"Miss Amelia! Amelia, we're under attack!" Mr. Arrow had woken the young Amelia from a deep sleep.

"What's going on?"

"Pirates are attacking the fleet. Hurry up, all hands must be above deck!"

Amelia threw on her coat and shoes quickly and dashed above deck. Her captain was shouting order, and the crew scrambled to battle positions. As she climbed up the ropes to her position, she could see a large pirate ship already attacking one of the ships – the one that was the head of the fleet for the night. The fight was full force, with lasers and sparks flying everywhere. And the ship that Amelia was on would be next in line if the first couldn't hold off the pirates.

"Take her left and around," the Captain shouted from below. "We'll take her around and join up with the others to trap these brutes and take them in." Amelia watched him point out his plan. But there was something wrong. One detail that the Captain had apparently missed - a glint on the horizon. Amelia had been able to see it from her vantage point high above the deck, and what she saw spelled out danger for their fleet. "Invisi-ships," she gasped. Invisi-ships, true to their name, were invisible ships that had been devised by the military for sneak attacks. The only way to spot one was if light were to hit it in a certain spot, sending off a reflection. How pirates had gotten hold of the technology, she didn't know. What she did know that if they stuck to the route they were taking, they were doomed.

Though it was a complete violation of protocol, she scrambled down the rigs and away from her post. "Captain!" she shouted! "Captain, we have to turn around!" Suddenly the boat shook, as if it had collided with something. Shocked by her captain's confused expression, Amelia ran up to him. "Invisi-ships, sir! I saw them. There must be at least three out there!" Then, out of nowhere, pirates began to pour over the sides of their ship. The scene turned to utter chaos. Laser beams cut through the air, and Amelia dropped to the ground.

All of a sudden, her captain dropped beside her. "Captain!" He had been shot in the chest, and the wound was severe. Blood was spreading at Amelia's feet, and she feared that he might not be able to pull them through the battle. Never had she seen such a wound. "Spacer Amelia, take the helm now." "But Captain!" "Do you dare refuse orders?" "No, sir!"

Without looking back, Amelia took control of the ship, shouting orders as if it was her own. Arrow was right by her side, making sure that his protégé was safe. After all, he had promised Victoria that he would watch out for her younger sister. Under Spacer Amelia's command, the crew managed to fight the pirates off of their ship and take prisoners. She had also been able to inform the rest of the fleet of the dangerous invisi-ships, ultimately saving them from destruction.

As soon as the battle had started, it had ended. Arrow approached her and immediately congratulated her.

"Superb job, Amelia. You pulled us through like an experienced professional."

"Please, Mr. Arrow, you flatter me too much. I was just doing what any other spacer would've done."

"But with complete control. Why, you might get a bump up the ladder for this!"

"Enough of that," she said. "How's the captain?"

"Not well, I'm afraid. His injuries are quite serious, and he must be transported to a hospital as soon as possible."

"And what of the other ships?"

"Seven are in good condition and ready to keep going..."

"Seven? Mr. Arrow, there are eight ships in our fleet. Why wasn't I told that one was unable to continue on!"

"Well, though you just brought us through this battle with all of the air of a captain, officially, you're not…"

"But which ship is it?" Amelia's eyes begged to know, so Arrow decided to stop lecturing her and just tell her the truth.

"The RLS Integrity will not be able to keep sailing…"

"Integrity!" Amelia's eyes went wide and she let go of the wheel. "Mr. Arrow, that's Victoria's ship! We should've gone to help them…or sent others! We have to go see how bad it is. They might need our help!"

She dashed down the stairs to one of the longboats, Arrow following close behind. "Amelia, please. You know that you cannot let your emotions interfere. It is your duty to serve the galaxy first and foremost."

"To hell with it, Arrow! My sister's on that ship." Amelia made sure the longboat was at full power and blasted off toward the RLS Integrity. As they neared the ship, she could see that it had been ransacked. Smoke billowed from one end of it, and it was clear that the Integrity was going to be lost. However, it was Amelia's duty to make sure that any survivors were brought to safety. Still, something nagged her in the back of her mind.

Leaving Arrow to tie up the longboat, she boarded the disintegrating ship. Integrity was well known as one of the best fighting ships around. So what had gone wrong that day?

"Amelia, best be on your guard," Arrow said from behind her. "There's a pirate's longboat over the side. We might be in for an attack, no doubt planned to surprise anyone who'd try to help Integrity."

"We'll be fine," Amelia replied, and took out her laser gun. Then she had a real look at the destruction that the pirates had caused. The dirty scumbags of space had run the crew of the Integrity over. Bodies littered the deck, and Amelia had to keep herself from shuddering. She told herself to keep calm. Spacers were trained to always keep themselves calm and in control – no matter what the situation may be.

"Avast, and what do we have here?" came a gruff voice from behind them. They turned to find five pirates standing before them. And one…spacer. Amelia's eyes went wide to see Victoria standing stiffly before them. One of the pirates – the biggest one, a presumably the leader – had a firm grip on her sister's arms. Still, Victoria stood proud and strong, head high and expression placid. Obviously she was the only crewmember still alive on the ship. And it appeared that the pirates were about to take her hostage…but they hadn't expected Amelia and Arrow to be there.

Surprised, but still with the upper hand, the pirates began to advance on the two. Amelia pointed her laser gun at them. "Don't come any closer, or I'll shoot," she warned.

