My Infinite System.

The ramp of the Star-Jumper hissed shut, sealing out the chaotic sounds and smells of the bazaar. Inside, the air was cool and clean, the gentle hum of the ship’s systems a stark contrast to the noise they’d left behind.

Evelyn led Lira to a padded bench in the common area. The girl was still trembling, her large silver eyes taking in the sleek, organic interior of the ship with a mixture of fear and wonder.

”Here, sweetheart,” Evelyn said softly, her voice warm and steady. She retrieved a hydration pack and a nutrient bar from a nearby dispenser. ”It’s not gourmet, but it’ll help.”

Lira took the offerings hesitantly, her delicate fingers clutching the data-cube like a lifeline. ”Thank you,” she whispered, her voice small.

”You’re welcome. My name’s Evelyn. That grumpy one who followed us in is Marc.”

Marc leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, observing silently. He gave a slight, non-committal nod when introduced.

Lira glanced at him, then quickly looked back at her lap. ”Are you... are you all star-knights?” she asked, a sliver of hope in her voice.

Evelyn smiled, sitting beside her. ”Star-knights? No, not quite. We’re just... travelers. Trying to help where we can.” She nodded towards the cube. ”That seems very important to you.”

Tears welled in Lira’s eyes again. ”It’s all I have left of them. My mom and dad. They were geologists. The best.” She sniffled. ”The company, Omni-Stellar, they sent them to survey the deep fissures on Karys-7. They said it was safe. But it wasn’t. The atmospheric readings were unstable, the ground... it wasn’t right. My dad knew. He filed a protest. They ignored him.”

She held up the cube. ”This has all their logs, the real sensor data, my dad’s reports. It proves the company knew the risks and sent them anyway. After... after the collapse, the company said it was a ’unforeseen seismic event’. They called my parents heroes and offered us a settlement. But it was a lie. So I took this from their archives.”

”You’re very brave,” Evelyn said, her heart aching for the girl.

”I was scared,” Lira admitted, her lower lip trembling. ”But I had to. No one would listen. The Guild is supposed to, but... the company owns everyone.”

From his spot by the wall, Marc spoke for the first time, his voice a low rumble. ”Companies usually do.”

Lira looked at him, intrigued by his voice. ”You sound like you know.”

Marc’s jaw tightened. He looked away, out into the dim corridor. ”I’ve seen how people with power operate. They make tools out of people. And when the tools break, they throw them away.”

His words hung in the air, heavy with a personal history Evelyn could only guess at.

Lira seemed to understand the gravity in his tone. She didn’t press him. Instead, she turned back to Evelyn. ”What will you do with me?”

Evelyn placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. ”We’ll keep you safe. That’s the first thing. Then, we’ll figure out how to make sure someone hears your story.”

”The big one, and the quiet lady with the shadows... they stopped the guards,” Lira said, a note of awe returning. ”No one has ever stood up to Omni-Stellar security before.”

”That’s what we do,” Evelyn said, though the statement felt newly profound. Until today, ”what they did” was follow Lucian’s lead on missions. Now, it seemed to be expanding into something else.

Marc pushed himself off the wall and walked over to the food dispenser, grabbing a water pouch for himself. He tossed it from hand to hand, not drinking it. He looked at Lira.

”You have anyone else? Other family?” he asked, his tone less gruff than before.

Lira shook her head, her moth-like antennae drooping. ”It was just us. We came here from our homeworld for the work.”

Marc grunted in acknowledgment. He took a long swig of water. ”Then you stick with us for now. It’s safer.”

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, surprised by the offer. Marc caught her look and shrugged, as if to say, ’What? It’s logical.’

A small, genuine smile touched Lira’s lips for the first time. ”Thank you.” She looked down at the data-cube, its soft glow reflecting in her silver eyes. ”Do you think... do you think it will make a difference? When people see the truth?”

Evelyn met Marc’s gaze over the girl’s head. His expression was unreadable, but he gave a slow, almost imperceptible nod.

”Yes,” Evelyn said, her voice filled with a conviction she hadn’t felt before they landed on this planet. ”Truth always makes a difference. It might take time, but it’s a seed. And seeds grow.”

She put an arm around Lira, and the girl leaned into the comfort, finally taking a bite of the nutrient bar. In the quiet hum of the ship, with a lost girl and a brooding former enemy, Evelyn felt the path ahead shift once more. They were no longer just chasing a ghost. They were planting seeds in the soil of a universe that desperately needed them. And for the first time, that felt like a mission worth more than just one family’s reunion.

Elsewhere

The inn was called The Drifting Leaf, a multi-level structure grown from woven, living wood that pulsed with a soft internal light. The air inside smelled of damp earth and alien spices.

Lucian approached the counter where a being with bark-like skin and glowing moss for hair regarded him with ancient, slow-blinking eyes.

”We need rooms,” Lucian said, his voice low. ”For a short stay.”

The innkeeper gestured with a gnarled hand towards a crystalline slate. Lucian placed his palm on it, a silent transaction of credits flowing from his system.

Reia’s eyes were already scanning the common area, noting faces, conversations, the flow of service droids. ”A good nexus point,” she murmured to Lucian. ”Lots of traffic. Lots of talk.”

Silas leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed, effectively blocking it as he watched the street outside. Vyn stood near a wall, her form half-merging with the shadows in the corner, listening to the whispers of the place itself.

Kaelis, perched on Lucian’s shoulder, sniffed the air disdainfully. [Smells like mulch and desperation.]

Lucian accepted the glowing room keys. ”We make a base here.” His gaze swept over his team, a silent command passing between them.