The First Client

Chapter 29

The First Client

The three of them stood in silence on the Forge's command balcony, the sheer scale of their accomplishment—the massive, gleaming Leviathan—still sinking in. They were no longer just survivors; they were shipwrights, industrialists, the founders of an enterprise built on a 50,000-year-old secret.

Zana's sharp, determined smile faded, replaced by her usual focused intensity. "A factory is worthless without customers," she said, her mind already on the next phase. She turned to Jax. "That inquiry you received in the real world, just before the Leviathan was finished. Let's see it."

Jax nodded and moved to a nearby console. He logged into the secure, public-facing server for Aegis Foundry, his fingers moving with a new confidence. A moment later, he projected the encrypted message into the air for the team to see. It was from a user with a cryptic, anonymous handle: Client X. The message was short, professional, and radiated quiet power.

To the Proprietors of Aegis Foundry,

We have noted with interest your claim of 'bespoke strategic solutions.' We have a unique and immediate requirement for a vessel with capabilities that are not available on the open market, specifically regarding advanced stealth and long-range passive sensor systems. We are a private, well-funded entity that values discretion above all else.

If your capabilities are as significant as your branding suggests, we are prepared to discuss a highly lucrative commission.

Acknowledge if you wish to proceed.

Kael read the message, his ears twitching nervously. "It could be anyone," he said, his voice a low whisper. "It could be a front for Cygnus Minerals, trying to bait us into revealing ourselves."

"Or it could be exactly what it says it is," Zana countered, her eyes narrowed as she analyzed the message. "A smaller, wealthy faction that needs an edge and values discretion as much as we do. The perfect client." She pointed to the message's header. "Kael, check the encryption on this."

Kael ran a quick analysis. "It's military-grade," he reported, impressed. "Triple-layered quantum encryption. Whoever they are, they're professionals. And they're serious about security."

Zana looked at Jax. "What do you feel?"

Jax closed his eyes, focusing not on the message itself, but on the intent behind the words, a skill he had been practicing. He couldn't read the sender's mind, but he could feel for echoes in the Force. The message felt… clean. It didn't feel deceptive or hostile. It felt direct, cautious, and powerful.

"It feels… professional," Jax said, opening his eyes. "It doesn't feel like a trap. It feels like business."

That was enough for Zana. She had Kael's technical analysis and Jax's intuitive read. It was a risk, but it was a calculated one. "Alright," she said, making the decision. "We proceed. With extreme caution."

She stood over Jax's shoulder as he composed the reply. It was just as short and professional as the inquiry.

To Client X,

Aegis Foundry acknowledges your inquiry. We are prepared to discuss your requirements. Propose a secure channel and communication protocol for a preliminary, no-commitment consultation.

Aegis Foundry

He hit send. The message vanished into the void.

They had taken the bait. The first hook had been cast into the deep, dark waters of the galactic marketplace. Now, they just had to wait and see what kind of predator answered.

The ten-minute wait was a tense eternity. When the notification from Client X finally chimed, it wasn't a message, but a complex, encrypted data packet.

Kael analyzed it instantly. "It's a one-time-use key for a private virtual meeting room," he reported, impressed. "Military-grade. The meeting is in one hour. Mandatory voice modulation, no recording, no active sensors. Whoever this is, they're a professional."

"Good," Zana said. "They take security as seriously as we do." She laid out the plan. Kael would monitor their network security. Jax would focus on the 'feel' of their counterpart, sensing for deception. She would do the talking.

An hour later, their three avatars materialized inside a sterile, black virtual space, seated at a simple, glowing white table. A moment later, a generic, gray humanoid figure appeared in the chair across from them.

"You are Aegis Foundry," the figure's synthesized, androgynous voice stated.

"We are," Zana replied, her own voice modulated into a formal, clipped tone. "You are Client X. You requested a consultation."

"We represent a private entity engaged in competitive exploration," the voice said. "We require a vessel capable of operating undetected in hostile or restricted systems. Our analysis of publicly available designs has identified the Condor-class Corvette as the closest equivalent to our needs."

The figure paused, its blank faceplate seeming to stare right at Zana. "However, the standard specifications are inadequate. The stealth and passive sensor systems are a generation behind our requirements. We have come to Aegis Foundry on the suspicion that your 'revolutionary production techniques' can produce a version of this vessel that far exceeds the publicly available schematics."

