We were contacted by a female biological called Varia. She was an assistant to a merchant called Kevas Farjo who wanted to meet us to discuss a job. We jumped to the coordinates she gave where we found a star yacht. We docked but had to wait before being shown to Kevas. He was a merchant dealing in Tibanna gas and antiquities. He wanted an ancient navi computer data plaque rumoured to hold the coordinates of the fabled shimmering city. It was due to be auctioned on the planet Vandor in the next few days. He did not want to buy the plaque. He wanted us to steal it for him instead and would pay 10k each.

Due to environmental conditions the plaque was being transported on Vandor by a rapid transport conveyex from Fort Ypso to an imperial vault. The conveyex travels at 90 kph with a contingent of troopers on board. Each car has a quantum switch key biologically locked to the issuer. Seratlin spoke with some contacts and found the conveyex cars were joined with magnetic couplings which would need to be depolarised with an ionisation blaster to separate them. We bought two and also had a cargo lifter fitted to the Phoenix.

We arrived in orbit of Vandor. As we approached Ypso we were contacted by the commander at Fort Ypso. Seratlin told him we were there for the skiing and was given coordinates to a resort about 10 clicks from Ypso. He continued to communicate and was given permission to land at Ypso in exchange for some wine.

Seratlin and Zhobee consumed alcohol with the commander. He was quite friendly for an imperial officer and divulged some useful information. Coaxium was being transported in the front 2 cars of the conveyex, and the rear car had unusual artefacts including a Sith holocron and a data plaque. Seratlin managed to get a sample of the commanders DNA and back on the Phoenix he succeeded on making a duplicate key. I inspected the conveyex discretely and saw weapon turrets at each end.

We waited several hours after the conveyex departed, then set out in pursuit in the Phoenix. There were three probe droids following the conveyex which we were able to destroy before they transmitted any warnings. When we caught up with the conveyex I blew the rear turret off then the front turret with the Phoenix's weapons. There were four stormtroopers attached to the outside by magnetic boots who were also targeted and destroyed. Zhobee then flew the Phoenix close to the conveyex, allowing me to fire on the coupling. After I hat hit it several times it disengaged. We deployed the cargo lift and lifted the rear car up into the Phoenix's hold. Two troopers were unconscious inside which we left on the planets surface. Inside we also found creates with the data plaque and a pyramid.

We gave the data plaque to Kevas and sold him the pyramid which apparently was the Holocron for 15k. Kevas asked us to use the plaque to travel to the shimmering city and offered 10k for each undamaged artefact we recovered if we found the place. He arranged for the plaque to be fitted to our ship. It appeared to run very slowly but finally provided coordinates in wildspace. The jump to the coordinates took 8 days where we found ourselves in orbit around an ocean planet with some island archipelagos. Energy readings were detected on the surface and we descended into the atmosphere to investigate. The energy readings came from the sea just off a beach in one of the islands. We landed the Phoenix on the beach and prepared to investigate further.

We entered the water and found a cave on the sea bed which led to a water filled cavern. A large creature with many tentacles attacked from the gloom but it was quickly dispatched. We continued towards a light and emerged from the water on a beach in another cavern. The light was emanating from a natural corridor leading from the cavern. On the beach was a humanoid skeleton in a space suit. We found a pistol which broke as Seratlin picked it up, as did a scanner that was lying in the sand. It looked like it had been here a very long time.

We continued into the corridor and on turning a corner we found a spinning disk of light blocking our way. Philippe pushed a bone into the light and was able to pull it out undamaged so Seratlin entered the light. Zhobee followed as did I. I was temporarily deactivated by an energy discharge and needed to reboot. Seratlin returned through the light to get Philippe and when they returned Seratlin was steaming. It looked like biologicals were affected more if they passed through multiple times.

We found ourselves in a huge energy dome in the centre of which appeared to be the shimmering city. As we approached the city we saw skeletons in holding cages. The voice of Seratlins father could be heard calling out then he appeared from behind a building. My sensors showed he was not biological and the image was being projected from inside. It was asking questions about our ship and its armaments but was quickly destroyed when the others realised it was not real.

The buildings appeared to have been grown rather than constructed and I detected energy within. As we explored we were attacked by a group of six emaciated sore covered humanoids. Seratlin was disabled in the fight and required repair. During the fight three hovering droids appeared. One fired and surrounded the last humanoid with a force field. The droids told us we were in a penal colony and we should leave.

Zhobee was able to convince them that she had security clearance and was a warden. Some questioning and we were told there was a degradation in the power supply and if it failed the portal would close and containment would be breached, allowing the release of degenerated Recatta, Recatta being the race who built this city. We were taken to a building where the power supply resided.

I entered with Philippe by pushing through the wall. Philippe recorded very high radiation readings and left immediately. I explored and recorded the interior before leaving. Philippe wanted to try repairing the generator and asked about spare parts. We were taken to a store room which had nothing of interest, then the armoury which was nearly empty, but we did find two artefacts there. Finally we went to the data centre where Phillipe plugged himself in. When a chair extruded from the floor he sat in it then appeared to fall unconscious.

Afterwards Philippe described how he was in the system and learned much about the city. The home planet of the Recatta and other penal colonies were on planets that had been destroyed. The artefacts we found were a Matter teleportation device and relativity pistol, and Philippe was able to download instructions. The Matter teleportation device was a band worn on a hand. It had an opening and anything put in opening was teleported up to 5 kilometres. The relativity pistol caused all time in the targeted area to be slowed by a factor of 100:1.

We tried to take two of the droids back with us through the portal but they both stopped working on the other side. We returned to the Phoenix with the artefacts and the two disabled droids then returned to Kevas. Philippe repaired the droids on the way back, and we sold the artefacts to Kevas and also one of the droids who was only interested in being a guard.