Shadow auctions are the most exclusive and feared events in the black-market underworld. Shrouded in secrecy and drenched in illicit wealth, they are held in ever-changing, often untraceable locations across the galaxy—but are most notably hosted within the bowels of Redrift Station, where law does not reach and morality seldom survives.
Each auction is by invitation only. Bidders are selected for their notoriety, ruthlessness, or influence—often a combination of all three. To receive a coded transmission announcing a shadow auction’s time and place is both a mark of status and a test of discretion. No one who speaks of a shadow auction openly is ever heard from again.
Inventory and Items Sold
Nothing is off-limits.
- Aekosi Relics – Blood-bound artifacts stolen from sacred temples or ancient strongholds; some believed to carry latent energy that responds only to Aekosi bloodlines.
- Forged Chip Enhancements – Upgrades to ICICLE or even ICE chips that grant illegal access to restricted networks, bypass security firewalls, or emulate Sovereign-class authority.
- Banned BioTech – Experimental augmentations, untraceable bodymods, or enhancement tech outlawed by the Central Directorate for their volatility—or morality.
- Blood Slaves – Aekosi captured and sold into service, their sacred bond-rites desecrated for profit.
- Non-Aekosi Slaves – While they cannot serve as blood slaves, all races have been spotted on the block—bought for labor, pleasure, or punishment.
Items are often displayed in glass stasis pods or holographic projections. Slaves—when shown—are sometimes forced to perform, demonstrating obedience, strength, or other… skills.
Culture and Risk
It is said that only two kinds of people attend a shadow auction: those who believe they are untouchable, and those who have nothing left to lose.
Security at these events is unparalleled. Armed guards, null-fields, anti-NeuroLink dampeners, and even NeuroLink kill-switches are standard. Betrayals are resolved with swift violence—and spectators have been known to wager on those outcomes, too.
Recording devices are banned. Escape attempts are futile. And while most participants hide behind masks or voice scramblers, whispers say some of the wealthiest patrons flaunt their identities as a show of power.
Notable Lore
- “The Shadow Bids in Silence” – A phrase often muttered in warning. The truest danger of a shadow auction isn’t just what’s sold… it’s who’s watching.
- Some auctions have reportedly featured live hunts as part of the evening’s entertainment.
- A rumor persists that the Central Directorate turns a blind eye… or even profits from the bids behind closed doors.