Chapter 10: A Smuggler’s Gamble

The Black Dagger, En Route to Raxis Trade Hub 

Year 9783 C.C. – Five Days After the Trial 

*****

Kael sat in the co-pilot's seat of The Black Dagger, watching as the vast darkness of space gave way to something far less predictable. 

Ahead of them, Raxis Trade Hub loomed—a massive, rusted station floating in the void, its outer hull a chaotic patchwork of repairs and weapon emplacements. The station itself was a swirling mess of neon signs, docking bays, and industrial scaffolding, giving the appearance of something that had been built, broken, and rebuilt a hundred times over. 

'This isn't the Dominion. There are no laws here—only deals and firepower.' 

Kael had spent his life in the controlled corridors of noble estates and Dominion warships. This was the opposite. 

Juno smirked from the pilot's seat. "Welcome to Raxis, princeling. Try not to get stabbed before we leave." 

*****

The docking process was fast, and within minutes, Kael followed Juno through the rusted corridors of the trade hub. 

The air was thick with the scent of metal, oil, and too many bodies in one place. The halls were lined with makeshift vendors, offering everything from black-market weaponry to Dominion-class technology that should have never left Imperial hands. 

Kael's gaze sharpened as he spotted a Dominion officer's gauntlet displayed as a trophy in one stall. 

Juno caught his expression. "Yeah, the Dominion doesn't run things out here. Raxis belongs to whoever's got the most firepower." 

She nodded toward a cluster of heavily armed mercenaries gathered near a docking bay. Each bore different insignias—rival factions coexisting only because killing each other would cost them business. 

Kael exhaled. "And you trust this place?" 

Juno chuckled. "Hell no. But I trust the credits I'm about to make." 

*****

Juno led him into a secluded back room of a marketplace cantina, where a single figure sat waiting—a Lothari, one of the many non-human races Kael had only heard of in Dominion archives. 

The Lothari was tall and lean, his skin a deep shade of blue with faint bioluminescent lines running across his arms. His black eyes studied Kael with mild amusement. 

"You brought an Imperial," the Lothari said, voice smooth but sharp. "That's new." 

Juno sat across from him, kicking her boots up on the table. "Relax, Saros. He's not Dominion anymore. Just another lost soul in the Outer Reaches." 

Kael remained silent, studying Saros carefully. 

'He's dangerous. Not just because of his weapons—but because of how calm he is.' 

"Fine," Saros said after a moment. "Do you have the package?" 

Juno slid a small reinforced case onto the table. Kael noted the Dominion markings on its side—this was stolen military tech. 

Saros reached for it, but Juno stopped him. 

"Half up front," she reminded him. 

Saros sighed, then tossed a credit chip onto the table. Juno scanned it, nodded, and slid the case across. 

Kael exhaled. That was it. A simple job—deliver stolen Dominion tech, get paid. 

But as Saros stood, his eyes locked onto Kael again. 

"You're not just a lost soul, are you?" 

Kael's muscles tensed. 

'He knows something.' 

Saros smirked. "If you're looking for a fresh start, I'd suggest keeping a lower profile. There are already whispers about an Imperial who shouldn't be alive." 

Juno's expression darkened. "We're done here, Saros." 

The Lothari chuckled. "For now." 

As they left, Kael kept his expression neutral, but inside, his mind was racing. 

'I'm being watched—even out here.' 

*****

Back aboard The Black Dagger, Juno leaned against the doorway of the cargo bay, arms crossed. 

"You handled that well, princeling. Didn't even flinch when Saros called you out." 

Kael met her gaze. "Who does he work for?" 

Juno's smirk faded slightly. "That's the real question, isn't it?" 

She pushed off the wall. "You're not just some bounty anymore, Kael. Word is spreading. The Dominion wants you dead, but not just them—someone else is paying attention." 

Kael frowned. "The Echelon." 

Juno hesitated. Then, for the first time, she looked genuinely serious. 

"Maybe. But maybe it's worse." 

Kael exhaled slowly. 

'There's no turning back now.' 

He had thought the Outer Reaches would be a place to disappear, to rebuild. But now he knew the truth—even here, he was a hunted man. 

And the game was just beginning. 

*****