Planatae

Disembark

A few moments later, Lukas, hastily dressed in a nondescript uniform and rushed through the  corridors towards the Andromeda's bridge. He was struck, as he always did upon entering, by the level of human activity in the ship's center. It was electric.

For a ship of this size, the control room was staggering - rows upon rows of monitors and equipment dominated the space. It was busier than normal - Lukas was finding it increasingly difficult to avoid getting in anyone's way - as the crew prepared the ship for landing and docking.

Finally, he spotted his mother up near the front, back turned to face the bridge's massive window.

She wasn't alone. As Lukas approached, the man next to her looked over, noticing him.

"Hey there!" The man treated Lukas to a solid slap on the back, attracting the attention of Erin and the second man beside her.

"Hello, Viktor," Lukas said, smiling. "Sorry I'm late."

"So you've heard!" Vikor grinned. "Looks like you'll be joining us this time. Took you long enough, eh?"

Viktor Broaus was the head of the military's Research and Development department. He was a scattered-looking man, wild hair peppered with gray. Like much of the military's administrative force, he had followed in his family's footsteps, and had been born and raised on the same station-base where Lukas had grown up. Because of that, the man hadn't been born with a Factor. Lukas had always thought that it was part of what sparked his fascination and experimentation surrounding the phenomena.

"Lukas," his mother interrupted. "You should take a look."

She gestured towards the glass, and Lukas peered out at the view. Against the monotonous backdrop of pinprick stars, he squinted at a strange dark patch at the center of his vision.

"What is that...?" He murmured, his vision slowly adjusting. He could tell it was a large object, now, but one that was still some distance away. It had a dark, almost ebony-black coloration, but he could make it out using its silhouette against the backdrop of stars. As variations on its surface. It was scored with pits and craters, light glinting unevenly when it managed to strike its surface.

"It's an asteroid," Viktor said, noting his confusion with a touch of amusement. "One with an extremely dark mineral composition."

"It's not just an asteroid," the other man had finally spoken, his voice low and grating. "It's been hollowed out - retrofitted into a space station. You'll be able to see it when we get closer."

Lukas eyed him, realization sinking in. "This is Onyx, isn't it?"

Although his focus was in planateology, Lukas' military education included courses in politics and geography. He recalled some general facts he'd learned about the place at the University. Onyx station was part of the Purist theocracy, but he knew that the label was a loosely placed one. Regulations and Standard law were largely overlooked, he'd learned - but it meant that the place had a long history of being a refuge, asylum, and allegedly, the largest black market in the galaxy. It was ironic, Lukas considered, still watching the approaching asteroid, that the place was technically under the jurisdiction of one of the most bigoted, isolated groups he could think of. Picturing a Purist in the midst of all that chaos made no sense.

"We'll be making a stop there," the man spoke up again, and Lukas turned to him, surprised. Although he hadn't gotten a chance to speak to him personally until now, he recognized the man's signature long coat, a deep, bloody red. The owner - and captain of the Andromeda was often striding through his hallways, that coat snapping out behind him like a cape. His name was Levatti Aurrum, one of the wealthiest men on Ferrus.