The USS Reprisal had been adrift for three cycles. Its crew of twelve, led by Captain Mira Velez, survived on recycled protein paste and the static hiss of a dead comms array. Their crime? Downloading a forbidden database of pre-Collapse terraforming codes—a treasure the Interstellar Copyright Federation (ICF) called "piracy."
"You have the codes," Sarya said. Not a question. downlaodpirate
Sarya extended her human hand. "Welcome to the download. There's no upload from here." The USS Reprisal had been adrift for three cycles
The two ships docked with a hiss of equalizing pressure. Sarya boarded the Reprisal , her coat lined with optical cables and her right arm replaced with a multi-tool that hummed with processing power. She was older than the holos suggested, with grey-streaked hair and eyes that had seen too much. "Welcome to the download
Mira stared at the flickering screen. The data was their only bargaining chip. "Any ship on the horizon?" she asked.