--------------------

...then froze in his tracks. "Hey, wait a minute," he said as something finally dawned on him. "Maybe there is a slim chance someone can get to that escape pod before we can...

...and we can be certain of it."

He paused as Galen turned and arched a brow at him. "I don't know what's near Honoghr, but I do know it's way out near Hutt space...

...and EE does have a few posts out that way."

He pursed his lips in thought. "I think I'm gonna go make a quick set of calls," he then announced. "If there's some sellers or a client from EE out that way, there just might be a chance that someone has a ship nearby that can tractor the pod in."

========================

After making several comms and pulling some strings, Terrin had contacted one of his sellers who was marketing a little cargo ship on Nar Hutta, approximately one standard hour from the distress signal's point of origin. Sending off the signal's coordinates to the seller so that he could head out that way and tractor the Pod, all that was left to do was to wait and see if whoever was in the pod would be found alive or not...

...so Terrin headed aft to the med bay to fill everyone in on what was happening.

[ 06-17-2008 05:18 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

--------------------

Quite a nice little piece of work.

Willyam was so busy inspecting the ship's systems that only the proximity indicators gained his attention. Scanning the area, he located the drifting escape pod and registered a very faint life sign. He manuevered towards the pod, activating the ship's tractor beam which would in turn draw the pod into the ship's airlock. Fortunately for whomever was inside the pod, the assualt drones which once were a part of the IG-2000's arsenal had been replaced instead by a trio of maintenance droids. These droids, instead of cutting open the entering escape pod and annihilate any resistance, would only do what was requested of them by the pilot of the ship.

Willyam opened communications with the droids as he got a lock on the escape pod.

"Open the Pod and assess the condition of the occupant," he instructed, keying in another comm frequency to alert Captain Danner as to his progress.

"I have found and am currently tractoring the escape pod," he reported. "Lifesign is faint but present. I'll send you further updates later."

After squirting the message off, Willyam again turned to attend to the ship's controls even as the droids in the airlock carried out his commands and opened the escape pod....

[ 06-17-2008 06:24 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin's Crew ]

--------------------

The droids reported as much to Willyam.

"Transfer him to the medbay, sounds like he might need nutrients, water, and air. I'll meet you there shortly," said, turning his attentions to the navboard once more.

In the airlock of the freighter, the droids took the still-silent young man from the airlock and into the medbay of the ship as instructed to attempt to revive him. Laying him upon a med-bed there, they placed a breather on him to deliver a more direct current of purified air and began giving him nutrients intraveneously. With no other injuries to their patient, they could do no more but wait to see if he would come around.

--------------------

Sitting up Link noticed the room started to spin, holding her head in her hand Link willed the room to stop spinning. Looking back at the woman Link tried to figure out the emotions displayed across her face.
Is that shock, from my missing arm... or guilt... no or pity...

Link stared at the floor out of embarrassment of how much of a burden she must be to everyone including Yaoksi, in any place with technology Link could do almost anything. But in the past few situations she had done little to contribute and just managed to get in the way. Yaoksi was right about her, she acted tough but was scared as anyone else when faced with death. Link decided to try to live for more then herself and running from her past, accepting help from others starting now.

Looking back at the woman straight at her face, streaks had formed from her eyes down to her chin where the tears had stained her fur from earlier. Reaching over with her remaining arm Link held her shoulder where her arm use to be.

"Thank... thank you," stuttered Link.

--------------------

Not just "a" look. It was... that look.

I remembered it only too well, for I'd dealt with it before. It was a look that was just shy of pain and sorrow, laced with a touch of anger and even defiance... and topped of with a smidge of utter dejection and hopelessness. Yeah, I'd seen it... on Terrin's face that fateful day when he awoke in the medical bay of Captain Joao's ship to the realization he had no arm. And now it was planted on this brave little gal's face, probably because she thought I was here in pity.

Who could blame her, actually; I'm sure my expression wasn't anything too radiant a few minutes ago. But it was most definitely not meant to be pity, not by a long shot. I knew she needed to hear that, just as Terrin had.

