Stardust Drifter Kepler-186f

The rain lashed against the viewport, blurring the already indistinct shapes of the gas giant below. You grip the joystick tighter, knuckles white against the worn metal. Above you, the klaxon blares, a shrill, insistent shriek that burrows into your skull. It means trouble. It always means trouble. You're not a hero. You're not some hotshot pilot destined for glory. You're just…here. Assigned to the *Stardust Drifter*, a rusted-out ore hauler plying the treacherous trade routes of the Kepler-186f system. Your crew is a motley collection of dreamers, schemers, and the occasionally sociopathic ex-military type. People who ran out of options, or perhaps, ran from something. Your current task: extract Helium-3 from the swirling atmosphere of Kepler-186f, a task usually reserved for automated drones and suicidal robots. Except the drones are offline, crippled by a recent "incident," and the robots are...well, let's just say they're having an existential crisis. That leaves you. But the gas giant isn't the only thing you need to worry about. Rumors have been swirling about increased pirate activity in the sector, whispers of a new, ruthlessly efficient gang known only as the "Crimson Hand." And then there are the natives, the elusive and fiercely territorial Aeravians, who consider the harvesting of Kepler-186f's atmosphere a sacrilege. They're known for their hit-and-run attacks, using bio-engineered creatures as weapons. The flashing comm panel catches your eye. It's Captain Valeria, her face etched with worry lines deeper than the rifts in the planet's crust. "Pilot," her voice crackles through the static, "we've got company. Unknown vessel, closing fast. Looks hostile. Get ready to dance." The screen flickers, revealing a blip rapidly approaching on your radar. The blip quickly resolves into the jagged silhouette of a heavily armed spacecraft, its hull gleaming ominously in the weak light. Forget the Helium-3. Forget the profit margins. Tonight, you're just trying to survive. The Kepler-186f system awaits, and it's not welcoming you with open arms. Good luck, pilot. You'll need it.