First Chapter Summary

Characters

 * A = Active; IA = Inactive; D = Deceased

Part One: Drayton
Elias, Ethan, Alice, Tibby, and Creature are on board the pirate ship Gemstone when it gets attacked by the Government. They narrowly destroy the ships and crash land on the pirate colony Drayton. Tibby and Alice are injured and rendered unconscious, thus taken to the clinic in the city.

Govvie special agent Oz Kitmen goes to the Government colony to recruit Rilani Callerana - a student at a police academy - to join forces with him in his battle against pirates (namely against the Gemstone and Elias Truncate). Wanting to get revenge against Elias for his murdering her brother, she accepts. Along with Rox Denam, they steal a Government ship in the night and go to Drayton in disguise as pirates.

The Free Runner has a run-in with Government official, Jacob Mart. They escape.

Ethan notices a new ship come in and immediately takes interest in Rilani. She and Rox are sent on errands, when she becomes separated and hassled by a group of men. Ethan comes to the rescue. They go their separate ways.

Recognizing advantages, Oz sends Rilani to collect information out of Ethan, using their 'new-found friendship', and threatens to send her back to Argo if she fails. She does fail, but Ethan promises not to tell anyone she's a Govvie.

Rox finds Elias and offers to betray the Free Runner's secrets to him if he helps bust his mother out of prison. Rilani walks in as Rox reveals to him her identity. She tries to shoot but finds it's a hologram. Elias refuses Rox's offer anyway, and he is later caught by Oz. After Oz beats some info out of him, Rox reveals Elias' sole weakness: Tibby.

The Government attacks Drayton in attempt to get to the Free Runner (whom they believe really are pirates). Oz uses the opportunity to kidnap Tibby from the clinic. Elias, Ethan, Rilani, and Alice run to the Gemstone and escape. Oz has both Rox and Tibby held captive as he makes his escape as well.

Part Two : Ashen Earth and Blackened Sun
Oz contacts Elias through Rilani, offering a trade-off for Tibby and a rendezvous at the biggest Government prison ship - the Black Sun. Without consultation, Elias accepts and leaves the Gemstone with Alice. Ethan, made the new acting captain, more or less crash-lands... below the clouds.

Rox and Tibby become friends as Oz takes them to the Black Sun. It then comes to pass that Oz is betrayed and thrown into prison as well. Rox is tossed in the same cell as his mother, and Oz and Tibby are tossed in the cell of a fugitive Oz once helped capture - Meikyu.

Rilani and Ethan battle creatures below the clouds as they try to find some materials to repair the ship with. Rilani discovers a ship with the remains of her own mother. This shocks her, as her mother was supposed to have been killed by pirates in Argo, not crashed to the lower earth. She and Ethan's friendship grows romantic, and Ethan is near-mortally wounded by a creature as it attacks on the ship.

Alice uses her past persona as a Govvie and Elias pretends to have been taken prisoner in order to get in the Black Sun. There, they find Tibby, but not before being sound by a mad sadistic scientist named Dr. Litras, and his super-human experiment Atrea. Tibby and Atrea start to fight as Oz and Meikyu start their escape.

Rox assists in helping his mother get out of her cell, but is knocked unconscious and left behind. She later finds her way to the main computers and sends a call out on the Black Sun that she was going to make it self destruct.

Through the battle, groups are separated. Putting aside their past animosities, Oz and Mei team up and escape alongside Alice and two other Free Runner members - Marcus and Whitmen - along with Rox's mother Scarlett, and narrowly escape before the ship explodes.

Tibby and Atrea fall from the ship in the midst of battle to their deaths. Upon regaining consciousness, Rox takes a small fighter and escapes, saving the distraught Elias in the process.

A small craft occupied by Rift Ferguson is nearly hit by the Black Sun as it falls from the sky, consumed in flames. Rift then proceeds to get in contact with the Free Runner.

Part Three : 'Death' and Old Friends
Ethan and Rilani are able to get the Gemstone to rise to one of the lower abandoned colonies, and land there temporarily in order to search for something important to Ethan. The topic of 'consumation' of their romantic attitudes towards one another is brought up, but nothing is decided as Rox and Elias land their craft nearby on the colony.

Rift, first mate to Oz, is able to board the Free Runner. He becomes quick friends to Alice. Oz bribes Meikyu with a fully functional lab so she will stay, and she works on upgrading Oz's robotic limbs... and fixing some bugs on the ship. Scarlett takes Rift's craft and sneaks off the ship.