I blinked, and let my lips widen in a genuine smile. Coming up to her bedside I stopped; she looked at me and garbled out, of all things, a surprising thank you.

I nearly laughed.

"For what, kid?" I said airily. "For coming to the rescue of someone who needs it? Hey, all in a day's work, don't think anything of it..."

I trailed to a halt, but kept smiling. The last thing I wanted her to think was that I was being glib. Reaching out to her, I gently traced a finger down the matted fur which streaked down her face, let it wander across her lips...

And then bipped her on her nose.

She blinked, startled. I let out a little chuckle.

"Hey, it's not the end of the world you know," I said, grunting a little as I now hunkered down beside the bed to get at the same eye level. "But, what I think is worse, is what's probably going through your head right now. I want you to believe this: you're way, way wrong."

She blinked again, and that edge of defiance seemed to creep about the corners of her mouth. I just smiled again, and went on.

"Look, I know you're feeling like the whole galaxy is either gonna pity you now, and think you're useless, or recoil from you like you're some kind of monster. Well, when this happened to Terrin, he found out he wasn't a monster, and neither are you. What you guys both are, is a victim of terrible circumstances.

"I for one think you're one incredibly brave person."

Tears began to threaten, and I knew I'd touched upon something.

Time to back off a bit, Galen...

"Hey, I don't think we've been introduced. My name's Galen, Galen Danner. Terrin is my husband, and this little beauty--"

I swiped a hand about myself.

"--is Eagle II, one of our ships. We've got more, you know; in fact, I do believe we owe Captain Joao a new one. Maybe when we get back to our headquarters on Hornett, you'll help me pick out a good one for him? After all, we gotta do something to pass the time while our droids fix you up a new arm."

She seemed to relax a bit; I sighed inwardly with relief and went on.

"Hey now, this isn't fair. I told you a little bit about me; now, how about you telling me something of yourself. Like how in Hel-- how in all the known universe you got partnered up with Sleeping Beauty there?"

I nodded toward Captain Joao, who only garbled something intelligible and resumed his loud, ratchety snoring.

[ 06-18-2008 07:18 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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"I met him on Sullest," answered Link. "I had some clients there who needed my skills for a job. While in the process of making certain less then legal technical enhancements to their ships, my clients had a very intimate meeting... with a bomb. Somehow the Empire must have found out I was there, they have multiple bounties and warrants out for me, and the next thing I know the planet goes into lock down and stormtroopers are looking for me. While in the process of running away I met up with a girl named Thea who knew Yaoksi, we eventual met up with him and a group of revolutionaries or hippies. They wanted us to join them and managed to trick Thea into their group, Yaoksi offered me a job on his ship if I helped him rescue Thea. We ended up saving her and since them I've been with Yaoksi."

Looking back up at Galen Link saw a smile across her face. Link couldn't help but to smile as well because she was offering information about her life and wasn't ashamed of what she had done or what had been done to her. Over in the corner Yaoksi was snoring away which Link was glad for because she didn't know how he would react to this.

"Galen, there is something you need to know, so does Yaoksi but I don't know how he will take it."

Reaching up with her remaining hand, Link gather her hair together and pulled it away from the back of her neck. She then turned her back to Galen to let her see for herself.

"When Ryns are used as slaves its common for the slavers to use a brand to differentiate which are Ryn slaves, and those who are not Ryn slaves yet. It wasn't until I escaped that I found out why they only did this with Ryns, no one bothers to make synthskin for us. My biology is close enough that human synthskin is compatible, but it doesn't grow fur like the my actual skin would and it was to late for bacta to repair the damage."

Link let her hair fall back into place covering the brand and looked back at Galen betraying a look of horror which she quickly stifled.

"I could have undergone expensive surgery to graft some skin from one part of my body to cover the scars but it would have been painful, plus I would have to spend days in a bacta tank."

"You medics will already know or should find out as soon as they do some research. there are replacement they could fit me with, none of them will look like a natural arm like Terrin's though."

Link didn't know how Yaoksi would react when he found out she would look like a cyborg for the rest of her life. She didn't know what it would do to him after all he went through to save her.
Maybe Galen will know something that will soften the blow...

