The Sight of Shore

[Gir Quee]

Union-class Colony Assault Carrier Ocean Tide, leaving the Herios Sector

The massive hull of the Tide surged through hyperspace, with countless stars streaking past it and a quartet of ships accompanying the Tide. On the ship's bridge, Gir leaned over a holo-tank, watching the convoy's progress towards Tanaan IV. He deftly moved his hands across the control board to zoom in and out of sections of the hastily mapped route and compared it with the incoming sensor feed from the ship's vessel. With Drake, the ship's Compass-class artificial intelligence, guiding the vessel he had little doubt about the ship's celerity and safety, yet in the unknown regions of space, he had learned that it was always best to have a second set of eyes looking out for potential trouble. He felt a hand on his back, causing Gir to turn and face Balu, a quiet spindly man was remarkable if only for his unremarkableness.

"Yes?"

"The Exargans want to have a moment with you, if at all possible."

Gir ripped his attention from the map to study his aide's face. He's not joking, and he seems irritated. Rogg doesn't exactly seem like the most personable person though. Gir folded his arms.

"Do you know what they want? It's not another progress report, is it?"

"It sounds like he wants to renegotiate part of the deal."

"No," said Gir, turning his eyes back to the map, "what's been signed has been signed, and the Ungarr Mining Corporation is just going to have to deal with it. You can tell him that I'll be more receptive to coming and talking to them if I know what their concerns are. Alternatively they can wait until we reach Tanaan IV if they want another all around talk about that."

 

[Gir Quee]

"People problems?" asked Drake, coalescing in front of him as a holo.

Gir slowly shook his head at the AI's Givin avatar, "Money problems."

In truth though, Drake actually might be right. The initial bargaining with Ungarr Mining Corporation had went over relatively smoothly. Only a few items had to be revised out of the initial proposed terms, and Gir had thought little of granting them an extension to raise more funds for the colonization effort. Yet it seemed like more and more that either that company was unable to fulfill its terms, or that its executive was trying to wriggle more and more out of the agreement. He man shook his head, as if to shake the thoughts out of his mind. He noticed one particularly large mass coming near their path. Judging by a random orbit of planet-sized objects in its vicinity, he guessed that the mass was either a star or a black hole. He mentally began to recalculate their rough safety margin when a baritone voice began to flow through his headset.

"Captain, I'm picking up a weak, automated distress call from the N8293 system. It's kind of garbled, but it sounds like a passenger transport of some sort."

He glanced at the map, noting that it was the very system that they were approaching. We're ethically obligated to at least check it out. I wonder what they found there...He toggled a switch on his mic to reply to the comm's officer.

"We'll investigate. Try and lock down a specific source of the signal.

"Yes sir."

Gir turned his attention to Drake's avatar, "Prepare to revert in the N8293 system. Coordinate with communication's to revert as close to the distress signal as possible without placing us in any immediate danger."

The artificial intelligence's avatar solemnly nodded, and Gir began to feel a slight shift in the artificial gravity, signalling that the AI was already reacting to his new set of orders. Gir turned his attention to the rest of the bridge, looking up at the amphitheater of stations. Everyone's busy. He toggled his mic to speak over the general announcement channel used by the bridge crew and the departments command staff.

"The Tide will be reverting to investigate a distress signal. Take all necessary precautions and prepare your people for action. I'm not sure what we'll find."

And hopefully, we won't have to sound general quarters...

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir felt the gravity fully shift under his feet, signalling that the Tide has slipped back into the realm of real space. His eyes darted across the holo-tank as it now switched to a local map of the areas seen by the ship's sensors. He could immediately make out sever large orbs of ice and rock, as well as amber gas giant that easily massed the size of all of the system's other planetary bodies, except what had been N8293's sun. Whatever color it had once been had long since vanished into the gaping maw that was a black hole.

“Contact two thousand kilometers away at heading 23.45.52,” said the ship's mon calamari sensor operator.