Rilani finds that Ethan had a disc containing a video of her mother's last moments alive (which was taken from the ship she had found her mother in). As she watches it, Rox is called by Rift and told to find and check on Rilani. When he walks in on the scene, he finds his mother on the screen. Oz orders him to take the disc, by force if necessary. After a short talk, he forces a knock-out drug on Rilani via 'kiss', and ends up swallowing some of the drug too. Ethan catches the scene and ties Rox to a chair, just as Rox passes out as well.

The Free Runner lands on the neutral colony, Paonia. Oz and Meikyu go out to buy supplies, while Rift and Alice merely go out to explore. Rift's old friend, Tatari, reveals himself to the group. Though Rift doesn't it know it, however, Tatari was sent to be a spy on the Free Runner and its crew.

Ethan and Elias try to find Tibby's body, but to no avail. The Government then attacks. Elias stays behind, and Rox gets out from his bondage and takes an escape pod, followed Ethan and Rilani in a separate one. The Gemstone is destroyed, and both escape pods land in a secluded Government colony.

Rift and Alice use Tatari's connections to get in contact with Rox, in order to hear of his, Rilani's, and the Gemstone's conditions. He tells them of it being destroyed, and that he can't tell if anyone but him is alive or dead. Devastated, Alice runs off and disappears. Immensely worried, but unable to do anything, Rift lets Tatari lead him around the colony in search for Alice. Once they find her, they go to Tatari's uncle's tavern and start drinking and playing cards. They meet Tatari's cousin Eli. Alice gets smashed.

Oz and Meikyu have many bonding moments as they shop. Meikyu freaks out over seeing someone from her past, and Oz breaks her out from her breakdown via kiss on her forehead. Stuff I can't remember happens, and Oz goes to search for Rift.

Once Oz finds Rift at the Tavern, Tatari tries to 'blackmail' Oz. Rift tries to defend Tatari and keep him from getting shot, but it's Meikyu who walks in, buys Tat's 'loyalty', and keeps things civil. Oz and Mei leave, with orders given to Rift to keep an eye on Tatari. In order to get information, Tatari takes Rift to the red-light district to talk to sources. Rift meets Tat's mother, and hints of Rift's real feelings for Tatari are revealed, along with his dark back-story. In his back-story, he reveals that he is Rilani's older brother, believed to have been killed by Elias Truncate one year ago.

Ethan and Rilani get separated in the chaos of the Government colony, being saved by two different people. They are later reunited. Rilani's savior, Zander, is revealed to be Ethan's brother. Zander and Ethan's savior, Liliana, insist on joining Rilani and Ethan while they escape the colony. They run into Rox on the way, and warily take him along. Rilani gets shot along the way, but they are able to narrowly escape and head to Tora.

Oz helps Meikyu get revenge against someone who had betrayed her in the past.

The day the Free Runner is supposed to take off, Rift is ambushed by old enemies. Tatari comes in to save him and gets mortally shot. Desperate, Rift takes him on board the Free Runner for help from their doctor, Whitmen. Oz agrees to save Tatari... but not before a big internal debate on simply letting him die.

Rilani, Ethan, Zander, Liliana, and Rox head to a colony called Tora, still being trailed by the Govvies. They go to Ethan's father for help, who ambiguously offers shelter for them on his ship, where no women are allowed. Cornered, Rox offers to stay behind and fight off the Govvies. At the last moment, Rilani turns back to help him. Ethan is crushed. Rox and Rilani escape Tora by stealing a Government Screecher craft, but not before Rox gets shot defending Rilani. Liliana's and Zander's romance develops.

Part Four : Mountains and Bad Sentiments
Rox and Rilani make their way to a pirate colony called Over Brooke and patch each other up. Friendship is made between them, and they go to someone who they think can aid them: Trace Walters, the son of Rox's mother's captain, and current captain of the Gun Smoke. There, they find Scarlett. Rox hits his mother across the face and storms out. Rilani stays to ask questions about Scarlett's involvement with her mother. Scarlett then tells Rilani where she can get the answer, revealing to her that her 'dead' brother is in fact alive.

As he heals in the infirmary, Tatari finds that his straight crush has feelings for him and begins making advances on Rift, freaking Rift out thoroughly. He begins to question his own sexuality.

After Rilani joins Rox to clear their heads, they return to Trace's mansion. Rox and Scarlett finally have a heart-felt reunion, and Rilani bonds with Trace's daughter Zyla. Mia, Scarlett's new bodyguard and cook, prepares a big feast. More guests come in, turning out to be Ethan and his family. Ethan snubs Rilani, and Rox stands up for her.

At the dinner, Trace announces his plans to take the Gun Smoke and some allies and attack the biggest war ship the Government has - The Bristol. Ethan's father agrees to join the fight.

