#Fun little series (yes with some Kyden content sprinkled in here and there hehehe)

[cosmic-ships]

Stranger at the Dust bowl - Chapter one.

Notes: Remember that Au I had a long time ago? Yeah we're bringing it back but having Kylo in it this time! The characters that appear will be as follows: Kaden Reese, Mikal Reese, Kylo, Nocturne Grayfire, Colby Walker, Clara Echo, Azie Echo, and Vesper! This is a fun little chaptered series I will be making using my f/o and if people like it I may have my moots do cameos :D

The desert heat shimmered off the horizon, waves of distortion rising off the cracked asphalt. The Dust Bowl, or what was left of it, stood stubbornly against the desolate backdrop. Its once-proud neon sign had seen better days, with only a few letters still functioning, now spelling out 'D st Owl.' The faded red building was a monument to neglect, its windows grimy and its gas pumps clinging to life out of sheer spite.

Inside, Kaden lounged behind the counter, flicking through an old magazine. Outside, Mikal leaned against a broom, pretending to sweep the dirt around the front steps.

“Think anyone’s gonna show up today?” Mikal called through the open door.

“Not unless tumbleweeds count as customers..." Kaden replied without looking up.

Mikal was about to retort when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. A figure was emerging from the horizon, dark and imposing, trudging up the road like a ghost.

“Uh… Kaden?” Mikal called, his voice uneasy.

“What now?”

“You see that?”

Kaden frowned, setting the magazine down. They squinted toward the road, where a man dressed head to toe in black was approaching. His long cape billowed slightly with every step, and his helmet glinted ominously in the sunlight.

“What in the actual hell…” Kaden muttered, stepping outside to stand next to Mikal.

The man stopped a few feet from them, his posture stiff and commanding. His voice, deep and distorted, broke the tense silence. “I require assistance.”

Mikal’s eyebrows shot up. “Assistance? You look like you belong to some secret agency or… I don’t even know. What’re you doing out here dressed like that?”

The man didn’t flinch. “My ship has been damaged. I need parts to repair it.”

Kaden let out snort, crossing their arms. “Your ship? What, like a plane or something?”

“No,” the man said flatly. “A starship.”

Mikal laughed, leaning the broom against the wall. “Oh, sure. A "starship". You, uh… you come all the way from neptune, buddy?”

The man’s helmet tilted slightly. “I do not know this Neptune you speak of... My ship crashed ten kilometers from here. This was the closest settlement.”

Kaden raised an eyebrow, exchanging a skeptical glance with Mikal. “Ten kilometers? You walked all the way through the desert… dressed like that?”

“Yes.”

Kaden let out a low whistle. “Man, you’ve got some dedication. Listen, we’re just a run-down gas station. We don’t have spaceship parts. Hell, we barely have gas half the time.”

The man reached into his cloak and retrieved a pouch, pouring its contents onto the counter. A pile of gleaming metallic things clattered onto the weathered surface.

“These are credits,” he said. “They will suffice as payment.”

Mikal leaned closer, picking up one of the coins and inspecting it. “What is this, D&D space edition money? Dude, this isn’t legal tender.”

“They are accepted throughout the galaxy.” the man said firmly.

Kaden smirked, leaning on the counter. “Oh, the galaxy, huh? You’re really going all-in on this bit, aren’t you? You're coming from comic-con?”

“Bit?” The man’s helmet tilted again. “I do not understand.”

“You know,” Kaden said, gesturing vaguely at his outfit. “The whole getup, the story about a spaceship, the fake money. You’re really committed to the act. So just spill it, you're from one of those cosplay conventions right?”

“Cosplay...convention?” the man replied, his tone sharp. "This is no act."

“Uh-huh...” Mikal said, folding his arms. “Look, mystery man, even if we bought this whole ‘galaxy traveler’ shtick, which we don’t, we still couldn’t help you. Like Kaden said, we don’t have parts for… whatever it is you’re talking about.”

The man tensed, his voice growing colder. “Then direct me to someone who can.”

Kaden sighed, shaking their head. “There isn’t anyone, not around here. Closest thing to a mechanic is the guy down the road, and he barely knows how to fix cars, let alone spaceships. You'd have to get in touch with who? NASA? And pfft with that get up good luck!”

For a moment, the man said nothing, his shoulders stiff. Then he exhaled, the sound mechanical and heavy through his helmet.

“Well...” Kaden said with a shrug, “guess you’re stuck with us for now, stranger. Maybe I'll take ya to the scrap yard out back. Maybe there's something there won't be no fancy space parts but there has to be something.”

The man didn’t respond. His helmet tilted toward the broken neon sign, the flickering letters casting a faint glow in the evening light.

Mikal grinned. “Welcome to the D st Owl, I guess. Hope you like dirt and disappointment....”

The man said nothing, but Kaden could almost feel his glare through the helmet.

[To be continued]

(Please let me know if you want to be tagged in this series!)