Force of Nature: Book 2 - Apprentices of the Abyss | A Star Wars Story

Temperance (.2)

This was it. She couldn't take it anymore.

Little did Melinoe know that while the ship wasn't able to make a landing, it was able to send out an emergency signal that made it to a nearby island settlement.

The settlement had been built on the edge of a landmass. The tower-like structure reached from the bottom of the seafloor to nearly 100 metres above the water's surface. All over the tower were twisting balconies and outdoor walkways. Making the whole place look like a huge piece of bismuth from a distance.

A young mirialan and a human woman made their way across one of the many pathways to an apartment door which they opened and entered without knocking.

"Karaay," The mirialan man waved. "Karaay, we've got a salvage job."

"Okay?" The older man said as he looked up from his desk.

"We thought you could come with us," the woman smiled. "It would be like when we were kids."

"You two don't need me for a salvage job," Karaay told them.

"Come on! It's not very far!" The lad pushed. "You need to get out of this apartment!"

The woman elbowed him in the shoulder. "Mak!" she hissed at him.

"What, Ruta? It's true!"

"Don't say it like that,"

"Enough, okay!" Karaay sighed. "I'll go, but we'll have to be back before sundown."

"Can't leave Baby Jaks waiting," Ruta nodded.

The three made their way out of the upper living levels and to the lower-level moonpools. As they made their way, Mak and Ruta explained the situation to Karaay, saying how an unidentified ship had crashed into a nearby biome. One life form was identified, but they had no idea if they were still alive.

"They'll likely have been eaten by leviathans by the time we get there," Karaay said as the three climbed into one of the Holtite class submarines.

"That's so grim," Ruta pouted as she moved to the Holtite's scanners.

"It's realistic," Karaay said as he passed Mak a rebreather.

As they got closer to the crash site, Mak made his way over to Ruta. "He doesn't seem to be getting any better," Mak whispered to her.

"He needs more time," Ruta hushed.

"We're reaching the crash," Karaay called out to them.

"Got it!" Mak called back.

"Still picking up that life sign," Ruta said as she passed the scanner goggles to Mak.

"Alright, in and out," Karaay said sternly. "We can worry about salvaging the ship later."

Mak put his rebreather on and then made an okay sign with his hand.

The two men exited the sub via one of the lower hatches. Quickly spotting the wreck and finding a way inside the ship, they swam up to the front of the vessel. Guessing that it hadn't completely flooded yet. Karaay stopped Maks when he saw the blocked entrance shake. Maks nodded in understanding. Moving to the side so Karaay could cut the door open.

After a minute of slicing through the metal, the door fell open. They expected some debris to fall through and sink to the bottom of the ship but were surprised to see an astromech droid that must have gotten caught between the door and a large piece of durasteel.

The still-active droid spun around in a panic. Mak motioned to Karaay, pointing to the droid and then up to their own ship. The older man gave him an affirmative hand signal.