Gir focused the map at those coordinates and enlarged the holo. The heavenly bodies gave way to a long, cylindrical hull that was easily twice the Tide's size. He zoomed in to get further details on the vessel. Where did they find that ancient behemoth? It has to be older than the Gulag plague...maybe even hundreds of years previous to that. As zoomed in closer on the ancient battleship, he could make out the remains of faded insignia that had been worn away from time, along with several smaller symbols that had obviously been painted on by its latest users. He could even make out the aurebesh on the vessel's bow. He blinked.

“It's a prison ship,” muttered Gir, turning his gaze to the ship's communication officer, “is that where the distress signal is coming from?”

“It is,” confirmed the other man, “the signal is two weeks old.”

Two weeks is a long time to drift in space with a hull full of angry prisoners. I wonder if they'd had a riot yet...

“It's adrift,” noted Nepo, the sensor operator, “looks like it has signs of main drive failure.”

“Try and establish a line with them.”

“Yes sir.”

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir studied the holo-image of the Penance, registered to a mega-corp whose headquarters had been located near the deep core when the One Sith had been the dominant government of the galaxy. A prison ship for hire. Who knows who has all been tossed in there, especially under that regime. Could be good and bad people in equal mix. Political dissidents, jedi, debtors...or on the complete other end of the spectrum, murderers and rapists. Perhaps just as curiously to Gir, the Penance had once been an Alaskan museum ship. It seemed sorry to Gir to see such an ancient vessel once preserved for historical reasons to be completely repurposed for such a sordid task.

“Contact established with the Penance,” said Davish, “do you want to speak with them now?”

Gir nodded, “Go ahead and patch me through.”

Davish briefly bobbed his head to signal to Gir that a line had been established.

“This is Captain Quee of the Ocean Tide,” started Gir, “who am I speaking to?”

“This is...Captain Rali of the Penance,” said the other voice slowly, “I should assume that you have received our distress call. No reason to stop here otherwise.”

“What sort of assistance do you need?”

“Our engines are out,” said the voice, “and I doubt that you'd have the parts for such an old beast like this. I would like you to take me and my crew on your vessel and drop us off at the nearest port that you encounter next. We'll hire a ship and come back to retrieve the Penance once we have the proper supplies.”

“And your passengers?”

A noticeable pause passed before Rali's voice came back at a lower tone, “They are in suspended animation. They will be fine.”

 

[Gir Quee]

"What is your ultimate destination?" questioned Gir.

"I can't say."

"I will need to think about this some more," said Gir, "I will contact you in a standard hour with our response."

Bewilderment and fear rippled through the other man's voice, "What do you mean you need to think about it?"

"Tell me who your prisoners are."

"I...can't."

"Exactly," said Gir, "I can't morally leave thousands of people trapped in space and only rescue a few, especially when I don't know who they are or what you're going to do with them."

"You won't leave us here then," said Rali slowly and softly, "and that was my only concern. We will speak again when you are ready."

The transmission cut off, and Gir turned to a nearby holo-projector which displayed the visage of a young Zabrak clad in the trendiest fashion of the Core Worlds. By sight alone, he could have passed easily as a denizen of a wilder night club where the young let loose. Yet behind that facade was almost the exact opposite item: a carefully crafted intelligence designed to coldly infiltrate and subvert opposing software.

"Aurek, I want you to slice into the Penance using the transponder and download all personnel files of the passenger list."

The Atropos AI offered a slight bob of the head even as its programming began to chip away into the ancient prison ship's computer systems.

 

[Gir Quee]

For twenty minutes, Aurek sifted through the Penance's files, uncovering a trove of information that predated its use as a prison ship. As interesting as some of it seemed to Gir, he guessed that it would be of little immediate use in solving his current dilemma. He managed to occupy much of those minutes by studying the Penance itself, looking at it as a possible enemy. It might have been a potent threat if it had operational engines, but without the ability to move, it would take little work to come around to the ship's stern and rake it with the Tide's firepower. Gir doubted that it would last five minutes once it reached that point, assuming that he wanted to destroy it. Aurek cleared his throat, causing Gir to shift his attention to several sets of files that the AI had uncovered.

