With the crew's new ship, "The Last Hope" was whirling towards its preset destination which would take at least 7 days in hyper space jump speeds to reach but they knew that they would have to make a stop at outpost 232 also know as "Dealers paradise" to get more jump cells to make the rest of the journey.

Ameila and Jim weren't a bit hesitant to have the new crew mate watching over them, Commander Onyx was imposing and always had an intense presence on deck aboard the ship. Fung, however, just wanted to get to know her more as he hadn't seen one of his kind for a very long time. She sat at the head of the command deck on the ship overseeing the journey and how the others were working on this ship. Fung looked in awe at the command she had and after he had completed his tasks he approached her.

"Commander, how is it you ended up with Captain Scorla and her crew?" asked Fung in curiosity, finding Onyx rather pretty even with her personality.

"Why do you want to know?" she scowled back at him.

"Well having you with us, I thought it would be nice to get to know you a bit more." he replied.

"I haven't ever really opened up and spoke to anyone about my situation, why should I to you" she said back heatedly.

"If you don't want to, that's ok, I just have seen another from my race in a very long time" Fung replied sadly, thinking of Gahri and the rest of his crew, homesickness threatening to come out.

The commander looked at Fung and, in that moment, she felt a bit sorry and realized that the position he was in must be a lonely one and that she had also felt this pain firsthand.

"Ok Fung, let me explain a few things to you," she replied more softly than before.

Fung turned around to face her as he was intrigued by what she had to say.

"Firstly, I didn't join the captain's crew, I was sold to her on a planet she had just plundered. I was working as an apprentice building weaponry for bounty hunters as my parents died when I was young. My master at the time remained on the planet and bartered his life for my service. I went with the new captain and trained quickly becoming a bounty hunter doing missions on my own for the captain. Once I managed to get good at it, Captain Scorla put me as her commander and the reason I wanted to join you on this mission other than keeping an eye on you, I want to find a planet I can call home and if Earth is any good then I will settle there" she said to Fung.

Fung took a few moments to digest what he had just been told.

"I am sorry to hear of your parents, similar thing happened to me. I have been alone for a very long time and just wanted to get to know someone from my own race." He replied

She nodded back to him, acknowledging what he said.

"Earth was my home, and it used to be a beautiful place, and I thought if we can go back there it might at least be a safe place for us to make home once again, I know Jim and Amelia think so" he told the commander.

"Hopefully I will think the same Fung, Id would indeed have a place to call home" she replied with a smile

This made Fung smile, and he knew the conversation had come to an end and went back to the others to explain what he had found out about their new crew mate.

"So, how's our new friend?" asked Jim.

"She's honestly not as bad as you think guy." replied Fung, folding his arms.

"I'm not sure Fung, she hasn't really integrated with anyone yet," said Amelia.

"If you approach her and try to talk, she will respond," said Fung

"I just don't trust her." said Jim bluntly.

"It's hard to trust the unknown but give it a chance, you may like it." said Fung gleefully.

Jim and Amelia agreed and said to Fung they would try when they got to "Dealers Paradise" which only one day away. The crew retired to their bunks to await the next day.

Back in the main deck where Commander Onyx was, she checked to make sure the coast was clear, and she was alone. From inside her jacket, she pulled a small holo comms device which she pressed the center button on. From the holo image, Scroop appeared.

"We will be in "Dealers Paradise" by mid-morning tomorrow all going well." she said to him.

"Good, right-on track then, I will go ahead and meet you there. I have got a new weapon id like to try out" He replied to her smiling.

"Let's keep to our bargain I will dispose of them and take the ship myself" she warned Scroop.

"Well just in case, I will be prepared" he replied.

Onyx pressed the button on the device making the image disappear before setting the controls to auto and retiring for the night herself.

The next morning, the crew were up and attending to the tasks aboard the ship to prepare to come out of a hyper speed jump which would take them to their destination to refuel and restock. Jim was getting the comms equipment ready, and Amelia and Fung were stood by one of the viewing platforms by the main deck looking at space whizzing by. Onyx saw the two chatting and slowly walked over to them, Amelia did a courtly bow and excused herself.

"Fung, we have to strap in now, we are coming out of hyper jump and need to be safe" she informed.

He nodded and the crew took their seats on the main deck, securely strapped in and ready. With a low booming sound, the whizzing of space just seemed to come to an abrupt halt. They all looked through the main viewing window and saw a small moon in the distance, no bigger than the one for Earth, the planet long gone but the debris of the planet still floating around in space. Onyx took the controls to navigate around the debris taking the ship closer and closer to the moon which on closer inspection seemed to have a thriving community on it. Many ships dock outside of it and some just leaving the moon. It was a busy hub, and it looked as though they may find their supplies here.

