Immediately they entered the spaceship, Tisha's fingers danced across the controls with practiced ease. She powered up the engines and ignited the thrusters, and Zlanov - their spaceship roared to life, lifting off from the docking bay of Nova Space Station with a powerful thrust into the black void of space.
The Space Station quickly disappeared from view as the Zlanov crew blasted away towards their next adventure.
Tisha, the young prodigy pilot of the Zlanov crew, was known for her impeccable skills behind the controls, and as the spaceship soared into the vast expanse of space, she couldn't help but feel a surge of adrenaline. The hum of the engines and the flickering lights of the holographic displays added to the thrill of the moment.
Hiro, the seasoned veteran of the crew, flopped down on a seat in the bridge, grinning from ear to ear. "Now that's a way to begin the day," he said, his eyes shining with excitement.
Hiro was known for his laid-back attitude, but he was also a skilled negotiator and a master of getting the job done. He trusted Tisha implicitly with the ship's controls, and he knew they were in good hands.
Meanwhile, Suki, the tech-savvy genius and always the practical one of the crew, wasted no time in assessing the ship's status. She mounted one of the control consoles, her eyes fixed on the holographic displays in front of her, as she ran through diagnostics and scanned for any potential issues.
"We could have left unnoticed, but someone wanted to remain in bed," Suki said without looking up, her voice laced with sarcasm.
"Like you weren't comfortable in that position," Hiro retorted with a smirk, leaning back in his chair.
Suki rolled her eyes, clearly unamused by Hiro's teasing. Tisha remained silent, focusing on steering the ship and monitoring its systems.
"You two done?" She finally asked, her voice breaking the silence.
Both Hiro and Suki fell silent, clearly not wanting to pursue the issue any further.
As the youngest member of the Zlanov crew, Tisha had taken on the responsibility of organizing and managing their affairs. She had a natural authority that commanded respect, despite her youthful appearance.
Hiro, always eager to let someone else handle the logistics, had given her free rein to run things.
Tisha then activated the auto-pilot on the ship, and the ship's AI responded with a mechanical voice, "Auto-pilot mode initiated."
Tisha stood up and stood in between Hiro and Suki, her eyes scanning their bodies. "Now where did you drop your comm device, both of you?" she asked, her tone serious.
Hiro scratched his head, trying to remember. "I told you I was gonna go cool off," he said with a sheepish grin. "And Suki tagged along."
Tisha huffed, crossing her arms. "We almost lost a job because of you two," she chided them, her frustration palpable. "Luckily, Commander Birdie was patient, as I told him you'll be returning soon from another job."
"What does the old man want?" Suki asked, clearly uninterested in the mention of the commander's name.
Commander Birdie was one of their main contacts for lucrative jobs in the outer space territories, and they couldn't afford to lose his trust.
"Now calm down, Suki darling," Hiro said with a grin. "You know his jobs are usually... rewarding."
Suki scoffed, but didn't respond. She went back to her work, focused on ensuring the ship was in optimal condition. Hiro, on the other hand, stood up and addressed Tisha.
"Tisha, prepare a communication link with Birdie," Hiro said. "I'll freshen up and then come speak to him."
With that, Hiro left the bridge and headed towards his room on the ship. Suki watched him go, feeling a pang of guilt over the way here had reacted as he disappeared down the corridor.
Tisha quickly got to work, her fingers moving deftly over the controls of her console as she established a communication link with Commander Birdie. As she waited for the link to connect, she turned to Suki, who was sitting at the console next to hers.
"Guess what, Suki?" Tisha said, testing the waters to see if Suki was in the mood for a chat. She couldn't help but smirk, knowing that what she was about to reveal would definitely interest her friend.
Suki raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Tisha's tone. "You found your star-crossed lover?" Suki teased, remembering Tisha's previous crush on an alien they had encountered in one of their missions.
Tisha chuckled, shaking her head. "Something even better," she said cryptically, building up the suspense. "I got a Helix Corps Master Key card from one of the guards back at the Space Station."
Suki's eyes widened in disbelief, and she dropped what she was doing to quickly approach Tisha. "No fucking way," she exclaimed, using colorful language to express her surprise. "How did you manage that?"
"They were all knocked out, remember?" Tisha said with a smirk.
Suki grinned back at her, clearly impressed. "You are a pretty badass for someone your age, Tish."
Tisha handed the key card to Suki, who took it with reverence. "This is amazing," she breathed, examining it closely. "We could get into any Helix Corps facility with this."
Finally, the screen flickered to life, and Commander Birdie's face appeared in one of the large monitors. His eyes twinkled with mischief, and a familiar chuckle echoed through the bridge.
"Ah, Zlanov crew, it's good to see you again," he said, his voice carrying the authority of a seasoned commander. "Tisha, Suki, and where's Hiro?" He asked, his gaze searching the screen for the third crew member.
Hiro walked into the ship's bridge like on cue, drying his hair with a towel. He was dressed in a sleek leather space suit that hugged his athletic frame. He had a confident smile on his face, ready for the next mission.
"Over here, Commander," Hiro replied, his voice steady and determined.
"Good to see you all. I have a job for you, a delicate matter that requires your expertise."
The crew exchanged intrigued glances, their curiosity piqued. Commander Birdie was known for his thrilling and high-stakes missions, and they were always up for a challenge.
"What kind of job?" Suki asked, her voice steady.
"A retrieval mission," Commander Birdie said, his eyes intense. "There's a valuable piece of technology that's been stolen from us, and we need it back."
Hiro raised an eyebrow. "And why do you need us for this? Don't you have your own retrieval teams?"
Commander Birdie sighed. "Normally, yes. But this is different. The thief is a notorious space pirate known as Blackout, and he's currently where my forces can't reach. We need someone who's agile, fast, and skilled enough to get in and out undetected. Someone like you, Hiro. Remember to catch a thief, you send a?"
Hiro nodded thoughtfully, ignoring his question. "And where is this thief hiding?"
"Somewhere in Nexus," Commander Birdie said, his voice grim. "We don't know exactly where, but we have reason to believe that he's preparing to sell the technology to our enemies."
The Zlanov crew exchanged nervous looks. Without saying any words, they came to an agreement.
"We're in," Hiro said, his voice firm.