Sojourn Lost (Orbit over Concord Dawn)

[Tanis]

He feel forward on his hands, his breathing heavy and labored as he army crawled down the corridor which lead to the bridge of the Sojourn. His blue armor, spattered with blood spray, clunked against the grates and walls as Jaerikk moved forward, unable to move his left leg because of the eight inch dagger stuck through his hip. He groaned as he brushed the hilt of it, sending waves of pain shooting through the rest of his body. The bridge was only ten or so feet ahead. He kept moving despite his body crying out for him to stop and give in to the growing desire for unconsciousness.

In the blackness of space, the Sojourn lay, adrift somewhere. Jaerikk didn't know where. He couldn't remember. The engines sparked and whirred, trying to restart despite the empty fuel reserves and internals which had been gutted for parts. It turned slightly, the attitude thrusters having been damaged as it moved through space on the last bit of momentum from the drive units. The atmospheric temperature control was shot. It was getting cold.

Just another five feet. Jaerikk crawled on in his armor, helmet locked over his head. He crawled across the floor to the command console, the pain seemingly increasing by a factor of ten for ever foot he crawled. Behind him, a trail of blood followed like a macabre tail, or an arrow for Death to follow to him. He pulled himself up off the floor for a moment, his arm reached out blindly for the console and slammed a large button. Jaerikk slumped against the console...he thought of what had happened...and unconscious swallowed him like a hungry Rancor.

The sensor boom on Sojourn began to transmit his distress call to the nearest planet.

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Sojourn, Coronet-Class Light Freighter
ID Signature 11-niner-84-33-1-niner
Mayday. Mayday.

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It is followed by a message in another language.
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Gaa'tayl! Gaa'tayl! Ni aliit ru ram'or bal kadala. Gaa'tayl! Gaa'tayl!

Gaa'tayl! Gaa'tayl! Ni aliit ru ram'or bal kadala. Gaa'tayl! Gaa'tayl!

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[Iota]

The mandalorian sitting in the communications tower was once again bored. It was an honour for him to be there, but it was quiet. He could sometimes get away with the odd snooze here and there as the slightest noise would wake him and wearing the armour no one would know, the perfect crime he would always humour himself.

The comm's came to life for the second time that day "Huh..Wha-?!" The dozing soldier stated before clicking the device and activating the message, it was a distress signal coming from above Concord Dawn, something had happened, it wasn't often a mandalorian would call for help... was it a trap? no..no.. the mandalorian would of blown the ship apart if some one was trying to trap any search parties. The lone soldier clicked on a communication device, he patched a message through to the resident search and rescue operatives "Heads up... Light frieghter above us... SoS beacon..." he shut off the communications device. The resident team jumped from their seated layed back positions and ran to their ship, it was equiped to fight if need be, it also had a tractor beam device on it too, to tow in lifeless ships. It only had a limited capacity and could only work on small ships at close range.

"I see it!" one of the mandalorians using the powers of observation as the exited the planets atmosphere "Looks like its taken a beating!" The ship hurried towards the dead in the water freighter, They scanned for life signs "one life sign, very weak....lets board and get the poor begger from that hell hole" The mandalorians suited up before giving a nod to their captain "Ready when you are, sir"

The search and rescue team's ship docked with the Sojourn, the hatch had opened, The team entered. The first mandalorian looked around the corridor, it was dark and dank. He pressed a button to change his vision mode in his helmet, he switched it to night vision, as did the rest of the team. "Hmmm..seem's to have been a fight in here..scorch marks on the walls" They proceeded deeper into the ship before noticing two bodies, one a female, the other a child. The team leader activated his heat vision sensor in his visor.. "Dead.. head to the cockpit" The team carefully stepped over the corpses before a brief walk to their destination.

They opened the door to find the unconscious mandalorian slumped over the communications panel "Bingo...take him aboard the ship and get ready to to this heap back to base" the team leader stated "Yes sir, right away!" the others replied with out hesitation.

[Tanis]

Jaerikk's mind swam with visions of the past. He was standing outside his home on Roon, popping little critters with his slugthrower, his father standing triumphantly to the side, beaming with pride. Then all of a sudden he was at his wedding, Shibi clutching his hand tightly. He almost felt like he was being carried by others as he opened his eyes slightly. Sounds of voices surrounded him, but muffled, distant, as if trying to break through the wall of haziness that kept Jaerikk inside, like a prison. He groaned slightly and dreamed again, this time of birth of his twin girls...then, as if on a television, the channel changed again to the moment when all he held dear was torn from him. Men yelling orders punctuated by the bright scarlet flashes of blaster fire.

He turned in his unconsciousness, as watching the entire event played out in front of him by a holorecorder. The first shot. The final coup de grace. He opened his eyes for a mere second, just long enough to see a medical tech over him, and then he feel back into fitful sleep. He heard the distant laughter of his daughters as his mind went back to one of their journeys through space...he could almost see them, but the haze still locked him away from seeing them, not permitting him that small memory. And violent he was brought back to present, just hours before. He remembered trying to pull his pistol. He remembered not being quick enough.

And he remembered the scream of one of his daughters.

He awakened fully this time, shaking violently, dark eyes scanning from left to right. There were bright lights everywhere, people were around him. He heard them speak but not their words, but as the haziness and deafness receeded, he found himself inside a medical bay, or hospital, IV lines in both of his arms and bandages wrapped around his injuries. He sighed deeply and put his head in his hands.