The newly upgraded ship, the 'Void Wolf', cut through Alliance space at warp speed, faster and smoother than it had ever flown before. Its engines roared like a predator in full stride, the stars stretching into streaks of light across the viewing screens.
This time, unlike before, there would be no need for clandestine routes or falsified identifications. The Prefect's assistance had secured them official permits, stamped with neutral and Alliance seals alike. With that protection, the twenty-day journey back to Earth promised no unnecessary interference.
When he finally retreated into his personal chamber, a deep exhale left his lungs. The stop at Alfa Station had altered more than his immediate future. It had gifted him revelations, enemies, allies, and treasures he still had yet to fully grasp.
One by one, he drew them from his spatial storage. The light of spirit arrays reflected off metal, glass, and crystal, casting shifting colors against the chamber walls.
