Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

I am trying to remember a film from the eighties that is aw on cable maybe HBO. I am not sure if it was a theatrical movie. All I remember was that there was boy who was a stowaway or maybe was kidnapped. He is on a ship with a bunch of mercenary soldier types. I remember the kid having a little pet in his pocket at some point. I am not thinking of Flight of the Navigator. I know it was not that. It was a larger ship out in space some where. Does anyone have a clue? I can not recall any actors or even the year.

Wikipedia has a sci fi movie listing by year so I just looked though it until I found something that may have been it. Did not take as long as I thought it would.
Should have known it was Corman flick.

"Space Raiders, also known as Star Child is a 1983 science fiction film written and directed by Howard R. Cohen and produced by Roger Corman"

I remember that movie. It was one of only a few dozen videos that my local video rental place had at a low enough age rating for me to be allowed to watch when I was about 6, so my parents ended up renting it for me several times. As with most 80s kids movies, it had a rather dark and violent edge to it. I've since found out that it recycles spaceship model effects and James Horner's score from Battle Beyond the Stars, which was supposed to be Corman's answer to Star Wars/Seven Samurai.

I remember enjoying it as a child, but I haven't seen it for 25 years, so I don't know how I'd rate it today.