. Further, digital sparkles and confetti fluttered off their avatar.

Incoming conference call.

“Open call.”

Another Cherán, this one with warm eyes and a wide smile, appeared on the screen. She had dyed pink and peach fur with her hair styled into a mohawk.

It was her warm eyes that drew Delanmyidis in and gave them confidence. They glowed orange like a setting sun and shone with brilliant charisma.

Koda also entered the call.

The pink, punk Cherán grinned revealing gleaming white teeth, “My name is Cacques, I am the current elected captain of the Utopia fleet. In times of conflict, I lead the grove. Freighter, you are under our protection.”

Koda laughed and then shouted. “Cacques! Once again, you arrive to spoil my raid.”

Cacques' eyes narrowed; her warmth vanished. “Koda, if you attack, I will do what I must to defend them. For your own sake, Surrender!”

Koda with a snort from his wide nose, his large, rage filled, crimson eyes glared as he announced, “Fire! Take her out to the cold embrace of Celeste.”

The pirate’s ship turned at a ninety degree angle so its starboard side was facing the Utopia fleet. In white paint, the name of the ship was revealed - The Liberta.

More pressingly, hot orange energy crackled out of a wide circular dome. An intense flash and then a rod of red shot out.

“Disperse!” Cacques cried out, her voice carried over to the video call.

The fleet dispersed like a school of fish parting from a charging predator.

The main cannon beam passed by the fleet, and hit nothing but the empty void of space.

Delanmyidis flushed blue. It had been a lunge and a miss like a terrible Penguin hunting innocent jellyfish.

The image of a penguin stuck to their mind and added imagined fears to the present dangers. In a flurry of panic, they grabbed a couple more biscuits and hungrily ate away their nerves.

Cacques rolled her eyes at the Harnath then smiled at Koda, “I can disable your ship before you can recharge that cannon. I ask you again, surrender. Your people will be treated with dignity.”

“Mwah, ha ha. You have fallen into my trap, you fool! Shadow Fighters, destroy them!”

Cacques sighed, in the same way Delanmyidis did when having to go through border inspections, “Send them back, Sharple group.”

An intense dogfight ensued. A part of the Utopia fleet split off and engaged with, as far as Delanmyidis couldn’t notice, invisible space ships, and by all counts were winning. Flashes of blue blaster fire would appear from nothing but any damage inflicted on the bark-woven ships seem to heal. A tense stalemate settled and the two opposing Cheráns quipped over the video call.

Delanmyidis pressed the mute button then the cancel video button, “I have to help.” Their tentacles flailed at the bell, “But how? If only they could see those gosh darn Shadow Fighters. Hmm…”

Delanmyidis floated back and forth out of their pilot room and down the long main corridor of the freighter. Their briefly distracted state made them unaware of the heroic efforts the Utopia fleet went to keep them alive during a surprise attack from the Liberta. It was as Trainbe, a young reckless Cherán was the first to perform the inverted horizon manoeuvre and personally routed three of the enemy fighters, that Delanmyidis noticed a canister of pink super cement, “Ah ha, this will do the trick.”

Delanmyidis ripped off their lids with space magic and sent dozens of opened canisters of the super cement out. The hybrid gas-liquid floated out like a pink wave at sea and stuck to the surface of many of the invisible Shadow Fighters. Some of the Utopia fleet got splashes as well but the substance was harmless and peeled off the bark ships.

“It’s working!”

Sharple group counterattacked with crude but effective raming. Flashes of oranges would burst out of nothing then a trail of smoke and fire would lead back to the Liberta. Sharple group had won a bloodless victory with zero casualties.

Delanmyidis returned to the pilot station and put themselves back on video and speaker.

Cacques grinned, “Thanks for the help stranger, that was some fine thinking.”

Delanmyidis flushed a dark pink, “No problem, happy to help.”

Koda’s upper lip trembled and he raised a shaky hand to wipe the sweat off his brow.

Cacques stood up and raised her arm forward, “Send in the Weaver Ants Raid Robots. Disable their ship for capture.”

Koda’s face turned pale; but he summoned his courage and said with a boisterous shout, “Deploy the Army Ant Robot Vanguard.”

Out from the Utopia, remotely controlled Weaver Ant Mechanical Robots flew forth, bigger than hills, like a shower of meteors. A few were caught by the shots of defensive cannons. The many that remained: crawled like a small army and began to rip the Liberta apart piece by piece.

A small group of Eco-Rebel Fighters engaged in a dogfight with the few remaining Pirate Fighters launched from the Liberta. It seemed that the Liberta was running out of tricks. They’ve got them now.

The horde of Army Ant Robots swarmed out. In seconds dozens of them were destroyed. However, where one fell, six more followed to take its place. It was a merciless battle but one without any loss of life or blood.

The Raiders tore at Army Ant Robot Vanguard that defended the Liberta. However, the superior numbers of the Army Ant Guardians gradually broke through the Raiding forces. They destroyed and dismembered every Raider they encountered.

However, the Guardians were too slow, and many of the Raiders managed to sabotage critical systems in their attacks. The Liberta had suffered severe ship damage, by the time the Weaver Ant Robot raid had been routed.

“We have the regenerative quality of our ships combined with our Cherán intelligence. Your cruelty and low cunning will never triumph over the bonds of our eco-rebel society,” said Cacques over the video call.

“This is not over.” warned Koda, “Fire!”

The Liberta fired another beam of their main cannon.

The Utopia fleet easily split apart to avoid the attack.

“Captain Cacques! You damn, dirty ape, this is the last time you and your pathetic excuse for a fleet will meddle in my plans. If it is the last thing I do, I will have my revenge!” Koda declared before leaving the call and flying his beaten Heavy Cruiser out of the solar system.

Cacques scratched her head, “He never learns.” she sighed, “There is always next time.”

Delanmyidis did not know what to respond with, for you see, this was their first time being stuck in the middle of an old rivalry between two fearsome ship captains. An epic battle over the meaning of liberty and how one and their group should act with freedom.

They flushed blue, “Sure.” They said what they thought and in the relief of having survived, they were not thinking much at all.

Captain Delanmyidis had been saved by a fleet of mobile ships, completely self-sufficient and regenerative space trees that coexist with the sapient Cherán. The grove flew away, living ships that reached out and bridged stars together with sentient life.

No threats detected. We are safe to continue.

Captain Delanmyidis flushed a pale green and raised a single oval arm, “Engage. Oh! and start the next episode of the podcast.”