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Chapter Text

Rauru Station

Star Date: Day 20, Month 10, 4777 UGY

A tall alien with red and white skin with fins on the side of her head and a long head tail with flukes wearing a long grey and dark blue trenchcoat sat at a bar, sipping her light green drink. Her amber eyes scanned the bar around her, listening to the sounds of the various patrons.

"Excuse me." A voice came from behind her. She turned to see who it was, crossing one leg over the other. Before her was a horned alien with light blue skin and dark red hair tied back in a braid. "You're Mipha Carcharos, yeah?"

"Depends on who's asking." Mipha sipped her drink again before setting it down on the counter.

"I'm a spacer, I work in the gunrunning business. I was looking to have a chat with your captain about business," The horned alien explained. "Think I can buy the captain a drink?" The horned alien smiled slightly, shifting a little on his feet.

"You could, but I wouldn't." Mipha's head tail twitched slightly as she talked. "He's not exactly the type to share drinks with strangers, so you'd be wasting your credits."

"Well, a drink's a good way to not be a stranger, you know?" The horned alien chuckled. Mipha leaned against the bar, shifting her long jacket to show the horned alien the blaster pistol holstered on her hip. "Message received loud and clear." The horned alien walked away, Mipha watching him leave. She picked up her drink, taking the last sip before crunching one of the ice cubes between her pointed and serrated teeth. She set the glass and a red credit chip down on the counter before walking away. Her head tail shifted around as she moved, almost like it was scanning the air around her of its own accord. Mipha's eyes darted to the side, taking note of a person in bulky blue armour with a large blaster rifle on their back. Her nose crinkled as she stepped through a door that slid closed behind her. Inside was a dark blue feathered alien with a beak, talons for feet and hands, and beautiful wings on his back. He held cards in his hand, tapping his four talons on the table.

"Revali, where's the captain?" Mipha looked around the room.

"Went to oversee the shipment between hands." Revali shrugged. "How's it out there?"

"Busy, really busy. Got another wannabe smuggler trying to get an audience with the captain, I managed to scare him off." Mipha sat down next to Revali. "Oh, and there's someone from the Phantom Armada here. A lieutenant, from the armour."

"Well that... Changes plans." Revali sighed. "Think he recognized you?"

"Doubt it, he didn't shoot me." Mipha chuckled. "We should probably get rid of him before he does recognize someone, though."

"Where's the best spot to hide a body from the captain?" Revali asked. Mipha rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Okay, real plan. I'm thinking bar fight, stray stun bolt hits him, we get rid of him." Mipha nodded. She and Revali stood up, the metal heels of Mipha's boots clicking against the ground as the two made their way to the door again.

“You start the brawl, I’ll stun him,” Mipha whispered, her left arm remaining firmly by her side. They slipped back into the bar with very few of the patrons taking notice of them. Revali scanned the room quickly, locking onto an alien with a proboscis for a mouth, eyes that bulged from the side of its head, and four tentacles, three of which it stood upon. He then took note of a large reptilian alien with a long curved horn and a curled tail, an almost empty glass next to the half passed out creature.

“A Parella and a Lizalfos. This is going to get ugly.” Revali picked up the Lizalfos’ glass and examined it for a moment, feeling the weight in his hand as he stepped back. He then hurled it into the air, the glass curving just enough to smash right into the back of the Parella’s head. They stood up, turning around to see the half-drunk Lizalfos. The Parella brought one of the shattered bits of glass to its proboscis, taking a deep sniff.

“You!” The Parella pointed their free tentacle at the Lizalfos, who looked dazed. “I’ll gut you!” The Parella leapt at the Lizalfos, wrapping their tentacles around the reptilian. Both parties’ friends then got involved and within moments the entire bar had devolved into chaos. The Phantom Armada lieutenant got up and made his way to the door, but Mipha followed him closely behind. She grabbed his shoulder, making him turn around right into the barrel of her blaster pistol. A stun bolt knocked him out in an instant, Mipha holstering her blaster with a twirl as he hit the ground. She gave Revali a nod from across the bar, a gesture he returned.

As the bar devolved further into chaos, the air in the middle of the room began to ripple slightly. Black cubes appeared in the air before a flash of light blue light appeared in the middle of it. From within the ripple of air emerged a tall woman with light blue skin and long red hair. The billowing sleeves of her hooded black robe fluttered slightly in the air as she looked around the bar, her eyes narrowing. With a flick of her prehensile hair, daggers made of pure electrical energy flew around the bar and burst with loud explosions, getting the attention of all of the patrons. The bar fell quiet in an instant as the woman’s stony glare found every eye around her. The patrons quietly returned to their drinks, the conflict forgotten. The woman placed a purple credit chip on the bar’s counter, leaning against it for a moment. The bartender handed her a glass with dark red alcohol in it, which she took with a nod. The woman made her way over to Mipha and Revali, who were now standing over the unconscious Phantom Armada lieutenant.

“Good timing, Midna.” Revali winked at her. Midna knelt down next to the lieutenant, tilting her head slightly.

“Let me guess, Revali Special?” Midna asked.

“Guilty as charged.” Revali grinned. “How’s the shipment going?”

“Almost loaded. This uninvited guest changes things, though.” Midna stood up. “I think he needs to have a chat with Sheik.”

Mipha walked down one of the space station's hallways, her long trenchcoat flapping slightly with each step. She heard footsteps behind her, causing her to pause in her tracks.

"Hello to you too." Mipha smiled to herself. "Let me guess, Kohga jacked up one of the bounties on the crew of the Courageous and you thought I'd be the easiest mark."

"Something like that." A voice augmented by a cybernetic mask said. Mipha looked over her shoulder slightly, seeing the cyborg form of a Yiga Guild bounty hunter with his hand ready to grab his blaster. In a flash, Mipha spun around and pulled a pistol from her hip to shoot the Yiga in the shoulder.

"You picked a bad mark." Mipha grinned, examining her blaster as she walked. "I'm the fastest draw in the galaxy, my masked friend."

"Clearly not the best shot," The Yiga groaned and gripped his shoulder."

