Galactic Exchange: The Merchant Sovereign
Chapter 86 – Echoes of a Forgotten Empire

Chapter 86: Chapter 86 – Echoes of a Forgotten Empire

The Eternal Pavilion loomed above the sprawling planet of Serathis—a colossus of black obsidian fused with plasma-glass veins that shimmered like flowing magma. It had been dormant for millennia, sealed within the crust of a rogue planet adrift beyond the edges of any known hyperspace lane. Now, it had awakened.

Rael stood on the deck of the Starflare’s End, his flagship, as the vast construct filled the viewport. The bridge crew was silent, awestruck by the sheer size and antiquity of the structure.

"Scan it again," Rael ordered, voice calm but tight with anticipation.

The AI assistant, Ava, responded with a pulse of blue light. "No signs of active power grids, but the core reactor is online. Faint energy readings—ancient, but stable."

Rael folded his arms. "It’s not just stable. It’s waiting."

They had chased a fragment of an ancient trade beacon here—an artifact encoded with coordinates and encrypted trade protocols in a language that hadn’t been spoken in ten thousand years. Rael had decrypted it with the help of the Archive Spirit in his system, and it had pointed him here: to Serathis, and to the forgotten vault of the Celestial Exchange.

"I want a boarding crew ready in ten minutes," Rael said. "Suit them with Class-V vacuum gear, anti-grav harnesses, and psi-null dampeners."

"Yes, Sovereign," replied Commander Velra, already relaying orders across the ship’s neural net.

As the preparations began, Rael turned his gaze inward.

[Galactic Trading System Active]Notification: Obscured Trade Protocol DetectedLocation: Eternal Pavilion (Hidden Celestial Node)Mission: Reclaim dormant trade nexus to expand system territory.Reward: ??? (Classified)

A shiver ran down Rael’s spine. The system rarely gave incomplete data. Whatever was inside this ancient station wasn’t just valuable—it was beyond current comprehension.

As the ship drifted closer, gravity fields began to distort. The AI recalibrated thruster alignment. They were now within the influence of a spatial compression zone—a region where physics bent subtly, relics of old empires’ forgotten technologies.

Thirty minutes later, Rael and his team stood at the sealed entry of the Pavilion, inside a hollowed-out plateau on the surface. The doorway had no visible interface—only a massive geometric sigil pulsing faintly with golden light.

He placed his hand against it, letting the system pulse outward.

[System Interface Synchronizing...]Celestial Seal Detected. Decryption in Progress...Seal Accepted: Sovereign Credentials ValidatedWelcome, Bearer of the Eternal Ledger.

The sigil fractured into thousands of motes and dissolved, revealing a dark corridor that breathed like a living organism. Ancient trade runes glowed on the walls, and the air was thick with the scent of ozone and something metallic.

Commander Velra muttered, "This place feels... aware."

"It is," Rael replied. "The Celestial Exchange wasn’t just a place. It was a sentient economy."

They moved cautiously through the corridor. Strange glyphs shifted along the walls, reacting to Rael’s presence. Each step triggered ancient systems—lighting flared, unseen ventilation hummed, and an ambient hum of trade pulses began to play like a symphony lost to time.

They entered a vast hall—more like a throne room, with a circular dais at the center. Floating above it was a ledger—no ordinary book, but a holographic construct composed of rotating sigils and contract chains.

[System Alert]Celestial Trade Codex Identified.Do you wish to bind this node to your sovereign domain?Warning: This action may awaken dormant sentient protocols.

Rael hesitated. "Do it."

A surge of golden light enveloped the chamber. The codex spun faster, and the walls shook as deep pulses of energy activated systems unseen.

From behind the walls, giant ethereal figures flickered into existence—three of them. Transparent beings, adorned in merchant robes woven from starlight, their eyes glowing with transactional flames.

One of them spoke in a voice like the ringing of ancient cash registers, "Who claims the right of sovereignty over the Celestial Pavilion?"

"I am Rael Vas Ardent," Rael declared. "Sole Trader of the Ten Thousand Light Years. Bearer of the Galactic Exchange System. I seek to reclaim this node in the name of trade, growth, and profit."

The beings fell silent. Then, the one in the center floated forward.

"You carry the mark of the True Exchange. Your intent is pure. But are you prepared for the burden?"

Rael didn’t flinch. "I’ve rebuilt the fallen economies of fringe systems. I’ve overthrown shadow guilds and dealt with forbidden tech. I’ve stood against Sovereign Lords with fleets ten times my size—and won. I’m not just prepared. I’m hungry."

The being studied him for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Then let the Pavilion awaken."

The chamber exploded in golden light. The Codex descended into Rael’s hand and bound itself to his system.

[You have unlocked the Celestial Trade Codex]New Function: Legacy Contracts - Unlock historical trade routes and interstellar markets lost to time.+1 Celestial Node Controlled+25% Galactic Market Influence in Outer FringesYou may now issue Celestial Bonds to planets under your domain.Warning: Your influence will attract attention from dormant Powers.

Rael gasped as data flooded his neural interface. Names of extinct civilizations, hidden gate coordinates, legacy product templates, and ancient currencies suddenly became accessible. It was as if he’d tapped into a fossilized vein of wealth just waiting to be mined.

Commander Velra stared in disbelief. "That... was a vault of an entire economic empire."

Rael clenched his fist. "And now it’s mine."

But no moment of triumph lasted long.

Suddenly, a tremor rocked the floor. One of the walls cracked, revealing a vault door... and behind it, something stirred. A massive cocoon-like structure, pulsing with life.

Before Rael could order a retreat, a new notification appeared.

[System Alert: Unsealed Ancient Asset Detected]Designation: OROBOROS TRADE SERAPH (Dormant)Status: AwakeningClassification: Tier Omega Entity (Bound Merchant Sentinel)

Velra’s face turned pale. "What the hell is a Trade Seraph?!"

Rael narrowed his eyes. "An enforcer... from the old days. The Celestial Exchange didn’t just trade. They protected their dominance with weapons of economic devastation."

The cocoon split.

Out of it rose a figure—a humanoid automaton, easily three stories tall, forged from molten gold and twilight alloys. Its eyes lit with cold intelligence. A voice echoed from its core.

"New Sovereign detected. Verifying legitimacy..."

Rael took a step forward, steel in his voice. "I claimed this node through the Codex. You will recognize my authority or fall."

A tense pause. Then, the automaton kneeled.

"Confirmed. Welcome, Merchant Sovereign."

Everyone exhaled in relief—except Rael. His instincts whispered that this was just the beginning.

[New Companion Acquired: Oroboros, Celestial Trade Seraph]Function: Mobile Defense Unit, Trade Enforcement, Escort ServicesNote: Sentient. Requires Tribute Contracts to maintain loyalty.

Rael turned to his team. "We leave nothing behind. Strip every vault, copy every protocol, and prepare this place as a forward base. We’re not just merchants anymore—we’re the inheritors of an empire."

And as Serathis’ black sky roared with energy and awakening systems, Rael knew he had stepped onto a path where sovereigns became legends—or fell beneath the weight of history.