After making up, Ethan and Rilani head over to the Sentiment, only to find Liliana murdered. Zander comes in, blames, and attacks Rilani. After the chaos, she and Ethan get in another fight, and she storms away.

Zander and Mia meet that night in town. Mia develops feelings for him throughout their interactions, and the two end up sleeping with each other.

Rilani meets with Rox again and helps him in modifying the Screecher. Over the next couple of days, their friendship starts to develop even more. Rilani finds that her brother had been using the alias 'Rift', and had been a member of the Free Runner the whole time.

Rox, Rilani, Scarlett, and Zyla go to a beach cruiser. Rox gives Rilani a birthday present, and Rilani - internally admitting her own feelings for him - kisses him. They consummate their passion that night.

Leaving Tatari behind, Oz, Meikyu, Alice, and Rift leave the Free Runner and step out onto the hidden neutral colony Cover. There, they go down to a secret place on top of a mountain, Shangri La, one of the only true lower earth places still intact. Oz and Meikyu bond, and Oz decides to use a technology to send himself into cyberspace in order to find out Meikyu's past... Namely her last name. He is caught by Government safeguard programs and trapped outside his own mind.

Rift, desperate to revive his captain, takes Oz, regroups the Free Runner crew on the ship, and leaves Shangri La.

Ethan and Margaret (a new member of the Gun Smoke) reunite and sleep with each other. Margaret agrees to try and get information from Rox, using the power of seduction as her tool.

Rox, Rilani, and Zyla meet two mechanics - Jori and Collin. Zyla and Collin become fast friends.

Margaret tries to seduce Rox, but fails. Rox, Ri, and Zyla humiliate her in the process, and she promises revenge.

Marcus sends a distress call to Scarlett and the Gun Smoke. Tatari and Marcus then both betray the Free Runner to the Bristol and Jacob Mart. They are captured in the night. The Gun Smoke takes off to fly to aid the Free Runner and attack the Bristol the next morning.

Upon capture, Tatari and Rift are thrown into a cell together. There, Rift's feelings for Tatari finally come out. They spend the whole night making out. Meikyu and Whitmen are put together, Marcus walks free, and Oz remains comatose.

Alice is taken off the Bristol and elsewhere.

Rilani gives Rox an com-link earring that she and Collin made, so the two of them could stay in touch during the coming battle.

Part Five : Big Battles.... Big Ships.... Big Losses
Chapter Five : Big Battles.... Big Ships.... Big Losses

The Gun Smoke attacks the Bristol. Scarlett and Trace get on board the Bristol and go forth in search of killing Dr. Litras, Rilani and Jori go off to find the Free Runner Crew, Rox and Margaret battle outside in their fighter crafts. Zyla and Collin sneak on board against their parents' wills.

Marcus, no longer pretending to be on Jacob Mart's side, goes with another ally, Archy, and busts Rift, Tatari, Whitmen, and Meikyu out.

Tatari reveals his 'allegiance' to Jacob Mart, and terribly hurt, Rift threatens to kill him if he sees him again.

Trace finds out about Zyla and Collin being on board and rushes to their aid. He gets mortally shot in the process.

Scarlett loses it and announces on the intercom (much like on the Black Sun) that she was going to self destruct the Bristol and kill everyone on it, especially Litras. Jori yells for Rox, who's in position outside the bridge where his mother is located, to shoot her. Rilani pleads for him to save himself.

Rox shoots and kills his mother to save the others, gets devastated by the loss, and cuts off communications, flying off and disappearing.

Tatari locates Jacob Mart and kills him.

Ethan finds Elias Truncate, who had been trying to track Ethan down for weeks with the help of Yin and the Briar Rose, and jumps in the way of a bullet to save him. Ethan later dies from his injuries.

Rilani, Zyla, Trace, Jori, Collin, Archy, Rift, Marcus, the still comatose Oz, and Whitmen escape the Bristol on the reacquired Free Runner. Rilani meets her brother Rift again. Trace later dies, sending his daughter Zyla into a pain-filled frenzy.

Meikyu is taken off the Bristol, where she is reunited with her father, and an old friend/enemy, Carlos. Her father asks

Alice is taken to where she was experimented on when she was younger, where she meets her sister Alexandria.

Tatari bums a ride off of another ally that had 'joined' in the fight, Yin and the Briar Rose. He asks to be dropped off at Argo, while Elias requests to be dropped off elsewhere as well.

Margaret (ignoring Rilani's calls) and the Gun Smoke go to find Rox.

Rift, now the 'captain', and seeking a place to hide from the constant search the Government was sure to begin, approaches the Pan Colonial Fleet for help.