"Oh, that wasn't me missing, I just wanted you to feel stupid by winging you." Mipha pulled her other blaster out and shot the Yiga in the other shoulder. "Whoops, missed again. Sorry about that. Anyways, I have to go." Mipha turned away from the injured Yiga and resumed her walk down the hallway.

After a few more minutes of walking, Mipha emerged into a large hangar with an energy shield keeping the atmosphere of the station safe from the vacuum of space. Docked within the hangar was a long vessel with folded up wings. The front of the ship was a cockpit that almost looked like an animal’s snout topped with two fins, while the rear had a tailfin. Revali stood next to the ship, arms crossed.

“Run into some trouble?” Revali asked.

“Yiga thought he was a bigger shot than he actually was.” Mipha shrugged. A bang came from behind them, with Mipha spinning around and drawing both pistols in a fluid motion. She then saw a trio of aliens standing over a crate they had dropped. The first alien was a brown furred female with long ears, a tail, large legs, and small arms on which she wore a pair of red gauntlets. The second alien was a male quadrupedal alien with reptilian features and a broken horn, his red scales and crest glimmering slightly. The third and final alien was covered in shaggy blue fur, had small white wings on his back, and balanced on his back legs as he held a stack of crates in his clawed paws.

“Rikki, Wi-Wi, Musshu, careful.” Revali rolled his eyes. ”You don’t want Quickdraw over here taking you out.” Mipha holstered her blasters as Rikki picked up the dropped crate.

“I hope those aren’t the pulse bombs.” Wi-Wi commented, gesturing at the crate with his head.

“If they were, we’d be dead.” Mipha noted. “Get everything loaded, you three. We’re lifting off in ten.”

Mipha stepped into her quarters and closed the door behind her. Her shoulders instantly dropped slightly as she let out a small groan. She shrugged her trenchcoat off and set it aside, exposing her sleeveless shirt underneath. She undid her holsters from her hips and put them on her desk.

“First Mate Mipha, you have a call from Lanayru.” A voice came from the room itself. Mipha leaned against her desk, crossing one leg over the other.

“Thank you, Fi, put it on.” Mipha smiled slightly as a hologram of a younger male Zora appeared before her. He looked very similar to his sister, but he had a cephalofoil on his head along with the fins and head tail. Said head tail thrashed around with excitement upon seeing Mipha.

“Hey, Mipha!” He waved at her excitedly.

“Hello, sweet Sidon. How are things back home?” Mipha asked.

"Busy. Really busy. Father’s trying to keep things in order around the province, but… It’s hard being the governor right now.” Sidon smiled sadly. “There’s a lot of unrest going on. People think we’re going to war with everyone from the Subrosians to the Mogma."

“Is there anything you need? I can bring some supplies.” Mipha offered.

“No, we’re okay. Just talking is all I needed.” Sidon shook his head. He flashed Mipha a wide smile. “I love you, Mipha.”

“I love you too, sweet Sidon.” Mipha waved at him. The hologram of her brother vanished, leaving Mipha alone in relative darkness. She leaned her head back and groaned. She looked over to her trenchcoat, taking a deep breath and sighing again.

Lanayru

Zodobon Spheres

Star Date: Day 7, Month 5, 4773 UGY

Mipha sat in a small open-air pub built within a glowing green bubble underwater. She sipped her drink, taking care not to get anything on her finely pressed white naval suit. The suit had red bars atop her shoulders, red lines on the wrists, and depictions of bottles containing red liquid on her biceps and right pectoral. Her hat was set off to the side on the bar table, Mipha looking at it out of the corner of her eye every few moments. She heard the door to the pub open, turning slightly to see another red Zora walk in. She was wearing a long grey and dark blue trenchcoat and had a blaster pistol on each hip.

“Evening, Marshal. Can I get you a drink?” The bartender greeted the new Zora. She flashed the bartender a smile, adjusting her coat slightly.

“If you wouldn’t mind.” The Marshal nodded. She made her way to the stool next to Mipha, flicking her trenchcoat aside to take a seat. She looked over at Mipha, nodding at the bartender as he set a drink in front of her. “When I heard there was a Federation Navy medic here, I knew I needed to see it for myself.”

“I’m visiting some family during my shore leave.” Mipha smiled at the Marshal. “Hello, Mother.”

“Hello, my darling Mipha.” Mipha’s mother reached over and squeezed Mipha’s hand. “And how is my daughter enjoying her time in the Federation Navy?”

“It’s alright, Mother. I’m a healer, but…” Mipha sighed. “It doesn’t feel like I’m doing any healing. I stitch up blaster burns and energy sword slashes, but I still don’t see a point. We’re fighting mostly mercenaries and bounty hunters and scoundrels. It doesn’t really feel like the honourable and vital deployment that the Federation Chairs said it was meant to be when they expanded conscription.” Mipha touched her hat, frowning slightly. “I wanted to be like you. A beloved peacekeeper. Everyone in Laruta City knows the one and only Marshal Sollas Carcharos.” Sollas nodded slowly. “I don’t feel like I’m fighting my own fight, I feel like I’m fighting someone else’s.”

Mipha and Sollas looked over at the door as it opened. Into the pub walked a being wearing a black mask with glowing green eyes, a long dark brown hooded cloak, and light brown bandages over their arms and legs that were further covered by blue and gold gauntlets and boots. The head tail of every Zora in the pub twitched at the sight of the stranger, Sollas’ eyes narrowing slightly.

“I’ll deal with this.” Sollas touched Mipha’s arm before standing up. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around these parts, stranger. The name’s Marshal Carcharos. Mind telling me what your business is?”

“You, Marshal. And my employer doesn’t want you alive.” The bounty hunter brought their arm up, a jet of fire bursting forth from their gauntlet. Sollas brought her arms up to block the glare, but the bounty hunter drew a pistol with their other hand and opened fire with a series of blaster bolts. Sollas hit the ground as the bounty hunter ran from the bar, the pub’s patrons rushing to her aid with the exception of Mipha. She instead gave chase to the bounty hunter, though she was unarmed. She watched the bounty hunter duck around the crowd before arriving at their hoverbike, getting onto it and jetting away before Mipha could reach them.

