On the Crosspath

[RedEclipse]

Christian looked at the panoramic display in Hyperion's bridge. Visually, he could finally see the result of his efforts. After several years of hard work, Vega was finally at Livadia Shipyard. "Christian, we just came out of hyperspace, and in about two hours we'll be ready to dock at Livadia. Right now, all the mooring points are taken," the navigator reported. Christian nodded; it was not his habit to keep his friends waiting. "Prepare the shuttle, its time to settle the further steps to finalise Lyra Defensive Wing." He rose from the captain's chair and headed for the launch pad, walking as if on autopilot, lost in thought.

We were faced with the question of further reconstruction of the ship, given the specifics of its various systems - it would be a non-trivial task. In addition to the factory solutions, the ship already had multiple modifications made by the Gas Miners Guild, as well as our own since the previous restoration. But the stumbling block was the restoration of the armor. Finally, reaching the shuttle, he jumped inside with virtuosity, and the shuttle smoothly moved off and flew out of the Hyperion airlock, immediately heading for Livadia.

Upon arriving in Livadia, Christian headed to the station bar, where they had agreed to meet with Daniel and James. Although a more formal location would have been more appropriate for the meeting, Christian preferred to discuss even important decisions with his friends in a relaxed atmosphere - especially though it seemed like an eternity since they had last met like this.

He finally reached the bar, which, like any Phoenix room, was minimalist, as life in Omicrons makes its own adjustments - no frills. Relaxed lounge music played in the background, the room was dimly lit, and there were almost no visitors - not surprising, since it was only noon. Vega was visible through the panoramic window on Livadia’s slipways, which added a touch of surrealism for bar guests as they were surprised to see the vessel and talked loudly about that - Phoenix until recent times have kept the project on the low profile. Christian sat down in a comfortable chair next to a table in the corner, from which he had the best view of the ship. As if in a hurry, a livadian waiter rushed over to him with the question, “What will you be ordering, Mr. Burton?”