Star Wars: New Age

Chapter 21

The First Transaction

The hum of the three Sleeper Pods in the cool, subterranean bunker subsided, and in the blackness of space, aboard the bridge of the Quarry, Jax, Zana, and Kael materialized. The familiar weight of their exosuits settled around them.

"Hesperos jump coordinates locked," Kael announced from the navigator's station, his fingers already dancing across the holographic display. The tension from their risky mining run was beginning to dissipate, replaced by the anticipation of reward.

"Execute sequence, Jax," Zana commanded from the tactical station, her gaze already fixed on the star map.

Jax placed his hands on the control panels, the familiar connection to the immense power of the Quarry flowing through him. With a thought, he initiated the first of the micro-jumps. The disorienting lurch was becoming routine, and soon the familiar constellations of their uncharted region of space gave way to the densely packed star systems near the galactic arm where Hesperos resided.

As they approached the Hesperos system, the change was dramatic. The inky blackness outside the viewport began to fill with the tell-tale streaks of hyperdrive wakes, crisscrossing the void like cosmic contrails. Pinpricks of light resolved into the running lights of countless vessels, ranging from hulking transport ships that dwarfed the Quarry to nimble-looking player-piloted craft darting between orbital stations.

"Traffic control frequencies active," Kael reported, his fingers scanning incoming transmissions. "Receiving automated docking assignments." A clipped, synthesized voice filled the bridge.

"Vessel designation: Quarry, registry unknown. You are assigned docking bay Gamma-Seven at Red-Forge Shipyards Material Depot. Vector and approach sequence transmitted. Please maintain designated lanes and observe all traffic regulations. Failure to comply will result in docking denial and potential fines."

The message repeated in a continuous loop.

"Well, we're official now," Zana murmured, a hint of amusement in her voice. "No more lurking in the shadows." She glanced at Jax. "Keep her steady, Jax. This isn't the empty void we're used to. There are rules here, and plenty of other ships to bump into."

The viewport now offered a breathtaking vista. Hesperos was a sprawling industrial world, its surface a patchwork of glowing city lights and vast, interconnected factory complexes that stretched to the horizon. Orbital stations, like glittering necklaces,环绕着 planet, connected by busy shipping lanes. Advertisement holograms flickered in the void, hawking everything from ship components to nutrient paste. The sheer scale of the organized chaos was overwhelming. They were no longer isolated explorers. They had arrived in the heart of the game's economy.

Jax carefully guided the Quarry into the designated traffic lane. The automated systems of Hesperos Port Control kept them on a precise vector, a ghostly blue line appearing on their viewport to guide their massive vessel. They were just another cog in the giant, well-oiled machine of interstellar commerce. Their anonymous journey was over; their first transaction was about to begin.

The automated flight path guided them away from the main shipping lanes and toward a colossal, rust-colored orbital station. The structure was a chaotic maze of docking arms, refinery towers, and massive storage containers, all emblazoned with the gear-and-anvil logo of the Red-Forge Shipyards. It was less a station and more a floating factory city, humming with raw industrial power.

"Bringing us into final approach vector," Kael announced, his eyes glued to the navigation console. "Jax, the port authority wants you to take manual control for the final docking sequence."

"Understood," Jax replied, his hands resting on the control panels. Piloting in the empty void was one thing; maneuvering a vessel the size of a city block into a tight, designated docking bay was another. He could feel the ship's immense mass, its inertia, a heavy, sluggish thing to command.

He focused, pushing aside the distractions of the bustling station. He became the ship. With slow, deliberate precision, he guided the Quarry into the assigned docking bay—Gamma-Seven. It was a massive, open-air hangar, exposed to the vacuum but protected by a shimmering energy shield. With a final, gentle nudge of his will, he brought the ship to a stop as huge, automated docking clamps rose from the floor and secured the hull with a series of heavy, resonating THUDS.

A wave of relief washed over the bridge. Their first official act in civilized space was a success.

Through the main viewport, they had a clear view of the bustling depot. Automated cranes moved massive containers onto waiting cargo haulers. NPC dockworkers in red and gray uniforms operated machinery, their movements fluid and lifelike. A few bays over, a crew of players in the matching, ostentatious armor of a well-known combat guild were disembarking from their sleek frigate, laughing and boasting.