Chapter Text

Darunia Station

Star Date: Day 21, Month 10, 4777 UGY

"So I says to the admiral!" The booming voice of a half-drunk spacer, a green Zora with ridges on his head tail, cut through the pub he and his crew sat in. The music of the pub was upbeat and pun, the perfect background noise for a crew of miscreants to get drunk to while regaling each other with tall tales. "So I says to him 'Admiral, I've got no cargo of any kind, actually. I'm on a diplomatic run, I'm volunteering my services for the refugees on the planet!"

"And those Alliance types are all suckers for that sort of thing." One of the spacer's crew piped up.

"That they are there my friend, that they-" The spacer hiccupped. "Th-they are!" The spacer's crew laughed and raised their glasses with him. "But this particular fellow, this admiral, he's got... Bit'v'a stick up the ol' exhaust port and he says he's going to have board my little old ship!" The spacer tipped his head back and groaned, putting his hand on his forehead. "And I jus' ask him what he's gonna do if I don't let him board me and he sends out-" The spacer looked around at his crew. "He sends out fighter support!"

As the music reached a crescendo, a woman with a long and thick silver braid protected by a helmet with two small horns on the crown walked into the bar. She wore dark brown, dark blue, and light bronze armour with plates that protected her upper arms and upper legs while her gauntlets and greaves protected the forearms and lower legs, her curled toe boots making no sound on the floor. Her red eyes scanned the room before locking onto the half-drunk spacer, walking slowly towards him.

"But of course, I'm not one to, uh, you... Run away from a fight, of course!" The spacer declared, much to the delight of his crew. One of them reached across the table, tapping his arm to get his attention. The spacer gave his crewmember a confused look before seeing that she was pointing behind him. The spacer turned to see the armoured figure looking down at him, an unimpressed look on her face. "Ah, hey pretty lady. Can I, uh-" The spacer hiccupped. "-buy ya'a drink?" The woman continued to scan his face, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You got a really nice hair colour there, y'should let it down, looks soft." The woman held her arm out to the side, wrist facing up, and projected an image of the spacer's own face with a sum of credits beneath it. The rest of the crew had smaller portraits with smaller sums of money depicted, but only the spacer himself was marked as needing to be brought in alive. "I'll be damned."

One of the spacer's crew went for his pistol, but with a flick of her wrist the bounty hunter deployed a blue energy blade from her right gauntlet and took his arm off at the elbow. He screamed in pain and clutched the stump, dropping to the floor. A second member of the crew stood up to help her captain, but the bounty hunter hurled a blue energy dagger that disintegrated the crewmember as it struck her. One of the crewmembers, a droid, finally got its senses about it and opened fire on the bounty hunter, who created an energy shield to block the attacks. A battlemask made of blue hard light slid over her face, an eye icon forming over her own left eye. A cannon emerged from her shoulder, a red laser focusing on the crewmember with the blaster. Once the targeting cycle finished, a blue beam fired out and obliterated the droid in an instant. The member of the crew who had initially gotten the spacer's attention ran towards the door, but the bounty hunter hurled an energy whip at her that gripped her waist. The woman was reeled in with a scream, a scream that was cut short as she was felled by a series of weaker energy blasts from the bounty hunter's wrist. The crewmember who had lost his arm tried to stand, but the bounty hunter shot him in the back. The final member of the crew, the one who had joined in on his leader's story, gulped and took a step back from the bounty hunter, putting his hands up in an attempt to surrender. While the bounty hunter's eyes were on him, however, the spacer made an attempt to run himself. He reached the door, pressing the panel in a desperate attempt to open it. The bounty hunter fired her whip around the last crewmember's neck, dragging him along the ground as she made her way to the door. The spacer finally got it open, running through with the bounty hunter close behind. The final crewmember, however, was unable to get through the door before it closed and was electrocuted as the energy whip cut off. The spacer kept sprinting, but he was blasted in the leg by the bounty hunter's arm cannon.

"Please, whatever they're paying you, I'll double it!" The spacer's voice had been shocked into sobriety by the pain. The bounty hunter squatted next to him, tilting her head slightly. "Doesn't matter how many credits it is, I'm good for it, please! I can help you get places, I've got treasure caches around the galaxy!"

"What makes you think I'm after credits?" The bounty hunter finally spoke up in a quiet voice. Her palm surged with electricity and she pressed it to the spacer's chest, shocking the blubbering mess of a man into silence and unconsciousness.

Lorule

Rōraru City

Pyramid of the Hegemon

The spacer groaned as he woke up, looking around dizzily. He felt the ground beneath him, his body being dragged down a hallway while wrapped up in an energy net. He looked up to see the silver haired bounty hunter walking in front of him, her energy whip affixed to the net. They emerged into a large room, with the spacer gulping as he took in his surroundings. He saw six massive droids made of red metal plating with horned heads and a yellow cycloptic eye set back into what would have been their faces guarding a throne at the back of the room as well as countless others of similar design only blue and lacking the horns dotted around the room. The spacer yelped as he felt the net detach from the bounty hunter's whip and become affixed to a pulley system, heaving him into the air upside-down. Applause echoed through the room from behind the spacer, the source someone who he had not seen.

"Well done, my favourite hunter, well done indeed." An aged voice spoke up after a moment. The spacer's blood froze when he realized just who was speaking. The man behind the voice came into view, an alien with light greyish-blue skin and cloaked in red and gold robes. "You made a grave mistake, spacer, when you decided to betray Agahnim, Hegemon of Lorule!"  Agahnim summoned a ball of green light to his hand, the spacer squirming in a desperate attempt to escape from the wrath of the hegemon. Agahnim laughed maniacally as he pressed the ball of light to the spacer's chest, shoving it into the thrashing Zora's flesh. The spacer's eyes turned the same colour as the ball of light as cracks of energy surged across his body. The spacer's look of horror, fear, and agony was frozen on his face as he turned to crystal, trapped as his own prison for eternity. "Bring this one to my trophy case." Agahnim gestured at one of the blue droids, which obeyed and took the crystallized spacer away. "Now then, someone fetch dear Impa her payment, such a job well done deserves adequate compensation."

