FORSAKEN II - Eternal Dawn

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

"It's that all water?" Elynn said in awe when the Outcast arrived at a blue planet with large swaths of sand landmasses, courtesy of Syrran's hyperspace navigation skills. Everyone could see the planet thanks to Jarriss' farsight and Ilum's Force meld talents, which they used to navigate.

"Yeah, those are massive oceans," Theleema said.

"Wow, that's pretty alpha. I've never seen a world with so much of it—much more than Kashyyyk. Do you think we'll be able to take a swim?"

Syrran looked up at her. "I don't see why not."

"Did you have water in your planet?"

"Not liquid. At least not what little I remember."

"I know Cantonica has an artificial ocean, but I was too young to remember it. And Coruscant is built within a millimeter of its life. How about you Leema, any oceans in Dathomir?"

"We have swamps and rivers mostly—and beautiful waterfalls too," Theleema said.

"What about you, Vi?"

"Quarzite has a highly pressurized surface, which makes it almost impossible to sustain any organic lifeforms, so we have to live under its hollow crust," Virra said. "We have underground water basins, lakes, and rivers, but nothing remotely resembling this."

"Where should we land?" Syrran said.

"Head to the Pnakotic Coast," Theleema said. "That's where the Bis Refinery is."

The Outcast passed over a humble well-populated village comprised of ruined storage silos and buildings cobbled together with repurposed materials, including derelict starships. Following ground control's instructions, she landed on one of two platforms overlooking the Emerald Sea, and the Je'daii deboarded. A wary Chak-Chak came down the boarding ramp, tip-toeing over the sand and shaking it from her paws. Disliking this atmosphere, she ran back to the ship.

"Look at all the carbon scoring." Theleema checked the hull damage when the group deboarded. The black residue of dozens of blaster shots marred her flawless plating of brushed impervium laminated with agrinium; it gave her a titanium and bronzium finish.

"Dank farrik." Syrran ran a hand over a part of the hull that had been shot.

"At least our girl held," said Elynn next to him.

"Replacing those panels is going to be costly." Jarriss probed a gap to see if the electronics underneath were intact.

Hondo whistled and clicked his tongue several times to express his disapproval. "Well, we're lucky to be alive. That's for sure." He looked more presentable in clean clothes after having taken a sonic shower. "At least the damage gives her character. I know a shadowport in Darlyn Boda where you can get this fixed."

"Nobody is touching the Outcast but me." Gorin lifted his war helmet to better look at the main thrusters. "The engines seem fine—mudscuffing Imps."

"Go." Addia was surprised to hear him curse.

"Sorry, Sister Dia. But it pains me to see a work of art ruined."

"His sentiment is correct," said Ilum, inspecting the wrecked ventral quad laser cannon. The shot had split the main body in half. "This is our home."

"I hope you made them pay dearly for the loss," said Virra, checking the side of the left deck.

"I do not tally the starships I terminate."

"Good for you... because, I took out sixteen last time."

"Impressive. Five more and you would have tied with me."