Wynn entered the lounge and barely had time to take in his surroundings before a small, orange-haired whirlwind barreled toward him. The girl was strikingly short—exactly his height, which was an achievement considering he wasn't exactly towering himself. Her vivid pink eyes practically sparkled with mischief as she skidded to a stop in front of him, a grin plastered across her face.

"HELLO, KID!" she announced loudly, her voice filled with energy that Wynn immediately found exhausting.

Wynn blinked, thrown off balance by her abrupt enthusiasm.

"Ugh, who the hell are you?" he shot back, his annoyance bubbling to the surface as he stepped back slightly from the overly familiar creatu-person.

"HAH?!" she exclaimed, puffing out her cheeks. "CALL ME ONESAAN AND RESPECT YOUR ELDERS! DESU."

"Respect my elders?" He snapped, pissed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're as much an elder as a rat in the slums is royalty."

Before Lily could retort, a loud, boisterous voice boomed across the lounge, making Wynn flinch. "Oi, Lily, go easy on the kid! He just got here."

Wynn turned to see a towering man with broad shoulders and a grin wide enough to rival the horizon. His messy brown hair matched the confident swagger in his step.

"Welcome to the big leagues, kid! Name's Jaxon, and in case you're wondering, I'm the strongest in Silent Dawn." He flexed dramatically, his shirt barely containing his muscles.

Before Wynn could respond, another voice cut through, sharp and laced with a cool authority. "Strongest? Let's not rewrite history, Jaxon."

The speaker was a tall woman with jet-black hair that fell like a curtain over her shoulders and piercing black eyes that seemed to see through every lie and pretense. She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, her calm presence somehow louder than Jaxon's boisterous energy.

Jaxon scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, Vera, come on. I didn't see you punching Smokey Boy in the jaw yesterday."

"Probably because I was busy handling a Duke you didn't get smoked by" Vera replied coolly, arching an eyebrow.

A younger woman strode in, her sky-blue hair swaying as she walked with purpose. Her bright yellow eyes scanned the room, exasperation already etched on her face. "Will you two knock it off Mr. Jaxon and Ms. Vera? You're going to scare the poor kid before he even settles in."

Jaxon turned to her with a cheeky grin. "Ah, Aliya, my cute little princess. Always keeping us in line."

Aliya's face immediately darkened, her yellow eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

"Don't call me that, Mister. And for the record, Vera's the strongest here, not you."

"HAH!" Vera smirked, pushing off the wall and giving Jaxon a knowing look.

Jaxon gasped in mock betrayal, clutching his chest. "Et tu, Aliya? How could you betray me like this?" he pouted.

Just then, two more figures entered the room. The first was a man with a dark buzzcut and calm blue eyes, his posture radiating quiet maturity. George gave a subtle nod of acknowledgment to the room as his gaze swept over the scene. Behind him trailed a woman with striking green hair and amber, slit-like eyes that glimmered with amusement. Sera leaned against the doorway, her smirk speaking volumes even though she stayed silent.

Wynn noted the slight glance George and Sera exchanged,

What The Hell? Do even rebels have time for romance?

It was then that Lily let out a maniacal laugh and jumped onto one of the lounge's worn couches. "POTATO TIME!" she yelled, pulling out a strange device. Without warning, small, round potatoes began shooting out, bouncing off walls and furniture as she cackled gleefully.

"Loli, for the love of—!" Jaxon ducked, narrowly avoiding a spud to the head.

Sera stepped gracefully to the side, smirk intact as a potato harmlessly rolled past her feet. George sighed heavily, catching one mid-air with the ease of someone who had dealt with Lily's antics far too often.

Aliya threw up her hands. "Lily, stop it! You're making a mess again!"

As chaos erupted in the room, the sound of someone clearing their throat cut through the noise like a knife. Wynn turned to see a man standing at the entrance..

With neatly styled purple hair and striking golden eyes that seemed to gleam with quiet authority, Cane looked every bit the secretary who had seen far too much bullshit. His expression was a perfect blend of exhaustion and patience as he surveyed the scene.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Welcome," Cane said dryly, his deep voice carrying a hint of sarcasm.

"To Silent Dawn, the Empire's most wanted rebels. And apparently, its most chaotic circus."

***************

A bit of time after the chaos settled, Wynn found himself perched awkwardly on a modern grey sofa, his eyes darting between the strange crew of Silent Dawn. The group sat on the floor in front of Cane, who stood like a fed-up parent about to deliver a lecture. His arms were crossed, his purple hair falling into his golden eyes, which scanned the group with a level of disappointment that could curdle milk.

"Let me get this straight," Cane began his tone a slow simmer of exasperation. "We rescue a kid from the slums, bring him onto my ship, and the first thing you all do is act like a bunch of deranged maniacs shooting potatoes—" He shot Lily a particularly sharp look.

She grinned unapologetically. "They were emotional support potatoes, thank you very much."

Cane pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear to the originars, Lily, if I see one more spud flying across this ship, you're on toilet-cleaning duty for a month."

Lily gasped dramatically. "You wouldn't!"

"I absolutely would."

Before Lily could launch into another theatrical protest, Cane pointed at Jaxon.

"You're not off the hook either, Jaxon."

"What? I didn't do anything!" Jaxon defended, raising his hands in mock innocence.

"You encouraged her by dodging the potatoes like a damn circus act!"