Kael stared out at the scene, his eyes wide with wonder. "We're really here," he whispered. "A real station. We could… we could go outside. See the markets, buy some proper gear…"

"Negative," Zana's voice was sharp and absolute, cutting through his excitement. "Nobody leaves this ship. Not for any reason."

"But…" Kael started to protest.

"But nothing," Zana countered, turning from her tactical station to face them. Her expression was like granite. "Our ship is a fifty-thousand-year-old ghost. Our seller profile is a ghost. The first thing we do when we get some money is not go on a shopping spree and draw attention to ourselves. We are a whisper. We do the deal, we undock, and we vanish. We maintain a low profile until we know for certain no one is hunting us. Understood?"

Kael slumped back in his seat, chastened but understanding. Jax nodded. She was right.

Just then, a comm request pinged on Kael's console. He brought it up. "It's an incoming hail," he announced. "Automated. It's Red-Forge Depot, authorizing a cargo inspection team to come aboard."

Zana's eyes glinted. "Right on schedule." She looked at the main viewport, which now showed a feed from their external ramp camera. A team of four humanoid, red-and-gray inspector droids stood waiting patiently on the docking platform.

"Open the ramp, Jax," Zana commanded. "Let's show them the goods."

At Zana's command, Jax willed the main ramp of the Quarry to lower. With a deep groan of ancient machinery, it descended, settling onto the docking bay platform with a heavy thud. The four red-and-gray inspector droids marched up the ramp in perfect, synchronized unison, their movements precise and unnervingly silent. One remained at the top of the ramp, its optical sensor glowing as it scanned the bridge, while the other three proceeded toward the cargo bay.

On the main viewport, a new set of camera feeds activated, showing the droids entering the vast, ore-filled hold. The team watched in tense silence.

The droids worked with inhuman efficiency. Beams of blue and green light swept from their optical sensors, scanning the massive piles of Iridium. One droid extended a micro-drill from its forearm and took a core sample from a large chunk of ore, retracting the sample into its chassis for instant analysis. The entire process was completed in under three minutes.

Finally, the lead droid turned to face one of the internal cameras, its vocalizer crackling to life with the same clipped, synthesized voice as the port authority.

Cargo confirmed. 3,450 metric tons of high-purity raw Iridium.

Purity analysis: 98.7 percent. Quality exceeds contract minimums.

Transmitting verification to Red-Forge Galactic accounting.

On the bridge, Kael had their anonymous "Warden's Echo" financial account open on his console. A notification flashed: INCOMING TRANSACTION - PENDING VERIFICATION. A moment later, it changed.

TRANSACTION COMPLETE.

The new balance displayed on the screen, a number so large it seemed unreal.

BALANCE: 2,760,000 Credits.

Kael let out a choked, laughing sound, unable to form words. He just pointed a trembling finger at the screen. Jax felt a wave of giddy relief so powerful it almost made him dizzy. The crushing weight of his real-world financial problems, which had driven him for the past day, had been lifted in a single, clean transaction.

The inspector droid's voice came over the comm again. Payment transferred. Cargo transfer will now commence. Red-Forge Shipyards thanks you for your business.

The droids marched out of the ship as silently as they had entered. Outside, massive automated cranes and anti-grav cargo haulers began to move towards their open bay to offload the ore.

"Seal the ramp," Zana ordered, her voice calm but with an undercurrent of triumph. "Request departure clearance."

Jax obeyed. Minutes later, the now-empty Quarry lifted from its docking bay and moved back into the crowded shipping lanes of Hesperos, leaving the bustling depot behind. Once they were clear of the system's gravity well, Jax engaged the hyperdrive, and with a familiar flash, they were back in the silent, empty void of deep space, heading for home.

They were safe. And now, they were rich.

Zana let the triumphant silence linger for a moment before she walked to the center of the bridge. "We have the capital," she said. "We have the means to buy any gear we want from the game's markets." She paused. "But why buy their tools when we can build our own?"

Jax and Kael looked at her, confused.

Zana smiled, a true, ambitious smile this time. "We're going back to the Stasis Station," she declared. "Jax, you're going to get the Warden to open up its technical library for us. Kael, you're going to find me the schematics for automated forge drones and pilot servitors."

She looked at her two companions, her eyes blazing with the vision of their new future.

"We're not just going to mine our next score," she said. "We're going to build a fleet to do it for us. We are done being prospectors. It's time to become manufacturers."