On Borrowed Wings

[Dusk]

recording...
location: orkney system
current date: 30.10.834
local time: error
detected entities: locksmith

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A seemingly endless number of asteroids, clusters of explosive gas and a nebula that is almost impossible to navigate. A great place to hide or escape from pursuit. All in all, only a madman would chase you here.

And yet one young pilot was not aware of this.

“Well... It's been a while since the last recording. Figured I could make a new one while I wander around this place.”

The lifeless bluish view outside did not seem to change at all, no matter how fast the fighter flew. It's like he was stuck in some kind of limbo.

“It has been quiet in recent months. Just a few fights; no revelations, no voices... Even these strange Atropus units seem to be doing their business somewhere else. And here I am. Having stumbled upon a smuggler with cardamine during a patrol, I pursued him into the depths of the Tau systems. Straight into this huge nebula. Never been here, should have turned back. I'm surprised that I haven't yet come across some kind of anomaly that would tear my ship to pieces, given that I'm flying almost blind.”

The fighter shook, though the shields took all the damage. It was gas. Roland had to slow down in order to avoid the risk of exploding.

“Naturally, I lost the smuggler. I realized this when I got deeper into this shit. And yet there is a silver lining: instead of cardamine, I found something more interesting. An old, dilapidated freighter. Gallic. No traces of the team, no identifying marks... But with cargo. Among usual stuff and guns, there's also some other kind of weapon, apparently. Non-functional. But it looks... Interesting. I've never seen anything like this before. Somewhat similar to plasma, but... As if not quite.”

The shields were finally restored. It was time to accelerate again.

“I'll dig into it when I get out of this. If it really is what it seems, I will hand it over to command. As long as it doesn't explode in my face.”

---

end of recording