Chapter 20 choices
When Preston said the ship was ‘bigger than this’ that left a good deal of space for imagination, but no one expected what they found. The Captain and Preston were the only ones smiling. Corissa was unreadable, but transfixed. Preston assumed she was speculating about how much work it would require to get her running.
“There she is,” Preston beamed.
“Finders keepers, right?”
Star Destroyer ‘Immanence’ loomed before the Corvette and was somehow menacing, even with the lights off. Trimmer’s mouth was slightly agape, which almost made the dewflaps, the name the Sullustans called their favial jowls, seem unhinged. He scratched his ears.
Preston felt an overwhelming sadness emanating from Corissa, but he didn’t ask, and she wasn’t giving anything away. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but then withdrew his hand. The rule was: If she wanted help, she would ask.
“Is it functional?” Captain Dolers asked.
“Not detecting any damage. It’s holding an atmosphere, reasonable temperature, and apparently there are several auxillary power units presently running,” the helmsman answered.
“We don’t have the crew for that,” Trimmer said.
“We have enough,” Corissa corrected.
“That thing requires…” Trimmer began
“I know what it requires,” Corissa snapped.
“I served on it and I’m telling you we can get by.” In a softer tone, she explained to the Captain.
“The Captain had the ship automated so that a dozen people could theoretically work the ship in an emergency. Ideally, we could use more crew for combat, but just for navigating, we have more than enough crew.”
“Think there’s anyone still on it? Living out here alone?” the helmsman asked.
“No one’s on board,” Preston said.
“I wouldn’t bet my life on it,” Trimmers said.
“We’ll search the ship,” Captain Dolers offered.
“I doubt we can search everywhere,” Trimmers said.
“The ship is secure,” Preston said again.
“None the less, when we board, no one’s alone,” Captain Dolers said.
“I want a preliminary search, determine if it has a full compliment of rations and water. Make sure there are no bioharzards lying around. And Corissa, since you served on her, I am going to rely on you to get the engines up and running. Trimmer, you and your team give her support.”
“And what are we going to do with our ship?” Trimmer asked.
“If that ship is operational, we will consider it an upgrade,” Dolers said.
“Let’s do this, folks.”
♫♪►
Daphne entered the security bay and the Troopers being held in captivity went to attention. She went directly to the Platoon leader, Captain Harolds. Two of his seven Angels were female. All were human, different races. They all stared back, with neither contempt nor worry, simply appraising her.
“So, you’ve decided what to do with us, Jedi?” Harold asked.
“We’re in the process of evacuating this ship and I would like to give you an opportunity to join us, as opposed to being left stranded here,” Daphne said.
“Preston saved our lives, that counts for something, but we have orders to capture him and bring him to our Commander. That will happen,” Harolds said.
Daphne nodded.
“I know. And I might be willing to help you achieve your mission objectives, but I wouldn’t consider it as doing you a favor. You saw those Droids? The Bloodhunters? They’re coming for him. Anyone in their way is simply meat for the grinder.”
“Those Droids are not going to get on our Star Destroyer. The safest place for all of you is to surrender to us,” Harolds said.
“The safest place for us is away from him. I will help you capture him, personally deliver him, if you promise not to harm anyone else,” Daphne said.
“And if we don’t help?” Zaira asked.
“You will probably be left stranded on this ship when we depart,” Daphne said.
“This is a trap,” Zaira said. Her colleagues seemed to agree.
“What’s in it for you?”
“I am Jedi. I don’t do this lightly or for profit. My only motivation is to save the lives of these people and I can’t do that with Preston on board,” Daphne said.
Harolds nodded.
“I take it you have a plan?” Daphne nodded.
♫♪►
The hanger deck contained open crates of Force Crystals, mined from debris field that had been ejected from the ancient, dead star. There was no evidence that anyone who had collected them was still around, but whoever it had been, they had been busy. Crystals ranged from bags of crystal dust, to fragments as large as a Hut. Though few people had gone to confirm it, the scuttlebutt coming down the line was that Corissa discovered a functioning Force Enhanced Hyperdive, no doubt built from Force Crystals from this collection. Properly tuned Force crystals plugged into an engine could gnereate sufficient power to run the entire ship with out using the standard generators.
Ten pulled a nice size crystal from a crate. Its glow brightened in her hand.
“May I have one?” she asked.
“These aren’t for kids,” Daphne said.
Preston nodded.
“Sure, help yourself,” Preston said.
“She’s not ready, Preston,” Daphne said.
“We don’t just hand crystals to children. They have to develope a relationship with the Force, they must be drawn to a crystal.”
“I dare say, that one found her,” Preston said.
“May I speak to you alone?” Daphne asked.
“Sure,” Preston said.
Daphne lead the way to the far side of the Hanger deck and up the ramp into a Sigma class, long range shuttle. She turned to find him right on her. She pushed a button that raised the ramp and closed the door, and then threw her arms around him, kissing him passionately.
