Meanwhile...
Twilight sat in his seat, resting his head against his paw. Twilight sighed. "You think since the fur police aren't around I could finally drink wine if I wanted to?"
B-7T3 looked at Twilight. "That would be highly inadvisable."
Twilight raised a brow. "How do you know I'm not an adult in a teenager's body?"
"My scanners indicate that you are under age."
Twilight rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat with a groan. "You and your scanners. Can’t I even joke around?"
B-7T3’s eyes flickered briefly, the droid’s calm voice answered. "Jokes regarding illegal activity are not advised, especially aboard this ship."
Twilight sighed again, tapping his claws on the armrest. "You’re really no fun, you know that?
B-7T3 tilted its head. "My primary function is not to provide entertainment."
"No shit." Twilight grumbled.
The ship hummed softly around them, and Twilight stared out at the distant stars visible through the cockpit window. His mind wandered back to the conversation with Levi earlier about Shadow Paw. It still felt surreal to be mistaken for a wanted criminal with a reputation that bad.
"You really think there’s another wolf out there who looks just like me?" Twilight asked, mostly thinking out loud.
B-7T3 turned its head toward him. "The universe is vast. It is statistically probable that another individual shares physical characteristics with you. However, it is unlikely they are identical in all respects."
B-7T3 and Twilight glanced back towards the entrance as they heard humming and footsteps.
"I'll go check," said Twilight, walking to the entrance. A wolf stepped on to the ship and set a crate on the floor.
"Who the hell—”
But before Twilight could say another word, the wolf quickly knocked Twilight out and set him outside the ship. "Don't worry, pup. No one will notice your absence."
B-7T3 looked back as Twilight walked back into the cockpit. "False alarm. Just another curious furry."
B-7T3 hesitated for a brief moment, its scanners silently running a diagnostic on Twilight. Everything seemed to check out—physically, it was the same wolf, and there were no immediate signs of tampering or deception. Yet, something still felt off.
"Curiosity is common among those unfamiliar with our vessel," B-7T3 finally said, though it couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. "I recommend we maintain heightened security measures until the captain returns."
"Good idea," said Twilight. "We don't need any furries hijacking the ship."
Meanwhile, the real Twilight lay unconscious outside the ship, hidden in the shadow of a nearby stack of crates. His body was limp, his breathing shallow but steady. The bustling noise of the station drowned out any sign of struggle, and no one seemed to notice him.
Back inside the ship, 'Twilight' leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head as he looked out at the stars. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes darted around the cockpit, observing everything with sharp, calculating precision.
B-7T3 remained at its station, silently monitoring the systems. It detected a subtle shift in Twilight's usual behavior but couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong. Its primary function was to follow protocols, not to question subtle nuances in behavior unless it posed a threat to the crew or the mission. Still, a part of its programming flagged the current situation as unusual.
"Twilight," B-7T3 began, "Levi instructed me to monitor the ship’s external sensors for any signs of tampering. Shall I initiate a full system scan?"
'Twilight' shrugged. "I guess it wouldn't hurt."
As B-7T3 initiated the system scan, 'Twilight' leaned back in the chair, keeping his expression casual but mentally mapping out everything in the cockpit—the controls, the systems, and how to work them if needed.
He was good at this—blending in, becoming someone else. Shadow Paw had done it countless times before, but this time was different. This crew had a reputation, and that meant he had to be extra careful.
"So," 'Twilight' said, "any sign of trouble on those scans?"
B-7T3’s eyes flickered briefly as the scan ran through its cycle. "Negative. No external tampering detected. All systems are functioning within normal parameters."
"Good, good," 'Twilight' replied. "Guess it’s a quiet day after all."
Inside, Shadow Paw was already planning his next move. He knew Levi and the others wouldn’t be gone for long, and when they returned, he’d have to be ready. But for now, he needed to play his role perfectly and avoid any suspicion. He kept his mannerisms loose, just like Twilight would, throwing in the occasional sarcastic comment or dramatic sigh.
"Wish they'd hurry up, though," 'Twilight' grumbled, glancing toward the exit. "Not like this station's the safest place to hang around."