"You are entirely too kind, Hegemon Agahnim." Impa put her hand over her heart and bowed before the sorcerer. Agahnim chuckled and returned to his throne, sitting down and gesturing for Impa to come closer. She stepped slowly towards him, standing at his side with her arms folded behind her back. Another droid entered the room with a small case in its hand, offering it to Impa. She opened it, scanning the case for her credits. It was mainly gold and silver chips, though a few purple and red made up the total as well. Agahnim held out his hand and dropped a few blue credit chips in before returning to lounging.

"A small tip for your professionalism." Agahnim chuckled. Impa closed the case and bowed again, locking the case of credits and walking away from the throne.

Turtle Rock City

Residence 92-04-13

Impa walked into a condominium, setting her credit case down on a nearby desk and removing her helmet. She set it aside, cracking her back as she did. She stepped over to a large hemicylinder with a panel inside, getting into it. An energy barrier closed around her as segmented arms made of white metal and tipped with claws emerged, detaching the armour plates from her dark blue undersuit. After a few minutes of whirring machinery, Impa stepped out of the tube as the energy barrier dissipated. She reached behind her head, undoing her braid and shaking her hip length hair free.

"Bwoo di doo?" A robotic whistle comprised of a middle tone note, a high note, and then a low note came from the ground. Impa turned, looking down at a egg shaped droid and its wide blue eye. It tapped back and forth excitedly on its three legs, apparently hoping for an answer.

"No, Terrako, I haven't found her yet." Impa picked up the diminutive droid, holding it gently in her arm like one would cradle a baby. "I'm beginning to think Agahnim doesn't have any useful information about her. It all just feels... Hopeless."

"Bwoo whoop whoo whoo?" Terrako let out another series of whistles.

"I don't know, okay? I don't know!" Impa threw her free arm up. "I want to find her too. My family made her family a vow, but more importantly I made her a promise." Impa sighed and walked over to the massive window at the back of the living room of her condo. She leaned against it, looking down at the gloomy green ocean beneath her as smoke trickled out of a volcano peak in the distance. "This place is... It feels so wrong to be here. Hyrule and Lorule were enemies for so long and then Hyrule just... Collapsed."

"Bwoo di doo..." Terrako whistled its initial three note pattern again.

"Because she went missing." Impa nodded, tilting her head back in an attempt to suppress her oncoming tears.

Zol-class Freighter Courageous

Mipha sat with her legs up on a table in the Courageous' lounge, flipping a credit chip to keep herself amused as she scrolled through a list of jobs for the crew of the Courageous to take up on her datapad. Midna walked over, humming to herself with her arms folded behind her back. Midna tilted her head to the side slightly and gestured at the seat across from Mipha, a silent question about whether the seat was taken. Mipha took her legs off of the table, casting her arm out to invite the Twili to sit.

"Any good jobs?" Midna asked.

"Meteo, Blizz, and Thunn are hiring again." Mipha shrugged.

"The Wizuro Covert? Really? After what happened last time?" Midna shook her head, her loosely braided hair bouncing around as she did. Mipha leaned back slightly, sighing quietly. "Need I remind you that Revali was in the medbay for a whole cycle? Do you know how hard it is to mend Rito wings? Because I do! I had to do it because you got frostbite!" Midna massaged the spot on her brow where her right horn sprouted. "What about that job?" Midna pointed at the list.

"We could probably send Rikki, Wi-Wi, and Musshu to deal with that one." Mipha gave a toothy grin as she chuckled.

"Oh, it's one of those?" Midna grimaced. "Do you have a job with an actual profit margin for us?"

"No, not yet. I'm sure something will pop in." Mipha leaned back slightly. "You up for a round while we pass the time?"

"Double Red?" Midna asked.

"Damn it, you beat me by a second there," Mipha sighed, pulling a deck of playing cards from her jacket. "Yeah, you get first play." Both Midna and Mipha placed a red credit chip on the table next to them, their wager for the particular game. Mipha tossed down a pair of cards, one with a blue circle on it and the other with a gold circle on it. She then dealt seven cards each to herself and Midna before putting the deck face-down on the table. Mipha leaned back again and looked at her hand while Midna planned her first move. She scanned over her hand consisting of the Two of Din, Seven of Farore, Seven of Wings, Eight of Nayru, Ten of Din, Ten of Farore, and Moon of Wings. With the two and the moon cancelling each other out, she had a total of forty-two, two above a dealing victory.

"Good hand?" Midna smiled smugly at Mipha, tossing the Comet of Nayru onto the blue card on the table followed by the Three of Wings onto the gold card. She then drew two more cards, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I've had worse." Mipha smirked. She scanned her hand again. She could not put down the Two of Din, it was sequential with the Three of Wings. Getting rid of the Moon of Wings would get rid of her cancelling effect with the Two of Din, but she could hope to draw a lower card total by getting rid of both her Moon and a Seven.

"But you've had better." Midna pointed at her. Mipha's brow ridges flicked up in amusement as she set down the Moon of Wings and Seven of Farore, picking up the Five of Farore and Star of Nayru. Her total was now forty-one, still one point above winning.

"There's always a better hand, but there's always a worse one," Mipha chuckled.

Chapter Text

Holodrum

Natzu City

Blaino Panchi Spaceport

Star Date: Day 22, Month 10, 4777 UGY

Mipha leaned against a stack of cargo containers, arms folded and one leg crossed over the other. Her head tail swayed slightly, seemingly reflecting Mipha's boredom with waiting for the cargo's buyer. The cargo loaded from Rauru Station, the cargo that the captain had to oversee personally, it had a high price on it. Rare crystals from Lorule, apparently gemstones claimed from the treasury of the former Hegemon and her consort. They had been sold off when Hegemon Agahnim rose to power, a way of obtaining credits to benefit the planet and to get rid of traces of the old regime. This particular crate of goods was destined for the hands of one of Holodrum's politicians, an easy enough job.