[ 06-19-2008 06:20 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Cel ]

--------------------

She sure was worried about her physical appearance, and that just didn't jive with her personality, for some reason...

How did I "know" that? Call it another one of my famous hunches, but something about the clear, if troubled, look she was giving me, something about her, if physically marred, body language, was just screaming at me that this was one tough little Ryn. She had to be, having gone through slavery in her young life, for Khaandon's sake!!

I bristled briefly at that, flaring inwardly at whatever cruel Fates had decided to exploit this particular race. That was something the jedi of old fought so hard to prevent from happening, wasn't it? Wasn't that what our New Republic was about, freedom and a safe life for everybody? Shaking my head a little, I thrust that thought away. I didn't need to be wandering off-track now, of all times.

And then it hit me.

Going by what few clues this little gal had let slip about herself, all she's ever really had has probably been just that: herself. No wonder she was so upset; the only thing she could ever count on in her life has been altered, changed, and now a piece of it has been entirely taken away, and she's worried about how she'd look to; no, be accepted by others. No, that didn't seem right, not with this little toughie.

She was worried as to whether or not she'd still be accepted by Captain Joao?

It made sense. I took the gamble that he was more than just a "port in a storm" to her.

"I wouldn't worry, kid," I said , reaching out and giving her shoulder a little squeeze before plunging on. "I haven't known Captain Joao all that long, but it's been long enough to know he's not a shallow kinda guy."

A brief flash back to Sullust, where I almost lost my own self to pity and self-loathing after being attacked so "intimately" by Dark Lord Roan. I too thought I was worthless, of no use to anybody; and who had it been to follow me as I most stupidly and dangerously persisted in my little self-healing treks onto the planet's surface, to make certain nothing had happened to me? Yet had wisely kept his distance, to allow me the time I needed to come to my wits again?

Captain Yaoksi Joao.

"Yeah," I repeated, nodding as the image faded away. "If there's anyone I know who accepts you as who and not what you are, it's him. And you've still got that, here--" I tapped her forehead gently. "And here." I repeated the gesture on her chest, over her heart.

"And as for that nasty brand, and your arm--"

I frowned in thought; then a lightbulb literally blew itself into brilliance above my head.

Sissypoops. If there's anyone in this entire universe who could make this little gal physically right again, it's her. That weird power she's got; she's done all sorts of stuff with it; I'm positive she'd fix Link up good as new if I asked her nicely enough.

Khaandon knows she owed me...

I refocused on Link, now reaching out and taking her by the chin to turn her face so her eyes met mine directly.

"Don't worry about this; I'm going to make certain that you're put back to normal. Trust me," I said with as much emphasis as I could put into the words. I didn't want to go into specifics at the time, for I figured Link would think I was utterly mad if I started in with describing all the miracles I'd witnessed Sissy perform.

Best to just let her experience it for herself when the time came.

[ 06-19-2008 10:16 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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--------------------

"You are aboard my ship, the Shadowbird, he said, stepping up to the young man so that he could see who was speaking to him. "I'm Captain Willyam Stern. And you are...?"

He paused, arching an eyebrow a bit. "Risky business to be travelling way out here in the boonies."

[ 06-20-2008 12:20 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin's Crew ]

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"You can't get rid of them," Link continued in a more controlled voice. "There is not a day that goes by that I wish none of that had ever happened to me, but it did. Removing them changes nothing except denying what happened, I..."
I can't even explain it to myself, why did I carry that mark for all this time. Money was never an issue, and compared to being a slave the pain of the procedure to restore my appearance would've been nothing. I always hated that mark, but kept making excuses to avoid removing it. Now that there might be an easy way to rid myself of it I can't.

"Would the survivors of Alderaan want all traces of their world removed, as if it never existed never to be mentioned again."

Link knew it was a poor analogy to compare her life to the destruction of an entire world but it was the only thing that came to mind.

"I can't explain it for some reason it feels wrong to remove the mark, I never could bring myself to do it.

Link released Galen's hand and swung her legs over the side of the bed letting her legs hang down over the side.

"Can... can we talk about something else? Like what is it you and Terrin do? I'm a slicer, Yaoksi is a smuggler, Kyan is... something... so how 'bout you two?"

