Scott Summers introduces himself and explains that, when he was eight years old, he and his brother Alex lost their parents in a plane crash that wasn’t exactly a crash. It turns out it was an alien abduction. That isn’t the strangest thing that has happened to him in his sixteen years, not by a long shot. He is a mutant and some people hate him for it, because some people simply hate anything that is different. A couple of weeks ago, he joined a school with other mutants, run by a man named Charles Xavier. For the first time since his parents died, he had a place and he had friends. Then there was Jean Grey, who he was possibly falling in love with, he’s not quite sure.
Then all of a sudden, he wasn’t there anymore and he was in the future instead. It turns out he grows up to not be a very nice man. Also he ends up marrying Jean Grey but things get miserable and confusing. But on the bright side, it turns out his dad isn’t dead and he is a space pirate.
In the vastness of space, Hepzibah and Cyclops float outside the Starjammer, Corsair’s spaceship. The alien woman holds him close and tells him zero gravity is wonderful. Cyclops agrees, once they get past the part he loses his lunch anyway. She suggests they try her idea and explains that it’s simple physics. The energy field of his spacesuit mask is synchronised with his visor and she promises there won’t be any danger. As she leans over his shoulder, he thinks his father’s cat-skunk girlfriend is actually rather wonderful.
Cyclops readies himself and then unleashes an optic blast, propelling the two backwards. Both he and Hepzibah are pleased with the results and he continues to fire the energy out of his face mask. They laugh as Cyclops uses his blast to move through space, but Hepzibah looks behind her and notices they are headed towards the Starjammer. Hepzibah manages to twist out of the way but Scott collides with the side of the ship, embarrassing himself in-front of his almost-stepmother. As he recovers his dignity, Hepzibah comes up to him and tells him he was doing very well. She should have warned him about the ship. Scott says he has had enough of the spacesuit for now and the two decide to get back on board the ship. Hepzibah wants to tell Corsair of his son’s success but Cyclops doesn’t exactly see braining himself on the hull as a success.
As the airlock closes and he enters the main part of the ship, Cyclops thinks of the list of things he wanted to be when he grew up. All the stupid stuff you think is possible when you are a kid. All the stuff you believe until life starts punching you in the mouth. He wanted to be a pilot like his dad, an astronaut, a pirate, a knight, a hero and he wanted to be good. He has seen the man he is supposed to become and he doesn’t like him very much.
Hepzibah asks if he wants to go see his father but Cyclops wants to be alone. He walks back to his room and looks at a hand-written letter address to Jean Grey. It airs his thoughts about whether this is a good idea or not to run away with his dad rather than stay and face his problems.
Elsewhere, the Starjammer’s robotic, dragonfly-like doctor, Sikorsky, is inspecting Corsair. The man stands in an energy field, naked except for a pair of boxer shorts. Sikorsky flies around and tells him he is a horrible patient, but Corsair shrugs it off, saying he has told him before. Sikorsky flies up close to his face and tells him he must take his prescribed medication. Corsair tells him he will be better about it, to which the doctor says he has heard it before and flies off. He says he doesn’t know why he bothers, and a voice comes from behind them saying that it’s because he adores their captain-gallant. Hepzibah walks towards them and grabs the shirtless Corsair, kissing him passionately.
Sikorsky becomes angry and tells her she is ruining Corsair’s baseline vitals. They both ignore him and Corsair asks how it went with Scott. She tells him the boy would have enjoyed it more with his father as he just wants to spend time with him. Corsair walks out of the scanning device and tells her that’s the problem; he doesn’t know how to be a father.
In his room, Scott crumples up the latest letter to Jean and throws it on the floor with the rest of the letters he has started but not finished. He begins another one and tells her he has started the letter six times and stalled each time. When they parted, he meant what he said, that he wanted them both to have a chance of happiness. He really did mean it but now he is wondering if that is even possible.
Scott is suddenly surprised to see the small rodent-like Cr’reee at his feet. He yells in shock and the small alien chirps back in its strange alien language. Scott relaxes once he sees that it’s just Cr’reee and he picks the little critter up. He asks if it has any idea about romance but the alien just chirps back, enjoying the scratch Scott is giving it. The lizard-like Ch’od walks in and tells him he wouldn’t take anything he says to heart as he just wants Scott to continue petting him. Scott replies that he was mostly joking as he cannot understand what Cr’reee says. Ch’od tells him he doesn’t either, as Cr’reee bounds across the room, climbs him and comes to rest on his shoulder.
Ch’od says that he understands the energy field on Scott’s helmet worked as intended and it should be very useful. Scott jokes and says that it will be brilliant tactically because it will look like he is running away when he is actually headed towards them. Ch’od tells him he has his father’s sense of humor, but as he says it the ship’s alarms go off.
The Starjammer is under attack by a Badoon hunter-killer ship. Everyone runs to their battle stations including Scott, who muses that he does it as if he knows what he is actually supposed to be doing. On the bridge, Korvus tells Corsair the ship just dropped out of nowhere. Corsair orders him to cut inertials by a third and to put the power into the shields. As they reach the bridge, Ch’od asks if he just hear correctly that a Badoon ship is attacking them. Trying to steer the ship, Corsair tells him the Badoon are always looking for something to vaporize.