Mipha perked up as she heard footsteps get closer. Eight people of various alien races approached her, Mipha's eyes narrowing as her head tail went straight down and stiffened. The group approached her cautiously, hardly the attitude of buyers of rare and expensive gemstones that one belonged to a planet's leader and were being bought by another planet's minister. These were either imposters or lackeys, and Mipha played enough cards to know which one of those options she would gamble on.

"You lot the buyers?" Mipha asked, standing up and bringing her arms down to her sides.

"We are, yeah." One of the party, a Gerudo with a long rifle in her hand, nodded. Mipha's head tail twitched slightly before returning to neutral again. She knew she had to play her cards right on this gamble and there was only one hand to play. There was one question she could ask to reveal everything. Lackeys would be confused, imposters would deflect.

"You want to tell me what it is you're buying?" Mipha asked.

"That some kind of game you're trying to play?" Another one of the party, a Lizalfos with a pulse cannon on his back, joked. "You tell us what we're buying. We don't want to be scammed here." In a flash, Mipha pulled one of her blasters from her hip and gunned down the Lizalfos before ducking behind a barricade in the hanger. The rest of the party opened fire on her, Mipha sighing slightly as she drew her other pistol.

The Gerudo walked closer to Mipha's cover, blaster ready to fire at the gunslinger. She was, however, struck in the chest by a blue energy dagger and instantly disintegrated, her rifle clattering to the ground. A man wearing armour similar to Impa's but coloured white, medium blue, and silver bronze and lacking the helmet vaulted over a crate and kicked another one of the raiders in the face. He landed in a graceful roll, tossing a set of three disks forward. They burst in a flash of light that both he and Mipha shielded their eyes from, though the blinded raiders were not quite as wise. Mipha rose from cover and let loose a hail of blasts, felling three of the raiders in rapid succession. The armoured man generated a whip from his gauntlet, flicking his wrist to latch the end around one of the remaining raider's leg. He sprinted over to one of the other remaining raiders and detached the whip from his wrist, wrapping it around the raider's waist. He kicked this raider forward, sending her onto the platform of an elevator. Mipha twirled her pistols, firing one shot into the the last raider and another into the controls for the elevator. The elevator flew up into the air, dragging the other raider by his ankle. The armoured man pressed a button on his gauntlet, electrifying the whip and shocking the raiders out of their senses.

"Sheik." Mipha nodded at the armoured man, holstering her blasters. "Thanks for the assist."

"Yes, you're absolutely helpless without me." Sheik folded his arms and leaned against the cargo delivery, his voice muffled slightly by the mask that covered his nose and mouth. "We are going to have to make this delivery ourselves, I think." Sheik activated the antigravity repulsors on the cart that the crate sat on, walking towards the exit of the hanger as the cart followed him loyally. Mipha pulled a blue credit chip out of her pocket and twirled it around in her hand as she trailed behind Sheik, keeping an eye out for more raiders.

"You gotten anything out of the Phantom Knight yet?" Mipha asked as the two stepped out of the hanger and into the hustle and bustle of the spaceport proper. Vendors shouted at the various customers in hopes of selling their wares as the needy of the planet sat by hoping for scraps.

"No." Sheik shook his head. "But I will. There is not a single secret in his mind he can keep from me forever." A young member of Wi-Wi's species took some cautious steps over to Mipha, looking up at the Zora before running away. Sheik and Mipha arrived at a customs terminal, with Sheik tapping things into the system. Mipha looked over at the little Dodongo that had approached her already, locking eyes with the youngling before gesturing for them to come over. Mipha kneeled down to look the child in the eyes better.

"Are you, um, a spacer?" The youngling asked. Mipha's mouth curled into a one-sided smile.

"Of a sort." Mipha slipped her hand back into her pocket, pulling out a purple credit chip. "Want to see something cool?" The youngling nodded. Mipha rubbed her hands together before snapping the fingers on her left hand to draw the youngling's eyes away from her right hand slipping the credit chip into her sleeve. Mipha then held up both hands, showing the youngling that both were empty. Mipha then reached behind the Dodongo's developing head crest and slipped the credit chip out of her sleeve again, bringing it back into view. She offered the chip to the youngling with a wink and a smile, who took it in their mouth. The youngling then scampered back to their family, apparently younger siblings. Mipha stood up and smiled again, turning back to Sheik.

"Customs are cleared." Sheik walked the crate out of the spaceport, Mipha in tow. The light of the setting star in the sky hit their eyes, Mipha's pupils constricting into slits as the bright light reached them. Sheik looked around, shielding his eyes from the sunset. He gestured to a tall building in the distance, Mipha nodding at him.

Zol-class Freighter Courageous

Midna stood in a small library, humming to herself as she sipped her drink and read from a book. The door to the library opened and Wi-Wi shuffled in, plodding over to Midna slowly.

"Someone looking for me?" Midna asked.

"No, well, yes, not really, uh?" Wi-Wi stammered. "Me, I was looking for you." The skin around Midna's right horn shifted slightly, her prehensile hair twitching with curiousity. "I was just kind of wondering what you were doing in here. I don't actually know what all of these things are."

"Books, from my home." Midna smiled, sitting down on the ground with the young Dodongo. "Tomes is a better name for them, they contain my people's history, our philosophy, our art..." Midna paused, showing Wi-Wi the tome in her hand. "Our magic."

"Like a datapad." Wi-Wi nodded, tilting his head slightly.

"Yeah, like a datapad," Midna chuckled. "My people, we like for our history to be recorded in ink and on paper because that's how it's been done on Twi'lain for millennia. Tradition. It's something I've carried with me." Midna stretched her legs out, crossing one over the other at the ankle. "What's on your mind, Wi-Wi?"

"It's weird to be back home," Wi-Wi sighed. "I mean, back home so soon. When I joined the crew, I was expecting that I wouldn't be back here for a long time, that I'd come back after a bunch adventures and I'd be one of the most famous Dodongos in the universe, but I'm still just me." Wi-Wi tilted his head back to look at Midna. "My people are looked down on by the other two species here. We've got almost no political power, we're just clumsy oafs. I mean, I am clumsy, but..."