A voice came over the comms radio of the ship alerting the crew onboard.

"Please state your business here," said the mechanical voice.

"We are here to refuel and restock supplies for our journey," said Commander Onyx.

"Weapons will be checked upon entry, this is a dealer's outpost, tolerance will be strict here" said the mechanical voice.

"Understood, we don't mean any trouble and will pass through quickly," said Onyx.

"Please go to bay 27, the light is green, thank you," said the voice.

The commander navigated the ship towards the outpost and gently set the landing gear for the ship to settle down without any trouble. The crew on the inside started to unbelt their fastenings and got ready to look around but before this Commander Onyx gathered them for a quick briefing.

"Stay together, no weapons and let me do the bartering, the captain has given us enough to trade so that we can get to Earth. Once that's gone, we are on our own" she said sternly.

The crew agreed and thought that if they let her at least do the deals they can't go wrong and be in any trouble with their new leader.

They disembarked the ship and walked towards the checkpoint on the dock and were approached by the mechanical voices they had heard on the comms. Droids carrying blasters were halting the new arrivals and taking weapons to a secure lock on the dock. The commander handed over a rifle and laser knife, the others were checked but had nothing to hand over. The droids allowed them to pass on the main area of the moon where the sights and smells were something to behold, races of all types here and trade were in full flow, ranging from things like foods to ship parts.

"Commander, can we have a look around?" asked Fung.

"Yes, by stay close to each other, I will try to find my contact with the fuel cells" she replied, then left them.

The crew looked around at a variety of selling points in the main area and Amelia was smitten with the clothes on offer, which included armor plates big enough for Fung. Fung had a bit of currency to trade with which, so he got himself a new armored jacket as his one was full of holes. Jim was interested in the charts seller showing all the different planets and systems marked with warnings about which ones best to stay clear of and how to get to ones not known to Jim, he took some of the charts with the currency he had. They had all gathered in the main area, where different foods from planets could be purchased and as they were looking over it, Fung could see Onyx striding towards them telling them that the fuel cells were ready to collect and had sent Amelia and Jim to collect them. The two departed and took with them a fuel trolley ready to stock up. As the two remaining members strolled the area, Onyx said to Fung about some of the things she had seen on her travels and Fung was also telling her about his adventures.

They neared the edge of a large platform looking over one of the main dock areas and stood there still chatting, slowly it came to a halt that their discussion was ending but Fung thought that they had begun to build a good relationship and that it was being reciprocated. Onyx started to walk away and Fung as he was turning saw a small glint in the corner of his eye. 

He knew this to be a rifle and then we saw a small red dot appear on the commander's back, without thinking, fear inside him he ran and jumped towards her, startling the commander before a loud bang was heard. Fung's body was laying lifeless on the ground. The commander had jumped behind a crate near him and got out a hidden pistol from her boot.

"Fung!! Are you ok?" she yelled, turning him over, Fung having passed out from the shot.

There was no response, and the shooting seemed to have stopped, a few moments later 15 droids appeared with weapons not noticing the commander had quickly stowed her pistol and they swarmed the platform doing long range scans and sending drones to various places near the different docks. The main plateau area was a buzz with what had just happened, the droids were coming out in full force checking everyone in the area for weapons.

Onyx ran on to the main platform and fell to her knees beside Fung, she was checking him over for breath and she saw that he was breathing but not conscious. She yelled towards the droids for medical assistance.

"Help!! We have a downed person here! I need immediate medical now!" she was yelling.

With that two of the droids immediately came over and started to administer aid to Fung, they quickly got him secure and took him to the medical area of the moon, Onyx was right behind them. As they rounded the corner of the medical quarters, Amelia and Jim quickly came running from the crowd to ask what happened and once Onyx had explained they went into the medical section with Fung. Onyx went into the section also and grabbed the droid in charge.

"He better come out of this ok, if not an army will be here to blow this outpost to bits" she warned threateningly then left the section to check to the fuel delivery on the ship, leaving Amelia Jim with Fung.

As she departed on the way back to the ship, she pulled out the holo comms device and again Scroop answered.

"If you tried to shoot me vermin, you have made the worst mistake of your miserable life" she said furiously

"I missed, the target was hit." Scroop said jokily at her with his smirk but he was glad to have shot Fung.

"If I find out otherwise our deal is off, and you will not survive!" she retorted.

"Oh, boo hoo, Fung has been dealt with, why all the emotion?" Scroop taunted.

"I said ill deal with it, now leave me alone until we get towards Earth." said Onyx slamming the holo device to the ground with tears in her eyes.

The feelings were stirring inside her about Fung, was it right to remove him? She began to think not and that he should live, however it went against her bounty hunter past. She was mixed and after she had composed herself left the ship and went back to the medical section.