u/Working-Cress8757

The station drifted in silence above the pale-blue planet, its hull scarred by decades of forgotten wars. Inside, under the cold hum of grav-lamps, two delegations faced each other across a metal table: the envoys of the High-Grav Clans and the reptiloid merchants of the Outer Spiral.
Blue crystals pulsed softly on one side, orange shards glowed like embers on the other — each a treasure capable of powering fleets or destroying them.
Suddenly, the clan emissary placed a single luminous core on the pedestal between them. A gesture of trust — or a challenge.
The reptiloid leader tilted his head, pupils narrowing. He answered with a slow, deliberate nod. Then both sides extended their hands.
The deal was struck.
And far beyond the station’s windows, unseen ships shifted course — in the Void, a single negotiation could change the fate of entire star systems.