"But you're not an oaf." Midna assured him, giving his crest a gentle touch. "I'm sorry that coming back here isn't everything you hoped it would be." Midna's eyes flicked to one of the shelves. She tilted her head slightly as she stood up, grabbing a book off of the shelf in question before sitting down next to Wi-Wi again. "And I'm going to help you prove it." Midna flicked through the pages, coming to a page depicting a horned beast that stood on all fours with a Twili beside them. "This is a Mamunoche, a creature from my home. Each is raised alongside a Twili and is given to them when they reach adulthood. If a Twili's Mamunoche dies before then, it's seen as a bad omen." Wi-Wi looked more closely at the text, carefully touching one of his clawed feet to the page. "Mamunoche are to be trained by the Twili to use magic that suits them, siblings across species."

"Your Mamunoche died, didn't it?" Wi-Wi asked, looking up at Midna. Midna nodded slowly.

"I never got to teach him magic." Midna frowned before smiling sadly at Wi-Wi. "But maybe... Maybe I can teach you." Midna stood up, closing the book. "Sure, the Twili, Hylians, and Loruleans are more naturally gifted at sorcery than other species, but anyone can do magic. You just have to be willing to learn."

"I want to try learning." Wi-Wi nodded furiously.

"Excellent. We'll start the next time we stop for an extended period of time." Midna slipped the book back onto the shelf and grabbed her drink again. "The ship's not the best place to experiment with magic. I don't think the captain would appreciate us blowing a hole in the side of the ship." Midna and Wi-Wi both laughed, making their way to the door of the library.

Holodrumi Ministry of Domestic Finances

Mipha and Sheik sat outside of an office in a set of chairs that were far more plush and ornate than they would have preferred. The crate with the jewels was next to Sheik, his arm resting on it as the two watched every politician, page, and aide that walked past. A few of them had already stopped to ask about the crate. Worse, two of the politicians had stopped in an attempt to invite Mipha to a lovely private dinner like a pretty Zora like her deserved. As much as said pretty Zora wanted to pull her blasters on both of them, a glare had been enough to drive them away.

Mipha and Sheik perked up when they saw a page walking towards them with something in their arms covered by a sheet. The page set the something down on the table between the Zora and the Sheikah and removed the sheet, revealing it was a large plate with various Holodrumi delicacies on it. The page bowed and walked away, leaving the confused Mipha and Sheik alone. Sheik shook his head as Mipha shrugged, Mipha grabbing a skewer of meat from the platter as Sheik picked up a handful of sznye fruit. Mipha dug her serrated teeth into her food while Sheik slipped some of the fruit behind his mask, taking care not to remove it. Mipha reached over and held the corner of Sheik's mask in place so it wouldn't slip off while he ate, earning her a look a gratitude. The two ate in silence together, Mipha's eyes still darting around in hopes that their buyer would show up soon.

The door to the office across the hall from the pair opened, Sheik tightening his mask again as he and Mipha stood up. A member of Rikki's species emerged, blue gauntlets on his arms and an ornate white and blue cape draped around his right shoulder. He stepped over to Mipha and Sheik, a smug and posh grin on his face.

"Ah, excellent, how excellent, my prize, just on time too," The politician chuckled as Sheik nudged the floating crate over to him. The politician nodded at his aid, who produced a case of credits. Sheik took the case and opened it as the politician opened the crate of gemstones. "Yes, yes, this is quite perfect! How lovely, how wonderful! You know, I had my doubts about hiring a gang of vagabonds to deliver these to me, but I suppose even vagabonds want their money." The politician took a deep breath and sighed, looking down his nose at Mipha and Sheik. Sheik closed the case, seemingly satisfied with the payment contained within. "Well, off you all go. You, page!" The politician pointed at one of Musshu's species, waving for her to come over. "Do show these two out, I am satisfied and their business here is finished."

"Yes, Minister Namrol." The page bowed her head and gestured to the two spacers to follow her. Mipha watched over her shoulder as Namrol retreated into his office with his new treasures. She now understood the complaints from Rikki, Wi-Wi, and Musshu about their planet's government. If every minister was even a little like this, it was no surprise that the common folk were struggling.

Zol-class Freighter Courageous

Mipha, Midna, Revali, Rikki, Wi-Wi, and Musshu sat in the lounge of the Courageous, with most of the group watching Mipha and Revali play a round of Double Red. The starry view of space shimmered outside of the freighter's porthole, a beautiful backdrop for a celebration among friends for a job well done. Mipha examined her cards and smirked slightly at Revali, discarding an Ace of Farore and a Seven of Din before drawing two more cards. Revali shot her a quick glare as he discarded a Moon of Nayru and a Three of Wings, evidently not the cards he had been hoping to discard. Sheik walked into the lounge with a bottle of amber liquor in hand, earning him a wave from Midna.

"Who's winning?" Sheik asked, walking over to the seat next to Midna.

"Mipha's got two rounds over Revali, she had a turn two win last game," Midna explained. Sheik nodded, grabbing a set of drinking glasses from a table nearby. He poured five cups of the liquor out, putting a straw into one so Wi-Wi could drink it before passing them out to the spectators. He then grabbed his own straw so he could drink without removing his mask.

"You know, technically, we're not supposed to drink on Holodrum until we pass the Trials," Musshu said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Well, we're not exactly on Holodrum anymore." Rikki raised her glass as Wi-Wi chuckled in agreement.

"And I'm glad about it." Musshu let out a huff of air.

"Captain going to be joining us tonight?" Mipha's head tail flicked in Sheik's direction, a way of addressing him without looking away from Revali or the cards.

"No, says he's a little too tired for a party but he wishes us a pleasant evening." Sheik shook his head. Mipha discarded the Ace of Wings and Star of Farore and picked up two more cards, slapping her hand down onto the deck when she saw the cards she had picked up. Her hand was the Comet of Wings, Ten of Din, Nine of Wings, Seven of Farore, Seven of Nayru, Six of Din, and Two of Nayru, a point total of forty.

