Ch. 17 Package

20 Years later.

In the depths of barely charted space, aboard a compact yet nimble ship, a male Aelorain sat at the helm, guiding his vessel through a large asteroid belt. His name was Ralios Vensar, a smuggler with sharp wit and a penchant for navigating the trickiest corners of the galaxy. He bore his family's characteristic Aelorain features: tall, lithe, with silvery-red plumage with black accents and sharp, red eyes.

Inside the ship's cockpit, holographic displays dotted the semi-circular control panel that enveloped him. These displays provided vital information about the ship's status, star charts, and various sensors scanning the space around him.

As his ship, the Tailwind, ventured deeper into the asteroid belt, Ralios couldn't resist the urge to see the world outside his ship with his own eyes. With a swift gesture, he pressed one of the buttons on his console and opened the cockpit's shutters. The ship's heptaglass revealed a breathtaking sight. Before him lay a fractured planet, its surface rent asunder, floating in the radiant glow of a nearby blue star. Gigantic pieces of land, once part of a whole world, orbited the celestial body in a macabre dance.

For a moment, Ralios was filled with both wonder and trepidation at the awe-inspiring spectacle before him. The shattered planet was a stark reminder of how far out he was.

Realizing that he had business to attend to, Ralios leaned forward, his fingers dancing across the console. He pressed a button that connected to a specialized communication channel, one he used for situations like this. He retrieved a small piece of paper from his pocket, upon which were etched a series of symbols, a primitive yet secure method of communication in the world of smugglers and covert traders.

With practiced precision, he input the symbols into the console, initiating a connection to the designated frequency. The ship's transceiver emitted a series of electronic beeps, and Ralios awaited any response from the unknown sender at the other end of the line, a thread connecting them across the vast expanse of space.

As Ralios patiently awaited a response, he understood that the waiting time could vary significantly depending on the distance and capabilities of the other vessel. So, deciding to make the most of this interlude, Ralios skillfully piloted the Tailwind towards one of the larger fragments of the fractured planet nearby. With practiced finesse, he landed the ship on its uneven surface, securing it in place by engaging the landing gear and activating a localized gravitational field at the contact points.

Once settled, Ralios leaned back in his pilot's chair and initiated contact with the ship's AI, V.A.N.D.E.L., by calling out, "V.A.N.D.E.L., come online." The holographic displays surrounding him reacting, casting an array of lights and symbols across the cockpit.

"V.A.N.D.E.L., enlighten me about this place; what's the story?" Ralios inquired.

In response, the AI's voice, carrying a masculine and dry tone, chimed in, "There are no records of this celestial body on the surface net."

A perplexed expression crept onto Ralios' face. "Hmm, let's see if Mattie's got anything about it in her files. I'm quite curious," he decided.

The AI replied almost instantly, "One moment."

Ralios settled back into his seat, casually propping his feet up on the console. He relished these moments of tranquility amidst the high-stakes adventures that typically filled his days. While evading Imperial vultures and navigating the treacherous pirate-filled borderspace, smuggling had its thrills, but he found solace in the quiet contemplation that often came with exploring the mysteries of the border worlds.

After a few minutes, V.A.N.D.E.L. resumed, his voice measured and informative. "This world was under Imperial control approximately 455 cycles ago. Its name was Efreet. Initially, it was a paradisium world, remaining uncolonized until 3018 of the Avandar Calendar. Efreet boasted vast blue-water oceans adorned with small islands across its surface. For nearly 189 years, its primary export thrived on its native sea life. However, sometime during Cycle 3207, an Ember rift manifested in its atmosphere, ultimately cracking the planet and leaving it in this state until the current Cycle 3662. Interestingly, there were no official announcements from the Avandar Empire regarding the incident."

Ralios pondered for a moment before asking, "I've heard of Ember rifts, but what are they?"

In his characteristic dry tone, V.A.N.D.E.L. responded, "Ember rifts are abrupt phenomena known for their fiery appearance. They often lead to significant destruction, disrupting planetary structures, creating temporal and spatial anomalies, and causing communication issues."

Nodding in understanding, Ralios probed further, "But how do they happen?" as he started digging in his satchel.

While Ralios munched on a cracker-like snack, V.A.N.D.E.L. continued, "The origins of Ember rifts remain shrouded in mystery. Some speculate natural causes, while others suggest advanced technology or cosmic entities could be involved."

Ralios almost choked on the cracker, coughing slightly. Recovering, he remarked, "Blast it, 'cosmic entities'? What in the moons does that mean?" He added with a touch of humor, "Get off Mattie's weird fucking net; who knows what you might catch if you stay on it too long."

"Right away," V.A.N.D.E.L. replied, his voice as dry as ever.

As Ralios munched on his cracker, he casually remarked, "Go ahead and do a quick scan every 5 minutes for the next hour. I might catch up on some sleep; we wouldn't want Splint or his goons sneaking up on us, now would we?" He said this in a cheerful tone, finishing the last of his cracker.

V.A.N.D.E.L. responded promptly, "Setting up scanning routine."

