[We are now exiting hyperspace. Brace yourself, Samus.]
The cockpit hummed steadily, almost hypnotic with the engines roaring behind me. Streams of stars kept warping around me, stretching onward and outward in all directions. My armored hand rested against the armrest of my chair, clenching it with anticipation. I've entered hyperspace a few times now, and each time I see it, it's a surreal feeling. And now, I've gotten a little bit used to piloting. Thankfully I don't need to control anything while we're in hyperspace like this. You just lock onto your destination, and call it a day.
In the next moment, the fast-moving stars suddenly fractured, almost as if you dropped a large pane of glass onto the floor, shattering it into pieces. Light bent around me, and reality twisted back into normal, reasserting itself. The swirling tunnel collapsed, and was replaced with the darkness of outer space. In addition to that, I saw a single, large and very, very green planet in the near distance.
This was Planet Toydaria. Accompanying it were two suns, very similar to the two suns of Tatooine. One was smaller than the other. I recall their names were Little Toydar, and Toydar. It was easy to tell which one was which!
I inhaled sharply seeing the first planet I'll be visiting. Flying out into outer space was just a fleeting dream in my previous life, how could I not be excited here?
[Someone is excited.] Adam said as his face materialized on the control panel before me. [I've already engaged flight controls, so all you need to do is sit back and relax as we enter the atmosphere. Visibility will be limited as from what I can gather, Planet Toydaria is quite humid.]
"Got it. Entry will be pretty boring. You were able to gather the planet's layout, right? I want you to land near its capital. Toydor.", I answered.
Saying that, my eyes glanced beyond the viewport again. Toydaria's surface shimmered in various shades of green and brown. Its landmasses were entangled with wetlands, swamps, and shimmering mats of algae from the muck lakes. A hazy hue wrapped around the entire planet.
[Understood. I've locked onto the planet. Its parameters align to the star chart we received. Seeing as we have no hostile contacts within scanner range, things appear stable, for now. I will begin our descent.]
"We are in-between Separatist and Hutt Space. The Republic may have secured a trade route here but it is still highly dangerous and unpredictable. The Toydarians might be neutral right now, but we need to be ready for anything. It's good other hunters don't know me right now. Otherwise, I may have crossed this place off my list of places to visit."
[Shall I engage in combat if we get attacked?]
"That, I'm not sure. I don't want to make enemies of people that I don't know, but if they show signs of aggression off the bat, then so be it. Hopefully it'll stay quiet. No ships are around us right now.", I answered. Looking around us, it was just us. No traffic going in and out. Likely caught transit at an opportune time.
[There's only one way to find out. I also have a new feature for you once we land, I will debrief you after we land near the capital.]
"Oh?", I asked. My interest grew after hearing that. Another new feature for the suit, eh? I am not sure if it's a new upgrade. If it's feature-related, it might be similar to the universal translator Adam provided me. That should be in effect still since I'll have my helmet equipped. I know Toydarians know Basic, but they're known to speak several languages. Huttese included, as the Hutt Space is right around the corner. If I catch some of them speaking that way, the helmet should be able to translate it for me.
Could be useful for catching someone trying to rip me off if I trade with them~
Still, I let Adam do his thing. Planet Toydaria isn't exactly beginner friendly. I didn't want my ship to sink into one of those swamps, so Adam took over. I sat back in my seat, and watched the scene take place before me. The gunship glided forward, angling itself with the planet. The thrusters were adjusted, making the ride smooth overall. And precise. Subtle shifts of gravity grew more intense, and I could feel the turbulence.
[Our descent has been adjusted to Toydaria's unique atmospheric conditions. You've started feeling it, but high humidity will create turbulence at mid-altitude levels. We are now in the midst of clouds. It will lessen once we reach the surface, but its humidity will still cling to your Gravity Suit. It is set to filter that out automatically, so moving around shouldn't pose too much trouble for you.]
With Adam's words, all I saw around me was gray, gray and more gray. Splashes of water pounded against the viewport while we continued downward. It wasn't violent or anything, but I could barely see anything.
"That's good to hear. But that isn't the feature you're going to give me, is it?"
[It isn't. We can't exactly use it right now. Only once we're on the surface. We will be exiting the atmosphere in a few moments.]
"Got it.", I replied, nodding my helmet. My main upgrades will have me maneuver nicely once we've landed. That alone made me confident. My booster hummed faintly on my back, ready to activate at a moment's notice. Toydarians have such freedom naturally. I doubt these will be touched, so I couldn't help but wonder what Adam is going to give me next.
With growing anticipation, the gunship continued to tear through the planet's atmosphere with ease thanks to Adam piloting the gunship. Toydaria's surface began to grow clearer and clearer with each passing moment. I soon saw wetlands stretching onward without end, acting as if they were emerald veins you could find deep within mountains. Its veins were broken and scattered by islands of dry land. The glimmering water reflected the twin suns lurking beyond the planet. The dense clouds were now past us.
I saw towering mud-colored structures that jutted upward like stalagmites of an unexplored cave.
[We have exited the atmosphere. I am detecting many lifeforms nearby, we are not far from the capital. Temperatures are mild, but humidity remains high. I would advise against taking off your helmet, should the situation arise.] Adam said, explaining the situation to me.
"Sounds delightful.", I replied. "I'm sure it has breathable oxygen. Otherwise Toydarians wouldn't even settle here. The suit should be fine with its filtering system."
[Correct. Your internal temperature will keep yourself cooled. I will suggest against any interactions with local fauna, as they could contain unknown organisms that you may not have adapted to. Not until I get a chance to scan them properly.]
"Got it. You make this look so easy. In due time, I'll be the one doing this.", I replied, observing streaks of plasma pummel against my viewport while we left the upper atmosphere. I tightened the grip on my armrest, but kept my breath steady.
[I will continue the descent. It shouldn't be long until we reach the surface.] Adam said, only to see his holo-face vanish from sight. I nodded, and saw the gunship continue lowering itself. Massive algal mats floated on waters far below us, forming natural platforms for nests of creatures I didn't know about. Strange winged animals darted through the low-hanging mist. Their silhouettes dotted the lands beneath me. Many species likely resided here, ripe for me to identify and compile into a massive compendium. Just like how you would normally do it in the Prime games.
I changed views, and as we continued along, I spotted something. A cluster of wetlands that housed a gigantic raised platform that overlooked most of the wetlands beneath it. It contained several ancient-looking towers, each built from layers of hardened mud and stone. Even fancy durasteel was mixed within. It almost seemed organic, curving upward into natural shapes, rather than unruly and rigid lines. Bridges and platforms connected to the towers, and it formed a network of aerial pathways.
This place buzzed with activity. Many figures could be seen darting through the air, both by ship and by person.
No doubt about it. This city was Toydor, the capital of Toydaria!
[I will begin landing procedures. It won't take long to find a dock.]