Thalen's Pit — Desert Wasteland Next to Thalen's Reach
Eve stood at the gas station sweeping the perimeter. Her squad had ransacked the surrounding structures. Nothing useful. A big wine depot full of barrels was all they found.
The Soul Drifter had been shot down. It wasn't getting fixed anytime soon. There was no way to radio Nomad. The atmosphere was thick, disrupting radio waves, despite clear sunny skies.
"Commander, there's nothing in there. What do you want me to do? Build catapults?" Anya grumbled.
"Catapults should be fun. It's a wasteland, Anya. What'd you expect?" Eve replied without turning. Anya headed back to the garage, making faces.
Next, Kai joined Eve, his drones floating around like curious birds. "I'll just set up a perimeter and deploy scanners."
"Off you go," Eve said. Kai walked backwards to the Soul Drifter rover where Jax was unloading supply crates.
"She doesn't look in a good mood," Jax muttered.
"Maybe next time we'd better listen to her instead of our hunch," Kai added. Jax nodded.
This was a recon run. Mission: retrieve the black box from a lost Nomad scoutship, find the pilot, and scout for signs of Thelarian or Syndicate activity.
Eve had suggested landing in an ocean-side carnival town. Jax, Kai, Anya, Vayne, and Zara argued—it was crawling with criminals and outlaws. The desert was safer.
Eve warned twice but got tired. "Alright, whatever the pilot says."
Vayne grinned. But as they crossed a mountain ridge near an unknown outpost, rockets struck the hull. Soul Drifter spiraled out and crashed into a canyon.
The outpost was near. They used the rover to reach it, but it was completely abandoned. Whoever attacked them could strike again at any time. Their location was pinned.
This was one of Soul Drifter's earlier missions—before Nomad became a Starfleet. The team was newly recruited and had much to learn from Eve, who had deep experience in these Andromeda expanses.
Zara approached Eve. "Alright, we said we're sorry. Now can you stop treating us like a bunch of screw‑ups and tell us how the hell we get out of here?"
"But you are a bunch of muck‑ups," Eve said, burned.
"I'm sorry. Next time we'll listen to you," Vayne added.
"I'm not angry. I'm thinking," Eve replied. "Scavengers will be coming soon—a whole lot of them. The first wave will be scouts. Take Jax and Kai. Ambush them before they reach us."
Vayne nodded and moved out.
"Zara, have Anya fix that truck and fill the barrels with gasoline. Load them into it."
Zara joined Anya in the old garage.
Hannah—who'd known Eve the longest—didn't need instructions. She grabbed a sniper rifle and mounted the station roof.
"Commander," Hannah prompted over comms, "a dozen scavenger vehicles inbound—armed. Guns, rocket launchers."
"First wave. Let Jax, Kai, and Vayne handle them. Wait till they're in range, then assist those idiots."
"Roger that."
Eve returned inside the gas station. She picked up supplies—snacks, beer—sat at the empty counter eating. Outside, gunfire lit up the station. She kept eating and sipping beer while scanning the map on her datapad.
"All's clear here, Commander," Jax reported.
"Seize their gear and weapons," Eve commanded.
"On it," Vayne responded.
Eve asked, "Any usable vehicles?"
Jax replied, "Sorry, I blew them all."
Anya: "You dumb meathead."
Jax: "What was I supposed to do? They had rocket launchers."
Hannah: "I was trying to save an AWD, but Jax wrecked 'em all."
Vayne: "What's an AWD?"
Anya: "All-wheel drive. You wouldn't know—never seen a road vehicle before. All you know is spaceships…"
Vayne: "Someone save me the headache?"
Eve: "Standard wasteland stuff."
Anya: "Old gasoline vehicles. Most of us wouldn't know because we're space-age babies."
Vayne: "Somebody shut her mouth or I'm gonna."
Anya: "Take a swing at me, bro!"
Hannah: "Commander—rifles—rider bikes!"
Eve: "Save me one, please!"
Jax: "I see them… oh. Yikes. Brain-splattering visuals. Damn, that's Hannah shooting?"
Hannah: "You got three bikes, Commander."
Eve: "Love you, sweetie."
Eve set her beer on the counter. "They'll keep coming in small waves. We're sleeping on the rooftop. Kai, make sure scanners are working."
"Don't worry about it," Kai said, rummaging through wrecked vehicles and dead scavengers.
That night, Eve joined Hannah on watch.
Next day, the team rode the truck—barrels loaded. Eve followed on a salvaged dirt bike. Hundreds of scavengers gave chase across the plateau.
Desert warfare erupted. Barrel traps exploded, keeping enemies at bay. Eve zipped between vehicles, pulling dangerous stunts as her team watched in awe.
Finally, the scavengers gave up. The squad made it to the outlaw town.
"Look at her go on that thing," Vayne said, watching from the truck.
"That thing's called a dirt bike," Anya replied sarcastically.
They set up camp at a bazaar fountain. The truck became their mobile base.
Luckily, Eve had contacts in the outlaw town and they camped near the fountain. The truck served as their RV.
"He was a Nomad pilot, Brantley. If you want, I can leave. But trust me—you don't want Nomad showing up in the night sky with laser cannons pointed at your town."
"Aren't you the boss?"
"There's a chain of command here," Eve lied. He looked intimidated.
"I assure it wasn't my guys," Brantley said defensively. "Take what you want. Just keep Nomad off my tail."
He'd cybernetic enhancements.
"The scoutship was downed on your turf."
"I'm a small businessman. A lot of shit happens here. You're not new to this—nothing's changed since you left."
"I need to radio home."
"Understood."
They stayed three days. Nomad dropped supplies. They found their pilot on the outskirts—he didn't survive. No signs of Thelarian or Syndicate outposts. They secured the black box. Anya fixed the Soul Drifter. They left.
Moral of the mission: Always listen to the Space Commander.