Battle Beyond the Stars 1980

In the realm of Akir, a precarious existence faces the looming threat posed by the merciless warlord Sador, whose own physical degeneration ignites an unquenchable thirst for domination. As the dark lord of the Malmori Empire, Sador wields a formidable weapon known as the Stellar Converter, capable of transforming entire planets into miniature stars. His demands to the peaceful Akira are simple: surrender when he returns in seven risings, or face complete destruction.

Zed, the last of the Akira Corsairs, advocates for mercenary assistance, recognizing that their scant resources can only be exchanged for food and shelter. Although too old to embark on the journey himself, Zed entrusts his powerful ship to Shad, a young pilot blessed with a natural talent for navigating its advanced AI systems.

Determined to seek additional weaponry, Shad journeys to a space station to meet Doctor Hephaestus, a long-time acquaintance of Zed’s. This metallic haven is populated by sentient androids, with the doctor and his daughter Nanelia, a true vision of beauty and grace, being its only human residents. As Hephaestus projects a paternal interest in forging a bond between Shad and Nanelia, the young pilot feels the weight of his responsibilities. Ultimately, he persuades Nanelia to join him on his mission, even after she boards her ship unarmed, her systems holding promise for their cause.

As their paths diverge to gather more allies, Shad encounters Cowboy, a seasoned freighter pilot from Earth, who is embroiled in a perilous confrontation against Space Jackers while transporting laser handguns to the planet Umateal. Shad heroically intervenes to save Cowboy’s life and, together, they arrive on Umateal just as Sador unleashed his Stellar Converter, igniting the planet into smoldering ruins. Faced with the reality that he cannot return to Earth with his weapons, Cowboy decides to offer them to Akir, fully aware of the gravitas of their predicament. Shad convinces Cowboy to share his expertise in combat with the Akira people, setting aside his personal journey back home for this newfound purpose.

Continuing along his treacherous path, Shad encounters Nestor, a remarkable collective consciousness formed by five alien clones who share a singular mindset. They admit to a monotonous life and, in search of thrill, dispatch their separate identities to bolster Shad’s cause - all without request for reward, as Nestor is entirely self-sufficient. As Shad’s quest progresses, he also recruits Gelt, a shrewd and resourceful assassin, who seeks asylum among the Akira people in exchange for his allegiance, free from the fear of wrath from civilized planets.

Following Gelt’s arrival, they are joined by Saint-Exmin, a brave warrior from the Valkyrie who navigates a swift yet heavily armed vessel named the Dart. Although Shad initially resents her presence, he begrudgingly accepts the camaraderie as they traverse deeper into uncharted territories. Their journey through the Lambda Zone is soon disrupted by an unexpected attack on Nanelia’s ship by a peculiar creature known as a zyme.

The formidable Gator ship helmed by Cayman from Lazuli swiftly dispatches the zyme, revealing these aliens as skilled hunters akin to whalers. When Cayman insinuates that Nanelia’s fate could either be culinary or mercantile, she accuses him of being as merciless as Sador, provoking his ire and igniting a mutual resolve: Cayman yearns for revenge against Sador for the devastation wrought upon his homeworld.

Meanwhile, back on Akir, Shad’s sister Mol finds herself captured by Kalo and Tembo, pilots of the Malmori, who plan a vicious assault. As Shad and his cohort return to the planet, their presence frightens off the Malmori, allowing Gelt to seize his moment of reckoning by obliterating their ship and its crew.

Upon landing, the heroes face skepticism from the wary native population, already cautious of violent species. Complications arise when Sador’s forces make their inevitable return, only to be met by Shad’s hired warriors in a series of determined confrontations. Locked in a gripping aerial skirmish, Gelt battles Hammerhead, only to find himself shot down. At the same time, Cowboy and the Akira band together to repel the invasion, countering the powerful Malmori Sonic Tank. Although Sador’s forces sustain heavy losses, including the devastating blow to their Sonic Tank, the Akira suffer their own casualties, with Zed falling in battle.

In retaliation for Nestor’s treachery, Sador unleashes the remnants of his fleet upon Akir with unparalleled ferocity. Yet, Saint-Exmin proves to be an indomitable adversary, sacrificing herself to dismantle Sador’s Stellar Converter, effectively crippling his aerial forces. As the chaos unfurls, Hammerhead wreaks havoc on the battlefield, methodically targeting the remaining mercenaries with deadly precision. The lone survival among them is Nell, navigated by Shad and Nanelia, who valiantly withstands the relentless offensive of Sador’s Malmori forces. But after taking severe damage, Nell becomes susceptible to capture by Hammerhead’s tractor beam. In a final act of desperation, Shad and Nanelia initiate Nell’s self-destruct sequence and narrowly escape in an emergency pod.

Sador orders Nell to surrender, but in a climactic turn, she detonates, igniting a catastrophic explosion that obliterates Hammerhead and sends its fractured remains crashing to the ground. When Shad and Nanelia on their return to Akir are enveloped by grief from the loss of their allies, Shad attempts to console her, invoking the wisdom of Akir’s revered teachings. According to this ancient philosophy, those who have been cherished in life remain eternally present, living on through the tales shared across generations. Thus, the people of Akir come to memorialize the sacrifices made by the mercenaries, their bravery and altruism etched into the enduring legacy of Akir’s rich history.