Being a shipbreaker isn't always a steady job. Most people prefer to use shipyards to condemn their ships, but it isn't surprising. They could get good rates, were generally easily accessible, and most of the time they would be alive at the end of it.

I didn't have a static base. I had a converted freighter, with all the space I could need. I hunted the stars, looking for derelict ships, and breaking them apart. But it was always a toss-up on whether or not it was a payday for me. Galactic law stated that if they have been abandoned for two standard years, they were free game. Anything less, and I had to contact the authorities first.

Not only that, there were occasions where survivors still existed aboard. If they were, I was under obligation to aid them, including towing their ship to a nearby system to get help. Sure, I got a bounty from it, but that was nothing compared to what I could get for ship parts.

After trawling through hyperspace, I found something worth investigating. An arcane based battleship, floating dead in the void. A brief scan showed there to be no life-signs or support aboard. Perhaps unsurprising, given the large hole where its command deck would be located.

I deployed my fey-spirit drones, letting them analyse its age for me. They could see its past, coupled with age-determining instruments could easily give me an accurate idea. Soon enough, I received a confirmation from them. This wreck, the Fractal Lance, was around five years old.

With that in mind, I gave it a structural scan. I identified multiple smaller power sources, armed but powered down chromatic lances, and an intact Possessed Crystal. These were the most volatile of areas, with any small mistake having a potential of major damage to my own ship.

First off, the power sources were likely linked to elemental planes. It was a standard solution in these arcane based vessels, drawing in their raw energy to power the ship. However, these were painstakingly produced, with careful balance between the planes, as well as wards to contain them. Damage to these wards would let loose untamed power, which could result in a portion of the ship around it being dragged into one of these planes.

The chromatic lances were standard long-range armaments. Enchanted with a mixture of chaotic magic, they would launch a projectile filled with its unstable power. Although powered down, the enchantments still lingered, holding residual strength. A misjudged cut could cause them to be launched, which would end badly for anything in its path. Not only that, if not carefully transported, they could break, which in a confined space with chaotic magic was a very Bad Thing.

Finally, the Crystal was delibrately possessed. Running a ship of this size required a lot of thinking power. The easiest way to do that was bind an Infernal being, and use it to control the ship. Various contracts would be used to keep it in place, however they were always with the Captain of the ship.

If the Captain was dead, it would be unchained. It would try and take over unprotected systems. I would have to isolate it, for proper disposal or re-binding. As much as I trusted my own bound Infernal, it was never a smart idea to be in a position to test them.

With the danger areas identified, I notified my constructs to begin the dismantling. As they did so, I took a copy of its backup computer records. Once in range of a command hub, I would provide them with the records. They could notify any family members of the crew, and officially list it as decommissioned over lost in space.