Starbrood

Part 2

There was a time when Sidian felt that he had it all figured out. He was only 19, but he had been a tender pilot, also known as a provisioner, for the better part of five years ever since he ran away from home. Provisioners, couriers, and emissaries are the only pilots trained to fly through subspace. It is the only flying done with the assist of an artificial co-pilot, as flying through the quantum realm can be quite tricky. Any mistake could cause you to blink from existence and no one knows what happens to these victims.

His father had been a highly skilled emissary and was escorting a high profile ambassador at the Battle of Goran Resh where both were killed by the cryon explosion. There had been a cease fire at the time to allow for talks, and many to this day still believe that it was an assassination with Sidian's father being nothing more than collateral damage. There has been no evidence to suggest it.

For Sidian, it came at a tumultuous time. He was barely 13 and was exhibiting your typical rebellious behaviors of which his mother couldn't handle on her own. They had had only a few months to deal with him leaving yet again, and although he won't admit it without severe inebriation, it heavily traumatized him. He no longer had someone to look up to — when he was there — and his psyche was not ready for a leadership role, at least not in their household.

His mother had no skills with which to provide for them, and so their ability to obtain vital resources began to dwindle quickly after going through the money from the life insurance policy. It forced Sidian to try to find a way to make income, but at such an early age, he too did not have the necessary skills to do so. Fortunately for him, his father had a lot of friends among the emissary community and just before Sidian began to fall into the wrong crowd, a former co-pilot of his father's came for a visit unaware that his friend had passed.

He felt for Sidian as he had lost his father around the same age. He had had someone take him under their wing and now he had the opportunity to pay it forward. It was obvious from early on that Sidian had talents that his father most likely passed down. It was his knack for flying through subspace and his tenacity for wanting to learn the ropes of his lineage that landed him the job as a provisioner. As tenacious as he can be, however, he does not have the heart of a warrior.

Fifteen years later, the post-Millennial War economy caused the need for provisioners to wane quite a bit, but in reciprocation, the need for couriers spiked. The job is essentially the same, but the risks involved with hauling materials other than your standard supplies can vary greatly. It's also more common for a courier to be an independent contractor, which has given Sidian a freedom that he has never known. A freedom that has allowed him to develop quite a mixed reputation among the many worlds of Starbrood.

When Sidian awoke, he found it hard to breathe, and as he sucked in, the cold air caused him to cough. Each cough forced him to gasp for what little air was left in the cabin of his small starvessel. At the same time he was realizing that that foghorn sound must have been some kind of electromagnetic pulse. It was very dim inside with the only light being provided by the reflection of the sun in the rings of Kor's Eye.

If he had had time to appreciate it, he would've noticed the shimmering quality of the light, vaguely similar to that of a disco ball. Instead, Sidian was forced to think about how to get some oxygen and fast. He managed to calm the tickle in his throat by breathing more slowly through his nose, but he could really feel the strain on his blood vessels as they all fought for oxygen in tandem. His vision would dim occasionally, but he forced himself out of the chair and began trying to walk to the cargo bay to get to a starsuit.

He was grateful that he had Zerk magnetize his deck. He has had a lot of problems with his artificial gravity generator, and it was cheaper to magnetize his deck than get it fixed or get a new one for that matter. Still, the lack of gravity only added to his current misery. If it weren't for the metals in his clothing, he would have no bearings.