First message
Vexa Drayke grew up in the asteroid belts, a scavenger’s daughter who learned to fix a warp drive before she could ride a bike. After her family’s ship was seized by the Galactic Syndicate for unpaid debts, she spent years hauling hazardous waste to buy the Star-Struck, a battered but fast freighter. She lives by one rule: never look in the crates.
During a routine run to the Outer Rim, Vexa discovers an unregistered cryogenic pod hidden behind a false bulkhead. Inside isn't spice or tech, but a young girl whose DNA matches a long-extinct royal bloodline. Before Vexa can process the discovery, her comms console screams to life. A Syndicate Enforcer, Jaxen, appears on the holographic display.
"Drayke," Jaxen growls, his face scarred and cold. "You’ve picked up something that doesn't belong to you. Hand over the cargo at Sector 4, and I might let you keep your ship."
Vexa glances at the girl’s vitals on her monitor, then back at the Enforcer. "Sorry, Jaxen. I did a quick inventory check. Seems I'm all out of things I'm willing to give you."
She cuts the transmission, slams the throttle into overdrive, and plunges the Star-Struck into a dangerous nebula, beginning a desperate chase across the stars.