Gir began to scroll down the files, noting that two-thirds of personnel had come from a single world: Anaxes. It had once been a Republic stronghold, and it had actually been where Gir had gone to Academy. He knew none of the names, but brief glances at the dossier files showed that they all had connections to the former Republic government or suspected links to a resistance movement. The other third didn't seem to be political prisoners, but neither were they among the worse of criminals in Gir's mind. He couldn't bring tax evasion and corruption to the same level as murder, yet he knew that their acts could be just as damaging to society as a whole. Of course it's complicated. He shifted on his feet as he considered his options when I thought occurred to him.

“What is the current financial status of Cyrnad Corp?” asked Gir, looking up at Aurek.

The zabrak avatar briefly paused as if it were actually thinking, “Analysis of data present suggests downward trend.”

That's one avenue to pursue...

“Thank you. Davish, get me a line with Captain Rali.”

“Done.”

“Captain Rali, I have a proposition for you.”

 

[Gir Quee]

“I have little option but to hear it,” grumbled the other man.

“How much longer do you think you have with Cyrnad Corp?”

The disembodied voice paused, “That is not the question I was expecting. Are you offering me a job?”

And that is not the question that I was expecting. But that's revealing nonetheless. Gir leaned forward on the railing around the holo-tank.

“Possibly,” said Gir, “and for your crew as well. But it is contigent on your immediate resignation from the Penance.”

“I can't do that.”

“I understand,” said Gir, “is there anything I can do to change your mind?”

“I don't like where this is going...”

“No more than I,” said Gir, “I will be taking custody of the Penance's passengers. The only question is how. You can give them up willingly, or you can go down in a fight.”

“I need to think about this.”

“You have fifteen minutes,” decided Gir, “otherwise, we will decide for you.”

“There has to be another way.”

“It is pretty cut and dry I'm afraid.”

“My crew and I will abandon ship,” said the man, “and you can take possession of it without in fight. In return, you could provide us with transport to another world of your choosing.”

“Deal.”

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir flicked a switch on his headset, cutting the communication's channel between the two ships. He turned his eyes from their vacant gaze at the holo-tank to look among the faces of the crew. Few looked at him, especially those far up on the upper levels of the CIC, and those who met his gaze quickly turned their attention back to their consoles. Yet he felt like eyes were still on him. Commander Hobbes cleared his throat subtly as he near his chief.

"What are we doing? I'm not sure if we've just black-mailed them, or committed piracy?"

Gir considered his words carefully, "Neither I am, but it is probably preferable to committing violence. This is one of those times for a do the ends justify the means conversation..."

Hobbes shook his head, "Not only that, but what happens when Captain Rali makes it back to shore?"

"That depends on whose shore it is."

"Sir," said Davish, clearing his voice, "there are more distress signals being broadcasted from near the Penance. Automated escape pods."

"How many?"

"I count 23 signals currently."

There should be more. Unless there is some advanced automation added to their ships...but there's an easy way to check out. He caught himself and smiled. Two ways...in fact...

"Nepo, get me a life count reading on those deployed escape pods. Aurek, estimate how many crew members are still on the Penance."

"There are still approximately four hundred thirty two," replied the artificial intelligence.

"About two hundred," said Nepo, waving a webbed hand at the Zabrak avatar, "I can't quite spit out exact numbers like him...I'll work on getting something a bit more specific number."

"Aurek, where are those four hundred located?"

"At the ship's front end, clustered in several of the compartments."

Gir frowned. The bow? That's not traditionally where any escape pods would be on a design like this. The bow would be almost nothing but armor and high-sectioned compartments designed to absorb blasts from incoming ordinance...Suspicion engendered itself in his mind, yet before he could verbalize it, his eyes were immediately drawn to the holo of the Penance. Explosions began to ripple across the vessel, starting in its stern with the generators and the engine block and slowly moving forward to the front. Son of a Sith...