"And kill one of your own?" the leader inquired. "We could get a good price for this pretty one. The first mate of the great RLS Integrity, no less!" His lips curved into a wicked grin. "But would you have the guts to kill her? I think that would be an interesting price for you to pay." Victoria looked at her sister and nodded slightly. Amelia knew what she was thinking: the safety of the other ships came before her own. That was just the way that Victoria was – a true spacer, always putting her ship and crew before herself. And this was how she would be repaid?

"If I have to shoot through her to get to you then I will," Amelia said, her voice shaking.

The pirates looked at each other, and one by one those same wicked smiles spread across their faces. "We don't believe you. But we're willing to make a deal. Kill this woman, one of your own, and we'll be on our way and not interfere with your fleet again."

"What kind of sick game do you think you're playing?" Amelia growled and with a swift motion, fired her laser at the head pirate. He fell to the deck, releasing his grip on Victoria. A fight broke out between the pirates and the three spacers. But that was when it all went wrong… Amelia hadn't killed the head pirate, and when Victoria was fighting off one of his men, he ambushed her. Suddenly everything was chaotic, as the pirates (finally satisfied with what they had come for) decided to make a run for it. Amelia and Arrow followed, making sure that they were indeed gone.

"Victoria!" Amelia shouted when she was sure that the pirates had left. "They're gone! Let's get out of here!" But Victoria was lying on the ground, one hand over her side. "VICTORIA!!!" Amelia ran to her sister and knelt beside her. "Can you hear me?" She took Victoria's hand and gaped at the large wound in her sister's side. "Oh! You're hurt badly! Come, we must move quickly now!"

Victoria opened her eyes and smiled, though she was in obvious pain. "Well, it seems as if I'm in a bit of a spot. Ame, it's just a scratch." She laughed slightly.

Amelia couldn't believe her sister's happy-go-lucky attitude. "No! We need to get you to our ship. You need medical attention right away!" She began to apply pressure to the gash that seemed as if it would never stop bleeding. It looked just as severe as her Captain's wound… but the Captain was going to pull through, so Amelia naturally thought that her sister would too.

"Save your efforts for yourself," Victoria said, trying to stop her younger sister's desperate attempt to save her life.

"What? No!"

"Amelia," Victoria's voice was kind, but firm. "I know that I'm not going to make it with this wound. It's too deep. When I joined the Interstellar Navy, I was aware of the danger. Granted, nobody ever expects these things to happen. Still, we must be ready to accept and face them. That's the consequence of this job."

"We can't give up! I can't leave you here!"

"You can and you will. Whether you like it or not, I'm still your superior officer, and these are my orders. I'd like to go down with this ship. The Integrity was my life, so it's fitting that we die together."

"Victoria! Please don't say that!"

"Now you listen to me," Victoria said, shushing her sister. "I want you to go on and become the best spacer you can be. Reach for the stars, Amelia, for I know that they're right in your grasp. Go back with Mr. Arrow and help lead our fleet to victory. I know you can do it. You've got the whole universe at your fingertips, Amelia. Live your life to the fullest. Don't pass up the opportunity to take on anything and everything. I hope you find happiness in all that you do in the future. Mr. Arrow, please take care of her…" she coughed violently, cringing in pain, and then her eyes closed slowly. Amelia held her sister's hand and watched her chest rise and fall for the last time. Then all was still.

"VICTORIA!" she cried.

"Amelia, we need to get back to our ship. The Integrity is going to fall apart."

"But…Victoria…"

"She's gone. And she wants to go down with her ship. She was an honorable spacer, and we must obey her wish to remain here. You don't have the authority to change that."

"But…I'm such a failure! I could save seven ships, but I couldn't even save my own sister. And what glory comes with that? Nothing. Now she'll never get her chance to go out and search for treasure. She'll never be able to chase her dreams, as impossible as they seemed. And I'll never see her again. I failed her. I failed myself…"

"You did what you could. I'm sorry, Amelia, but we must go now."

Arrow escorted Amelia back into the longboat. She sat without another word, shoulders slumped and expressionless. Her heart was crying, but she told herself not to. At the Academy, crying would've been taken as a sign of weakness. Amelia was determined to appear strong, but her mind was racing. Did her sister really just die on that ship? Why, Amelia remembered the day that Victoria had been promoted to "first mate." She had appeared at the helm of the Integrity beside her captain in all her pride and glory, eyes lit up like a child, ready to face the challenges and adventures that lay before her. And now she was gone – just like that.

Amelia straightened up, still trying to mask her true feelings. As they blasted away from the Integrity, she looked over her shoulder to glance at it one more time, and as she did…it exploded into millions of pieces.

Dear Ame,

Hello, and how are you? I hope this letter finds you well. How's the Academy coming along? I'll admit that it was tough on me the first few months, but it's all worth it in the end. Currently we're sailing pretty much in the middle of nowhere. We're headed toward deep space, as there is some sort of commotion that we're supposed to sort out. So in my down time I've been thinking about those stories we used to talk about when we were children. You know, about Treasure Planet and all of that. Ame, don't you think it's possible? I think Captain Flint's treasure could be real. And I'll be the one to find it. Just wait and see! I might be a mere spacer now, but I promise you that I'll rise in my rank. Then when you're out of the Academy, we'll get a ship just like father's! It'll be great. That is, if you can find it in yourself to be a child again. Don't take offense - you know I'm teasing you. We'll have fun though. Anyway, I'd better go. Duty calls, even when you're doing nothing. Arrow sends his regards as well. I'll write to you soon.

All my love,

Tori