Robert clambered through the Acus’Rube’s airlock, the armor plates of his EVA suit rimmed with a tracery of ice crystals from their high-speed passage through the void. He paused for a moment to take in the ship’s utilitarian interior, the familiar angles and surfaces a reassuring reminder they’d made it back in one piece.

  “So how’d our little nanoswarm do, Ace?” he asked, already working on the seals of his helmet with a habitual economy of motion. “I didn’t get a chance to do a full inventory before my untimely departure.”

  “The picobots performed admirably,” Ace’s rich baritone rumbled in response, his simulated voice emanating from everywhere and nowhere at once within the confines of the cargo bay. “We’re impressed with your skills. That was some delicate work you pulled off.”

  With a hiss of equalizing pressure, Robert broke the seal on his helmet and yanked it free, shaking out his disheveled mop of hair as he inhaled a lungful of recycled air. A feral grin split his features, revealing a flash of teeth as he eyed the cargo pods nestled in their racks.

  “Let’s see what the little buggers have for us.”

  He walked to the nearest container, tapped a quick command into the side panel, and the heavy pressure door slid open with a pneumatic hiss. A drift of crystalline vapor poured out, swirling in lazy eddies as Robert leaned in to inspect the gleaming rows of component modules nestled in their protective cradles.

  “Damn,” his voice tinged with a hint of awe. “We actually did it. No more flying blacked out, having to sneak through every damn system like a couple of rats in the walls.”

  Ace’s reply had a cautionary tone to it, dampening Robert’s burgeoning exuberance. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We may have acquired some components, but we still need to do an inventory.”

  Robert waved a dismissive hand, his eyes never leaving the precious payload as he returned the component to its cradle with exaggerated care. “Yes, yes, I hear you. Let me bask in the glow of our victory for a moment, will you? We did well out there, you and I.”

  Robert shed the rest of his suit. He crossed to the compact galley alcove and grabbed a bottle of something amber and potent from the jumble of supplies. He broke the seal and took a long sip, letting the fiery liquid burn its way down his throat before exhaling with a satisfied sigh.

  Robert slumped back in the luxurious pilot’s couch, rubbing the fatigue from his eyes as the Acus’Rube’s drives slowed to a sullen murmur. Beside him, Ace’s spherical construct swirled with iridescent patterns as it turned its unfocused gaze toward him.

  He waited for a report from Ace, hoping that the illegal cargo he had acquired contained the technology to enable his ship to land on something larger than an asteroid. Robert wanted to get on with the proper mission. After several minutes, Ace displayed the results on a nearby screen.

  “Well, that was a bust,” Robert said with a growl, his tone laced with disgust as he gestured to the racks of secured cargo pods. “Not a single restricted transponder in the whole damn lot. A bunch of high-end components and proprietary technology.”

  Ace’s simulated voice held a reasonable tone as he replied. “To be fair, we knew the chances of acquiring a full transponder suite were slim. These are restricted items, rarely is a full setup transported in bulk shipments like this.”

  Robert snorted, running a hand through his disheveled hair as he shot the AI’s grenade. “Yeah, well, I was kind of hoping we’d get lucky for once. Looks like we’re back to square one on that front.”

  He walked over to the nearest cargo pod and tapped on the release, the heavy door hissing open to reveal the gleaming rows of components nestled inside. Plucking one free, he turned it over in his calloused hands, examining the intricate geometries of its circuitry with a practiced eye.

  “Still,” he mused, “this is high-end stuff. Must be worth a pretty penny on the black market, right?”

  Ace pulsed in a noncommittal pattern. “Perhaps. Though we would caution against any further illegal activities until we’ve had a chance to assess our current situation.”

  Robert snorted again, replacing the component and sealing the pod with little effort. “Right, because we’re a couple of upstanding citizens now, is that it? Forget about taking down the real bad guys, let’s settle down and play by their rules.”

  His words dripped with sarcasm, but Ace remained unperturbed, the AI’s voice taking on a soothing tone.

  “You know that’s not what we meant. But we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture here. Every risk we take, every line we cross, must be weighed against the potential consequences. We’re in this together, remember?”

  His gaze swept over the sealed cargo once more. A hesitant agreement trickled through Robert. As much as he hated the thought of playing it safe, Ace had a point. This was a minor setback in a much bigger game. They couldn’t afford to get reckless or sloppy, not with all that was at stake.

  “Yeah, yeah, I get it,” he said under his breath, already turning his attention to the ship’s controls. “Let’s get these trinkets stowed and get out of here. I could use a break from all this cloak and dagger stuff.”

  As the Acus’Rube’s drives spun up again, hurling them back into the bottomless depths of the void, Robert settled back into the pilot’s couch and let his thoughts drift. Where to next? They’d have to resupply soon, fence some of their ill-gotten gains without attracting too much attention. Maybe one of the mining outposts on the edge of nowhere, somewhere they could keep a low profile while they regrouped.

  He looked at the sealed cargo pods once more and begrudgingly admired the advanced technology they had obtained. Sure, it might not have been what they were looking for, but in their line of work, one couldn’t be picky. Who knew, maybe some of these fancy components would come in handy down the road, giving them an edge when they needed it?

