Your suspicions have been aroused, and the last thing you want is for your crew to board a defenseless shuttle, carrying the precious Opus Collection with them. But your first officer Dartren has disobeyed a direct order and started evacuation procedures. They are escaping aboard the shuttle, carrying the Opus, which has been carefully disguised as regular cargo.
Meantime, back onboard the Nox, you give Ventra, the engineer, to go-ahead to flood the ship with a gaseous mixture that will cancel out the effect of the lethal particles. This negative ionic bath has a charge opposing that of the positive proton radiation. That done, there’s one more thing to take care of: staunch the original leak, you fill the engine’s hollow casing with good old hydrogen. Immediately this is successful – an elegantly simple solution.
This small victory means you can remain aboard your vessel. However, the worst has already occurred. Vulpeculan officers have seized the defenseless shuttle, with half your crew and the treasured art onboard. Despite your frustration at First Officer Dartren’s actions, you must activate the Nox’s engines, and pursue them to their home planet Vulpecula.
En route, you duck into your office to have a word with your guest: a Nonnid diplomat, who appears before you. He is in obvious distress, expressing great concern that the Opus has been lost. He is worried that, unlike before, you are hardly in a position to escort the Nonnid leaders with weapon systems down and only half a crew. The Vulpek plot will likely succeed.
You are half worried that he is right. But, being the experienced officer that you are, you reassure him, saying that Ambassador Irfan selected the Nox and its crew for this trip because he had full confidence in you all, and your resourcefulness to complete the mission.
Twilight has already descended on the Vulpek surface as you transport down. Following a subtle signal sent from your first officer’s homing device, you navigate through their capital to the outskirts, where you find yourself entering a dangerous Vulpeculan black market. Armed private guards are everywhere, as are gleaming artefacts of every description. Good thing that you’re under guise yourself: even now, eyes are on you. Suddenly, you spot the stolen ice art–two, maybe three pieces, then the entire collection. They are for sale by the devious and well-known vendor Undrok, who has fifteen armed fox-eared henchmen at his disposal compared to your nine crew members. He is watching you very, very carefully, trying to read your next move.
Behind him, your gaze lands on Dartren, who is crouched by the wall, handcuffed to a post. The rest of your crew must be nearby. Your own communications device is blinking. It appears that he has just sent you discreet message — moments before Undrok confiscated his device.