--------------------

Doesn't want the brand removed? I wondered briefly to myself for a moment. Then something began trying to make itself known, something I felt was really important, so I kept quiet and gave it time to flower.

Yeah, that brand is a horrible thing... but it does serve a purpose. It's kind of a reminder of not-so-good times left behind... like a bad memory...

Once again an image of Roan's attack on me in the hot spring on Sullust flew into my mind. But this time, for the first time, there seemed to be something of an edge taken off of it. It didn't seem to hurt as much, I didn't seem to want to shy away from it as quickly. I let it linger a moment, letting it drift now as from somewhere deep inside me a flash of insight rose up.

Khaandon, that was terrible, horrible... something I thought I'd want to forget, something which persisted in making the mere mention of Lord Roan's name a thing to involuntarily shrink away from, flinching, forgetting oneself in mindless, unthinking, reactionary terror. And yeah, self-loathing, too. But--

But now I could look at his menacing form in my mind's eye, I could say his name to myself. All of a sudden, I could face this, head-on. And I realized that it was one of those things in my life that, like any other thing, contributed its part in making me who I was, what I was. In enduring the horror that I had, I could easily have stuttered away into a shadow of my former self, letting it overwhelm me forever, ballooning and inflating in my mind to gargantuan proportions.

But I hadn't. It had taken time, far longer than I ever thought it would, but it had finally receded into a lesser category, compartmentalized under "things that were bad, but which made me tougher and better than I was."

And this more than likely is exactly what that brand represents to Link, I finished to myself, nodding to myself as the realization finished coalescing. My estimation of Link rose again, for this little gal was suddenly showing a glimpse of a side more mature than I would expect to exist in one so young.

Right now she recognizes it's importance, if only on an unconscious level. Well, one day she won't need it anymore, and when that day comes, if she's still with us, I'm gonna make certain it's wiped out of existence. But now...

With a start, I realized she was still sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs, waiting for an answer. I shook myself and answered her smoothly, as if something approaching a personal epiphany hadn't just exploded in my head.

"Well," I said. "Terrin owns Eagle Enterprises," which is a ship selling and building company. We-" I stumbled for a nanosecond, then went smoothly on. "We manage to get around the galaxy, here and there, buying and selling, or manufacturing ships for whoever needs one. As for me--"

I trailed as the enormity of that simple statement rolled over me like a tsunami. What did I do?

Oh, for the last seven years or so I've been pretty much busy with escaping from one majorly evil personage or another, dealing with a race newly resurrected from the past, hopping from one dimension to another, helping to hide planetary systems, dealing with demons from hell...

Yeah. Like she's gonna believe that.

"I assist Terrin," I finished simply. "Anything else you want to know? Or do you want to get away from here and let Sleeping Beauty sleep, and go to the galley for some ice cream?"

[ 06-20-2008 10:56 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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"I'll have some ice cream," Link answered gleefully. "And some caf too, no wait... caf flavored ice cream."

Her eyes widened with anticipation, she didn't have a care right now of coming off acting like a teenager. Right now she had other things on her mind and appearances was taking a back burner of important things to do.

--------------------

"It's right this way."

Heading out of the medbay with the bouncy Link happily trotting alongside, who did we come upon but Terrin. He was coming down the corridor from the bridge, a somewhat satisfied look on his face. I heaved another inward sigh of relief at that.

Looks like he got everything with that distress signal taken care of, I interpreted. Then I let my smile broaden.

"Hey Terrin, you're just in time to join us. We're going to the galley for something to eat... like maybe the biggest nerfburger we can rustle up?" I directed a questioning look at Link, then hurried on.

"But for certain some caf flavored ice cream; lucky kid, we just happen to keep a stock of this onboard, cuz it just happens to be my favorite!"

Moments later found us in the galley, Link sitting at a table, legs swinging as she happily scarfed down spoonful after spoonful of ice cream from what was probably the largest helping of it she had ever seen in her life.

((OOC: Ok, I don't usually put these into posts, but yeah, coffee ice cream really IS the writer's favorite, LOL!))