B-7T3 beeped in agreement. "Given the recent increase in bounty hunter activity, it is advisable to remain cautious."
'Twilight' gave a small nod, keeping his inner smirk hidden. Of course, there were bounty hunters. He’d already seen them on his way in, though that wasn’t a problem. His real objective was simple: take the ship, leave the crew behind, and sell it for a hefty profit.
But Shadow Paw knew better than to rush things. Patience had always been his greatest weapon.
A few minutes later, Levi, Glitch and Luna boarded the ship. 'Twilight' groaned. "About time you three got here."
"Be happy I didn't leave you to guard the ship outside," said Levi. "It was damn hot outside. Be grateful you pup."
"Now let's get the hell off this planet." Levi pressed buttons on the control panel, starting up the engines, his paws taking the helm as the engines roared to life.
Meanwhile, the real Twilight groaned, starting to stir. His head throbbed from the blow, and as he slowly regained consciousness, his memory of what had happened began to flood back. He blinked blearily, realizing he had been dumped outside the ship, tucked behind some crates like garbage. Another crew of furries stood in front of him, their faces curious.
"Are you alright, Captain Shadow Paw?" Orion asked nervously.
"Shadow Paw...?" Twilight murmured.
"He's been brainwashed!" Ava squawked.
"We don't know that yet," said Erin.
"He literally doesn't remember his name!" Orion barked.
"Listen, I don't know who you guys think I am, but I am not your Captain, and I am most certainly not Shadow Paw!"
The crew before him was silent for a moment.
"He's definitely brainwashed," Ava whispered to Erin.
Twilight groaned, rubbing the back of his head as he staggered to his feet, eyeing the strange crew in front of him. He didn’t know what was worse—the throbbing headache or the fact that these random furries thought he was some infamous criminal.
“I’m telling you,” Twilight insisted, his voice rising with frustration, “I’m not Shadow Paw. My name’s Twilight, and I have my own crew—Levi, Glitch, Luna. We just docked here, and someone knocked me out!”
Erin, the blue jay, crossed her arms, feathers ruffling slightly as she looked him up and down with a skeptical expression. "Oh yeah? And how do we know you’re not lying to us?"
Ava hopped from one foot to the other, wings twitching as her eyes gleamed with excitement. "Maybe you are brainwashed!" *gaaasssp* "Or maybe you’re just pretending to forget so you can trick us into leaving you!"
"We should take him to his ship and bring him into the medical bay," Orion suggested. "He has a head injury. So he may not be brainwashed, but rather–concussed."
Twilight groaned in frustration, rubbing his temple. "I told you, I’m not Shadow Paw! I don’t know why you think I am, but—"
"Calm down, Captain," Erin interrupted with a wave of her wing. "We'll sort it out, but not here. The station isn’t the place for this kind of confusion." She shot a glance at Ava, who was still hopping with excitement. "And you stop getting him worked up. Now let's get him back to his ship."
Twilight's ears tilted. "My ship?"
Orion nodded quickly, his short corgi tail wagging nervously as he helped Twilight stand. "You should definitely see a doctor. I’ve read about concussions, and they’re nothing to mess with. You could have memory problems, dizziness, all kinds of stuff."
Twilight sighed, but he wasn’t in any condition to argue. "Fine, take me to "my" ship. But when my actual crew finds me, I’m telling you, they’ll straighten all this out."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Captain," Erin said with a shrug, leading the way. She was skeptical, but there was no denying Twilight looked rough.
As Erin, Ava, and Orion led Twilight back towards his ship, Twilight's mind raced with frustration. He knew he wasn’t this so-called "Shadow Paw," but these furries seemed too convinced to listen. He glanced sideways at the lively Ava, still hopping with excitement, and then at Erin, whose distrustful gaze remained locked on him. Orion, though nervous, seemed the most reasonable one of the bunch.
"So, uh, how did you guys end up with Shadow Paw anyway?" Twilight asked, trying to piece things together.
"Don't you mean, how we ended up with you? Oh, that’s a funny story!" Ava chirped. "We weren’t really supposed to be his crew. We sort of... hopped on the ship while he wasn’t looking, and then we just stuck around."
