Ashley's POV:
Me and Max were flying in space and Max asked a question that I knew was soon gonna be asked.
"So Ashley tell me what happened to your father Captain Ironbeard if you don't mind me asking. You can tell me another time. I know we just met and all."
"No no it's ok, well it all started maybe around 8 years old..."
Ashley's past:
I didn't remember the first time I saw the stars.
Because they had always been there.
They hung outside the ship's windows like diamonds scattered across black velvet, glowing quietly while the engines of my father's pirate ship roared through the endless dark.
To most people, space was empty.
To pirates… but to me space was home.
I had grown up on the deck of the most feared pirate ship in the outer systems. While other kids played in schoolyards, I mostly played in engine rooms and cargo bays.
My toys were empty blaster cartridges.
My bedtime stories were war stories about how my father fought all kinds of space wars.
And well about my father…
His name was Captain Ironbeard. Everyone feared him because he was a legend.
I remembered sitting on a metal crate when I was about seven years old, swinging my legs while the crew celebrated another successful raid.
The pirates were loud, laughing, and drinking strange glowing liquids that probably melted holes through tables.
And standing in the middle of them all was the biggest man in the room.
Captain Ironbeard himself....
His massive beard shimmered with pieces of dark metal braided through it like armor. Some said the metal had been fused there after a ship exploded next to him in battle. Others said he did it on purpose just to look intimidating.
I really didn't know which story was true.
But I did know one thing.
My dad looked awesome.
"ASHLEY!" my father's booming voice shouted across the ship.
I hopped off the crate and ran toward him, nearly slipping on the metal floor.
The giant pirate scooped me up with one arm like I weighed nothing.
"There's my little thief!" he laughed.
"I'm not a thief!" I protested.
"You're on a pirate ship," he said proudly. "You're legally required to steal at least three things a day."
I crossed my arms.
"I stole a wrench earlier."
My father gasped dramatically.
"A wrench?!"
The surrounding pirates leaned in.
"That's advanced piracy," one of them whispered.
My father then nodded proudly.
"Soon you'll be stealing entire ships."
I grinned.
"I want to be a pirate like you papa."
The crew cheered.
But something strange happened.
My father didn't laugh.
Instead, he gently set me down.
His voice became quieter.
"Ashley honey… being a pirate isn't easy."
I tilted my head curiously...
"But you love it."
He looked out the large window toward the endless stars.
"I do, it has been my dream."
The stars reflected in the metal of his beard.
"But I'd rather you have a life without enemies chasing you across the galaxy."
I didn't understand. I thought he would want me to follow in his footsteps...
Enemies? Chasing?
To me, this life was normal. It was all I knew.
It was adventure.
It was freedom.
It meant everything.
"Too late," I said confidently.
My father raised an eyebrow.
I crossed my arms exactly like he did when he was being stubborn.
"I'm already a pirate."
For a moment, the giant captain stared at me.
Then he burst out laughing so loudly the entire crew joined in.
"Well," he said proudly, placing a huge hand on my head.
"Guess the galaxy better get ready."
Years passed on that ship.
I've learned how to fly before I could learn advanced math.
I learned how to dodge blaster fire before I could learn history.
My father trained me like I was part of the crew, getting me ready for when the time comes.
But he also protected me like I was the most important treasure in the galaxy.
Well.... I knew I meant everything to him.
Then one day…
Everything changed.
I was twelve when the alarms started screaming.
Red lights flooded the halls of the pirate ship.
Crew members ran past me carrying weapons.
Someone shouted from the command deck.
"FEDERATION FLEET INBOUND!"
I ran to the bridge.
My father stood at the center of the command room, staring out the window.
Outside, massive warships surrounded them like wolves circling prey.
I grabbed his coat.
"Dad… what's going on?"
My father turned toward me like everything was OK but really it wasn't.
But instead of fear…
He was smiling.
The same fearless smile he always wore.
"Ashley," he said calmly.
"Yes?"
"Remember what I told you about pirates?"
I nodded slowly.
"Always chase adventure. And stay strong."
He said.
"Yes father."
From his head, he removed something he almost never took off.
His hat. His hat was something he would never leave without.
The old black pirate hat with worn edges and the iron emblem stitched into the front.
He placed it gently on my head.
It was way too big. But it soon would fit.
It slid down over my eyes.
"Dad? That's your favorite hat? What's going on?"
His voice became softer.
"You're stronger than you think."
"Why are you saying that? Please father you're not dying?"
The alarms screamed louder.
Outside, cannons began charging.
The crew shouted battle commands.
My father then knelt in front of me.
"For the record," he said quietly.
"You'd make one hell of a pirate."
I didn't understand what was happening.
But something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
My father stood and turned to his crew.
"Get Ashley on an escape pod. Make sure she's safe."
"No! Dad come with me!" I shouted, crying.
My father looked back one last time.
His smile didn't fade.
"Don't worry Ashley you'll be the world's greatest space pirate ever lived..."
Present time....
Now till this day I grew up never seeing my father again.... he died risking his life saving me.
Max looked at her.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. It must've been sad losing someone at a young age."
"Don't worry I'm going to keep his legend alive by becoming the world's greatest space pirate. With you of course by my side."
"Yes of course."
Something about Max made me feel better. He was charming and nice.
I didn't care that he tried to steal my ship, but maybe he can help me continue what my father wanted.
He wanted to help others and that's what made him a legend.
Our adventure just began.....