The Smuggler’s Moon was a large moon orbiting a gas giant in a solitary system just on the border of Federation Space. It was ruled by a despot who maintained absolute neutrality, both in cabal affairs and galactic politics.

If something was for sale, it could be found on the smuggler’s moon. Whether it was legal items, or illicit contraband, as long as you had the cash, or something of equal value, then you could get your hands on it here on this moon.

The moon itself was hollowed out and turned into an ecumenopolis. Because of this, it could house far more people than it might appear able to on its surface. The moment the Vigilance pulled into the system, they were accosted by an array of communications, all from the smuggler’s moon, of course.

After all, the Vigilance was a warship, and warships were not usually welcomed in this neutral sector of space.

“Warning to the Frigate of Unknown Origin. This space is neutral to any and all conflicts. You are encouraged to jump to a new system with expediency, or will be treated as hostile. You have exactly five minutes to comply!”

Tia immediately got the station on the line, where she informed them that they were not affiliated with any military, and were merely a civilian militia vessel looking for resupply. She even handed over fake credentials to confirm this lie.

Once the Station realized they were not a military vessel, they were far more welcoming, as they approved an appropriate landing zone for such a large ship. They even offered an apology despite it not being worth much.

“Apologies for the misunderstanding. It is not every day that a frigate jumps into this system. Please proceed to the hangar bay which has been assigned to your vessel. And welcome to the Smuggler’s Moon!”

After saying this, the comms operator hung up, leaving Erich and his crew to sigh in relief. Kali had feigned an expression of naïve innocence on her pretty face when she finally broke the awkward silence that existed.

“I may have forgotten to mention that they treat warships with hostility…. That was a close one, wasn’t it?”

The entire crew glared at Kali for her mistake, which only caused the atmosphere to become more awkward. Ultimately, it was Erich who gave the orders for the crew to depart from the vessel once it had landed on the Smugglers’ Moon.

—

Immediately upon entering the moon-wide city, Erich was amazed at what he saw. Truly, the entire world was one giant shopping center, and in the center of it all was a massive casino

/resort. Where people from all over the galaxy would come to gamble away their life savings in the hopes of winning a fortune.

Unlike the Germanic Star-Empire, which had a strict code of conduct for what was allowed in architecture, and what wasn’t. Every building was different on this moon, and holographic projections were plastered outside every building, advertising what was for sale within.

On more than one occasion, Erich and his team passed by a slaver’s den, which was selling exotic and beautiful women, though, because this was a criminal moon, they were also selling men and children as well. All of which were intended for a single purpose.

Once more Alex found himself in a den of vice, one which he found himself deeply uncomfortable in. Kali, however, appeared to thrive in the environment, and as an Asuran everywhere she went, people paid her respect, even if they did not know just who she was. This respect was also afforded to all of her companions, proving that taking the woman into his crew was a wise decision.

Since she had been to this place before, Kali was the one who led Erich and the others towards the section of the moon which sold starships. If you were buying a starship on the smuggler’s moon, there was a good chance it was acquired through less than legal means.

But because of this, they could be fetched for a fair price. Not that money was really an issue to Erich. After all, his finances were constantly monitored by Tia, who ensured he gained a fortune with every passing second. In all honesty, Erich did not know how much he was worth, but it was by no means a small amount. Clearly it was enough to buy an entire planet, and industrialize it.

Eventually, after passing many stores and stalls, Erich and the others arrived in a large section of the moon, which had various starships. The largest of which were about the size of a corvette from a minor power. Meaning they were roughly 155 meters in length from stern to bow.

But it was not one of these ships that Erich and his crew were looking for, instead, they were looking for an exploration vessel of moderate size. One that could house their current crew. It also had to be equipped with a certain amenities that made life much more comfortable for the crew.

After all, if Erich wanted a small ship, that could house him and his crew, and blend in with other ships in the federation. He could always go and fetch his Hydra Privateer, which was stashed away in storage within the Germanic Star-Empire.𝞸𝓋𝓁ℯxt.𝑐𝞸𝑚

But that was a small ship, one which was not suited to housing so many people for extended durations of time. And thus, they needed something much much larger. Luckily for Erich, his eyes fell upon a ship that was exactly what he was looking for.

In fact, he had seen this very ship for sale in the Germanic Star-Empire when he was buying his privateer. How the Smuggler’s Moon had gotten ahold of a Germanic Military Exploration Vessel, which was also sold to the civilian populace. Erich did not know, but it appeared to be in pristine condition.

The ship was 126.50 meters long, with a white and black paint job. It also had a slight red trim on it. Along with red tinted glass. Not only that, but the ship came with a small hangar bay, which could house a small shuttle. Which, coincidentally enough, was included in the package.

The cargo space on this ship was quite extensive, and it could even house a moderate sized land based vehicle. Ultimately, it was an ideal ship for space exploration. And though the interior was utilitarian in nature, it was still extremely comfortable, with three dry baths, and toilets and enough bunks for six people.

The medical bay was a plus, and though it wasn’t as grand as the one on board the Vigilance, with enough modification from Tia, it could prove to be just as useful, especially for a crew of this size. Kali noticed that Erich was interested in this ship and decided to be useful for once. She approached the merchant who was selling the vessel, a man who immediately recognized who she was.

He was about to drop to his knees, and worship the mighty Devi, when she raised one finger to her lips and shushed them an.

‘Shhhh… Do not blow my cover!”

The man silently nodded his head with an anxious expression before calming his nerved. After a few moments, he wore a perfect facade as he acted as if Kali were just another customer.

“Ah, you have a good eye if you are interested in this mighty vessel. An exploration ship from a distant corner of Alfheim Space. The designers of this craft knew exactly what they were doing, and I might say the engineering is flawless.

Though the one downside is the technological limitations of the creators, who appear to be a Tier I sub-galactic power. Luckily for you, I have swapped out all the primary components with top of the line Asuran parts! This thing is guaranteed to get you across the galaxy, and perhaps even beyond, at a reasonable pace!”

Erich approached the man, clearly interested in the vessel. And why wouldn’t he be? It was one of his people’s design, despite the fact that the merchant did not seem to know this.

“How much for it?”

The man looked immediately could tell Erich was with Kali, and was quick to offer a reasonable discount, normally he would give it to Kali free of charge, but since she said not to blow her cover, he was forced to give him the bare minimum price that was still reasonable in the eyes of any observers.

“Normally I would charge you 27 million Asuran credits for such a marvelous vessel, but since you are a companion of this lovely Asuran, I will knock down the price to five million. Does that sound fair to you?”

Erich did not know how many Asuran credits he had, but he heard Tia’s voice in his head, as she confirmed the money was indeed in his account and could be transferred at a moment’s notice.

“Tia has just converted some of your Alfheim Credits into Asuran Credits at a favorable rate. You can purchase the ship now, Master!”

Seeing as how he had the necessary amount of credits, Erich immediately transferred them over to the merchant’s account, who then transferred ownership of the vessel to Erich. With a wide smile on the merchant’s face, he smiled and bowed his head before thanking Erich for his purchase.

“Thank you for your purchase, and if you ever need premimum starships, or components, you know where to find old Vidu!”

After saying this, Tia remotely piloted the Vigilance back to her world, while Erich and his crew stealthily made their way onto their new vessel. Now that they had acquired a new starship, all they needed to do was sneak their way into Svartalfheim space to ambush their target.