Levi Volkov woke to the soft chime of an alert coming from a nearby monitor, signaling his approach to his destination. Groggy, he rubbed his eyes, sitting up and blinking at the view in front of him. The vast space outside the window, stars scattered across the infinite darkness like a never-ending canvas.
'I can never grow tired of seeing this,' he thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he stretched and let out a quiet yawn.
Despite the beauty, he shook off the daze, knowing he had a job to do and needed the credits to retire one day. Climbing out of bed, he stretched before scratching his messy white hair, making his way to the cockpit. His mind was already shifting gears, but for a moment, the stunning view lingered as he sat in his command chair.
When seated, he began piloting his beloved Nomad ship toward the growing colony, Lost Horizon. It was located on the desolate planet called Acheron. ''Why build it out here? It's on the edge of the Outer Rim, pirates lurk all over this sector,'' he muttered in frustration.
Just then, the documentary he was watching last night popped up, retelling the history of this part of space. ''Several decades ago, the Sol Federation established colonies all across the solar system after becoming a member of the Core Space Alliance, setting up space stations and settlements throughout the sparsely populated Outer Rim,'' a woman's soft voice echoed out.
''Damn thing,'' he sighed, turning it off.
Thanks to not having any magic to attend an academy, he worked for governments and shady militaries that paid Nomad Runners like him to transport cargo for them or big companies. Levi was now on his way to pick up several corporate employees for twenty thousand Credits a person, a simple job for him.
'Orion Biotech, a large bio-engineering company run by humans and elves; they have the biggest lab in this sector, founded on Lost Horizon. How strange,' he mused while he flipped some switches to ensure the ship was fine.
Soon enough, the vessel came out of Interstellar Jump with a jolt. That's when he saw the dark and eerie planet, giving him a bad feeling; it was backlit by the dark void of space, giving him a strange feeling. He shook his head to clear it, muttering. ''Taking this job was a mistake; I should've stayed on Pandora. I've been out here for far too long.''
Levi noticed a few lights on the surface when closing in; most of it was a dark desert, stretching for miles. While admiring the scene, an AI female's voice rang out. ''Master, we've reached Lost Horizon. Should I pilot us to the landing bay?''
''No, Lumi. I can do it. It has been a while. I need some practice,'' he answered, deactivating the Interstellar Drive as they descended through the atmosphere.
His Comm-link activated, and a no-nonsense woman's voice came through. ''Nomad Vessel Astralis, this is Lost Horizon. Please proceed to bay twelve and deactivate your ship's weapons.''
Levi did as instructured, switching them off. 'Damn pirates always make life hell for everyone out here.'
Seconds later, he saw a large complex stretching far into the distance. Towering spires pierce the skyline, lights flickering in the dusty twilight as they monitor the harsh atmosphere. Pale neon lights illuminated it, buzzing softly in the dim air, allowing him to see all the different parts of the colony.
Massive pipes and conduits snaked along the ground and between buildings, humming with energy as they carried vital resourcees. In the distance, mining rigs rumbled, burrowing deep into the planet's rocky surface. The central hub, a massive, circular structure, housed the command center and marketplace, alongside some housing.
Built by Sol Gov, defended by the Sol Defense Legion, the colony was a vital outpost in this lonely region far from the Inner Rim. As Levi approached, he flipped some buttons to slow his descent, feeling a mix of unease and anticipation. While doing that, Lumi revealed. ''A group of marines from the SDL is waiting for you on the landing bay, Master. It looks like it's your old childhood friend, Bennett.''
'I forgot he was deployed out here,' he thought, a small smile stretching across his face. 'It will be good to see him after all this time.'
Following that, the Astralis flawlessly docked, and he let Lumi take control as he made his way to his bedroom at the back of the ship to prepare for anything, thanks to always being cautious in Sol Gov Colonies. When stepping inside, he quickly equipped his protection, which was stored on a rack in the corner.
The latest dark grey Aegis-9 Nomad Nano armor enveloped his entire body. His helmet clicked into place, the visor illuminated with a vibrant green, mirroring the color of his eyes. He shook his head to dismiss it, grabbing his Aegis-3 battle coat as he prepared to step into whatever awaited him.
This made Lumi giggle, forcing him to retort, ''The last time I didn't wear this, that pirate shot me, and it hurt for weeks. I've learned my lesson since then.''
''I understand, Master,'' she replied in an amused tone. ''The boosters are off, and the docking line has been connected.''
Levi nodded, putting his blasters in their holsters as he inquired. ''How many SDL marines are there?''
''Three Master. It seems like the station is excited over something,'' Lumi replied, shutting down the ship's systems.
Moments later, the door opened and he stepped onto the metal walkway of the docking bay, taking a deep breath of the colony's crisp artificial air. That's when a cheerful voice rang out. ''Lev! I couldn't miss the chance to see you when I heard Astralis was in orbit!''
Levi turned to the childhood friend he had known since his days on Pandora and a geniune smile appeared. ''Bennett! I hope you've been good? Your mother said that you and Nova were stationed in the middle of nowhere.''
The man chuckled then suddenly hugged him. ''Unfortunately, yes. But it's good to be with big sister. She's out here to keep the Starfighters in working order for the navy. Pirates have been pushing their luck lately, causing many to return damaged.''
He was just about to speak when a robed group rushed past, discussing something called the Monolith, which caught his attention, but something caused him to get a migraine. When this happened, he turned to his old friend, questioning. ''What are they talking about?''
Bennett nodded with an exhuasted expression. ''The Eternal Church got wind of something the miners found on a dig a week ago. After scanning it, they sent out their Eternalists, who started claiming it was a holy object they're calling the Monolith.''
His friend motioned to the nearby robed group with narrowed eyes. ''They are creating chaos all across Lost Horizon, thanks to their influence in Orion Biotech and Sol Gov, seems like the Elves left just after the thing was found.''
When Levi heard this, he was annoyed. ''What are these crazy bastards and their batshit religion doing out here? We're in the middle of nowhere; it's bad enough they're infesting the Inner Rim and Core Worlds.''
''I'd be careful if I were you, Half-Elf,'' a woman's voice suddenly stated from behind Bennett. ''The cultists take offense whenever someone insults their faith, especially from a Nomad.''
He nodded thanks and explained. ''I'm used to their games; they tried to recruit me on Pandora, once I rejected them, they got angry.''
Following that, Levi turned to his friend, tapping his holsters. ''Has Star Forge set up store yet? I need new weapons, as my blasters are on their last legs.''
''They have the new Pulse Carbines and other weapons in stock,'' Bennett replied, taking in the sleek but powerful ship parked in bay twelve. ''I can't believe you still fly Astralis. She's been in your family for years.''
Levi laughed as the group started walking. ''I've upgraded her so she's faster than any ship in the Milky Way and can outrun those annoying Elves, who tried chasing me on Jacinto.''
''The raid on the Jacinto Moon? Why would they chase you?'' the woman questioned suspiciously.
Bennett laughed, a knowing smile crossing his face. ''Don't tell me you're the Nomad Fighter who stole the elf prince's kill? Rumors say he was enraged when you swooped in and wiped out the pirate leader,'' he questioned.
Levi nodded with a knowing grin as they reached the colony's entrance just as an alarm started blaring, causing the other two soldiers to rush off after a voice rang out from their Comm-links. Seconds later, his friend spoke into the radio before getting close, a concerned expression. ''Would you do me a favor, old friend?''