Captain Orson Lârion remained calm, "Which means that something WAS traveling faster than the speed of light, and the photonic boom is now reaching us. Therefore, whatever made the boom is already here. Fortunately for them, we can't see them." Captain Lârion reasoned. "Search for the container, if the Ancients smile on us, it'll be behind the boom, moving at sub-light speed."

"Scanning. Yes! There it is." Scanning Officer Max was ecstatic as he stared intently at the radar screen, confirming the cargo container's location. "It's moving at sub-light speed, almost right up against the photonic boom."

Captain Orson Lârion took a deep breath, sighing in relief. "Excellent. They must have cloaked themselves just as they entered this system. Excuse me, I mean, 'look what the heavens have ordained to give us,' and so on." He said with an insincere tone and a flourish of his hand.

"Your lack of faith is noted, Captain." Xia replied with a dismissive tone. "Retrieve the container and bring it to the docking bay. I will administer the cleansing ritual from here." Xia ordered, her voice dripping with hints of her superiority as an Ancient Cursed.

Captain Orson nodded in compliance. "Porter teams to the cargo bay. Prepare for interface with the container."

The Porter Teams scurried out immediately as the gravity in the cargo bay was recalibrated to match the weight of the cargo to seamlessly bring the container inside.

Xia lowered her hood, showing the stark contrast between Serpentes and Ancient. Her thin eyebrows arched over the top corner edges of her round eyes, radiating power and ambition.

The light in the control room filtered through a thin veil of her long hair, caressing her ears—which had a faint, but discernible patterned glint—and casting soft shadows across her sharp jawline. She closed her eyes, whispering a chant under her breath. Only Captain Orson nearby saw her tail's serpentine scales become iridescent.

"Captain Lârion? The container is glowing." One of the Porter Team Members stammered, peering into the darkness of the station's vast docking bay.

The docking crew all looked stunned. The cargo container had landed mere meters from their designated docking point, and a faint, pulsating light gently escaped the seams of the container. It was so subtle that it could easily be mistaken for a trick of the light, or a simple error in the station's low-light LED sensors.

Meanwhile, back in the control room, Captain Orson Lârion looked toward Kryxxus, mouthing "Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

The Serpentes Commander just shook her head, eyes wide with confusion and amazement. The color drained from both of their faces as they peered at the docking bay.

"Perhaps we should send a team to investigate," Kryxxus suggested anxiously. Lârion nodded readily, agreeing with her. However, something in his gut tightened slightly. Maybe it was their lack of preparedness in dealing with an Ancient-Cursed High Priestess, but he couldn't shake an inexplicable feeling that this would not end well.

"There will be no need for an investigation," Xia said, her head sill bowed in solemn prayer. "The Ancients deign to cleanse the precious cargo within that container. This is undeniable proof of their benevolence and approval."

Captain Orson Lârion hesitated, unsure whether to believe her. But his instincts told him to trust her judgment, at least for now. "Understood, High Priestess," he said, nodding. "We'll assemble a team to unload the container with the utmost care, just as you've instructed."

Xia smiled, her long eyelashes casting shadows on her pale cheeks as she raised her head. "A much more satisfying experience than the last shipment."

Captain Orson nodded his head, the answer obvious to him, "It's competence."

"No, Captain, it is providence," Xia argued, her voice full of conviction.

"Ah, I see. You attribute the difference in performance to the Ancients' favor?" Captain Orson asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Precisely." Xia responded, lowering her voice to a whisper as if sharing a secret.

The unloading process continued with careful precision, as the pulsating light grew stronger with each passing moment. The Porter Team was awestruck by the spectacle before them, whispering amongst themselves about ancient legends of glowing containers and celestial gifts.

"Commander Kryxxus. Release the full shipment to the valiant Tug crew of the Titans Pillar. Reward them generously for their diligence," Xia instructed with her deep, resonant voice.

"The whole shipment? Including..." The corners of Commander Kryxxus' mouth turned up in a fraction of a second, only to fade as she focused her thoughts. "Granted." With a swift sweep of her serpentsque tail, she issued the order, and the containers commenced departure along the gravitational paths set by the station.

"Scanning Officer Max, you are to turn off your station, so that the Tug will be able to conduct their work without being detected..." Commander Kryxxus started.

"No, you shall power down the Station, Commander, per the old ways." Xia said firmly, expecting nothing less than the Commander's full compliance.

Without hesitation, Commander Kryxxus swept her tail across the console, sending a message to the station's control room to begin preparations for the ritualistic shutdown.

---

"So, what's the deal with this Station, Bella, I mean, Officer Brown? Why the destruction of valuable shipments and crews?" Tatyana asked, squeezing and releasing the muscle tension in her thighs against the coupling end.

"It appears that this Station recently received a new High Priestess, a Zealot." Bella turned her gaze toward Tatyana as she tightened her grip on the coupling. "Zealots aren't known for their warm and fuzzy personalities."

"I hate Zealots. They don't pay well." Lucas grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Bella glanced at him and then back at Tatyana. She shrugged and spoke, "It's not just about money. Some people have ideals, principles that they hold higher than materialistic comforts."

Tatyana let out a snort, amused by Bella's words. She had always been intrigued by Bella's naiveté. "Yeah, but then someone always ends up dead," Tatyana replied with a hint of introspection.

