The Space Devil: Chapter 1

Blaze was, as always, in trouble. He ran from spot to spot, down dark and lonely corridors to bright and crowded ones, trying in desperation to find a solution to his dilemma. His ship was burning, half his crew, his friends, were gone. The cost of trying to outrun the Jeraci. He had found his brother lying in a pit of blood, unable to murmur a single word. The only doctor on board was busy enough, trying in vain to save an already dead man would be a waste of his talents. Blaze had used every trick he knew, everything. And yet the Jeraci persisted, their ships raining down fire upon the vessel. 
Luck was the only reason the ship still flew yet that luck was quickly running out. A quick and hastily planned light jump had sent them to the middle of nowhere. Only the darkness of space surrounded them now, the absence of planets was sorely missed. They prepared now for another jump, hopefully to Federation Space, or if they were even more unlucky then had already been, they might just find themselves in the Collective's hands.
Most of the remaining crew were working on the Jump Drive, but none of them were engineers. Brook knew enough to keep it running, but he was no Hayes, that man could fix anything that was ever broken, and could make anyone laugh while doing so. Brook was stern and near emotionless at times, and an utter bore to be around.
Blaze had done all he could, the fire was extinguished, which would keep this ship afloat for at least the next day, hopefully long enough to find refuge. The remaining crew that weren't working with Brook down below stood around the bridge, packed in but still finding some space. Blaze was one of the last to arrive.
It was strangely quiet in that room, no one knew what to say, all of them expecting someone else to begin. As Captain, Blaze was almost honour bound to speak first. "Fraw, what's our situation?"
"Bad, and that's an understatement, give it a week and the whole ship will blow apart, us inside it or not."
"What's the closest planet from here?" Another voice, boomingly loud but clear in it's authority belonging to the quartermaster, Dalien, spoke up.
"None for hundreds of light years, but there is something else..."
Curiously, Blaze asked "Explain".
"The Anfieden Trans Galactic Highway".
A silence echoed across the bridge. Everyone knew the price of going there, they had intended to go into Federation Space, but they had not intended it to be there. Nearly all of the crew were wanted by Federation authorities, some for questioning, some piracy and smuggling, and other murder and treason. Yet they all knew the alternative, the firing line of the Jeraci Empire. Blaze didn't need anyone to speak to know what they would all say.
"Fine, set a course, will the jump drive hold?" He asked to the newly arrived Brook. Dust and grime scattered across his face, arms and clothes and what looked like blood across his shoulder.
"Should be good for a jump, anything more and the reactor will melt and explode. Destination?"
"Set course for the Trans Galactic Highway."
"You sure cap'n? Lot of Feds there."
"Do it".
The crew was all but ready for the jump, everyone was prepared for what they knew would come next. As the countdown for the jump began the first Jeraci vessels were sighted behind them. As the missiles began to explode around them the ship launched forward at tremendous speed until the darkness was behind them and the light of the Highway beckoned into view, along with a dozen battleships.