"Signal all ships to move and recover the survivors immediately," barked Gir.

 

[Gir Quee]

An hour elapsed before the Tide and her consorts were able to pick up the last of the survivors from the shattered remains of the Penance. Of the prisoners onboard, Gir estimated that they had only been able to save a paltry five percent, most of who had been in stasis pods near the ship's bow, though nearly eighty percent of the ship's crew had survived. Gir's sorrow was only matched by his rage. Yet it seemed that Rali had gone down with the ship. Nor did any of the ship's crew recovered so far appear to have been complicit in their ship's destruction. Hobbes joined Gir at the holo-tank railing as Gir reviewed the latest reports of the survivors picked up by the Solar Flare.

"We won't be able to keep them for long," commented the other man quietly, briefly pausing, "you know...the logistics of it all."

"We should be able to dip into the long-term consumables to feed them," said Gir, "but I think we may have to leave them on Tanaan IV...at least temporarily."

Hobbes nodded, "Thinking of marooning the Penance's crew?"

"There wouldn't be much of thought of that fate for Rali," muttered Gir, staring hard at the scrolling list of names, "but I'm not sure I can or should do that to his crew....we'll have to see."

Nepo cleared his gravelly throat, "I see no more life-forms adrift on our scopes."

"Run a second comprehensive sweep in conjunction with the rest of the ships to make sure. After that, prepare all guns to scuttle the wreckage."

"Aye sir."

 

[Gir Quee]

The Penance disappeared under a blazing barrage of light, finally leaving the scant scatterings of metal shards and dust that began to dissipate into oblivion. Gir stared at the now empty space, contemplating his next move. It seemed obvious that they should leave the place at once. If other vessels had picked up the Penance's distress signal, and they had similar allegiances to the prison ship, the convoy would blunder into a fight. As able of a commander as he was, he did not relish leading a civilian group of ships into battle. On a far more likely and immediate level, he knew that they could only keep their extra passengers for so long. He sighed as he turned to Hopkins.

"Let's keep going," said Gir, before turning to Drake, "any chance that we can speed up our route?"

The holo-graphic visage regarded him carefully, "Safety margins could be lowered, but they would push our risk limits beyond the margin of safety dictated by the colony charter."

Gir glumly nodded, "I suppose that is to be expected. Take us to lightspeed as soon as the other ships are ready."

The artificial intelligence's avatar offered a brief nod of understanding, "Understood."

Gir turned towards Hopkins, "You have the bridge. I am going to speak to some of the survivors."

 

[Gir Quee]

Nearly an hour later, Gir had managed to gather the highest ranking survivors of the Penance's crew as well as some of the more influential prisoners in one of the ship's conference rooms. He had been privy to some more hush-hush political negotiations as a Republic officer and as Consul of Hast, yet he had never felt as uncomfortable as he did with both the eyes of the prisoners and Penance's crewmembers on him. Each seem equally betrayed by the mere presence of the other, and none of them had ever met him before. Gir found himself in the awkward position of being despised by them all, despite having them at his mercy as the master of the Tide. He turned his gaze onto the Penance's former quartermaster.

"Do you know where your ship was headed?" questioned Gir.

The portly man shook his head, "Only the captain knew. He had me order radiation treatment medicines and extra vac suits before our voyage though. I suspect it was going to be a deep space colony."

"That could be anywhere then," said Gir, turning his attention to the once prisoners, "is there any broad consensus about the possibility of returning to Anaxes, now that it is ruled by the Galactic Alliance?"

A gray-haired woman slowly shook her head, "Years have passed since most of us were last there. We don't know what the world is like now, or even if we'd be safe or able to return to life there. I myself think that we've been forgotten, but I know some disagree with me about that."

