FORSAKEN II - Eternal Dawn

CHAPTER TWELVE

"We're picking up a distress call," said Elynn, in the Outcast's cockpit. "It's from the Costaguana; a Baleen-class heavy freighter."

"She's just outside the Old Corellian Run," said Virra from the navigator's seat.

"Not our problem," said Theleema.

Elynn gave her a shocked look. "Leema, what the in the Void? Really?"

"We're fugitives, Eels, not a transport operation," Syrran said.

"We're Jedi—or at least some of us were—I'm not sure what we are now. But we can't just fly by and leave those people to their fates. We even have a doctor aboard for Force-sake."

Theleema gave Syrran a concerned look. He didn't need to read her mind to know what she was thinking: what was the fundamental nature of the middle path in the Force he proposed? Was it to help make a better galaxy or was it solely concerned with their individual needs?

"You're right," Syrran said. "We should investigate."

"The Outer Rim is a hunting ground for raiders and pirates," Virra said. "This could be a trap."

"We can handle it," Elynn said.

"What about being spotted?" said Syrran, playing devil's advocate to test Elynn's ability to asses a situation. "There's a price on our heads, not to mention the Inquisitors would like nothing more than to take another crack at us."

"There's risk in everything we do, and that has yet to stop us. The Inquisitors don't have the resources to lay traps for us all over the universe, and pirates and raiders we can handle without breaking a sweat."

Syrran and Theleema exchanged a look. Even though reason and experience told them to keep going, their conscience spoke louder.

"Alright, maclunkey." Theleema sat at the co-pilot's chair, shaking her head.

Syrran sat beside her and switched on the intercom. "We're hailing a distress call. Man your stations."

"Out here?" said Jarriss, climbing into the dorsal quad laser. "It's probably pirates." He put on his headset.

"That's what I said," Virra's voice came through the headset.

Jarriss switched on the gun's controls. "Dorsal gun ready."

Ilum plugged himself into the gunner's seat computer. "Ventral cannon ready."

"Engineering is ready." Gorin sat at the controls of the engineering station across from the engine room.

"Galley ready," said Addia, sitting at the lounge table, petting Chak-Chak.

"What?" Syrran said on the intercom.

"What do you want me to say? All I do is sit here waiting to take over for Gorin when things go sideways."

"Fair enough, galley. Keep up the good work."

"Ah, bite me, captain."

"Alright, let's see what we're dealing with here." Syrran powered the mandible cannons. "Everybody, stay alert. Cut off the hyperdrive."

Theleema switched to sublight drives.

"Sensors are clear," Virra said. "Ship's bearing: 340 degrees, minus 25 degrees. Speed: sixteen kph. She's drifting."

"Nobody is hailing the comms," Elynn said.

"Maybe there's no one to be rescued," Theleema said. "Set course back to Tatooine?"

"We got to make sure."

The Baleen-class heavy freighter was four hundred meters long, and had the unappealing appearance of a box. Her transport grid hauled dozens of cargo containers bookended by a wide propulsion module. The crates appeared to be intact and there were no signs of external damage.