"That's another win, Feathers, you're really not great at cards." Mipha reached over and took the red credit chip next to Revali.

"Alright, this is statistically impossible at this point." Revali gathered up all the cards and handed the deck to Midna. "You shuffle this time, Gunslinger over there has to be playing fast hands or something."

"Me? A cheat? Rude." Mipha scoffed. "But I understand the emotions you must be going through right now. Go ahead, Midna. Put dear Revali at peace that I'm not a cheat, he's just bad."

"Okay?" Midna gave the two a confused look before beginning to shuffle the deck.

Chapter Text

Zol-class Freighter Courageous

Star Date: Day 22, Month 10, 4777 UGY

The Phantom Knight groaned as he awoke in his cell. He had been stuck in here for the past what he figured two days by his body's count with nothing but mysteriously appearing rations of food and water twice a day. It was decent food, better than military rations, absolutely not what he expected from being in a brig on a private ship. The atmosphere of the room was starting to get to him, though. It was ventilated, he wasn't choking on stale air, but the only light being artificial grated on one's nerves.

As if reading his mind, the front wall of the Phantom Knight's cell shifted, revealing the armoured form of a Sheikah warrior in front of him. The warrior watched the Phantom Knight silently, twirling the deactivated handle of an energy dagger slowly. With his faceplate covering the entire lower part of his face, only the Sheikah's brilliant red eyes and blonde braid wrapped in what looked like metal-infused fabric were visible as far as features went.

"Let me guess, you're here to interrogate me?" The Phantom Knight chuckled. "It's not going to work. We Knights of the Armada are trained to withstand any and all torture, to expel such weaknesses as pain from our bodies to keep the will and majesty of our lord and leader, the Great Grand Admiral, from those who would do it harm. I am Rejad of Crayk and I declare that I will not be broken by you!" The Sheikah continued to watch him silently, his red eyes burrowing into his skull.

Rumors and myths around the Sheikah said that they were able to shoot lasers from their eyes. Maybe the rumors were true and this one was trying to activate his powers and blast Rejad in the head, killing him in an instant flash of pain. Rejad's mind began to swirl with the various fears that the silence gave way to. Maybe that Zora would show up in here and feast on his flesh, those creatures were savages, after all. Maybe the Twili would arrive and offer up his soul in her people's dark rituals, all to appease a horrifying eldritch god that didn't exist. This Sheikah might be the least of his concerns, they were noble warriors with a code. Perhaps he could get a good death out of it after all.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you what you want to know, just please kill me when you're done with it!" Rejad sputtered in fear. Silence gripped the air again as the unblinking gaze of the Sheikah continued to burrow its way into Rejad's heart and soul.

"What brought you to Rauru Station?" The Sheikah finally spoke after what felt like an eternity.

"The Grand Admiral heard whispers about this old Hyrulean treasure. Didn't tell me more. There was supposed to be a contact on Rauru Station, but I never met him. He wasn't there," Rejad explained.

"Who was the contact?" The Sheikah asked.

"Some old spacer named Sahasrahla," Rejad answered. The Sheikah's eyes flashed with a spark of recognition as he stepped away from the cell. "Now kill me, please. There are things in this world far worse than death and if you don't kill me, I will face them. The Sheikah walked away, the wall of Rejad's cell shifted again, leaving him once again in solitude. "NO! PLEASE! WE HAD A DEAL!"

Sheik walked onto the bridge of the Courageous, folding his arms as he leaned against the doorframe. The captain spun around in his chair to face him, standing up to greet his third in command. The captain wore a blue naval tunic underneath dark brown armour that protected his upper torso and left shoulder, light brown pants, and dark brown boots that reached just beneath his knees that looked older than the rest of his attire. The captain adjusted his ponytail, ensuring the tie holding it in place was tight.

"Get anything good out of him?" The captain asked.

"I did, Link." Sheik's mask adjusted slightly, evidence that he was smiling underneath. "Took less time than I thought, they don't train Phantom Knights like they used to." Link scoffed in agreement. "He said that there was a contact on Rauru Station, but he couldn't find him. He did end up getting a name, though. Sahasrahla."

"The old man, huh?" Link's eyebrows flicked up. "Yeah, that's a chat I can go have. I'll need to bring Mipha along, she'll be able to get me into Ruto Station with less customs problems than I'd usually have. We'll take the Epona, you're in charge until she and I get back."

"Roger that, Cap." Sheik winked at Link, who let out an amused huff of air.

"What's the intel?" Link asked.

"Something about a treasure that once belonged to the Hyrulean Royal Family. Sounded valuable," Sheik explained.

"Ooh, my attention is gotten." Link chuckled. "I'll be back in... Hopefully not long, but you know how the old man can just go on and on and on."

"So the morning," Sheik said.

"Yeah."

Ruto Station

Link and Mipha walked down a seedy hallway lined by merchants and attempted pickpockets. One particular vagabond eyed the two, but an adjustment of Mipha's trenchcoat to reveal one of her blaster pistols made him look away immediately. Mipha's head tail then flicked towards one of the buildings, a tavern with a bright sign in some alien language or another. The bouncer was a Zora with slender features and long barbels on his face. Mipha leaned against his counter, smiling just enough to flash a tooth at him.

"Iui minku pipi ukheai ea miʻoe nkeaiileanki chi ikhaoʻu i nkumu uiʻoe me meachea?" Mipha asked in a Zora tongue. The bouncer scanned her up and down, looking out of the corner of his eye

"ʻIao, chichiʻea wioe nkumu uiʻoe." The bouncer tapped a button on his table that lowered the energy barrier for Link and Mipha. The two walked in, being hit with the sounds of music, patrons yelling, and glasses clinking against tables and teeth.

"Go find the old man, I'll try not start a bar fight." Mipha nudged Link's shoulder. "I make no promises."

"Why are you like this?" Link asked, shaking his head. Mipha shrugged with both her hands and her head tail. Link sighed and walked away, searching around the tavern for some back pathway or another. He eyed a set of shelves that looked like they were meant to keep people's eyes away from the walkway hidden by them. Link slipped around the bar and walked behind the shelves, reaching a doorway covered by a curtain. He walked into the backroom of the tavern, ducking his head below the curtain as he did. He found an old man with a long beard sitting in a plush chair surrounded by various trophies and treasures. The old man chuckled as Link walked in.

