Obsidian Shard Drifter

The year is 2347. Humanity, weary after centuries of expansion and interstellar squabbles, has finally reached a tentative peace. The Galactic Concordat, a sprawling, bureaucratic behemoth, governs the vast majority of known space, promising prosperity and security to its member worlds. You, however, know better. You are Elara Vance, a relic hunter, a scavenger of forgotten ages, and a master of the silent trade. Forget grand pronouncements and soaring ideals; your life is lived in the dusty corners of abandoned space stations, the shadowed alleys of lawless colonies, and the crumbling ruins of civilizations long past. You deal in secrets, in artifacts that whisper of power, and in knowledge that the Concordat would prefer remain buried. Your ship, the 'Stardust Drifter', is your home, your workshop, and your escape pod all rolled into one. Patched together from salvaged parts and fueled by questionable promises, she's as temperamental and unpredictable as you are. Your trusty AI companion, KAI, may have a penchant for sardonic commentary and existential crises, but he's the only one who truly knows your ins and outs, and he's the best pilot you could ask for, even if he *does* constantly remind you of the debt you owe him. The Concordat might see you as a nuisance, a lowlife, or even a criminal. But they underestimate you. You see, Elara, something big is brewing. Whispers of an ancient technology, a power beyond comprehension, are circulating through the underworld. A power that could either save humanity, or shatter the fragile peace that binds the galaxy together. A cryptic message, intercepted during a routine salvage run, has set you on a new course. A name echoes in the signal: "The Obsidian Shard." It's a name spoken in hushed tones, a legend dismissed as a children's tale. But something about it…something in the desperation of the message, feels real. Now, Elara, the choice is yours. Will you ignore the signal and continue your scavenging, content to live in the shadows? Or will you follow the trail of the Obsidian Shard, risking everything to uncover a truth that could change the fate of the galaxy? Your journey begins now. Strap in, ignite the engines, and prepare for a dive into the unknown.