Outsider

[Laowai]

The great ship shook ever so slightly as another barrage of volleys from the passing Nomad fighters glanced it's shields. Through the deck plating Laowai could feel the "Thrum thrum thrum" of the Venganza's gun batteries as they opened up in response. Her crew were now well trained and versed in the attack patterns and tactics of the Nomad fighters, and the enemy ships were quickly vaporised.
The attacks were coming in sporadic waves, seemingly without pattern. They knew they were here, obviously, but it was strange that they didnt send anything larger than the light fighters and Assasins that they had so far encountered.

He sat behind his desk, chair arched back and his feet up on the desk itself, sipping Baijiu and staring intently at the crystal in the box in front of him. All he had to do was reach out, touch it, seek them... and he could find out.
That or everything he hoped for could be lost, he had no idea how powerful they could be in here, in this.... place.

As he mused a voice chimed over his commlink, it sounded excited: "Elder... we've found something!".
Ben sat forward quickly, dropping the glass on the table in a rush and spililng what remained of its contents on the desk. "What is it?" he asked "what have you found?"
The voice chimed back "I'm.. not sure, but its energy signatures match the ones you gave us exactly, its even geometrically identical...."
Ben jumped up and moved quickly to the door. Leaving the room he made his way to the bridge and once there approached the Corsair sitting behind the scanning controls.
"Show me" he said bluntly.
The man moved his chair aside and Laowai stooped over the console. There it was, rotating on the screen before him, mapped out in all its glory - a 3 dimensional graphical representation of the scan data that formed a shape that he knew all too well - A crystal Chamber.
Exactly the same shape, size and specifications as the one he had visited on Tangier so many times. He skimmed the readouts on the side of the display, it was showing active energy, it was showing movement of energy..... This thing is still active!? he thought excitedly.
He stood up and turned round, striding across the bridge he moved to his command chair and withdrew his arms belt and webbing that he had left dangling over its side.
"Move the ship into a low orbit over that location" He said.
The helmsmen nodded a reply and the image in the screen began to slowly move as the Venganza banked toward the specified coordinates.
Laowai strapped on his gear and spoke once more to the helmsmen. "I'm going down there, you'll have the bridge while im gone."
The young man nodded but looked uncertain, reading his thoughts Ben added "Dont worry, i wont be gone long". He zipped up his combat jacket. "However, if you do not hear back from me within 72 hours you are to get the Venganza out of here and report to what remains of the council that i was lost on mission - Do you understand me?"
The man swallowed and then nodded again "Yes Elder" he answered firmly.
"under no circumstances are you to deviate from these orders without my specific insruction."

He turned and left the slightly stunned bridge crew behind him and left the bridge. Heading back to his quarters he retrieved his Crystal and a pack of supplies and headed to the ships fighter bay. He had been well prepared for this moment since they had left Crete some time ago.... and as he strapped himself into his waiting Gladiator fighter he wondered what it is, if anything, he would find.
Without another moments hesitation, he engaged the small fighters engines, she hovered as the Venganza's fighter bay doors opened and the room depreassurised. A voice called over his earpeice "Stable orbit achieved Elder, bay doors are open and you are clear to depart."

"Roger that" Ben answered, "I will return within 72 hours, remember my Orders, Laowai out.".

Sliding the thrust controls forward he sent the small ship hurtling out of the bay and into the vastness of open space beyond. He startled momentarily as he saw the endless expanse of the Dyson sphere's surface sprawling out before him, cities, mountains, rivers, lakes... even oceans....
He set the nav computer and aimed for one specific point in what looked like an enourmouse city.

Like a spec of dust in the sky, the Gladiator descended down towards the unknown.

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