The low hum of the terminal was almost comforting—one of the few things that felt stable in a place where everything else seemed ready to come apart at the seams. The overhead lights flickered, just barely perceptible, casting brief shadows across the steel floors of the station’s command center. The walls were clean, almost blindingly so, but if you looked close enough, you could see the cracks. The small things that didn’t quite fit, that spoke of a place patched over too many times.
Aria scrolled through the equipment logs for The Resolute, her corvette stationed a few miles down in the shipyards. Small for a warship, quick, and heavily armed enough to keep the lanes in check. On paper, her ship was there to enforce order, making sure the sanctioned trade routes remained just that—sanctioned.
She leaned back, letting her fingers skim the terminal’s surface, moving from log to log with the ease of someone who had been doing this for years. Her face, framed by dark brown hair pulled into a practical braid, was expressionless, her eyes sharp and focused. Every part she requisitioned had its official reason, its place in the fleet. But that wasn’t where they were going. There was a quiet intensity about her—young for an officer of her rank, but with the kind of calm and confidence that came from years of carrying responsibility. She had a striking, almost severe look, her features defined and sharp like her mind. Beneath her uniform, the faint edges of a faded scar traced down her neck, just visible in the harsh lighting. A reminder of past battles, or mistakes. Either way, she never spoke of it.
A quiet beep echoed in her earpiece, barely louder than the hum of the terminal. She shifted her gaze to the far window, the settlement stretching out beyond the walls of the naval station. In the distance, she could see the sprawl of Ironport—cleaner at its heart, rougher the farther you went out. The Old Town was visible in the distance, where the fleet officers and officials resided, their lives relatively sheltered compared to the rest of the city. Beyond that, The Yards stretched out, where her vessel waited, perfectly aligned in formation with the others like pieces on a game board.She sighed quietly, turning back to her screen. A few more clicks, a few more shipments quietly rerouted. Nothing too big. Nothing anyone would miss.
The door slid open behind her, and Aria felt a presence in the room before she heard him speak. Commander Stanton, of course. He always hovered. Always looking for the crack in the armor.
“You’ve flagged three discrepancies this month,” Stanton said, his voice low and controlled, but something sharp lingered behind the formality. His boots echoed on the steel floor as he stepped closer. “Supply lines that sloppy out here?”
Aria didn’t look up, her fingers still tapping away at the screen. “Worse. That’s why I’m here” she replied, smooth and steady. A slight pause, then: “I’m keeping The Resolute in working order. It can’t exactly patrol the lanes without working shields, now can it?”
Stanton leaned in closer, his gaze shifting between her face and the terminal. His silence said more than his words ever did. He was looking for something—something he couldn’t find yet.
“Everything’s in order, then?”
Her fingers slowed for just a second before resuming. “Always is.”
A silence stretched between them. The hum of the terminal felt louder, filling the gap. Stanton shifted, straightening his jacket.
“Good.” He stepped back. “Keep it that way.”
He turned and left, the door sliding shut behind him. Aria let out a slow breath, tension unwinding from her shoulders. Too close. He’d been hovering more often lately. Probably felt it in his bones—something wasn’t quite right with the logs.
But he didn’t know what.
Her terminal beeped again, but this time, it wasn’t fleet-related. She swiped the alert across the screen, revealing a message from Kai.
Got a lead. Might need a hand when I get back.
She leaned back in her chair, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips. Kai was out again, running his usual contracts, picking up whatever parts he could from places no one else thought to look. He was the best at it, slipping in and out of systems, grabbing pieces here and there for a ship that officially didn’t exist.
But soon, it would.
Her fingers drummed lightly on the terminal’s surface. Each part she took, every little discrepancy she created, brought them one step closer. A ship of their own—something that could go where the government’s endless sanctioned lanes didn’t. Something beyond their reach.
Aria stared out the window again. The city spread before her, a perfect façade of order and control. But she knew better. You couldn’t keep a place like this running forever without things slipping through the cracks. Even out here, at the edge of the core, where everything still had the government’s stamp of approval, there were places you could hide. Places you could build.
She tapped a few final commands into her terminal, wiping away the logs for the day. Then she stood, straightening her uniform before heading out the door.
It was all falling into place. Slowly, carefully. They just had to keep moving—before the cracks became too wide to hide.
Kai stood beneath the shadow of the Apex Tide, its massive hull towering over him like an old, weather-beaten tanker. The freighter had seen better days—that much was obvious. Its outer plating was streaked with rust, its docking clamps groaning under the ship’s weight. Every seam and rivet seemed barely holding on, patched up with grimy welds and stained by years of hard use. This wasn’t the shiny, sleek tech the core worlds prided themselves on. This was a workhorse—an industrial giant built to haul cargo across the the lanes, and nothing more.
The Yards around him were a wasteland of metal, a place where ships like the Apex Tide came to get patched up before another hard run. The clang of metal echoed through the air, the smell of burnt fuel mixing with the acrid stench of grease and ozone. Overhead, old yellow lights flickered, barely illuminating the cavernous space. No one cared how the place looked—here, function mattered more than appearance. Ships flew, even if they groaned and creaked while doing it.