Jaxon smirked. "Hey, I've got to stay sharp."

Sera chimed in, her tone dry. "Technically, I think George is the only one here without any potato-related crimes."

George nodded solemnly. "I prefer to save my chaos for meaningful situations."

"Ah, the noble one," Jaxon teased. "Always keeping us grounded."

"Unlike you," Vera muttered. "Who keeps everyone distracted."

"Distraction is a skill," Jaxon quipped, lighting a cigarette. He pointed the pack toward Wynn with a grin. "Want one, kid? Good for stress."

Wynn wrinkled his nose, waving the offer away. "I think I'd take my chances with the potatoes."

"Smart choice," George murmured approvingly.

Cane clapped his hands sharply, bringing the attention back to himself. "Alright, enough. Focus." His gaze landed on the boy.

"You've never been to Helios, right?"

What the hell do you mean bro? The most I've ever gone is Phobos!

Wynn shook his head.

Cane nodded, his voice shifting to a more informative tone. "Helios is... well….. imagine a giant oven with the occasional oasis. It's a desert planet, harsh and unforgiving, but beautiful in its own way. The Duke of Helios: Solaris Von Helios runs it—he's the Leader's uncle and a longtime ally of Silent Dawn.

"So, what's the price for us crashing there?" Wynn asked, frowning.

"There isn't one," Cane said firmly. "The Duke has been planning his own rebellion for years. In fact, his group, New Age, helped us out back on Zerith during that joint operation. This isn't some favor; it's strategy."

"Strategy?" Wynn echoed.

"Yeah," Jaxon cut in, exhaling smoke. "The kind of strategy where you don't get caught and executed by the Empire. Good strategy, huh?"

"Can you not?" Aliya groaned, swatting at the cigarette smoke. "Stop corrupting the boy."

"My little princess," Jaxon said in a mockingly sweet tone. "Always so protective."

Aliya's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't call me that Mister, or I'll shove that cigarette where the sun doesn't shine."

"Aw, come on," Jaxon chuckled. "You'd miss me if I were to die on duty."

"Debatable," Aliya muttered, crossing her arms.

"Back to the matter at hand," Cane interrupted before another squabble could erupt. "Wynn, the Leader's arranging for you to stay at an orphanage for awakened kids. You'll fit in, train, and most importantly, stay out of trouble."

Wynn blinked, his face a mix of scepticism and unease. "An orphanage? Sounds... like a place where people eat kids for breakfast."

Lily burst out laughing. "He's NOT WRONG! Awakened kids are FERAL little BEASTS."

Jaxon leaned back against the wall, grinning. "You're not entirely off the mark, kid. Awakened kids tend to be... competitive. But HEY! think of it as survival training. If you can handle them, you can handle anything."

Wynn gave him a deadpan look. "Comforting."

"Don't worry," Vera said, crossing her legs gracefully. "Most of them will probably be too busy showing off to pay much attention to you. Just keep your head down."

"And don't get punched in the face on day one," George added sagely. "It sets a bad precedent."

"Solid advice," Wynn muttered. "Anything else I should know about Helios?"

Cane tapped his foot impatiently. "Hmmm just don't do something too dangerous is what I would say."

SAYS THE GUY LITERALLY CO-LEADING A DAMN GALACTIC REBELLION

Wynn nodded firmly.

"Good," Cane said, his tone softening slightly. "And remember, this is a chance for you to figure things out. You're one of us now."

"One of you?" Wynn repeated, half to himself. He glanced around the room, taking in the mismatched crew of Silent Dawn. Jaxon, lighting another cigarette with his usual cocky grin. Lily, trying (and failing) to discreetly flick a potato at George, who didn't even flinch. Vera, sitting with her usual composed air, looking like she could make everyone shut up with a single word. Sera, with that look in her eyes like she's already three steps ahead of everyone else. And Cane, standing like the weary glue holding it all together, his golden eyes scanning the room with that tired, I want to retire gaze.

It was chaotic. It was strange. It was... oddly comforting.

Jaxon snapped him out of his thoughts by waving the cigarette pack in his face again. "Last chance, kid. It'll make you look cool."

"Cool like you?" Wynn quipped. "Hard pass."

Lily let out a loud cackle, nearly tipping over. "BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! WYNN'S GOT THE JOKES! I LIKE THIS KID."

Jaxon feigned a hurt expression, clutching his chest. "Et tu, Wynn? Betrayed by the one I offered my sacred smokes to?"

"Sacred?" Aliya scoffed. "More like secondhand lung failure."

"Hey, I'm building character," Jaxon shot back. "One lung at a time."

Cane groaned. "I regret everything."

"You always say that," Vera pointed out.

"Because I mean it every time," Cane replied.

Wynn couldn't help but smile faintly. He felt like he might be able to start anew somewhere—even if that place was a ship full of lunatics on their way to a desert planet for rebellion.

"Well," Jaxon said, flicking ash into a nearby tray. "Welcome to Helios prep, kid. You've got about five hours to mentally prepare for sand, sweat, and a bunch of snot-nosed awakened brats."

"Great," Wynn said dryly. "Sounds like paradise."

"You'll survive," Vera said with a smirk. "And if you don't, at least you'll have good stories."

"Yeah," Wynn replied, leaning back against the sofa.

"As long as they don't involve potatoes."