The Phantom Thief and The Moon's Tear

In the year 2332, on March 2nd, in the era of space colonization, a renowned phantom thief known as Lunar Larcenist, with the initials L.L., roamed the space colonies, striking fear into the hearts of the wealthy and powerful.

His audacious heists had earned him both notoriety and admiration among the criminal underworlds. L.L. had become famous after successfully stealing an advanced artificial intelligence that contained the entire knowledge of humanity, from its inception to the space colony era.

This remarkable creation was supposed to destined to be the centerpiece of a prestigious museum, Musée Étoile Brillante, attracting visitors from all corners of the galaxy.

With that AI, you can ask anything you want to know, and create everything with a lot of blueprints archive it has. 

However, this time, Logan Larson, the 21-year-old man behind the persona of L.L., had set his sights on an even greater prize: stealing the priceless gem known as the "Moon's Tear," which belonged to Princess Seraphina Luna Allstar of the Lunar Galactic Empire.

Princess Seraphina was the firstborn and heir to the throne of the Allstar family, the ruling monarchy of the Lunar Galactic Empire.

She’s a highly attractive and curvaceous teenage girl with long bubble gum pink hair, emerald green eyes, and large breasts.

Her gem was not an ordinary gemstone; it held great significance within the Lunar Galactic Empire.

Legend had it that the Moon's Tear was a gift from the moon goddess herself, imbued with mystical powers that ensured the prosperity and protection of the Lunar Empire. Its radiant blue hue shimmered like the moon's reflection on a calm sea.

While the gem's true power and origin remained a mystery, its value was undeniable. The gem had been passed down through generations of the Allstar family, the ruling monarchy of the Lunar Galactic Empire.

It had never left the heavily guarded Lunar Palace until now when it was showcased as part of the empire's anniversary celebration.

The arrival of Princess Seraphina in the capital was part of an invitation to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of peace and business relations between the two most powerful ruling entities in the entire universe.

Following the security protocols for important guests from the United Galactic Federation, a large security detail was assigned to protect Princess Seraphina and other delegates from any threats and ensure the smooth running of the anniversary event.

As usual, L.L., the phantom thief, sent his calling card a day before executing his daring theft.

While his previous targets had been wealthy individuals, space aristocrats, or government officials, this time he would be targeting a member of another galaxy's monarchy.

This posed a potential political challenge between the Lunar Galactic Empire and the United Galactic Federation.

By sending his calling card, L.L. inadvertently exacerbated the situation.

Logan Larson, right now is sitting on the couch and watching news reports on his television screen, showcasing the ongoing debate about L.L.'s actions and their impact on the image of the United Galactic Federation in the eyes of the intergalactic community.

What was supposed to be a ceremonial event had turned into something that risked the dignity of the U.G.F.

While snacking, Logan picked up the remote control from the table and changed the channel, bored with the overwhelming coverage of L.L. in the media.

As he switched channels, he stumbled upon news about a "black cloud" surrounding the Quasar Black Hole.

"I never expected news about myself to be more important than the mysteries of outer space," Logan remarked.

"You're right this time, even though you usually have an inflated sense of self," a woman standing by the door replied.

Logan recognized the voice immediately.

The woman was Lyla Kudryavka, renowned in the online world for her hacking skills. Like Logan, Lyla's true identity was shrouded in mystery, as she always used multiple aliases.

There was a saying that the world is fair, as someone with a weakness is also granted a special strength.

Lyla Kudryavka is a reasonably short 20-year-old woman.

Her body is skinny and petite, with a small bust and spindly arms.

With fierce blue eyes, give her a piercing gaze that varies between uncanny and uncomfortable depending on how she looks at someone.

Her hair is a very light purple, appearing almost grey.

She has bangs that go down almost to her eyes, covering her eyebrows, and two medium-length tufts of hair that hang down from the middle of her head, framing her face and ending just at her mouth.

When Logan once asked why she didn't opt for a prosthetic body, Lyla responded, "I prefer modifying computers over my own body. I am the one who will judge myself, not others."

Logan had previously offered Lyla the option of a prosthetic body, not as a random suggestion, but out of concern for her deteriorating physical condition.

In this era of space colonization, using prosthetic bodies was commonplace.

Only the poor and destitute refused such an option. Prosthetic bodies had become akin to plastic surgery in the Terran era when humanity still resided on Earth and was just beginning to explore outer space.

"Have you prepared for tonight's operation?" Lyla asked, changing the television channel.

"I was born ready," Logan replied.

This time, a different TV station covered different news.

It reported on the successful collaboration between the Lunar Empire and the U.G.F., announcing a technological breakthrough that is going to be displayed at the same time outside the city hall during the 10-year commemoration.

The news discussed the creation of a prototype of a new spacecraft that surpassed the existing models in terms of speed.

Current spacecraft utilize perpetual motion engines to generate enough energy to exceed the speed of light for free travel in outer space, commonly known as Star Trail.

However, this new technology could extract gravitons from vanishing masses in space, allowing the "folding" of space and time within Star Trail for instantaneous travel instead of attempting to break the barriers of space and time.

Thus, if all types of spacecraft moved at the maximum speed in Star Trail, a spacecraft that took off ten minutes earlier would be impossible to catch up with by another craft with the same engine.

However, with this new engine, a craft could easily catch up with another that had taken off ten minutes earlier.

The prototype engine was planned for military and space exploration purposes only.

"That's an intriguing concept," Lyla remarked.

"Should we consider stealing it as well?" she continued.

"I'm interested too, but the calling card I made was specifically for stealing from the princess. Let's stick to the original plan. Besides, the engine is still in prototype form. We'll plan the heist once the engine is perfected," Logan responded.

"Very well, if that's what you want," Lyla agreed.

"I wonder how much people in the black market would offer for a royal princess's gem," Logan mused.