"Ah, Link, my dear boy!" The old man chuckled heartily as he walked over to his visitor, pulling the captain in for an awkward hug.

"Hello to you too, Sahasrahla," Link replied. "Sorry this isn't a pleasure call, I've got a little something to ask you about." Sahasrahla's thick eyebrows perked up.

"Well, I am an information broker these days, so that would be logical." Sahasrahla joked. "What can I help you with? I was just speaking with a Ravio of the Lorule Rebellion recently, perhaps something in that realm?"

"Wrong planet in that system, actually." Link took a seat across from Sahasrahla's table. "I was told that you've got something in the department of the old Hyrulean Royal Family."

"And just how did you find out that I might have such information?" Sahasrahla asked, stroking his beard. "It's not something I've exactly paraded around."

"Mmm, a little ghost told me." Link winked at the information broker. "With that said, I understand you have a score for us." Link leaned back slightly, crossing his leg onto the knee of the other as he put his arm around the back of his chair, a sly grin on his face.

"Yes, yes, I have something very very interesting for you, I think, yes." Sahasrahla nodded, puttering around his office while looking for something. "Uh, you see, it's quite the interesting find, I think. Are you familiar with the legend of the Hyrulean Royal Family's secret weapon?"

"The Light Arrow?" Link scoffed. "Really, that's all this is? Yeah, I grew up with my ma telling me bedtime stories about it. It's a myth." Link was about to stand up when Sahasrahla gripped his shoulders.

"My boy, what you must understand is that there's always a bit of truth to legends and even when false they can be most informative." Link settled back into his seat, prompting Sahasrahla to let him go. "I don't for a second believe in a superweapon or some great dreadnought or an army, no no. I think that this whisper of this Light Arrow is all a farce, all meant to keep people looking for something that isn't what they think it is. They expect some grand thing, but it's not." Sahasrahla set a tome in front of Link. The captain leaned forward, examining it with squinted eyes. "All mentions of the Light Arrow refer to it not as powerful, but as valuable."

"So it's not a weapon at all, it's a treasure of some kind." Link smiled to himself. "I'll get my crew. Where do we start?"

"I would suggest the ruinous debris of the planet Hyrule, of course." Sahasrahla chuckled. "Where else do you start a puzzle than with the first piece?"

Zol-class Freighter Courageous

Star Date: Day 23, Month 10, 4777 UGY

Sheik stepped out of his refresher room with a towel covering him from his ribcage down, his mouth still shielded from sight by his trademark mask that still betrayed the confused look in his eyes. His chest had two surgical scars along his pectorals, scars that looked like they had already spent a few years healing. He scanned the room in search of something, his eyes narrowing when he reached the mass in his bed. Sheik leaned over and picked up a pillow, hurling it at the being under the covers. The pillow hit its target, making Midna pop out with a scowl on her face. The scowl immediately dropped when she saw the sight before her.

"Ooh, hel-lo there, handsome." Midna leaned her face against her hand and grinned. "Good shower?"

"Where's my suit, Midna?" Sheik rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall of the cabin.

"Oh, can't you find it? What a shame, I guess I just have to look at you like this for a little while, then. Such a travesty. I'd help you find it, but I'm still waking up, you know?" Midna smirked. Sheik gave her a blank and unimpressed stare. "It's in the middle drawer over there..." Midna pouted and gestured to a metal cabinet in the corner of the room. Sheik's mask puffed slightly as he let an amused puff of air out of his nose.

"You should probably get dressed too. Captain's telling us about the new job he found this morning, apparently it's a big one." Sheik walked over to the cabinet, opening it up and pulling out his undersuit. "Which is surprising because the tip about the intel came from that Phantom Knight in our brig." Midna pushed her hair back from her horns, the strands twitching in protest as she did. She swung her limbs out of bed, adjusting the oversized shirt she was wearing as she stood up to her full height. The Twili rubbed sleep out of her eyes, which flashed with mystic energy as she summoned a glyph to her hand. With a snap of her fingers, her shirt transformed into her usual tunic and robes.

"I'll meet you there." Midna gave Sheik a slightly smug smile and wink as she turned to him. In the flash of time it took her to get ready, Sheik was only now zipping up his undersuit. Sheik gave her an annoyed wave towards the door, something that made his partner giggle cheerily. Midna walked out of the room, adjusting her robes slightly as she emerged into the hallway. Revali popped out of his room as she did, smoothing out his feathers from the sleep.

"I don't see why this meeting had to happen right away, most jobs can wait a little bit," Revali commented.

"If the pay's good, you can deal with being up an hour early, Feathers." Midna punched him in the shoulder. The pair walked into the central room of the Courageous, finding the rest of the crew sans Sheik waiting. "Sheik's just going to be a minute."

"We can wait." Link leaned on a nearby console. A moment passed and Sheik entered the room clad in his armour. "Great, alright, everyone's here." Link pushed a button on his console, pulling up a hologram depicting a debris field that vaguely resembled a planet. "This was Hyrule up until its war with Lorule and the Phantom Armada a century ago. Sahasrahla has put us on the trail of something called the Light Arrow. Legend states that it belonged to the Hyrulean Royal Family, with most people thinking it's a weapon. However, our source discovered that the exact wording of all records regarding it call it valuable, not powerful."

"So a treasure?" Midna asked. "Sounds interesting."

"Do you think you can open a portal to the surface? We won't be able to get the ship or a lander through the gravity storms." Revali nudged Midna with his elbow.

"If Sheik can get a probe down for me to open a portal to. I can't open them to places I've never been before unless I can see the place," Midna explained, looking at her partner.

"Yes, I can get a Guardian down there for you." Sheik nodded.

"Perfect. Get ready, everyone. This is a big one." Link smiled slightly before looking up at the ceiling. "Fi, set a course for the ruins of the planet Hyrule."

"Of course, Captain," Fi replied.