Ruby Redfeather's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Ruby Redfeather spread three cracked circuit boards across the table, studying the military stamps etched into their corners. She wanted to build a network that traded components like these—rare tech that caravans would pay good money for. Her claws traced the serial numbers as she calculated routes and contacts in her head. The trick was finding people who needed what she could supply and making sure they stayed loyal. She pulled out her notebook and added another name to her list of potential traders, then crossed out two others who'd failed her tests. She needed a real hub for this operation. Ruby walked through Broken Hills until she found it—a stone building with metal fixtures that could work as both storefront and storage. She pushed open the door and examined the back room. Space for inventory, a counter for customer meetings, and thick walls to keep things secure. Ruby Sundays Tech & Coffee, she decided. The name would make it sound harmless while she moved military-grade components through the back. Behind the building sat a metal shipping container painted in matching colors. Ruby pried open the doors and stepped inside. The container would hold her high-value stock—the circuit boards, servo parts, and encrypted drives that needed inspection before deals went through. She set up a workbench and testing equipment, then locked it tight. Only she would have the key. Ruby climbed the tall signal tower at the edge of town, its polished metal mirror catching the sun. She studied the angles and tested different positions with a scrap of reflective metal. Coded light signals could reach smugglers miles out, bringing in components from outside the usual caravan routes. She memorized the flash patterns she'd use—three short, two long, one short meant high-value tech available. Her network was taking shape. All she needed now was for the right traders to notice her signals and come looking for what she could provide.