Cyclops thinks that a dogfight in space should probably scare him but it’s actually the coolest thing ever. He says to switch the deflectors on, which confuses Ch’od. Sitting at another consol Raza tells everyone the Badoon is dropping shredders and Corsair tells him to put the nose into it. Standing at the back of the room, Scott looks at his dad giving orders and thinks that’s who he wants to be… not the other guy… the future Cyclops.
Scott asks what shredders are and Corsair explains that it means weaponized debris that could put ten thousand punctures in their ship. Thankfully, their shields can take it. Scott looks at him and marvels that he is saying it as if it happens to him every day. Outside, the shields easily protect the ship from the thousands of tiny objects bombarding it. Hepzibah smiles and asks if Corsair wants the ship in one piece. She presses something on a holographic display and tells him that this is for him. Scott worries that there might be something wrong with him because she sounded way too sexy when she said it. The Starjammer fires a beam of energy that hits the Badoon ship and engulfs it in an electric charge.
Hepzibah announces the Badoon core drive is now disabled and the ship is theirs for the taking. Corsair stands up and says that they are going to board them and asks Korvus to take the helm. Raza says he shall come too as he has not wetted his blade in a while, but Corsair tells him to stay on the ship. Raza replies that he cannot take Hepzibah as the second person; they will need at least one more for safety. Corsair agrees and asks Scott if he wants to come along. Scott immediately accepts and the three walk off to get ready. Raza looks disappointed and tells Korvus that wasn’t what he expected. Korvus tells him to relax and he can board the next ship they sack.
As the three put on their spacesuits, Ch’od enters and tells Corsair that the ship will have power back in four minutes, so they have three minutes to take it. Plus they know they will be coming and will be prepared to repel boarders. No disrespect to Scott but maybe he wants another one of them to go instead. Corsair looks at Scott and replies that, unless another one of them can fire concussive blasts out of their eyes, Scott will be fine. With the spacesuits on, the airlocks open and the three use jetpacks to blast off towards the Badoon vessel.
They make for the airlock and Cyclops arrives first and asks his father if they should open the door. Corsair tells him the Badoon will be expecting the door and they are waiting behind it. He gives Scott his number one rule in life…never do what they are expecting you too. In other words, think like a pirate. A group of Badoon soldiers stand on the other side of the airlock with guns pointed at the door. Suddenly, the side of the ship explodes and the three Starjammers float in the hole. Corsair theatrically introduces all three of them and tells the Badoon to surrender, unless they want Cyclops to carve them a swimming pool to go with the new sunroof.
A short while later, the Badoon are in shackles and being escorted by Hepzibah. They board the Starjammer and Ch’od greets them, assuming that it all went well. Corsair suddenly radios through and asks her to be discreet. Ch’od escorts the Badoon as Hepzibah hangs back to talk. Corsair says he has the ship patched up and he was thinking that it’s not a bad ship. It’s small though and really only designed for two people. As he finishes patching up the hole in the side, he looks at Scott and tells Hepzibah he wants to do right by the boy. He asks her if she knows what he is thinking. She replies that she does and she loves that he is thinking it. She tells him he does know how to be a father, as he is Scott’s father already, he just has to be himself. Corsair tells her he needs her to bring him some things from the ship.
After speaking to Hepzibah he wanders over to Scott, who has found a Badoon sword. He commends Scott for spotting a good sword, as most Badoon blades are useless and he would be better off using kittens and harsh language. Scott says that he figure that swords were mostly for show or ceremony, considering there are blasters around. Corsair takes the sword and inspects it. He tells Scott that most armor and spacesuits are blaster proof but a good blade can slice one open. The sword he is holding isn’t a Badoon blade but he doesn’t recognize the make. He hands it back to Scott and tells him to put it on as he will need to get used to wearing it. The first couple of weeks he wore his, he was knocking into people and tripping over left and right. Scott takes it and says that he will try and be careful.
Hepzibah approaches, carrying two metal cases. She says that Korvus suggests Limiter’s Band in six weeks’ time. They will wait for a month there, otherwise they will come looking. She says she has cleared Scott’s room and reminds Corsair that Sikorsky says to take his medicine. He agrees that Limiter’s Band is a good place and says that he is a big boy and he can take care of himself. Scott is confused that Hepzibah cleared his room, but she ignores him as she kisses Corsair. She turns around and kisses Scott on the cheek, telling him to take care of his father.
Later, Scott and Corsair are on the bridge of the Badoon vessel, operating the consoles. Scott muses that he wanted to be an astronaut, pirate and a hero. As it turns out, he wants to be like his dad, but maybe not be him. He looks at his father and asks if they are taking the ship, just the two of them. Corsair says he is programming a random set of destinations and the six wonders of the universe are waiting for them. He puts his hand on his son’s shoulder and says he has no idea how to be a father to a sixteen year old son and he is liable to pooch it big time. Scott tells him it’s ok as he’s pretty sure he stinks at being sixteen. Corsair tells him a secret: everyone stinks at being sixteen.
With that, they blast off into space on their journey.