  The ship’s navigational computer plotted an alternative course. One step at a time was the key. They’d been dealt a bad hand this round, but the game was far from over. He’d make sure of that.

  * * *

  Slouched in the plush leather chair, Robert’s brow furrowed as he examined the holographic projection hovering over the conference table. A detailed schematic of the Stellar Dynamics shipyard rotated, its interconnected components and safeguarding structures highlighted in vivid crimson.

  “This is a gigantic risk,” he said in a murmur, more to himself than to Ace. “If we get caught.”

  The disembodied tones of the AI filled the room, calm and measured. “I’m aware of the consequences. But we’re running out of viable alternatives here. If we are to continue our investigation, acquiring these transponders is a necessity.”

  Robert frowned and leaned in to scrutinize the schematic more closely. Security checkpoints, patrol routes, hardened bulkheads. It was a veritable fortress, designed to keep out anyone who didn’t belong. The kind of place that would house the restricted technology they needed.

  “We need to time this perfectly,” he said, his voice taking on that familiar edge of determination. “Get in, grab the transponders, and get out before they even know we were there.”

  Ace pulsed in agreement. “Agreed. I’ve already started mapping out potential entry vectors, calculating the most efficient routes to the shipping depot. But there are still variables to consider, security overrides, and failsafe protocols.”

  As the AI continued to outline the intricacies of their planned infiltration. This was it, the big leagues, no more nickel-and-dime heists or half-measures. If they pulled this off, it would be a game changer, giving them the tools they needed to make a dent in their ongoing struggle.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Of course, that was a pretty big “if.” Stellar Dynamics didn’t mess around with security, especially for their most sensitive projects and shipments. One false move, one alarm set off, and they’d have the entire station’s defenses raining down on their heads.

  He studied the rotating schematic again, tracing the potential routes and choke points they’d have to navigate. It was a maze, and a deadly one.

  This time would be no different. They’d get in, do what needed to be done, and slip out into the void before anyone was the wiser. Simple in theory, perhaps, but that was where they thrived, in these chaotic, high-stakes scenarios where one wrong move could mean the difference between success and utter disaster.

  “Okay,” he said, leaning back again and fixing Ace with a determined look. “Let’s go over the plan again. I want to have every contingency mapped out, every potential complication accounted for before we make our move.”

  As the two of them went over the finer details of their infiltration, a familiar feeling of concentration came over him. He was focused now, the thrill of the hunt singing through his veins as they planned their next bold strike against the forces that had taken so much from them.

  It was a risk, sure, but that was the name of the game they played. No reward ever came without taking a few calculated gambles along the way. And if they took those invaluable transponders and left…Well, then the real game would begin.

  Robert settled into the pilot’s chair, his eyes narrowed as he studied the holographic starchart projected before him. The glittering expanse of the Cygnus system hung in the air, a tapestry of celestial bodies and navigational data points that meant little to the untrained eye. To Robert, however, it was a living roadmap, one that would lead them right into the heart of their most dangerous operation yet.

  “Fuel cells are topped off,” Ace ran through the pre-flight checks with typical efficiency. “All systems are green across the board. We’re ready to jump whenever you are.”

  Robert nodded, his gaze never leaving the starchart as his fingers danced across the console’s haptic interface.With meticulous precision, the display flashed a series of rapid calculations to plot their jump coordinates.

  “Set a course for those vectors,” he said, transmitting the data to Ace’s systems. “We’ll drop in at the absolute edge of the system, well out of their sensor range. Can’t have them getting wind of our arrival before we’re ready to move.”

  “Understood.” There was a brief pause as Ace processed the new information. “Course laid in and locked. Initiating the folding sequence in three… two…one…”

  The cockpit dimmed as the drive core came to life, its energy building to a crescendo that sent a familiar thrill of anticipation through Robert’s body. This was it, the point of no return. Once they were in, there would be no turning back, no chance to reconsider or back out of their ridiculous gambit. They were all in, come what may.

  A heartbeat later, the folding process was complete, the starfield outside the viewports distorting and twisting in a dizzying blur of motion. When it cleared, they had emerged at the far edge of the Cygnus system, the distant silhouette of the shipyard just visible against the starry background.

  Robert allowed himself a small smile as he sat back and put his hands behind his head in a rare moment of relaxation. So far, so good, they were right on schedule, their approach undetected and their entry vector calculated. Now came the hard part: getting close enough to make their move without setting off alarms and blowing their well-laid plans to smithereens.

  “Bring us in nice and slow, Ace,” he said, his tone all business again. “We can’t afford the slightest deviation from our planned course. I want us to ride that outer marker all the way, understand?”

  “Of course.” There was a faint trace of what might have been amusement in the AI’s reply. “I have no intention of jeopardizing this operation with sloppy piloting. We’ll stay on course and maintain stealth protocols until we’re in position to begin infiltration procedures.”

  Robert nodded, preparing for what promised to be a long, tense journey to their destination. Every minute would count, every microburst of engine fire or stray emissions a potential giveaway that could jeopardize their entire mission before it even began in earnest.

