Once entering the wormhole, the concept of speed ceased to exist. Once more they were in a space of varying lights and warped visuals like they had been during the light jump. Zeus-1âs five engines had returned to quietly emitting their fiery red glow.
Lan Jue sat slumped against the back of the captainâs chair, fighting to keep his exhaustion from being obvious in his half-lidded eyes.
It was a rarity among adepts to use oneâs powers to manipulate a shipâs jump capabilities due to itâs risks and requirements. Even Lan Jue couldnât rely solely on his own discipline to achieve what he did.
Aside from Lan Jueâs considerable power, the power gem fitted in Zeus-1 is what had ultimately granted it the explosive velocity that got them to light speed. His discipline had been channeled through a Core Power Gem fitted to the engines, which had served to greatly amplify output. It was a rare, special a-ranked gem â one whose value was equivalent to a five-hundred meter military cruiser.
Clearly, nearly every aspect of the shipâs systemâs had been improved beyond itâs original construction.
A shudder passed through the ship as it exited the wormhole. Once again, the black expanse of space spread out before them.
âMaintain sub-light. Weâll be arriving at the Shattered Starfields in three days,â Keâer reported.
Xiuxiu was next. âEnergy recovery normal. Beginning energy conservation speed control.â
âExpanding radar scope, effective range increased to spot incoming threats,â Mika reported.
No action was wasted, and no task botched. The four women worked impeccably, with the tacit understanding that this ship â which would usually require around fifteen people to effectively operate â had to be managed with just them.
At this point forward, Zeus-1 had successfully left the scope of the Eastern Allianceâs control. They found themselves now in the expansive outer limits of the Shattered Starfields. What this meant for them, was that they could encounter a pirate force at any moment.
Lan Jue closed his eyes. The area around him flickered occasionally with pale threads of electricity. Sitting there looking majestic and at rest, a pale blue light glowed indistinctly in the center of his chest.
Two days later.
Zeus-1 soared easily through space at stable speed, itâs wings wide. Ahead, there appeared an indistinct undulation of light and darkness.
The Shattered Starfields were vast, and their interior possessed some seventy-plus stars scattered throughout. They filled the starfields with light, heat and energy in spades.
The numerous planets unfortunate enough to populate the area were constantly subjected to meteor strikes. Some were so battered that they broke apart, eventually becoming scores of asteroids themselves. It was only the smaller planets that survived, hidden away within the center sectors of the starfields. Paired with the high amounts of radiation emitted from itâs numerous stars meant the Shattered Starfields was one of the most inhospitable places in the universe. It was no wonder that time and again the three Alliances have abandoned it to piracy.
So it was that this had become a pirateâs utopia. The inhospitable environments have proven to be their greatest defense. And the three planets dominating the interior, those were the havens of all manner of scum and degenerate. Criminals from each of the alliances often found themselves stuck here.
âExcellent.â Mikaâs eyes flashed dangerously. Her excitement was clear even in the way she flipped her hair.
Lin Guoguo shot her a glance. âYouâre always so violent, Mika. How do you expect to get married?â
Mika huffed dismissively. âAnd why should every woman get married? Isnât it just as an accessory to some man? I donât want to marry â thereâs nothing appealing about a man. Oh, âcept the boss.â
Lan Jue had just come up from the cabin as she spoke the last sentence. He gave her a stern look. âMika, do you need a spanking? You dare say Iâm not a man?â
Mika chortled. âYou said it, not me. Iâm complimenting you!â
Lan Jue frowned, muttering as he walked to the window at the fore of the control room.
âItâs been a long time since Iâve been here. I wonder if itâs still as chaotic as itâs always been.â
Xiuxiu spoke towards Lan Jue. âWeâre heading towards SS-31, right? Should we also do some looking around for the shop?â
It was true that the Shattered Starfields were a dangerous and unstable place, but it was also a fine market for many special power gems that were mined in the region. Only, the safety concerns made any business consortium hesitant to set up shop.
Lan Jue nodded. âWeâll deal with the business at hand, first. If everything goes well weâll make the trip and see what we can find. The bigger the take, the bigger the split.â
Beep.
The sound came from within the ship, soft and not unappealing. But the sound instantly caused Lan Jue and his four companionsâ faces to grow serious.
Zeus-1 was their baby, manufactured to the last detail by them. As such they were intimately familiar with each aspect of the ship. That sound was the sound of the sleeping cabinâs door opening. But all five of the shipâs intended passengers were gathered on the bridge. So, that door had no business opening.
Lan Jueâs eyes grew cold and hard as he turned to investigate.
Mika had already reacted, crouching like a leopardess ready to strike. The fire grew visible behind her eyes.
âWhat a great sleep! Itâs been a long time since Iâve had such a deep sleep. Itâs nice not having to worry about the date or time.â The voice echoed through the halls, quick and appreciative in tone.
At the sound of the voice Lan Jueâs expression changed from hard to confused. And then downright murderous.
Mika had curled herself in to a pounce position, then shot forth. A few moments later a shrill yell filled the air. âAh! N-not so hard! Itâs a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding!â
Mika came storming back in, dragging someone behind her. Their clothes had clearly suffered burns.
âJewelry Master, you have to save me!â The yells continued, but theyâd grown weak and faint.
âAccountant,â Lan Jue growled, glaring at the stow-away. âIâm going to need an explanation, otherwise Iâm flushing you out the air lock. I wonder how long youâd last.â
âNo, no donât!â The Accountant coward pitifully, half-asleep and entirely frightened.
The women all looked shocked, Mika among them. How someone could inadvertently stumble aboard Zeus-1 and fall into Deep Sleep while totally evading their security checks and processes was simply baffling. It wasnât just inconceivable, it was deeply shameful.
Like Lan Jue each of them had been around the proverbial block, but his was certainly a first.
âJ-jewelry Master⊠donât be angry. The Keeper asked me to come. I-Iâm his spokesman. You wanted his cooperation, right? The Keeperâd ask me to tell you before, but Iâd forgotten. Ah! Miss, donât hit me, let me finish! Listen, ok, Iâm sorry. I shouldnât have been so curious, but I found your hangar. A-and I know my curiosity should have ended there but I started fiddling with the controls. A-and my curiosity got away from me, and I know I shouldnât have but I got on the ship. But, the ship, itâs planner â genius! Really just amazing construction. All of these power gems, itâs just luxurious! Jewelry Master, youâve really got some bank account!â
Lan Jueâs face changed by degrees, eventually dropping his hard stare for a small grin his two new disciples from the NEU were intimately familiar with.
âMika, you canât maim him. OtherwiseâŠâ
A wicked smile slowly spread across Mikaâs face.
1. The three primary planets of the Shattered Starfields â the three that are within the belts and pirate havens â will be called SS-1/2/3 in subsequent translations.