Chapter Nine

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Even though the ill and unconscious Sul-ya was never far from their minds, working on the Avalon was therapeutic and invigorating for all four crew members. Ryver spent the dark hours scouring the ship once more while Quinn watched over Natania. She continuously went through the manual ship diagnostics in the Avalon's log and making note of all the essential things that would need repair in order for the Avalon to safely leave Druna.

As the sun was starting to rise, Ryver went to the wreckage of the single fighter, hunting in every nook and cranny for anything that could be used in the Avalon. A few small computer parts could be salvaged, but otherwise, little could be salvaged from the pirate's single-fighter.

Des and Senna got what little sleep they could before the heat of the desert prompted them to huddle in the shady portions of the Avalon, working on what tasks they could while Ryver compiled a list of parts they would need.

There was no way of knowing what time it was when Ryver finally gathered the crew together outside the rest bay where the Sul-ya lay.

"I'm going to go toward that settlement we passed," she said, handing a communicator to Quinn. "I'll see if I can get us a remote power unit to start so we can get the more essential systems online again and get a better read out of what the Avalon needs. From there, I'm going to see what they have for food, supplies, parts...pretty much everything we can get."

"I'll go with you," Quinn insisted, trying to hand his communicator to Senna.

"No, I'll go on my own," Ryver said. "I'll be fine. This is just a reconnaissance run. See what we've got to work with. I need all three of you here working to protect the ship and..." she motioned to the unconscious Sul-ya. "If she wakes up, try to get any information out of her that you can. Just be careful."

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to come with you?" Senna pressed.

"I can go, too," Des offered.

"Thanks, big guy, but I really need you here," Ryver said. "This is a very dangerous situation. We need to protect the ship and the Sul-ya. I know what the Avalon needs. I'll go see what I can find. And while I'm gone," she jerked her head back abstractly, "you guys can start stripping everything you can from the single fighter. Even if we can't use the parts, we might be able to sell or barter the scrap for other things."

Taking the other communicator, two rations of water, and a small ration of food, Ryver set off into the desert.

An old device that she had only ever used once before was resting in her palm, the screen almost impossible to read under the harsh glare of the sun. The device was called a ENT-Essential Needs Tracer-and was part of the Avalon's crash kit. But even though she vaguely remembered how to read the symbols telling her how close water, food, and established population was, she had to squint and contort her body to shade the screen in order to read the direction she was meant to be walking.

Trudging through the sand was also a difficult ordeal, her wounded ankle hating traversing over the uneven ground and her legs turning wobbly after an hour of following the arrows and blips on the screen. Once the second hour had passed and she found one hard-packed road that she hoped would lead her to the settlement, she had already finished one ration of water, and knew she would have to be very careful with her second.

Her head was light and her skin was aching with a dark sunburn by the time she caught sight of the settlement in the distance, rising from the billowing waves of heat and sand like a bright, white beacon. Ryver's pace quickened, eager to find some respite in the shade of the buildings and huts.

The town surrounded a large pit in the ground that was covered with a metal dome, intricately designed with dark red and brown designs that Ryver could not discern as language or art. The locals were a desert species with thick, leathery skin and double-lidded eyes to protect them from the sand. She stood in sharp contrast to the tan-clad figures who watched her half-stumble into their circular town.

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