Empty Space

Galactic Standard Year(GSY) 4258, month 4, day 29 - Jandal System - Planet Cubal, Crater 083 - level 4, hanger 09

The air crackled with the hum of a high density generator as sparks danced across a ships hull in a dimly lit hanger, tools clinked on metal, blending into the rhythm of a mechanics work. Landon Mauris, a human stands on a raised platform along the portside bow of a veridian class luxury cruiser. For years Landon has spent his days toiling on damaged starships and maintaining fold drives, he was a fold drive specialist amongst mechanics, he never really understood the science behind them, not many humans do for that matter, but he did know their components inside and out. Of course not every day are you going to get someone at your door needing their expensive drive repaired, so naturally he did more standard mechanical work as well, hull repairs, pain touchups, engine alterations that sort of thing. Though normally for the more working class folk who lived in the crater and its surrounding area, this ship though, was different.

A veridian class luxury cruiser, from stern to bow it stretched almost the entire 100m length of his hanger, it was a pristine pearl black with a gold plated underside. Landon lay down his plasma welder, lifting up his mask as closes the reactor access panel, just then 3 loud knocks echoes through the hanger coming from the doors.

"hello.. Landon Mauris?!" a voice called out, the doors left slightly open to the outside.

"be over in a sec" Landon shouted back from the other end of the hanger.

he quickly lowered the mechanical arm holding up his maintenance platform and jogged to meet his visitor. as he came around the side of the ship there was a figure adorned in a long brown cloak, and matte featureless silver mask, looking up at the ships primary thrusters.

"Ah, master Mauris, I've come about collecting my masters ship, i trust its been in good hands" the man asked

"of course, wont find a better fold specialist in the sector"

"excellent I'm sure my master will be most pleased" the man spoke in a propper, polite tone, something common amongst the upper class of the corporate worlds, far from landons more relaxed speaking.

"now how much longer do you think it will be?"

"your in luck, finished closing her up just now, ready to go for ya"

"Excellent, my master will be pleased to have his ship returned so soon, now if you would please hand me the ignition shard" he reaches out a black gloved hand from under the cloak expectantly.

"ah ah ah, not yet, payment first" he says taunting the slick black circuited card in his hand

"of course sir, my apologies" he reaches back into his cloak pulling out a small tablet thin tablet "50,000 credits correct?"

"yep, that'll do it" he says, a smile stretching across his sweaty face

the man types something on the tablet for a moment before gently swiping upward "credits have been transferred, now may i please have the ignition shard?"

Landon activates a small screen attached to his wrist reading it for a moment. "all good credits received" he holds out the card and drops it into the palm of the man "let me get the door for ya"

He grabs a rusted handle on the door and with a labored groan begins to slide the door open. The cloaked man stands on the boarding steps waiting for Landons all clear.

"all good, ready for takeoff!" Landon called signaling with a thumbs up

"my master thanks you Mr. Mauris, and apologizes for the confidentiality regarding this matter, he hopes you can understand!" the man calls out

"of course, no problem at all, come back any time" and with a final mutual wave the man enters the ship and the boarding steps retract.

The ship erupts withe a low even growl as bright green plasma bursts out of the primary thrusters. Just hearing the sound Landon could tell the type of thrusters, not that he didnt already thoroughly inspect them, S grade Molano primary engine thrusters, some of the finest you could get for private use, and surprisingly a human invention. Just listening to the hum of the thrusters was enough to put a smile on Landons face, it was a highlight of every job he did, getting to hear the engine perfectly turned and fixed to his standards. The ship slowly lifted off the ground, retracting its landing gear as it began to back out into the open smoggy air of Cubal, and Landons smile quickly faded to a blank almost bored expression.

"did you plant the tracker?" a new voice emerges from the shadows of a dark corner in the hanger rafters.

"tracker planted, fob activated, but first the credits"

A slim figure crawls down the hanger wall covered head to toe in a blackened compression suit. "of course" he looks down at a similar wrist mounted device to Landons "30,000?"

"that'll do it" with a few taps and a swipe the credits are transferred and Landon hands the tracking fob to the figure

"I thank you for your cooperation" the figure playfully says before slinking out into the world.

London slides the door closed aga8n and begins closing up shop.

Another boring day, he thought

He grabs his long carbon plastic coat locks the hanger door, and walks out the side entrance. He walks to the front of the hanger overlooking the crater, one of hundreds around the planet, enormous holes that dug kilometres down into the planets crust for mining, their walls lined with factories, engineering facilities, mechanical hangers and various other industrial services, much like most of the planets surface. A largely metal crust of rust smog, the industrial beating heart of the galaxy. Landon looks over the railing out the front of his hanger, staring into the abyss below, taking in a deep breath, the air stinging his nose. He stand there taking a moment before being interrupted by a drop of rain landing on is forehead. He looks up into the greyed sky as more rain lands on his face, quickly pulling up his hood he moves along making his way along the 4th level of the crater to the transport station.

He passes all sorts of other hangers, some mechanics shops like his, others ship storage, some even low ranked freelance guilds quarters. Must be cheaper to buy out a dingy hanger and do it up that it would be to buy real lodging or an office. Along his walk he heard something from an alleyway beside a particularly run down hanger.

"Where's our credits you tor'da" a large Gondral male towered over an older human man, the man's hands stained black from oil.

"I.. I.. I'm sorry Maro I j-just dont have it. Business has been real slow the last few weeks"

"Your full of shit, we loaned you 5000 credits 6 months ago, you're telling me in that time you couldn't come up with a measly 5000 credits. Pathetic" Maro the Gondral leans his face in close to the older man, staring him down

Landon over hears the commotion, and looks up into the sky in for a moment in thought. With a heavy sigh, he rubs his eyes and turns towards the alley.

"Hey!" He casually calls out "just leave the old guy alone"

Maro sharply turns his head to the alley entrance his eyes narrowed "this is none of your business human" he growls back

"You heard the man, he doesn't have it, so just leave him be, hes no threat to you" Landon continues to walk into the alley

"Do you want to die tor'da, I said its none of your business" Maro turns his full attention to Landon, standing up and facing him fully dwarfing Landon completely.

"Whoa big guy, there's no need to escalate this any further, we can all leave happily if you just let the guy go, easy right?"

Maros broad nostrils flared with a shap exhale "and then what happens to my money, hmm?"

"Well i'm sure the guy can come up with it another time, right?" Landon says leaning to the right to look at the old man who nods in reply

"Y-yes, I can get it to you, just give me a f-few more weeks"

"ENOUGH!" Maro roared, "a few more minutes is already weeks overdue, unless you've got the money for this old man, your dying here with him human!"

Maro lunges forward with his arms out attempting to grapple Landon, Landon takes a quick step to the left slipping around him. Landon quickly pulls a large alloy wrench out of his tool back smashes it into the inside of Maros right knee, bringing him to his knees with a guttural growl pain, and with another quick motion slams his wrench into the side of Maros head, the wrench bouncing off his thick skill, though still knocking him out cold. Maro hits the floor with a heavy thud completely out.

"Not as tough as you looked" Landon says curiously looking at the wrench in his hand.

"I thank you young man" the older man says

"No worries" Landon says now looking at Maro collapsed on the floor

"Are you a freelancer? Please let me pay you"

"Nah, just a mechanic, I work in hanger 09" Landon pondered "but dont worry about it, are you gunna be alright from now?"

"Hah, yeah, they've been threatening me like this for years, they're ultimately harmless"

"Hmm, ok then, anyway, stay out of trouble for now" Landon waves at the old man as he leaves the alley continuing his walk to the station

A freelancer huh? Might not be a bad idea...