--------------------

"So, it's desert before dinner, eh?" Terrin quipped, opening the frozen storage and rummaging through until he found some handily available nerfburgers. Popping them out, Terrin prepped everything to heat a few up.

At least it was something that he could manage to cook without burning!

In just a few minutes he'd managed to actually get the burgers all done and carried them over to the table, placing them in the center before returning to the cold storage.

"Anybody want something to drink?" he queried then, turning and quirking a brow in Link and Galen's direction. "And by the way, one of our clients on Nar Hutta has picked up the escape pod whose distress signal we picked up, and he reported faint but present life signs. He's supposed to comm back when he has more info."

--------------------

Link was having a problem with the nerf burgers; first assembling, then eating. She wasn't giving up with it and with one hand was sure she looked like an idiot. Something Terrin said though caught her attention.

"Distress signal," inquired Link. "Are we going to Nar Hutta then?"

Link hoped they where not heading in that direction Hutts where known for being notorious for keeping ryn slaves.

--------------------

He paused, working with the caf packaging a bit. "Now that someone is there and taking care of the Pod and whoever is inside, there's not much else we can do except check in with him and see that everything is in order."

Leaving the caf to perk, Terrin headed to the table to sit for a couple of minutes. He read a bit of concern on the Ryn's part, and wanted to reassure her. "Even if we hed that way, we probably won't be going planetside."

--------------------

"Here, let me cut that into something a bit more manageable for ya..."

I waited for her to put the burger down on her plate before quickly cutting it in two. I then did the same to my own.

"I'm a two-fisted eater/drinker," I said simply as I took up a half-burger in one hand, and snagged my drink with the other. I raised the latter up to the table in general.

"Here's to us all," I said in a spur of the moment toast, took a drink, and followed that with a bite of burger. Chewing, I turned to Terrin.

"So, Link here says she's a slicer," I remarked, swallowing. "Sounds like a useful commodity, huh."

I wasn't trying to patronize, Khaandon no, and hoped the lil gal would realize that. I might be one hellacious pilot, and a veritable houdini when it comes to getting myself out of this predicament or the other, but when it came to things such as this, I was worse than the veritable babe in the woods.

--------------------

Terrin paused, nodding Galen's direction. Damn, didn't he know that!

"And some good techies, strategists, and ship-builders, but as for slicers...

...not one in the bunch that is of very high caliber. But then, maybe you are working with Captain Joao...

...although at the moment, we could really use him too."

Gods knew how good he was in a fight...

...and the caliber his character.

Terrin quieted, not wanting to speak too much about what was lingering ahead just yet but knowing that, if they were going to try to put a team together to deal with the risk of the incoming Vong, they were going to have to perhaps sooner than later. But then a final thought came to his mind.

"And since it's been mentioned," he then said, turning to Galen, "Now that our client has tractored the escape pod, do you think we should resume course back to Hornett?"

[ 06-23-2008 07:57 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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"Yeah, I can't see a reason to continue on toward Nar Hutta. I never really liked the place much, anyway. If whoever sent out that distress signal has been duly rescued, then we're no longer needed, and unless we hear otherwise I will assume our unsung hero client has the situation well in hand.

"I'll change course after we eat; we have a bit of time anyway."

I took a moment to take another bite of food before turning in my seat to address Link again.

"So, if we can persuade Captain Joao to sign on with us, do you think you'd be interested in a permanent berth with Eagle Enterprises?"

[ 06-23-2008 11:11 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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"If Yaoksi joined up with you I can stick around, but what do you need a slicer for. More importantly is it good for your business to harbor around a criminal wanted by both the Empire and the New Republic. I can't imagine why a ship building company would need a slicer who can break into New Republic Intelligence for, unless you want me to steal the competitions blueprints or classified information."

Link took a few more bites of her burger before continuing on.

"Most of my jobs I broke into some of the most secure systems available, stole their information, and sold it to the highest bidder. Not to say I don't do the simpler stuff like hot wire computers, open doors, bypass local security systems, but I mainly do the bigger harder jobs. I won't need any special equipment, most of my stuff I build me. Just wondering what did you have in mind for me to do?"
If Yaoksi takes their offer it wouldn't hurt to work for Terrin and Galen on the side, they where nice... and besides they saved my life, for once I owe someone and actually want to pay them back.

