Imperial Year 3215

Bask Region

Dust Ring of the Sunderbans

Mostrel Merchant Vessel 435-9-29

Engineering

The Mostrel captain grumbled approval as the lights in engineering grew stronger. "There." said the engineer, "bypassed the override."

"But is there protection in that circuit?" the navigator worriedly asked. The engineer nodded.

"I don't want another fire."

"One was clearly enough to take down main and auxiliary power," the navigator scolded. "Hopefully the battery will have enough charge to get the ship going again."

"Unlikely," the captain corrected. "Three days will have drained it below what's needed to start even the aux power unit."

"That's okay, I have a plan," the engineer announced.

The navigator struck his forehead. "Another brilliant plan."

"Enough with the wisecracks, slave. What is this plan, Azzat?"

"Use the shuttles, they have APUs that can connect to the ship. That should provide enough power to get the ship's Auxiliary Power Unit running, then I can start main power and the engines."

The captain nodded, then looked around as if he had heard something. "Fine, do it."

Bridge

The captain sat down roughly in his seat while the navigator leaned over his console. "Viewer on, sir."

The main viewer powered up, revealing the thick tumultuous ring of the Sunderbans. "We moved, we're - we're being sucked in!"

"Calm yourself, Teer. We'll be moving soon enough." The navigator nodded and sat down, waiting for the console to show main power in the engines. "I see the power levels have already risen."

"How much more will we need?"

"He knows, he'll take care of it," the captain replied.

"I'm starting auxiliary power now." the Engineer's voice announced from the overhead speakers. "Main power will take a few moments." Teer relaxed as addition lights lit and brightened the dark room.

"See, Teer. Not so bad."

"Not so bad, not so bad," Teer repeated. "There's nothing that's as bad as not so bad."

The captain chuckled. "You are the pessimist." He got up, walked over to the nav console and adjusted the viewscreen. Not satisfied, he adjusted it again. "We shouldn't get into the turbulent band."

"But the radiation!"

"It's below acceptable levels, until you get into that band," the captain replied. "Still, there is something we..." he stopped, realizing who he was talking to, a slave from the empire.

"Something we should worry about?" Teer completed for him.

"Nothing you should know about!" The captain said warmly. He rubbed his chin, "If we weren't so short on hands, I could have done away with you for that."

Teer cringed. "I meant no disrespect, I've heard the stories of-"

"Say no more, fool, least I have to send you to hell!"  Teer's eye grew wide with terror and he said no more, not even a protest. The captain returned to his command chair. He rubbed his furry chin. 

"Come on, Azzat, we haven't much time."