Kai checked his watch, his foot tapping nervously against the floor. He’d been standing here too long. His hand slipped into his pocket, brushing against the cool metal of the key card he’d swiped on his way off the ship. Normally, he wouldn’t take a risk like this. That was Aria’s role. She’d rush into things headfirst while he—well, he preferred to think things through first. That was how it had been between them for as long as he could remember. And maybe, just maybe, age had something to do with it. He’d seen more runs, more failures, while Aria still carried that fire, that impatience to see results now.
The faintest hint of a smile crept across his face at the thought. She hadn’t been like that when they first met. There’d been a time when she still looked to him for direction—before she’d gotten used to command. That time felt long gone.
In the distance, engines roared to life as another freighter prepared for takeoff. Kai’s gaze shifted to the bay doors, his heart beating a little faster. He adjusted his jacket, pulling the collar higher against the faint chill that clung to the shipyard. His dark hair, cut short but slightly tousled, was damp from the humidity of the place. He ran a hand through it absently as he scanned the yard for Aria, his brown eyes sharp but laced with impatience. She should’ve been here by now.
He glanced around the shipyard again, the old machines surrounding him groaning and whining with age. The ships here weren’t like the vessels in the navy. These were older, dirtier, patched together from scraps, built to survive, not impress. He fiddled with the key card again, anxiety creeping in. What the hell am I doing?
Finally, the door hissed open, and Aria stepped in, her eyes sharp as they scanned the area. The second she saw him, she knew something was up.
“What are we doing here?” she asked, approaching with her usual calm, but her gaze was locked on him, assessing.
Kai pulled the key card from his pocket, letting it catch the dim light of the shipyard.
“You? Stole a key?” Aria’s voice held a mix of surprise and amusement, her eyebrow raising. “I thought I was the reckless one.”
Kai couldn’t help but grin. “Guess you’re rubbing off on me,” he shrugged.
She took the key card from him, weighing it in her palm, then let out a low chuckle. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”
They moved quickly, weaving through the shipyard toward the Apex Tide. The freighter loomed above them, its engines whining, and the metallic scent of burnt fuel filled the air. Kai slid the key card into the hatch, feeling the weight of the moment as the door creaked open. They stepped inside.
The interior was worse than the outside. The walls were slick with oil and grime, every surface covered in a layer of industrial filth. Exposed wiring dangled from the ceiling, and the floorplates groaned beneath their weight. The air was stale, a mix of recycled oxygen and the smell of burnt circuits. This ship had been running too long on too little maintenance, but it didn’t matter. It flew, and that was enough.
“Comms terminal’s this way,” Kai whispered, leading Aria through the narrow corridors, their footsteps echoing in the empty ship.
They moved quickly, slipping through the rusted bulkheads until they reached the comms room. Inside, the equipment looked ancient, the terminals flickering weakly as they powered up. Thick bundles of cables snaked across the floor, some fraying at the edges. The air was heavy with the faint buzz of old electronics, the smell of metal and dust seeping into everything.
Kai knelt by the terminal, his fingers tracing the edge of the panel. This was it. He could feel Aria’s excitement growing beside him as he loosened the bolts, working quickly to pry the equipment free.
“So, what exactly are we after?” she asked, crouching beside him, her voice low.
“The ship’s got access to unsanctioned frequencies,” Kai replied, pulling the panel free. “We need that kind of tech for the ship. It’s how they’re running... under the radar.”
Aria’s grin widened. “You really have been paying attention.”
Kai nodded, but something on the terminal’s display caught his attention. The screen flickered, data scrolling faster than it should have. A signal.
“Wait... this isn’t right.” His voice was tense, focused.
“What is it?” Aria asked, her voice lowering as she leaned in closer.
The terminal crackled to life, and a distorted voice came through the static. “...government sensors... closing in... blueprints attached...”
Kai froze. His heart raced as the voice cut in and out, broken by interference, but the message was clear. This wasn’t just any signal.
Aria’s eyes widened. “Kai, that’s not from here.”
“No,” Kai said, already working to download the transmission. “It’s from outside the system.”
The terminal continued to scroll data, flashing encrypted files across the screen. Whatever this was, it wasn’t meant for them. They had intercepted something far bigger than a standard comms signal.
“What the hell is this?” Kai muttered, his voice tight with urgency.
Aria’s eyes gleamed with excitement, her mind already racing. “This is it, Kai. The ship we’ve been dreaming of—it’s possible now.”
“Yeah,” Kai replied, adrenaline pulsing through him, “assuming we don’t end up in prison first.”
They listened as the message continued, the static filling the room with an eerie hum. The transmission wasn’t random—it was deliberate, and it was coming from someone who knew how to hide. Kai downloaded as much as he could before the signal cut off entirely.
“We’ve got to move fast,” Aria said, standing up. “If we can reach this guy—whoever he is—we can get what we need to build our ship.”
