Part 14: History Lesson

Ryuvia? You mean we've been contacted by royalty?
Correct. Ryuvia's one of the oldest nations in the galaxy, with a history going back over 10,000 years. In fact, some historians say that Ryuvia might even have been the birthplace of humanity.
Let's hear what they've got to say, then. Put them through.



Greetings, your highness. I'm Captain Kayto Shields of the CSFS Sunrider. This is my first officer, Ava Crescentia.
I have heard of your deeds in the Neutral Rim, and believe you may be of help. There is a treasure known to our people which we seek to retrieve from the Nomodorn Corridor. Perform well, and we shall bestow you with great riches.
What are you looking for?
The crown jewel of Ryuvia.
The crown jewel? I presume it's of value?
The kingdom of Ryuvia holds many secrets, captain. You have our request. I shall be waiting.



Well, maybe this might shed some light on the matter.
What?
There’s a rumor going around that the Ryuvian princess has gone missing.
Missing? And what's the crown jewel have to do with that?
I wrote my dissertation on Ryuvian treasures at the Academy. According to my research, the crown jewel isn't a carved gem, but rather a highly advanced crystalline device which can pinpoint the location of people with royal blood across astronomical distances.
Ah ... so I’m guessing the Ryuvians want this crown jewel to help find their princess?
That's the best explanation I can think of.
Give me the background on King Jaylor and the Ryuvians.
A long time ago, the Ryuvian Empire stretched across the galaxy. It was a vast and mighty empire, where culture and the sciences flourished.



The formation of the Solar Alliance further degraded Ryuvia's power, and today all that is left of its former glory is the planet of Ryuvia. You can still find pieces of their former empire scattered throughout the galaxy though. Many archeologists and explorers seek Ryuvian treasures which may hold the secret to unlocking the power of their lost technology.
It’s that valuable?
The Ryuvian Empire conquered the entire galaxy using technology we cannot even conceive of today. When their empire collapsed, much of their technology was lost in the ensuing chaos.



We've been trying to catch up to the Ryuvian's level of technology ever since, but we’re still decades away from having anything close to what the ancient Ryuvians did. The pieces of technology left by the ancient Ryuvians are called Lost Technology. Whenever an artifact is found, it can dramatically change the power balance of the galaxy.
Why would the Ryuvians need to invent a device to detect royals in the first place?



The crown jewel of Ryuvia was made to detect royal blood with the utmost precision. You could even say the fate of the galaxy depended upon its accuracy. Much of what we've dug up of the ancient Ryuvian's technology escapes comprehension though. Some of the details of the device may never be understood.
Well, since we could use the money, we might as well help the Ryuvians get their crown jewel back. What do you say?
Understood, captain.



Before we make the jump, I put some funds into boosting the Sunrider’s energy core and kinetic accuracy.




Warp successful, captain. We have arrived at the Nomodorn Corridor.
This is going to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Any ideas where we should start looking?



Nothing we need to worry about though. The Tautenian space force is... kind of a joke.
Right. Keep our pilots on alert though. I want to be prepared for anything.
Aye sir.



Battle stations! Raise shields and power weapons! Ready all ryders for combat!
All hands, battle stations, battle stations, battle stations. Set condition one throughout the ship. This is not a drill. Repeat: this is not a drill.
We're all ready down here, capt'n!
Wait a minute … I’m reading a distress beacon from another ship.
A Tautenian ship?
No, it's Alliance. Civilian signature, designation Mochi. Possibly a transport vessel being targeted by the pirates.
Looks like this just turned into a rescue mission. Patch me through to our pilots.
Done.
Asaga, looks like it'll be a rescue mission this time. The pirates are targeting a civilian transport.



The Sunrider will be vulnerable without our ryders. What are your orders, captain?

Choose one:

A:
That's a risk that we'll have to take. I want all our ryders to go forward and save the civilian vessel.

B:
The safety of the Sunrider comes first. Our ryders will stay back and escort us.