Bella narrowed her green eyes, "No one said life was fair."

The silence that followed was heavy with tension as the three of them waited for some type of response, any response.

"This is taking too long. Does anybody else think this is taking too long? Tatyana, you're within the cloaking fold, right?' Lucas said with a slight panic, rechecking the readings on his console.

"Yes, Chair-Jockey, I'm well within the cloaking fold," Tatyana stated with an indignant certainty, but soon after hugging the coupling with her upper body, her breasts pressed against the cold metal. The sensation sent a shiver down her spine, as if it was tickling her.

Bella glanced at both and said, "Let's give it another minute. The Ancients work in mysterious ways." Her voice was steady, but her fingers tapped anxiously on the console.

Lucas's non-mechanical eye widened as he saw the fresh readings from his scan, "Contact! There are... a lot of containers launching all at once," Lucas stated, almost in disbelief. But the elation in his voice was unmistakable. "I LOVE Zealots!" He exclaimed ironically.

"And the Station, it's powering down now," Bella noted, observing the data streams coming in from their ship's sensors. "Here we go. Ms. Carter, start..."

"Coupling the new containers. I'm on it!" Tatyana interjected, way ahead of Bella, "Hey, Lucas! Stop ogling me and do your job. Get me close. I want those things all but slamming into me!" she barked, with a half-smile on her face. "Now move it, Flyboy!"

Lucas snapped to attention and maneuvered the Tug within millimeters of the hulking cargo containers. Tatyana's fingers danced over the console in front of her as she slowly and carefully took control of the coupling process. Lucas leaned back in his chair and sighed with relief, realizing he had been holding his breath the entire time.

"All systems good here, Tatyana," he assured his friend and colleague, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

The capturing and coupling of the multitude of cargo containers was no small feat. The motion of the Tug's capture arms became an intricate dance of interlocking container components and machinery necessary to secure them in place. All the members of the Tug crew were on high alert as the coupling process began, constantly checking and rechecking the incoming data for any discrepancies or risks at every stage.

As the pieces came together, Tatyana slowed her breathing and increased her presence of mind. This was the true thrill of the job—the final moments before the full integration and subsequent release of tension in her muscles, her body and her mind.

"Coupling complete," Tatyana muttered, the corners of her lips curled up into a self-satisfied smile. "Time to beat feet," she called out, barrel-chested and commanding while pressing herself against the view ports of the bridge, then lowering her head to meet Lucas's gaze, which he returned with a sly smile.

Bella interjected, "You heard Ms. Carter, get us out of here Mr. Grayson. Head back to the Celestial Gate and back home." She said with a dismissive tone.

Lucas blinked and sprung back into action, initiating the Tug's engines and veering toward the Celestial Gate.

Minutes later, they arrived. As they did, the massive structure warped and curled in upon itself, the swirling vortex of pure, raw energy in its core beckoning to them.

"Impressive sight, isn't it?" Bella said, leaning on the railing of the ship's deck as they observed the shimmering Celestial Gate open before them.

"Not nearly as impressive as she is," Lucas breathed as his eyes beheld the Titans Pillar exiting the Celestial Gate.

The ship was massive, with sleek lines and a futuristic design that hinted at the power within. It was difficult not to stare in awe at the magnificent vessel, even for someone as seasoned as Lucas. The sight of it was hypnotizing, the way the outer lights danced across its surface, as if inviting onlookers into a world of mysteries.

The Titans Pillar's engines hummed softly in the background, sending vibrations through the deck of the Tug and into their bodies. The sound was thrilling, like that of a distant thunderstorm, promising both pleasure and danger.

"To be honest, it reminds me of an overly large tug," Bella said with a chuckle, walking back over to her control panel to hail the Titans Pillar.

"Oh no. No," Lucas said defensively, "She's so much more than that. That Celestial Engine is powerful. A mobile Gate, if you will. With the ability to warp reality with such force that it could; well, turn this system inside-out." He said with reverence and awe at the vessel now eclipsing the view of the Gate.

"That was the problem though, wasn't it?" Bella said, still staring out the window towards their waiting spacecraft. "Between the Engines that broke up planets and the Gates that evaporated whole systems, they were eventually outlawed, and rightfully so. The Ancients deemed them too dangerous. Too volatile to possess such destructive power without consequence."

Lucas sat straight in his chair, his easygoing demeanor vanishing ever so briefly, "As someone who has been on the wrong side of a system-wide starvation, there is no decision without consequence. I'll take the power to feed the Galaxy, please, thanks." He said with resolve, sliding his hands across the worn control panel in front of him, as if willing the Tug to respond faster.

---

"Okay Captain, let's power the station back up," Commander Kryxxus ordered. Captain Orson Lârion gave a quick nod of approval, and the power core from deep within the station came roaring back to life. The walls of the docking bay shook, executing a trembling dance typical of a starship experiencing a powerful engine startup.

As the station powered up, Kryxxus continued her nervous peering over at High Priestess Xia, who remained solemn and unfazed by the thrum of energy surrounding them.

Captain Lârion took a deep but shaky breath, whispering, "Finally, some good luck." He silently hoped for calm waters ahead, despite his better judgment telling him otherwise.

"Even more so than you realize, Captain," Xia replied quietly, a knowing smile playing on her lips. Her gaze shifted to Kryxxus, who met it briefly, then looked away.