“What do I have to do to get some alone time with you?!” Daphne demanded, opening a door to one of the suites set aside for a traveling dignitary.
“You could just ask,” Preston said.
Daphne entered the room backwards, drawing him in with her hands and a smile. Preston was happy to surrender to her. The door shut behind them. Preston found her passion more exciting knowing it was deliberate and uninfluenced by drink. She pushed him to the bed. Straddling him, she paused, her hands behind her, at first touching his legs, but soon found his knees, and then his thighs before moving to the small of her back, pulling up on her blouse. She paused.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I will never be okay again. The fact that I love you just makes this harder,” Daphne said.
“I know,” Preston said.
“You don’t know anything!” Daphne said.
“I’m not resisting, Daphne,” Preston pointed out.
“You must do what you think is best.” Daphne pulled a weapon out and stunned him at point blank range. She laid against him, kissed him one last time, then got up from bed and opened the door. Zaira was standing there.
“Is it done?” she asked.
“Yeah. Do you know how to restrain a Jedi?” Daphne asked.
“It’s my specialty,” Zaira said, and pulled out a weapon and stunned Daphne at point blank range.
♫♪►
Nolasco was just coming out onto the hanger deck when the shuttle sprang to life. He didn’t hear Ten screaming over the engines, but he was aware that something was wrong based on the reaction of those around her. Running towards the ship, even drawing his weapon and firing as it departed the bay, was futile, but still he did so. There were no other ships on the hanger deck, but he knew there was bound to be a Tie Fighter below, if only he had time to reach it and give chase before they made the jump to hyperspace. He turned to see Preston come up out of nowhere.
“It’s okay, Nolasco. Let them go,” Preston said.
Ten was suddenly hugging Preston.
“I didn’t see you get out of the shuttle,” she cried.
“Shh, everything is going to be alright,” he said. He lifted her up to carry her.
“Nolasco, we will need to expedite our departure.”
“Alright,” Nolasco said.
“Any idea where we go from here.”
“Yeah. We need to go to Axilla and pick up some passengers,” Preston said.
“I’ll tell you more as we’re on our way.”
♫♪►
Harolds and Zaira arrived on the Flight Deck. Harolds took the copilot seat, and Zaira remained standing, since Trent Sharp was in the ‘engineer seat.’ Arms Donato was piloting, if one could call reclining in his chair with his feet up on the console piloting, his hands behind his head. Harolds read the coordinates and frowned.
“We’re going to Waterborne?” Harolds asked, just to confirm.
“Yeah. That’s where the boss is,” Trent said.
Harolds stared out the window, lost in thought, allowing himself to be mesmerized by hyperspace matrix that painted the viewport with incomprehensible data.
“I’m sure she’s alright,” Trent said.
“If it’s not, it’s because we failed,” Harolds said.
“You suppose they’re going to put Waycaster through the ritual?” Zaira asked.
“Pfft,” Paolo said, glancing back.
“Why else would we being going to Waterborne?”
“I don’t understand something,” Trent said.
“Just something or everything?” Paolo asked, sarcastically.
“No. Really. Look, we all did the ritual, right? The goal of the ritual is to make us Force sensitive. Why would you drop a Jedi if they are already sensitive?” Trent asked.
“It doesn’t work like that,” Paolo said.
“The ritual doesn’t guarantee you come through the other side being Force sensitive, or even a guaruntee that you’ll come back with a ‘gift.’”
“Everyone gets a Gift,” Harolds said.
“I didn’t get one,” Paolo said.
Harolds looked over to him.
“You’re alive, aren’t you?”
“True that,” Paolo said.
“What about you, Zaira,” Trent asked.
“You never talk about it. Did you get a gift?”
“Closure,” Zaira said, simply.
“Oh, there’s a story a there, alright,” Paolo laughed.
“Spill it.”
“It’s private,” Zaira said, calmly. She pulled out a knife and began to cut her nails.
“Hey, what do you want to bet Jedi Waycaster drowns his Padawan?” Trent asked.
“He should. She didn’t blink twice when she sold him out,” Paolo said.
“So, it’s a bet?” Trent asked.
“Sure,” Paolo asked.
“You in, Captain?”
“I never bet on the ritual,” Harolds said. Paolo and Trent looked to Zaira.
“Why not? Not only will he take one for the team, he won’t negotiate,” Zaira said.
“Happy to take your money, Zaira. They always sink the others,” Trent said.
“If you’re so sure, double your bet, and go get Nimh and Arms in on it, I’ll match all of you,” Zaira said.
Trent exited the flight deck in a hurry.
“If you can’t cover it, I’m going to expect a favor,” Paolo insisted.
“In your dreams,” Zaira said, taking Trent’s vacated seat.
“What makes you so sure you’re right?” Paolo said.
“Water changes a person,” Zaira said.
Harolds glanced back at Zaira and then over to Paolo before turning his attention to the abstract of hyperspace.
“Most the time,” he mumbled.