The Voice of Rain

Azandir stood on the observation deck as the ship, the Voice of Rain, passed through the Gate. One moment, the electric azure haze crackled in front of the window, and the next he felt curiously out of place for a moment, before the stars shifted. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his destination lay only a few more hours away.

His hands gripped the railing, although only one was made of flesh. The other was a cold chrome facsimile, an amalgamation of alloys, polymers and circuitry, a reminder of the recent conflict with pirates. Although the replacement was fully functional, he was still growing accustomed to the metallic prosthesis. While regenerated cells could regrow the missing limb, once they arrived at a suitable facility, he felt that the replacement was just as suitable to a ship's captain that had weathered the storm.

He looked deep into the darkness before him, and could barely make out their destination, a small speck of light on the horizon, just to the left of the ship's prow. He looked forward to returning to Tranquility Station, a massive city floating in space where he could deliver cargo, relax for a few days, and have the ship repaired from the damage it recently sustained.

The soft footfalls of his falauhr Second-in-Command alerted him to her presence. She inquired with a soft voice, "Shall I have the approach codes and combat records transmitted?"

"Yes, Karalla. Also make arrangements for the crew to have some recreation time while we have the necessary repairs taken care of. We're going back to the Barrens as soon as possible."

"But sir, what about the pirates?" her voice sounded worried.

"This time, we're bringing along some friends."