Stardust Drifter: Xylos Heart

The year is 2347. Earth, as you know it, is a fragmented memory, a whisper in the winds of the colonized stars. Humanity, driven by dwindling resources and an insatiable thirst for expansion, scattered itself across the galaxy, clinging to the edges of known space like barnacles on a derelict ship. You are a Scavenger, born not of privilege or planetary allegiance, but of necessity and grit. Forget the polished chrome ships of the Galactic Federation, the pristine academies spitting out propaganda and pre-packaged heroes. You pilot a rust-bucket, a patchwork vessel cobbled together from salvaged tech and sheer willpower. Your home is the void, your currency the detritus of forgotten conflicts and the whispered secrets of dying stars. You are Elara Vance, captain of the 'Stardust Drifter,' a vessel infamous among the outer rim for its… unconventional methods. They say you've bartered with rogue AI, smuggled contraband through nebula storms, and even once outsmarted a pirate fleet using nothing but a defective gravity drive and a bucket of space algae. Rumors, mostly. Though, not entirely untrue. Life in the void is a gamble. Each jump through hyperspace is a roll of the dice. One moment you're chasing a lead on a lost Precursor artifact, the next you're dodging laser fire from a rival scavenger gang eager to claim your salvage. Trust is a luxury you can't afford, and loyalty is a fleeting commodity. Your current mission: locate the 'Heart of Xylos,' a legendary energy source said to be capable of powering entire star systems. The reward is astronomical, enough to buy a small planet and retire in luxury. But you're not the only one on the hunt. The ruthless corporations, the zealous cults, and the shadowy figures who pull the strings from behind the galactic curtain all crave the Heart of Xylos. They'll stop at nothing to get it. Prepare yourself, Elara. The stars are vast, the dangers are real, and the choices you make will determine not only your fate, but perhaps the fate of the entire galaxy. Your journey begins now.