Jax, Zana, and Kael exchanged subtle glances. This was not a shot in the dark. Client X wasn't asking for a ghost; they were asking for a better version of a real, high-performance ship. They were challenging Aegis Foundry to live up to its own hype.

Zana leaned forward, her posture radiating cool confidence. "Aegis Foundry can improve upon any existing design. A custom-built, Aegis-spec Condor would be a unique strategic asset, tailored to your exact requirements. The cost would reflect that."

"We anticipated as much," the synthesized voice replied without missing a beat. "We have observed your recent market activities. An untraceable entity named 'The Warden's Echo' appears from nowhere, sells impossible information to Cygnus Minerals, and then an anonymous company called Aegis Foundry appears, funded by a massive influx of credits and building an industrial base overnight. We are not amateurs. We can connect the dots."

The client was showing their hand. They didn't know the whole truth, but they had pieced together the public clues with terrifying accuracy.

"We are prepared to pay a significant premium for a superior product," Client X continued. "The question is not about price. The question is, can you deliver a Condor-class vessel with stealth and sensor capabilities that are, at minimum, one full generation beyond current military-grade technology?"

Zana didn't hesitate.

"We can," she said.

The featureless head gave a slight nod. "Then our interests are aligned. We will require proof of concept and a detailed proposal. We will open a secure channel for the transfer of technical specifications and a down payment upon agreement."

The avatar stood. "We will be in touch."

And then, it vanished, leaving the three of them alone in the silent, black room, the scale of the challenge—and the sophistication of their first potential client—settling over them like a shroud.

The generic avatar of Client X vanished, leaving them alone in the sterile, black void. Zana terminated the connection, and they rematerialized on the bridge of the Stasis Station, the weight of the high-stakes meeting settling upon them.

Kael was the first to speak, his voice trembling. "They know about the auction. They connected the dots. Zana, this is too risky."

"It's a calculated risk," Zana countered, her mind already processing the new landscape. "They're not a threat; they're a client. A powerful one." She turned to Jax. "What did you feel?"

"Direct," Jax said simply. "No deception. They want what they say they want."

Zana nodded, her decision made. "Alright. We accept the commission." She brought up the holographic schematic for the sleek Interceptor-class combat ship. "The best way to sell them a custom Corvette is to show them what its smaller, faster sibling can do. We'll build this as a proof of concept."

"Wait," Kael interjected, his face creased with a new, more practical worry. "Zana, there's a fundamental flaw in the plan. Who are we going to sell it to? These ships... they don't have controls. They need a Force-sensitive user to interface with the Nexus Core. As far as we know, Jax is the only one in the game. Our customer base is one person."

The brilliant ambition of their plan suddenly slammed into a brick wall of simple logic. Zana stared at the schematic, her jaw tightening as she processed this catastrophic oversight. Kael was right.

She turned to him, her expression shifting from command to challenge. "Then solve it. You're the engineer. Can you integrate a modern control system? A standard cockpit interface that a normal pilot—or a droid—can use?"

Kael looked at the schematic, his mind racing. He began pacing, muttering about feedback loops and neural relays. "The Core is too alien to be replaced," he thought aloud. "But... maybe it doesn't have to be. A piggyback system. A manual interface that translates standard flight commands—yoke, throttle, power distribution—into rudimentary digital requests that the Core can understand."

He stopped, his eyes lighting up with a new, frantic energy. "Yes! It could work! A normal pilot would only be able to access maybe sixty, seventy percent of the ship's true potential. They could fly it, fire the weapons. But the truly advanced maneuvers, the precognitive responses, the Force-based systems... that would still require a direct mental link. We'd be selling a ship with two modes: a standard mode for any pilot, and an 'awakened' master mode that only a Force-user could unlock."

Zana's eyes lit up. This was even better. They wouldn't just be selling a superior ship; they'd be selling a ship with a secret, a hidden potential that no other manufacturer could offer. It was the ultimate selling point.

"Do it," she commanded, her voice filled with renewed purpose. She looked at Kael. "Start drafting the schematics for a hybrid control system. I want a prototype ready for the Forge as soon as possible."

Then, she turned to Jax, a sharp, determined smile on her face.

"And you," she said. "Your training just got more important. You still have to learn to fly that Interceptor like a weapon. You have to show our new clients what they're really buying."