With my plan in mind, I left my barracks and made my way towards the space shuttle docking station where, at anchor 12, my beautiful shuttle was waiting for me. With a touch of my palm to the scanner the hatch opened, and a plank extended, leading me into the inside of my beloved shuttle. Pushing boxes full of antique treasures aside, I made my way to the driver's seat and pulled the safety restraints over my body. I scanned my wrist implant on a little scanner next to the steering wheel and the engine roared to life. A quick pull on a lever next to the scanner closed the hatch, and retracted the plank and the shuttle started leaving its anchor space. Crador was about half an hour's flight away from Whispers station, so I put on my favorite song and leaned back. It was important to understand that there were important speed regulations and routes one had to adhere to in space travel to stay safe. I could've just turned on the big thrusters and made it there in mere seconds, but then I would either crash into another shuttle that could be flying on the slow route, or I could go off the common route, avoid that first scenario but possibly end up having a hyper-jumping ship tearing me to shreds. So the gist was to just stick to the speed regulations and the assigned routes.

Bobbing my head along to the music I leaned back in my seat and took a look around outside at the big ships and the smaller shuttles buzzing all over the place, the density of the traffic signaled, I was getting close to Crador and soon enough the cheesy neon lights became visible behind all the metal residue orbiting the place.

I spotted my destination and weaved around the floating trash and after that, the already parked ships and shuttles at the fuel station.

Whereas Crador itself was rather safe during the daytime, this particular spot wasn't, which had me a little hesitant pulling down on my gauntlet but taking risks was part of getting my money so there really wasn't any way around it. With these thoughts, I shut off my engine and pushed down on the top part, a little under my elbow, and watched it detransform back into its bracelet form, then I wrapped my limp arm into a strap that held it secure against my chest, but also had a quick release mechanism in case things got nasty and I would have to quickly activate the gauntlet.

My walk inside the bar was closely observed by sketchy creatures sitting on the sidewalk with cans in their hands and scars all over their bodies, which led me to let out a quiet sigh as I closed the door to the bar behind me.

I spotted an empty seat right at the bar in between two rather big-looking guys and took a seat where I tapped the bar to gain the bartender's attention. He stepped over while polishing a glass and raised a bushy eyebrow at me.

„I'll have one Inkwater please.", I slid my wrist over the counter while he shot me a calculating look.

„That'll be twenty-four credits", I raised an eyebrow at him as he named the completely ridiculous price for just some alcoholic berry juice, but his ruthless stare dared me to speak up about it, and grumbling to myself I flicked my wrist at him to signal he should go ahead and charge it. With a wide, fanged smile the barkeeper stepped away and started preparing my drink. I threw a look to my right after I felt a tingling sensation on my neck and sure enough, the guy sitting on my right was already staring at me.

„This isn't the part of town to be in for a guy like you when you can't even keep the bartender from ripping you off.", he took a sip of his own drink which was a toxic pink color.

„Well, I ran out of fuel and I'd rather stop off here than have to call for help when my shuttle eventually runs out in the middle of nowhere, especially with all the robberies going around lately.", the bartender slipped me my drink and I took a refreshing sip of the juicy beverage.

„Well far as I know pirates only target ships with valuable stuff on them. You got anything of the likes onboard then?"

„Wouldn't be very smart of a guy like me to tell a stranger that I met in this part of town, would it? You seem oddly interested in what I've got on my ship though.", he could definitely be a pirate scout but then again I doubt anyone actually involved with pirates would be as blunt as he was about his questioning.

„Well let's hope your wit is gonna help you out when it comes down to it. I've had a friend that got targeted by them pirates and now he's stuck in the mental ward. I guess that's what losing the whole crew, that you were responsible for, does to you. I took it as a sign and hung trading valuables up."

Suddenly the guy on my other side bellowed out a laugh and turned to face us.

