"Did you hear about the bird who...

...landed safely after breaking their wing?"
"No."
"They used their sparrowchute!"
"..."

'The Stepping Stones' are a series of star systems which make up a safe jump path through an otherwise dangerous sector of space mostly controlled by warlords and pirates. Under the protectorate of the security wing of the Alliance of Fair and Independent Traders, a force made up of civilian militia, military and volunteer units work to maintain the safety of the route for civilian and merchant traffic alike. As such, the 'Stones' have prospered from the huge amount of shipping which passes through every day, making for a fairly wealthy and built up area of space.

Upsilon Hydrae is one such 'Stepping Stone', and is often used as a longer rest stop for crossing vessels, which flock to the humongous Zhang Spaceport to layover, take on supplies, or dry dock for repairs. The station, which is often referred to as a 'megalopolis of the stars', has the capacity for over a billion people, set a safe distance from the star from which it gets its name.

Though Tych0 is a synth who generally prefers the quieter corners of space, he does sometimes feel the need to visit somewhere fast paced and bustling, especially when his ship, 'The Paralytic Pegasus' requires repairs, as Zhang happens to be a regular meeting point for Tych0 and his starship mechanic friend, Tee.

An incredibly hard worker, Tee is quite possibly the embodiment of the phrase "playtime doesn't start 'til the work is done". She generally prefers to knuckle down and get the job finished before resting, a concept which Tych0 doesn't always remember, often leading to him becoming distracted and babbling away at his friend. This occasional conflict of interest does sometimes lead to comments such as "Can't this wait until we're finished?" or "You said you'd lend a hand. Are you actually planning on helping?", that tend to remind the orange beeper that the little bird likes to focus on her work, and that he should make good on his offer! There will be plenty of time for banter when they're at the bar later, after all.

This utterly stunning piece of art was a commission from the superb Alfas!

Alfas was a pleasure to work with, and absolutely transformed the idea that Arimah and I had far beyond our initial expectations!