Ash Lander and Krate Azimuth safely aboard their ship, Crystal extracted fuel from the core of J-IV and filled their tanks. Having done a good deed, she went back to her mischievous hobby of looting unmanned cargo pods. These slave ships contained anything from food and water to high tech equipment, and Crystal loved the surprise of opening them. She fancied herself a child on Christmas morning rather than the pirate that she was. So many ships were lost that she felt no guilt for the few she scavenged. The Federation built in loss due to attrition, and she knew that her ships were numbered among them. Rarely did she find anything of great value.

Occasionally, however, she found something really special.

On a jaunt near Europa, some 417,000 miles above Jupiter, she picked up the signal from a slave ship passing in the vicinity. She used her manipulator to guide it, by radio control and landed it softly on Europa’s surface. Her pulse quickened as she approached the small craft, anticipating what she may find inside. Tools, repair materials and fuel were common, and were often of no use to her, being highly specialized items. Food was good. Clothing was equally desirable, and could be sold back at the school to the less adventurous girls.

Crystal deactivated the shield as she approached the pod, and quickly removed the cargo bay door. A large bondi box was partially exposed beneath packs of dried food. The food was a major score. The box most likely held satellite components or some unidentifiable techo mass, which she would discard into space. Jamming her backpack and pockets, she gathered as many of the food packets as she could carry. Almost as an afterthought, she decided to unlatch the box lid and see what it contained.

As she released the latch mechanism, the lid opened itself, and a soft light pulsated from within the translucent box. It contained a Nebula X, which Crystal had only seen in the weekly entertainment transmissions. This was no ordinary cargo. The Nebula X was the latest fashion droid.

Oh wow, Crystal gasped, frozen in mid-air as she hovered above the sparkling treasure. Someone would be looking for this. Crystal gazed at the flawless chrome skin and ruby lips, the crown of blue nebula encircling her head, and the dress made of gold. The Nebula X’s sapphire eyes, though dormant, seemed to watch her float. This suddenly made Crystal feel uncomfortable, so she decided to close the lid again. She did not want this pilfering to be traced to her, especially now that such a costly item was involved.

As Crystal drifted down to where the box lay, the Nebula X suddenly sat up with a quick, mechanical motion that startled her. The droid had been activated.