Cold light floods the scrapyard bay carved into the belly of a battered station hull. Hulks, trusses, and cable spines hang in ordered chaos. Ranuko is braced on a gantry beside a half-stripped reactor cradle, working fast with scavenged tools and fresh weld beads.
A relay panel on the ship’s flank spits a shower of blue sparks. The patch he is fitting is almost elegant, if elegance can be made from scrap, wire, and a prayer to physics.
Ranuko
Nahuli, good. I need a second set of hands on this feed line before the coil cooks itself.
Nahuli
The coupling is misaligned by a few millimeters.
The reactor cradle gives a low, unhappy thrum. One of the temporary clamps slips, and the whole assembly shivers against the docking frame.
Ranuko
If this holds, the ship gets range. If it fails, we are buying parts with debt we do not have.
Ranuko shoves the cable toward Nahuli, eyes fixed on the crackling seam, while the station power flickers once, hard enough to dim the bay.
✓ Quest Accepted
Stabilize the reactor cradle
“Just another day keeping this thing running. "All our systems are dated. Hard to expect more from such an old ship"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Engineering, rolled +2)
Nahuli takes the cable, seats the coupling square, and twists it down until the misalignment disappears. The reactor cradle’s thrum evens out under his hands.
Ranuko locks the clamp home and the whole assembly stops shivering against the frame. Fresh weld glow steadies from white to dull orange.
The sparking relay panel goes quiet. A cleaner hum replaces the crackle, thin but solid enough to hold.
Ranuko
That is better. Much better.
Ranuko
Old ship, old problems. At least this one still listens.
Station lights flicker once more, then recover with a steadier wash across the bay.
Ranuko
The feed line is stable. For now, keep an eye on that panel while I check the cradle seals.
Quest Complete
Stabilize the reactor cradle