„Something funny over there?", growled the other man, making me lean back a bit, the long spikes scattered through his shoulder-length hair pulling up with a rattling hiss, as he slammed his fist down on the counter and grabbed his glass, taking a sip as the new member of our conversation sat unimpressed by the clear threat.

„You're worrying about the wrong things my good fellow, scared the pirates will ruin your life like they did to your mate and because of that you've ended up withering away in a bar in one of the sleaziest parts of this forsaken city. What a beautiful concept.", he reached over with his own drink, his scarred, hairy arm right in front of me.

The spikey guy snarled but clinked his glass to the other's anyway.

„Well at least I can still sit here and drink instead of trying to keep the liquid from leaving my body through one of the many holes I've seen people have shot into their throats."

„Cheers to that", the guy's strong arm was still laid out on the counter in front of me as he turned to look me in eyes intently „So my little guy, scared off yet by the gloomy atmosphere this chap over there is spreading?"

I let out a laugh as I grimly smiled into his face, „One of my arms might be useless but I only need one hand to pull the trigger in some pirate's face".

„Oh, I am sure that's not the only way you've got to defend yourself. Nice thing you got there", he nodded at my bracelet and I tried to hide my recoil as I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously, and he continued, „Do I know you from somewhere?"

This seemed to grab the other guy's attention and I ended up having both of them stare at me.

„I heavily doubt it, unless you're around a lot at the Carbus market. That's where I own a little antique shop.", I held up my glove with the old wristwatch wrapped around it, trying to sell my story.

„Huh, I've never seen one of those. What is it?", the spikey guy from before chimed back in and curiously looked at it.

„It was used to tell the time by humans thousands of years ago. I am currently trying to get it back to work", I smiled down at my watch.

„You got many of those over there?", the second guy asked with shining eyes. How curious. He seemed a bit too interested for a mere guy sitting in a bar. This guy could be someone of interest to me.

„Yeah, I got a couple at my shop. I can make you a fair price for them.", come on bite, I needed him to bite.

„Sure thing. My buddies and I will surely stop by soon and take a look at what you've got to sell.", Bingo.

I was now convinced this guy was either part of a pirate crew or at least an informant involved with them.

„That sounds great! I'll make sure to get my best ware out for you. Now I must really head back though, I've got a whole new delivery of antiques in the back, I must invoice. It was great chatting with you guys. I was rather intimidated being all alone in this place, you made for splendid company.", with that I downed my drink, nodded at them and left.

In case my plan failed, I'd have to computer search the guy's face to find out who he was and then set up a whole mission to interrogate him, which would take a lot of time and paperwork, that I can't say I was in the mood for.

Without a peek back I embarked on my shuttle and set the course to the moon Varbeta, where the Carbus market was located.

I chose this specific location because the route to get there had many angles pirates could charge me from, as well as not a lot of traffic, which means less witnesses. It was perfect for an attack, yet half the way has already passed and no disturbances have happened so far. Not even a glimpse of another ship. The moment Varbeta came into vision, and roughly two hours had passed, I decided to turn the shuttle and make my way back to my station. Paperwork it was going to be.

With an annoyed sigh, I deactivated the microchip in my arm and let the disguise drop. My eyes returned to their natural colors and so did my hair, the skin paint I was going to have to wash off back at the station in my shower. With a quick tug on my bracelet, the gauntlet extended again and gave me my mobility back. I flipped a switch below the steering wheel so I wouldn't have to fly manually anymore and just as I leaned back and wanted to close my eyes a little, to pass by the time, my shuttle let out a little ping, signaling the approach of another vehicle, and not a second later my shuttle got rattled as it got hit by grappling rays that slowly pulled my shuttle towards their ship.

I smirked as I checked the ammo in my gauntlet gun. I shoved the magazine back in and with practiced ease cranked the lever to the back of the gauntlet, which allowed me to break apart the claws into a forcefield whip with a swing of my arm. Finally, for good measure I slipped a knife into my boot

It was showtime.