Kai hesitated. “And if the government’s tracking this signal?”
“Then we’re already in it,” Aria shot back, her eyes blazing. “We’ve got a chance here, Kai. We can’t let it slip.”
Kai sighed, but he knew she was right. They were walking a fine line between freedom and capture, but the signal they’d intercepted... it was too important to ignore.
“Alright,” he said, stuffing the downloaded data into his jacket. “Let’s go before the crew gets back.”
Aria led the way out of the freighter, her movements quick and efficient as they navigated the cramped shipyard. The night was settling in, but this part of Ironport always felt dim. The narrow streets of The Slag were crowded with mismatched buildings, stacked haphazardly on top of each other, as if no one had planned for the city to expand this much. Everything looked run-down, patched together with metal scraps and old tech. The flicker of old neon signs above cast faint glows on the cracked pavement below.
Aria didn’t notice. Her focus was locked on the heavy satchel slung over Kai’s shoulder, the comms equipment inside it. They’d managed to pull the gear and download the signal without a hitch, but now the weight of what they’d found was pressing in on her. This wasn’t a usual salvage run. This was something that could change everything.
The walk back to Kai’s apartment was short, their boots echoing softly in the empty alleyways. Aria could feel her pulse quickening, not from fear but from the thrill of it. She’d always been the one to push things further, to look past the line everyone else stayed behind. Kai was the cautious one—always second-guessing—but not tonight. Tonight, they’d taken a real step forward.
Kai’s apartment was wedged between two tall buildings, so crammed in it almost looked like it had been an afterthought. The inside was no better—tools, parts, and manuals cluttered the small space. The air smelled faintly of machine oil and burnt circuits. The faint hum of the power grid from the settlement filled the quiet, mixing with the buzz of the old overhead light that flickered every few minutes. Aria kicked aside some stray parts and cleared the table as Kai set the satchel down, pulling out the stolen comms tech and the data drive.
“We actually got it,” he muttered, almost as if he didn’t quite believe it yet.
Aria sat across from him, pulling the data drive toward her. “We did. And we’re going to figure out how to use it.”
Kai leaned back in his chair, rubbing the back of his neck. “Aria, this isn’t just any signal. You heard it—it’s government-level tech. We’re playing in a different league now.”
“Good,” Aria shot back, plugging the drive into Kai’s laptop on the table. “We’ve been in this game for years, scraping by. This is the chance to build something real. You and I both know we’ve been stalling. We need this.”
The laptop flickered to life, data scrolling across the screen in encrypted strings. Aria leaned forward, fingers flying over the keyboard as she worked to decrypt it.
Kai sighed, leaning forward, elbows on the table. “And what if this guy’s already been caught? Or worse, what if we’re the ones they find next?”
Aria’s gaze flicked up, locking on Kai’s. “Then we move faster. We’re not criminals, but we’re not sitting ducks either. This guy—Samir Patel, if that’s who it is—he’s broadcasting designs that can bypass the lanes. You know what that means.”
Kai’s brow furrowed. “We don’t have the resources for that kind of build, Aria. We’ve been scraping by with parts no one else wants.”
“Not anymore,” Aria said, her voice steady. “Look at what we pulled from that freighter—comms tech that can pick up unsanctioned frequencies, high-end encryption software. This stuff is rare, and we’ve got it.”
“And now we’ve got government tech on our hands,” Kai added, leaning back, crossing his arms. “They’ll come looking.”
“Let them.” Aria’s voice was firm, her eyes locked on the screen as more decrypted data flashed. “We’re always going to be on their radar, Kai. The question is whether we stay hiding in the shadows or do something about it.”
Kai exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “You’re talking about something bigger than what we’ve been doing.”
Aria met his gaze again. “We’ve been building a ship piece by piece. Small stuff. This blueprint... it’s the key to making it FTL capable. No more lanes, no more getting tracked, no more scraping by. You said it yourself—we could go anywhere.”
Kai shook his head, glancing toward the cluttered shelves around the room. “It’s not just us anymore. We’ll need a crew. More parts. More... everything.”
Aria leaned back, her fingers drumming against the table. “I know. But think about it—we’ve got a lead on Samir Patel. If we contact him, we could have more than just blueprints. We could have the help we need.”
Silence stretched between them. The old light overhead flickered again, casting long shadows across the room. Kai's eyes shifted between the glowing screen and Aria, who was staring at him, daring him to push forward.
“I don’t want to end up in one of those camps,” Kai muttered, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees.
Aria’s voice softened, but the determination didn’t fade. “Neither do I. But we’re already in it, Kai. This is the way out—on our terms.”
Kai closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Alright. We do it. But we’ve got to be smart about this.”
Aria smiled—a slow, knowing smile, the kind that said this was the right move. “Always.”
She turned back to the pc, decrypting the rest of the data. The government wasn’t onto them yet, but she could feel it coming. The noose was tightening, but they weren’t just going to wait for it.
This was the moment they’d been working toward—the start of something bigger. They just had to move fast, and move smart.
End op Episode 1
