Gambit Inc. Part IX

Orlan spoke up, “When Tenric needed a replacement ship for his Headhunter, he managed to get the ARC in a rather under-the-table round-about way. Anyway, it had already been totally stripped, and was just a display piece. We repaired the flight control systems and droid socket; we also installed four medium laser cannons, taken from a pair of Y-Wings. We wanted to install a Y-Wing ion cannon turret too, but that would have taken too much internal space, which Tenric needed to utilize for his bounty hunting. The power core, shields, and hyperdrive are all stock ARC components.”

“What about the proton torpedoes?” queried Orrell.

“Well, the magazine is still there. But at the moment the system is non-functional. We are still trying to locate a replacement targeting computer; it looks like someone took a blaster pistol to the factory once.”

After that, the group sat in silence while Orlan communicated with Soma orbital control. Just a few minutes later, the converted cargo ship and its fighter escort were clear of Soma’s gravity well, and were clear to navigate. They set a leisurely course for the Soma asteroid belt, and began a careful and detailed sensor sweep of the entire solar system, but especially their approach lane to their asteroid base. Kr-Ant could even feel Tenric reaching out in the Force, looking for any potential spies.

Orlan swiveled his pilot’s chair partially around to look back at his two passengers, “Our defensive network isn’t completely operational, nor as heavy, as we’d like. So, we’re very careful every time we dock. It’s not that we’re doing anything illegal out here, but we just value our privacy, for the moment. Once we get everything running to our preferences, we’ll slowly and carefully spread the word. Most contacts will be pre-screened by Tenric, if he’s available.”

As they entered the asteroid field, Dale brought the ship’s shields up to full power, and began navigating a winding route, with Orlan calling out times and distances. For almost fifteen minutes, they slowly cruised through the tumbling rocks. The deeper they got, Kr-Ant noticed that the smaller and very abundant debris appeared to thin out, only to be replaced larger asteroids. Then they were passing between three exceptionally large moonlet fragments, and began to curve around to the backside of a fourth. Only once their line-of-sight to Soma III was broken, did a series of docking lights begin flashing in the bottom of a crater, connected to a large crevice.

Landing parallel to the surface, and apparently on a massive elevator, they began to drop down into the massive asteroid. Dale spoke up, “Once this place and been strip-mined and tunneled, the gravity field was radically altered. Apparently, the durelium ore acted as a sort of gravitic stabilizer. Now, we actually have two different styles of docking bays: this one, parallel to the surface, and several that are perpendicular. Basically just flying straight ‘down’ into a hole. It kinda messes with your perspective for a while. One of our first tasks was to completely map out the internal gravity shifts and place warning marks in those sectors.”

“Most of our repair bays have very limited gravity, which is great in moving larger pieces around – no danger of dropping anything expensive and breaking it,” Orlan added. “Though we did install some gravity plating in the labs and living quarters.”

“Is it too much to hope that it’s not Soma standard G’s?” Orrell tentatively asked.

Orlan and Dale chucked, “We currently have it set at one standard G, though we can crank it up if you like!”

Orrell vigorously shook his head.

As the elevator finished descending, Orlan flicked several more switches at his control panel, and waited for the appropriate responses. “Okay, looks like we’re good to go. Outer hatch closed and secured, the atmospheric shield activated and stable, and the inner bay has pressurized. Welcome to the base of operations for Gambit Inc.! Would either of you care for a tour?”

A couple hours later, the five of then returned to the common room for a meal, to find Tenric already there, hungrily devouring a couple nerf stakes. After the meal, the Jedi and the engineers split up. Dale and Orlan took Orrell down to the main hanger to begin work on the Z-100, while Tenric showed Kr-Ant one of the low-gravity ship bays, “Interested in some low-G sparing? Since the Jedi holocaust, I’ve had a hard time finding lightsaber sparing partners. I also come here to meditate.”

Orrell and Kr-Ant stayed at the asteroid base for almost three weeks. A custom hyperdrive was designed, built, and finally installed, while Tenric and Kr-Ant spoke at length of their separate Jedi experiences and training. They each learned a few things from the other. Kr-Ant, the older, spoke at length of life as a proper Jedi padawan at the temple in Coruscant. He explained that the surviving Jedi would have to make some changes, and break with some traditions and thoughts that were thousands of years old. Or else the Jedi order might be completely extinguished, and the Sith would lead the galaxy to chaos and self-destruction.

Tenric spoke of his plans, and experiences in finding and rescuing a few Jedi. So far, all had been young padawans or knights, from small planets in the outer rim regions. By far, Tenric's biggest news was regarding his encounter with A'Shared Hett on Dantooine. Tenric had been quite 'out of the loop', and so most of Kr-Ant's news was more of a recent history lesson of the Jedi and the temple on Coruscant. Disappointingly to both, neither had any idea the current status of Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The last confirmed sighting of Yoda, had been on Kashyyyk. There were rumors that the pair had been spotted together on Coruscant at the Jedi temple shortly after the clones had turned on the Jedi, but again, there was no proof.

After a few days of power testing within the repair bay, Kr-Ant, Orrell, and Dale went for a test flight. They made several hyperspace jumps, of varying duration and speed. After some fine-tuning at one point, they made a two-jump return to Soma III space, and returned to the asteroid field. The next couple days were spent downloading and reviewing the hyperdrive and its computer readouts. The hyperdrive was completely removed and thoroughly inspected, too. No problems were spotted. In fact, the fully custom hyperdrive was operating at a much cooler temperature than they had initially calculated. Apparently, they had been able to obtain much purer durelium ore that they thought possible. Anywhere else, the cost of comparable materials would have been prohibitively expensive. Dale later commented, “I guess it always helps to have an inside line!”

Almost a month after having first arrived on Soma III, Orrell and Kr-Ant were making final preparations for departure. Just before boarding the prototype, Kr-Ant stepped aside and spoke with Tenric. “Keep in touch. If you need any help, you can reach me through Orrell. Watch your back. I have been seeing reports of wandering bands of vigilantes hunting for any Jedi survivors, and even simple force-sensitives. These truly are dark times.”

The two Jedi clasped hands firmly, “May the Force be with you, Jedi Knight Starkindler.”

“And with you, Master Jooraw.”

Nodding once more, the Jedi Master and his engineer, boarded their prototype starfighter, and carefully departed the asteroid workshop.

From a small observation deck on the surface near the docking bay, Dale activated his comlink to the departing Z-100, “Orrell, try not to burn out this hyperdrive, too. The next one’ll cost ya! A lot.”

“Ha! Yeah right! And you try not to get suckered into buying any more stripped and useless hunks of junk!

Before Dale could rise to the defense of The Second Chance a pair of moonlet sized asteroids tumbled close by and when they had cleared the small ship was gone.

Tenric clapped Dale on the shoulder as they turned to leave the observation deck.
"Don't worry Dale." He offered with a wink to Orlan, "I have a feeling you'll get another chance."

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END....Roll Credits and Fade to Black.......