The black market starship lurched violently as its left engine sputtered out, sending a shower of sparks across the cargo hold. Lin Che grabbed Xiao Ya's arm to steady her, his eyes darting to the viewport—outside, Scrap Star loomed like a jagged chunk of metal, its surface littered with the rusted husks of decommissioned starships.
The pilot's panicked voice crackled over the intercom: "Pirate raiders! They've locked onto our engines!"Before Lin Che could react, the ship's hull shuddered with a loud clang. The cargo hold door was torn open by a hydraulic cutter, and a group of pirates stormed in—their faces hidden behind metal masks, blasters raised.
At their head stood a woman with a shock of silver hair, her leather jacket emblazoned with a skull-and-crossbones made of starship parts. She twirled a blaster around her finger, her eyes cold as she scanned the hold."Hand over all your valuables," she snapped, her voice sharp as a broken blade. "And if any of you try to be a hero…" She nodded to one of her men, who kicked a crate of spare parts, sending them crashing to the floor. "You'll end up as scrap metal."Xiao Ya clung to Lin Che's sleeve, her face pale. Lin Che's hand drifted to the dagger at his belt, but he knew it was useless against blasters. Just as he was about to speak, a memory flashed in his mind—the hum of a starship engine, the smell of machine oil, a calloused hand adjusting a faulty wire. It was Lin Han's memory—the third life, the starship mechanic.
"Your engine's fried," Lin Che said suddenly, gesturing to the pirate leader's ship outside the viewport. "
The auxiliary power core is overheating. If you keep flying it like that, it'll explode before you reach your next raid."The pirate leader froze. She lowered her blaster, her curiosity piqued. "How do you know that?"Lin Che stepped forward, his confidence growing as Lin Han's knowledge settled in his mind. "I can fix it. The core's wiring is corroded—probably from using low-grade fuel. I'll need a spanner set, a voltage tester, and ten minutes. If I'm wrong, you can shoot me. If I'm right… you let us go.
"The pirates exchanged glances. The silver-haired woman—Mo Ying, as Lin Che would later learn—studied him for a long moment, then smirked. "Bring him to the engine bay. If he's lying, feed him to the scrap compactor."The engine bay of Mo Ying's ship, The Rusty Viper, was a chaotic mess of exposed wires and leaking fuel lines.
Lin Che knelt beside the auxiliary core, his fingers brushing the corroded wiring—just as Lin Han's memory had told him. Xiao Ya hovered nearby, while Mo Ying leaned against a bulkhead, her blaster still in hand.Lin Che's hands moved with practiced ease, stripping away the old wires and replacing them with new ones from Mo Ying's tool kit. As he worked, he explained his steps aloud, his voice steady: "The low-grade fuel reacts with the copper in the wires, causing corrosion. You need to use military-grade fuel, or the core will overheat again. And you should replace the fuel filter every three months—otherwise, debris clogs the lines."Mo Ying raised an eyebrow. "You've worked on starships before?""Not in this life," Lin Che said, not looking up. "But I know enough."Ten minutes later, Lin Che flipped a switch. The auxiliary core hummed to life, its lights turning from red to steady green. The engine's sputtering stopped, replaced by a smooth purr. Mo Ying stepped forward, checking the core's readings on a nearby console. Her eyes widened—Lin Che was right.Before she could speak, a shout echoed from the bridge: "Boss! Second Mate's leading a mutiny! He says we should hand the kid over to the Arcane organization —they're offering a reward for the Star Marrow!"Mo Ying cursed, grabbing her blaster. "Stay here," she told Lin Che, already heading for the door. "If anyone tries to hurt you, shoot them." She tossed him a spare blaster.Lin Che and Xiao Ya exchanged a look. They followed Mo Ying to the bridge, where a group of pirates—led by a burly man with a scar across his face—had cornered the remaining crew. The second mate held a commlink in his hand, his voice triumphant: "The organization's on their way. They'll pay us double what we make raiding—all we have to do is give them the boy with the star birthmark.""You idiot," Mo Ying snarled. "The Arcane organization doesn't pay—they kill. And you think they'll let you live after you hand over the Star Marrow?"The second mate laughed. "You're just scared of losing control, Mo Ying. The crew's with me. Hand over the boy, or we'll blow up the ship."Lin Che stepped forward, his hand resting on the blaster Mo Ying had given him. He thought of Lin Han's memory again—this time, of a starship riot, of using mechanical parts to disable attackers. He glanced at the control panel behind the second mate, then at a loose pipe on the ceiling."Let's make a deal," Lin Che said. "If I can prove the organization is lying, you call off the mutiny. If not… you can have me."The second mate hesitated, then nodded.
"Fine. But if you're lying, I'll feed you to the compactor myself."
Lin Che grabbed a wrench from his pocket and tossed it to Xiao Ya. "When I say 'now,' hit that pipe above the control panel." He turned to the second mate. "Activate the commlink. Let's ask the organization about their 'reward.'"The second mate smirked and activated the commlink. A cold voice crackled through: "This is Arcane Organization Outpost 7. Have you secured the Star Marrow holder?""Yes," the second mate said. "We want the reward—double our usual cut, like you promised."There was a pause, then a laugh. "Reward? You fools. Once we have the boy, we'll destroy your ship. No witnesses."The second mate's face paled. Before he could react, Lin Che shouted: "Now, Xiao Ya!"Xiao Ya swung the wrench at the pipe. Water burst from the broken pipe, drenching the control panel. The bridge's lights flickered, and the commlink died. Mo Ying seized the opportunity, tackling the second mate to the floor. The other mutineers hesitated, then surrendered—realizing they'd been tricked.After the mutiny was quelled, Mo Ying sat in the captain's chair, nursing a cup of synthetic coffee. She stared at Lin Che, her eyes no longer cold. "You're not just a mechanic, are you? That birthmark on your wrist—it's the Star Marrow, isn't it?"Lin Che nodded, rolling up his sleeve to show her the silver star. "How did you know?""Everyone on Scrap Star's heard the rumors," Mo Ying said. "The Arcane 商会's been buying 'Shadow Shards' from the black market. They say the Star Marrow can wake something up—something dangerous. And they'll kill anyone who gets in their way." She leaned forward. "You need to be careful. The organization has eyes everywhere."Xiao Ya spoke up, her voice small but firm: "Can you help us? We need to find the Shadow Shards before the organization does."Mo Ying thought for a moment, then nodded. "I owe you a favor—you fixed my engine, and you stopped the mutiny. But first, we need to lay low. The second mate's men will talk, and the organization will be looking for us. My den's hidden in the old starship graveyard—we can stay there until the heat dies down."As The Rusty Viper flew toward the graveyard, Lin Che stood at the viewport, watching Scrap Star's surface pass by. The memory of Lin Han lingered—of starships, of repairs, of a life spent among the stars. He thought of the Shadow Shards, of the Arcane Organization,of Su Qing waiting for him.He knew the journey ahead would be dangerous. But for the first time since leaving Mechanic City, he didn't feel alone. He had Xiao Ya, and now Mo Ying. And with Lin Han's knowledge—and the Star Marrow's power—he had a chance to stop the organization.The starship dipped into the graveyard, weaving between the rusted hulls of old starships. In the distance, a hidden cave came into view—Mo Ying's den. Lin Che took a deep breath, gripping the blaster at his side.The hunt for the Shadow Shards had begun.