Again, the crew prayed and punched the button, jumping to the Pirema System. Things aboard ship were quieter because they'd all found a discipline to study or a skill to practice in their isolation. Over the jump, Zimzod continued studying the combat systems manuals Ms. Vik had recovered. Mikah and Inger kept studying electronics under Sir Brian. So, they spent another week minding systems, sharing small entertainments and either studying, practicing or, for Sir Brian, teaching.
Ms. Vik also did her best to study the Viper's weapons computer systems with Sir Zimzod, to use the destroyer's guns if they were forced to fight. Of course, the destroyer was significantly weaker, since he'd fired off the entire magazine of missile stores. Aidan happily added the navigational manuals to his studies, making things much easier to understand as he worked on the basics of this very complex discipline. Emkir dug into the sensor training with breaks for chats, games, vids and sleep.
Arriving in the Pirema system on 095-1112, the refueling patterns repeated. Zimzod rejoined the "Destroyer Crew" with Sir Brian, Ms. Vik and Dame Mikah to check the engines before the Viper went to refuel. This time, they also wanted to fill the collapsible bladders they'd brought aboard the Horizon. That would let them ship enough fuel to jump to both the Rech and K'kirka systems without refueling in K'kirka. That was because conditions in the K'kirka system almost guaranteed discovery. The orbits of the only gas giant were occupied by archologies. Thankfully, things went quietly as they worked in Pirema, after the encounter in the Gileden system. After everything was checked and prepared, the crew again loaded the jump programs into the Quasar Viper's computer and transferred back to the Dawnstar Horizon. Following three days working on the systems of the two ships, they jumped for the edge of the K'kirka system on the 98th day of 1112.
094 to 102-1112: Background Insert: "Captain" of the IMS Raining Coins (100 ton Trade Hopper)As the crew of the IMS Struck Bargain loaded selected cargoes aboard the Coins, Zach was busy dealing with paperwork and nav-plotting. Finally clear of the 3,000 ton Struck Bargain, he burned for the 100-d ring and hit the jump activation. Very quickly after that, the effects of misjump sickness struck and Zach was incapacitated! After almost a week of crippling illness Zach could barely keep water down but was recovering. Just a day after his recovery, and a week in misjump, he emerged into normal space. But the ship's engineering systems were fried and ship wide power failed, shunting to the emergency battery systems. This forced Zach to abandon the Raining Coins. Lucky for him, the Struck Bargain's captain had a shuttle "jump netted" to the Coin's hull. so Zach shifted his gear and two dTon containers of tech goods to the shuttle before detaching from the crippled hopper. Uncertain where he was, Zach worked to both determine where he emerged from misjump and tried to reach any traffic or local and sentient communications. A day later, he was thrilled when his sensors picked up a nearby rush of tachyons signaling the arrival of a starship, and started signaling immediately.
099 to 109-1112: Jumping to the K'kirka System ( Lanth ) 
A week passed in boredom and studies as the Horizon flew through jump to emergence. Inger and Dame Mikah continued studying ship's electronics, taking breaks to relax. Again, as they arrived, the crew detected the arrival of the Viper in close formation. They then had to pump fuel from the bladders into the ship's systems, collapse the bladders and make the jump to the Rech System. Pumping the fuel was simple, so Ms. Vik's mechanical skill meant she'd help while Dame Mikah and Sir Brian planned to cross to the Viper. Aidan would man the bridge and sensors while Emkir would also cross to the Viper's bridge, to help set up for the next jump. They'd check out the ship's engineering, and later be joined by Ms. Vik as they worked. But as the work began, the ship was hailed by someone speaking galanglic!
All hands rushed to stations as the sensors showed the hailing ship was a class of small "shuttle" spaceship. Speaking with the hailing pilot, they heard he was from a one-man jump-trader owned by the Open Skies Interstellar Shipping corporation. The 100 dTon craft was normally carried by one of the trading line's 3,000 ton Mora MK Class Freight Traders. The IMS Struck Bargain had detailed off the 100 ton IMS Raining Coins with its pilot, Mr. Wood, while en route to Rhylanor-Prime orbit. His trade mission was to jump to the outer worlds of the Rhylanor system and carry out speculative trade there.
Unfortunately, the Trade Hopper misjumped and her engineering systems were completely fried, leaving only emergency battery power and life support. Strapped to the Jumper's hull in a jump-net, Mr. Wood was able to abandon ship in the loaned shuttle, along with two one-dTon containers of "tech goods". While Mr. Wood plead for help, they verified he wouldn't survive the trip into the K'kirka System proper. It was some hours before the shuttle's adjusted course brought brought it close enough to easily communicate with the ship Zach had been tracking. A ship whose transponder had been strangely silent. That fact became more understandable when he got close enough to determine "the ship" were actually a pair of Imperial military vessels. But, by then, he'd been told he would be allowed to dock.
After Mr. Wood settled his shuttle in the bay of the Imperial destroyer, he was taken into custody by an Imperial Marine in battledress. In custody, He was led from the destroyer, which oddly seemed to have been mostly powered down and abandoned, to the Scout Courier. By then, that ship had docked with the larger vessel. Soon, Zachariah found himself in an odd situation as he realized the ships were under the control of a motley crew of military and civilian personnel. And the "marine" turned out to be one of several Imperial Nobles who were apparently not in overall control! But beggars couldn't be choosers, so Zachariah handed his resume over and asked for working passage. When he asked, the captain of the Scout vessel, a detached Courier, told Zach he'd misjumped into the K'kirka System ( Lanth )! A full six parsecs away from where he should have been. And this "small fleet" was headed to the Regina system, further from Rhylanor.
Zachariah was put in the custody of a retired Imperial Scout Admiral, and assigned to share staterooms aboard the small vessel with the Admiral. No one seemed interested in discussing the destroyer or why it had no assigned crew? Now, Zachariah had to settle into his new situation and observe this strange set of crew and ships as they made preparations for their next jump and took stock of their situation. He figured he'd report the misjump to the IISS when he could. After being cleared by the crew, he offered to work aboard until the Dawnstar Horizon's crew could "drop him off". After securing the shuttle and Mr. Wood, it was time for the crew to refuel and prepare for the jump to the Rech System. Their second to last jump before jumping to the Regina System.
112 to 119-1112: Jumping to the Rech System ( Lanth ) 
The jump routine was only broken by the novelty of getting used to Mr. Wood and learning about him to the extent the others were interested. Finally, a week of studies and life aboard ship ended as the Horizon arrived in the Rech System, joined in milliseconds by the Quasar Viper. Unfortunately, no sooner did they verify their position and condition when they were lit up by sensors and challenged by a 30,000 ton Imperial Gionetti Class Cruiser!
_________________________________________________________________________ Next: The Battle in the Rech System