Erin sighed, her feathers ruffling. "More like ran away with you while you were dodging bounty hunters. I guess we're not exactly the most capable crew without you."
Twilight raised a brow. "So you guys... hijacked his ship? And he just let you stay?"
"Your ship. And yes! You most certainly did!" Ava said proudly, as if it was the best thing that ever happened.
Orion whimpered nervously. "Well, it's not like we had anywhere else to go..."
Twilight shook his head. "Great. A crew full of stowaways. Just my luck."
The crew took Twilight to Shadow Paw's ship. The door hissed open and as they walked on to the ship they were greeted by a voice that filled the entire ship.
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"Welcome aboard, Captain."
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The ship hummed as lights flickered on.
"I'm not the captain," Twilight muttered beneath his breath.
Erin shot Twilight a suspicious look, her beak tightening as they stepped further inside the ship. "You sure you're not Shadow Paw? Because this ship sure thinks you are."
"Yeah! What are the chances of two wolves looking exactly the same, owning the same ship?" Ava chirped, skipping ahead and spinning in circles as she explored the interior.
Twilight groaned, his frustration bubbling. "I already told you! I don’t know how this happened, but I’m not him. Someone knocked me out, and whoever it was must be your real Captain Shadow Paw. Probably trying to ditch you guys."
Orion, trotting close behind Twilight, tugged nervously at the hem of his shirt. "Well, whether you're our captain or not, you should still get checked out. That head injury looks pretty bad..."
Erin crossed her wings, staring at Twilight with narrow eyes. "Alright, fine. You might not be our Shadow Paw, but something weird’s going on. Let’s get you to the medbay, figure this out, and see what happens next."
As they made their way to the medbay, Twilight took the opportunity to glance around the ship. The more he saw, the stranger it felt. Sure, it had the familiar layout of most intergalactic vessels, but there were little things—like the personalized controls and the flickering display showing "Shadow Paw's" wanted bounty—that made his stomach churn.
The moment they entered the medbay, the automated medical systems kicked in. Robotic arms gently guided Twilight to a diagnostic chair. "Please remain still," the system instructed in a soothing voice. "Initiating scan for head trauma and identification."
Erin leaned against the wall, watching the scan with her arms crossed. "Let’s see what the scanner says about who you really are."
Ava, meanwhile, buzzed around, poking her beak into every nook and cranny of the medbay. "Bet it’ll say he is Shadow Paw! Ooh, what if he’s been cloned? Or maybe there’s a whole secret conspiracy—"
"Ava, quiet," Erin snapped, rubbing her temple as if she was getting a headache just listening to her.
Twilight, slumping into the chair with a sigh, closed his eyes as the scan began. This better show them the truth. Twilight thought.
The scanner beeped after a few tense moments. "Subject’s name: Twilight. No anomalies detected in identification. Minor head trauma observed. Recommend rest and recovery."
Twilight opened one eye and smirked, gesturing to the readout. "See? Not Shadow Paw. Twilight. Told you."
Erin frowned, scratching her head. "Well... that’s just weird."
Ava bounced on her toes. "So... if he’s not Shadow Paw, and he’s Twilight... then where’s the real Shadow Paw?"
Orion gulped, ears drooping. "And... what if the real one comes back while we’re still here?"
Twilight sat up, rubbing his head. "Then we’re all in trouble, especially if your Shadow Paw’s the kind of criminal everyone says he is. We need to find my crew, figure out what’s going on, and get out of here before we all get caught up in something we can’t handle."
Erin nodded, her skeptical look softening just a bit. "Alright, Twilight. I don’t fully trust you yet, but you’ve got a point. Let’s find your crew. Maybe they’ll know more about this mess."
Twilight stood, already feeling better now that they were finally listening. "Thanks. And when we find Levi and the others, they'll help clear this up. Trust me."
Ava flapped her wings excitedly. "Adventure time! Let’s go find this crew of yours!"
As they moved to leave the ship, Twilight couldn’t shake the feeling of urgency gnawing at him. Whoever this Shadow Paw was, he was dangerous, and they were all caught up in his game now. And if they didn’t act fast, things could go downhill very quickly.
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