Drift's Edge

Part 1: Under a Glass Star

Glimmering specks of white sand drifted over gusts of wind as a hot star scorched the planet Vyrlyne, its light shining off the brilliant pink mountains of Vyrlynian crystal and casting pale shadow over the rolling white dunes. Ro stood stoically, one hand around his rifle's handle, the other still, draped over its barrel, as he listened to the whirling roar of the sandskimmer's mechanized legs churning below his feet.

He glanced to his right as the skimmer's cabin door opened and an alien mercenary, assigned the same task as him, stepped out into the dry, hot weather. A member of a reptiloid species, covered in scales, with barbs jutting out of his head and running down his backside.

The mercenary's flaky skin was drying out, slowed only by the water-filled apparatus around his neck.

"Any sssign of trouble out here?" The reptiloid asked.

"Not yet," Ro responded, adjusting his laser rifle. "I haven't heard so much as a whisper for an qey."

The reptiloid raised a gaunt-looking hand to his rough chin, rubbing at it momentarily.

"We sssaw Ssskarvsss when we left the camp."

"We did. Bold as they are, I don't think even they're stupid enough to follow us directly out of a mining settlement. They'd be blown to pieces before they could get within a half-riv of us."

"Indeed." The reptiloid replied.

Quiet fell over the two as the skimmer continued its journey onward for freshly forged Vyrlyne crystal veins. Immense dark clouds in the distant sky fired roaring beams of fire down to the surface of the planet, blasting the white sand with a heat so intense, the crystals formed wouldn't be able to be handled for weeks.

"Kaev, I wissh sssomeone would've told me it'd be thisss hot out here before I took thisss job." The reptiloid hissed as he walked up to the railing running around the sandskimmer and leant down against it, his hands folded and hanging over the side.

"You never been here either?" Ro asked as he stared out over the rolling dunes of blisteringly white sand, his line of sight obstructed by the immense heat waves emanating from the planet's surface.

"No. I'd only heard of thisss planet in passsing before I took the job. Sssomeone I knew a long time ago dealt with the cryssstalsss, talked a bit about thisss placce, but thisss isss the firssst time I've been. What about you? You ssseem quite comfortable." The reptiloid asked as the small water tanks around his neck gurgled with his body's movements.

"No, me neither. I've seen the crystals from time to time in deep-markets, but I was never too curious where they came from. Guess I got my answer." Ro replied as a large man, easily towering a foot over Ro and almost two over the reptiloid, covered with thick metal body armor, stepped around the corner of sandskimmer to come into view of his fellow mercenaries.

"You two 'bout done chattin'? We got a job to do, case you haven't seen." He threatened mildly, attempting to establish his dominance in the situation.

"I'm well aware. As soon as there's trouble, comes over that ridge, you be sure to let us know. We'll get right on it." Ro remarked, unaffected by the man's larger stature and scarred, evil-looking face.

Taken off guard, the man turned his head to stare at Ro, who'd shifted his focus back to the sand as the reptiloid slowly sank into himself to avoid conflict with the mountain of an individual stepped up to Ro and pushed his shoulder, shoving him up against the reptiloid.

"What'd you say to me?" He asked, looming over the two hired guns.

"I said, when something of note shows up, either let us know, or deal with it yourself. I'm not about to be ordered around by some two-bit laser trader." Ro retorted before the man readied his giant laser cannon, resting it against his thighs.