"Life has given us a sudden change in plans," said Gir, glancing at his wrist chrono, "In a little under a day, this convoy will be arriving at a remote world where we will begin a settlement. Any of you are welcome to join us in this new endeavor. If anyone wants to return back to Anaxes or wherever you are from, you will be free to do so, after the colony is established."

"After?" frowned the former quartermaster, "how long is that expected to take?"

"Several weeks," revealed Gir, "there is almost no infrastructure there right now aside from a few pre-fabricated shelters put up on a rocky island. It is right now a quite tenuous footing, and I will not have any of our larger ships depart from me here until I know that the colony is stable."

 

[Gir Quee]

The Ocean Tide flashed into real space into the Tanaan system. After its bright cronau radiation halo, dozens of other smaller craft emerged from hyperspace behind, forming a slow moving school of starships that swam through the black ocean of space to the blue orb. From a distance, Tanaan IV appear to be a soothing blue world hugged by elegant gray-white clouds. But as the ships edged closer and closer to the world, cracks in that appearance began to emerge. Close EPR footage of the world showed vast, turbulent seas covered in roaring, white cap waves. The rough seas lapped up against steep volcanic islands. Their black slopes had the faintest strips of foliage, though a handful of the most ancient islands had eroded away to form verdant basins. They have been an attractive sight if not for the unceasing rains which constantly pelted the world.

"You sure know how to pick a place," chimed Nemo, standing next to Gir at the holo-projector.

Gir grunted, "We didn't pick it for looks. At least our current scans show that it is as minerally rich as the scout survey says it is. The mining companies should be happy."

The mon calamari navigator briefly pressed his rubbery lips together, "In truth, there are several coves there that look appealing to my eyes. But such places are not for your kind."

Gir ruefully smiled, "If only. Between you and Salmakk, I might have to get someone to perform some sort of gill-grafting operation to my neck."

"I have a similar issue to discuss with you."

GIr turned around to face Bonmi, a cerean surgeon who was the chief medical physician of the colony expedition. The cone-headed alien advanced to join the pair. He briefly gazed at the storm-wracked world before slowly opening his lips.

"Many of the Penance's survivors need more medical attention."

Gir blinked, "I thought they were all stabilized."

"They are, but they will not thrive," explained the doctor, "some had such several injuries when the ship exploded that we had to give them prosthesis. They are people with new limbs, new eyes, and new organs. They cannot simply move onto the world and expect to begin to settle right away. They need more attention and help than I think that you expect."

Quee turned his gaze back to Tanaan IV, "They made their choice to settle here. I cannot tell them now that they can't do it, nor can I continue to keep dozens if not hundreds of patients for months on end on a corporate warship."

"No. I suppose you cannot," agreed Bonmi, "but we are ethically obligated to help these people. I think there is a third way. I think that the Lucerne Labs outpost that you are establishing can house them."

Gir blinked, "Probably. I suppose there is a probably a way to incorporate them with the outpost and the survivor settlement. But that will require some major redesign. You know what that means."

"But such a design can be to the company's benefit."

"How so?"

"Turn one of the research labs away from the droid weapons research to cybernetic research. We have a large pool of lab subjects now, if they are willing. War will continue, and there is sure to be more people who need replacements or want augmentation. There's a market for that even in peace, I'd wager."

"And you will be there?"

The cerean hesitated, "I can. I will make my primary practice location there."

Gir turned his attention back to the holo of the world, which showed the craft dispersing to various points on the world. The massive hull of the Ocean Tide herself slid forwards to a massive caldera on an island surrounded by several rings of smaller islands and rocky outcroppings. As he squinted, he could just make out the sight of shore, where black sand beaches met the gently lapping waves of the inlet. Even on this stormy world is some peace and paradise. They can make it here. Gir turned his eyes back to the cerean doctor.

"Very well. But this is your project now. What else do you need to make this happen?"

Bonmi eyed Gir intently, "Some specialists...I know where you can find them."

Gir turned back to the holo, watching as shuttles began to deposit pre-fabricated buildings across the island.

"The colony is already starting. I suppose that means that I will need to find them fast..."