The transfer to the Gilded Heron's lower service bay took longer than he expected — nearly two hours by his best guess, most of it spent in a cramped orbital holding pattern while, from what little he could make out through the casing's thin ventilation channels, merchant crew argued about docking clearance and cargo priority in a clipped, efficient dialect he only partly understood.
His legs had gone numb an hour ago. His spine had filed a formal complaint some time after that.
But none of it mattered next to the sound that finally came — the heavy clunk of docking clamps engaging, followed by a shift in gravity so subtle he might have imagined it if his stomach hadn't lurched to confirm it.
[Objective: Survive transfer to orbital vessel. — Complete]
[Quest Updated: Stowaway Beneath the Gilded Heron]
[New Objective: Locate a stable hiding position aboard the Gilded Heron. Avoid detection until departure from the Cael Athis system.]
