FORSAKEN II - Eternal Dawn

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Everyone in the Outcast plopped back on their chairs and breathed again, when they dropped from hyperspace.

"I can't believe we made it," said Elynn. "What a rush." She placed a hand over her heart

"Me neither." Syrran sighed.

"That was some great flying you two," Virra said.

"I'll never give you a hard time again for claiming the pilot's seat." Theleema took Syrran's hand.

"What are you talking about?" Syrran got close to her. "I won this ship."

"Because of my deal." She smiled and Syrran kissed her.

The crew left the cockpit under the red glare of emergency lights. After a quick celebration, the Je'daii performed damage assessment. Elynn went to find Chak-Chak. The tooka cat had opened one of the drawers under her bed and was crouched inside. Elynn carried Chak-Chak with her and comforted the still-trembling animal.

Jarriss came down the main corridor into the crew's lounge, saying, "The cargo is still secured."

"By the sheer will of the Force," Ilum said. "We barely had time to secured it. And we lost the ventral gun."

"That's the least of our problems." Addia came over from the rear of the ship on the other side of the corridor. "The engineering station is glitching. We're not going to learn the extent of the damage until Go reroutes the power. He's working on it as we speak, but he's going to need lots of help."

"Let's get to it." Elynn handed Chak-Chak to Theleema and she and Addia went to the engine room.

"Now the rescuers need to be rescued," said the Weequay, calling attention to himself sitting at the table. "Couldn't you have at least uncuffed me? That way I could cover my eyes as you hurled us to our deaths."

"Get up," Virra said and unshackled him. "Do you have a name?"

The Weequay lowered the dusty bandana covering his mouth. "'Do you have a name?' Not only do I have one, but the mere mention makes his enemies shiver and inspires breathless sighs from his female admirers. Allow me to introduce myself, Captain Hondo Ohnaka, leader of the infamous Ohnaka Gang; vocational gambler, businessman, avid collector of antiquities, gentleman adventurer, terror of the galaxy, and selfish lover, at your service."

"Who?" Theleema continued to pet Chak-Chak.

"The pirate?" Jarriss said.

"You bet your blindfold, my cyber-legged Miraluka friend." Hondo extended his hand.

"You know this guy?" Syrran said.

"He was a known pirate during the war," Jarriss said, ignoring Hondo's gesture.

"Known?" Hondo pointed up with his outstretched hand. "You mean, renowned!"

"I always thought the Empire killed him or left him to rot in a labor planet."

"On the contrary, my friend. I diversified." Hondo approached the bar. "The Empire has made it hard for independent entrepreneurs such as myself to make a dishonest living. So, I branched out to do some smuggling on the side—Ooh, Corellian brandy. Nice. Reminds of one of the last shipments I stole." He poured himself a glass. "So, now that I know you're not with the Empire and you're definitely not with the Zann Consortium, whom do I have the pleasure to have been kidnaped by?"

"We're looking for Quinlan Vos," Syrran said.

The name stopped Hondo from drinking. "Why? He owes you money?"

"We heard he's in trouble."

"You can say that again. We had to face the Hutts, the Empire, the Zann Consortium, and Black Sun—together! Oh, it was like being back in the good old of days of the war."