[ 06-24-2008 11:08 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Cel ]

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Having Link around at any of those times would have made extricating us a far easier chore than it had been... in those cases where we'd managed to get sprung, that is.

I thought of the lesser of the two on-coming, head-on collisions we were faced with: not only did we have the threat of the Vong, if we believed Phal's dear ol' daddykins, but we also had to face the Imperials... and Sorben.

Seems he and I didn't really part under the best of circumstances, but then, it just seems we never did anymore. Something about him actually once taking up the assignment with me as the hit just kept rubbing me the wrong way...

Who knew how he was going to react if and when we managed to sit down with him and get him to listen. Tell truth, deep in my gut I was certain that at least one of us was going to be slammed in the pokey just on general principles; having Link around would be a very good thing. There was more to what computers run than just storage systems...

Yes indeedy.

With a start I realized I was just sitting there, a single bite of burger held motionless en route to my mouth. Covering that little gaffe with a quick grin, I stuffed the remnant into my mouth.

"Well," I said, waggling my brows at Terrin for help. "To be honest I don't have anything exactly in particular at this very moment--"

But almost...

"--but skill such as yours can always be utilized in one mannor or another."

I paused again, this time to assess the rest of Link's little speech. I don't know where this little gal had been hiding herself for the past few years, but it must have been out in the boonies, sure as there's Treasure on Roon! I mean, not to realize the extent of Imperial take-over? The fact that the Senate was long-gone, its members assassinated by Actar when he swooped in with his big military coup?

Leaning forward, I slid a hand, palm-down, across the table to Link. Halfway to her, it flipped over. Not in the hopes that she would snag onto it, but as a simple gesture of friendship, and connection.

"I wouldn't worry too much about the New Republic if I were you," I said, letting it go at that. "And as for the Imperials... well, aren't we all kinda in the same boat?"

I cut my eyes sidewards to Terrin, and waggled my brows again.

Hey, feel free to jump in at any time ya want, Flyboy!

--------------------

...but then, it was everything that was going on that made him think Link would be a good asset to their little team. And judging from what Galen had already said, he was fairly certain she was thinking along the same lines as well.

"Yeah," Terrin finally managed, still mulling over what he should say. "And truth be told, EE has shifted from one side of the fence to the other based on who needs the big ships and has the money to pay for them."

Wasn't THAT the truth!!!

"And all in all, having you join up with us is going to place you in a position to be working with more than just EE computers and technology."

He paused, still debating on how much he should say. But then he came to the sudden realization that, if they were going to offer Link a position as part of their team, they were going to have to trust her.

"You see, some people feel the Vong might be coming back, and the planet we found you, Yaoksi, and Kyan on doesn't do any more towards negating that possibility. We need to try and get everyone on the same page regarding this...

...and doing so might not be so easy. We need a good group of people with a wide range of skills if we are going to have any chance of success. And if it's all just suspicion and coincidence then, well...

...like I said, EE has been known to walk on the political fence, and your skills will still come in very handy."

[ 06-24-2008 08:19 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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"If Yaoksi signs on then I'm game," Link answered "I never did anything so open ended usually someone pitches and idea and I develop it into a working plan."

Link finished off the rest of her burger leaving an empty plate.

"How long is it till we get to the Hornett?" Link asked. "And where is Dagobah, I've never heard of that place, is it in the core or something?"

Link hoped that didn't come across as too pushy, but she wanted to get her new arm so she could stop being such a burden to everyone.

--------------------

"Degobah is a swamp world," he paused a moment, frowning, "With some less-well known mountain ranges too, based on our recent experiences there. Jedi Master Yoda exiled himself many, many years ago during the times of the Old Republic and Old Empire, according to history."

He quieted another moment, taking the final bite of his nerfburger. "Once we change course I'd estimate it'll take us around eight hours to get back to Hornett, give or take an hour. And as far as what you would do given Yaoksi joins up, I'm sure things will become more defined as we get going."

--------------------