FORSAKEN II - Eternal Dawn

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Using an old military trick, later to be adopted by smugglers, the Outcast approached Christophsis hiding behind its moon, Leesis. This gave Virra a chance to scan the space around the planet, while giving Elynn time to mask the ship's signal. The cracked gray satellite stood in stark contrast with the world's green gradations on its crystalline surface, streaked with lines of light of its thriving civilization. The Outcast's rectenna picked up two Star Destroyers. Elynn transmitted a fake transponder code she forged, identifying the Outcast as the Prospector VI; an independent, mining survey vessel.

"You're not going to believe this," said Virra, reading the transponder signals of the capital ships. "One of those Star Destroyers is the Hypori's Revenge."

"Coincidence?" Theleema said.

"There's no such thing," Syrran said.

"There are no starfighters deployed other than the regular patrols you might expect from an Empire-controlled planet," said Virra, scrolling through her screen. "How can they know we're here?"

Elynn searched in her computer. "There are no weapons being powered or loaded either, no active scanning, no suspicious chatter... They could be here to resupply."

"It could also be a trap," Virra said.

"By announcing themselves?" said Quinlan, standing in the cockpit.

"Best way to hide is in plain sight."

"If it's not a trap, it could turn into one rather quickly," Theleema said.

"Are we calling it of?" Elynn said.

"I say, we go for it."

"That's why I love you," Syrran said.

"I don't know," Quinlan said. "I've got a—"

"Yeah, we don't say that," Elynn said. "We prefer, maclunkey."

Quinlan had to laugh at this. "Well, considering what I've been through hanging out with you guys, it makes sense."

"Any objections?" Syrran said into the intercom. There were none. "Then, may the Force be with us."

Cleared for landing, they flew to the capital's spaceport over the cracked crust of the world and its angular glass towers and crystal outgrowths. They all could sense the high concentration of kyber crystals on the planet.

"It's like being in a dream landscape," said Elynn as they made their final approach, leaning over Syrran's seat to get a better look.

"Sadly, this was the site of many conflicts during the Clone Wars," Quinlan said. But his mind harkened back to the last time he visited the planet. The frantic escape from the Separatist's stronghold hangar, the ensuing crash, the assault by the Republic, and Ventress' death by the hands of Count Dooku. "Now the Empire is plundering every gram of kyber they can get from the planet."

"They're about to experience a major loss to their operations," Theleema said.

Once things were taken care of at the docking bay, the crew travelled into Chaleydonia proper via sky-tram, an elevated mag-lev train. It dropped them off at Kaladh, a working-class neighborhood in the industrial zone.

"Here it is." Gorin read the sign of a cantina, the Callus Hand. "The longshoreman said this is a good place to start."

The place looked like an old factory more than a drinking establishment.

"Are we looking for information or a job?" Addia said.

"Best place to collect intelligence is among those nobody notices," Syrran said.