Ralios pressed a button on the cockpit chair, leaning it all the way back, with his feet still resting on the console. He put his arms over his eyes and began to drift off into sleep. About four minutes into his slumber, a beeping started to emanate from the console. However, Ralios remained undisturbed. His ship's modified AI activated a special protocol, one crafted just for Ralios by Mattie. In response, Ralios's seat jolted upright in one swift motion, nearly flinging him onto the console. V.A.N.D.E.L.'s voice resounded through the cockpit, dry as ever, "Ralios, you've received a response."

Annoyance seeped into Ralios's voice as he grumbled, "Blast it, I hate that you do that to me now!"

V.A.N.D.E.L. retorted, "I'm just following my programming. It's not my fault you slept through the last pickup job."

Slightly irritated, Ralios adjusted himself in the seat, putting on his headset. "I suppose that unneeded sass is part of your programming as well?" he quipped.

V.A.N.D.E.L.'s response was swift and succinct. "Yes."

Ralios efficiently responded to the ping request, connecting it to the Tailwind's communication system. After receiving a successful communication alert, he began to speak in a monotone voice, "The Shattered Twine gets nothing but what?"

A response came through in a firm voice, "The Fallen Leaf."

With the code correctly exchanged, Ralios's tone shifted to a more casual one. "Alright, who am I talking to?"

The voice on the other end adopted a similarly casual tone, matching Ralios's own. "It's Vulpan. How ya doing, Ralios?"

Recognition flashed through Ralios as he responded, "Oh, hey Vulpan. I thought you were out of the game. I'm doing alright, caught a lot of flak on my last job, but I'm still in one piece."

Vulpan chuckled lightly. "I am out of the game, but I owed someone a favor, nothing more. Yeah, I heard you slept through the Luminous Heist. You're lucky your coworkers are competent, or you wouldn't have made it out with that gem."

Slightly annoyed, Ralios retorted in a higher pitched voice, "I work my ass off...I deserve to sleep from time to time." quickly convincing no one, he changed the subject. "But that doesn't matter. Why in the moons are we out near this damn graveyard of a planet?"

"Simple handoff, I've got too much heat," Vulpan replied succinctly.

"Too much heat? Didn't think I'd ever hear you say those words. What's the cargo? Some noble or something?" Ralios inquired.

Vulpan's voice sounded exasperated as he responded, "That's just the thing. It's a damn stone tablet with some scribbling on it. I've got no idea why the Imps want it so bad."

Ralios could sense the frustration in Vulpan's tone. "I've had to shoot down two Vultures so far, and I'm already leaking fuel. Come get this shit so I can get out of here." Vulpan transmitted his coordinates, which appeared on the holograms of Ralios's console.

Ralios acknowledged, saying, "Alright, that's weird, but if it's something weird, Mattie probably knows something about it. I'll be there in a second."

Ralios unhooked from the asteroid he had attached to, closing the shutters on his ship. He activated the holographic display, which overlaid the outside view with extra information in an augmented reality display covering the shutters. Swiftly, he started weaving in and out of the asteroid field, dodging the floating masses of the shattered planet.

As he got closer to Vulpan's ship, he couldn't help but be amazed by its condition. A quarter of its wings was missing, its paneling was ripped to shreds, and sparks flickered near its dual engines. Ralios expertly brought the Tailwind next to Vulpan's ship, which had been docked on an asteroid itself.

Over the comms, Ralios announced, "Alright, I'm in position." On cue, Vulpan's ship shuddered, and a cargo box detached itself from the battered vessel. Ralios moved to the side of his console, pressed a few buttons, and a crane-like metal arm unfolded from the top of his ship. With skillful maneuvering, he guided the arm over and grabbed the cargo box, depositing it into the Tailwind's cargo hatch.

As Ralios secured the cargo and prepared to depart, he exchanged parting words with Vulpan. "Alright, got it secured. Make sure you get out of here safely, ya old bird," Ralios said.

Vulpan responded, his voice filled with wisdom and caution. "Yeah, that's the plan. But listen, kid, whatever that thing is, it was taken from an Imperial containment zone by a couple of Raptors. That shit has some worth to it. I doubt the Imps are the only ones wanting it."

Ralios was taken aback. "A containment zone? Radioactive or something? Why would featherless mutants like the Raptors be sent to retrieve it?" These questions raced through his mind as he replied, "Well, thanks for the warning. I'll get going then."

With that, Ralios swiftly detached himself from Vulpan's ship and began making his way out of the ruins of Efreet. Thoughts about Mattie's involvement and the mysterious cargo gnawed at him. It made no sense why she would want a radioactive piece of stone or why she'd hire Raptors for such a task. He decided to seek answers once he returned to the Veil.

As he approached the edge of the asteroid belt, his scanner picked up five signatures looming on the edge. Ralios reacted quickly. "V.A.N.D.E.L., prepare for a jump into Ember space from the edge of the belt. Let's not give them a chance to react."

V.A.N.D.E.L. responded promptly, "Right away. Quick jump initiated."

Ralios gunned it out of the belt, building up enough speed to break into Ember space. His hologram display showed five signatures, including four smaller vultures and a small-sized Imperial war vessel. The sight of the warship made Ralios do a double take. "What the hell is a warship doing here?"

Before the ships could react, the Tailwind was engulfed in golden light as it slipped into Ember space. Ralios, his eyes wide with alarm, muttered aloud, "What the hell am I carrying?"