The Hospice Ship

Prologue

Perhaps the strangest thing about the perception of space is the silence. So overwhelming, so complete that one begins to realize just how much noise fills their life day in and day out.

From the beeps and hisses of automation to the beating of one's heart (even if only heard within the recesses of your ear drums), the licking of lips, clatter of teeth, the click of boots...

Yes, once a person steps out of an airlock, leaving behind the creature comforts of an artificial shell and atmosphere, they are struck down by the force of blackness.

Sure there are pin pricks of light out there that prevents one from going totally mad (assuming you aren't out on the spiral arm of the galaxy) but of even more comfort is the feel of the durasteel cable a person remains attached too during their space walk.

But even then, you do not hear the silence though you begin to feel the loneliness. For your breathing becomes a beat faster...

in and out..

in and out...

And if you are given to madness, the inevitable pressure to remove the glass faceplate and simply scream out into nothingness becomes almost overpowering.

Ironically, it is almost a mark of civilization... the ability to take oneself and throw it into an environment that was not made for them. That desperate gamble to throw oneself in the middle of the next danger, into the next quest that offers more...

Chapter One
Somewhere in Kapsina Space, circa 33 ABY

"Central, this is K6. No response from the craft."

"K6, this is Central. We have still not registered any IFF signals. Any recognition?"

"Central, scans are all over the place. Whatever that thing is, it's comprised of some sort of alloy that is deflecting my scans."

"Opinion, K6?"

"It looks.... like Crimson Tide design."

"Come again?" the voice took on a more worried tone. "I am going to alert Jusadih Command."

"Central, the ship seems dead. No lit ports at all from this vantage point. From the little energy readings I am getting, it seems there are some systems on stand-by mode."

"K6, if that bloody machine is Crimson, we could very well be in a trap. I am going to follow Juadih Standard Procedure and send word back to Command."

"So much for the right of salvage, Central. If the Stygium goons get a hold of this, it's all over for us. We won't see a damn credit."

"Or Supreme Commander Vorrac may just have our heads for NOT reporting it."

K6 sighed as he triggered some maneuvering jets of his module. "All I'm sayin' is that we take a look at the thing before the military takes it."

"What makes you think the Tide is not monitoring..."

"Us? The dangerous Jusadih Intelligence company of Kapsina? Perhaps the fact that we are still here. Usually the Tide shoots first and asks questions later."

"Can you make out any markings?"

"The outer hull seems rather scored."

"Battle damage?"

"Not quite.. almost like it went through some sort of fire."

"In space?"

"I am not saying it did! I am saying that's what it looks like! Anyway, I can see the underside and it seems to have the hangers like an Imp Star. Darkened though."

"Imp Star... That doesn't tell us much when half the governments use those. For all we know, it's a fraggin' Alvaak ship."

"Central, I've been thinking. Why don't I simply fly myself into the hanger. There's no power.. theoretically, I could simply float on up to the hanger door to the inner corridors."

"And if you expose parts of the ship to vacuum..?"

"I'll knock on the door with a wrench before opening. Vorrac's 12th concubine, Central! Don't worry! I may even be able to get better scans from the inside of the ship."

"Alright, K6. Just be careful. It's still hard to make out the ship. I wish the joker who launched it didn't paint it black. Damn hard to make out.."

"I'll turn on the lights.."

"You keep your damn hands to themselves K6!"

"Just checking to make sure you were awake."

"I am going to log the find with Salvage Central. Have to file the claim."

"Good thinking. I'll signal in a bit when I am inside."


The ship's black and the the closer he got, K6 found his scans becoming more erratic. All the view ports were darkened but as he came closer, the general dark outline began to take shape, which made it resemble quite closely the Imperial Star Destroyer. There were some notable differences however.

A couple of "bubbles" seemed to be formed onto a larger than normal hull. The command tower seemed to be lowered and the engine housings enlarged.

There were also darker spots that spoke of weapon clusters and turbolaser batteries and ports.

Whatever... whosever ship this was... there was no mistaking it for what it was.

A warship.

But who loses a warship like this?

There wasn't really much to nag about in this piece, though the extended dialogue was ok in my eyes because I assumed it would lead to a bigger piece, it being this small could use less dialogue.