  But that was all part of the thrill, wasn’t it? The exhilarating dance between stealth and daring, the high-wire act of slipping unseen past the eyes and ears of their unwitting adversaries. He lived for moments like this, the razor’s edge that separated success from utter disaster. It was what made him who he was, a rogue, an outlaw, operating on the shadowy fringes between the cracks of society.

  Some might have called it a death wish, this incessant need to push the boundaries and tempt fate at every turn. Robert saw it differently. This was his purpose, his reason for being - to stand as a bulwark against the encroaching darkness, no matter how overwhelming the odds.

  The transponders were the first step, the key that would unlock a whole new world of possibilities in their ongoing crusade.

  Yes, the stakes were high. Yes, the consequences of failure were dire, even fatal. But Robert had stared down those ghosts more times than he could count over the years. This was just another day in the office. Another insane gambit, another plan to be executed with split-second timing and pinpoint precision.

  What if everything went according to plan? What if they pulled off the impossible and walked away with those restricted transponders, giving them the ability to move without fear of detection or interference?

  Robert’s fingers danced over the console, guiding the ship through another simulated approach vector. On the main viewscreen, the shimmering vastness of the Cygnus shipyard drew closer, its interlocking sections and security grids rendered in exquisite detail by the training program’s algorithms.

  “Adjust pitch three degrees to compensate for drift.” He made a minute correction as the ship banked through a series of hairpin turns. “Ease off on the lateral thrusters, don’t want to overcook the final approach and send us careening into their outer perimeter.”

  Ace’s melodious tones filled the cockpit, the AI monitoring his performance with its typical scrutiny. “Course correction accepted. You’re coming in a little hot on final approach, though, you might want to consider bleeding off some of that excess speed before we hit the target area.”

  Robert grunted in agreement, his brow furrowed in concentration as he made the adjustments. The simulated shipyard grew larger by the second, its imposing bulk filling the viewscreen as the ship closed the gap with almost reckless speed.

  At the last possible moment, Robert halted their momentum, the ship’s thrusters roaring to life as they bled their forward inertia in a controlled burst. They hung suspended in the void, their engines straining to hold their position just a few kilometers from the facility’s outermost defense grid.

  With a deft flick of his wrist, Robert sent them drifting sideways in a wide, curving arc, the shipyard’s crisscrossing security beams passing beneath their ventral hulls.

  “Not bad,” Ace conceded as the simulation reset and the shipyard disappeared from the viewscreen. “A little rough around the edges, maybe, but you’re getting the hang of those tricky high-speed maneuvers.”

  Robert leaned back in the pilot’s chair, wiping his forearm across his forehead as he caught his breath. “Yeah, well, we’ll see how well those reflexes hold up when we do it for real. No room for the slightest miscalculation out there.”

  The simulations had been Ace’s idea, a way to keep his piloting skills sharp and honed to prepare for their infiltration attempt. With the shipyard’s defenses operating at peak efficiency, a single false move or unplanned course deviation could mean instant detection, if not outright vaporization, by the facility’s automated defense systems.

  So for weeks now, Robert had been running drill after drill, testing himself against complex approach scenarios and reaction tests. His hands were calloused and his nerves frayed from the relentless barrage of simulated emergencies and crude hazards he encountered. But it was all worth it in the end, if it meant being prepared when the time came to put those hard-won skills into practice.

  “All right, let’s start over,” he said, resetting the simulator with a few taps of his fingers. “I want to run through that last flanking maneuver again, get the timing down to the split second. Then we’ll move on to the infiltration protocols and...”

  He trailed off as a proximity alarm sounded and the cockpit’s ambient lighting changed to a pulsing amber hue. A new window flashed on the primary display, highlighting an object drifting into sensor range off their starboard bow.

  Robert leaned forward to study the display more closely. “We’ve got a bogie heading our way, an unidentified civilian vessel by the look of it. Doesn’t match any registered transponder codes in the database.”

  Ace’s tone took on a cautious edge. “It could be nothing, a prospector ship, or a deep space hauler going dark to avoid detection. But we can’t rule out the possibility that it’s some kind of advance scout or patrol ship.”

  “Either way, we can’t take any chances.” Robert’s fingers flew over the controls, starting the Acus’Rube’s stealth protocols and shutting down all non-essential systems. Within seconds, the ship was dark and silent, its heat signature fading into the cosmic background radiation until it was invisible to all but the most advanced scanners.

  Robert held his breath as the unidentified contact approached, its trajectory bringing it within spitting distance of their hiding place in the exodisk. Robert tensed, one hand reaching for the weapons locker as visions of a full security sweep flashed through his mind, unbidden.

  Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the contact was gone, veering off on a new vector that took it deeper into the outer debris field, its engine flare fading from sight.

  Robert let out the breath he’d been holding in a relieved rush, slumping back in his seat as the tension bled from his shoulders. “Looks like we caught a break this time. But it’s another reminder that we have to stay sharp out here, the last thing we need is for our cover to be blown before we’ve even had a chance to make our move.”

  He put the near miss out of his mind and turned his attention back to the simulator with renewed focus. “All right, let’s pick up where we left off. I want to run this final flanking approach at least three more times before we move on to the next phase.”