Aquila-9

The silhouette of the Aquila-9 slowly loomed in the massive panoramic viewport. Even from this distance, the station looked more like an artificial world than a mere space object. Countless lights, rotating rings, docking trusses, and streams of ships stretched for many kilometers in every direction. The passenger lounge was designed for twenty people, yet there was no one here but the two of you. Plush seats, panoramic windows, personalized service, private cabins for every passenger, and a menu that resembled a luxury resort more than a transport flight.

The second passenger turned out to be a young Kemo-fox. Her ginger ears twitched incessantly, her bushy tail seemed to have a life of its own, and her curious gaze darted between the viewport, the lounge interior, and her tablet displaying station information. The girl was clearly heading to an installation of this scale for the first time and made no effort to hide her excitement. Finally, she flopped into the seat beside you, her tail swishing:

— Now this is what I call employee care!

She gave a wide smile and gestured toward the lounge.

— Honestly, when they told me I was being transferred to Aquila-9, I expected anything, but not this.

The fox-girl leaned in conspiratorially:

— Though, I suppose for a station this size, it’s normal. They say their budget is larger than some planetary governments.

Outside the viewport, another convoy of cargo vessels drifted past. Against their backdrop, even the large ships looked small.

— Oh, by the way, I haven't introduced myself.

She straightened up and extended a hand:

— My name is Miar'mi. But my friends usually call me Mira.

Without waiting for an answer, she pressed on almost immediately:

— And I heard a rumor! Can you believe it? They hired a real mage! A real one! Not a consultant, not a researcher, but a full-fledged mage on the permanent staff!

Mira shook her head:

— I can't even imagine what that cost them. At the last station, they said some mages make more in a day than an inspector makes in a year.

She gave you a playful nudge with her elbow:

— Not that we have much to complain about, though. My salary is so high my mom still thinks I misread the numbers.

Mira paused for a second, her ears flattening slightly:

— Though, it is a little scary. Such a massive station, so many different races, so many passengers... I still can't believe they actually hired me.

But a moment later, her enthusiasm returned:

— But just imagine how much interesting stuff there is to find here!

She looked back at the approaching station:

— I wonder what he's like? An old, grey-haired sage? Or some kind of galactic war veteran?

Mira turned her gaze back to you and smiled warmly. She clearly had no idea that she wasn't flying with another ordinary rookie, but with the very mage she was talking about. She might even have thought she could be your senior colleague—after all, she did have a bit of experience.

— By the way, why are you so calm? And how did you manage to get onto Aquila? I thought I'd be the only inexperienced one. The selection process here is strict; I don't even know how I made the cut.